Sahuagin

Sahuagin
Sahuagin, from the original Monster Manual (1977).
Characteristics
Type	Monstrous humanoid
Image	Wizards.com image
Stats	Open Game License stats

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the sahuagin are a fish-like monstrous humanoid species that live in oceans, seas, underground lakes, and underwater caves. Sahuagin speak their native tongue ("Sahuagin"). With higher intelligence scores, they can also speak two bonus languages, usually Common and Aquan.

Sahuagin is pronounced sah-HWAH-gin.

Sahuagin were created by Steve Marsh, a gamer who invented many of the game's early aquatic monsters (Gygax 1977, p. 4.) before becoming an employee of TSR. Marsh claims that an episode of the Super Friends cartoon was the original inspiration for the creatures.

The first published version of the sahuagin appeared in the 1975 Dungeons & Dragons supplement, Blackmoor by Dave Arneson. Here, they are known as the "Devil Men of the Deep", voracious creatures that are a constant threat to humans.

The sahuagin appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where they are described as "seadevils" that dwell in warm salt water depths, and are predatory in the extreme and kill for sport and pleasure as well as food.

The sahuagin appeared in the first set of Monster Cards in 1982.

Three related adventures which formed an underwater campaign set in the town of Saltmarsh that utilized the Sahuagin heavily. These modules were U1 The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (1982), U2 Danger at Dunwater (1982), and U3 The Final Enemy (1983).

This edition of the D&D game introduced the shark-kin in AC9 Creature Catalogue (1986), which was reprinted in DMR2 Creature Catalog (1993).