Buy me a coffeeLocathah, “Wardens of the Kelp Halls”
“Meet the Locathah — proud, fish-folk warriors rising from kelp-choked shallows to spear intruders with ruthless precision!”
Across kelp-choked shallows and coral-encrusted reefs, the Locathah stand as proud, fish-folk guardians of the sea’s edge—bipedal, scaled humanoids whose every feature reflects a life between two worlds.
Appearance
Locathah average 5–6 feet tall, their lithe bodies sheathed in iridescent scales that shift from sea-green to slate blue, with pale underbellies that help them blend against sunlit waters. Their heads are streamlined and fishlike, with wide, lidless eyes that grant keen vision both above and below the surface, and slender barbels at their jaws that taste currents and chemical traces. Dorsal fins run from crown to tailbone, folding flush when they walk or stand, while webbed fingers and toes end in sharp, retractable claws for climbing slick rock and coral.
Behaviour
By nature cautious and proud, Locathah approach outsiders with measured wariness—surface-dwellers are strangers, but once trust is earned they are welcomed as allies. They speak little, favoring concise gestures and soft clicks, and place great value on personal honor and tribal ritual. In peacetime they are playful swimmers, racing dolphins through kelp forests; in conflict they become disciplined warriors, defending the reef with spear lines and guerrilla tactics.
Habitat
Their villages hug shallow lagoons, half-submerged dwellings of driftwood, shell, and kelp that sway with the tides. Underneath, underwater grottos carved into living coral serve as hatcheries and storerooms for harvested shellfish and seaweed. Kelp farms—tended in neat underwater terraces—provide both food and material for rope, basketry, and bindings.
Modus Operandi
- Silent Approach: Using webbed feet and low-profile fins, Locathah glide through kelp forests without rustling fronds, closing to spear range before dawn or dusk.
- Spear Wall Tactics: In narrow channels they form interlocking spear walls, their synchronized thrusts driving intruders into nets or coral traps.
- Underwater Ambush: Skilled divers lurk below hulks of driftwood, then erupt upward in sudden flurries of javelins and nets when boats or swimmers pass overhead.
- Signal and Retreat: Bioluminescent fin-flashes and clicking echoes coordinate retreats; if outmatched, they fall back along mapped reef paths into safety.
Motivation
Every Locathah’s life is bound to the protection of egg-bearing matriarchs and the bounty of their kelp farms. Current conflict with sahuagin slavers and sea hags have forged a fierce determination to defend their tribes’ sovereignty and resources. They fight not for conquest but to ensure the next generation thrives, and to uphold the ancient oaths that bind their people in shared vigilance beneath the waves.
Locathah 5e
Locathah 3.5
Locathah
Medium Humanoid (Locathah), Neutral
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 9 (2d8 + 2)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 (+1) | 12 (+1) | 12 (+1) | 10 (+0) | 12 (+1) | 8 (−1) |
Skills Athletics +3, Perception +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Aquan, Common
Challenge ½ (100 XP)
Traits
- Natural Armor. The Locathah’s tough, scaly hide gives it an unarmored AC of 13 (12 + Dex modifier).
- Amphibious. A Locathah can breathe air and water.
- Leviathan Will. The Locathah has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned, or put to sleep.
- Observant & Athletic. Proficiency in the Athletics and Perception skills reflects their keen awareness and physical prowess both above and below water.
Actions
- Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. - Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
Tactics
- Silent Approach: In water, the Locathah uses its swim speed and the cover of kelp and broken reefs to slip close to unwary foes before striking.
- Spear Wall: On land or in shallow reefs, groups form tight spear walls at narrow passes, coordinating thrusts to funnel and repel invaders.
- Ambush Divers: A vanguard of Locathah divers lies in wait beneath boats or shallows; on signal, they erupt in volleys of javelins and nets.
- Defensive Withdrawal: If outnumbered, they fall back along pre-mapped reef paths into underwater caves, using guerrilla tactics to harry pursuers.
This lean humanoid bears crested fins on its head and back, and has the wide-eyed and wide-lipped face of a fish.
Simple aquatic creatures shunned by landwalkers and undersea folk alike, locathahs live in tight-knit communities scattered throughout the world’s seas, lakes. and waterways. Locathahs possess scaly ochre skin tinged with green and yellow. Ridged, rust-colored skin covers their chests and stomachs, and a mottled wash of green, brown, and orange colors their fins like aging kelp.
