Piscean "A fish is just a fish, unless of course that fish is a piscean... In which case that fish is a fish with legs." -- The Form of Aqua To the casual observer, pisceans may look to simply be overgrown fish that inexplicably sprouted arms and legs. The truth about these amphibious people, however, is much more interesting than a first glance might warrant. Found along coastal regions or near serene lakes, pisceans work to amplify the natural beauty of their homes. They are skilled craftsmen and are known to construct smooth buildings and works from marble, stone, and coral frequently adorning pools and fountains with pearls and precious gemstones. Pisceans live for peace, poetry and productivity in the midst of an often dangerous world. They are no strangers to defending their way of life from larger predatory beings. Responding as one, pisceans defend themselves with almost uniform intent, and near perfect coordination to turn back larger enemies. Strangely Mesmerizing Awkward and ungainly, pisceans are frequently of a stocky build with webbed toes and hunched posture. The piscean people are often overlooked by larger, more physically impressive races. Their unattractive image is reinforced by their large, blankly staring eyes. In terms of movement, a piscean's gait is often a captivating sight due to their lumbering, yet somehow graceful and self-assured placements of arms and feet. They rarely stumble. Pisceans are hardly ever larger than four feet tall but their often stout frames are densley packed with muscle and surprising strength. Pisceans can range greatly in color and shape with many appearing as all one color; comonly silver, red, blue, green or orange, but may also appear with complex and wild patterns with blacks, pinks, turquoise and yellows. Even their enclave cities, known as shoals, are meticulously designed, yet appear as though they may have developed naturally from the landscape. Entire structures or districts may be hidden from sight under the surface of the neighboring body of water. It is not unheard of for pisceans to dwell in and restore ancient ruins submerged in shallows near land. Quiet Neighbors and Solid Friends "Live and let live." Other races and creatures are generally tolerated by pisceans so long as they pose no viable threat to the shoal. Pisceans will, however, work together to drive a menace off if it demonstrates aggression, wether to the pisceans or their trusted friends and allies. Their loyalty is frequently extended to individuals who show their willingness to help the shoal either overcome a powerful foe, or solve an environmental or economic problem. Years can pass between communications with a neighboring settlement, but this alone almost never indicates cooling relationships. Chivalrous Hearts Though piscean culture is focused on working for the good of the shoal, typically by peaceful means, this in no way represents naievety. Piscean knights are a common sight, patrolling their coastal territory riding dolphins in the water and ponies and mules on the land. Armored from head-to-toe with mail, these guardians of peace may look ridiculous, but should never be underestimated. Four piscean knights riding ponies and armed with lances and swords were known to have driven off a much larger force of twelve trolls. Seeking to help the less fortunate is considered a noble pursuit: to make one's shoal safer, more prosperous and more prestigious. Solemn and Steadfast This quiet, serene folk are actually quite content to be ignored by the larger races as they prefer to live peaceful lives in harmony with their kin.

