Kraken Variants

[freyar]

Yeah, CR 23 is good.

I guess we should elaborate on the tactics a bit. Should we say that the Kraken will use its Death Cloud early in a fight to weaken martial opponents? And perhaps uses horrid wilting against casters or ranged fighters? I think we don't really need to mention other SLAs since they're not really combat spells.

Also, for Inky Doom, I'd think a creature that dies from it should also dissipate at the first wave (or current) since this is an aquatic critter!

 

[Cleon]

Yeah, CR 23 is good.

Agreed. Will update the Awnshegh Kraken Working Draft.

I guess we should elaborate on the tactics a bit. Should we say that the Kraken will use its Death Cloud early in a fight to weaken martial opponents? And perhaps uses horrid wilting against casters or ranged fighters? I think we don't really need to mention other SLAs since they're not really combat spells.

Well the original entry has an "eyewitness report" describing it attacking a ship, and the the actual background info has:

"…the Kraken acts like nothing more than an animal, though some say it has exceptional intelligence."​

…and.

"Unlike other kraken, the Kraken does not retreat once it attacks a vessel. The creature heals quickly, so it can lose a few tentacles or even an eye, to gain a goal. Should the Kraken wish to retreat, however, it shoots a jet of black ink 80 feet high and 120 feet long toward its opponents. The ink is poisonous—this is the Kraken’s death touch, as described under “Blood Abilities” in this book—but dissipates in 2-5 rounds, while the Kraken uses its jets to flee.​

​

Some say the Kraken devours the crews of ships and hauls the shattered vessels to a cavern beneath the Krakenstaur. No wreckage or survivors are ever found after a Kraken attack, but its treasure hoard must be monstrous, if this theory is to be believed."​

Which suggests it reserves its Death Cloud until it receives significant resistance, but is a lot more persistent an attacker than a regular Kraken.

Also, it says its fast healing regrows limbs so quickly losing them doesn't deter it much in combat. That suggests they regrow in a matter of rounds rather than the days of a regular Kraken.

If they each regrow at the same Fast Healing rate as its body, that's 8 rounds for a 40 hp tentacle and 4 rounds for a 20 hp arm. However, The Kraken actually only takes 20 hp from losing a tentacle and 10 hp from an arm, which'd heal in half that time, i.e. 4 rounds or 2 rounds.

I'd make it a random dice roll that maxes out at the top of those ranges. Say, 1d4+4 for tentacles and 1d2+2 for arms?

How about this:

This awnshegh is so enormous it hunts entire ships or Huge creatures like whales. The Kraken rarely pursues man-sized creatures unless they are numerous and/or easy prey or have provoked the creature.​

​

Despite its intelligence, The Kraken prefers to attack like an animal. Striking with its barbed tentacles and grabbing with its arms, it then crushing opponents in its limbs as they are dragged into its enormous mouth. While it often uses its spell-like abilities to raise a storm or gale before attacking, untutored observers typically mistake this for ordinary bad weather.​

​

If The Kraken's opponents prove formidable, the monster gets serious and uses its death cloud and horrid wilting attacks. Once it starts fighting, the monster is stubborn and persistent. If it loses an eye, both tentacles or three of its arms might withdraw temporarily, but will return to the fray as soon as its formidable fast healing ability has repaired the damage.​

​

Opponents can make sunder attempts against The Kraken's tentacles or arms as if they were weapons. The tentacles have 40 hit points, and the arms have 20 hit points. If The Kraken is currently grappling a target with one tentacle or arm, it usually uses another limb to make its attack of opportunity against the sunder attempt. Severing a tentacle or arm deals damage to The Kraken equal to half the limb's full normal hit points. The Kraken's fast healing allows it to regrow a severed tentacle in 1d4+4 rounds and a severed arm in 1d2+2 rounds.​

Actually, that last sentence could do with some tweaks. How about:

Tentacle Tweak #1:
The Kraken's fast healing repairs each limb at the rate of 5 hit points per round and regrows a severed tentacle in 1d4+4 rounds and a severed arm in 1d2+2 rounds.​

or:

Tentacle Tweak #2:
If a sunder attack fails to sever a limb, The Kraken's fast healing immediately repairs the damage, so there's no need to track each limb's individual hit points. The Kraken regrows a severed tentacle in 1d4+4 rounds and a severed arm in 1d2+2 rounds.​

Which do you prefer? I'm leaning towards #2, just 'cause its simpler to keep track off but am fine with #1.

Also, for Inky Doom, I'd think a creature that dies from it should also dissipate at the first wave (or current) since this is an aquatic critter!

