Merfolk Monster Card art by Daniel Lopez-Melville

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Merfolk Culture, Psychology, & Lore

by Rett Weissenfels

“Gone are the days of our forebears, Sea Kings and Sorcerers of the Deep. Gone are the days when Mer ruled the seas. But a cold current rises. The enemies of Mer will drown in its wake.”

-Zar’jir, Angler of Deepsurge, to the Congress of the Sa’jiryan Sea.

Culture and Psychology

“Aye, the Merfolk are cunning. And they’ve a memory rich and sharp as any book. I’ve seen their palaces and grand temples, built of the living coral; untold secrets and riches just out of reach. And I’ve seen the Mer who protect them–Guardians so savage, their tridents pierce steel plate like it was a canvas sack. They suffer neither trespassers nor thieves, and care little for the distinction.”

-Baelen the Smuggler, in a letter to Giles Atwood, Principle Archeologist at the College of Silvercoast.

Merfolk are an amphibious people. Born in the water, all possess gills, and many have fins and tail-like legs. Some races possess humanoid limbs with long, webbed hands and feet. All are excellent swimmers. Their skin is scaly and varies in color—cold-water Merfolk are commonly white or grey, while tropical variants show hues of green and violet. The decorative scales of the subtropical Ta’Zo Merfolk are a clay-like red, while those of the northern Deepsurge region are rich black and cobalt blue.

Merfolk are a proud people. Descended from warriors and kings, each pod recites tales of lost kingdoms that stir the hearts of their people, tales of empires that stretch across the ocean floor. Stories of underwater kings who commanded the bounty of the sea, who wielded their power openly, conquered vast territories, and crushed their enemies. This well-rehearsed and ancient pride still inspires violence, even among the most cautious Mer.

During the golden age of Mer, the Seaborn revered the Deep One and enjoyed his many blessings. Kings spread the joy of his gifts, and warriors carried his ivory-tipped spears. Temples to his wisdom were littered across the ocean floor. Mer born into his favor were called the Tide Touched: Submerged sorcerers who manipulated elemental water with ease. These were the mightiest of Mer magicians, whose power came as second nature.

But the golden age of Mer could not last. The hunger of Men grew, the greed of the surface was insatiable, and the sea’s harvest was depleted. The Deep One turned away, or so the Mer believed. Slowly, their kingdoms crumbled, leaving behind fractured nations and tribes, each in their own corner of the ocean.

Merfolk have adapted to all manner of undersea climates and habitats. The clans of Ta’zo carve their cities amidst forests of subtropical coral, and feast on the highly armored Tigercrab. Deepsurge tribes warm their icy hearts near thermal vents and hunt deadly Sitherian Eels in near total darkness.

It is said that long ago Merfolk males raised the young, fiercely protecting the eggs and rearing the hatchlings. Today, most Merfolk spawn must fend for themselves, feeding off the scraps left by mature hunters until the time comes when they can join their people as contributing members. There is little concept left of mother or father in modern Merfolk tribes, and the fortunes of young Mer rest entirely on their own merits. The primitive nature of their upbringing now reflects the uncompromising savagery of the sea.

Merfolk society is not unduly complex, but it does vary from place to place. Anglers rule the pitch black waters of Deepsurge; peerless hunters with wide, white eyes who defend their status in ritual combat. The Free Cities of Riveline are led by a council of twelve elders who endlessly deliberate in undersea caverns lit by phosphorescent worms. Only recently the Sa’jiryan Congress reconvened for the first time in four hundred years, in an effort to replicate the success of the past. Each Mer tribe sends three delegates to coordinate Mer resistance to the powers on the surface. Mer tribes select these representatives individually, and according to their own traditions. The Anglers of Deepsurge always speak on their own behalf, while the Ta’zo rotate the responsibility amongst able females.

Individual Merfolk sometimes make contact with the surface world, exchanging insults with sailors, racing dolphins along the shoreline to impress beautiful ladies or handsome men, and establishing small-time trade with smugglers of rare sea goods. But collective contact is rare. By and large, Merfolk society is resentful toward the dominance of the surface and avoids large-scale trade or alliances with surface-dwelling races, especially Humans. Occasional exceptions are made for non-Human races, specifically Elves, but many Mer do not make the distinction. It is believed that surface dwellers are brutish and arrogant; greed-driven barbarians who destroyed Mer heritage and sacked the seas of its natural riches.

Territorial and violent, Merfolk do not suffer trespassers lightly. Their hunting and fishing grounds are closely kept secrets. Undersea temples to their ancient gods hide ancestral riches that sparkle in the dreams of adventurers and pirates. Those who cannot resist the temptation are disemboweled in the deep, their guts used as chum to call sharks and carnivorous fish. Shore dwellers who’ve filched pearls, coral, and meat from Merfolk territory have found themselves endlessly hunted while in the water, and even stalked while onshore.

Few surface dwellers possess much true knowledge of Merfolk culture. Ocean travelers can and have had fruitful interactions with Merfolk, but missteps are costly. Perceived slights can easily lead to conflict, and would-be traders who underestimate the bargaining prowess of Merfolk often find themselves scrambling for the safety of the deck.

Special Tactics

Fierce hunters and cunning anglers, Merfolk in their native waters bait and trap like none other, tracking surface prey from under the waves and springing ambushes that are difficult to detect. Merfolk take to the land only to carry out assassinations on hated foes, ordered by their leadership. As a matter of course, they much prefer to fight in the water, where their skill with nets and spears makes them formidable.

Mer can be solitary creatures who avoid direct fights and use traps, nets, and spears to keep their foes at bay. But companies of Mer are not uncommon. In the sea, they engage in hit-and-run tactics, swimming past hapless surface-dwelling foes to create currents that dizzy and confuse them.