They value ritual and routine, piously praying, dutifully reading, dilligently working and steadily moving through their responsibilities of the day. Disruptions to their routine are the cause of irritation and grumbling but rarely any demonstration of anger. Their faces almost always appear placid and their mouths are frequently locked into long, flat expressions which, paired with their solid, staring eyes gives them a somewhat vacant, uncanny visage. They are, however, masters of communication within their own society. In piscean culture, words are never wasted. Pisceans communicate with one another primarily through body language. Using brightly colored fins and scales to catch light in intricate, if subtle, movements, they create displays reminiscent of their underwater cousins. A piscean does not speak aloud needlessly. Thus, a piscean shoal can be an incredibly noiseless place, even though it is fully populated. When words are actually spoken piscean voices are usually pleasant and hushed, normally speaking Common with a heavy accent. Their speech patterns are succinct yet poetic. They enjoy making observations that others would simply accept as prosaic. When spoken aloud, however, these truths are often quite profound. Pisceans are masters of speech and are quite romantic, writing songs and poetry to accompany their communication dances. Pisceans are often attracted to members of other races and pursue the affection of their chosen sweetheart with endearing if somewhat annoying determination. When faced with a threat that may overwhelm a shoal, all of its members including the youth (called 'fry') and elderly will bravely and stoicly take up arms to push back the invader. Near instantaneous communication on the battlefield helps even untrained soldiers move as a much larger unit, occasionally rivaling a trained phalanx of men in effectiveness. For the shoal Shoals are usually republic city states with high walls and clustered buildings built into the side of seaside cliffs, bays, canyons or hillsides and are dotted with several lookout spires. They tend to have some form of plumbing to draw up water from wells for fountains and pools. Society within a shoal would be considered rigid and unforgiving by some. Council meetings are held weekly and are mostly silent affairs, generally resulting in consensus. Each shoal has a governor that is accountable for the shoal's wellbeing, usually elected annually from among the 'shiny'. The shiny are typically beautiful, near flawless piscean specimens that act as the city's nobility, knights, diplomats and councilfish. This is due to the piscean emphasis on appearance and body language and beautiful piscean are seen as more effective communicators and better leaders. ` Lost to the world Those who forsake their shoals are often considered flawed by their kin. This sometimes leads to a lonely life, but is just as often the impetus for some individuals to break from tradition and find their unique calling. Self-interest. During his career as a rare piscean mariner and braving expeditions to deeper water and foreign lands, LuCroix d'Requin rose to prominence as a feared pirate captain. With sea gray scales, he is rumored to have painted his fins and stripes crimson with the blood of his enemies. He imposed ruthless order and instilled fear in his crew by trailing any who offended him behind his ship as shark bait. Subterfuge. Regents often find that having a dancing, singing fish with a penchant for sardonic observation as their court jester is a vast improvment on the blasé comedy other races offer. Little do some suspect the level of intelligence, attention to detail and secretive communication a clowning fish may posess. Self-aware pisceans are often not above using other race's preconcieved ideas about them being simple or incapable and may use this to advance their own political interests or to fill their purses. Dominance. No strangers to magic, piscean practitioners who break from strict rules governing magic use in their shoal may be exiled. Some of these go on to become hermits living lonely lives as druids or pious clerics, but a few have developed their magic skill as a means to decieve, manipulate and overpower, possibly as a way to one day return to their shoal and exert tyrannical control over those that have maligned them. Pisceans serve their community in a broad range of occupations; commonly as farmers, priests, guards, and librarians. Ironically, a shoal's primary source of food is often in fishing. Many a gawking stranger has found the image of large fish hanging from hooks with an even larger fish sitting behind the market stall staring blankly to be a surreal sight. This has led some to refer to pisceans pejoritively as 'fishmonger-mongers' or just 'mongers'. Especially talented vocalists join choirs that collectively create otherworldly chants that echo through their cities and temples. Wandering pisceans are uncommon, but some may be driven to adventure if exiled or if their shoal is under great threat. Wandering bands of bards and minstrels

provide other races with deep, meaningful performances that will often leave the audience dumbstruck with what they have just witnessed: singing, dancing philosopher fish staring blankly into their souls. Merchants and diplomats are also found in settlements working to ensure good economic and political relationships between neighbors. Quiet dissent of opinion is allowed but demonstrations of disagreement are frowned upon. Most pisceans accept their lot in life and ease into their class without much complaining. Some notable exceptions exist, however, and free thinking pisceans are often ostracised or even branded as 'lost' and exiled by the council. These lonely pisceans are usually bereft of a sense of belonging and may resort to thieving or mercenary work. Many would rather die than lose their shoal, and so strict order is often maintained among the rank and file. Tastes like fish Unsurprisingly, one of the more unfortunate aspects of piscean life is that one will be hunted doggedly by predators who naturally hunt wild fish. Pisceans smell and taste so similarly to their wild cousins that bears, owlbears, wolves, raptors, sharks, orcas, griffins and big (or little) cats simply cannot tell the difference and will hunt and eat pisceans with relish. Consequently, pisceans tend to arm themselves with at least a staff or spear when exploring. Lizardfolk: Lizardfolk frequently seek out and hunt pisceans. They will stalk along piscean borders hoping to ensnare scouts or piscean fry out for a game. They will also form raiding parties to storm a shoal and take what they can before the defense can organize. Sahaugin: Sahaugin will patrol the edge of piscean waters or coastlands, hoping to happen upon a small group of lightly armed piscean fishermen or merchants. They also enjoy raiding spawning nurseries for piscean eggs. Trolls: These hulking creatures love the taste of fish, and piscean are big ones. Trolls will stomp in from the marshlands to terrorize lakeside shoals. It goes without saying that pisceans should be quite wary of troll prints in the mud. Unscrupulous fishermen: Among the less savory fishmongers, piscean flesh may be sold under the name of something else. This problem has been the cause of many conflicts and wars between the pisceans and other races. Happily, this has often resulted in laws being passed about the selling and consuiming of piscean meat. Despite being illegal in most civilized places it has not, however, entirely stamped the habit out. Those with certain acquired tastes tend to find a way to partake. Piscean Names Piscean names are sometimes difficult to pronounce by other races due to a their reliance on vowell sounds. To help with this, other races will often give them nicknames that are easier to say. Piscean do not consider lineage important to trace and so do not typically carry family names, but when venturing outside their own city-state, will identify themselves with hard 'd' sound and follow with the name of the shoal. For example, Orlish d'Tille. Male Names: Aniele, Amil, Aurice, Daigon, Oise, L'Ollel, Lucois, Noonsa, Garrelle, Ismale, Pasqualle, Serge, Seymour, Sharles, Sebastiene, Tempeste, Zolla