Yes, that makes sense, since instead of crumbling to dust like a Mummy's Curse the victims liquefy.

Maybe change:

An afflicted creature who dies of inky doom melts into black slime that evaporates into nothing at the first breeze.​

To:

An afflicted creature who dies of inky doom melts into black slime that washes away into nothing at the first rainfall or water current.

Would that work for you?

 

[freyar]

OK, in order:

The tactics look good. I like strategic use of the death cloud rather than reserving it to escape since it recharges fast enough that The Kraken can possibly use it more than once a fight.

I also like #2 for the tentacles.

And the revision of inky doom is also good.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of flavor in the original. You have any ideas? We could play up the "largest creature" bit I guess.

 

[Cleon]

OK, in order:

The tactics look good. I like strategic use of the death cloud rather than reserving it to escape since it recharges fast enough that The Kraken can possibly use it more than once a fight.

I also like #2 for the tentacles.

And the revision of inky doom is also good.

Updating Awnshegh Kraken Working Draft.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of flavor in the original. You have any ideas? We could play up the "largest creature" bit I guess.

Well compared to the Mystaran Kraken it's a tiddler, let along something actually BIG like a Draeden.

Perhaps emphasize it's mysterious rumours of extraplanar origin and the cult of islanders that allegedly worships it?

In either case, we need a description.

Should we do anything about a size/weight/languages section(s)?

 

[freyar]

Languages: how about Common and Aquan but chooses not to speak?
Size: it looks like the original says it's 110 ft long, though I'm not sure if the tentacles are included in any way. But we could go with that. Did we discuss the Space entry?
Let's leave off the weight, since it's floating.

You're much better at the descriptions than I am, so I'm happy to see your proposal.
Those ideas for flavor are fine with me!

 

[Cleon]

Languages: how about Common and Aquan but chooses not to speak?

Hmm, I think we should add Abyssal to that list.

So maybe "The Kraken understands Common, Abyssal and Aquan but never speaks."

Size: it looks like the original says it's 110 ft long, though I'm not sure if the tentacles are included in any way. But we could go with that. Did we discuss the Space entry?

I vaguely recall us discussing it, I believe it went something like this:

A regular 3E Kraken has 60-foot long tentacles and a body 30 feet long according to its Monster Manual description. That's a total of 90 feet, which matches an AD&D Kraken's 90+ ft. total length.

The Awnshegh Kraken is given a 110 ft. total length. If we subtract the 60-foot long arms from that we get a body 50 feet long, which matches the Space we gave our conversion.

Let's leave off the weight, since it's floating.

Works for me!

You're much better at the descriptions than I am, so I'm happy to see your proposal.
Those ideas for flavor are fine with me!

Right, I'll have a stab at it.

I'll cadge some features (like the mouth shape) from the illustration in Blood Enemies.

This creature resembles a titanic reddish-pink octopus. Its globular body is crowned by two baleful eyes above a mass of writhing arms from which protrude a pair of elongated tentacles that end in leafshaped claspers. In the midst of its limbs yawns a horrible lamprey like mouth, a vast pit lined with ring upon ring of sharklike triangular teeth.

The Awnshegh known as The Kraken is a truly enormous creature. While it shares many features with normal krakens, it is uncertain whether it is truly related to them. Some sources claim it's an monstrosity from some other plane such as the Abyss, the Elemental Plane of Water, or even the Far Realm. The Kraken is a solitary creature who spends most of its time lurking in the ocean's depth, surfacing occasionally to feed on passing ships and whales. It is exceedingly territorial and always emerges to attack intruders who venture too close to its home.

While the Kraken is extraordinarily intelligent it is not quite as smart as a normal Kraken, and its mind is so alien and vicious that it normal acts as if it were nothing but a bloodthirsty animal. It is so feared by local islanders that some worship it as a god in the hope of propitiating its wrath. However, the Kraken displays no interest in worshipers or slaves. It has no air-filled caverns in its lair like those standard krakens often imprison humanoid servants from the surface in.

The beast's globular body is approximately 50 feet across. Its six shorted arms are about 60 feet long; the remaining two tentacles are 90 feet long. All eight limbs are lined with viciously barbed suckers.

The Kraken understands Common, Abyssal and Aquan but never speaks.

 

[freyar]

This all looks good! I say paste it in and move to the next one.

 

[Cleon]

This all looks good! I say paste it in and move to the next one.

Updating Awnshegh Kraken Working Draft.

Do we want an "In Cerilia" subsection with the Birthright locale-specific information about the Kraken?

