Selkie

Medium fey (shapechanger), Chaotic Neutral

Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 120 (16d8 + 48)

Speed 30 ft., Swim 60 ft.

STR 18 (+4) · DEX 14 (+2) · CON 16 (+3) · INT 12 (+1) · WIS 14 (+2) · CHA 16 (+3)

Skills Athletics +6, Deception +5, Persuasion +5

Gear Enchanted Sealskin

Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages Common, Aquan, Sylvan

Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Traits

Amphibious. The selkie can breathe air and water.

Aversions. If the selkie takes damage from an iron or silver weapon, his skin burns; he has Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of his next turn. Additionally, taking Radiant damage shatters his magic, immediately ending any spell he is concentrating on.

Regeneration. The selkie regains 5 Hit Points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 Hit Point and is wearing or holding his sealskin. If the selkie takes Fire or Radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of his next turn.

Sealskin Bound. The selkie requires his enchanted sealskin to access his magic and shapechanging. If the skin is completely destroyed (such as by fire) or taken far away from him, he permanently loses his swimming speed, his Shapechanger bonus action, his Regeneration trait, and his Spellcasting action.

Actions

Multiattack. The selkie makes two Tidal Strikes. He can replace one of these attacks with a use of Spellcasting.

Tidal Strike. Melee Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) Bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) Cold damage, and the target has the Prone condition if it is Large or smaller.

Spellcasting. The selkie casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (Spell Save DC 13):

At Will: Shape Water (XGE, p. 164)

2/Day Each: Call Lightning (PHB, p.248), Charm Person (PHB, p.249), Fog Cloud (PHB, p.276)

Selkie’s Song (1/Day). The selkie sings an enchanting, sorrowful melody. Each creature of his choice within 30 feet that can hear him must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or have the Charmed condition for 1 minute. While Charmed in this way, a target must use its movement on its turn to move toward the selkie or the nearest body of water by the safest available route. A Charmed target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, or whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Bonus Actions

Shapechanger. The selkie transforms into a Medium gray seal or back into his true towering human form. His statistics, other than his walking speed (which becomes 10 ft. in seal form), are the same in each form. Any equipment he is wearing or carrying isn't transformed, except for his sealskin. He reverts to his true form if he dies.

Lore

A seal shapeshifter who slips out of their skin on shore.

In the legends of the northern Germanic peoples there are strange beings known as selkies. The word itself simply means “seal.” Coastal folk call them by many names—seal folk, sea maidens, seal-women—but the idea is always the same: they are people of the sea.

All of the selkies’ magic is bound up in their sealskins. In the water they look like ordinary gray seals, though anyone who looks closely will notice the unnervingly intelligent, almost human eyes. When they haul out on the rocks you can see that the bones inside their flippers look suspiciously like human fingers. But the real marvel comes when they peel off that skin—no sooner does it touch the sand than they stand before you as human beings.

From Grimm Legends Bestiary 5E, p. 68 · Fern Flower Press