This attractive feminine figure is as tall as a child, has sea-green skin, light blue hair, and a watery, translucent form.
Asrai CR 2
Asrai illustration copyright © 1982. Used without permission.
Often CN Medium fey (aquatic)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Listen +5, Spot +5
Languages Aquan, Common
AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 13; Dodge
(+3 Dex, +3 unearthly grace)
hp 10 (3 HD); DR 5/cold iron
Immune cold
Resist fire 10
Fort +4, Ref +10, Will +6
Weakness vulnerability to sunlight
Spd swim 60 ft. (12 squares)
Melee 2 touches +4 (2d4 cold plus paralysis)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +1; Grp +1
Special Atk paralysis (DC 14)
Abilities Str 11, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 9, Cha 16
SQ unearthly grace
Feats Dodge, Weapon Finesse
Skills Escape Artist +9, Hide +9, Knowledge (any two) +8, Listen +5, Move Silently +9, Spot +5, Swim +14
Advancement by character class
Paralysis (Su) Those hit by a asrai’s touch attack must succeed on a DC 14 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d6+1 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Unearthly Grace (Su) An asrai adds her Charisma modifier as a bonus on all her saving throws and as a deflection bonus to her Armor Class.
Vulnerability to Sunlight (Ex) Exposing an asrai to direct sunlight disorients her: she can take only a single move action or attack action and is destroyed utterly in the next round if she cannot escape.
Skills An asrai has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. She can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. She can use the run action while swimming, provided she swims in a straight line.
The asrai are translucent water spirits, feminine in appearance, and quite beautiful to behold.
Strategy and Tactics
Asrai have two natural touch attacks that inflict cold damage and may cause paralysis to those struck. Asrai avoid light of any sort, though magical light causes them no harm or damage, and will flee if a daylight spell is cast near or among them.
Asrai Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can learn more about asrai. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 12 | This creature is an asrai, an aquatic fey. |
| 17 | The touch of an asrai is painfully cold and can paralyze. |
| 22 | Asrai are fatally vulnerable to sunlight. |
| 27 | Asrai often know many secrets associated with the deep seas. |
Sample Encounters
Asrai are rarely encountered by humans, as they live in the great deeps of the ocean in cold and sunless coral citadels. Even tritons, merfolk, and other sea-folk have little contact with them, though they respect their desire for solitude.
Solitary (EL 2): A single asrai, lost and disoriented following a terrible storm, seeks help from anyone on the surface.
Pair (EL 4): Two asrai seek to hack up the nets of a foolish fisherman who had caught one of them days earlier.
School (EL 5-8): A group of three to eight asrai sport and frolic on the surface of a dark sea.
Ecology
Little is known of the asrai, though many scholars experienced in the lore of water-folk believe they may have once lived upon the Elemental Plane of Water.
On moonless nights in cool weather, asrai will sometimes come to the surface of the sea and engage in play among the waves. They disappear long before dawn, however, as direct sunlight will slay them immediately. Occasionally an asrai will be caught by accident in a fisherman’s net, and the fisherman will then unwittingly keep the being prisoner until daylight. In these circumstances, an asrai may bargain to be set free, offering her coral jewelry and gems as ransom. If this fails, she will attack if at all possible.
Environment: Asrai are found deep beneath the waters of temperate and cold oceans.
Typical Physical Characteristics: Asrai average 4-1/2 feet in height and are a deep green in color, with light blue hair and pale eyes.
Society
Asrai are fairly knowledgeable about the secret things the sea keeps hidden, such as ancient and rich ruins or wrecks; if approached very carefully and without threat, one might be willing to tell of such places. Communication is difficult with asrai, though, as they tend to be flighty and have poor attention spans. Small events distract them constantly, and they also seem to have no normal time sense. Everything is either ‘now’ or it is very ancient and almost forgotten about. They cannot understand the concept of a future time at all.
Alignment: Playful and capricious, with few needs or wants, asrai are often chaotic neutral.
Typical Treasure
Asrai have double standard treasure for their Challenge Rating, about 1,200 gp. Individuals may carry a few gems or art objects, while the rest of their treasure is often hidden in their coral citadels.
Standard Treasure: 2,000 cp, 1,000 sp, 300 gp, 2 white pearls (100 gp each), a silver necklace inlaid with ivory (200 gp), a gold bracelet (150 gp), and a flask containing oil of magic weapon.
Advancement
Asrai advance by character class, avoiding combat-oriented classes and preferring classes that reward their naturally high Dexterity and Charisma scores, such as bard, rogue, or sorcerer.
Level Adjustment: +3.