Buy me a coffeeZitiron, the Oathbound Deepwarden
“Zitiron: The turtle-tailed sea knight who’ll spear you mid-charge, honor your surrender, and babysit your kids before the tide turns!”
Chivalrous guardians of the deep, these turtle-like mercenaries wield honor like a weapon—and strike like a living torpedo.
A Zitiron is a massive aquatic humanoid, roughly seven feet long and weighing up to 1,500 pounds. Its upper body is broad and armored in thick, helmet-like plates, resembling ancient siege armor. The lower half of its body is a powerful, finned tail, giving it swift and agile propulsion through the water. Its arms are long and muscular, ending in two-fingered, webbed hands adapted for grasping spears and shields. Zitiron faces are domed and expressionless, with baleen-like filter filaments housed in a sealed mouth used for straining plankton and small fish. Their dark, glossy eyes seem calm and implacable.
Behavior
Zitirons live by a strict martial code rooted in discipline, duty, and respect. Calm and methodical, they prize honorable combat, accept surrender, and uphold truces without exception. Each Zitiron sees itself as part of a greater legacy, placing loyalty to platoon and purpose above individual ambition. They raise their young communally, and even in war, they remain measured, seeking balance rather than domination. Their long lifespans give them patience and a long view on history, which often mystifies or frustrates shorter-lived species.
Habitat
They favor deep-ocean reefs, kelp forests, and submerged ruins, often near or within the domains of aquatic elves, merfolk, and other underwater civilizations. They rarely build cities of their own, preferring to travel in martial bands, offering their services to settlements in need. When not actively at war, they act as escorts for oceanic trade, guardians of sacred underwater sites, or wandering adjudicators resolving disputes by rite of combat.
Modus Operandi
In combat, Zitirons are unstoppable chargers, using their powerful tails to drive themselves forward with punishing momentum. Their weapon of choice is the underwater lance—a reinforced, hydrodynamic polearm designed for precise thrusting strikes even in strong currents. They can use these lances with one hand while carrying a shield in the other, and gain extra power when charging due to their built-in propulsion. In close quarters, they rely on slam attacks and shield bashes, using sheer mass and discipline to control space and batter foes into retreat.
Motivation
Zitirons are driven by a calling to maintain order in a chaotic ocean. They bind themselves to causes, contracts, and communities with unshakable loyalty, and carry etched shell tablets that record their oaths and victories. Glory is meaningless to them without purpose; they fight to protect the vulnerable, to uphold treaties, or to fulfill long-standing obligations that may stretch across decades. In all things, a Zitiron seeks harmony—not through peace alone, but through structured, principled strength.
Zitiron 5e
Zitiron Pathfinder
Zitiron, Oathbound Deepwarden
Large monstrosity (aquatic), lawful neutral
A towering, turtle-like warrior of the deep, Zitirons are honorable mercenaries wielding lances and shields as they guard ocean settlements and escort ships through perilous waters. Their imposing armored shells and powerful tails make them formidable foes both above and below the waves.
Armor Class: 18 (natural armor, shield)
Hit Points: 136 (16d10 + 48)
Speed: 5 ft., swim 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 12 (+1) | 16 (+3) | 10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 8 (−1) |
Saving Throws: Str +9, Con +7, Wis +6
Skills: Perception +6, Intimidation +3, Athletics +9
Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities: poison
Condition Immunities: poisoned, charmed
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages: Aquan
Challenge: 7 (2,900 XP)
Traits
Hold Breath. It can hold its breath for up to 30 minutes while active. When motionless or resting, it can hold its breath for up to 4 hours.
Martial Training. The Zitiron is proficient with shields and all simple and martial weapons.
Damage Reduction (10/Bludgeoning). The Zitiron’s thick armored shell reduces damage from bludgeoning weapons by 10.
Oathbound Resolve. The Zitiron has advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.
Filter Feeder. The Zitiron can subsist on plankton and small fish filtered from water, requiring no food for up to 7 days.
Actions
Multiattack. The Zitiron makes two attacks: one with its lance and one with its slam.
Lance. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage. If the Zitiron moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits with this lance attack, the target takes an extra 14 (4d6) piercing damage.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone.
Shield Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
Legendary Actions
It can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Zitiron regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Tail Sweep. The Zitiron sweeps its tail in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 13 (3d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
- Shield Guard. The Zitiron raises its shield defensively, gaining +2 AC until the start of its next turn.
Reactions
Parry. The Zitiron adds 3 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the Zitiron must see the attacker and be wielding a shield.
Tactical Notes
- Acts as a defensive anchor, controlling the battlefield with shield and slam attacks.
- Charges with lance for high burst damage and to knock foes prone.
- Uses Tail Sweep legendary action to disrupt clustered enemies.
- Honors surrender, often ceasing combat if foes yield.
Zitiron
This heavily armored creature looks something like a vaguely humanoid turtle. Its lower half is a strong, finned tail and its muscular arms end in two-fingered hands.
Taken from Creature Codex
Zitirons, sometimes called “sea knights”, are heavily armored, turtle-like humanoids. They frequently live as itinerant members of communities of other aquatic humanoids, such as locathath, merfolk and aquatic elves, traveling from settlement to settlement and selling their services as mercenaries. They are typically honorable in combat—they accept surrender, treat hostages well and honor flags of truce. Their chivalrous conduct lends them admirers both above and below the waves, and some surface-dwellers employ zitirons as escorts for ships traveling through hostile waters.
They live long lives, much like the turtles they resemble, and this lends them a certain patience. A zitiron sees no problem with taking months or years to learn a skill or accomplish a goal, and wars among their own kind tend to be affairs of attrition that strike other races as languid. Despite their opposing viewpoints regarding law and chaos, zitirons and elves have similar perspectives on other, shorter-lived peoples, and zitirons are often most comfortable in aquatic elven communities.
Zitirons are filter feeders. Their helmet-like scales contain multiple rows of baleen-like filaments, which they use to strain plankton and small fish from ocean water. They raise their young communally—each child is cared for by the entire platoon regardless of blood relation, and zitiron young refer to all members of their platoon as “aunt” or “uncle”. A zitiron is about seven feet in length and weighs up to 1500 pounds.
Zitiron CR 6
XP 2,400
LN Medium monstrous humanoid (aquatic)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision, Perception +13
Defense
AC 22, touch 10, flat-footed 22 (+10 natural, +2 shield)
hp 68 (8d10+24)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +8
DR 10/bludgeoning
Offense
Speed 5 ft, swim 40 ft.
Melee masterwork lance +13/+8 (1d8+4/x3) and slam +7 (1d8+2 plus push) or slam +12 (1d8+6 plus push)
Ranged underwater light crossbow +8 (1d8/19-20)
Special Attacks lancer, push (5 ft.)
Statistics
Str 19, Dex 11, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +8; CMB +12; CMD 22
Feats Intimidating Prowess, Power Attack, Vital Strike
Skills Intimidate +14, Perception +13, Sense Motive +10, Swim +19
Languages Aquan
SQ amphibious, martial training
Ecology
Environment any oceans
Organization solitary, pair, troop (3-12) or platoon (6-60 with 1 leveled leader per 10 individuals)
Treasure standard (masterwork lance, underwater light crossbow, heavy wooden shield, other treasure)
Special Abilities
Lancer (Ex) A zitiron that is swimming may use a lance as if they were on horseback. This means they can wield a lance in one hand and deal double damage on a charge. If on land, a zitiron cannot use this ability.
Martial Training (Ex) A zitiron is proficient with shields and all simple and martial weapons.