Homebrew Tritonian (Crab) Species Details

Aquatic Crusaders

In the Primordial Age before Elves we know them today exist Gods walked the Earth and hunted down rampant Primordial Beasts with their teams of proto-Elves, hellbent on ridding the world of these monsters. Many of these early Elves spent their lives in the seas hunting great Krakens and Aquatic Dragons and as such were moulded to flourish in this environment. When the Primordial Age ended the Tritonians became one of the central races in the Elven Empire and were granted dominion over all seas and oceans, where they set about building a vast underwater society that survives to this day.

Rarely venturing to the surface save for the call of war from their Imperial leaders the Tritonians have become somewhat mythical particularly in the eyes of seafaring Humans, who claim that to witness them is a good omen (unless of course you are a pirate, in which case it is a very bad one). Tritonians police the seas and typically take an active stance against all smuggling and piracy, often intervening violently against those who would use their seas for evil. They are also known to guide lost ships and save drowning sailors wherever possible.

Most of Tritonian society is built around the defence of the surface from the horrors of the deep. Tritonians believe that the utmost depths of the sea harbour the true Abyssal Plane, where they believe immense beings of pure evil lay in waiting. They see it as their duty to protect the rest of the world from these beings, and they believe they deserve to be respected as a result.

Haughty Nobles

As a result of their isolation and limited understanding of the surface world, Tritonians can come across as haughty and arrogant. They see themselves as caretakers of the sea, and they expect other creatures to pay them deep respect, if not complete deference.

This attitude might grate on others, but it arises from a seed of truth. Few know of the Tritonians’ great victories over dreadful undersea threats. The Tritonians make little allowance for such ignorance and are delighted to expound upon the great debt others owe them.

Tritonians also have a tendency to emerge from their isolation under the assumption that other folk will welcome them as respected allies and mentors. Again, distance drives much of this attitude. The Tritonians’ limited view of the world leaves them ignorant of the kingdoms, wars, and other struggles of the surface world. Tritonians readily see such concerns as minor events, a sideshow to the Tritonians’ role as the world’s true protectors.

Staunch Champions

Despite their off-putting manners, Tritonians are benevolent creatures at heart, convinced that other civilized races deserve their protection. Their attitude might grate, but when pirate fleets prowl the waves or a kraken awakens from its slumber, they are among the first to take up arms to protect others.

Tritonians readily sacrifice themselves for the common good. They will fight and die for other humanoids and sea-creatures readily. Their self-absorbed nature makes them overlook the history of other creatures, but they also endure a sense of guilt over their involvement in the Elven Empire's less than palatable conquests, particularly the banishment of the Orcs. While Tritonians are among the most militarily capable of the Elves they rarely see active military conflict and are slow to react to the Empire's summons.

At times their fervour and ignorance of the world can lead them astray. Tritonians encountering other creatures for the first time can underestimate them, leaving the Tritonians vulnerable to deception. With their strong martial tradition, Tritonians can sometimes be too eager to leap into a fight.

Strangers to the Surface

Given their isolation, most tritons have never been to the surface world. They struggle with the idea that they can’t easily move up and down out of water, and the changing of the seasons mystifies them.

Tritonians also find the variety of social institutions, kingdoms, and other customs bewildering. For all their proud culture, they remain innocent of the surface world. The typical Tritonian protectorate is tightly regimented, organized, and unified around a common cause. A Tritonian on the surface becomes easily confused by the bewildering array of alliances, rivalries, and petty grievances that prevent the surface folk from truly unifying.

At its worst, a Tritonian's arrogance compounds the tendency for the Tritonian not to understand the ways of the surface world. It’s easy for a Tritonian to blame baffling social practices on what the Tritonian perceives as the barbarism, weakness, or cowardice of surface folk.

Tritonian Names

As they are Elves Tritonians typically follow Elven naming conventions

Tritonian (Crab) Traits

Your Crab Tritonian character has the following racial traits.

Fey Ancestry

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

Trance

Tritonians are Elves and Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Exoskeleton

Your base AC is 17 (which is unaffected by Dex) and you cannot benefit from armour of any kind but you can use shields

Claws

Crab Tritonians can use their powerful claws for melee attacks. In place of a standard unarmed attack a Crab Tritonian can use their claws to deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage + STR.

Powerful Build

You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score is increased by 2 and your Strength score is increased by 1

Age

Tritonians reach maturity around age 15 and typically live up to 200 years. Crab Tritonians are shorter lived than most of their cousins, rarely living past 100 years old.

Alignment

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

Size

Crab Tritonians are of a similar size to their Elven and Tritonian kin, however their massive exoskeletons and shells make them look significantly larger.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet. You have a burrowing speed of 5 feet (only through loose ground and sand) and a swimming speed of 30 feet.

Amphibious

You can breathe air and water.

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.

Emissary of the Sea

Aquatic beasts have an extraordinary affinity with your people. You can communicate simple ideas with beasts that can breathe water. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return.

Guardians of the Depths

Adapted to even the most extreme ocean depths, you have resistance to cold damage.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish and Deep Speech.