TheDMs Guide to fishing

The DMs  Guide
toFishing

The DMs  Guide
toFishing

Credits Table of Contents

Writer & Producer: Zeke Gonzalez Introduction 3
Layout: Anja Svare
Cover Art © 2015 Dean Spencer, used with permission. Tips for the DM 4
All rights reserved.
Interior Art provided by the DMs Guild Creator DMs Guide to Fishing 4
Resources
Magical Equipment sidebar 5
2 Cover Fishing Proficiency sidebar 6
A lizardfolk barbarian spearfishes
for colorful trout. Appendix A: Fish Tables 6

Sign up for my mailing list General Fishing Table 6
Terrain-Specific Fishing Tables 7
Get a FREE Arctic 7
Adventure Cave/Underground 7
& Bestiary Coast/Ocean 7
Click Here! Desert 7
Dungeon/Ruins/Urban 8
Forest 8
Boon of the Deep sidebar 8
Grassland 8
Mountain 9
Planar 9
Swamp 9

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The DMs Guide to Fishing

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Field Guide to Fishes of the Realm

The DMs Guide to Fishing is a rules supplement Tips for the DM 3
containing fishing mechanics and an abundance of fish
to use in your games. Among these fish are real fish As with any supplement, The DMs Guide to Fishing
reimagined for D&D 5th Edition and new, completely should be adapted to work for your group. If you don’t
original fantasy fish. This supplement uses rules, spells, like the way a mechanic works, please feel free to change
and concepts from Wizards of the Coast’s D&D 5th it. Adjust the descriptions, lore, details, and effects to
Edition and are intended to supplement your campaigns. suit your games and your players. For example, if you
want to include fishing in your games but don’t like
some of the fish in the Appendix, replace them with fish
appropriate to your world or setting! If you want to make
fishing a crunchier mechanical system, use these rules
as a foundation to create a new system of your own. Use
these rules however they can best be utilized at your
table and in your games. I hope you have as much fun
with these rules as I have!

The DMs Guide to Fishing

The DMs Guide to Fishing

Beneath the surface of every pond, river, and lake is a Bait
world teeming with life. In this supplement, you will find

a set of simple and easy-to-use mechanics for fishing as Bait comes in many forms, depending on the intended

well as tables describing some of the fish (both mundane catch or the terrain. While nightcrawlers are the most

and magical) that can be caught. The rules described commonly used bait, some use chicken necks, pellets of

herein allow players to enjoy the leisurely (or sometimes raw meat, or even fake fish. Sometimes special hooks

thrilling) sport of fishing. Whether it's a downtime activity act as both the hook and the bait. Bait differs from

between adventures or integrated into an adventure, region to region, but simple worms will often perform

fishing has the potential to enrich any setting and create admirably in attracting fish of all kinds to someone's rod.

wonderful roleplaying moments for the entire table! Nightcrawlers or another region-appropriate worm can

be scavenged from around a body of water in 15 minutes

Equipment with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check.
Considering how locally-sourced bait differs from place
to place is a great touch of worldbuilding that makes a

All that players require to go fishing is three pieces of world feel real and lived-in. For example, the worms of

equipment: a fishing rod, fishing tackle, and bait. a sylvan forest may emit a light bioluminescence or the

Fishing Rods small snails of the coastline may have intricate, spiny
shells. Alternatively, bait can be purchased from general
stores for 5 cp per pound, which is typically plenty of bait

Fishing rods are as diverse and interesting as the for a fishing excursion.

4 cultures from which they are created. Perhaps a Variant Rule: Some DMs may find it unrealistic that so
character discovers an elegant rod of wrought silver many different fish would be attracted to such simple
in a dwarven ruin or inherited a sturdy wooden pole bait as worms. In such cases, DMs may dictate that
worn from use by their mother. These details are up to players obtain or utilize specific bait in order to attract
the DM & the players. A fishing rod can be carved from certain species of fish. For example, jewelfish may only
wood with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check be attracted to golden fish hooks or jewelry; perhaps the
or purchased from any general store for 1 gp. If your questing beast Saracen can only be captured by a cold
characters purchase a fishing pole from a store, ask them iron fishhook baited with golden fruit!
to describe one interesting detail about the fishing rod

they chose that caught their eye. Once players have their equipment (all of which can be

Fishing Tackle rented for a day from a general store for just 1 gp), all
they need to do is find a local body of water to get fishing!

