Taniwha (5e Race)

Taniwha

Tamure learning how to read

Fierce warriors (or terrible monsters) from the depths of the seas.

Physical Description

Most Taniwha have the general appearance of a humanoid shark, but can also be whale- or dolphin-like

History

The first Taniwha came about when The Sea God Tangaroa saw three sisters wandering along the shoreside. One of the sisters was particularly beautiful and he fell madly in love with her. Tangaroa began to chase the sisters, catching them one by one in an attempt to capture the beautiful one. On succeeding, he then took her back to his cave. Many years passed and the woman bore six children, with three like their father and three like her. She educated all her sons and daughters, teaching them the art of war and helping them to fashion and use weapons. The children then killed their father and all went back to their homes.

Kaiwhare, the eldest of the sons, eventually grew to be large and powerful. He began to attack The Manukau Tribe, stealing their livestock and destroying farms as he did. The Manukau people then called for the youngest son, Tamure, to help kill his brother. Tamure tracked Kaiwhare to his lair and the two fought for three days and three nights. Although he could not bring himself to kill his brother, his actions tamed Kaiwhare, who began to live off crayfish and octopus.

Attitudes and Beliefs

Depending on the individual, Taniwha could be either faithful guardians or vicious monsters. They see the world as a place of predators and prey, where life and death are natural processes. Some make it their duty to defend prey from predators. Some become the predator. Some only wish to survive and prefer to leave other creatures to their own devices.

Taniwha Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Less than a century
Alignment. They could be Good or Evil, but almost always Chaotic
Size. Determined by your subrace
Speed. Your base walking and swimming speed is 30 feet.
Amphibious. You have gills on the sides of your head in addition to your lungs. You can breathe both air and water, but will require at least half an hour submerged in water to survive trekking on dry land. If you have gone 24 hours without submerging into water, you gain 1 level of exhaustion. Levels of exhaustion gained in this way stay with you until you submerge yourself for 30 minutes per exhaustion level gained.
Natural Armor. You have thick leathery skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Blood Scent. Sharks are known to be able to smell a drop of blood up to a mile away. You have advantage on Survival and Investigation checks to track any creature who has recently lost blood.
Hunter of the Depths. Adapted to even the most extreme ocean depths, you have resistance to cold damage and ignore any of the drawbacks caused by a deep, underwater environment.
Hungry Jaws. In battle, you can throw yourself into a vicious feeding frenzy. Rather than an unarmed strike, you lash out at your enemies with your jaws, dealing 1d6 damage + STR mod. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your bite. This attack increases to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 10th level, and 4d6 at 20th level.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sharktooth.

Great White

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1
Size. Your size is Medium or Large
Watery Stealth. You glide quickly, smoothly, and silently as you swim. You have advantage on Stealth checks to hide while underwater.

Hammerhead

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1
Size. Your size is Medium
Lateral Vision. Your eyes are perfect for submerged hunting. You have advantage on Perception and Investigation checks while underwater.

Dolphin

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1
Size. Your size is Medium
Echolocation. You can sense vibrations in the water. You have advantage on Dexterity Saves while underwater.

Whale

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1
Size. Your size is Large
Large Body. Your size was built for the crushing weight of the ocean. You have advantage on Constitution Saves while underwater.

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a Taniwha character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background characteristics.

d6	Personality Trait
1	I hate waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies
2	Money is useless, food however...
3	I sleep best while completely submerged in water
4	I still don't understand how metaphors work but that won't stop me from using them at every opportunity
5	I appreciate the soft humanoids who need chain mail and swords to match the gifts I was born with
6	I enjoy eating my food while it's still wriggling

d6	Ideal
1	The world is made up of predators and prey (Lawful)
2	Hunger must be satisfied (Evil)
3	Prey should be given a fighting chance (Lawful)
4	There are far too many predators in the world (Chaotic)
5	Always keep moving (Neutral)
6	Fish are friends, not food (Good)

d6	Bond
1	A fisherman killed a family member and I will have revenge
2	My mate is out there, I just have to look for her
3	I am a lone shark
4	I prefer the ocean to the land
5	Everyone else are just fleshy bags of meat
6	I often feel sorry for my prey

d6	Flaw
1	If I don't know what something is, I put it in my mouth just in case it's food
2	I almost never know my own strength
3	I sometimes forget others can't breath underwater
4	I am often unaware of how scary everyone finds me
5	I have hydrophobia
6	I sometimes eat my friends

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(0 votes)

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