Chimermaid (5e Template)
Chimermaid[edit]
In ancient times, a unique species of merfolk, the Chimermaids, existed with a parasitic life cycle. Born as microscopic plankton, the Chimermaids would drift on ocean currents through the sea as planktonic children before being eaten by monsters and aquatic beasts, but this is what gave them life. By controlling and mutating the creatures that ate them into semi-humanoid forms, Chimermaids became adults and returned to their birthplace, a city where the skills and abilities granted by their myriad forms could improve their way of life, before having children there to spread on new currents.
At the time, the other denizens of the sea hated the Chimermaids for their way of life, and banded together to kill every last one of them. Finally, only a mass of planktonic children was left, hidden away. However, with no proper hosts, the children parasitized each other, mutating and fusing together into the Black Carpet, a mass of flesh which constantly reaches out with its humanoid pseudopods to grab food and fuel a hunger so vile and all-encompassing, it cannot even use the merfolk intelligence that lies dormant within it. If a creature could slay, or perhaps return the Black Carpet to seafoam, the Chimermaid species would be revived as Chimermaid Plankton emerge from the seafoam to drift along the currents once more.
When a creature with a swim speed and is not a Construct or Elemental consumes a live Chimermaid Plankton, it must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be transformed into it's Chimermaid variant. Fiends and Celestials make this saving throw with advantage.
- Prerequisite
Any creature with a swim speed that is not a Construct or Elemental that consumes a live Chimermaid Plankton and fails the subsequent Constitution saving throw
Statistics[edit]
Equipment. A Chimermaid can wield equipment for a Humanoid or Giant of it's size category and can treat its creature type as humanoid or giant for the purposes of attuning to items.
Abilities. A Chimermaid's Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores cannot be less than 14, and each of those ability scores that was already at or above 14 is increased by 1.
Languages A Chimermaid knows Aquan and the first language besides Aquan that it hears after transforming.
Skills A Chimermaid gains a) proficiency in three extra skills, or b) expertise (doubled proficiency bonus) in one of the skills it had prior to transformation and proficiency in one extra skill.
Alignment A Chimermaid is usually a Lawful version of whatever the original creature's alignment is. A Chimermaid may instead be Chaotic if the creature that consumed it was also of a Chaotic Alignment and succeeds on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw as it tries and almost entirely fails to retain it's own personality.
Traits[edit]
Spawn. Two Chimermaids can reproduce over the course of a long rest. Each Chimermaid will then produce 10x2d4 Chimermaid Plankton after a week or when they next enter water,.
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