Locathahs exude a strong fishy odor when above water that, in addition to their already unnerving appearance, repulses most land-dwellers. Despite this animosity, locathahs go to great lengths to befriend surface folk, offering safe passage through the waters, pointing out dangerous reefs, and hinting at sunken treasures in return for durable ceramics and metal tools and weapons, as well as tubers, which they view as a delicacy.
These creatures dislike combat and flee when disarmed or outnumbered. Locathahs hold community in the highest regard, never leaving a friend behind and often going to great lengths to retrieve a fallen companion. Among their own kind and races friendly toward them, locathahs are social creatures who live a very human-like, albeit simple, lifestyle. Locathahs work in stone, coral, and bone to produce the crude implements they use. Some take coral work to obsessive levels, with certain clans taking generations to grow their preferred medium in its desired form before carving it. They feed on crustaceans, undersea plants, and shellfish, and rarely on large fish that are caught during ritualized hunts.
Locathah matriarchs serve their undersea tribes not only as chieftains, but also as the primary egg layers of the community. Each adult member of the tribe is responsible for raising a single young locathah as his or her own. Locathahs tame moray eels, keeping them near their lairs as humans keep dogs. Some locathah soldiers and hunting groups use giant moray eels as mounts, chasing down their quarry and attacking with narrow-tipped spears. More powerful aquatic races use locathahs as slaves, abducting breeding matriarchs to produce a constant wave of new workers.
Locathah stand roughly as tall as humans, yet their fins jut out, giving them an imposing stature. Lean and strong, locathahs weigh roughly 160 pounds.
| Locathah | |
| Medium humanoid (Aquatic) | |
| Hit Dice | 2d8 (9 hp) |
| Initiative | +1 |
| Speed | 10 ft. (2 squares), Swim 60 ft. |
| Armor Class | 14 (+1 Dexterity, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +1/+1 |
| Attack | longspear +2 melee (1d8/x3) or light crossbow +2 ranged (1d8/19-20) |
| Full Attack | longspear +2 melee (1d8/x3) or light crossbow +2 ranged (1d8/19-20) |
| Space/Reach | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Saves | Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +1 |
| Special Attacks | – |
| Special Qualities | – |
| Abilities | Strength 10, Dexterity 12, Constitution 10, Int_13, Wisdom 13, Charisma 11 |
| Skills | Craft (any one) +6, Listen +6, Spot +6, Swim +8 |
| Feats | Weapon Focus (longspear) |
| Environment | Warm aquatic |
| Organization | Company (2-4, 1-2 Giant Moray Eels), patrol (11-20 plus 2 3rd-level sergeants and 1 leader of 3rd-6th level, 5-8 Giant Moray Eels), or tribe (30-100 plus 100% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 10 adults, 5 5th-level lieutenants, and 3 7th-level captains, 7-12 Giant Moray Eels) |
| Challenge Rating | 1/2 |
| Treasure | Standard |
| Alignment | Usually neutral |
| Advancement | By character class |
| Level Adjustment | +1 |
Habitat and Society
Locathahs view community as very important, and go to great lengths not to abandon their fellows. They live a simple lifestyle, making crude tools out of stone, coral and bone. They try and trade their knowledge of the local sea conditions with surface dwellers in return for ceramic and metal items.
They eat mainly undersea plants and shellfish, supplementing this with occasional fish. They also enjoy eating tubers, when they can obtain them.
Each tribe is led by a matriarch, who also serves as the main egg layer. Every adult then raises one of the young as their own. They often tame moray eels, and warriors may use giant eels as mounts. They speak Aquan.
COMBAT
Any battle with locathahs usually begins with the creatures loosing volleys of bolts from their crossbows; underwater, their crossbows have a range increment of 20 feet. If they have managed to set up an ambush or other trap, they continue to employ crossbows for as long as possible. Otherwise, they close to bring their longspears into play. Although primarily used for fishing, these spears make formidable weapons.
Locathahs lack teeth, claws, and other natural weapons, so they are not especially dangerous if unarmed. A weaponless locathah will generally turn and flee.
Skills: A locathah has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered.
It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Section 15: Copyright Notice – Bestiary 2
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2, © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.