The Mer are not strangers to the practice of magic. Some command elemental water to attack their opponents; others use illusion to lure sailors to tragic deaths. The Tide Touched are a dangerous caste whose worship of an ancient god bolsters their ability to manipulate water as second nature.

In some corners of the sea, the use of a Mer’s razor sharp fangs is frowned upon as barbarism. But in others this taboo is unknown. Deepsurge Merfolk, for example, make proud use their natural weaponry, gleefully rending the soft flesh and slicing the bones of their enemies.

Qualities

Predatory. Merfolk have the heightened senses of hunters. They are sensitive to small fluctuations in temperature and current, and like sharks, they sense blood in the water. They have Advantage on all Perception checks when underwater.

Adaptable. Pushed from their ancestral homes, Merfolk have learned to adapt and thrive in many hostile and dangerous places. Deepsurge Mer from the frozen waters of the north may be resistant to cold damage, while Ta’zoen Mer, who have learned to swim amongst corals, may be resistant to poison.

Vengeful. Pride and resentment have driven the Mer toward mercilessness. If a Mer believes they’ve been slighted, they will strive to extract recompense.

Vigilant. The sea is a dangerous place, and survival is not guaranteed. The Merfolk have learned to live under constant threat and are difficult to surprise while in water.

Weaponry

Melee 1. Spears and polearms. Merfolk train with a variety of spears and polearms, often crafted from traditional materials like ivory, bone, wood, teeth, and razor coral.

Melee 2. Teeth and fin spikes. When wounded or trapped, Mer bite and claw to survive. Their teeth are razor sharp for tearing flesh and deal 1d6+STR damage.

Ranged 1. Nets. Specially-crafted Merfolk nets allow trained Mer to cast a net with one hand, on land and underwater.

Ranged 2. Underwater Atlatl. Ranged attacks can be difficult underwater, but the Mer have mastered the atlatl in the sea as well as on land. (Half range underwater, 1d6+ STR damage.)

Special Units

Anglers. Hunting and fishing is a way of life for Merfolk. Similar to Rangers on land, Anglers must be more cunning than their prey. Anglers are deadly with their nets and spears. They are unaffected by difficult or turbulent terrain, and while in their home waters can only become lost by magical means. Some Anglers have been seen hunting in tandem with animal familiars, like the Razorback Shark of Deepsurge.

Guardians. The ocean depths are littered with ancient treasures, forgotten cities, and secrets of Mer long past. Zealous and vigilant, Guardians are trained from birth to protect their ancestral heritage sites from outsiders. Equipped with magical tridents, Guardians are powerful melee fighters. While in the sea, their enchanted lanterns allow them to see invisible creatures within 30’ and serve as both warning and bait for unsuspecting foes.

Guardian’s Trident. +3 to hit. 2d6+3+STR damage. On a critical hit, the target must Save DC 16 CON or begin to drown. They suffer -4 AC and -4 to hit while Drowning, and additionally lose 1d6 HP each round until they make their Save.
Deep Ward. Magical lantern that allows the attuned to see as though they have Truesight for 30’.

Sirens. All sailors knows the story: A Siren’s song can lead ships into the rocks, and sailors to their deaths. Are these are just tall tales? Legends of the distant past? Perhaps not. Explorers now report that Sirens may in fact be Merfolk touched by the Fae. These Mer have been granted the gift of persuasion. Additionally, some sprout wings similar to the iridescent wings of the flying fish. Sirens enchant their foes with song, and use illusion to confuse them. The Fae have granted these few Merfolk new powers, but have also made them outcasts among their kind. Sirens who show their gifts are often exiled and ostracized from Mer society. They are forced to seek each other out for company, or die alone.

Tide Touched. The mightiest Mer Kings were not warriors, but champions of The Deep One, a forgotten God whose tail was said to move the tides. While many Mer study the arcane arts for years, the Tide Touched were born under the watchful eye of The Deep One and gifted with the ability to manipulate the water. King Tzarkath could call storms to batter his foes, fashion a frozen trident in the heat of battle, and boil the blood of those who displeased him.

Special Abilities

Amphibious. Merfolk have a distinct advantage when fighting in the water, but they can survive indefinitely on land under the right conditions.

Revenge. Ancestral pride has taken on an almost magical nature with Merfolk. Give a Mer reason to think you’ve slighted them – steal from their hunting grounds or ancient cities – and you’ll become marked as though under a Hunter’s Mark spell.

Bait and Trap. For thousands of years traps and ambushes were the preferred hunting methods of the Merfolk. Any trap laid in water by Merfolk takes at least 18 passive perception to spot.

Slippery. Covererd with a natural layer of fishy slime, Merfolk are hard to restrain and grapple. This gives them advantage on Dexterity checks to avoid being grappled, and on saving throws to avoid being physically restrained.

Movement

Run. Average/Good. On land, most Mer have a Speed of 20’. Anglers and Guardians are more experienced on land and have a Speed of 30’ for 5 rounds, before their Speed drops to 20’.

Climb. Average. Mer are not experts at climbing, but can scale rocky shorelines and wave-battered cliffs when necessary.

Swim. Excellent. Unmatched in the water, Mer are superior swimmers with a Speed of 50’.

Burrow. Poor. Mer can easily cover themselves in the mud layer at the bottom of rivers, lakes, and sea beds. But digging into hard surfaces presents an obstacle.

Fly. n/a (Some Winged Sirens are reported to fly, with a Speed of 40’.)

Grudges

Most Merfolk believe that Humans are the source of their current troubles, and this resentment has only grown over the centuries. The Mer no longer have the numbers needed to directly challenge Humankind, so they keep their settlements and hunting grounds well hidden.

Merfolk