Zora (species)

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Zora are a race of amphibious people with many fish-like traits. They dwell primarily in shallow water, from river deltas to ocean coasts. In Hyrule, zora have perhaps the widest breadth of cultures and values, with both the best and the worst among them.
     Zoras' appearance is characterized by a sleek hairless body with fins, though coloration and proportions can vary wildly from zora to zora. Some may be seven-foot-tall red-scaled cream-bellied zora while others are squat green frog-like zora with fins that resemble a lizard's frill. The most abundant zora physique has proportions similar to that of a hylian, with a cyan-colored body. fins emerging from both the forearms and hips, webbed feet, and a fish-like tail emerging from the back of the head in a manner reminiscent of long hylian hair.

Character details

 Alignment. A typical zora dutifully obeys their monarch and family ties, and many of them remain true to traditions across generations. Few civilizations are more structured and organized than those of the zora. The zora as a whole tend towards law, though even among this race there are chaotic rebels and brigands.

 Age. Zora age at inconsistent rates, but generally they age much slower compared to most humanoids and as a result can live much longer. A "growth spurt" marks the transition between a zora child and adult; this can occur as early as 20 years of age or possibly as late as 100 years. The oldest of zora have survived through three centuries with few apparent signs of aging after their growth spurt.
 Diet. Due to your amphibious nature, each day you must submerge yourself in water for at least 1 minute, or suffer exhaustion for going without water. Although zora often have a personal or societal preference for saltwater or freshwater, seemingly all zora are capable of subsisting off either. As a Medium humanoid, each day you also require at least 1 pound of food to avoid exhaustion.
 Names. Zora culture is incredibly diverse, which has lead to few similarities between zora names. Usually names with three or more syllables are reserved for royal lineage, but even this isn't consistent across all zora. Male examples include Bazz, Cleff, Dento, Dorephan, Gruve, Japas, Kayden, Keye, Laflat, Ledo, Mikau, Ralis, Rivan, Sidon, Tijo, Toto, and Tumbo. Female examples include Dunma, Finley, Kodah, Laruta, Laruto, Lulu, Marot, Mipha, Oren, Rutela, Ruto, Tona, Torfeau, and Tula.

Random Height and Weight

Subrace	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Zora	4′ 10"	+3d10	110 lb.	× (1d6)
River Zora	5′ 1"	+2d10	120 lb.	× (2d6)

Character traits

 Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
 Size. Zora can vary greatly in size, but on average one is about 6 feet tall. Rarely, a zora can grow to a height of 8 feet or more. Your size is Medium.
 Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet, and you have a swim speed of 40 feet.
 Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water.
 Natural Armor. You are covered in a thin layer of sleek, protective scales. Your Armor Class can't be lower than 12 + your Dexterity modifier, regardless of what kind of armor you are wearing. If your AC isn't at least this high without this trait, you are vulnerable to lightning damage. You can't benefit from a shield in addition to this AC.
 Piscivore. You have advantage on any ability check made to locate or capture aquatic beasts.
 Languages. You can speak, read, and write both Hylian and Zoran.
 Subrace. Zora subaces can be quite distinct from one another. Choose one from river, sea, waterfall, or chromatic.

Sea Zora

 Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
 Lightning Field. You know the lightning field cantrip. Charisma is your casting ability for this spell.
 Vocation. Sea zora are renowned for their music and culture, and this is reflected in your upbringing. You gain proficiency with one musical instrument or artisan's tool of your choice.
 Sea Swimmer. Your swim speed increases to 60 feet. No depth of water pressure is difficult for you to handle.

Waterfall Zora

 Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
 Cold Resistance. According to legend, your people persevered even when a great evil froze them solid for days on end. Your tolerance for cold is indeed remarkable, and you have resistance to cold damage.
 Ancestral Arms. You have proficiency with the pike, net, spear, and trident. If you otherwise gain proficiency with all martial weapons, you can use a d8 damage dice for the spear and trident even while wielding either weapon in one hand.
 Waterfall Swimmer. Your swim speed increases to 60 feet. You can ascend through a stream of naturally falling water, such as a waterfall, even if the water is falling faster than you could normally swim. You treat such water as as difficult terrain.

Chromatic Zora

 Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice other than Wisdom increases by 1.
 Chromatic Versatility. Your people are remarkable for their variety of forms and talents. Gain one benefit of your choice from the three options: proficiency in any one skill, the ability to cast one cantrip from the water sage spell list, or a natural attack. If you choose a cantrip, your casting ability for it is Wisdom. If you choose a natural attack, your unarmed strike can deal damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier; it deals one type of damage from bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing which you choose when you gain this trait.
 Slick Escape. You have advantage on any ability check or saving throw made to avoid or escape being grappled.
 Deft Swimmer. While swimming, your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

While most subraces of zora tend towards blue with a mostly uniform appearance, chromatic zora vary widely in appearance from one to the next. Though most have a cream-colored belly and neck, their backsides range in hue from red to blue to brown and even green, with seemingly no limit to their variation. Moreover, chromatic zora are known to take surprisingly diverse physical features. Many chromatic zora have features on their head or back that resemble more mundane fish. Some individuals have shark-like teeth, while others have manta-ray shaped heads, among many other possibilities.
     Among zora, the chromatic variety tend to having the longest natural lifespans. Their legacy has given the race as a whole a renowned reputation of long lives.

River Zora

 Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
 Fire Bolt. You know the fire bolt cantrip. Wisdom is your casting ability for this spell.
 Natural Weapon. Your webbed hands end in sharp claws. When you make an unarmed strike with an unoccupied hand, instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike you can deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
 Fire Bolt. You know the fire bolt cantrip. Wisdom is your casting ability for this spell.
 Dive Away. You can use your reaction to force one opportunity attack to miss you if it would otherwise hit. Upon doing so, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
 Wading Swimmer. Your walking speed increases to 30 feet. If you walk and swim in the same turn—or use different speeds—you can use the full allotment of both speeds. Swimming doesn't reduce your walking speed, and walking doesn't reduce your swim speed.

River zora have a negative reputation among Light Worlders and are often believed to be more evil than other zora subraces. Indeed, their people have infamously sided with the monstrous forces of Ganon against the Hyrulean Royal Family.

The material on this page is based on content found throughout the Legend of Zelda series, which is copyright Nintendo Co., Ltd.