FREQUENCY: Uncommon <(warm, tropical : seas, oceans)>
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Tropical Freshwater Surface])
FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Tropical Freshwater Depths])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Tropical Saltwater Surface])
FREQUENCY: Uncommon ([Tropical Saltwater Depths])

NO. APPEARING: 20-200
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVE: 1"//18"
HITDICE: 1 + 1
% IN LAIR: 25% (160 Mermen: warm water ocean, TPL24:4th, REF5.88)
TREASURE TYPE: [C], [R]
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ~ 18
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Average to very
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: M
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: I | 20 + 2

SAVES: 14.15.16.17.17

Mermen are found in the seas and oceans in the warm temperate and tropical areas.
They range over areas harvesting the vegetation and hunting the fish the seas provide.
Additionally, mermen actually herd certain fishes.
They venture out of water only to sun themselves or to visit some coastal spot.

The arms used by mermen are:

    trident, dagger*          50%
    crossbow, dagger       30%
    net, javelin, dagger     20%

        * 20% of these mermen will have grapples and 50' lines also.

On occasion mermen will attack surface vessels; to do so they must surface
and grapple it. They are very accurate with these hooks and are 90% likely
to hit. 10 mermen will then hold the line, and the ship will be slowed 1" for
every such grappling. Meanwhile, the other mermen will fire their
crossbows && darts at exposed crewmen. Grappling hooks can be thrown <darts?>
up to 3". If grappling hooks are loosened or cut, the mermen pulling on
the line are not able to attack during the next melee round. A motionless
ship will be held by the mermen in 4-16 melee rounds. The ship will then
slowly sink and eventually be looted by the victors. During such an attempt
the attacking mermen are exposed to missile fire from the vessel, and if
flame is used against them the mermen take double damage.

Mermen speak their own language and 50% also speak locathah.

Lair: Mermen have regular undersea communities, generally a reef or cliff
honeycombed with passages and rooms. Only 10% of the time will they
construct a village of shells, rocks, and coral. This community will have
areas where the merwomen and their young (100% and 100% of the total
merman population respectively) live, netted pens where food fishes are
kept, workshops, and so on. These communities will be guarded by from 3-
18 of the larger-sized barracuda, for mermen have learned to tame
and use these fish.

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