Amphibious. The kraken can breathe air and water.
Empowered Attacks. The kraken's weapon attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks.
Freedom of Movement. The kraken is immune to forced movement, ignores difficult terrain, and magical effects can't reduce its speed or cause it to be restrained or paralyzed.
Immutable Existence. The Kraken is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form or send it to another plane of existence.
Innate Spellcasting. The kraken's spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spelll save DC 23). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
- at will: arcane eye, control winds, detect magic, dispel magic, nondetection, primordial ward
- 3/day: control weather, maelstrom, mass suggestion, scrying, tsunami (as an action), whirlwind
- 1/day: feeblemind, foresight, power word kill, storm of vengeance
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the kraken fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Siege Monster. The kraken deals double damage to objects and structures.
Tentacles. The kraken has eight tentacles. A creature can attempt to attack a tentacle instead of damaging the kraken directly. If the creature deals 60 or more damage in a single turn to the tentacle, the kraken must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or let go of whatever it was grappling with that tentacle. If the creature deals 120 or more damage in a single turn to a tentacle or a character wielding a vorpal sword rolls a natural 20 for an attack against the tentacle, it is destroyed.
When a tentacle is destroyed, the number of attacks the kraken can make on its turn as well as the number of reactions it can take is reduced by one; if a creature does not manage to deal enough damage, the tentacle regenerates and heals off all damage dealt to it. A severed tentacle regrows after 7 days. If all tentacles are destroyed, the kraken dies.
Wrath of the Kraken. Whenever the kraken surfaces, churning storm clouds form in the sky within 1200 feet of it, gale-force winds howl, lightning flashes and thunder booms. The area becomes lightly obscured, any nonmagical flames are extinguished, ranged weapon attacks have disadvantage and any fog, mists, and similar phenomena in the area, whether mundane or magical, are dispersed automatically.
In addition, the sea within 1200 feet of it becomes rough. The water within that area counts as difficult terrain. Characters might experience strong, unexpected currents and high waves, resulting in ships capsizing or breaking apart and other dangers, on DM's discretion.
The effects disappear within ten minutes after the kraken dives again or dies.
Multiattack. The kraken can use its Terror of the Seas. It then makes one attack or uses Fling with each of its eight tentacles. The kraken cannot target the same creature or object more than once, unless it is huge or larger - in that case the kraken can target it with up to three tentacles.
Fathomless Maw. Melee Weapon Attack: [rollable]+18 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 59 (8d12+10) piercing damage and the target is swallowed by the kraken. While swallowed, a creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the kraken, and any swallowed creature or object takes 42 (12d6) acid damage at the start of each of the kraken's turns.
A swallowed creature is unable to sever the kraken's tentacles, no matter how much damage it deals.
If the kraken takes 60 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the kraken must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the kraken. If the kraken dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 120 ft., one target. Hit: 33 (4d12+10) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 26). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. The kraken has eight tentacles, each of which can grapple one target.
Fling. One object held or creature grappled by the kraken is thrown up to 3d6 × 10 feet in a random direction and knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes a solid surface, the target takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was thrown. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.
Reel. The kraken pulls each creature grappled or object held with its tentacles up to 30 feet straight toward it.
All-Devouring Vortex (1/day). The kraken creates a massive whirlpool centered on itself, or rather on its maw. The whirlpool moves with the kraken, has a 600-foot radius, is up to 60 feet deep and lasts for up to 10 minutes, until the kraken dives again or until it dies. Any creature that starts its turn within the area of the whirlpool must make a DC 26 Strength saving throw. On a failure, it is pulled up to 60 feet straight toward the center of the whirlpool and takes 36 (8d8) bludgeoning damage as the raging sea hurls it around and waves crash onto it.
Ships fail the saving throw automatically, although it is up to the DM to decide by how far a ship of a certain size and speed is pulled each turn and if, and how, this can be counteracted by the crew, such as by succeeding on skill checks to handle the ship.
Terror of the Seas. Any creature of the kraken's choice that is within 600 feet of the kraken and aware of it must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turn, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to this ability for the next 24 hours.
A creature that is captaining a ship within this area has disadvantage on the saving throw as it experiences visions of the kraken's enormous tentacles dragging down their beloved ship into the fathomless depths of the sea, just like it happened countless of times in old tales.
