Merfolk: Angry Mermaids

Lore: Scavengers of the Sea

Residing deep beneath the waves, merfolk rarely interact with land-dwelling creatures, thus becoming the focus of many a sailor’s romanticized tales. They lack the means to create a proper society beneath the water, such as making weapons or writing histories, and thus live in hunter-gatherer tribes. On occasion, multiple tribes will gather to face a greater threat, choosing a single leader to helm the charge. Sometimes, these unifications lead to the creation of underwater dynasties that last centuries.

They build their homes within submerged caverns, cities, coral mazes, or stones that they themselves carve. These can usually be found in water shallow enough for them to see the sun, thus granting them the ability to mark the passage of time. They harvest coral and farm fish like animals. They’ll craft weapons from whatever supplies they can find in order to defend themselves.

And that’s all. It isn’t bad lore, but you can’t do a whole lot with it. At best, you can use it as a way to slide the merfolk into a larger story.

Design: Zora, D&D Edition

Hey, you like Zelda? Well, here’s that.

While not the most creative design in the book, this one does have a bit going for it. Like it’s clothing; note how none of it quite matches with the other pieces, like the mermaid drawn just picked up whatever she could find and put it all on. It’s a nice little lore-appropriate detail.

Still, it does leave a bit to be desired in the creativity department. It’s a humanoid fish, basically just a Zora from Ocarina of Time; it isn’t exactly breaking new ground.

But hey. At least they didn’t go the generic ‘pretty human with a fish body and a seashell bra’ or something stupid like that.

Stats: A Fish… With a Spear…

Wow. This really doesn’t give me anything to work with.

This isn’t a powerful monster. Its AC and HP are both extremely low. Its spear attack is fairly dangerous, at least for a level one monster. You hit it and it dies, it hits you and you might die… if you’re the weakest level one character of all time.

And that’s it. This monster has no special abilities. No magic spells. It doesn’t have anything to make it more interesting. It doesn’t even have anything to give it an advantage if it’s in the water! It has nothing! Even as a starter monster, that’s just sad!

Placement

This is a pretty weak monster overall. Its lore isn’t terrible and the design is decent. Unfortunately, the stats just don’t make for an interesting fight in any way. As a whole, very underwhelming.

With all that in mind, let’s put the Merfolk on the Best of the Bestiary!

1. Beholder
2. Death Tyrant
3. Dragon Turtle
4. Green Dragons
5. Red Dragons
6. Blue Dragons
7. Black Dragons
8. White Dragons
9. Silver Dragons
10. Couatl
11. Behir
12. Aboleth
13. Sea Hag
14. Lamia
15. Bronze Dragons
16. Brass Dragons
17. Copper Dragons
18. Gold Dragons
19. Chuul
20. Kuo-Toa
21. Gibbering Mouther
22. Kraken
23. Intellect Devourer
24. Chimera
25. Death Knight
26. Fomorian
27. Bone Devil
28. Dracolich
29. Faerie Dragon
30. Lich
31. Magmin
32. Kobold
33. Kenku
34. Hobgoblins
35. Night Hag
36. Green Hag
37. Ankheg
38. Hook Horror
39. Storm Giant
40. Hill Giant
41. Empyrean
42. Efreeti
43. Grimlock
44. Dao
45. Cloud Giant
46. Manticore
47. Drow (all four of ’em)
48. Shadow Demon
49. Marilith
50. Drider
51. Aarackockra
52. Azer
53. Demilich
54. Spectator
55. Hydra
56. Marid
57. Harpy
58. Werejackal
59. Half-Dragon
60. Cambion
61. Fire Giant
62. Animated Armor
63. Banshee
64. Basilisk
65. Yochlol
66. Bulette
67. Cloaker
68. Darkmantle
69. Doppelganger
70. Ghoul and Ghast
71. Ettin
72. Medusa
73. Pit Fiend
74. Erinyes
75. Chain Devil
76. Bearded Devil
77. Barbed Devil
78. Spined Devil
79. Ice Devil
80. Djinni
81. Nalfeshnee
82. Glabrezu
83. Chasme
84. Grell
85. Barlgura
86. Horned Devil
87. Balor
88. Shadow Dragon
89. Werebear
90. Lizardfolk
91. Vrock
92. Dretch
93. Gnolls (all three)
94. Goristro
95. Hezrou
96. Manes
97. Frost Giant
98. Weretiger
99. Werewolf
100. Duergar
101. Quasit
102. Dryad
103. Flumph
104. Goblin
105. Wereboar
106. Wererat
107. Githyanki
108. Planetar
109. Imp
110. Clay Golem
111. Flameskull
112. Displacer Beast
113. Carrion Crawler
114. Githzerai
115. Grick
116. Invisible Stalker
117. Rug of Smothering
118. Bugbear Chief
119. Bugbear
120. Flesh Golem
121. Vine Blight
122. Twig Blight
123. Needle Blight
124. Mephits (all six of ’em)
125. Bullywug
126. Hellhound
127. Ettercap
128. Gas Spore
129. Cockatrice
130. Lemure
131. Homonculus
132. Merfolk <——————————–
133. Solar
134. Deva
135. Gorgon
136. Hippogriff
137. Griffon
138. Cyclops
139. Centaur
140. Ghost
141. Fire Elemental
142. Water Elemental
143. Air Elemental
144. Stone Giant
145. Deep Gnome
146. Dinosaurs (All six of them)
147. Iron Golem
148. Stone Golem
149. Earth Elemental
150. Galeb Duhr
151. Helmed Horror
152. Flying Sword
153. Crawling Claw
154. Violet Fungus
155. Shrieker
156. Gargoyle