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. It is capable of dwelling 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).
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.