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Merfolk

Random Merfolk Starting Ages

Adulthood	Intuitive¹	Self-Taught²	Trained³
15 years	+1d4 years (16 - 19 years)	+1d6 years (16 - 21 years)	+2d6 years (17 - 27 years)

¹ This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.
² This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, and witches.
³ This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.

Random Merfolk Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	5 ft. 10 in.	+2d10 in. (6 ft. - 7 ft. 6 in.)	145 lbs.	+(2d10×5 lbs.) (155 - 245 lbs.)
Female	5 ft. 8 in.	+2d10 in. (5 ft. 10 in. - 6 ft. 4 in.)	135 lbs.	+(2d10×5 lbs.) (145 - 235 lbs.)

Merfolk have the upper torsos of well-built and attractive humans and lower halves consisting of the tail and fins of a great fish. Their hair and scales span a wide range of hues, with Merfolk in a given region closely resembling each other. Merfolk can breathe air freely but move on dry land only with difficulty, and rarely spend long periods out of water. As a race, Merfolk are insular and distrustful of strangers, but individuals, especially adventuring Merfolk, break the mold and can be quite garrulous. Merfolk concern themselves more with nature and the arts than with morality and ethical debates, and have a strong inclination toward neutral alignments.

Standard Racial Traits

Ability Score Racial Traits: Merfolk are graceful, hale, and beautiful. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, and +2 Charisma.
Size: Merfolk are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed (Slow Speed): Merfolk have a base speed of 5 feet. They have a swim speed of 50 feet.
Type: Merfolk are humanoids with the aquatic subtype.
Languages: Merfolk begin play speaking Common and Aquan. Merfolk with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aboleth, Aklo, Draconic, Elven, and Sylvan. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Defense Racial Traits

Armor: Merfolk have a +2 natural armor bonus.
Legless: Merfolk have no legs, and therefore cannot be tripped.

Senses Racial Traits

Low-Light Vision: Merfolk have low-light vision allowing them to see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Other Racial Traits

Amphibious: Merfolk are amphibious, but prefer not to spend long periods out of the water.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

Darkvision Some Merfolk favor the lightless depths over shallower waters. Merfolk with this racial trait gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet and light sensitivity. This racial trait replaces low-light vision.
Seasinger The beautiful voices of the merfolk are legendary. A seasinger gains a +2 racial bonus on Perform (sing) checks and a +1 racial bonus to the save DC of language-dependent spells. This racial trait replaces low-light vision.
Secret Magic: Merfolk sometimes manifest magical powers they are unwilling to explain to non-merfolk, leading scholars to speculate that the magic originates from the merfolk's rumored eldritch patrons. Such merfolk have only a 40-foot swim speed, but they add +1 to the DC of any enchantment spells they cast, and if they have a Charisma score of 13 or higher, they gain the ability to cast the following spell-like abilities: At will—speak with animals (aquatic animals only); 1/day— fins to feet (self only), hydraulic push. This racial trait replaces the armor racial trait and alters the merfolk's movement speed. Source PCS:ISR
Strongtail A few merfolk have broad, strong tails that are more suited for land travel than the typical merfolk tail. Merfolk with this racial trait have a land speed of 15 feet and a swim speed of 30 feet.

Favored Class Options

The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

Druid Add +1 hit point to the druid's animal companion. If the merfolk ever replaces her animal companion, the new animal companion gains these bonus hit points.
Ranger Add +1 hit point to the ranger's animal companion. If the ranger ever replaces his animal companion, the new animal companion gains these bonus hit points.
Sorcerer Add +1/2 to the sorcerer's caster level when determining the range of any spells with the water descriptor.