Fishing tackle is a small box containing many lengths of
fishing line, a myriad of fishing hooks, and small boxes to
keep bait. Fishing tackle is generally built to be practical,
but is just as much a product of society as a fishing rod:
gnomish tackle boxes have clockwork mechanisms
and secret compartments, while halfling tackle are
surprisingly large with special compartments for putting
fish on ice and holding midday snacks. Fishing tackle can
be purchased from any general store for 1 gp. Fishing
line and hooks can be replaced or replenished for 5 sp or
less. When your characters set up their line, ask them to
describe an interesting feature of a hook that comes with
their fishing tackle.

The DMs Guide to Fishing

Magical Equipment Fishing Mechanics  5
& Storytelling
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Ftstw(AuwcopAoisshnaiiothlidftnih!lcoeciagnilhrIlnhsgnedthgscthotlitfiioolcfaehyiksnncsehegh)fokuxiawelevfcntierreorhrbamnsaraerno,naoalcefaadnddrkasrv’askdsobabaaimawftncnabiaaaitahtlTtldtraenchegeegyaiferurtenwsireasnicthlzorhboyaleaesiimlnsn,nS(emtgipttbfthhfaeherlgyeeia,iesunosithncseuagaienltdgh. First, describe the body of water. After the players cast
can reel it in)! their line, ask them questions about their demeanor and
fishing style. Are they impatient? Calm and whistling?
Fishing is often a leisurely sport: describe the length of
time which passes before the players feel a tug on their
line. At this, have the players roll a d100 on the General
Fishing Table or the appropriate Regional Fishing Table
(Appendix A) to determine what fish is on the line.

Once the quarry is determined, describe how this
particular fish jumps or moves in a way that allows the
character to glean some information as to its appearance
or identity. Now each player rolls a contested Strength
(Athletics) check against their quarry, which rolls using
their STR bonus found in the tables in Appendix A. If
the fish wins the contested check, it escapes. If the fish
wins the contested check by 5 or more, it snaps the line,
requiring the player to reel the line back in and replace
it before casting their line again. If the fish wins the
contested check by 15 or more, it snaps their fishing rod
and renders it useless. If the player wins the contested
check, the quarry is successfully hooked!

Most fish are caught after being hooked. However, a
handful of fish or other aquatic creatures may require
additional checks. If the quarry is Medium or larger (or
at the DM’s discretion), an additional Strength (Athletics)
check may be necessary to reel the fish in successfully
or a DC 12 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check may be
necessary to bank the fish properly. During this process,
be sure to describe the battle between the angler and the
fish. Emphasize the drama and tension during close calls
when characters are nearly pulled into the water and the
victory when they finally reel in a big fish or a wondrous
catch!

Fish and the other aquatic creatures described in
Appendix A can be identified with a DC 10 Intelligence
(Nature) check, though terrain-specific fish may require
a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) check to
identify. Some fish have “hidden” information in their
description which is in parentheses. This is less well-
known information that characters who succeed on their
check by 5 or more discern, or that can be passed along
by experienced local anglers.

The DMs Guide to Fishing

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Appendix A: Fish Tables

General Fishing Table

d100 Size (STR bonus) Description Name

1-20 Roll on Appropriate Terrain-Specific Table below!

21-35 Tiny (+0) An elongated, snake-like fish that thrashes about. Eel

6 36-40 Tiny (+1) A thick-bodied, steel-blue fish with whiskers. Blue Catfish
41-47 Small (+3) Blue Catfish
A huge, thick-bodied, steel-blue fish with whiskers that is covered in
slime.