Say:

In Cerilia
This awnshegh of the BIRTHRIGHT Campaign Setting dwells in a region of the Black Ice Bay known as Krakennauricht, a large saltwater bay whose waters are cold the year round. While ice is common at all times of year the bay never freezes over completely. At the center or the Krakennauricht is the Krakenstaur, an island with two mountainous. Apart from these peaks, the rocky island is so flat and shallow that it is covered by the sea when the tides are exceptionally high.

The Kraken is said to dwell in a cavern beneath the Krakenstaur and has never been reported more than a few miles from its shores. Most ships steer well clear of the island out of fear of The Kraken, whose attacks are said to never leave any survivors or even floating wreckage. The Kraken does not always surface whenever someone sails the Krakennauricht and foolhardy souls who have landed on the Krakenstaur have sometimes reported encounters with humans or other humanoids dwelling upon the island, including signs of sacrifice suggesting these islanders worship The Kraken as a god. Other expeditions have landed on the island and found no sign of inhabitants despite thorough searches.

 

[freyar]

Just change "two mountainous" to "two mountains," and it looks great!

Which one is next?

 

[Cleon]

Just change "two mountainous" to "two mountains," and it looks great!

Updating Awnshegh Kraken Working Draft.

Which one is next?

Well way back on 12th August 2020 you said "Want to do the Birthright ones next?" so we might as well follow through.

The other Birthright Kraken is the Undead Kraken.

 

[Cleon]

Might as well get started. Here's the relevant extract from Legends of the Hero-Kings (1996).

 The kraken the party encountered before is back . . . from the dead. It doesn’t matter whether the Heroes killed it before or not—if they did, it has been reanimated: if they didn’t, something else killed it and brought it back. This tortured, horrific creature bears only a frightening similarity to what it was before.
​

The tentacles, once strong and firm, are now a mass of slime and exposed cartilage. Parts have gone rigid and are sharp as spears. Others only wave in the air angrily, casting a foul odor over the ship.  The undead creature attacks with blinding speed. Before anyone can react, one of the smaller tentacles knifes through the air and into the chest of a luckless crewman.  He didn’t even have time to scream.  But now everyone else does.​

Undead Kraken: AC 2/–1; MV Sw 2, Jet 18; HD 24; hp 134; THAC0 1; #AT 7; Dmg 2d8(×6)/7d4; SA spear tentacle, fear; SD +1 or better weapon to hit; SW turned as special; SZ G (90′ long); ML fanatic (18); Int non (0); AL N; XP 14,000.
 Notes: The undead kraken has lost the spell abilities, constriction attack, and ink jet it had as a living creature. However, it does have the following abilities:
 SA—If hit by a tentacle, the victim must succeed at a saving throw vs. paralyzation with a –2 penalty or be impaled. An impaled character suffers 4d10 points of additional damage. The victim can disengage himself from the impaling tentacle by severing it (with 18 points of damage) or by succeeding in a Strength ability check (while performing no other actions in the round).
 When the kraken appears, it causes every character to save vs. spell or panic for 2d8 rounds. Panicked characters will try to hide from the kraken, possibly diving into the sea on the other side of the ship.

 Whatever force or god punished the kraken did a good job . . . and the kraken will in turn do its best to punish the PCs. Though no longer intelligent, it is motivated by a vengeful hatred of the living.
 The undead kraken will attack characters and crew members indiscriminately. If it gets angry enough, it will try to crush the Wavecrest with its larger tentacles. This tactic could prove its undoing: The kraken’s larger tentacles apparently were cannibalized by its necromantic creator to repair damage to its smaller tentacles and body; its large tentacles are useless. The undead kraken could spend a round or two realizing this, leaving the PCs and crew time to escape or fight back.​

The adventure's previous encounter (The First Trial) featured the kraken attacking the PC's ship back when it was alive. It's stats were those of a normal 2E Kraken with above average HP at 6 hp/die (although that's not unusual for published AD&D scenarios, which over give them better than the accurate 4½hp/die).

Kraken: AC 5/0; MV Sw 3, Jet 21; HD 20; hp 120; THAC0 5; #AT 9; Dmg 3d6(×2)/2d6(×6)/7d4; SA constriction, poison, spells: SD ink cloud; SZ G (90′ long; ML fanatic (18); Int genius (19); AL NE; XP 14,000.
 Notes: successful hit with a tentacle means the character has either one arm (01–25% left or 26–50% right) pinned, no arms (51–75%) pinned but is constricted, or both arms (76–100%) pinned. A constricted victim cannot cast spells but can use a weapon to attack the tentacle at a –1 modifier (or a –3 with one arm pinned). If both arms are pinned, the victim can do nothing.
 The kraken can spray a cloud of poisonous ink (usually to cover an escape) 80 feet high by 80 feet wide by 120 feet long. It does 2d4 points of damage to anyone coming in contact with it until it dissipates in two to five rounds.
 The kraken can also use spell-like powers. It can create airy water in a 120-yard sphere continuously, and can use the following abilities one at a time: faerie fire, control temperature, control winds once per day, weather summoning once per day, animal summoning III (fish only) three times per day.​

So the undead version is a bit tougher with higher AC more Hit Dice and harpooning tentacles but has lost the ink and supernatural abilities of the living version, as well as being Mindless. Plus it's slightly slower.

