Dungeons and Dragons Lore: Aquatic Races 

Sahuagin - 0:54 Sea elves - 2:11 Just a mention of merfolk at 2:50 - there is a video about it out already Marine Hobgoblins - 2:59 Shalarin - 3:40 Tirtens - 4:40 Malenti - 6:16 Locathah - 8:40 Ixitxachitl - 10:47 Morkoth - 12:57 Kuo-toa - 16:36 Scrag - 17:45 Tortle - 18:53 Edit: Warning, I don't know if I got them all right.

The seaweed is always greener In somebody else's lake You dream about going up there But that is a big mistake Just look at the world around you Right here on the ocean floor Such wonderful things surround you What more is you lookin' for?

There's also Darfellan, which are basically sea Goliaths, Yurians, which are crab people, Merrow, which are like Merfolk Ogres, and Aventi, which are like a whole society of Water Genasi descended from Humans.

perfect timeing with the new "Ghosts of saltmarsh" book releasing this past tuesday

I still think it's hilarious these "Aquatic Races" are still bipedal humans. Having hair like we do, is a trait you'd want to get rid of fast.

The seaweed is always greener, In somebody else's lake...

1:04 “Darker on the back and lighter on the belly” this is known as bilateral coloration and is very common for aquatic species because if you are looking down at them below the dark of their back will blend in with the depths versus if you are staring at them from above then the light of their belly will blend in with the brightness of the sky

I love how there's just as many diverse races and adventuring potential underwater as on land.

Is it me or is it when ever mystra dies, its a way for wizards of the cost to change the way magic works

Just in time for saltmarsh.

Those Aqua-Hobs are probably gunna be the next thing I make a PC(Player Character) variant for. Always been a big fan of Hobgoblins as a playable race, so a water breathing variety means I can play as a Hob in seafaring campaigns. Nice.

On the issue of aquatic weapons, i have some factual solutions. First, orachalcum. A naturally occuring alloy of copper and gold. It got its name because it occurs in chalk beds. Very corrosion resistant. Also, any aquatic aquatic managing to get fire/heat immunity would become masters of working volcanic glass. Given some of the heavier alkaline metals present, would be as resilient as tempered glass. Given the deep whale graveyards, there would also be plentiful whalebone weapons, and narwhal tusk lances

I'm currently developing an entire campaign set 100% in the plane of water. This could not have come out at a better time. Thanks a lot for all your awesome videos!.

I had no idea there quite so many undersea races, and I consider myself a bit if a race/monster expert, lol. Some seem a little redundant but with this many options you could easily run a really fun underwater campaign with a highly varied group of adventurers.

Under water settings are interesting because ya can really play up an alien environment.I like to imagine that the lower down towards the oceans deepest crevices you get the more savage barbaric and alien the people get.

LOVING these under water videos!!!!!!!!

I'm currently using the Aquaman movie to put together a fun underwater session this video will help me complete it much appreciated.

Thank you, I love aquatic races and monsters. Good for a island and boat adventure

Good stuff. Looking forward to more aquatic ecologies. Thanks

yay! I was waiting for this! I'm putting together a merfolk races handbook for my neice cause she wants to play a pirate mermaid.

Sea Elves is a great concept of race. Conected to the sea and marine lives like wood elves are conected to forests. Its sad that they are preasent only in several fantasy worlds and usualy arent important for stories. Like in Elder Scrolls (they are only mods with them in Skyrim, but some really cool one like mixing them with lovecraftian lore).

Here wuz Seamus! Seamus be sick this day. Seamus runs his game tonight. Seamus isn't a quitter! Fight me microbes! I'll lose, but I'll fight them all!

One game there was "Under the Sea" from the Little Mermaid soundtrack playing at low level on a constant loop in the background, the DM had integrated it into the story as an aboleth psychically messing with the party (and players!) to try and drive them slowly mad.

*Relevant and Supportive Comment*

Oof, Morkoth are now the freakiest race A.J has lored...(shudder) Love your content mate kep it comin please ;)

As the jaws theme starts im my mind.

It’s like you know what I need and provide it for me before I need it hahaha. Thanks again. You are amazing sir.

I don't know if these are in the specific world you were talking about, but Storm Giants are able to breath underwater, and as such have isolated societies towards the bottom of the ocean. If they aren't apart of the specific world you were talking about, that makes sense though. Also, another fun one would be Cecaelia or Octopodes.

