Ocean Strider

Ocean striders live to protect the seas and oceans from those who sail upon them. These immense fey consider themselves defenders of natural waterways, and they dislike anyone who would plunder the depths for personal gain.

An ocean strider resembles a 20-foot-tall cross between an elf and a killer whale. Like an orca, it has a mouth full of pointed teeth, rubbery skin, black and white markings on its body, and a stubby, fluked tail. Like an elf, it has two arms, two legs, and a humanoid face. The typical ocean strider wears mithral scale mail and carries a masterwork falchion or trident sized for its convenient use.

Because of its water walk ability, an ocean strider can move at its land speed over the surface of the ocean as well as the bottom. Its name is derived from the majestic picture it makes striding over the wave tops, its weapon raised in defiance.

Once an ocean strider claims a particular stretch of water, it considers all creatures not native to those waters, or to the skies above, to be intruders. It begins by approaching ships that enter its realm and ordering them to turn back or face destruction. Usually, an ocean strider is content to allow ships’ crews to reverse course, or even to negotiate if they wish. Those who promise to travel carefully, without dumping their trash overboard or killing more fish than they can eat, can sometimes negotiate safe passage with an ocean strider. Only when an intruder attempts to sail past without parleying or attacks does the ocean strider become openly aggressive. But woe to those who behave properly only until they believe themselves out of danger, because ocean striders have been known to follow ships for many miles if they have doubts about a crew’s commitment to proper use of the ocean’s gifts. Many a ship’s captain has tried to persuade an ocean strider to reveal the limits of its demesne, but these canny sea-dwellers prefer to not to let intruders know the true extent of their ability to observe and punish wrongdoers.

Ocean striders speak Common, Elven, and Aquan.

Combat

In battle, an ocean strider first uses its powerful spell-like abilities to confuse, disorient, and soften up opponents. Then it uses the Spring Attack feat to enter combat with its weapon.

Frightful Presence (Ex): The mere presence of an ocean strider inspires terror in all creatures within 100 feet of it that have fewer Hit Dice or levels than it has. Each potentially affected opponent must succeed at a Will save (DC 32) or become shaken⁠—​a condition that lasts until the opponent is out of range. A successful save leaves that opponent immune to that ocean strider’s frightful presence for 24 hours.

Ramming (Ex): As a standard action during its turn each round, an ocean strider can swim at up to quadruple speed (240 feet) and ram a waterborne target (such as a ship or another creature). To ram, the ocean strider must end its movement in the target’s space. This attack deals 2d8+6 points of damage. If the target is a creature, it can attempt either an attack of opportunity or a Reflex save (DC 29) for half damage. Upon ramming a ship, the ocean strider can make a Strength check to breach its hull, which causes the ship to sink in 1d10 minutes. The break DC varies with the type of vessel rammed, as follows: rowboat DC 20, keelboat DC 23, sailing ship or longship DC 25, warship DC 27, or galley DC 30. (See Transport or Vessels for information about ships.) Regardless of the check result, every creature aboard must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC 15). Success means the creature takes 1d10 points of damage from being thrown about by the impact; failure means the creature is hurled overboard.

Spell-Like Abilities: 6/day⁠—​control water, fog cloud, ice storm, obscuring mist; 5/day⁠—​acid fog, cone of cold, elemental swarm (water only), horrid wilting, summon nature’s ally IX (water or aquatic creatures only). Caster level 20th; save DC 17 + spell level.

Water Walk (Su): An ocean strider continuously produces an effect like that of a water walk spell (caster level 20th).

Ocean Strider Characters

An ocean strider’s preferred class is ranger, though many choose to become clerics. Ocean strider clerics worship Deep Sashelas and may choose any two of the following domains: Chaos, Protection, and Water. Claims by sea captains that they have encountered shadowdancer ocean striders remain unconfirmed.

An ocean strider PC’s effective character level (ECL) is equal to its class level + 35. Thus, a 1st-level ocean strider ranger has an ECL of 36 and is the equivalent of a 36th-level character.

Source: Monster Manual II, page 163. This creature’s statistics block has been updated to version 3.5 as given in the D&D® V.3.5 Accessory Update for Monster Manual II.