Aniele, Amil, Aurice, Daigon, Oise, L'Ollel, Lucois, Noonsa, Garrelle, Ismale, Pasqualle, Serge, Seymour, Sharles, Sebastiene, Tempeste, Zolla Female Names: Adine, Amolla, Ila, L'orieth, Lina, Soira, Oelle, Orlish, Arachelle, Quera, Rainne, S'eya, Yve, Vale, Zorra

Adine, Amolla, Ila, L'orieth, Lina, Soira, Oelle, Orlish, Arachelle, Quera, Rainne, S'eya, Yve, Vale, Zorra Shoal Names: Aq'ar, Arisse, Ys, Ib, Athlans, Osh, Lyess, Vassen, Tille, Zo'ran-Do'man Piscean Traits As a piscean you share the following traits with most of your species. Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score is increased by 1 and your Charisma score is increased by 1. Age. Piscean reach maturity by the age of 10, and most piscean live to the age of 70. Pisceans belonging to the 'ageless' subrace frequently grow to 500 - 1,000 years old. Alignment. Most piscean are lawful and tend toward neutrality or goodness in the spectrum of alignment. It is not unheard of, however, for occasional individuals to deviate from this rule. Size. Pisceans are commonly just around 4 feet, but can grow to a maximum height of 4.5 feet tall. They are often stocky and weigh between 80 and 120 lbs. Your size is medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet. Wary Explorer You have proficiency with spears and tridents. Amphibious. You can breathe air and water. Piscean's scaly skin has adapted to retain moisture so that drinking water is enough to keep you alive. Darkvision. Accustomed to life in the water you have limited vision in the dim or murky conditions. You can see 30 feet in front of you in dim light as if it were bright light and darkness as if it were dim. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Aquan. Subrace. There are three main kinds of piscean, reefling, springfin, and ageless. These categories are often broad descriptions of entire shoals as genes are mixed primarily only within the cloistered shoal community, resulting in some diversity in appearance, but mostly uniform in body shape and physical ability. Reefling As a reefling piscean you hail from a shoal bordering a sea or ocean. As such you likely resemble a tropical reef fish such as an angelfish, guppy or clownfish or you take after an open ocean schooling fish such as mackerel, herring haddock or cod.

You are well aquainted with traditional piscean 'high art' and likely have participated in shoal-wide performance ceremonies or have taken part in community defensive actions. Your scales are particularly suited for reflection and are seen by other races as the most beautiful in all fishdom. Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma is further increased by 1. Poetic and Observant. You are proficient in the performance and insight skills. Safety In Numbers. If you are the target of an attack, as a reaction, if you are within 5 feet of a friendly creature, you can impose disadvantage on that attack. You may use this a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier every long rest. Springfin As a springfin piscean, you are familiar with freshwater environments such as rivers, springs, lakes and ponds. Thus, you resemble a freshwater fish such as a trout, salmon, carp or perch. These fish are at home mostly in wilderness environments and are known to be expert survivalists. They are tasked with navigating rough terrain and will often swim against rough water and have to leap up waterfalls or to higher ground. At full speed, they are known to jump 8 feet vertically out of the water. They have a heightened sense of direction and can sense the location of their shoal from shockinly long distances. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity is increased by 1 point. Powerful Tail. When swimming you may perform a high jump with an extra five vertical feet, leaping out of the water, if able to swim 10 feet unimpeded beforehand. You have advantage on any strength (Athletics) check associated with this jump. Flawless Sense of Direction. You are proficient in the Survival skill and have a constant sense of where you are in relation to your home shoal. You have advantage on any rolls related to navigation. Ageless Ageless pisceans differ from their cousins in several important ways. First, they are slightly larger, heavier and live to be much older. They are also covered by large plates instead of smaller more reflective scales. This results in pisceans that resemble coelacanth, sturgeon and dunkleosteus. Heavy arthrodire plating gives these pisceans a less friendly appearance and can serve as a near permanent armor for battle. Shunned by other pisceans they are considered barbaric, living in ruined cities and keeps. They operate more freely as individuals than most pisceans but continue to have a strong sense of tribe and value strength, honor, and perseverance. As an ageless piscean you live a long, healthy life and are more protected from physical harm. Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution is increased by 1 point. Glancing Blow. Your extra thick arthrodire armor plating can reduce the damage recieved from one physical attack by half. You may use this ability the number of times equal to half of your Consitution modifier (round down) every long rest. Ancient Visage. You force an opponent to roll with disadvantage during intimidation checks initiated by you. Vengeful when Provoked Just as pisceans offer friendship to those who prove worthy, utter betrayal can mean deep seated resentment. A bitter exile may even work toward the demise of their former shoal who they feel wronged them. Some may even deal in illicit goods such as curiously large fish for sale. It is a known fact that ageless pisceans mercilessly hunt those who hunt them. It is rumored, though, that there exists a secret organization of pisceans that transcend shoal city-state organization. There is evidence that this enigmatic order is devoted to punishing those who profit off of piscean good nature. Fishermen washing ashore with deep wounds curiously matching trident prongs are usually attributed to raiding bands of sahaugin, but to many this explanation feels more than just a bit fishy.

