Sebeka, Scale and Tooth
“Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean—roll!
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain;
Man marks the earth with ruin—his control
Stops with the shore.”
-Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto IV
Playtest Version
This material is still in the process of being playtested. It is fully usable as written, but may be refined or changed in later versions. As always, this content should only be used with GM permission.
The Sebeka
As the distant descendants of an ancient and powerful crocodile god, the sebeka are often mistaken for lizardfolk by those unfamiliar with their homelands. Their divine ancestor is worshiped as a guardian by those who do battle or traverse dangerous waters even to this day. The sebeka, his sacred offspring, manifest a small echo of his strength and protective power, no matter what undertakings they pursue. This influence is also showcased by mighty teeth and jaws much like their quadrupedal cousins, as well as robust endurance and fondness for aquatic environments.
Jovial Warriors
Most sebeka are rowdy and gregarious by nature, living a much more social existence than the crocodiles they resemble. Due to their natural toughness they tend to play rougher, causing taverns frequented by sebeka to count bar brawls as a once per night occurrence, at minimum, and purchase furnishings accordingly. Despite their combative nature, they are also deeply protective of others and are often employed as bouncers and city guards. Many assume they are simply brutish, but sebeka often possess brilliant cunning or sage wisdom, and they actually have more spellcasters among their number than most other folk. These spellcasters are simply often mistaken for warriors due to their equal talent for hand-to-hand combat.
The Envy of Sailor and Soldier
It is only natural that the crocodile folk excel working with ships and fighting forces. Ship captains and mercenary companies will actively seek them out and, when looking to recruit marines or heavy infantry, will often hire any and all sebeka in the area who are seeking that sort of work before even considering other recruits. Even more jealously sought after than warriors is a well trained sebeka bosun, who is able to easily repair ships and boats even as they are underway thanks to their ability to hold their breath for incredible lengths of time and their swift aquatic movement.
Sebeka Names
Traditional sebekan names are a multitonal guttural reptilian growl sometimes accompanied by nasal-aspirated hisses and are virtually impossible to pronounce correctly by other folk except those capable of direct mimicry or some especially deep voiced members of reptilian or amphibian species.
For the benefit of others, sebeka take names or nicknames in the dominant language of the area. These chosen names are typically low-brow, but with a surprisingly theatrical air about them.
Example Sebekan Names: Adora Agusta Azarola Aritza, Anton Grimme, Blacktooth Barnes, “Bonny Marie” Burnie, Chomps, Charlette Croke, Damnation Mostana, Edward “Ned” Flint, Ekber the Eel, Faustina Faustino, Green Mary, Harridan Bess, Isabela Ironprow, Jacquotte the Sea Queen, Jaguar-of-the-Depths, Kargadain Warhorn, Large Lao, Méadhbh Ní Mháille, Nackle One-Eye, Omar Grimtooth, Public-House Pete, Raman “Flamecaller” Hapet, Silver-Eye Sallie, The Grey Death, Umberto the Blade, Vicious Valanthe, Westra Law, Widow Shih
Sebeka Traits
Your sebeka character has a number of innate physical and spiritual abilities.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and one other attribute of your choice increases by 1.
Age. Sebeka age more slowly than humans, reaching adulthood at age 18 and usually living to 150 years old.
Alignment. Sebeka are slightly predisposed towards good and chaotic alignments, but no particular alignment is especially uncommon among them.
Size. Sebeka are significantly larger than humans, with most standing over 6 feet tall and weighing over 240 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 20 feet. You have a swimming speed of 40 feet.
Ambush Hunter. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made while you are submerged in water.
Bite. Your bite is a natural weapon which you can use to make unarmed strikes. With a hit, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.
Divine Intervention. You know the resistance cantrip.
Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for 1 hour.
Lock Jaw. If you hit with your bite attack, you can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the creature you hit.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sebekan. The Sebekan language seems to be linguistically related to both Celestial and Draconic, but distantly enough that they cannot be mutually understood. Its characteristic deep, rumbling sounds carry especially far underwater but can be spoken only without accent by reptilian, amphibian, or draconic creatures, or beings with the ability to precisely mimic sounds.
Random Height and Weight
| Base Height | Base Weight | Height Modifier | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4’11″ | 150 lbs | +2d12 | x(2d6) |
New Feat
Marine Assaulter
You are highly skilled in ship to ship and ship to shore combat, as well as the occasional dockside bar’s chandelier. You gain the following benefits:
- When making skill checks to secure a grappling hook or move via ropes or chains (whether by climbing, balancing, or swimming), you have advantage on the check.
- Once each turn when you enter water at least 5 feet deep, you may immediately move an additional distance in the water that does not count towards your normal movement. This additional distance may be up to your Strength score in feet (rounded down to the next multiple of 5 feet, minimum 5 feet).
- You do not have disadvantage when making attacks underwater.
Legal Appendix
Legal Appendix
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System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Sebeka, Scale and Tooth Copyright 2019, Malachite Idol; Author Patrick Johnson.
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