5e:Merfolk
The Land Baby
By: John Collier [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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Merfolk (sing & pl; masc pl: mermen; fem pl: mermaids) were aquatic humanoids with upper body, arm and head of a human and legs resembling the tail of a fish.
A merfolk person had the upper body, arms, and head of a fair-featured human from the waist up and instead of legs they had a fish-like tail from the hips down. Also distinguishing them from humans were the gills slits along their necks, the slight webbing between their fingers, and their pupils exhibiting an ice blue or pale silver tone.
On average, mermen grew to be around 8 feet (2.4 meters) in length and had broader shoulders, while mermaids grew only slightly shorter. On average they weighed around 400 lb (180 kg) and it was unheard of for merfolk to become overweight, due to their active lifestyles, and possessed greater strength than their physiques would imply.
The coloration of their eyes, hair, and skin varied as much as those of humans, as did the coloration of their fins and scales — some colorations being more common in certain areas. Merfolk across Faerûn exhibited all the varied skin tones of the continet's humans. They tended towards pale pink or tan, though some around the Alamber Sea and Vilhon Reach had darker tones. The most common hair colors were light brown or blond, as these helped them to better blenk in to their environment. The rarest of hair colors were blue and silver — those born with either were considered to have great destinies and so would be raised and watched over by their entire clan.
The coloration of merfolk fins and scales ranged from a deep kelly green to a brilliant silver, though some colorations outside of this could be found. Some Serôsian merfolk exhibited brighter colors and even scales that were striped or speckled. While some merfolk in the Alamber Sea or Vilhon Reach had scales that ranged from copper to golden.
In terms of clothing, merfolk often adorned themselves with shells and coral. And Serôsian merfolk in particular had a widespread practice of tattooing across their culture. [3]
Official Info
Merfolk are fully described in Monster Manual (5e) p.218.
List of Merfolk
| Monster | Size | Type | Tags | Alignment | HP | CR | Habitat | Marked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aryn (Individual) | Medium | Humanoid | Merfolk, Merfolk Salvager | Neutral | 22 | 1 | Coastal, Underwater | Canon, Pointer | Ghosts of Saltmarsh |
| Merfolk Overview | Overview | Humanoid, Merfolk | Coastal, Underwater | Canon | Varied | ||||
| Merfolk | Medium | Humanoid | Merfolk | Neutral | 11 | 1/8 | Coastal, Underwater | Canon | SRD-OGL v5.1 |
| Merfolk Salvager | Medium | Humanoid | Merfolk, Merfolk Salvager | Neutral | 22 | 1 | Coastal, Underwater | Canon, Pointer | Ghosts of Saltmarsh |
Sources and Notes
- Wizards RPG Team. SRD-OGL v5.1 (5e) (2015.05.06). Wizards of the Coast. Licensed: OGL & CC-BY. ↑
- Christopher Perkins, et. al.. Monster Manual (5e) (5e) (2014-09-30). Wizards of the Coast. p. 218. Licensed: © Wizards of the Coast. ↑
- . Merfolk Forgotten Realms Wiki Accessed: 2022-01-23. ↑
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Monster data +
Merfolk (Sort Text: Merfolk AAA Common 5e, Size: Medium, Type: Humanoid, Subtypes: Merfolk, Alignment: Neutral, HP: 11, CR: 1/8, Features: Amphibious • Spear, Has Lair: No, NPC: No, Canon: Yes, Pointer: No, UA: No, User: No, Sources: SRD-OGL v5.1)