3rd Party Publisher Favored Class Options

Aegis: Add +1 foot to the aegis’s base land speed. This option has no effect unless the aegis has selected it 5 times (or another increment of 5); a speed of 34 feet is effectively the same as a speed of 30 feet, for example. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Alchemist: Add +10 minutes to the duration of the alchemist’s mutagens. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Antipaladin: Add 5 feet to the antipaladin’s detect good range. This option has no effect unless selected 5 times (or another increment of 5); a range of 64 feet is effectively the same as a range of 60 feet, for instance. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Arcanist: Add 1 spell from the arcanist spell list to the arcanist spell book. This spell must be at least 1 spell level below the highest level the arcanist can cast. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Barbarian: Add +2 temporary hit points while raging in or near the water. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Bard: Add a +1/3 bonus to all untrained Knowledge checks. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Bloodrager: Add +1 foot to the bloodrager’s swim speed when in a blood rage. In combat this option has no effect unless the bloodrager has selected it 5 times (or another increment of 5); a swim speed of 54 feet is effectively the same as 50 feet, for example. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Brawler: Add +1/2 to damage rolls made with unarmed attacks. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Cavalier: Add a +1/2 bonus on Diplomacy and Ride checks. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Cleric: Add +1/4 of an additional die of channel energy. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Cryptic: Adda +1 bonus to Linguistics checks on riddles and puzzles. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Dread: Add a +1/2 bonus to Intimidate and Perception checks. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Fighter: Add a +1 bonus to the fighter’s CMD when resisting grapple and a +1 bonus on Escape Artist checks. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Gunslinger: Add a +1/3 bonus to the AC bonus granted by the gunslinger’s dodge deed. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Hunter: Add a +1/2 bonus on wild empathy checks the hunter makes to influence animals and magical beasts that have the aquatic subtype. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Inquisitor: Add a +1/2 bonus to Knowledge checks to identify the abilities and weakness of creatures with the aquatic subtype. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Investigator: Add a +1/3 bonus to all untrained Knowledge checks. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Magus: Add +1/2 damage on spells that contain the water descriptor or belong to the elemental water school. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Marksman: Gain a +1/2 bonus to the dodge bonus granted by evade arrows. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Monk: Add +1/4 to the monk’s armor class bonus. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Ninja: Add a +1/3 bonus on damage rolls to sneak attack. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Oracle: Add one spell known from the oracle spell list or from the Wave, Wind, or Lunar mysteries. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the oracle can cast. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Paladin: Add 5 feet to the paladin’s detect evil range. This option has no effect unless selected 5 times (or another increment of 5); a range of 64 feet is effectively the same as a range of 60 feet, for instance. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Psion: Add +1/3 to the psion’s saving throws versus water effects. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Psychic Warrior: Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Rogue: Add a +1/2 bonus on Perception and Stealth checks while near or in the water. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Samurai: Add a +1/6 bonus to the samurai’s Reflex saves when near or in the water. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Shaman: Add +1/4 to the natural armor bonus of the shaman’s spirit animal. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Skald: Add a +1/4 bonus to Will saving throws when the skald performs the inspired rage raging song. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Slayer: Add a +1/3 bonus the the slayer’s sneak attack damage rolls. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Soulknife: Add +1/2 electricity damage when the mindblade has the shock or shocking burst enhancement. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Summoner: Add 10 feet to the range of the eidolon’s life link ability while in the water. if the eidolon’s base form is aquatic, this bonus is applied when out of the water also. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Swashbuckler: Add a +1/3 bonus to the dodge bonus granted by nimble. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Tactician: Add +1/2 to the maximum number of creatures allowed in the tactician’s collective. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Time Thief: Add a +1/2 bonus to all Survival and Swim checks. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Vitalist: Add +1/2 to the maximum number of creatures allowed in the vitalist’s collective. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Warpriest: Add +1/2 to the result of the warpriest’s channeled energy when healing creatures with the aquatic subtype. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Wilder: Add 1/4 power known from the wilder power list. This power must be at least one level below the highest power level the wilder can manifest. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Witch: Add 5 feet tremorsense to the witch’s familiar. If the familiar doesn’t have tremorsense, the familiar gains tremoresense 5 feet. If the witch ever replaces her familiar, the new familiar gains this bonus to its tremorsense distance. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}
Wizard: Add +1/4 wizard’s casting level when casting spells containing the water descriptor. ^{[JBE:BoHR:AFCO]}

Racial Archetype

The following racial archetype is available to merfolk:

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to a merfolk character who meets the prerequisites.

Sea Hunter