Sea Fish: Part 2
Anglerfish
Deep in the ocean's midnight depths, beyond the reach of any daylight, the sea life takes on a nightmarish aspect. No creature exemplifies this more than the anglerfish. Its demonic visage is made up of two beady black eyes sitting above a vast gaping maw filled with long, barbed teeth. Atop its bulbous body is its iconic lure, tipped with glowing light, which it uses to draw prey to itself in the otherwise lightless deep.
Sinister Beacon in the Dark. Luckily, ordinary anglerfish rarely reach more than a foot in length and are harmless to humanoid-sized creatures. They prey on sea creatures their size or smaller, using their light lure to attract these potential meals. The anglerfish appears as a beacon in the dark, with its shadowy form hidden from view. Once prey comes close enough, it opens its mouth wide, creating a powerful vacuum to pull in anything within range. After the victim is swallowed, the anglerfish's long interlocking teeth serve to bar any potential escape.
Huge Appetites. Due to the scarcity of food in the deep, anglerfish move slowly to conserve energy and rarely pass up a meal. Even if the anglerfish has recently fed or the prospective meal is larger than them, it will make use of its ever-expanding gut to make room for the new meal. Anglerfish will gluttonously gulp down huge amounts of prey this way to provide nourishment over long periods of scarcity in the vast depths.
Giant Anglerfish. While ordinary anglerfish are no threat to humanoids, their giant kin are a nightmarish danger to any who venture into the deep. They hunt larger creatures such as humanoids using the same tactics as ordinary anglerfish, and their lures can blind and disorient their prey, making escape even more difficult. These monstrous fish are one of the many reasons other sea-dwelling races fear venturing into the lightless depths, and many a would-be sea elf or triton explorer has met their end in the gullet of these abyssal horrors.
Giant Anglerfsh
Huge beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 11
- Hit Points 126 (12d12 + 48)
- Speed 0 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 22 (+6) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 4 (-3)
- Skills Stealth +4
- Senses blindsight 60 ft. passive Perception 11
- Languages ━
- Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Abyssal Hunter. The anglerfish has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide while in darkness and is invisible to any creature that relies on darkvision to see it in darkness.
Lure. The anglerfish has a lure attached to its head which it can extend up to 30 feet from itself as object interaction. The lure sheds dim light within a 20-foot radius. The lure follows the relative position of the anglerfish as it moves.
Water Breathing. The anglerfish can breathe only underwater.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (3d12 + 6) piercing damage.
Vacuum Gulp The anglerfish sucks up the water in a 30-foot cone in front of it. Each creature in that area that is in the same body of water as the anglerfish must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be pulled to the anglerfish. A creature pulled to the anglerfish takes 25 (3d12 + 6) piercing damage and is swallowed by the anglerfish if it is huge or smaller and the anglerfish has room in its stomach. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the anglerfish, and it takes 24 (7d6) acid damage at the start of each of the anglerfish's turns.
If the anglerfish takes 20 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the anglerfish must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the anglerfish. The anglerfish can have up to 9 creatures swallowed at a time. Large creatures count as 4 creatures, and huge creatures count as 9. If the angler fish dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 5 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Bonus Action
Flashing Lure (Recharge 5-6) Each creature within the light radius of the anglerfish's lure must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be blinded until the end of the anglerfish's next turn. While blinded this way, a creature moves at half speed and has disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws and ability checks.
Sawfish
These bizarre fish are easily recognized by their massive sawtoothed nose extensions, which usually make up between one-quarter to one-third of the animal's total length. Sawtooth fish come in a range of different sizes depending on the species, but they all use their sawtoothed extensions in the same ways.
Bizzare Weaponry. The most obvious use of the sawfish's massive toothed nose is as a weapon. Sawfish will slice through their prey with rapid slashing motions of their saw. This tactic can be used in the open water and on the ocean floor, where they use the saw to pin and manipulate their targets. While sawfish don't actively hunt anything too large to fit into their relatively small mouths, when threatened, they can use their saws to inflict massive damage on would-be attackers and can even fend off sharks this way. Should a sea druid or other powerful being gain control of several sawfish, they can be used as a powerful aquatic strike force, slashing at foes from a distance while staying out of striking range.
Largetooth Sawfish
Large beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 32 (5d10+5)
- Speed 0 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 3 (-4) 14 (+2) 3 (-4)
- Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 12
- Languages ━
- Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Arcing Slashes. The sawfish's saw attacks ignore the damage resistances of swarms.
Keen Senses. The sawfish has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Water Breathing. The sawfish can breathe only underwater.
Actions
Saw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) slashing damage.
Bonus Actions
Arcing Swing. When the sawfish misses with its saw attack on its turn, it can immediately make another saw attack against a different creature within 10 feet of the original target and within range of the attack.
