[3.5, Monsters] Where can I find a gargantuan eel-like creature?

[freyar]

Wow, the neothelid is impressive. That'd be a very scary fight for these guys.

I think it's time for a confession: I actually kind of screwed up last game while DMing the Tides of Dread installment of Savage Tide. The accompanying Dragon mag lists a group of local legendary monsters called the Infamous Seven, including one cantankerous dragon eel. I'd read up on the t-rex and the dragon turtle, both of which were gargantuan, so I just assumed the eel was of comparable dimensions. (oops)

While the party was travelling to Tanaroa, I rolled a random encounter of 4 huge great white sharks, who I decided were paralleling the ship. The PCs realized that this was unusual behaviour, but they just let the sharks be for a while. ...Until one of the great whites was violently pulled under and the other sharks scattered. They spotted a 60'+ serpent-shaped creature underwater, which they assumed was the infamous dragon eel. We left off with them ready to dive in and kill this monster for the glory it would bring them with the locals.

I only found out later that dragon eels are merely large, and would have a ginormous CR if advanced to gargantuan. Hence this thread.
-blarg

You know, in that situation, I might go for the sea drake. It's a bit vanilla, but it's about the right flavor and can threaten the ship in all likelihood. It would probably be pretty memorable, though it might make the dragon turtle later seem a bit tame.

 

[blargney the second]

I'm looking at two scenarios right now - which one do you guys think sounds cooler? If it matters, I'm not running further adventures in the Savage Tide. We're moving on to Eyes of the Lich Queen after Tides of Dread is done.

Scenario A is high stakes: it IS the dragon eel of local legend.
This is in fact the big bad beast of the area's waters, and they're in for a very tough, epic fight (CR 13-15). If they lose, PCs will end up dead and it will probably trash their ship (which is actually worse in some ways). If they kill it, they gain valuable notoriety and rightfully feel pretty good about themselves. They could also drive it away, in which case it becomes a potential recurring menace.

Scenario B is low stakes: it ISN'T the infamous eel.
This is just some big dumb brute (CR 11-12), and an easier kill than the legendary dragon eel that they assume it is. If they manage to kill it, I enjoy the idea of them showing up at an Olman village with this thing's massive head in tow and being told that it's nowhere near as dangerous as the much smaller infamous eel. They've never fought underwater before, and it would be an opportunity for them to learn just how brutal that environment is without turning this into an automatic TPK. This scenario also reinforces just how nasty the Isle of Dread is, even at 9th level.


So what do you think - high stakes or low?
-blarg

 

[Aeolius]

Scenario C:
"...some local fisherman, out for a pleasure cruise, at night... in... eel-infested waters... "

 

[blargney the second]

Bwah! Awesome!

 

[blargney the second]

Here's what I've come up with for my gargantuan mutant dragon eel (this is in Xen'drik, so mutants are traditional).

I took a neothelid and regressed it a couple of CR by applying -2 to its abilities, losing 3 HD, and lowering its natural armor. I then exchanged its special abilities for others that were similar but a bit weaker. There are a few ideas taken from the monsters as encounters suggestion, some things from 4e, and others that are just house rules. I wrote a few things up in shorthand as well, hopefully they aren't too nonsensical!

--

Mutant Dragon Eel, gargantuan aberration (aquatic), CR 13

Init +2; Senses Listen +26, Spot +26; DV 60’, blindsense 500’

AC 25, touch 11, ff 25 (-4 size, -2 Dex, +14 natural, +7 deflection)
hp 253 (22d8+154); Bloodied 126, creates Ink Cloud & loses 1 tentacle
Ink Cloud 60’ total darkness immediately when first bloodied
Fast healing 5 at start of turn, regrows severed tentacles in 1d6 days
Fort +14, Ref +5, Will +14; Willful (can re-save vs mind-affecting next round)

Speed swim 50’, Burst (can charge 5x speed, or run 10x with no AoO and Backwash behind)
Melee full-attack 1 tentacle trip +21 touch, trip check +25, rake and Hurl
and 3 tentacle rakes +21 (2d6+9/19-20) and Improved Grab
Hurl on successful trip, can throw 10’/size difference in direction of choice
Backwash 60’ cone, trip check +21 and Hurl, if within 15’ take 3d6+9 from tail Reflex DC 30 for half.
Improved Grab +37 or +17, if two tentacles grapple same foe make immediate swallow whole attempt.
Swallow Whole +37 if starts round with creature in tentacle for rake damage & swallowed. No light, 2d6 acid, Shark In Gullet, Swim DC 15 (succeed 1d3s and act normally, or fail 1d6s and Swim or drowning), interior AC 17, 25 damage with light slash or pierce = get vomited out immediately.
Sonic Lance once/two rounds, 240’ ranged touch +10, 6d6 sonic and Fort DC 25 or dazed one rnd.
Keening once/encounter, 120’ spread, Will DC 25 or stunned for duration +1d4 rnds. If victim attacked or violently shaken (full-round action) they save again. Mind-affecting sonic compulsion, 1/24 hrs
Attack options Power Attack, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Dire Charge (pounce on surprise round and first round of combat), Swim-by Attack (1 move, standard anywhere)

Str 28, Dex 7, Con 25, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 18
Space/reach 30’/30’
BAB/grapple +16/+37
Feats Power Attack, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Improved Critical, Improved Initiative, Dire Charge, Swim-by Attack
Skills Listen +26, Spot +26, Hide +8, Swim +39 (take 10, can run)



Shark In Gullet as Dire Shark, squeezing and can’t see in darkness
AC 13, touch 6, ff 11 (-2 size, +2 Dex, +7 natural, -4 squeezing)
hp 114 of 147 (18d8+66); Bloodied 73
takes 7 acid damage per round
Fort +14, Ref +13, Will +12

Melee bite +14 (2d8+9) and improved grab +27
Swallow Whole +27 if it starts round with a creature in its bite for bite damage and swallowed and still grappled, 2d6+6 crushing plus 1d8+4 acid per round, interior AC 13, 25 damage with light slash or pierce = get vomited out immediately.

 

[Kunimatyu]

Wow - I like! The swallowed shark is a nice touch, and the double swallow-whole is hilarious.

 

[blargney the second]

I'm glad you like it! I hope the players will derive similar enjoyment from it.

I guess I should make an attempt at figuring out if this will be a TPK, eh?
-blarg

 

[Aeolius]

Wow - I like! The swallowed shark is a nice touch, and the double swallow-whole is hilarious.

"I have learned from experience that a modicum of snuff can be most efficacious."

as for the TPK, that's when they enter MY game, reincarnated as cuttlefish.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I'm glad you like it! I hope the players will derive similar enjoyment from it.

I guess I should make an attempt at figuring out if this will be a TPK, eh?
-blarg

That's a clever idea, and gives me interesting ideas. I think it might turn out to be too deadly, though. (and better not discuss verisimilitude of a Giant Eel having just eaten a shark before attacking a ship...)

But it would be interesting - imagine being swallowed by a monster just brings you to another part of the encounter... That sounds interesting.

 

[blargney the second]

Okay, I'll tone down the shark a bit to something more like a non-dire shark. The funny thing is that the eel isn't actually going to attack the ship. The PCs just happened to witness it offing a huge shark in a single round, and the players are spoiling for a fight so they're going to attack!