Locathah

Though unsettling in appearance—at least to most surface races—locathahs are friendly and inquisitive. Unlike many aquatic denizens, locathahs have no inherent distrust of surfacers. In fact, most locathahs enjoy conversing with surface races and often hail passing ships to exchange goods or simply pass along news. Crews who sail in locathah territory know the piscine people as traders of both goods and information, trustworthy so long as they are dealt with fairly.

Locathahs also enjoy the company of aquatic animals, and they can often be found living alongside dolphins, giant eels, whales, and other such creatures. Many locathahs train as eel riders, and a band of locathahs atop giant eel mounts racing through the water is an impressive sight.

Locathahs are slender humanoids who have feathery fins running along the backs of their arms and legs, along the crown of their skulls, and down their spines.

They generally have protruding fishlike faces with large, round eyes. Locathahs exhibit a startling racial variety that runs in tribal lines based on the features of the tribe’s matriarch; in some tribes, locathahs might have fins that are rigid rather than feathery or inset eyes protected by a bony ridge.

Most locathahs are a dark salmon or ochre color, but their scales and fins can be almost any shade, from black to aquamarine, azure blue, teal, deep russet, vivid coral, or pale silver.

Locathahs emanate a strong fishy smell that is detectable underwater but more pronounced in the air. Most surfacers find this odor unpleasant, but locathahs consider their smell to be an integral quality of their race. Locathahs take great offense to jokes or insults regarding their natural scent. Locathahs rely on this smell to communicate subtly with one another, and they can even read basic emotions from other locathahs through their odor.

Adventurers: Locathahs enjoy meeting new people from all races, often hiring themselves out as laborers, mercenaries, or guides aboard ships. Though locathahs are slow and somewhat uncomfortable out of the water, they can breathe air and suffer no ill effects from traveling on land. Locathahs work for fair rates but are canny enough to charge more for the use of their aquatic expertise, such as helping a ship navigate dangerous reefs. Locathahs are usually willing to accept useful items as payment rather than coins or gems, so long as their value is commensurate.

They prefer artwork, metal weapons, and surface food (especially tubers) as payment for their services.

Locathahs are fast and tireless swimmers, and they enjoy serving as messengers or scouts. They prefer to be at the forefront of a group, both because they can react quickly to danger and because it gives them the chance to encounter a new experience or new potential allies first.

Monsters vs. Player Characters

Locathahs normally have racial Hit Dice, skills, and other abilities. PC locathahs, however, calculate these benefits based solely on their class, and the racial traits described below are not an exact approximation of the locathah monster. PC locathahs have the racial traits described here.

Racial Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, –2 Intelligence: Locathahs are agile and intuitive, but they are more interested in travel and experiences than in academia.
• Size: Locathahs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Type: Locathahs are humanoids with the aquatic subtype.
• Senses: Locathahs live in areas where sunlight illuminates the water, and they have low-light vision.
• Slow Speed: Locathahs have a base speed of 10 feet.
• Amphibious: Locathahs have the aquatic subtype but can breathe both water and air.
• Fast Swimmer: Locathahs have a swim speed of 60 feet.
• Natural Armor: Locathahs have thick scales that provide a +2 natural armor bonus.
• Languages: Locathahs begin play speaking Aquan and Common. Locathahs with a high Intelligence score can choose from the following: Aklo, Draconic, Elven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, and Halfling.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following racial traits may be selected instead of the standard locathah racial traits.

• Blunt Head: Some locathahs develop blunt, flat heads with sharp, needlelike teeth and well-muscled jaws. This head shape reduces their swim speed to 40 feet but provides the locathah with a bite attack. This is a primary natural attack that deals 1d4 points of piercing damage. This racial trait modifies fast swimmer.
• Coastal Emissary: Locathahs who dwell in sunlit coastal waters develop close ties with surface dwellers and become skilled negotiators. Once per day when attempting a Diplomacy or Sense Motive check, a locathah with this racial trait can roll twice and use the better result. This racial trait replaces low-light vision.
• Deep Dweller: Locathahs living in deeper waters than coastal shallows have adapted to operating in darkness. Locathahs who have this racial trait gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet and light sensitivity. This racial trait replaces low-light vision.
• Powerful Smell: Although all locathahs have a distinctly fishy odor out of the water, some locathahs have slimier skin that exudes a strong scent both above and below the waves. Locathahs who have this racial trait emit a terrible scent as a 15-foot aura that nearly every other creature finds offensive. This is a poison effect. All living creatures (except other locathahs and creatures with the stench ability) within the aura must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + half the locathah’s character level + the locathah’s Constitution modifier) or be sickened for 5 rounds. Creatures that succeed at the saving throw cannot be sickened by the same locathah’s powerful smell for 24 hours. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell or similar effect removes the effect from the sickened creature. Due to their smell, locathahs with this racial trait have a –4 penalty on Stealth checks. This racial trait replaces natural armor.
• Strong Limbs: Some locathahs have powerful legs that are very useful on land but limit their mobility underwater. These locathahs have a base land speed of 20 feet and a swim speed of 40 feet. This racial trait modifies fast swimmer and slow speed.

Favored Class Options

The following options are available to all locathahs who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the class reward.

• Cavalier: Add 1 hit point to the cavalier’s mount. If the cavalier ever replaces his mount, the new mount gains these bonus hit points.
• Druid: Add 1 skill rank to the druid’s animal companion. If the druid ever replaces her animal companion, the new animal companion gains these bonus skill ranks.
• Investigator: Add a +1/2 bonus on Bluff checks to feint and a +1/2 bonus on Diplomacy checks to gather information.
• Monk: Add 1/4 point to the monk’s ki pool.
• Ranger: Add 1 skill rank to the ranger’s animal companion. If the ranger ever replaces his animal companion, the new animal companion gains these bonus skill ranks.
• Rogue: Choose a piercing melee weapon. Add a +1/2 bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls with that weapon (maximum bonus +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
• Slayer: Gain 1/6 of a new slayer talent.