Kraken Variants

[Cleon]

Shall we just give it the Mystaran Kraken's Shipcrusher special ability?

Oh, and the Kraken needs Jet in its crunch as well…

Updating Awnshegh Kraken Working Draft.

 

[freyar]

The updated working draft is good, and I'd be up to include Expert Grappler as well. For Shipcrusher, we could just say that each tentacle does damage as normal.

Make the ink a contact poison with initial damage a disease and secondary damage death? That seems to be the closest thing we can do to the original. Maybe slimy doom for the disease?

 

[Cleon]

The updated working draft is good, and I'd be up to include Expert Grappler as well.

Well I guess we gave all the other Krakens expert grappler, although it seems a bit superfluous once their Grapple modifier gets above +60!

Well it does make it easier for the beast to move and attack while grappling, so I'd be game for adding it in.

The vague tentacle information in the original monster is similar to a regular Kraken, so it could just as easily use regular grappling like the SRD version or my Cleon Special™ Giant Squid Redux.

So shall I add in Expert Grappler or not?

For Shipcrusher, we could just say that each tentacle does damage as normal.

Having it do two lots of tentacle constrict damage plus eight lots of arm damage seems a bit excessive. An SRD Kraken would do 4d8+6d6+60 if it could constrict with all its limbs simultaneously - although that's not as bad as the SRD Giant Squid who's tentacles are all Primary Attacks, so all ten together are 10d6+80!

So I'd rather it have the Shipcrusher SQ.

Hmm, upon reflection maybe the Mystaran Kraken's Shipcrusher ability is a little weak. It was based on the custom Constrict of my Giant Squid Redux, but that giant squid's limbs have base limb damage of 1d6 not the 6d6 of the Epic-Colossal Mystaran version. Is 15d6+21 enough for it crushing a vessel with all ten limbs? Maybe it should be "increases by 2d6 for each additional tentacle" instead (for max constrict 24d6+21) or even higher like +3d6 per extra tentacle (max constrict 33d6+21) or even +6d6 (max constrict 60d6+21)?

Come to think of it, we should decide what damage the tentacles and arms do normally first! And the bite while we're at it!

Comparing the Awnshegh's 2E version to a regular 2E Kraken its attacks all do more damage:

Tentacle: 1d10+10 (average 15.5) vs 3d6 (average 10.5)[+47.619%]
Arm: 2d8 (average 9) vs 2d6 (average 7)[+28.857%]
Bite: 10d4 (average 25) vs 7d4 (average 17.5)[+42.857%]

On average is does about four-tenth more damage [+39.683%].

Hmm, a regular Kraken does 2d8+12 with its tentacles, 1d6+6 with its arms and 4d6+6 with its bite.

Increasing one to Colossal size with the standard +8 Strength factored in would increase that to 3d8+16 tentacles, 1d8+8 arms and 6d6+8 bite.

The Awnshegh has a +18 Strength bonus instead of a standard Colossal Kraken's +16, so if nothing else changed it'd have 3d8+18 tentacles, 1d8+9 arms and 6d6+9 bite.

So in terms of average damage % percentage wise, that's:

Attack	Kraken	Colossal.Krak	Awnshegh	A.vs.Krak	A.vs.Crak
Tentacle	21	29.5	31.5	150%	106.779%
Arm	9.5	12.5	13.5	142.105%	108%
Bite	20	29	30	150%	103.448%
			Increase	+47.368%	+6.076%

Remember that the "increase" is just the percentage boost of a single hit by one of the three attacks and does not match the overall overall damage output. Since a Kraken has two tentacles and six arms but only one bite, a 6-point increase in arm damage will increase the total average damage by 36, but only 12 for tentacle damage or 6 for bite damage.

Anyhow, so simply upscaling a regular Kraken and giving it the Awnshegh's Strength gives it a 47% increase.

That seems in the right ballpark if we're aiming for 40%.

That said, I'm not that much in favour of the way the Colossal Kraken has an average tentacle damage higher than its bite damage!

So maybe we could tweak the limbs' damage a bit while increasing the bite damage?