While Wrath of the Kraken is in effect, the kraken can take one of the following bonus actions on each of its turns:
Lightning Storm. The kraken can call down three lightning bolts, which strike three points within the area beneath the storm. Each creature within 10 feet of such a point must make a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In addition, on a failed save, a creature cannot use reactions until the start of its next turn. The lightning bolts damage objects that are not being worn or carried within the area.
Tidal Wave. The kraken creates a massive tidal wave within 600 feet of it. The wave can be up to 120 feet long, up to 30 feet wide, and up to 30 feet tall. Each creature within that area must make a DC 26 Strength saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage on a failure or half as much on a success. In addition, on a failure, a creature is knocked prone. The wave damages objects that are not being worn or carried within the area.
The kraken can take eight reactions per round, one with each tentacle, although only one per turn.
Deflect Siege Missiles. The kraken uses a tentacle that is not grappling anything to block a large projectile thrown or shot by a siege weapon. The kraken must make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the attack roll. On a success, it takes no damage from the attack as it successfully deflects the projectile.
Ship's Doom. When a ship leaves the kraken's reach, the kraken can use its reaction to make one tentacle attack against it.
The kraken can take 5 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The kraken regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Insatiable Hunger. The kraken makes an attack with its fathomless maw.
Water Pulse. While in water, the kraken creates a pulse of water, propelling itself forward. Each creature that is within 30 feet of the kraken in the water must make a DC 26 Strength saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. In addition, on a failed save, a creature is knocked prone. The kraken then moves up to half its speed.
Fathomless Magic (Costs 2 Actions). The kraken casts one of its spells.
Raging Storm (Costs 2 Actions). The kraken uses Lightning Storm or Tidal Wave.
Titan's Crush (Costs 2 Actions). Each creature restrained by the kraken must make a DC 26 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it takes 36 (8d8) bludgeoning damage and has disadvantage on any ability checks it makes to attempt to escape from being restrained by the kraken until the end of its next turn. On a success, it takes half as much damage without any other effects.
Objects held by the kraken's tentacles take the damage automatically. If the kraken uses this ability to attempt to crush a ship held in its tentacles, everyone on board that ship must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or is knocked prone.
Ink Cloud (Costs 3 Actions, Recharge 5–6). While underwater, the kraken expels an ink cloud in a 120-foot radius. The cloud spreads around corners, and that area is heavily obscured to creatures other than the kraken. Each creature other than the kraken that ends its turn there must make a DC 26 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A strong current disperses the cloud, which otherwise disappears at the end of the kraken's next turn
Description
Beneath the waves, the kraken sleeps for untold ages, awaiting some fell sign or calling. Land-born mortals who sail the open sea forget the reasons their ancestors dreaded the ocean, even as the races of the deep ignore strange gaps in their histories when their civilizations nearly vanished after the appearance of the tentacled horror.
Leviathans of Legends. At the beginning of time, krakens served as fierce warriors of the gods. When the gods' wars ended, the krakens shrugged free of their servitude, never again to be bound by other beings. Whole nations quake in fear when the kraken emerges from its dark demesne, and even in the middle of the deepest oceans, storms rise or abate according to its will. The kraken is a primeval force that obliterates the greatest achievements of civilization as if they were castles in the sand. Its devastating attacks can destroy ocean trade and halt communication between coastal cities.
An ominous darkness presages a kraken's attack, and a cloud of inky poison colors the water around it, while churning storm clouds darken the sky, gale-force winds rip sails apart and the sea's rage is unleashed with waves towering even above the highest masts. Galleons and warships vanish when its tentacles uncoil from the deep, the kraken breaking their masts like kindling before drawing down ships and crew. Not even landlocked surface dwellers are safe from a kraken's wrath. Krakens can breathe air as easily as water, and some younger and especially smaller ones crawl up rivers to nest in freshwater lakes, destroying cities and towns along the way. Adventurers tell of these monsters lairing in the ruins of lakeside citadels, their tentacles twined around leaning towers of disintegrating stone.
Titans of the Sea. A kraken's titanic size can't really be described in words. Its tentacles measue hundreds of feets, every single one of them is strong enough to drag a ship down into the fathomless depts of the sea. The kraken's eyes are by themselves larger than beholders and its ever-hungry maw can swallow a ship whole.
