Homebrew Merrow Species Details

"Deadly as a shark, and twice as strong as one, as that. Merrow shouldn't even deserve to live, anymore, with how they act."

-Richard Kleinbahk, human paladin, on the merrow

Merrow live in the bottom of the ocean, but can be found wherever there is water. These creatures are drawn to abyssal energy, even if they do not want to be. Long-established monsters a number now seek to find a home here on the realm their raced was commanded to destroy.

Aquatic Hunters

Merrow haunt coastal waters, preying on fisherfolk, merfolk, and any other edible creature that crosses their path. These savage monsters snatch and devour unwary prey, hauling drowned corpses back to their underwater grottoes to feed.

Transformed Merfolk

Long ago, a tribe of merfolk found an idol of Demogorgon at the bottom of the sea. Not knowing what it was, they brought the artifact to their king. Everyone who touched the idol became afflicted with madness, including the king, who decreed that a sacrificial ritual be performed to open a gateway to the Abyss. The ocean turned red with the blood of slaughtered merfolk, but the ritual worked, and the king led the survivors through the underwater gate to Demogorgon's layer of the Abyss. The merfolk remained there for generations, fighting for their lives as the Abyss warped them completely, transforming them into hulking, evil monstrosities. Thus, the first merrow were born

Coastal Bully

Whenever an opportunity presents itself, the Prince of Demons sends merrow back to the Material Plane to wreak havoc in the oceans. The merrow are bullies, attacking all creatures smaller and weaker than themselves. Merrow dwell in undersea caves filled with treasures and trophies, taken from their victims and sunken ships. They tie the rotting corpses of dead enemies and drowned sailors to strands of kelp to mark the borders of their territory.

Merrow Names

Merrow take their name from the abyssal tongue, preferring its harsh alien-sounding words compared to the more smooth aquatic language. The merrow's Abyssal names do not typically differentiate by gender.

Merrow Names: Molxuhm, Rusnon, Weorus, Xeusor, Skoilon, Searkaezor

Merrow Traits

Your merrow character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores each increase by 1.

Age

Merrow's lifespans are comparable to a shark's, maturing between the ages of 6 to 8, and living to only be about 40.

Alignment

Merrow are commonly seen as bullies in the ocean, their demonic nature making them inclined towards evil, but some wish to be good.

Size

The torso of merrows are about the same height as humans, but their fish-like lower body can make their total height be over twice that, weighing a few hundred pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 35 feet.

Amphibious

You can breathe air and water.

Darkvision

The demonic energies that turned your ancestors from merfolk into merrow grants you improved sight in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Bully

When you use your action to make a melee weapon attack on a creature that one of your allies is within 5 feet of, you can use your bonus action to shove the creature.

Merrow Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the spear, trident, and net.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Abyssal, and Aquan. Merrow frequently mingle the words of abyssal and aquan together, to create their own words that can only be truly understood by creatures that speak both languages.