48-52 Tiny (+1) An olive-green fish with a prominent dorsal fin. Smallmouth Bass

53-58 Small (+2) An olive-green fish with a prominent dorsal fin. Largemouth Bass

59-63 Tiny (+0) An iridescent and faintly translucent fish. Rainbow Fish

64-66 Tiny (+1) A long fish with a prominent jaw, pink scales, and shiny white underbelly. Salmon

67-63 Small (+2) A dull grey fish with rough skin and sharp teeth. Juvenile Shark

74-79 Tiny (-1) A silver fish that reflects sunlight beautifully. Silverside

80-81 Tiny (+1) An oily-scaled, gray-black fish. Carp

82-84 Small (+1) A slick yellow worm covered in sharp barbs. Daggerworm

85-87 Small (+3) A greenish-grey fish with tusks jutting from its mouth. Orcfish

88-89 Tiny (+1) A creature with a smooth grey carapace and claws. Stone Crab

90-92 Tiny (+2) A vibrant blue fish which turns glassy white when handled. Metriaclima
Benetos

93-6 Medium (+2) A pink amphibian wearing a soft and delicate shell. Salamander Turtle

97-98 Tiny (+3) A small, fearsome fish with large eyes and sharp teeth. (It lunges at Quipper
anglers with a +5 to hit, dealing 1 piercing damage on a hit).

99 Medium (+1) A person with a long, scaly tail and fins emerging from their back and Merfolk
arms.

100 Small (+1) A lumpy, golden fish with various gems (worth 4d100 gp) growing from Jewelfish
its body.

The DMs Guide to Fishing

Terrain-Specific Fishing Tables

Arctic

d100 Size (STR bonus) Description Name
1-25 Tiny (+2) Knucklehead Trout
26-50 Small (+3) A long, thick-bodied fish with a vibrant green and brown-patterned body. Knucklehead Trout
Sturgeon Poacher
51-75 Tiny (+1) A long, thick-bodied fish with a vibrant green and brown-patterned body.
Icefish
76-100 Medium (+3) An elongated fish with a long rostrum trailing whiskers and thick plates
on its body.

An elongated black-and-white striped fish with nearly translucent fins.
(Its blood has the property of a potion of cold resistance).

Cave/Underground

d100 Size (STR bonus) Description Name
1-25 Tiny (+0) Glass Fish
26-50 Tiny (-1) A eyeless fish with translucent skin. Its organs pulse within its body. Remipod
Kuo-Toa
51-75 Medium (+1) A pale centipede-like creature with a myriad of fins instead of legs.
Viperfish
76-100 Small (+2) A fish-like humanoid with large glassy eyes and slimy skin. (These are a
sentient race of Underdark-dwelling people).

A long, jet black fish with a yawning mouth filled with fangs. (These are
vicious and territorial fish. They lunge at anglers with a +5 to hit, dealing
1d6 +2 piercing damage on a hit).

Coast/Ocean 7

d100 Size (STR bonus) Description Name
1-25 Tiny (-2) Jellyfish
A soft, pulsating translucent creature with long tendrils. Giant Crab
26-50 Medium (+2) Oarfish
A large creature with stalked eyes, a wide barnacle-encrusted carapace, Meowfish
51-75 Large (+1) eight jointed legs, and one large claw.

76-100 Small (+1) An extremely long fish with beautiful silvery scales and long red fins.

A cat-like creature with vibrant red fins and blue scales and fur. (Wizards
can make their familiar take this shape).

Desert Description Name
Razorback Sucker
d100 Size (STR bonus) This humpback fish has a yellow belly and a small, circular mouth. or Aurochfish
1-25 Tiny (+0) Longfin Dace
26-50 Tiny (-2) This small silver fish has a downturned mouth which gives it a mournful
appearance. Desert Pupfish
51-75 Small (+1) This plump brown fish has small and stubby fins which flap wildly.
(These fish can be emptied by squeezing them to get up to 2 gallons of Sand Shark
76-100 Medium (+3) clean water).
This sleek, rough-skinned fish has a prominent dorsal fin which is
obvious as it “swims” through either sand or water.

The DMs Guide to Fishing

Dungeon/Ruins/Urban

d100 Size (STR bonus) Description Name
1-25 Small (+1)
This plump fish has a rounded, colorful body and long, beautiful fins. Koi
26-50 Large (+2) (These are easy fish to keep and breed in outdoor water features).
Crawfish or
51-75 Tiny (-1) This round-bellied purple fish has eight thrashing spider-like legs. (When Wizard’s Dinner
76-100 Medium (+0) eaten raw, these cause spellcasters to regain the use of their highest-
level spell slot as if they took a long rest). Kaleidofish
Oysters
This bright blue fish has moving patterns on its yellow and red fins.

