Elemental, Water Kin

	Nereid	Water Weird
CLIMATE/TERRAIN:	Tropical or temperate water	Any water
FREQUENCY:	Very rare	Very rare
ORGANIZATION:	Solitary	Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE:	Any	Any
DIET:	Clean water	See below
INTELLIGENCE:	Very (12)	Very (11-12)
TREASURE:	X	I, O, P, Y
ALIGNMENT:	Chaotic (any)	Chaotic evil
NO. APPEARING:	1-4	1-3
ARMOR CLASS:	10	4
MOVEMENT:	12, Sw 12	12
HIT DICE:	4	3+3
THAC0:	17	15
NO. OF ATTACKS:	0	0
DAMAGE/ATTACK:	0	0
SPECIAL ATTACKS:	See below	Drowning
SPECIAL DEFENSES:	See below	See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE:	50%	Nil
SIZE:	M (4'-5' tall)	L (10'+ long)
MORALE:	Steady (11)	Elite (13)
XP VALUE:	975	420

These creatures from the elemental plane of Water, sometimes called "honeyed ones," are unpredictable and playful; half are chaotic neutral, and others tend toward good or evil. Using disguise, nereids lead sailors to their dooms.

Nereids are transparent in water, 95% undetectable except as froth and golden seaweed. Upon contact with air, they assume human form, usually as voluptuous young females with long, golden hair, pearly white skin, and sparkling green eyes. Their voices and songs are lovely. A nereid always carries a white shawl, either in its hands or over head and shoulders, and is lightly clad in white and gold. If confronted by only females, the nereid appears in a male guise, but a woman has a 65% chance to see through the disguise. All males who see a nereid are incapable of harming it (no saving throw).

Combat: Nereids can spit venom 20 feet, blinding a target for 2d6 rounds if it hits; the venom can be washed away with water. A blinded victim's attack rolls, saving throws, and AC are all worsened by 4 until the effects wear off.

Nereids can control water within 30 feet; it can use waves to slow movement to ¼ normal, increase chances of drowning by 10%, or crash with a roar that deafens characters within 60 feet for 3d4 rounds if precautions are not taken. Nereids can also form the water to look like a water weird, and cause it to strike as a 4 HD monster and inflict ld4 points of damage.

A nereid is 85% likely to have a pet for protection, with equal chances for a giant eel, giant otter, giant poisonous snake, giant octopus, giant squid, dolphin, giant leech, or sting ray.

If the nereid makes a successful saving throw vs. poison, she can flow like water, avoiding weapon damage or escaping a captor. The nereid's kiss causes a man to drown, unless he makes a successful saving throw vs. breath weapon, with a -2 penalty. If he lives, he finds ecstacy.

The nereid protects its shawl at all costs, for it contains the nereid's essence; if it is destroyed, the nereid dissolves into formless water. Possession of a nereid's shawl gives a character control over the creature, which will accept commands to avoid damage to the shawl. Stories tell of forlorn nereids who follow the ships of a powerful foes who have stolen their shawls. A nereid will lie and attempt anything short of violent action to regain its soul-shawl.

Habitat/Society: A nereid found on the Prime Material plane has either escaped or been exiled from its home plane. Though usually solitary, a small group of nereids with the same alignment sometimes live together, led by the eldest.

Polluted waters drain nereids' vigor, and even good nereids may attack those who pollute their lairs. Nereids do not value metals, but save any magical treasure they gain. The nereid has no goals or ambitions other than cavorting in water.

Ecology: Nereid shawls command handsome sums, but are seldom sold and are very rare. One who holds a shawl can use the enslaved nereid as a guide on the plane of Water.

Water Weird

These strange creatures from the plane of Water are hostile when encountered on the Prime Material plane, as they are usually magically kept from going home. If communication is achieved, a bargain can sometimes be struck with the creature.

Water weirds appear to be common water; a detect invisibility reveals something amiss, but not the nature of the threat. When a water weird detects a living being, it assumes serpentine form (this takes two rounds). It attacks as a 6 HD creature; those hit must make a successful saving throw vs. paralyzation, or be pulled into the water. Each round spent in the water requires another saving throw; failure indicates death by drowning, which releases energy that the water weird consumes. A water weird that comes in contact with a normal water elemental has a 50% chance to usurp control of it.

Water weirds take only 1 hp damage from piercing and slashing weapons. The take half damage from fire, none if they make a successful saving throw. Intense cold acts as a slow spell on water weirds. If reduced to 0 hp or less, a water weird is disrupted, and it reforms in two rounds. A purify water spell will instantly kill a single water weird.

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