Continuing the undersea theme...
Sea Demon, Greater
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVE: 15”//21”
HIT DICE: 16+16
% IN LAIR: 80%
TREASURE TYPE: H
NO. OF ATTACKS: 11
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10(x10), 5-30
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 15%
INTELLIGENCE: High
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
SIZE: L (40’ tentacles)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
//Experience Point Value: 10600 + 20/HP
Sea Demon, Lesser
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 12”//18”
MOVE: 12 + 12
% IN LAIR: 80%
TREASURE TYPE: H
NO. OF ATTACKS: 9
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8(x8), 5-20
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: High
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
SIZE: L (30’ tentacles)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
//Experience Point Value: 4950 + 16/HP
Sea Demons resemble Giant Octopi, but are much larger. They have 12 (10 for Lesser Sea Demon) tentacles averaging 40 (30) feet long. Sea Demons may lair on land or in the sea, but they usually prefer the sea. If on land, they prefer a humid climate, sub-tropical or tropical, but they can also be found in the desert, with their lair below the water table. If in the sea, they will lair on the bottom, preferring depths below 1,000 feet. Sea Demons will always be found alone, since they hate all other life, especially other Sea Demons.
While on land, a Sea Demon will use half of its tentacles to move and the other half to fight with. The striking tentacle of a Sea Demon does 1-10 (1-8) hit points of damage. Each round after the initial hit, the creature will have its prey captured within the tentacle, and double damage will be taken, 2-20 (2-16), each round thereafter unless the tentacle is severed or loosened.
The tentacles grip with a strength of 18/91 (18/76). If the creature being crushed is as strong or stronger, it can negate the crushing damage, but it will not be free of the tentacle. Two rounds after the tentacle has hit, the Sea Demon will drag its victim to its great beak, which does 5-30 (5-20) hit points of damage.
While in the sea, there is a good chance that a Sea Demon will attack ships passing close to its lair. Multiply the surface distance, in miles, from the ship to the lair by 20% to get the percentage that the creature will not attack the passing ship. After detecting and deciding to attack a ship, the Sea Demon takes 2 turns to get to a shallow depth, and 2-12 turns (depending on the distance) to catch up with the ship. Any ship seized by a Sea Demon will come to a full stop in one turn. The creature will then attempt to sink the ship, attacking whatever or whoever is aboard if the prey happens to get within reach of a tentacle.
As long as six tentacles can grasp the ship, the Sea Demon will damage the ship at the rate of 4 (3) structural points per melee round. If 5 (4) or more tentacles are severed (each tentacle will take 20 (16) hit points of damage over and above the Sea Demon’s regular hit points), the creature will retreat to 500 feet below the ship, or to halfway between the bottom and the keel if the sea is too shallow. It will then begin spinning, causing a giant whirlpool to form under the ship; this takes one turn. Once a ship is caught in the whirlpool, it will be destroyed in five turns. To escape the whirlpool, a saving throw must be made with percentile dice. The number of the ship’s remaining structural points is multiplied by two and becomes the number needed to save. For example, if a galley has 39 remaining points, to escape the whirlpool a 78 or less must be thrown. This is assuming that the galley has oars left to row with, and a crew to man them, and that sailing ships still have sails and a wind to fill them.
If the ship escapes the whirlpool, the Sea Demon will not attempt to pursue, because it needs to spend at least one day recovering from the exertion of creating the whirlpool, but the Sea Demon will be certain to sense the same ship if it comes within 10 miles of its lair on a later day, and will attempt to destroy it again. If the Sea Demon has lost more than half of its tentacles, it will not be able to create the whirlpool. Sea Demons will regenerate lost tentacles at the rate of 4 (3) feet per tentacle per week. Sea Demons will not attack passing ships if their wounded tentacles are less than half healed.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #48 (1981).
Sea Demon, Lesser
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Tropical ocean
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Very (11-12)
TREASURE: Nil (D)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
No. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVEMENT: 6, Sw 15
HIT DICE: 12+12
THAC0: 9
No. of ATTACKS: 9 (5 on land)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8x10/5d4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Constriction, whirlpool
SPECIAL DEFENCES: Ink
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 15%
SIZE: H (30' tentacles)
MORALE: Fanatic (17-18)
XP VALUE: 9,000
The sea demon resembles a giant octopus, but are much larger. The smaller version of the sea demon has ten tentacles, averaging 30 feet long, and a body diameter of 15 to 18 feet.