Electroreceptive Antenna. The second, more subtle use of the saw appendage is as an electroreceptive tool. This saw contains thousands of sensory organs allowing the sawfish to detect the electrical fields of nearby creatures, enabling them to spot prey hidden beneath the sea floor and in murky water. This tool makes them difficult to sneak up on, and sea folk able to control sawtooth fish will often use them to scan the sea floor for hidden creatures when hunting.
Smalltooth Sawfish
Medium beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 9 (2d8)
- Speed 0 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (0) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 3 (-4) 14 (+2) 3 (-4)
- Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 12
- Languages ━
- Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Arcing Slashes. The sawfish's saw attacks ignore the damage resistances of swarms.
Keen Senses. The sawfish has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Water Breathing. The sawfish can breathe only underwater.
Actions
Saw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) Slashing damage.
Bonus Actions
Arcing Swing. When the sawfish misses with its saw attack on its turn, it can immediately make another saw attack against a different creature within 10 feet of the original target and within range of the attack.
Stargazer
These bizarre fish reach lengths between one to two feet and possess large bulging eyes and a perpetually frowning mouth filled with interlocking needle-like teeth. These features form a disturbing face that perpetually points upwards, hence their name. Stargazers are capable diggers and hide by burrowing into the sandy ocean floor until only their upward pointing face is flush with the surface. Here, they lie and wait until an unsuspecting creature comes within range. At that moment, the stargazer strikes in the space of a heartbeat. The prey is snagged before it can react and pulled into the stargazer's gullet via powerful suction.
Vicious Defences. Stargazers possess an array of natural weapons that make them unpleasant to contend with even when their hiding spots have been exposed. They have fins tipped with venomous spines, which they can use to threaten creatures that attack them from different angles. But, most bizarrely of all, stargazers can unleash a powerful electrical shock capable of deterring most would-be predators.
Giant Stargazers. These horrifyingly huge fish prey on any creature smaller than themselves that ventures too close to their hiding spot, including humanoids. To make matters worse, they possess all the vicious defenses of ordinary stargazers but at a much larger scale, giving them a multitude of methods for slaying any foolish swimmers that tangle with them. Someone traversing the sea floor may suddenly find themselves staring down at the creature's grizzly visage for a split second before being devoured in the blink of an eye, never to be heard from again.
Giant Stargazer
Huge beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 95 (10d12+30)
- Speed 0 ft., burrow 10 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 4 (-3)
- Skills Perception +4, Stealth +7
- Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 14
- Languages ━
- Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Aquatic Burrowing. The stargazer can only burrow underwater.
Burrowed Ambusher. While the stargazer is buried at least 5 feet underground, it has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and while it is no more than 20 feet underground, it has unobscured vision above the surface.
Keen Sight. The stargazer has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Sudden Ambush. The stargazer automatically hits with bite attacks it makes with advantage against creatures it has surprised. These creatures also automatically fail their Strength saving throw against being swallowed by the bite.
Water Breathing. The stargazer can breathe only underwater.
Actions
Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 24 hours. A poisoned creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success or taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failure.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) piercing damage. If the target is a medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be swallowed by the stargazer. The swallowed target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the stargazer, and it takes 14 (4d6) acid damage at the start of each of the stargazer's turns. The stargazer can have only one target swallowed at a time. If the stargazer dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 5 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Reactions
Discharge. When a creature strikes the stargazer with a melee attack, the attacker must make a DC 15 Consitution saving throw, taking 13 (3d8) lightning damage on a failure or half as much on a success.
Stonefish
These fish derive their name from their penchant for camouflaging as rocks or coral on the sea floor, and they generally grow to just over two feet. Their camouflage can be quite elaborate, with a variety of colors and features that allow them to blend into their given environment. These environments tend to be reefs and rocky tide pools, and these disguises enable a stonefish to be nearly undetectable while it sits motionless on the sea floor. When prey draws close, it attacks at lightning speed, using suction to gulp down its meal almost instantaneously.
Deadliest of Fish. Stonefish hold the title of most venomous fish in the world. This venom is contained in dorsal spines hard enough to pierce the soul of a boot.
Combine this with their excellent camouflage, and stonefish quickly become one of the creatures most hazardous to humanoids walking through shallow sea waters. If not treated quickly, wounds from this venom can prove fatal to those of weak constitution.
Giant Stonefish. These fish disguise as large rocks and expanses of coral on the sea floor and prey on a huge range of creatures. Fishermen and divers are a favorite meal of the giant stonefish, and many such individuals may mysteriously go missing before people begin to suspect the presence of such a fish in nearby waters. Even those who initially survive their encounter with this monstrous creature may be inflicted with its horrific venom and later succumb to its agonizing effects.
