D&D 3E/3.5 Kraken Variants

[freyar]

Sounds good.

We should probably modify Touch of Destruction so that " Any creature hit by an aspect of khalk'ru's tentacle attack or damaged by its constrict attack" is subject to the destruction.

Tactics: An aspect of Khalk'ru uses its Touch of Destruction as its primary weapon, constricting the most powerful or otherwise desirable opponents to ensure their demise. ??

 

[Cleon]

We should probably modify Touch of Destruction so that " Any creature hit by an aspect of khalk'ru's tentacle attack or damaged by its constrict attack" is subject to the destruction.

It'd be simpler to say "Any creature hit by an aspect of khalk'ru's tentacle or constrict attacks".

Tactics: An aspect of Khalk'ru uses its Touch of Destruction as its primary weapon, constricting the most powerful or otherwise desirable opponents to ensure their demise. ??

It's "primary weapon"? The dang thing doesn't have any other weapons unless you consider mildly unnerving creatures with the Intimidate skill a weapon.

Let's see.

An aspect of Khalk'ru uses its Cleave and Combat Reflexes feats to try to hit as many opponents as possible and affect them with its touch of destruction ability. It reserves its improved grab and constrict special attacks for powerful or desirable targets.

 

[freyar]

Well, I think I meant as opposed to constriction. But your proposal will work. Your suggestion for the Touch of Destruction text is fine, too.

Description: A gigantic tentacle extending from a rippling hole in the air. ???

Maybe the flavor text can borrow from whatever we come up with for the full Khalk'ru, which I'd say we're pretty close to starting.

 

[Cleon]

Well, I think I meant as opposed to constriction. But your proposal will work. Your suggestion for the Touch of Destruction text is fine, too.

Updating the Khalk'ru Working Draft.

Description: A gigantic tentacle extending from a rippling hole in the air. ???

Maybe the flavor text can borrow from whatever we come up with for the full Khalk'ru, which I'd say we're pretty close to starting.

I'd omit the reference to the "rippling hole in the air" since the one in the story extended from a immense shard of yellow translucent stone which appears to be the material used to create items that summon Khalk'ru.

Also, there are multiple uses of "black tentacles" and "black octopus" in the original text so we'd better refer to that hue.

Hmm… I'd keep the aspect's text simple and leave the bulk of the descriptive text for the main entry.

How's this:

A gigantic black tentacle coils in the air. It resembles the limb of a titanic octopus with sucking discs along its inner surface, but there is something ineffably hideous about it.

An aspect of Khalk'ru is a single tentacle from a terrifying extraplanar entity known as Khalk'ru the Dissolver who's only interest in the Material Plane is its annihilation. Crazed worshippers call upon Khalk'ru to destroy sacrifices or enemies and beg it to spare them. Most cults of Khalk'ru lack the means or power to conjure The Dissolver in its entirety so summon an aspect of Khalk'ru instead.

An aspect of khalk'ru is a 50 foot long tentacle.

 

[freyar]

Works for me!

Let's finish these up.

Since they're typically summoned, how about Environment: Any?
Always NE works for me, but I'm not opposed to CE, either.
The proposed advancement is ok, but I wouldn't mind leaving it at - since this thing is more or less unique. What would an advanced one mean really?
CR of 16 maybe? I think it's not quite as powerful as a marilith, but it's close.

 

[Cleon]

Works for me!

Let's finish these up.

Since they're typically summoned, how about Environment: Any?
Always NE works for me, but I'm not opposed to CE, either.
The proposed advancement is ok, but I wouldn't mind leaving it at - since this thing is more or less unique.

I was unconvinced by the Advancement as well. It's certainly easier to change the Advancement from "Gargantuan 16-32 HD (Gargantuan); 33-60 HD (Colossal)" to "—".

Updating the Khalk'ru Working Draft.

CR of 16 maybe? I think it's not quite as powerful as a marilith, but it's close.

Hurr… that's a tricky one. Khalk'ru is a one-trick pony but it's an awfully nasty trick.

I don't think it's Challenge Rating 16 nasty though - 1d4 negative levels per hit would require 6 strikes for an aspect to annihilate a level-equivalent foe and are easily removed by a standard 4th-level restoration spell.

A planetar is CR 16 and they're way nastier (although admittedly they're under-CR'd). Nightwalkers and Horned Devils are CR 16 and have similar defenses but a lot more versatile abilities and higher damage output.

I'd go for CR 15.

The proposed advancement is ok, but I wouldn't mind leaving it at - since this thing is more or less unique. What would an advanced one mean really?

