Large beast (giant animal), unaligned
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 16 (3d10)
Speed 0 ft., swim 40 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +2 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 (+1) | 15 (+2) | 11 (+0) | 2 (-4) | 12 (+1) | 5 (-3) |
Skills (suggested) Perception +3
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages –
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Charge. If the sea horse moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Keen Senses (suggested). The giant sea horse has advantage on Perception checks that rely on smell and hearing.
Water Breathing. The sea horse can breathe only underwater.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack (suggested). The giant sea horse can make two attack, on ram with its head and one constriction with its tail, the last one only if mounted or trained by Sea Elves or Locatah.
- Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning damage.
- Tail Constriction (suggestion). Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (2d4+1) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 11). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and suffer 6 (2d4+1) bludgeoning damage for constriction.
DESCRIPTION
A giant sea horse is a large, colorful fish with an elongated body and a curled tail. It resembles a normal sea horse, but it is much bigger and stronger. A giant sea horse can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh up to 400 pounds . Its scales are usually bright and vivid, ranging from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, to white. Some giant sea horses have stripes, spots, or other patterns on their bodies.
Giant sea horses are shy and timid creatures that prefer to avoid conflict. They are herbivorous, feeding on seaweed and other aquatic plants. They have a strong sense of loyalty and bond with their mates for life. They also form friendships with other creatures that share their habitat, such as dolphins, whales, and aquatic elves .
Giant sea horses are simply a huge species of the more common sea horse. They have the characteristic horse-like heads and tapering tails of all sea horses. They can be found in any marine setting except the coldest arctic depths. They prefer tropical to subtropical depths as these provide the greatest variety of foods.
COMBAT
Giant sea horses are not aggressive or territorial, but they will defend themselves and their allies if threatened. They use their speed and agility to evade attacks, and their natural armor to resist damage. Their main weapon is their ram attack, which they use to charge at enemies and knock them down. A giant sea horse can also use its tail to wrap around foes and drag them underwater .
Giant sea horses are often trained by aquatic elves as mounts and companions. They can communicate with their riders through simple sounds and gestures. They can also understand basic commands in Aquan or Elvish. A giant sea horse can carry up to 300 pounds of weight without any penalty to its movement .
A sea horse can normally attack only with a head butt, but a sea horse trained by locathah or aquatic elves as a steed can also use its long, curling tail to constrict and restrain enemies. The sea horse must be ridden in order to properly obey the command to constrict and then must make a successful attack.
The tail of a giant sea horse is so long that it can attack the same opponent that the head butts, or the one its rider is attacking, without penalty. The length of the tail also constricts the entire body of any medium or smaller creature, making spellcasting or melee fighting impossible for constricted creatures. The constriction causes no damage, but the sea horse can still choose to butt the helpless victim if so desired.
Note that underwater combat is three-dimensional and sea horses instinctively use this advantage against creatures that are obviously out of their environment, like most humanoids. Sea horse riders take great pains to develop this instinct in their mounts and take advantage of their sea horses’ ability to move vertically as well as forward and back and from side to side.
All sea horses have 120-foot darkvision and acute senses; it is a foolish rider who fails to take notice of his sea horse mount’s warnings.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
Giant sea horses live in warm or temperate oceans, usually near coral reefs or kelp forests. They prefer shallow waters where they can find plenty of food and hiding places. They are social animals that live in small groups or pairs. They mate for life and produce one offspring every year. The offspring stays with its parents until it reaches maturity at the age of three .
Giant sea horses are friendly and curious creatures that often interact with other marine life. They are especially fond of aquatic elves, who treat them with respect and kindness. Aquatic elves often use giant sea horses as mounts for exploration, hunting, or warfare. They also exchange gifts and information with them. Giant sea horses are loyal and faithful to their elven friends, and will fight alongside them if needed .
In their natural environment, sea horses congregate in schools, feeding off small plankton and seaweed. They have school leaders and follow the prevailing currents. They are generally shy and avoid contact except with other sea horses.
Sea horses are not the brightest of beasts and can be lured into traps and cages if the bait is attractive enough. Aquatic elves and locathah have honed the activity of capturing sea horses to a fine art and acquire all the sea horses they need.
ECOLOGY
Giant sea horses play an important role in the ecology of the ocean. They help maintain the balance of the aquatic flora by grazing on excess algae and seaweed. They also provide food and shelter for many smaller fish and crustaceans that live among their scales or in their tails. They are preyed upon by larger predators, such as sharks, octopuses, or dragons .
Giant sea horses are valued by some cultures for their meat, scales, bones, or organs. Their meat is considered a delicacy by some gourmets, while their scales are used for making jewelry or clothing. Their bones are used for making tools or weapons, while their organs are used for making potions or medicines.
Sea horses are preyed upon by the usual assortment of ocean-based predators, namely sharks, giant squids, and krakens. They only have one special predator, the vicious sahuagin. Unfortunately for sea horses, sahuagin will eat anything at least once and they found that giant sea horses were indeed a great delicacy.
A small and profitable industry in every sahuagin city is the market guild, and the greatest commodity is sea horse flesh. Many noble houses specialize in hunting down and herding up these peaceful creatures. Sahuagin choose not to cultivate sea horses as they believe the open ocean makes the horses tougher and tastier.
Fortunately for the species, sea horses mate all the time and like most fish they grow very rapidly. There is little chance of sending the sea horse population to extinction. For now at least, they remain one of the larger members of the food chain and valued for defense and prestige in both the locathah and aquatic elven communities.
Rumors of a smaller, freshwater species of giant sea horse remain unconfirmed and the tales of gargantuan sea horses over 60 feet in length have been decisively discounted by most reputable marine authorities. However, only the races that live below the sea can say for certain what mysteries yet remain to someday be discovered by men.