Master Puddleskip — Keeper of the Crag-Shell Light

Ability Scores

STR

12

+1

DEX

18

+4

CON

14

+2

INT

10

+0

WIS

16

+3

CHA

14

+2

Combat

Armor Class: 17; Unarmored Defense
Hit Points: 80; Hit Dice: 11d8
Initiative: +4
Speed: 45 ft., climb 25 ft., swim 25 ft.
Proficiency: +4
Passive Perception: 17

Attacks

Marrow-Shard (Rapier)+81d8+4 piercing

Salt-Spray Longbow+81d8+4 piercing

Unarmed Strike+81d8+4 bludgeoning

Personality

He speaks in a rotating medley of seafaring accents—a gruff dwarven baritone one moment, a sing-song elven lilt the next. He moves with a rhythmic, jerky hop-and-slide motion, constantly adjusting his weathered silk robes as if they were rigging on a ship.

Ideal

Mercy. The sea is vast and uncaring; it is the duty of the small to look out for one another.

Bond

The Crag-Shell Light. If the beacon ever goes dark, the spirits I carry will finally drown.

Flaw

He is paralyzed by the sound of heavy storms, hearing the 'screams' of the waves so loudly he often forgets his own name.

Backstory

Born into the gilded tyranny of the Gold-Caste Grung, Puddleskip was destined to rule with an iron grip and a poison touch. Yet, while his kin obsessed over hierarchy in the humid jungles, he found himself staring at the horizon where the canopy met the sea. His rebellion began the night a merchant galleon shattered against the jagged 'Claws of the Deep.' While his tribe moved to scavenge the wreckage for slaves and shiny baubles, Puddleskip found only the silence of the drowned—a silence that felt more heavy than any jungle heat. He fled that night, carrying nothing but a discarded narwhal tusk and a heavy heart.

He spent decades studying the currents and the Way of the Kensei, eventually settling atop the fossilized remains of an ancient Titan Crab to build the Crag-Shell Light. To Puddleskip, every beam of light is a prayer and every swing of his blade is a dialogue with the tides. He has seen a thousand ships pass and lost a dozen; for every soul claimed by the reef, he memorizes their last shout, their accent, and their name, weaving them into his evening meditations. He believes that so long as their voices are echoed in his throat, they can never truly be claimed by the crushing dark of the depths.

Abilities & Actions

Echoes of the Lost (Quirk Ability)

As a bonus action, Puddleskip begins chanting in the borrowed voices of lost sailors. All friendly creatures within 30 feet who can hear him gain 1d6 to their next saving throw as the 'spirits' whisper warnings of danger. He can use this feature a number of times equal to his Wisdom modifier (3) per long rest.

Marrow-Shard Dance (Kensei Feature)

When Puddleskip uses the Attack action with his Narwhal-blade (rapier), he can spend 1 Ki point to infuse the blade with bioluminescence. The target takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage, and the next attack roll against that target has advantage as the blade's light 'paints' their weak spots.

Leap of the Gilded Sentinel

Puddleskip’s long jump is up to 25 feet and his high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start. If he jumps as part of his movement before making a melee attack, he deals an additional 2d6 damage on a hit as he uses his momentum to drive the Narwhal-blade home.

Sharpen the Breath (Ki-Fueled)

As a bonus action, Puddleskip can spend up to 3 Ki points to grant his Longbow a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to the number of points spent. This effect lasts for 1 minute or until he uses this feature again.

DM Notes

Puddleskip should never use his own voice unless he is truly terrified; he is a 'ventriloquist of the dead.' He treats his lighthouse like a living creature, patting the walls and whispering to the gears. In combat, he is a blur of gold and silk, jumping over opponents rather than through them. Reaction: If a player mentions a lost loved one at sea, Puddleskip will fall silent, tilt his head, and then perfectly mimic that loved one's voice for one sentence.