 

[Cleon]

Okay, so we're obviously talking Gargantuan Undead (Aquatic) here.

First question is how many Hit Dice should it have? A Kraken has +20 BAB and 20d10+180 (290 hp) HD.

The Undead Version had 20% more hit points than its living kin, which'd be 348 hp. That'd require 53 Hit Dice which seems a bit excessive. Maybe grant it Unholy Toughness and a Kraken's Charisma 20 for 1d12+5 hp per HD, which require 20 HD?

Hmm, or give it Unholy Toughness, 48 HD and Charisma 12? That way its BAB would be 4 better than a regular Kraken's at +24, like the original's THAC0 1 is 4 better than a living Kraken's THAC0 5?

Let's see, 48d12+48 is 360 hp. Slightly over a 20% increase but close enough.

Strength and Dexterity can stay the same, Intelligence and Constitution become zero and I proposed Charisma 12 above.

That just leaves Wisdom. Maybe 12 in that too, since the SRD Kraken has the number in WIS as CHA?

I'm thinking the "harpoon arms" should do 2d6+12 damage or a half-step lower than an SRD Kraken's 2d8+12 tentacles, since the original's did 2d8 compared to the 3d6 of a live AD&D Kraken's 3d6 primary tentacles.

The "Harpoon" special attack can be worked out later.

I am seriously tempted to give its arms 40 ft. reach since they've been augmented with lengths from the missing tentacles plus impaling blades.

 

[freyar]

I can't help but think these need a better name. Even something like zombie kraken would sound better.

I don't think I'd like to increase the HD all the way to 48. But wait, isn't Cha 20 Unholy Toughness an average of 11.5 hp/HD, so 20HD only gives 230 hp? We'd want 30 HD and Cha 20, which leads to 345hp. Does that sound ok to you?

Wis at 20 then?

 

[Cleon]

I can't help but think these need a better name. Even something like zombie kraken would sound better.

Well there's uninspired alternatives like Death Kraken, but Birthright has a leaning towards Norse-based names so how about Krakendraugr?

I'd leave the original name in the title too, for "Krakendraugr (Undead Kraken)" despite it being an tautology since if my reading of Wikipedia is right Krakendraugr means something like Kraken Undead in Norse.

Does that work for you?

 

[Cleon]

I don't think I'd like to increase the HD all the way to 48. But wait, isn't Cha 20 Unholy Toughness an average of 11.5 hp/HD, so 20HD only gives 230 hp? We'd want 30 HD and Cha 20, which leads to 345hp. Does that sound ok to you?

Wis at 20 then?

Dang it, that's a typo. Typed a 2 that should be a 3.

The paragraph was talking about increasing the HD and 20 HD is what a living Kraken has.

Won't edit the post to correct it, since that's just confuse the thread.

Will start a Working Draft…

 

[Cleon]

Krakendraugr (Undead Kraken)
Gargantuan Undead (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 30d12+150 (345 hp)
Initiative: +10
Speed: Swim 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (–4 size, +2 Dex, +14 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +22/+52
Attack: Harpoon arm +32 melee (1d10+14 plus special/19-20)
Full Attack: 6 harpoon arms +32 melee (1d10+14 plus special/19-20) and bite +27 melee (4d6+7)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft. (40 ft. with harpoon arm)
Special Attacks: Expert grappler, harpoon arms, terrifying presence [?]
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., jet [240 ft.], low-light vision, mindless, undead beast, undead traits, unholy toughness
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +19, Will +11
Abilities: Str 38, Dex 14, Con —, Int —, Wis 12, Cha 20
Skills: Swim +20
Feats: Blind-Fightᴮ, Improved Critical (harpoon arm)ᴮ, Superior Initiativeᴮ
Environment: Temperate aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: ##
Treasure: Triple standard ?
Alignment: Always neutral evil ?
Advancement: 31-48 HD (Gargantuan); 49-90 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: —

This creature.

Description.

Undead kraken cannot speak.

Combat
Tactics.

