Homebrew Half-Selkie Species Details

Walking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither, half-Selkies combine what some say are the best qualities of their Selkie and human parents: human curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition tempered by the refined senses, love of the oceans, and melodic tastes of the Selkie. Some half-Selkies live among humans, set apart by their emotional and physical differences. Others live with the Selkies, growing restless as they reach adulthood in the tides of the sea, curious of the lands of their other parent. Many half-Selkies, unable to fit into either society, choose lives of solitary wandering or join with other misfits and outcasts in the adventuring life.

Of Two Worlds

To humans, half-Selkies look like elves or half-elves. In height, they’re on par with both parents, though they’re neither as slender as the Fey nor as broad as humans. They range from under 4 feet to about 5 feet tall, and from 100 to 180 pounds, with men only slightly taller and heavier than women. Half-Selkie men do have facial hair, and sometimes grow beards to mask their Fey ancestry. Half-Selkie coloration and features lie somewhere between their human and Selkie parents, and thus show a variety even more pronounced than that found among either race. They tend to have the eyes of their Selkie parents.

Diplomats or Wanderers

Half-Selkies have no lands of their own, though they are welcome in human cities and somewhat welcome in elven forests. In large cities on the sea coast where Selkies and humans more likely to interact, half-selkies are sometimes numerous enough to form small communities of their own. They enjoy the company of other half-selkies, the only people who truly understand what it is to live between the two worlds of land and sea.

In most parts of the world, though, half-selkies are uncommon enough that one might live for years without meeting another. Some half-selkies prefer to avoid company altogether, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like Selkies, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity, and ocean based nature. Others, in contrast, throw themselves into the thick of society, putting their charisma and social skills to great use in diplomatic roles or as swindlers.

Half-Selkie Names

Half-selkies true names are much like their Selkie parents, consisting of a series of animal barks and whines that are made by seals. Thus, they often take a second name that can be pronounced by those who speak common. These second names are either ones that symbol their true names or chosen from names of those in a local sea-side community.

EXCELLENT AMBASSADORS

Many half-selkies learn at an early age to get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have fey-like grace without the selkies' aloofness and human energy without human boorishness. They often make excellent ambassadors and go-betweens (except between the Fey and humans, since each side suspects the half-selkie of favoring the other).

 

 

Half-Selkie Traits

Your half-Selkie character has some qualities in common with the fey and some that are unique to half-Selkies.

Shapechanging

As an action, you can magically assume the shape of a seal. Your seal form is as unique as your human form and cannot be changed. While in seal form, you follow the same rules as a druid using the Wild Shape class feature. In addition, when you change shape from seal to human form, you shed your seal skin and must keep it safe and secure. As long as you have your seal skin in your possession, you may use your shapechanging ability at will and may maintain your seal form indefinitely. Without your seal skin you may not use your shapechanging abilities until the skin is retrieved, you are the target of a greater restoration, heal, regenerate, or wish spell, or you regenerate the skin after a year and a day.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

Age

Half-selkies mature at the same rate as selkies do and reach adulthood around their teens. They are considered reaching old age at 50 to 60.

Alignment

Half-selkies share the chaotic bent of their Selkie heritage. Selkies and their Half-Selkie live for freedom, both for themselves and others. Most of those with selkie blood tend toward chaotic and good alignments, but neutral half-selkies are not uncommon.

Size

Half-elves are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your selkie blood, your physiology has adapted to both the twilight realms and the depths of the ocean. 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.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Skill Versatility

You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, plus either Aquan or Sylvan. You may also speak to and understand all species of marine mammals as though under the effects of a speak with animal spell. Though they speak Common, selkie accents are influenced by their Aquan and Sylvan tongues, causing them to stand out among local communities.