Playable Race – Otterkin

Otterkin are masters of life in the water, living in small, family-sized communities. They spend much of their life beneath the water, avoiding the ridiculous drama of the surface dwellers.

Cute and Fearsome

From an uneducated point of view, someone might think the Otterkin to be cute, harmless people, however, those that have encountered them will know them to be ferocious and serious.

They have soft brown fur and webbed extremities for advanced aquatic movement. Thanks to their strong tails, they can dash through the water in quick bursts which can take their enemies by surprise.

Proud and Problematic

Otterkin despise being called cute above all else. They are a very proud race and see such descriptions as disrespectful and patronising. Due to this they often enter social situations in a stand-offish manner, ready to lash out at those stupid enough to imply they are just soft, adorable animals.

This worry about how others perceive them makes them difficult to befriend, however, if you show them continued respect they will become very loyal, protective friends. Once you have earned an Otterkin ally, they won’t often abandon you.

Defenders of the Depths

The Otterkin live in small man-made air pockets on the riverbanks. Most will spend the majority of their lives in a single (admittedly massive) river or lake, and so it often falls to them to defend their territory from the horrifying aquatic monsters that stalk the waterways.

From a young age, they are taught to use the water, and freedom of movement it allows to outmaneuver and outplay their enemies. This results in the Otterkin being responsible for keeping many rivers safe for the other races, even if this is a side effect and not a purposeful aid.

Otterkin Names

Otterkin retain their worry of being seen as cute when naming their young. As such, they often have comically macho names that do not suit their cute appearance at all. You may choose from one of the below names or come up with your own.

Hugh	Butch
Helgar	Greyham
Zygar	Rodney
Roxan	Throgg

Otterkin Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age. Otterkin reach maturity at the age of 18 and live to the age of 90.

Alignment. Otterkin spend most their lives beneath the water avoiding conflict. They tend to have a good alignment.

Size. Otterkin grow to between 5 and 6 feet. Your size is medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and a swim speed of 40 feet.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Flooded.

Aquatic Manipulation. As a bonus action, your can imbue your next attack with an additional 1d4 cold damage. At level 6 this becomes 1d6 cold damage and at level 14 it becomes 2d4 cold damage.

Calming Presence. Upon entering an aquatic environment you can use your reaction to calm the water and remove any current or flow within 20ft of you. This takes concentration, can last up to 10 minutes, and can be done twice before needing to take a short or long rest.

Riverborn. You can hold your breath for up to 4 hours and gain a swim speed of 40ft. In addition, you are not affected by the limitations of fighting underwater.

Aquatic Superiority. When you are swimming and move out of the attack range of a creature that is also swimming, they cannot make an opportunity attack against you.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for reading about this cute (don’t let them know I called them that) and ferocious race of otter-like people. This race was played in a Playtesting Community Oneshot and actually changed as a result. It used to require access to water to use some of its features. Don’t forget that you can join the community Discord and partake in our Community Oneshots. The next patch is coming up very soon! If you want to see the creative process live you can join me and the community on Twitch.