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| Art by Diane Özdamar |
In the first part of my pirate-Sargasso adventure "
In Doom's Wake" the PCs encountered three unusual, but alluring creatures in a half-submerged wreck. There were 3
Cecalian (thanks, internet!)
mermaids: Giddy, Sheela, and Pru. In place of legs, or a traditional mermaids fish tail, they had squid-like tentacles--a
vampire squid's webbed tentacles in this case, making them look like they wore long skirts. They also had a color change and light-producing ability like a cuttlefish. In 5e, I statted them pretty much like Merfolk with a few special features. Here are their abbreviated stats:
AC 11, HP: 16
STR: 10, DEX:13 (+1), CON: 12 (+1), INT: 11, WIS 11, CHA 13 (+1)
Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage. Hit creature is grappled (escape DC 12).
Mesmerizing Light Display. As the spell Hypnotic Pattern. Wisdom save or be charmed (incapacitated, speed of 0). DC 11 to resist.
In all other respects they had the abilities of Merfolk.
3 comments:
I dunno, I think the Cecalian mermaids might have been sweeter with all those nifty vampire squid abilities. The bioluminescent photophores that can be rapidly adjusted to produce disorienting flashes of light, long tactile filaments to detect movement, and the ability to expel a "cloud" of bioluminescent mucus to distract predators would make them very formidable foes, especially underwater and/or in the dark. The "pineapple" defense posture on the other hand might be a little too odd, unless they had real damaging spines on the underside of their tentacle webbing.
That has a lot of possibilities for sure. I just needed something a bit mermaid and a bit siren, but there are all sorts of great details that could be used.
Nice adaption of a classic creature. Attacking from surprise or otherwise using their abilities to their best advantage would make these siren very effective, between the grapple and the lights, they should be able to control a combat in interesting way.
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