I wish there was more in the way of full books for biome-specific creatures, or an easier way to find aquatic information. Setting a campain in a pocket realm adjacent to the plane of water is proving to be more research than I initially bargained for

Some of these races would be fun if playable

something i noticed wasn't mentioned. while kuo-toa do occasionally worship Blibdoolpoolp and demogorgan most worship gods of there own creation. there whole shtick is that if enough of them believe that a god is real it becomes real. hence there title as "god-makers"

Can you do a video on just the sea elves, I can't seem to find one on just them (unless you already have one that I can't seem to find)? The vids on here all just add a little piece about them, like yours, to vids on the different types of elves on RU-vid.

1.) Is this consistant throughout most prime material worlds or just toril? 2.) How much contact/trade is there between the surface, underdark, and oceans/seas? 3.) Where do they get the spellcasters to lay eggs in them? Do they kidnap them or teach slaves/prisoners, or just rely on sorcerers?

Hi @AJ Pickett. I know I'm not a supporter, but I've commented on a bunch of video's. I just wanted to say I really love your video's, they take me back to when I was a kid. D&D has changed alot since I played, but it taught me how to escape my life into an imaginary world and without that kind of escape I'm not sure I'd still be here. Thank you so much for what you do, my other world gets richer and brighter every time you bring out a new video :)

That was so much information AJ, will have to watch this one a few times. The pic @11:30, it had one eye over the top of the other eye with a scorpion tail. Its mouth runs side to side. Just like Leela's dad from futurama. (Looking forward to the Sahuagin video). Thanks AJ & have a great day.

Also around the time that volos guide to monsters came out, since the triton became a player race in 5e, the adventures league had sone if their adventures set in seros, myth nantar i believe.

Well that's plenty of good information. Unfortunately my players are terrified of even small bodies of water.

Hey AJ! Hope you are having a good week😊 thank you so much for your content it was great like always. I drive tractors at my job so I just pull up your monster lore playlist and get all of the knowledge I can. Hoping to DM soon. Your calm voice is very easy to listen too which makes it easier for me to learn. Thanks again for all you do.

Ah, yes the very thirsty boys

Could you talk about the Shadar Kai? I'm using them for a character backstory and would love to hear all about there lore!

PIERCER & ROPER _Theme Music Starts_ The scene starts in the MZPD squad room, a Drow officer walks in and sets two boxes of donuts on a table in the back of the room. As he sets them down, all of the other officers head’s snap around and stare at the boxes. Then like a swarm of locust, the officers rush the donuts, with Roper slowly following behind them with his 10 foot movement speed. As the crowd of officers clears out Roper finally reaches the table and sees there’s one donut left. He begins to move one of his tentacles toward the donut, just as his tentacle gets within millimeters of it... !!!!!!SHNIKT!!!!!! Piercer drops down from the roof, right through the donut’s hole, impaling the table. As his tongue extends to begin pulling pieces of the donut off of himself to eat, Roper let’s out a loud “DAMN IT PIERCER!!!!!!” Screen freezes on Ropers angered face as he yells, then fades to black. _Theme Music Starts_ _Credits Roll_

A very nice video AJ,it seems that very little has changed with the newer editions in comparison to 1st and 2nd ed. I'm heavily versed in all aquatic creatures over the last 30 years as the people of our world of the Black Company were predominantly sailors by trade. Thank you Kiwi,i'm looking forward to other videos on the various aquatic races!

I’m currently making a Angler fish version of the Banderhobb for a Sea Hag’s lair. I’m thinking about making it have a hypnotic effect if you look at its bioluminescent lure, kinda like the Umber Hulk’s eyes

Star Trek logic, different color means different race, extra cosplay and make-up is a bonus

Thank you for this! Hoping to run a fully underwater campaign soon, and it feels like some of that lore is not touched often

Really amazingly comprehensive video. Huge thank you.

My dark elf (I've mentioned this before in other videos) has made, through a very extensive process, a slime covering he can manipulate at will. Being magically and telekinetically generated and manipulated, he can use this slime as a manifestation of his fighting abilities, can be used to project spells and magical abilities, and, most importantly to the topic of this video, can pass liquids through the slime barrier in many different ways to both breathe and fly very fast through the water and even manipulate surface tension to stand on water. A very versatile weapon if I do say so.

Aquatic Races AKA Humans or Elves BUT BLUE!!!

I helped a younger player retool his character to fit Adventure League and Forgotten Realms He had the idea of a palidian with mood swings that worshiped a megalodon. So i suggested the second ed that claimed some sahuagin are born looking like aquatic elfs most are killed but some are used as spys. SO i recommended him being paladin of vengeance half elf aquatic variant a pirate of Pirates background after he was left at sea to die but when the other crewmen tried to kill him a Megalodon attacked the crewmen leaving a tooth. Sahuagin found him and the tooth after this they though he was chosen by Sekolah, sahuagin god of the hunt and he was descended of a sahuagin blood line for there go blessed him.