How about 2d10 for the tentacles while keeping the arms at 1d8 while upscaling the bite to either 8d6 or 6d8?

That's:

Attack	Kraken	Awnshegh/Bite.8d6	/Bite.6d8	Awn8d6.v.K	Awn6d8.v.K
Tentacle	21	29 [2d10+18]	29	138.095%	138.095%
Arm	9.5	13.5 [1d8+9]	13.5	142.105%	142.105%
Bite	20	37 [8d6+9]	36	185%	180%
			Average	+55.067%	+53.400%

Hmm… at first glance that looked a bit high, but then I remembered that the SRD Kraken and the 2E Kraken have VERY different tentacle/bite damage ratios. The SRD is 2d8+12 tentacle vs. 4d6+6 bite (average 21 & 20 or a 1.05 ratio) while 2E is 3d6 vs. 7d4 (10.5 vs 17.5 or a 0.60 ratio) so proportionally the 2E Kraken's bite does 75% more damage (105/60 = 1.75).

So let's do that! I slightly prefer the 8d6 bite but it doesn't really make any difference. One point higher or lower average damage is no big deal when you're doing over 30 points per hit!

So that'd give the Awnshegh:

Full Attack: 2 tentacles +50 melee (2d10+18) and 6 arms +45 melee (1d8+9) and bite +45 melee (8d6+9)

Shipcrusher (Ex): The Kraken can constrict a colossal creature or object with more than one limb. If one or both tentacles are constricting, the constriction damage equals 2d10+27 plus 1d10 for each arm or tentacle that is shipcrushing. If it's only shipcrushing with its arms, the constriction damage equals 2d8+18 plus 1d8 for each arm it is constricting with.

So that's a max of 10d10+27 damage when shipcrushing (2d10+27 plus +8d10 from all eight limbs) and if it uses all six arms it's 8d8+18.

I was tempted to make the arms base damage use the same ten-sided dice as the tentacles in hopes that'd make the Shipcrushing simpler, but decided against it.

Make the ink a contact poison with initial damage a disease and secondary damage death? That seems to be the closest thing we can do to the original. Maybe slimy doom for the disease?

Upon reflection, shouldn't this be a Supernatural ability rather than an Extraordinary one since Blood Abilities are manifestation of evil divine power?

Maybe we could borrow some of the mechanics from Mummy Rot?

Slimy Doom is a good model, although presumable the DC will be higher than Doom's 14!

 

[freyar]

I say yes to Expert Grappler and your proposed damage and Shipcrusher values.

So, maybe Su poison, but do we need the disease to be Su too? We could write our own, I suppose!

 

[Cleon]

I say yes to Expert Grappler and your proposed damage and Shipcrusher values.

Updating Awnshegh Kraken Working Draft.

So, maybe Su poison, but do we need the disease to be Su too? We could write our own, I suppose!

I'll whip up a rough draft proposal. Since the original blood ability was called death touch there's an obvious name for it…

 

[Cleon]

Death Cloud (Su): [either "Once every minute" or "Once every 1d4+1 rounds"?], the Kraken can squirt a cloud of jet-black ink over a 120-ft. spread as a [either "free action" or "swift action"?]. The cloud provides total concealment (creatures within the cloud are considered to be in darkness). When the Kraken emits a death cloud, any living creature that contacts the ink must succeed at a DC 37 Fortitude save or take #d# Constitution damage and contract Inky Doom (see below). One minute after contact, the creature must succeed at a second DC 37 Fortitude save or [either "take #d# Constitution damage" or "die"?] from the cloud's supernatural venom.

Inky Doom (Su): Supernatural disease—contact, Fortitude DC 37, incubation period 5 rounds; damage 1d6 Str, 1d6 Con, and 1d6 Cha. [cribbed from Mummy Rot, maybe change the ability damage to Slimy Doom's Con only and increase the incubation period to give the poor saps some chance?]

Unlike normal diseases, inky doom continues until the victim reaches Constitution 0 (and dies) or is cured as described below.

A death cloud is a powerful curse, not a natural disease or poison. [rules for delaying/removing/curing effects].

