Merfolk (monster)

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

For the player race, see Merfolk. For a list of merfolk monsters, see List of merfolk

merfolk m
HP	36-74
HD	10
XP	301
Speed	10 (swim: 60%)
AC	4
EV	12
Will	40
Attack1	22 (hit: plain)
Resistances	rDrown
Vulnerabilities	None
Habitat	Amphibious
Intelligence	Human
Uses	Weapons & armour Starting equipment Open doors
Holiness	Natural
Size	Medium
Type	merfolk, merfolk
Flags	Speaks Warm-blooded

A hybrid with the torso of a human and the tail of a fish, a merfolk dwells both in water and on land, and fiercely defends its domain. “Again at length my thought reviving came, When I no longer found my self the same; Then first this sea-green beard I felt to grow, And these large honours on my spreading brow; My long-descending locks the billows sweep, And my broad shoulders cleave the yielding deep; My fishy tail, my arms of azure hue, And ev'ry part divinely chang'd, I view.” -Ovid, _Metamorphoses_, XIII, 546-7. 8 A.D. trans. Garth, Dryden, et al.

Useful Info

Merfolk are the nimble, aquatic humanoids who defend the Shoals from interlopers. They can carry boomerangs, throwing nets, and often come with tridents.

Tips & Tricks

• Regular merfolk are among the easiest opponents in the Shoals. However, a squad of merfolk can still hurt a lot, and any monster with a throwing net is inherently dangerous.

History

• Prior to 0.29, merfolk were more likely to spawn with nets.
• Prior to 0.27, monsters had hidden weapon penalties (they attacked slower), which made merfolk more dangerous.
• Prior to 0.13, you could find merfolk berserkers in a particular vault. These extra-beefy merfolk could call upon Trog for various powers (Berserker Rage, Trog's Hand, Brothers in Arms), and carried a powerful polearm as well as several potions of berserk rage.