Stonefish
Tiny beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 1 (1d4 - 1)
- Speed 0 ft., swim 20 ft., burrow 5 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 8 (-1) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 4 (-3)
- Skills Stealth +3
- Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 11
- Languages ━
- Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Aquatic Burrowing. The stonefish can only burrow underwater.
Limited Amphibiousness. The stonefish can breathe air and water, but it needs to be submerged at least once every 24 hours to avoid suffocating.
Mask of the Stone. The stonefish has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide using coral reef or rocks and may do so even if it is only lightly obscured while hiding this way.
Poisonous Spikes. Any creature that grapples the stonefish, starts its turn grappling it, or misses it with a weapon attack while within 5 feet of it takes 1 piercing and must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 24 hours. A poisoned creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success or taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failure. If it fails the save by 10 or more, it is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
Actions
Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 24 hours. A poisoned creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success or taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failure. If it fails the save by 10 or more, it is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
Giant Stonefish
Large beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 68 (8d10 + 24)
- Speed 0 ft., swim 25 ft., burrow 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 4 (-3)
- Skills Stealth +5
- Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 11
- Languages ━
- Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Aquatic Burrowing. The stonefish can only burrow underwater.
Limited Amphibiousness. The stonefish can breathe air and water, but it needs to be submerged at least once every 24 hours to avoid suffocating.
Mask of the Stone. The stonefish has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide using coral reef or rocks and may do so even if it is only lightly obscured while hiding this way.
Poisonous Spikes. Any creature that grapples the stonefish, starts its turn grappling it, or misses it with a weapon attack while within 5 feet of it takes 3 (1d6) piercing and must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 24 hours. A poisoned creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success or taking 21 (4d6) poison damage on a failure. If it fails the save by 10 or more, it is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
Sudden Ambush. The stonefish automatically hits with bite attacks it makes with advantage against creatures it has surprised. These creatures also automatically fail their Strength saving throw against being swallowed by the bite.
Actions
Multiattack. The stonefish makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its sting. It can't make both attacks against the same target.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be swallowed by the stonefish. The swallowed target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the stonefish, and it takes 10 (3d6) acid damage at the start of each of the stonefish's turns. The stonefish can have only one target swallowed at a time. If the stonefish dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 5 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 24 hours. A poisoned creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success or taking 21 (6d6) poison damage on a failure. If it fails the save by 10 or more, it is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
Swordfish
These strange yet elegant fish are easily recognized by their trademark noses which extend out like a long rapier. The aptly named swordfish is among the fastest swimmers in the world, and it combines this speed with tight maneuverability and its slashing bill to become one of the most effective hunters of the open ocean. The swordfish hunts other fish in open waters where there is nowhere to hide and no hope of outswimming such a high-speed attacker. Even swimming in schools does a fish little good, as the swordfish's slashing bill attacks allow it to cut through swaths of fish at a time.
Swordfish
Medium beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 11 (2d8+2)
- Speed 0 ft., swim 80 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 2 (-4) 14 (+2) 6 (-2)
- Skills Perception +4
- Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 14
- Languages ━
- Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Arcing Slashes. The swordfish's slash attacks ignore the damage resistances of swarms.
Charge. If the swordfish moves at least 20 ft. straight towards a target and then hits it with the first slash attack it makes that turn, the target takes an extra 2 (1d4) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of the swordfish's next turn.
Keen Sight. The swordfish has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Water Breathing. The swordfish can breathe only underwater.
Actions
Slash. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) slashing damage.
Bonus Actions
Arcing Swing. When the swordfish misses with its slash attack on its turn, it can immediately make another slash attack against a different creature within 10 feet of the original target and within range of the attack.
Fast Manuverable Combatants. Swordfish generally reach 10 feet in length, though the largest specimens can reach 15 feet. Their size, speed, and deadly weapon make them formidable foes, though they generally have little interest in fighting other large creatures unless threatened. Should a swordfish be influenced by external forces driving it to attack other creatures, it can utilize its speed and the reach of its sword to perform hit-and-run attacks against its targets. Its speed also makes it difficult to pin down and allows it to make devastating charging attacks. These attacks utilize rapid slashing motions of its sword bill that are difficult to predict and strike targets in unexpected ways.
Great Swordfish
Large beast, unaligned
- Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 45 (6d10+12)
- Speed 0 ft., swim 80 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 2 (-4) 14 (+2) 6 (-2)
- Skills Perception +4
- Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 14
- Languages ━
- Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Arcing Slashes. The swordfish's slash attacks ignore the damage resistances of swarms.