Scale Color 1d100 Scale Color 01-05 Gold 06-10 Irridescent 11-25 White 26-30 Black 31-35 Pink 36-40 Sea gray 41-55 Silver 56-60 Turqoise 61-75 Blue 76-85 Yellow 86-90 Red 91-00 Rainbow Scale Pattern d20 Scale Pattern 1-4 Solid 5-8 Duo-tone 9-12 Spotted 13-16 Striped 17-19 Mottled 20 Swirled Optional Subrace Customization Rule: 'Unique Morphology' subrace If you choose to, instead of one of the above listed subraces, and at the discretion of your Dungeon Master roll this table for a truly unique piscean specimen. Unique Morphological Traits 1d20 Trait 1-4 Long body Resembles a pipefish or eel. Has advantage on DEX rolls when attempting to squeeze into spaces smaller than two feet but no less than one foot wide. Dexterity increases by 1. 5-13 Bottom Feeder Resembles a remora, carp or loach. Has advantage on saving throws against poison. Constitution increases by 1. 14-16 Flat Body Resembles flounder, dab or skate. Has advantage on stealth when lying still and flat on their bellies. You are proficient in Stealth. 17-20 Defensive Spines Resembles a pufferfish or lionfish. If contact is made with a hostile creature's skin, it must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer 2 (1d4) poison damage. You are proficient in Intimidation. Aq'arum: Legendary Kingdom Fringe scholars versed in piscean lore write of evidence that an apparently well-kept secret - the legendary kingdom of Aq'arum - is actually real. Some believe it to be nothing but hearsay, some believe it to be an actual civilization lost to time and decay. Still, some are convinced a secret and powerful kingdom of pisceans, under the leadership of one called the Sea King, operate somewhere under the waves surrounded by an impenitrable crystaline glass barrier, with the only way through an enchanted porticulis hidden within a coral labyrinth. Some pisceans along coastal shoals whisper the name Aq'arum, but none are sure if they do so as they have secret knowledge, or because they simply enjoy making fools of those prone to conspiracy.

Credit: Locathah Pathfinder Art Piscean Hoplite Medium humanoid, lawful-neutral UNFINISHED Armor Class 15 (hide armor, shield)

15 (hide armor, shield) Hit Points 11(2d8 + 2)

11(2d8 + 2) Speed 25ft., swim 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) Skills Insight +2

Insight +2 Senses Darkvision, 30 ft., passive Perception 12

Darkvision, 30 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Common, Aquan

Common, Aquan Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Lock Shields. if a piscean hoplite adjascent to another piscean hoplite and both are facing the same direction, any attack made against it the front will be made at disadvantage. Piscean Bodylanguage. Near instant communication bordering hivemind telepathy with any other piscean or group of pisceans within 100 ft. Actions Multiattack. The piscean makes two melee attacks. Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) piercing damage, or 5(1d8+1) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack. | Champion of the Shoal Medium Humanoid, lawful good UNFINISHED Armor Class 16 (breastplate)

16 (breastplate) Hit Points 56(1d4 + 5)

56(1d4 + 5) Speed 25ft. swim 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) Condition Immunities None

None Senses passive Perception 10

passive Perception 10 Languages Common, Aquan

Common, Aquan Challenge ... (... XP) Piscean Bodylanguage. Near instant communication bordering hivemind telepathy with any other piscean or group of pisceans within 100 ft. Actions Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) piercing damage, or 5(1d8+1) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack. Short Sword Variant: Mounted Shoal Champion A Mounted Shoal Champion has the same statistics as a Champion of the Shoal, but loses the trident and is mounted on a pony, mule or dolphin and is armed with a lance and a shield increasing its AC to 18 addition to its other weapons.