Cecaelia (23 RP)

Cecaelias are curious and social half-octopus creatures with a love of novelty. A short-lived race, cecaelias search for every bit of enjoyment they can draw from life. They take pleasure in new experiences, from trying new land fare to meeting a previously unknown race and exploring unknown waters.

From the waist up, cecaelias resemble humans with agile but muscular builds. Their eye, hair, and skin coloring tends to mimic that of surfacers in nearby communities; this natural adaptive trait allows them to more easily form social bonds with neighbors. Instead of humanoid legs, cecaelias have eight cephalopod tentacles that allow them to move quickly both on land and underwater. Cecaelia tentacles tend toward shades of brown, russet, emerald green, and deep blue, with coral tones on the suckered underside.

Cecaelias generally get along well with humans, as both races share the experience of being a relatively short-lived race among much longer-lived peoples. Cecaelias also ally frequently with locathahs, as the fish-people are as social and inquisitive as they are. Cecaelias are proud but don’t hold themselves above other races, reacting with cautious openness when meeting new people. They’re sensitive to condescension, though, and they anger quickly if they suspect someone is talking down to them. Overly flowery language or flattery can likewise insult them; cecaelias respect those who speak plainly, even if what they have to say is unpleasant.

Cecaelias rarely form large settlements. Cecaelia families with infants and young children band together for protection, remaining in one area. Once the children reach the age of five, they’re considered strong enough to no longer need the protection of a large group; the family then leaves the settlement with the children and resumes its nomadic ways.

Cecaelias often decorate their bodies with tattoos. Cecaelia tattoo artists are valued members of a cecaelia community and create colorful pigments from cephalopod ink, sea plants, and tropical fish. Always seeking new experiences, cecaelias also visit coastal settlements and hail passing ships to trade for tattoo services; a cecaelia sporting a “land drawn” tattoo earns respect and admiration from her peers. Most cecaelias favor swooping, abstract tattoos reminiscent of ocean currents, though some memorialize their adventures or significant life experiences with symbolic images.

Adventurers

Cecaelias are restless wanderers at heart. The attraction of a new location is often enough to spark a journey—the more exotic and far-flung the destination, the better. They scavenge ruins and shipwrecks near coastlines, trading their finds with nearby land dwellers. Cecaelias enjoy traveling with adventuring parties, particularly those with surfacers in the mix. They may hire on with a group solely for the opportunity to socialize and explore. That doesn’t mean cecaelias disdain their share of the treasure, though; they use the proceeds from their expeditions to fund their coastal trading and travel.

The notorious cecaelia pride stems from a conviction that they were once part of an enormous empire. Though most evidence has been worn away by time and the waves over thousands of years, cecaelias firmly believe they are descended from powerful ancestors. Cecaelias also consider any artifacts of their lost empire—or artifacts they simply suspect might be from their lost empire—to be their belongings. Word of cecaelia treasures in the hands of others, particularly evil races such as sahuagin, inflames them with anger. Cecaelias may take extraordinary risks to retrieve such items from their enemies.

Racial Traits (23 RP)

As cecaelias are unusual and powerful monstrous creatures, you should play one only with your GM’s permission.

Cecaelias normally have racial Hit Dice, skills, and other abilities. PC cecaelias, however, calculate these benefits based solely on their class. Note that these abilities are only an approximation of the cecaelia monster and may not match exactly. PC cecaelias have the following racial traits.

  • Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, –2 Intelligence: Cecaelias are nimble and have a canny insight, but they tend to be flighty.
  • Size: Cecaelias are Medium creatures, and they have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Type: Cecaelias are monstrous humanoids with the aquatic subtype. Cecaelias are amphibious and can breathe both air and water.
  • Languages: Cecaelias begin play speaking Aquan and Common. Cecaelias with a high Intelligence score can choose from the following: Aklo, Celestial, Draconic, Elven, Giant, Gnome, and Halfling.

Movement & Movement Abilities

  • Normal Speed: Cecaelias have no trouble moving about on land using their tentacles and have a base speed of 30 feet.
  • Swim Speed: Cecaelias have a swim speed of 40 feet.
  • Jet (1 RP): Cecaelias can swim 200 feet backward as a full-round action. A cecaelia must move in a straight line when jetting and does not provoke attacks of opportunity when she uses jet.

Senses

  • Darkvision: Cecaelias have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
  • Tentacle Sense (1 RP): While swimming and not grappled or grappling, a cecaelia can spread her tentacles wide to form a sensory net around herself as a swift action. This grants blindsight to a range of 10 feet and lasts as long as the cecaelia concentrates or until the cecaelia attacks with a tentacle or moves.

Defensive Abilities

  • Natural Armor: Cecaelias have a +2 natural armor bonus.
  • Ink Cloud (3 RP): Once per hour as a standard action, a cecaelia can emit a 10-foot-radius sphere of ink while underwater. This ink cloud provides total concealment and persists for 1 minute.
  • Stable Tentacles (4 RP): Cecaelias cannot be tripped.

Offensive Abilities

  • Tentacle Attacks (3 RP): Cecaelias have two tentacle attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage. These attacks are primary natural attacks and have a reach of 10 feet. This extended reach only applies to the cecaelia’s tentacle attacks and not to any other attacks she makes.

Alternate Racial Traits

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

  • Dexterous Tentacles: Occasionally a cecaelia is born with unusually long and agile tentacles. These tentacles allow the cecaelia to sense a greater area and to hold small items. A cecaelias with this racial trait increases the range of her tentacle sense to 30 feet. In addition, a cecaelia with this racial trait can attempt Sleight of Hand checks with her tentacles rather than her hands but with a –4 penalty. This racial trait replaces ink cloud.
  • Garrulous: Some cecaelias have an inherent gift for language. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Linguistics checks, and they learn two languages each time they gain a rank in Linguistics. This ability replaces ink cloud.
  • Tripping Tentacles: Cecaelias born with rubbery, resilient tentacles can’t use them to detect movement in the water but can use them to attack other creatures more easily. Cecaelias with this racial trait receive a +4 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks to trip an opponent. This racial trait replaces tentacle sense.
Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Player Companion: Blood of the Sea © 2017, Paizo Inc.; Author: Amber E. Scott.

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