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?