Expert Grappler (Ex): If a krakendraugr chooses to grapple an opponent but remain ungrappled itself it only takes a –10 penalty on its grapple checks instead of the normal –20 penalty. It may then make harpoon arm attacks as normal.

Jet (Ex): A krakendraugr can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 240 feet. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting.

Harpoon Arms (Ex): A krakendraugr's harpoon arms deal piercing and slashing damage like a talon attack; each arm end in a steel-hard length of cartilage lined with cruel barbs. If a harpoon arm arm hits, the target must succeed at a DC 27 Reflex save or be harpooned. As long as it is impaled, the harpooned creature is considered to be grappled by the krakendraugr, takes a –2 penalty on its attack rolls, and is unable to leave the 40 foot reach of the harpoon arm. Each harpoon arm can only impale a single opponent at a time.

A harpoon arm that is impaling a creature can only attack that creature. Whenever the krakendraugr makes a harpoon arm attack against a harpooned creature it automatically inflicts 2d8+21 damage (halved if the creature makes a DC 27 Fortitude save) and can also opt to make an opposed grapple check to move the creature up to 20 feet and/or tear the harpoon arm out of the creature's flesh (see below). If the krakendraugr pulls a harpooned creature within range of its beak, it can make a bite attack as an Attack of Opportunity.

A creature, including the krakendraugr or one of its impaled victims, can pull a harpoon arm out of a harpooned creature by succeeding at a DC 24 Strength check, but each attempt deals 6d6 piercing and slashing damage to the harpooned creature (plus 2d8+21 damage if the krakendraugr is making a harpoon arm attack to attempt the removal). The harpooned creature is allowed a DC 27 Fortitude saving throw to take half damage. A krakendraugr can "take 10" on this Strength check to automatically succeed at ripping a harpoon arm free. A creature who takes a full-round action to try carefully extracting a harpooning arm makes both a DC 27 Heal check and a DC 24 Strength check. If they succeed at either check they pull out the harpoon arm (doing half damage if the Heal check succeeded, or one-third damage if the victim also made the DC 27 Fort save), and if they succeed at both checks they remove the harpoon arm without causing any damage. Krakendraugr never attempt Heal checks to reduce the damage caused by removing their harpoon arms.

The saving throws and Heal check are both Dexterity-based; the Strength check DC is 10 plus the Krakendraugr's strength modifier.

Mindless: No Intelligence score, and immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).

Terrifying Presence (Su): The mere sight of a krakendraugr causes living creatures to flee in panic for 2d8 rounds (negated by a DC 20 Will saving throw). The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a –10 racial penalty.

Undead Beast: Instead of having a good Will save and a base attack bonus equal to ½ its Hit Dice like a normal undead, a krakendraugr has good Fortitude and Reflex saves and a base attack bonus equal to ¾ total Hit Dice.

Unholy Toughness (Ex): A krakendraugr gains a bonus to its hit points equal to its Charisma modifier × its Hit Dice.

Skills: A krakendraugr has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

In Cerilia
Stuff?

Originally from from Legends of the Hero-Kings (1996).

 

[Cleon]

Feats: [some bonus feats ?]

I'm thinking Blind-Fight, Improved Critical (harpoon arm) and Improved Initiative to match the combat feats of the living version.

The encounter's description says it "attacks with blinding speed", so I'm tempted to give it Superior Initiative instead.

 

[Cleon]

So are you OK with Strength 34 and Wisdom 12 for it?

 

[Cleon]

The encounter's description says it "attacks with blinding speed", so I'm tempted to give it Superior Initiative instead.

Upon reflection, how about we give it +4 to Dexterity just to mix it up a bit? That plus Improved Initiative as a bonus feat can account for the "blinding speed" described in the original Encounter.

A Skeleton get a +2 Dex but this undead kraken is a more powerful creature, so +4 Dex on par with a Vampire or Vampire Spawn seems more fitting. Even a Ghoul or Shadow have +4 racial adjustment to their Dexterity so it's not that outlandish.

 

[freyar]

"Krakendraugr (Undead Kraken)" is good. If any Norse speakers want something more exotic sounding, they can use Undead Kraken.

HD and hp look good now. Str 34, Wis 12 work for me too! And I assume you mean Dex 14 or 15, which is also fine.

Blind-Fight, Improved Critical (harpoon arm) and Improved Initiative bonus feats work.

I'm thinking about treating the harpoon like a grapple, except there's extra damage at the attack rather than constriction later. The DC to get out of the grapple should probably be fixed, but it should take some kind of action to get unstuck, which might as well be given by the grappled condition. What do you think?