5E Selkie Species

I ran a 5E one-shot for some new players recently in the Legends of Alba setting. My partner was playing in the game and has been keen to play as a selkie character for a while, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to put together some rules for a selkie species. I've tinkered with them a little since our game and wanted to share it here for anyone else who fancies playing as a Selkie in D&D 5E!

Selkie by James Browne

Selkie

Selkies are Fey shapeshifters, each possessing a seal skin that allows them to transform between seal and human form. They are the children of the Goddess Mitha, Mother of The Sea, whose song calms the most violent tempest. It is this song, the song of the summer tides, that imbues the spirits of Selkies with the light and magic of The Feywild. With a song in their soul, it is no surprise that so many Selkies exhibit an open joy in movement, moving through the steps of their long lives (commonly over 400 years) as though through the steps of a dance.

In their seal skin, their seal form grants them speed and grace in the water, as well as the ability to withstand and navigate the cold darkness of the deep sea, where submarine caverns hide the Fey Crossings to The Land Beneath The Waves. So a selkie’s seal skin is their greatest treasure: It is their connection not only to nature, to the wild seas and their Goddess, but to their ancestral Feywild home.

Though their hearts belong to the Sea, Selkies are often drawn towards the land. When a Selkie removes their seal skin, they are indistinguishable from humans. They can therefore be found in coastal communities throughout the multiverse, living among the short-lived folk till the ebb of the tide calls them home at last.

Selkie Traits

Creature Type: Fey Size: Medium (about 4-6 feet tall) Speed: 30 feet As a Selkie, you have these special traits. Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet. Seal Form. You possess a seal skin. Once per round, you can don or remove your seal skin for free to shift between Seal and Human Form. The following traits apply to you in Seal Form: Speed: 10 feet, swim 40 feet Armor Class: 11 + Dexterity modifier (natural armor). Hold Breath: You can hold your breath for 10 minutes. Damage Resistance: Cold. Bite: Melee Weapon Attack (Strength), 5 feet, D6 piercing damage. In addition:

• You lose the benefit of worn or carried equipment, which merges with you into your seal form.
• You can’t cast spells, but shifting does not interfere with spells you’ve already cast.

Wild Nature. Your deep connection to the Feywild grants you proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Athletics, Acrobatics, Insight, Nature, Performance, Survival.