ECOLOGY

Environment temperate or warm ocean
Organization solitary, pair, team (5–8), patrol (11–20 plus 1 lieutenant of 3rd level and 1–2 sharks), band (20–80 plus 100% noncombatants, 1 lieutenant of 3rd level and 1 chieftain of 4th level per 20 adults, and 1–2 sharks), or tribe (70–160 plus 100% noncombatants, 1 lieutenant of 3rd level per 20 adults, 1 chieftain of 4th level per 40 adults, 9 guards of 4th level, 1–4 under-priestesses of 3rd–6th level, 1 priestess of 7th level, 1 baron of 6th–8th level, and 5–8 sharks)
Treasure NPC gear (trident, heavy crossbow with 10 bolts, other treasure)

Ravenous and cruel, the sahuagin are, unfortunately, among the most prosperous oceanic races. Great cities raised by these creatures darken the deep ocean trenches, and many are the near-coastal fortresses where they launch endless raids against their air-breathing enemies who dwell in close proximity to the shore. Warlike and proud, the sahuagin rarely ally with others, and view most other aquatic races such as the aboleths, the merfolk, and their ilk as competitors. The only creatures they seem to respect and adore apart from their own kind are sharks, for in these relentless predators the sahuagin see much of themselves. A sahuagin stands 7 feet tall and weighs about 250 pounds.

Sahuagin Mutants

Sahuagin are prone to beneficial mutations, and when a mutant is born it almost always rises to the society's nobility or rulership. The most common sahuagin mutation is an extra pair of arms (granting two additional claw attacks or the opportunity to wield more weapons, see four-armed mutant sahuagin). Rumors speak of the rare malenti—sahuagin who look not like sharkmen but aquatic elves, yet who share their kin's bloodlusts and cruel natures. Malenti often serve as spies and assassins for sahuagin rulers, but rumors of all-malenti tribes in isolated reaches of the sea persist.

Although four-armed mutant sahuagin and malenti are the most common sahuagin mutants, they are not the only abnormalities to arise from sahuagin stock. The following mutants are also sometimes found in sahuagin societies. While rarer than other mutants, they too quickly garner the respect and fear of their piscine brethren.

• Four-Armed Sahuagin: These mutants have four arms, giving them two additional claw attacks. Four-armed sahuagin gain Multiattack and Toughness as bonus feats, and gain the multiweapon mastery ability. They have a base CR of 3. Four-armed sahuagin excel as barbarians, fighters, and rangers.
• Malenti: A malenti resembles an aquatic elf, and receives a +4 bonus to Dexterity and Charisma, gains Deceitful and Skill Focus (Bluff ) as bonus feats, and can use command as a spell-like ability three times per day (this ability works only on creatures with the aquatic subtype, representing increased telepathic influence over aquatic creatures). Additionally, a malenti's natural armor bonus decreases to +2 and the malenti loses its light blindness and natural weapons. Malenti excel as bards, oracles, rogues, and wizards.
• Prehistoric Sahuagin: Also known as adacthys, these sahuagin mutants are throwbacks to some even more savage epoch; they are Large, have a +7 natural armor bonus, and can speak with aquatic dinosaurs and megafauna in addition to sharks. They are usually found in the same waters as prehistoric creatures or waters that are somehow strangely affected by the flow of time.
• Shark-Blooded Sahuagin: These sahuagin mutants have overly large maws filled with rows of shark-like teeth, and the fins and tail of an over-sized thresher shark (or other local variety). These abnormalities give them the appearance of monstrous merfolk, a base speed of 5 feet, a swim speed of 80 feet, and a bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage and immunity to trip attempts. Shark-blooded sahuagin are most typically found in sahuagin communities with unusually high numbers of shark guardians and near shark breeding grounds.
• Sightless Sahuagin: These pallid, sickly looking sahuagin lack eyes, but their blindsense increases to 90 feet and they gain Blind-Fight as a bonus feat. A glowing tendril protruding from a sightless sahuagin causes all sighted creatures to be dazzled while within 10 feet of the sahuagin, and allows it to use animal trance once per day as a spell-like ability. This animal trance effect is entirely visual, so it doesn't have the sonic descriptor or work on blind creatures. As sightless sahuagin are blind, they are immune to all sight-based effects and attacks, including gaze attacks. Isolated sightless sahuagin mutants arise near sites of ancient evil, and make even other sahuagin uneasy. Whole tribes of such mutants dwell in deep underwater trenches and caves, lost cities at the bottom of oceans, and cursed aquatic temples.
• Spined Sahuagin: Covered in hundreds of needle-like spines, spined sahuagin can raise their piercing protrusions to impale creatures that touch them. Any creature that successfully grapples or is grappled by a spined sahuagin, or hits one with an unarmed strike or natural weapon, takes 1d4 points of piercing damage. Additionally, these mutants gain Defensive Combat Training and Improved Grapple as bonus feats. Spined sahuagin most commonly appear in depths that also serve as the hunting grounds of sea serpents, thalassic behemoths, or other massive aquatic predators.