Half merfolk - should he get water breathing

[Urklore]

I had a player who wanted the same powers your player wants. He wanted to be a half sea-elf (with a stronger focus on sea elf to get the goodies, even though a half-elf does not get em). I layed the smack as follows:

1- He can have the water breathing and the +8 to swim skill that all aquatics get and be a +1 ECL.
2- Or he can have the water breathing but NOT the +8 to swim skill (no webbed feet, hands, but has gills) that all aquatic types get and have no ECL penalties.

He is still classified as an aqautic type, and thus can be affected by magical items that affect these creatures. I gave it a +1 to ECL as the campaign was based on islands and sailing. If my campaign was based on a non-water type overland, I would have let him have it with no +s to ECL.

 

[Squire James]

I can't see how Amphibious in an aquatic setting is much better than Darkvision in a dungeon crawl. Sure, there are situations where that character would function better than others, but in most situations it won't matter. If I were simply altering the human race, I think removing the extra feat and skill points and plugging in Amphibious and 30' swim movement is more than fair. No need to get complicated here.

Even a +1 ECL is a big deal. I know some Sorcerers who groan a lot at not getting Fireball until 6th level... an Aasimar Sorcerer would have to wait until 7th level! Later on, one of my players was very glad to have that Heal spell at 11th level, rather than the 13th level he'd need if he held his initial desire to be a Drow (not to mention he had access to the Spell Resistance spell, thus simulating the Drow's best ability anyway)!

Don't put manacles on your PC's unless they deserve them...

 

[Squire James]

As a side note, I've found a fearsome spell combo for most ship-to-ship operations: Fireball followed by Pyrotechnics (fireworks version). Whatever the rules say, I'm sure something on the ship will be on fire after the Fireball, and the Pyrotechnics will likely blind half or most of the crew! Both spells are Long range. Unless the other ship is prepared for this tactic, the combo would probably cripple their ship for a while. If the Fireball doesn't end the affair by itself, that is!

 

[Jack Daniel]

My favorite type of gaming is pirate fantasy -- hence the presence of half-merfolk in my campaign. My last character began as a lowly AD&D 2e theif, but at last count, he's 21st level! My character is a Rogue 13 / Temple Raider 5 / Dread Pirate 2 with a mermaid chohort and the rest of his Leadership feat filled out with a pirate crew... he uses rapiers (like Squire James in that Krondor game, only better ) and pistols and the whole works... pirates rule.

 

[Altalazar]

Water breathing just ain't that big a deal, I mean, how often does it come up?

Besides, it doesn't help to be a mermaid in the desert. Heh.

 

[William Ronald]

I agree with the posters who said that water-breathing is not the greatest ability. It is perhaps no better than darkvision.

I would just adapt the character from the Sea Spirit-Folk entry in OA. (If the campaign ever becomes dungeon-based, water breathing won't help that often.)

 

[Lizard Lips]

Thanks for the input guys, it's just the kind of discussion I needed. I've decided to allow the water breathing without penalty.. I might adapt the Sea Spirit Folk from OA, but I"m probably going to use the half-merfolk Jack Daniel posted earlier. That's agreat Fireball tactic too... any other Piratey stuff I can use that you guys have already worked up?

 

[Jack Daniel]

Yes... always remember, underwater, fireballs ammount to a prestidigitation cantrip, but lightning bolts explode as a fireball.

 

[Carnifex]

More to the point, lightning bolts explode as a fireball... centered on the caster...

 

[Squire James]

Other useful things for the nautical mage:

1. Silent Alter Self. Change into something with gills without having to risk drowing by saying stuff underwater. Higher level mages can tack on Still Spell to make it work even better.

2. Still Fireball and Still Pyrotechnics. Now the enemy probably can't even tell who did it! Except that it came from that other ship (and it could really be the Altered mage in the water near another enemy ship...).

3. Spider Climb. Simplifies those boarding maneuvers greatly, or simply helps the mage get back on his own ship.

4. Sleet Storm. This spell and a good stiff wind (perhaps magically-aided) could empty a deck of crew in seconds!

5. Grease. Try the rope those boarding enemies are trying to cross (also works great on swashbucklers in general... just cast it on whatever they're swinging on!).