Merchant - Sea Elf (Character Kit)

Class Information 	Class Information
Class Requirements 	Fighter
Racial Requirements 	Elf (sea), half-elf (sea)
Ability Requirements 	Charisma 11, Constitution 9, Intelligence 11, Strength 9
Prime Requisite 	Charisma, Intelligence, Strength
Aligments 	Any (most CG; some NG, N, CN)
Social Rank 	Middle class
Hit Die Type 	d10
Attack as 	Warrior
Save as 	Warrior
Advance as 	Fighter
Spell Ability? 	No
Exceptional Strength? 	Yes
Exceptional Constitution?	Yes
Starting Cash (x10 gp) 	5d4 (see below)
Proficiencies 	Proficiencies
Weapon Slots 	3
Initial Weapons 	See below
Additional WP Slot 	3
Additional Weapons 	See below
Nonproficiency Penalty 	-2
Nonweapon Slots 	4
Additional NWP Slot 	3
Available Categories 	General, Warrior
Bonus Proficiencies 	Appraising, languages (modern), swimming (see below), weather sense
Recommended Proficiencies	Animal handling (oceanic), boat piloting (POSP), cartography (CRH), deep diving (POSP), direction sense, fishing, gem cutting, hunting (oceanic), leatherworking (sea creatures), local history, navigation, reading/writing, riding (sea-based, CRH), weaponsmithing (sea weapons)
Secondary Skills 	Fisher (oceanic), hunter (oceanic), jeweler, leather worker (sea creatures), navigator, scribe, trader/barterer, weaponsmith (sea weapons)
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==Overview==
A great many sea elves live in the Great Sea, from the western shores of Faerûn to the eastern coast of Maztica, and as far south as Zakhara and beyond. They are most numerous around Evermeet at their city of lumathiashae, though many colonies and nomadic tribes of them can be found close to other coastal regions and islands. While they avoid drawing too near human seaports, they are less cautious around small shore villages and wilderness areas, coming ashore out of curiosity.
Sea elves of the Great Sea carry on much trade with the elves of Evermeet, but they also trade with shore communities along the Sword Coast, Amn, and Tethyr. Warriors among the sea elves handle merchant traffic, as they do not trust non-elves and have fought many wars with pirates and evil folk from both sea and shore for their wealth. Half-sea elves are also found as merchants, sometimes working with parents who share the same occupation.
It was noted earlier that many sea elves near Evermeet were once gold or moon elves, who were changed into sea elves to escape drowning. They are identical to normal Great Sea elves, but they are the only sea elves able to become mages or wizards. (Many are multiclassed merchant/mages.)
A great many sea elves live in the Sea of Fallen Stars. Most migrated through undersea gates from the Great Sea before 1350 D.R., escaping predators. To see a sea elf in this area is still a rare thing, but few humans have missed them.
==Description==
A Faerûnian sea elf is quite tall, standing about 6 feet or more on land. He has long thin limbs with strong swimming muscles, fingers and toes twice human length with thick webbing between them, gills slits along the collarbone and ribcage (with which they can breathe water), and tough skin giving them some resistance to cold temperatures down to about freezing. Hair is usually stringy and thick, cut short for warriors but worn long for royalty and those who are not expected to fight regularly. Clothing is not often used underwater, but when it is (or when the sea elf is venturing ashore and wishes to appease local customs) the clothing is woven from various undersea plants of green, black, and brown. Because saltwater is so corrosive, few metals are used even as jewelry, with the exception of gold. Tools, weapons, and armor are all made from coral, shells, bones, stone, and similar undersea materials.
Great Sea aquatic elves have skin in radiant shades of deep green with irregular, thin brown stripes and patches. Fallen Star sea elves have skin in many shades of blue, with white patches and stripes. It has been learned that these two types of elves are actually identical, save for their skin and hair color. Hair and eye colors come in every shade seen among gold, moon, or wild elves.
A half-sea elf looks like a normal half-elf. His hair and skin are like his human parent's, though with a light blue or light green tint. Gills are present for water breathing, and finger and toe webbing are common. The swimming proficiency is granted as an automatic bonus,
improved as if four total slots had been allocated for it (swimming speed MV 9). All other abilities are as per normal half-elves; a half-sea elf can stay out of water indefinitely if he is able to breathe water for 10 minutes every day, to keep his gills moist. Otherwise, he takes 1 point of damage every day until he breathes water again; cure wounds spells help heal him.
A sea elf merchant looks and dresses like any other of his kind, though with extra pouches and belts for his money and trade items.