The save DCs are Charisma-based.

 

[Cleon]

I wondered about having the Kraken use Death Cloud at the same frequency as a Dragon's Breath Weapon rather than once per minute like a standard Kraken's Ink Cloud.

That'd allow it to unleash one at the start of combat and possibly recharge in time for a second cloud to cover its escape (although the original text says it only uses it to cover its escape, I like the idea of it employing Death Cloud offensively).

Also, note there's nothing in the Special Attack that says the cloud has to be underwater - I think we should mention in the tactics that the Kraken sometimes showers a ship's deck with death ink.

The original entry says the ink cloud "dissipates in 2-5 rounds" which might include its lethal effects. However, having to make two to five DC 37 Fort saves to avoid a horrible death seems a bit extreme even for me! Maybe tweak it so each Death Cloud remains potent for 1d4+1 rounds but only the initial exposure requires a saving throw to avoid "infection" by Inky Doom?

 

[freyar]

I like using it every 1d4+1 rounds, and I also like the tweak so that the save is only on initial exposure.

I think I prefer making it a swift action, and 3d6 Con twice ought to be enough damage for the poison, right? Ooh, we could make it drain the second time, unless you really prefer it just kills characters outright.

I'd be ok with limiting the disease to 1d6 Con. And the incubation period sounds like it should be 1 day from the original monster text.

What do you think?

 

[Cleon]

I like using it every 1d4+1 rounds, and I also like the tweak so that the save is only on initial exposure.

I think I prefer making it a swift action, and 3d6 Con twice ought to be enough damage for the poison, right? Ooh, we could make it drain the second time, unless you really prefer it just kills characters outright.

I'd be ok with limiting the disease to 1d6 Con. And the incubation period sounds like it should be 1 day from the original monster text.

What do you think?

We could have it be more harmful during the initial effect than the secondary effect? Say 3d6 Con damage followed by 1d6 drain? That way roughly 50% of ordinary Con 10 creatures will die on the first round, but roughly 50% of creatures with Con 15+ will survive the extra damage in the second round and then "enjoy" dying of Inky Doom. Assuming they fail both saves, which let's be honest is probable considering it's DC 37.

That said, there is something to be said for having the secondary effect just be "Death" since it is a major divine-blood based lethal ability.

Come to think of it, the original ability had the exposed creatures AUTOMATICALLY contract Inky Doom if they didn't die from the initial exposure. Do we want to have the Inky Doom happen even if they make the initial Fort save?

I'm fine giving Inky Doom the normal 1 day incubation and, upon reflection, perhaps we should reduce the damage from 1d6 Con. The original only did 1d4 hit points of damage per day. Maybe have it do 1 Con drain per day?

Here's a revision with all the above:

Death Cloud (Su): Once every 1d4+1 rounds, the Kraken can squirt a cloud of jet-black ink over a 120-ft. spread as a swift action. The cloud provides total concealment (creatures within the cloud are considered to be in darkness) and is charged with supernatural venom. The first time a living creature contacts this venomous ink they [either "automatically contract Inky Doom (see below) and must succeed at a DC 37 Fortitude save or take 3d6 Constitution damage" or "must succeed at a DC 37 Fortitude save or take 3d6 Constitution damage and contract Inky Doom (see below)"]. One minute after contact, the creature must succeed at a second DC 37 Fortitude save or take 1d8 Constitution damage [or "die"?]. Death cloud ink loses all its lethal effects 1d4+1 rounds after being emitted by the Kraken.

Inky Doom (Su): Supernatural disease—contact, Fortitude DC 37, incubation period 1 day; damage 1 Con drain.

Unlike normal diseases, inky doom continues until the victim reaches Constitution 0 (and dies) or is cured as described below.

A death cloud is a powerful curse, not a natural disease or poison. [rules for delaying/removing/curing inky doom effects].

The save DCs are Charisma-based.

 

[Cleon]

I'm wondering whether I should capitalize the "The" in its name, so it's always "The Kraken" to emphasize its singularity.

Like Bruce Wayne's alter-ego is often referred to as The Batman or a certain well known luchador is called El Santo.