Wait, so D&D has never had a Cecaelia? That’s crazy.

A great and very informative video. I know it might be quite an obscure race, but there is also the pahari from D&D 2nd Edition (both as a monster and as a playable race). Pahari are shapeshifting aquatic nymphs from Zakhara in Toril. In their natural forms, they are similar in appearance to beautiful mermaids, but they are also able to assume the form of a small fish and that of a beautiful human woman.

This video was amazing! Thank you for producing a video like this for those interested in making an aquatic campaign. Also, I’m so glad that due to community consensus, Tritons have been updated to have dark vision. 🐠 🔱

Now I really wanna run an underwater campaign where I can throw some adventures from Ghosts of Saltmarsh, but we do need way more aquatic races tbh

Great video. I wasn't expecting the aquatic-favoring tortles, I don't know why. Veteran players in my campaigns cringe when they realize a monster encounter is a group of Scrags. Never underestimate them. Malenti in my campaigns are often used for subterfuge by Sahuagins against Aquatic Elves and their allies.

Thanks for the video!

Fascinate learn one of these under seat races

I cannot adequately express how impressive this is. I've listened several times. Thanks for your work. 12:57 Morgoth? Morkoth? 16:05

Weren't there stats for behemoth leviathan and ziz at one point? Probably some long forgotten 3.5 book.

Very helpful

Thanks so much for the maritime round-up!

good video AJ

Love the music!

Man Ixitxachitls are so cool! I wonder if there are good aligned ones? Also excellent video

Thanks AJ.

Ive been going over the sea of fallen stars book alot the last few months. My main story i have is a parody of the movie the abyss but instead of aliens i want to introduce descendants of a group of Jhammdath survivors who's ancestors adapted to the water despite not being a aquatic race. I guess Atlantis could be a easy comparison, but most of the psionics ill use are mostly based around water manipulation, hydrokinetic?

⚔️You create Gold my Friend ❤️

When is your live stream I have an unrelated question: How and what for specifically are the souls sent to bator used for? Do they make armor or something out of it? How does this process work? Does this process consume the soul?

@AJ Pickett - Will you talk about the Tako or Kopru in future videos

Either there's a glitch in the matrix or you're an Eldritch mage because I was writing out an underwater campaign to get my girlfriend into DND and you make this video just in time but even more concerning is every page for Tritons said they had dark vision and now it's gone. Please teach me your witchy ways.

Nice intro!

This will be useful for a potential campaign set underwater.

Wow. Guess what guys? No mermaids...

i see what you did with the intro... jajaja cool video

Am i the only one who misses the idea of an eidolon summoner?

Locatha are the Wookiees of the sea.

Can someone please make a name guide for these creatures. I can’t find a written name for them. I just need to know how to spell alll of these races

What about the Aldani from tomb of annihilation

Great, informative video, as always. I realy like the background music. Where did you get it?

I wonder if there is any coverage of 'Sea Dwarves'?

Wait five, I need sea sick tablets to watch this :p

Are u going to do undersea monsters aj good work on this video

@AJPickett can you put the list of aquatic races in the notes you discuss

O C E A N M A N

Any chance you would do a video on Dungeon Crawl Classics and your views of the game?

Can someone get me a written version of all these names. I'm going to butcher it so much.

Where can I get the images as still slides?

What about subek crocodile people from tome of beasts from kobold press or the shark people who look muscular as hell in the monster a day Manuel I.think it's called

hello AJ pickett , um can you make their economy and military system

How does one spell Ikanther? The good Kua Toa lookin dudes. Is it Likanther? Icanter? I couldn't catch it nor can I find them online

Surprising lack of size variation. No gnome size aquatic races nor giant size.

20 minute tongue twister😂😂😂

Did we ever get that Aquatic dragon?

You can like aquatic creatures if you want, but I just think they're all wet.

I know want to make a water mage

How do you spell that Hobgoblin subrace?

How can.A water playable character race fight on land with other players not a fish person

I'd love to find out where Sea Giants place in Aquatic society. I figure them and Storm Giants with Underwater or Coastal fortresses would definitely be a force in the area. As well as Ocean Striders. I don't know if they have a society per say, but I can see many of these good aligned races forming long lasting alliances against Sea Devils and Kraken and the like.

Can I play as a sea dragonborn?

how about a bugbear video?

Teach me about leprechauns