Homebrew Deep Scion Species Details

Deep scions began life as people who were stolen from shore or saved from sinking ships and offered a terrible bargain by an undersea power: surrender, body and soul, or drown. Those who submit are subjected to an ancient ritual widespread among evil aquatic creatures. Its methods are painful and the result never certain, but when it works, the magic transforms an air-breathing person into a shapechanger that can take a form that is fully at home beneath the waves.

Spies from the Sea. A deep scion emerges from the depths in service to its underwater master, which is likely a kraken or some other ancient being of the deep. While wearing the mind and body of the person it once was as a sort of mask, the creature is bent on fulfilling its master’s desires. Sometimes a deep scion returns to its former home and a hero’s welcome — unexpectedly found alive when all hope was lost. At other times the deep scion takes on a new identity. In any case, it is the deep scion’s duty to infiltrate the air-breathing world and report back to its master. When set to its task, a deep scion worms its way into the life of an unsuspecting enemy as a new best friend, an irresistible lover, the perfect candidate for a job, or in some other role that enables the minion to carry out its master’s commands.

Cold-Hearted Killers. The training to which a deep scion is subjected rids it of empathy for those whom it spies on. Though one might behave as though infatuated, laugh at the joke of a friend, or appear incensed at some injustice, each of these acts is artificial to the deep scion, a means to an end. It believes that its true form is the shape it takes when it returns to the sea that it thinks of as home. Ironically, however, a deep scion that is killed when in its piscine form is stripped of the magic that robbed it of emotion, leaving behind the corpse of the person the deep scion once was.

-Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Deep Scion Traits

You Deep Scion character gets the following racial traits:

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1

Age

You were born as a human, but your lifespan has been prolonged to 200 years.

Allignment

Deep Scion share their allignment with their master. They are typically lawful, because they are subordinate to their master. 

Size

A Deep Scion can stand anywhere from 5 feet to upwards of 6 feet tall. Scion can weigh 120-250 pounds.

Speed

You have a base walking speed of 30 feet. Additionally, you have a swimming speed of 30 feet.

Shapeshift

You can use your action to polymorph into a humanoid-piscine hybrid form, or back into your true form. Your statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. You revert to your true form if you die.

Psychic screech

(Hybrid Form Only; Recharges after 24 hours). You emit a terrible scream audible within 300 feet. Creatures within 30 feet of you must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn. In water, the psychic screech also telepathically transmits your memories of the last 24 hours to your master, regardless of distance, so long as you and your master are in the same body of water.

Assassin’s prowess

You have proficiency in the stealth, investigation, and intimidation skills.

Tooth and Claw

(hybrid form only) you can use an action to deal 1d6+ strength modifier slashing damage (claws) or 1d6+ strength modifier piercing damage (bite)

Languages

You can speak, read, and write in common, aquan, and thieves can’t.