Charge. If the swordfish moves at least 20 ft. straight towards a target and then hits it the first slash attack it makes that turn, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of the swordfish's next turn.
Keen Sight. The swordfish has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Water Breathing. The swordfish can breathe only underwater.
Actions
Slash. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Bonus Actions
Arcing Swing. When the swordfish misses with its slash attack on its turn, it can immediately make another slash attack against a different creature within 10 feet of the original target and within range of the attack.
Great Swordfish. These massive specimens are either members of ordinary species of swordfish that reached record-breaking sizes or members of their own giant species. Their increased size naturally makes them more dangerous hunters capable of bringing down larger prey. Their increased size and amazing speed also make the great swordfish a prized mount sought after by aquatic races such as sea elves. A school of marine cavalry atop great swordfish can weave in and out of battle, charging down foes and fleeing from threats with equal efficiency, and many a valiant ocean knight relies on a trusty swordfish steed to see the day through.
Art Credit
- Humpback anglerfish - August Brauer
- Wormfang Behemoth - Heather Hudson, Wizards of the Coast
- Sawfish from the Fish from American Waters series - Allen & Ginter
- Stargazer - Joseph Snouwaert
- Estuarine Stonefish - Marcus Elieser Bloch
- Sunken Ruins, Zendikar Expeditions - Adam Paquette, Wizards of the Coast
- Under Sea Island - Mauricio Calle, Wizards of the Coast
- Schwertfisch - Brehms Tierleben, vol. 8
- Xiphias Gladius - Paul-Louis Oudart
- Coral Atoll - John Avon, Wizards of the Coast
- Lophius piscatorius - Jonathan Couch
Fish in Your Adventures
The following tables provide you with some ways you can incorporate different types of fish into your adventures.
Anglerfish Adventures
| d4 | Plot Hook |
|---|---|
| 1 | The players are tasked with piloting an experimental submersible into a deep ocean trench. Soon all is black, except for a small glowing light in the distance. |
| 2 | The players are exploring a flooded cave in the Underdark filled with valuable glowing gems, only to discover some of these lights are, in fact, the lures of giant anglerfish. |
| 3 | The players seek to recover cargo from a ship that sank to the bottom of a ravine. When they find the ship, they notice strange lights moving through the wreckage. |
| 4 | Somehow, a population of giant anglerfish has taken root in a large city sewer system and now prey on the city's maintenance workers. |
Sawfish Adventures
| d4 | Plot Hook |
|---|---|
| 1 | A sahuagin has begun raising sawfish as aquatic attack beasts and testing their effectiveness against local sea life and even swimmers. |
| 2 | A family of halfling fishermen have tasked the players with finding their drunken father, who went out to sea to find and fist fight a sawfish. |
| 3 | An island shaman is hunting sawfish for their bills in the use of an ongoing ritual that is driving all sea life to greater levels of aggression. |
| 4 | A sea god tests the worth of the players by pitting them against a school of sawfish. Should they triumph, they will be awarded a divine sword fashioned after a sawfish's bill. |
Stargazer Adventures
| d4 | Plot Hook |
|---|---|
| 1 | The players are following behind an underwater guide leading them out of a kelp forest and into a large sandy clearing. But when they enter the clearing, the guide is gone, replaced by a cloud of sand hanging in the water. |
| 2 | An ichthyologist asks for the players' help in capturing a giant stargazer that he would like as a pet. |
| 3 | The players have been tasked with stopping a twisted sea druid. They may learn the hard way that she protects the entrances to her lair with hidden giant stargazers. |
| 4 | Giant stargazers have taken up residence at a popular beach, leading to the mysterious disappearance of many swimmers |
Stonefish Adventures
| d4 | Plot Hook |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sahuagin raiders keep a collection of stonefish on them, which they drop into the shallows behind them when being pursued into the water after an attack. |
| 2 | A black market dealer asks the players to collect live stonefish so their venom can be harvested and promises to provide venomous weapons in return. |
| 3 | Merfolk ask the players for help in tracking their hunters who have disappeared in a local reef. They are unaware that this is due to the arrival of several giant stonefish in the area. |
| 4 | A cruel sea hag leaves gems strewn about the sea floor right in front of hidden giant stonefish. |
Swordfish Adventures
| d4 | Plot Hook |
|---|---|
| 1 | A territorial sea elf ranger unleashes schools of hunting swordfish to drive off any intruders in his waters. |
| 2 | A group of sentient swordfish challenge the players to a fishing contest. |
| 3 | A sunken artifact is protected by swordfish that launch hit and run attacks against anyone who tries to swim away with it. |
| 4 | A group of triton knights offers the players the use of great swordfish mounts if they aid them in destroying a great undersea evil. |
1.0.0
- Public release