Brinekin

A brinekin is a paunchy, scaly human shape topped by a fish's head, its huge eyes swiveling independently. Short limbs end in long hands and feet with three partly webbed fingers and a thumb. The slimy pale gray skin (tinged tan or yellow in males) darkens in anger and pales in fear, and it stinks of dead fish. It wears only harnesses holding spears, daggers, harpoons, shields and weighted nets.

They speak the underworld trade tongue and their own language and share empathy with most fish. Their priests use a debased form of the Water plane's speech; with a priest present, natives of that plane are 75% unlikely to attack once he begs mercy in the name of their goddess, the Sea Mother.

Bands of more than 20 are 50% likely to be within 1d6 miles of their lair. Per four warriors there is a 3rd- or 4th-level fighter, per eight a 5th- or 6th-level fighter, and per twelve a cleric/thief with 1d4+3 levels. Over 20 fighters means a war party, steadied by whips, zealots of the Sea Mother.

Half of priests above 6th level carry a pincer staff, a 5-foot pole tipped with a 3-foot claw that locks inescapably onto a struck foe of elf-to-gnoll girth. It pins both arms 10% of the time and one arm 40% (the left, 75% of the time, against right-handers). A pinned foe loses shield and Dexterity bonuses, or, if only the weapon arm is held, cannot attack and loses Dexterity but keeps the shield.

Higher-level fighters throw barbed harpoons (30 yards, 2d6 plus bonuses). Unless the target rolls 13+ on 1d20, the barbs catch; caught man-sized or smaller beings are knocked down and stunned 1d4 rounds while the thrower reels them in on a cord to stab them. Glue-coated leather shields give frontal attackers a 25% chance of a stuck weapon, pulled free at the victim's open doors chance.

They hit as humans of their level; males gain +1 to hit and damage with weapons. Fighting with just a dagger, they can also bite for 1d4+1. Two or more priests holding hands may loose a 2-foot-wide lightning stroke at one target (others can blunder into it) for 6 points per priest, half on a save vs. spell, at a 10% cumulative chance per caster per round.

Slime limits grappling, tying or webbing them to 25% success. Their 180-degree vision spots motion even by invisible, astral or ethereal beings (total stillness escapes it), and they have 60-foot infravision, sense vibration to 10 yards and are surprised only on a 1 on 1d10. Poison, paralysis, illusions and humanoid-only spells fail; electricity does half damage or none with a save; magic missiles deal 1 point. Fire does full damage with a -2 save, and bright light gives them -1 to attack.

Brinekin spawn like fish; fingerlings live in pools for about a year, until a foot tall and air-breathing, then are penned by sex and fitness, with no families. Fit noble spawn become priests, priest/thieves or celibate monitors who restrain the violent and insane. A monitor fights as a 7th-level fighter (56 hp, AC 1, double movement) with four attacks a round: two hands for 2d4 (doubled to subdue) and two bites for 1d4+1, one pair on its initiative and one at round's end. It can subdue beings up to 8 feet and 500 pounds; subdual deals half real damage, and once that equals the victim's hit points he blacks out for 3d4 rounds.

A lair holds 4d10x10 2nd-level males plus leaders in the wandering ratios and a chief chosen by population. Holy sites add a 3rd-level priest per 20 brinekin, a 4th-level per 40 and a 5th-level per 80. Communities share shrines for trade, councils and worship, also open to drow, who are feared and hated; raids and kidnappings flow both ways. Brinekin assail mind reavers and their friends the moment they see them.

Once a coastal people, they were nearly wiped out by humanity and its mighty allies; only refugees who adapted to lightless underground waters survived, and they still nurse that grudge. Numerous again, they are held back by hatred of sunlight and discipline and by inbred madness. They prefer flesh but farm kelp and glowing fungus with slave labor, the slaves doubling as food and sacrifices. Treasure runs to pearls, water-motif jewelry, slave-mined ore and magic from lost adventurers. Some sages see a three-way feud with drow and mind reavers keeping all three off the surface.