Combat: On land, the sea demon attacks with half its tentacles, slithering along the ground upon the rest. At sea, two tentacles anchor the creature, while the rest attack. The initial tentacle attack inflicts 1d8 points of damage. No attack roll is required thereafter, the tentacle constricts for 2d8 points of damage per round. Two rounds after prey has been seized, it is dragged to the creature’s great beak, which inflicts 5d4 points of damage.
A tentacle grips with a strength equivalent of 18/76; a creature with at least this Strength can avoid the crushing damage, but it will not be free of the tentacle. A tentacle can take 12 points of slashing damage before being severed; damage to its tentacles does not count against the sea demon’s hit points. If half the attacking tentacles are severed or incapacitated, the sea demon withdraws. In water, it discharges an inky cloud that fills a volume of 40x60x60 feet. All within are blinded while they remain within the cloud and for 1d4 rounds after they emerge; the cloud also deadens sound- and pressure-sensing organs os they are useless for 2d4 turns..
The sea demon attacks ships that venture too close to its lair. (Multiply the surface distance in miles from the ship to the lair by 20% for the chance the ship will not be attacked). The sea demon takes 2 turns to get to a shallow depth, then 2-12 turns, depending on the distance, to catch the ship.
Any ship seized by the sea demon comes to a stop in one turn. The creature will try to sink the ship, attacking whatever prey comes within tentacle reach. As long as six tentacles grasp the ship, the sea demon can reduce its seaworthiness by 2-8% per round (2d4). If four or more tentacles are severed (but no more than half the total number of tentacles), the sea demon retreats to 500 feet below the ship (or half the distance to the bottom in shallower water). It then begins to spin; after one turn, a giant whirlpool forms. Unless the ship is mobile and attempts immediate flight before the whirlpool forms, it will be caught in the whirlpool for 1d4 turns before it can try to escape. Escape requires the ship to be able to move—enough oars and crew to man them or sails and wind to fill them—and a successful seaworthiness check. A failure to escape means the ship is destroyed. The sea demon cannot maintain the whirlpool for more than five turns, nor will it pursue after creating one, for it must rest a full day. The sea demon will recognize an escaped ship on a later day; it can sense such a ship up to 10 miles away (double the normal distance), and will immediately attack and try to destroy it.
Habitat/Society: The sea demon may be encountered at sea or in coastal areas. Its lair is usually in the sea, but may be on landif the climate is humid and either subtropical or tropical. It will nearly always be found alone, for it hates all other life, especially other sea demons. The creature is 80% likely to be in or near its lair when encountered.
A sea demon that has lost tentacles can regenerate them at a rate of 3 feet per tentacle per week. A sea demon will nto attack a ship if its wounded tentacles are less than half healed.
Ecology: The sea demon eats whatever it can catch, preying mainly on giant marine life, small whales, and the like. It may come ashore to hunt, especially if the food in the surrounding seas has been depleted. Perhaps sea demons first attacked ships because aship’s hull somewhat resembles a whale when viewed from below, but the creatures have learned that ship crews are prey, also.
Sea Demon, Greater
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Tropical ocean depths
FREQUENCY: Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: High (13-14)
TREASURE: Nil (H)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
No. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVEMENT: 6, Sw 18
HIT DICE: 16+16
THAC0: 5
No. of ATTACKS: 11 (6 on land)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10x10/5d6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Constriction, whirlpool
SPECIAL DEFENCES: Ink
MAGIC RESISTANCE:30%
SIZE: H (40' tentacles)
MORALE: Fearless (19-20)
XP VALUE: 15,000
This creature is in most ways similar to its smaller cousin, but has twelve tentacles (ten of which it uses to attack). It is larger, having a diameter of 20 to 25 feet and its tentacles grow to 40 feet in length. A greater sea demon is found mainly in the deeps; its lair is nearly always below a depth of 1,000 feet.
A greater sea demon tentacle has an effective strength of 18/91, and requires 20 points of damage to sever. Its beak inflicts 5d6 points of damage, and is strong enough to crush coral, or crack the shell of a giant clam. The creature can reduce a ship’s seaworthiness by 4-16% per round (4d4) and crush small boats with ease. Severed tentacles regrow at the rate of four feet per tentacle per week. Its cloud measures 60x80x80 feet.
Note: If the optional ship damage system from Ships and the See is used, the lesser sea demon inflicts 1d4 points of hull damage per round, and the greater sea demon inflicts 2d4.
Originally appeared in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998).