Originally I was toying with the idea of having some special scheme that altered the number of tentacles involved and ended up with the HD near to that of the full manifestation of Khalk'ru.

Something like for each additional 3 or 4 HD of advancement the aspect of Khalk'ru can squeeze one more tentacle into the material world. The placeholder was based on 4 HD per tentacle (so two tentacles at 19-22 HD, three at 23-26 HD, four at 27-30 HD and so on) and allowing an aspect to have all twelve of Khalk'ru tentacles (at 59 HD). Although 3 HD per tentacle with a max HD of 50 seems a more attractive progression now.

Upon reflection, that's awfully fiddly and I'm not thinking 50 or 60 HD might be too many for Khalk'ru in all his glory. That's way more than even a Demon Prince or the like. Heck, it's more than any of the Greater Titan conversions we made.

Also, there'd be quite a jump in power with each tentacle it gains which means the standard CR advancement wouldn't work either. It would make more sense to do it like a Hydra and have separate "Aspect of Khalk'ru, N-tentacled" in progression.

That seems more trouble than it's worth, so shall we move on to the full McCoy once we'd settled on the aspect's Challenge Rating?

 

[Cleon]

Hurr… that's a tricky one. Khalk'ru is a one-trick pony but it's an awfully nasty trick.

I don't think it's Challenge Rating 16 nasty though - 1d4 negative levels per hit would require 6 strikes for an aspect to annihilate a level-equivalent foe and are easily removed by a standard 4th-level restoration spell.

A planetar is CR 16 and they're way nastier (although admittedly they're under-CR'd). Nightwalkers and Horned Devils are CR 16 and have similar defenses but a lot more versatile abilities and higher damage output.

I'd go for CR 15.

*SNIP*

That seems more trouble than it's worth, so shall we move on to the full McCoy once we'd settled on the aspect's Challenge Rating?

Upon reflection, even CR 15 might be a little too high.

The annihilation effect is basically just extra flavour on top of a 1d4 level energy drain. If it was just ordinary energy drain a victim who lost all their levels would be just as dead.

So a better comparison would be to an energy-draining monster.

Consider the CR 11 Devourer or the CR 7 Spectre.

The EL table says that four Devourers or 7-9 Spectres that are advanced to their maximum of HD 14 would be an equal threat to the aspect of Khalk'ru's CR 15, but is that so?

The devourers can potentially do 8d6+72 damage plus eight energy levels per round with their claw attacks, while the spectres' incorporeal touches can do up to 9d8 plus 18 energy levels per round! On paper the spectres are way nastier.

The aspect of Khalk'ru does 2d8+18 plus 1d4 energy levels. A melee combatant with a lifedrinker can easily do worse than that at CR 15.

Challenge Rating isn't an exact science, let alone the Encounter Level rules, but I'm growing more confident in thinking CR 15 or lower.

 

[freyar]

Those devourers and advanced spectres have much lower ACs, though (which is definitely counteracted a bit by the spectres' incorporeality I concede). And a considerably lower attack bonus, to boot. So our aspect can possibly last longer and definitely has a better chance to do damage each round. I'd worry about dropping the CR too much. What if we give it some ability to make more attacks per round or use its tentacle attack while grappling? Would that push it up to CR 15 for you? And/or just boost the energy level damage?

 

[Cleon]

Those devourers and advanced spectres have much lower ACs, though (which is definitely counteracted a bit by the spectres' incorporeality I concede). And a considerably lower attack bonus, to boot. So our aspect can possibly last longer and definitely has a better chance to do damage each round. I'd worry about dropping the CR too much. What if we give it some ability to make more attacks per round or use its tentacle attack while grappling? Would that push it up to CR 15 for you? And/or just boost the energy level damage?

It's already got Great Cleave and Combat Reflexes to add to its attack opportunities but I do approve of the idea of improving its ability to tentacle-attack while grappling.

I propose adding Expert Grappler, as in:

Expert Grappler (Ex) A grell that chooses to grapple with one tentacle and remain ungrappled itself takes only a –10 penalty on its grapple checks instead of the normal –20 penalty.

I'm also in favour of increasing the Energy Drain damage to make it worthier of CL 15.

How about making it 1d4+2 energy levels rather than 1d4?

 

[freyar]

We'd have to modify the language a bit, but this should be ok (perhaps being overly explicit):
Expert Grappler (Ex) If the aspect of Khalk'ru chooses to grapple but remain ungrappled itself takes only a –10 penalty on its grapple checks instead of the normal –20 penalty. It may then make tentacle attacks as normal.

1d4+2 levels of energy drain works for me.