Triton

This scaly, finned humanoid has an athletic build and blue-green coloration. Its legs end in wide flippers rather than feet.

Triton CR 2

XP 600
NG Medium outsider (native, water)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +7

AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14 (+4 natural)
hp 19 (3d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +4

Speed 5 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee mwk trident +5 (1d8+1)
Ranged heavy crossbow +3 (1d10/19–20)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +7)

1/day—summon nature’s ally II (Small water elemental or 1d3 dolphins only)

Str 12, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 14
Feats Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack
Skills Craft (any one) +7, Diplomacy +6, Perception +7, Ride +6, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +6, Survival +7, Swim +9
Languages Aquan, Common

Environment any oceans
Organization solitary, company (2–5), squad (6–11), or band (12–21 plus 2–16 dolphins)
Treasure standard (masterwork trident, heavy crossbow with 10 bolts, other treasure)

These aquatic outsiders resemble merfolk, except where a merman has a single fish tail, a triton has two scaly, finned legs. They are the watchers of the sea, often using dolphins or other aquatic creatures as mounts, and maintaining a vigil against the evil races below the waves. Originally hailing from the Plane of Water, long ago the triton race migrated to the oceans of the Material Plane, and they are now fully adapted to life there. Their split legs allow them to hobble about slowly on land, but they rarely do so, preferring their natural environment and the greater mobility their forms afford there.

Tritons make their homes on the sea floor, growing coral reefs and sculpting stones into gentle arcs to create living spaces that are beautiful and natural-looking. Many of these sites lie near great thermal vents, providing not only heat but also rich minerals and nutrients for the fish and other creatures tritons eat. Tritons can breathe air or water, but prefer water. While their cities are designed for water-breathers, they usually feature one or two airtight buildings set aside to hold air for landwalking visitors. Triton settlements can be found anywhere from arctic to tropical waters, but most are in temperate locations. They generally avoid the deepest reaches of the ocean, for it is here that creatures like aboleths and krakens rule—creatures that the tritons have long waged war against.

Tritons maintain relationships with other good undersea creatures, but mostly keep to themselves. They aid others in fights against their enemies (primarily krakens and aboleths, but also lesser evils like sahuagin or skum). They typically form strong squadrons of aquatic cavalry trained in coordinated attacks when they go to war. Tritons tend to distrust outsiders, and usually avoid land-dwellers. They sometimes provide aid to air-breathers, even though they often see them as trespassers under the sea; when they do help landwalkers, their price for this is high. Nevertheless, when they witness a landwalker do battle against and vanquish a great evil such as an aboleth, they are quick to cast aside their prejudices and accept the great hero into their societies with open and welcoming arms.

Tritons have silvery skin, hued in tones of aqua blue and kelp green. Older tritons often have barnacles, corals, and seashells crusting the back, chest, and shoulders, worn almost like jewelry as a mark of status among their kind. They have white, blue, or green hair. Tritons’ eyes shine blue like sunlight upon a clear sea. A typical triton stands 6 feet in height and weighs 180 pounds. While most exceptional tritons advance by taking class levels (typically as druids, oracles, or rangers), a rare few tritons advance by increasing in size. These Large tritons are great heroes among their kind and have 8 racial Hit Dice or more.

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2, © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.