Selkie
Like elves, the origins of the selkie race lay in the Feywild. A type of shapeshifter, a selkie’s normal form is that of a unique seal species who can shed their skin to become a full-figured human touched by fey beauty. Graceful and kind, Selkies spend the majority of their lives in the cold waters of northern oceans, though some tribes migrate to and through more temperate climates.
Selkies are nomadic, maintaining pods of two to ten family members who travel with and live alongside pods of common seals. A selkie’s seal form (size, shape, and coloration) is similar in many ways to the common seal and is indistinguishable to an untrained eye. A successful Nature check (DC 15) can determine that one or more selkie among a pod of common seals is of a different species.
A selkie’s humanoid form is indistinguishable from normal humans except under close scrutiny. A selkie’s fingers and toes have webbing slightly longer than that of a normal human, though this webbing extends significantly when exposed to water. In addition, a selkie’s eyes are often larger and darker than most humans, adding to their kind, almost child-like, expression.
Selkie can mate with both common seals and humans as well as their own kind. When mating with a non-selkie there is a 50% chance the child will be born a selkie and a 50% chance it will be born a normal member of its non-selkie parent’s race, though even these children have a sometimes inexplicable draw to the ocean.
Though most selkies are happy living their lives exploring the oceans and coastal regions with their families and marine friends, some are born with an insatiable curiosity about the far oceans, deep trenches or legendary ruins at the heart of the surface world.
Selkie adventurers use their affinity for magic and natural charm to survive in the bizarre world of surface culture, becoming bards, druids, rangers, rogues and wild sorcerers. Myths of selkies making pacts with twisted beings of the deep seas are common morality tales among the sea-dwelling folk, though the occurrence of selkie warlocks is extremely rare.
Selkie traits
You share a number of traits with other selkie.
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Age. Despite their fey nature, selkies age at the same rate as humans, reaching adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
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Alignment. Selkies live for freedom, both for themselves and others. Most selkie tend toward chaotic and good alignments, but neutral selkie are not uncommon.
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Languages. You know Common and Aquan. Though they speak Common, selkie accents are influenced by their Aquan tongue, causing them to stand out among local communities. You may also speak to and understand all species of marine mammals as though under the effects of a speak with animal spell; this ability is non-magical and is unaffected by antimagic fields.
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Size. Selkies in human form are shorter than typical humans and full-figured, ranging from 4’ 6”-5’6”. Your size is medium.
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Speed. Your base speed is 30 feet in human form.
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Aquatic Grace. Even in human form, you are as at home in the water as you are on land. Add Swimming to your class skills if not already there, and gain 1 skill point to spend on that skill.
You have swim speed equal to your walking speed and you do not take exhaustion while swimming. You can hold your breath for a number of minutes equal to your Constitution score.
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Low-light Vision. Your sylvan ancestry has adapted your physiology to both the twilight realms and the depths of the sea. You can see in dim light as if it were bright light and an additional 60 ft into darkness as if it were dim light.
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Thermoregulation. You are resistant to cold damage and to ill effects from time spent in cold environments.
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Sealskin. Your seal form is as unique as your human form and cannot be changed. You can shift between human and seal forms by donning or shedding your sealskin as a action. As long as you have your seal skin in your possession, you may use your change shape at will and may maintain any of your forms indefinitely.
Without your seal skin you may not use this ability 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.
When another creature holds your sealskin, you have disadvantage against charm effects and their attempts to persuade you, as well as any insight rolls against them. If you are in possession of your sealskin and another creature attempts to scry, magically track you, or cast a spell on you while you are not within their sight, they must roll a D4. On a 1 or a 2, they reach your sealskin instead and the spell has no effect.
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Seal small beast, unaligned Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points You share hp in your two forms
Speed 10 feet, swim 50 feetSTR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) As your normal form Hold Breath. The seal can hold its breath for 30 minutes.
Actions
Bite. Melee Attack - On hit 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage
Class options
Selkie has intermingled with humans to a large extent, and use the same class options as humans.