This rock is encrusted with 2d8 grey bivalve shells.

Forest

d100 Size (STR bonus) Description Name

1-25 Small (+0) This long, thin fish has an elongated snout and flowing pink fins. (It can Enchanting Gar
cast charm person (spell save DC 11) on an angler to set it free).

26-50 Tiny (+1) This muddy fish is blotched with green and brown patterns and has Rootfish
small roots emerging from its body. (If planted in soil, it guarantees a
successful harvest that year).

51-75 Tiny (-2) This fish is covered in fine brown fur with white spots and bears a small Fawnfish
pair of antlers.

76-100 Small (+4) This large grey and silver fish has thick plates on its body instead of Saracen, the
scales. A broken chain tangles around its body and fins. (If captured, Aquatic Questing
Saracen will grant the individual who frees her the boon of the deep). Beast

8
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Grassland

d100 Size (STR bonus) Description Name
1-25 Tiny (-1) Red-Striped Dace
This black fish has red racing stripes and big eyes.
26-50 Large (+2) Nursefish or
The fins of this large, round fish look like brown feathers. (Bandages Turkeyfish
51-75 Medium (equal to made from the fins of this fish have the effect of casting lesser
that of the angler) restoration once). Cuckoo Fish or
Mirrorfish
76-89 Tiny (+1) This black, elongated fish has a body covered in spines and bears the
face of the angler who fishes it out of the water. (Said to bring bad luck Walleye or Yellow
90-100 Small (+2) to those who harm them). Pike or Pickerel
Walleye or Yellow
This fish has pronounced fins and an olive-and-gold patterned body with Pike or Pickerel
a row of black spots.

This fish has pronounced fins and an olive-and-gold patterned body with
a row of black spots.

The DMs Guide to Fishing

Mountain

d100 Size (STR bonus) Description Name
1-25 Tiny (+1) Copperfin
This yellow and green fish has fierce spines and ridges on its body. Dwarvenfriend
26-50 Medium (+1)
This fish is black and brown with a “beard” of ruddy red scales around its Roc’s Egg
51-75 Small (+0) mouth. (When released into a new body of water, it immediately swims Caddisfly
76-100 Tiny (-3) towards the most valuable thing in the lake).

This large egg has a stone-like texture and color. (Can be sold to a
restaurant for 50 gp).

This insect wears a case woven together with pebbles, reeds, and a tiny,
perfect diamond (worth 300 gp).

Planar Description Name

d100 Size (STR bonus) This ferocious brown and black-striped fish has no fins and bears cracks Hellslug or
1-25 Small (+3) across its otherwise smooth body which glow like magma. (If this fish is Asmodeus’ Catch
burned alive, it transports up to 7 creatures around the fire to the Nine
26-50 Tiny (+1) Hells as if by the plane shift spell).

51-75 Tiny (+2) This pale fish has long, flowing fins of gold which give it the appearance Penitent Bass
of having wings. (These fish are said to carry the voice of minor gods
76-100 Medium (-1) throughout the Material Plane).

This green fish has a vibrant orange belly and a mouthful of human teeth. Toothfish or
(Small fey such as pixies and sprites cannot resist one of these teeth as a Faerie Lure
gift or offering).

This heavy fish is eyeless, slow-moving, and leached of color, but a Rotfeeder 9
bright red tongue protrudes from its mouth. (This fish is a psychopomp
that carries souls between the Material Plane and the River Styx).

Swamp Description Name

d100 Size (STR bonus) This incredibly long fish’s bones are visible through its warty skin. (These
1-25 Medium (-1) fish can eject their rib bones to pierce unwary handlers for 1d6 piercing Skeletonfish
damage).
26-50 Small (+2)
51-75 Medium (+2) This snake-like fish has deep-set black eyes and emits a crackling sound. Lightningbrand or
76-100 Tiny (+0) (This fish casts shocking grasp with a +6 spell attack bonus on an Giant Electric Eel
unwary angler).

This thick-bodied fish has a wide mouth and its scales form a gradation Arapaima
from green to bright red at its caudal fin.

This silver fish has bright yellow fins. (When cooked to perfection with a
DC 14 Wisdom (Survival) check, a meal made of this fish has the effects Swamp Goby
of a potion of greater healing).

The DMs Guide to Fishing