Sahugain

Sahuagin The sahuagin are horrid creatures that lurk in the oceans, ever ready to wreak devastation. These "sea devils" leave ships adrift and crewless, steal away whole villages in the dead of night, and force aquatic elves and merfolk alike to gird for war.

Sahuagin are complex beings. They have keen intellects and crave order and structure, yet they boil with barely suppressed rage and bloodlust. Even the smallest provocation can tip a sahuagin from cold and calculating schemer to murderous assailant. To stay sane and sharp in times of need, sahuagin periodically revel in bloodstained waters—those who can't satiate their bloodlust either retreat into lethargic apathy or snap and turn against their own.

As a people, sahuagin seek nothing less than total domination of the seas. Though they love to unleash doom on other intelligent species, sahuagin also live in perpetual war with their own kind. Their kings and queens encourage these petty blood feuds, seeing them as a means to feed the blood frenzy, control their numbers, and further hone their race's already considerable skills in battle.

Unlike most aquatic humanoids, sahuagin thrive at any depth or temperature. Even still, they show a marked preference for warm coastal waters—perhaps due to an abundance of both food and beings to terrorize. Sahuagin can be found anywhere from sheltered atolls to lightless trenches, from the tropics to the poles. They have even spread to the Elemental Plane of Water.

Sahuagin live under a feudal system that embodies a ruthless enforcement of order. Each sahuagin holds a position earned with its prowess and skills, and risks demotion by showing any sign of incompetence—or death for any sign of weakness. Officers and lords rule minor holdings as vassals to the barons, dukes, and princesses; kings and queens rule entire oceans from their grand palaces within cities boasting populations in the tens of thousands. Each noble sahuagin aspires to bend the others to her will and become the ruler of an oceanic empire, ushering in the inevitable age of sahuagin ascendance.

Despite their use of noble titles, sahuagin put little stock in bloodlines. Accomplishment trumps parentage, and while sahuagin take pride in relatives with influence and strength, even the offspring of royals must swim unaided. Certainly those children have more opportunities and training than others, but the ambitious daughter of a common laborer might rise to rule a barony, while the inept son of a baron could very well become the meal of his betters.

Sahuagin view other creatures through the lens of their appetites—other races live only to serve as slaves, to die in sport or battle, or to fill the belly. Sahuagin rarely ally with creatures other than their beloved sharks and the shark-like adaros, though they occasionally enslave dragon turtles and other fearsome aquatic monsters as beasts of war. They despise aquatic elves, locathahs, merfolk, and tritons, seeing them as weaklings fit only for slavery and feasting. Aboleths and krakens earn a mixture of loathing and respect, as these beings represent the greatest impediment to sahuagin dominion of the seas.

Young sahuagin are born into clutches of up to 200 eggs, which females lay in well-protected egg chambers. A single settlement typically has one chamber, but larger cities can have up to a dozen. Eggs hatch 3 months after being laid, spawning eel-like fingerlings—all teeth, jaws, and tail. Hatching provokes a violent frenzy, as the newborn fingerlings devour the smaller and weaker members of their clutch. A number of the survivors fall prey to larger predators, or are eaten by their larger siblings when they grow hungry again after their brutal first meal. Only the clever, fast, or strong survive long in the egg chambers.

Sahuagin parents return to claim their surviving young after a year has passed, recognizing their offspring by scent. Some young remain unclaimed, because their parents either have perished or cannot track down the scent. The sahuagin barracks raise such foundlings communally, thrusting them into battle as soon as they can wield a trident.

Sahuagin mature quickly. They develop arms and legs at 6 months of age, grow to around 5 feet tall within a year, and reach their adult size of 7 feet tall around their sixth year. Upon reaching maturity, sahuagin of low social standing must fend for themselves or die—those of higher status are often trained and protected long enough by their parents to become skilled and deadly warriors.

Sahuagin have long, possibly unlimited life spans, though violence claims most before they reach their thirtieth year. Some particularly fierce princes and queens have ruled for hundreds of years, however, as sahuagin's bodies don't decline with age. Particularly old sahuagin are significantly larger than their younger kin (growing into Large creatures as they age). Sahuagin of all ages despise infirmity, and attempt to excise it from their midst with atavistic, violent reactions.

Sahuagin Racial Traits
Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: While sahuagin are powerful and cunning, they are repulsive creatures.

Size: Sahuagin are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Type: Sahuagin are monstrous humanoids with the aquatic subtype.

Languages: Sahuagin begin play speaking Aquan and Common. Sahuagin with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aboleth, Abyssal, Aklo, Draconic, Giant, Goblin, and Infernal.(edited)

Normal Speed: Sahuagin have a base speed of 30 feet.

Fast Swimmer: Sahuagin have a swim speed of 60 feet.

Blind-sense (Underwater) Sahuagin have blind-sense with a range of 30 feet while underwater and targets are also underwater.

Dark-vision: Sahuagin have dark-vision with a range of 60 feet.

Light Blindness: Sahuagin have the light blindness trait.

Bite: Sahuagin have a natural bite attack that deals 1d4 points of damage. This bite is a primary attack, or a secondary attack if the creature is wielding manufactured weapons.

Aggressive Negotiation: Sahuagin start diplomatic relationships with Sharks and Adaro as indifferent rather than unfriendly or hostile regardless of situation.

Speak with Sharks: Sahuagin can communicate telepathically with sharks to a distance of 100 feet. This communication is limited to simple concepts, such as “attack,” “come,” and “defend.”

Aquatic Advantage (General)
Foes without a swim speed provoke attacks of opportunity from you underwater.

Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, must have a natural swim speed.

Benefits: A creature that lacks a swim speed provokes an attack of opportunity from you when it attacks you underwater. You don't get an attack of opportunity if the attacker is under the effects of freedom of movement.

Blood Frenzy (Combat, Racial)
The scent of blood in the water sends you into a frenzy.

Prerequisites: Con 15, Sahuagin, Character level 5th

Benefits: Three times per day, whenever a sahuagin takes damage, it can fly into a frenzy for 1 minute; gaining a +2 racial bonus to Constitution and Strength but a –2 penalty to AC.

Blood Tide (Combat, Racial)
In the throes of blood frenzy, you can unleash a whirlwind of claws and teeth against your foes.

Prerequisites: Combat Expertise, Greater Blood Frenzy, base attack bonus +8, blood frenzy, Sahuagin.

Benefits: When you make a full attack while in a blood frenzy, you can give up your regular attacks to instead make one melee attack at your highest base attack bonus against each bleeding or wounded opponent within reach. You must use a natural weapon with these attacks, and you must make a separate attack roll against each opponent. You do not need to use the same natural weapon against each opponent.

When you use Blood Tide, you also forfeit any extra attacks granted by other feats, spells, or abilities.

Greater Blood Frenzy (Combat, Racial)
Your wounds move you into a deeper frenzy..

Prerequisites: Con 17, Blood Frenzy, Ripping Appendages, Sahuagin, Character level 7th

Benefits: You no longer take a penalty to AC while in a blood frenzy. In addition, if you strike an enemy with both of your claw attacks—or two or more claw attacks if you have extra limbs—while in a blood frenzy, you can rend (as the special attack), dealing an amount of additional damage equal to your claw damage plus 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus (minimum 0).

Ripping Appendages (Combat, Racial)
Use of your hands has left them powerful weapons that are able to shred through most enemies with ease.

Prerequisites: Sahuagin, Character level 4th

Benefits: You grow a pair of claws. These claws are primary attacks that deal 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if you are Small).

Special: If you already have existing claws improve the size of your claws by one step, this counts as and does not stack with improved natural attack.