Homebrew Siren Species Details

 

The origin of Sirens is something of a mystery. Legends tell of the union of a woman and a long-lost sea god; still others suggest that Sirens are the spirits of women fallen at sea, incarnated by their hatred, their voices cursed with the eldritch wonder of the never-ending ocean. The truth behind these legends is somewhat hard to discern, as few scholars have had the chance to interact with them, and fewer still have survived those encounters.

Physical Description

Sirens commonly appear as an amalgamation of a beautiful woman and some form of sea life; typically, they acquire features such as fins, claws, gills, and tails, and wield these features as natural extensions of their own bodies. Some have even been known to possess wings, a trait reminiscent of seafowl, but one used to deadly effect. There is nothing so terrifying as the sight of a siren soaring downward, snatching their entranced victims from the decks of their ships.

Sirens are long-lived, having lifespans documented as long as 300 years in some cases. In addition, sirens are fiercely intelligent, to the point that they are able to speak and comprehend most known languages. Given their lack of socialization, cryptozoologists theorize that their do not communicate with their tongues, but instead with their thoughts; that a siren's song is not a physical one, but instead a manifestation of their desire, projected across the ocean's waves as a form of magic.

Sirens are exclusively female. They procure mates in much the same way as they hunt: by entrancing the object of their desire and taking advantage of the hapless victim. A siren's mating dance is a long, drawn-out process; most victims do not live to tell of the tale, as the intelligence and viciousness of a Siren is comparable only with their cardinal sin of obsession. One documented survivor of a Siren abduction was recovered after forty-one days in captivity; half-drowned, unable to speak and all but catatonic, he passed shortly after his retrieval, as the shock of the Siren's death stopped his heart.

They tend to nest along rocky outcroppings bordering the ocean, although industrial expansion has forced them further into the ocean, relegating them to distant islands, coastal caverns, and the borders of undiscovered lands.

Society

Sirens have very little contact with one another, preferring solitude and uncontested hunting grounds. When sirens do cross paths, they are almost inevitably drawn to fighting; whether this is due to a desire for food, or whether it is born of mutual jealousy, one will eventually overpower the other with their song. If the victim is not slain, they will instead be controlled, assuming a puppet-like disposition until they eventually waste away; additionally, their power will be drawn into the victor, increasing the power and range of her song.

In these instances, the controlling siren is referred to as a Queen. Rather than hunting men, Queens hunt their own kind, subverting them and expanding their territory. Queens are immensely powerful creatures, possessing the ability to manipulate the weather and shift sea currents; they are also psychic powerhouses in their own right, able to inflict compulsions on even the most resilient minds.

Siren Traits

Your Siren character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom, Constitution, and Charisma scores each increase by 1.

Age

Sirens reach maturity around age 15 and can live up to 300 years.

Alignment

Tritons tend toward lawful good. As guardians of the darkest reaches of the sea, their culture pushes them toward order and benevolence.

Size

Tritons are slightly shorter than humans, averaging about 5 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 30 feet.

Amphibious

You can breathe air and water.

Siren's Body

As a bonus action, you turn into an amphibious form, your legs becoming a single powerful tail. Your walking speed is reduced to 5 feet and you gain a swimming speed of 40 feet. While in this form, you can use your bonus action to return to normal.

Darkvision

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.

Call

 Sirens are known for luring people and beguiling them. Whenever you make a Charisma (Performance) check to sing, you are considered proficient in the Performance skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. In addition, You know the friends cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the charm person spell once and need to finish a long rest before you can cast it again. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the suggestion spell once and need to finish a long rest before you can cast it again. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Charm Resistance

You have advantage against being charmed, being a skilled charmer yourself

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial (Aquan).