Malenti (Article Race)

:For other Malenti, see Malenti (disambiguation).
==Malenti (Dragon Magazine #250)==
Malenti, like aquatic elves, can venture out of the water for days at a time. This pains and weakens them, however, and for that reason they are best suited for a completely aquatic campaign.
Ability Score Adjustments. Malenti receive a +1 bonus to their Dexterity scores but suffer a -1 penalty to Constitution.
 Ability Score Range
Ability 	Minimum	Maximum
Strength 	3 	18
Dexterity 	6 	19
Constitution	7 	17
Intelligence	8 	18
Wisdom 	3 	18
Charisma 	7 	18
 Class Restrictions
Class 	Maximum Level
Warrior 	
Fighter 	12
Ranger 	15
Paladin 	—
Wizard 	
Mage 	—
Illusionist 	—
Priest 	
Cleric 	8
Druid 	—
Shaman 	—
Witch Doctor	—
Rogue 	
Thief 	—
Bard 	—
﻿Hit Dice. PC malenti receive hit dice by class. In addition, they receive 2 bonus hit points at first level.
Alignment. Malenti tend toward chaotic evil alignment. PC malenti are assumed to be rebels and outcasts from sahuagin society and may be of any chaotic alignment.
Natural Armor Class. 6
Background. Malenti are a mutant form of sahuagin, born when a sea elf community is located within 100 miles of their sahuagin lair (see The Sea Devils, pages 12–16). Though they are sahuagin in every other way, they look exactly like sea elves. Most malenti are fed to the sharks at the instant of hatching, but some are occasionally reared as scouts and spies to aid the sahuagin in their warfare against the aquatic elves. 
Languages. Sahuagin, aquatic elf, common.
Roleplaying Suggestions. Most malenti either are the victims of infanticide or else are so completely indoctrinated in the sahuagin worldview that it is impossible to imagine them being anything but bloodthirsty assassins, according to their training. However, mythology is full of heroes who were meant to be the victims of infanticide, and it is possible that a malenti child might survive to adulthood against all odds. A player wishing to play a malenti PC should be encouraged to describe some outrageous way in which his character survived in infancy. (Perhaps he was fed to the sharks, but one of the sharks was a wereshark who sheltered the child for his own purposes.) Of course, some malenti leave sahuagin society upon discovering that their sahuagin fellows really believe them to be disgusting freaks, and these malenti have been known to join or form malenti communities. A PC malenti could also come from such a community.
Regardless of their history, malenti are outcasts -not only from sahuagin life but from every aquatic culture. No one will ever treat a malenti with dignity or respect - at least, that is what malenti believe. They are complete loners, trusting no one and relying on no one. This certainly makes them excellent spies, scouts, and assassins, but they tend to have difficulty fitting in even in adventuring bands. Cooperation and team spirit are foreign concepts to a malenti, and the idea of friendship is impossible to comprehend.
Special Advantages. Malenti can swim at a movement rate of 18. They breathe water and suffer no movement or attack penalties underwater.
Malenti share the keen senses of other sahuagin. They can detect the presence of invisible creatures underwater within
a 15' radius, attacking such creatures with only a -2 penalty. They see underwater as well as sahuagin do, or about three times as far as surface-dwellers.
Malenti have retractable claws on their hands and feet, as well as powerful bites, allowing them up to 5 natural attacks per round. They inflict 1-2 hp damage with their hands, 1-4 with their feet, and 1-3 with a successful bite. When fighting in the company of other sahuagin, malenti may enter a blood frenzy as described in The Sea Devils.
Special Disadvantages. Malenti are at a disadvantage when out of the water. A malenti can survive on land for a number of days equal to its Constitution score, but every two days out of water causes the creature to suffer a -1 penalty to its ability and proficiency scores. If a malenti's Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score drops to 0, the creature dies.
Monstrous Traits. Bestial eating habits.
Superstitions. Malenti fear magic and dread failure.
Weapon Proficiencies: Trident, net, spear, dart, javelin, crossbow.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Acting, alertness, ancient history (sahuagin), animal handling (sharks), animal lore, animal training (sharks), blind-fighting, close-quarter fighting, danger sense, direction sense, eating, endurance, etiquette, fast-talking, hiding, hunting, intimidation, languages, local history, natural fighting, observation, religion, sea-based riding, survival (aquatic), voice mimicry, wild fighting.
Available Kits: (Warrior) tribal defender, sellsword, wilderness protector, (priest) oracle, war priest, wandering mystic.
Note that malenti rangers, while they must take the humanoid wilderness protector kit, do not receive tracking as a bonus proficiency. They receive survival-aquatic instead of survival- woodlands but otherwise conform to the kit description presented in the Complete Book of Humanoids.
Average Height and Weight: Height: 50/50 + 1d8. Weight: 85/75 + 2d12.
Age: Starting Age: 20+ 1d4. Maximum Age Range: 150+2d20. Average Maximum Age: 170. Middle Age: 75 years. Old Age: 100 years. Venerable: 150 years.
Maximum Functioning Depth: 1,500 feet.
Vision: x3Bold
Category:Dragon Magazine Race Articles