==Roleplaying==
To generate a sea elf character, follow normal procedures for creating an elf character. The bonus to Dexterity and penalty to Constitution are kept, as is the 90% resistance to sleep and charm spells. However, the penalty to surprise rolls of opponents becomes -5 and applies only underwater when swimming quietly through seaweed. A sea elf does not have infravision, instead being able to magically see and hear underwater up to 360 feet, detecting currents and movements underwater. His skin colors allow him to hide in seaweed, his usual home.
A sea elf naturally has the swimming proficiency but at a stunning level of proficiency and without risk of drowning. Normal swimming speed is MV 15 (land speed is MV 9), which can be maintained for as many hours as the sea elf has Constitution points. One point of Constitution is lost for every hour thereafter, but this loss can be fully regained by resting for one hour for every hour spent swimming. (Thus, a sea elf with a Constitution of 12 who swam for 14 hours would have to rest for 14 hours; if he had swum only 9 hours, he would not have had to rest.) Swimming speed can be doubled to MV 30 if a Strength check is made on 1d20 at half the Strength score (round fractions down). This can be kept up for as many rounds as the half-Strength check can be made, but once the check is failed cannot be tried again until after as many hours are spent resting or moving at normal speed as were spent sprinting. Movement through seaweed is at normal speed.
Because his abilities with weapons are so limited by living underwater, the sea elf gains no bonuses to attacks with bows or swords. However, he gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with spears or tridents. A sea elf also cannot detect secret or concealed doors, as these are rare underwater.
A sea elf has gills but can survive out of the water for a few days by breathing air. He can walk about on land at MV 9 for a number of days equal to his initial Constitution score, though with increasing pain. He is fine for the first two days, but for every days' time after that, his six ability scores fall by 1 point (affecting his proficiency checks). These reductions are cumulative. If the Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score reaches 0 (zero), the sea elf dies. If the elf is immersed in fresh water, this loss ceases but is not healed; thus, if a sea elf can take a full bath every day or two out of the water, he suffers no losses at all. If immersed in salt water, the elf is fully healed of all ability score losses in 15 rounds; a heal spell does this at once.
Material on the classes and languages possible for Faerûnian sea elves, plus their homelands, is given in the Introduction to this book.
Only man-sized, hand-held piercing weapons that are thrust (as opposed to those fired like arrows or swung like picks) can be easily used underwater. These include the dagger, knife, military fork, short sword, spear, and trident. Thrown weapons (except for nets) fall short, and bludgeoning or slashing weapons lose too much momentum to be useful. The only missile weapon that works underwater is a special crossbow identical to the light crossbow but with one-third the range. The initial selection of weapons used by a sea elf merchant must come from this allowed list, though later selections can include land-based weapons. (Details on net combat appear in the MONSTROUS MANUAL tome, under "Elf, Aquatic.")
The hippocampus and sea horse are favorite mounts of sea elves. These creatures can be trained like any land-based horse to avoid panicking in combat, when blood is in the water, or when facing sharks or monsters.
A sea elf merchant wishes to set up markets for the enormous variety of goods available under the sea (fish, crustaceans, pearls, coral, exotic creatures, items from shipwrecks, etc). In return, the sea elf hopes to obtain items that cannot be found or manufactured underwater, particularly weapons to combat the many enemies of the sea elves. Technical and magical knowledge are also greatly sought, and magical items useful to sea elves are at a premium.
==Special Advantages==
The advantages of being a sea elf are fairly plain in an oceanic campaign. A merchant offering the bounty of the sea also receives positive reactions from coastal traders acting as go-betweens from the sea elf to inland marketplaces and buyers, depending on what is offered. A modifier of -2 to the reaction rolls of land merchants and dealers is suggested, leading to positive responses.
==Special Disadvantages==
The many disadvantages of being a sea elf are as plain as the advantages. An inland campaign is a poor place for a sea elf character of any sort.
A sea elf not only looks a bit strange (the gills do it), but after the first day out of the water also smells "fishy" because of drying oils in his skin. Washing in fresh water removes the odor for one day. The smell is slightly unpleasant but tolerable; creatures like dogs and minotaurs who track by scent easily follow it (+20% to tracking chances). All surface races except for other (non-drow) elves apply a +2 modifier to NPC reaction rolls when encountering a sea elf in an aromatic condition.
Aside from a merchant's usual worry about thieves, all enemies of the sea elves must be considered, particularly the sahuagin. Rival seagoing merchants, such as from Amn, might cause problems for a successful sea elf merchant, too.