Nawidnehr

The nawidnehr (NAH-widd-near), known in sailors' tales as the roaring shark, or simply the sharkwere, is a great white shark in shape but far more colorful. Cold-water ones are dark blue spotted or barred with gray or dull yellow, or brown flecked red and tan; warm-water ones run blue-green or yellow with white or yellow spots or stripes. All have paler bellies. Each speaks the human common tongue plus 1d4+1 demihuman languages.

Nawidnehrs love a fight and usually begin by roaring. From a shark, this is a thunderclap filling a cone 50 feet long, 5 feet wide at the mouth and 25 feet at the end; those inside save vs. breath weapon or fall unconscious for 2d4 rounds. In humanoid form it becomes an eerie song, and everyone within 50 feet saves vs. spell or freezes in fear for 1d4+4 rounds. Skipping the roar, a shark-form nawidnehr may rise from below, giving swimmers -3 on surprise.

Its bite tears out bleeding chunks, and it swallows a man-sized or smaller victim whole on a roll 5 or more above what it needs (against a sahuagin at AC 5, a 9 or higher). Its gut holds two man-sized victims, or four small or eight tiny ones, each taking 15 damage per round. Inside, claws and small slashing weapons work normally against AC 5; larger weapons deal only 1 point plus enchantment. Dealing 20 points frees the victim, but only half counts against the shark's hit points, and normal weapons used this way do the shark no harm. Otherwise only +1 or better or cold iron weapons hurt it.

It can become any humanoid it has seen, of either sex, up to huge size, changing once per round and still attacking that round. In disguise it lures prey toward water, then dives in with paralyzed or grappled victims, using effective Strength 18/00 or 19.

Nawidnehrs hunt every waking moment and cannot let anything live in peace; even sahuagin dread them. They roam the seas but often pose as fishermen, castaways, or friendly locals. Underwater there is a 40% chance one swims with 2d4+1 big sharks of 7-8 HD. They and weresharks attack each other on sight.

A nawidnehr will empty a region of fish before moving on to ruin the next. It does need food, but destruction is its true purpose.