It might very well be that some ancient krakens are among the largest living creatures in this world - only being topped by ancient dragon turtles, which become so large that their shells can bear entire empires, landscapes and ecosystems - in other words, they are living islands or world-bearers.
Krakens are not just behemoths of the sea, they also possess great intellect and awareness of their surrounding - they aren't just raging monsters of destructions, they can be vicious tacticians and always seem to be one tentacle swing ahead of others with their plans - plans that all lead to the same goal, destruction. In addition, most mature krakens can invoke primordial magic from ancient times, magic land-born mortals have forgot about a long time ago.
Mortal Foes. Some krakens are virtual gods, with cults and minions spread across sea and land. Others are allied with Olhydra, the evil Princess of Elemental Water, and use her cultists to enforce their will on land and sea. A kraken pleased with its worshipers can becalm rough seas and bring a bounteous harvest of fish to the faithful. Some krakens even offer a little bit of their tremendous primordial powers to mortals in exchange for some kind of payment, reminescent of the archetypical deal with a devil. However, the devious mind of a kraken is ancient beyond reckoning, and is ultimately bent to the ruination of all things.
Voice of the Kraken. A kraken rarely speaks out loud, preferring to communicate by telepathy, but when it does, it does with a deep, thundering voice infused with blasphemous magic. The voice of the kraken, as stories tell, means one's end is near - it is the last thing a creature hears before the waves of the raging sea swallow it, never to be seen again. A creature that heard the voice of the kraken will either spend its remaining life at the bottom of the sea, serving or worshiping the kraken out of despair, hoping to eventually be allowed to go back to the surface, or it will simply end up as food for it.
If a creature within 60 feet of the kraken can hear it speak, the kraken can force it to make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or be cursed. While cursed in this way, the creature has a swimming speed equal to its walking speed, can only breathe water and is overwhelmed with despair, rendering it unable to target the kraken with any harmful abilities, spells or attacks. In addition, it feels compelled to dive down into the depths of the sea to where the kraken lairs, where it might start serving or worshiping the kraken.
Lair and Lair Actions
A Kraken’s Lair
A kraken lives in dark depths, usually a sunken rift or a cavern filled with detritus, treasure, and wrecked ships. A kraken's lair can be a simple natural rift or cavern - although of course one of impressive size to be able to accomodate such a titanic creature - or it could be a temple-like structure built by mortals that either live in the sea such as tritons or sahuagin or that came from the surface and heard the Voice of the Kraken, who worship that particular kraken as a deity. Regardless of where it lairs, the area around a kraken's lair typically has many shipwrecks around, a reminder of the kraken's destructive wrath, and is populated with creatures that serve the kraken or worship it.
Some even say krakens hoard treasure just like dragons, but the presence of gold, jewellery and other valuables close to or even in kraken lairs seems to be more of a coincidence - where lots of ships sink there usually is lots of treasure to be found. Due to the enormous depths a typical kraken's lair lies at, unusual deep-sea creatures and forms of life may reside in the area around it that are not found anywhere else in the world. The presence of such creatures and the great number of shipwrecks resting there makes the region around a kraken's lair a desirable target for natural explorers and adventurers alike.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the kraken takes a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects:
- Wild Current. The kraken creates a strong current in a 600-foot line that is 60 feet wide. All creatures caught in that current must make a DC 20 Strength saving throw. On a failure, they are pulled up to 3d6 × 10 feet closer to the kraken or pushed the same distance away (the kraken's choice) and are knocked prone.
- Destructive Wrath. The kraken, in its wrath, causes a part of its lair to crumble. Each creature within a 30-foot radius centered on a point the kraken can see within its lair must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone and restrained by debris, on a success it takes half as much damage without any other effects.
- Blasphemous Chants. Choral chants echo through the halls of the kraken's lair as if worshipers were praying to the kraken. Each creature other than the kraken that can hear these chorals must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) psychic damage on a failure or half as much on a success. In addition, on a failed save, a creature becomes frightened until the end of its next turn. Meanwhile, the kraken itself benefits from a heal spell cast on it and has advantage on all saving throws until the next initiative count 20.
- Electrified Water. The water within the kraken's lair becomes charged with electricity. Each creature of the kraken's choice within 120 feet of it must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) lightning damage on a failure or half as much on a success. In addition, on a failed save, a creature cannot use reactions until the end of its next turn.
- Runes of Deep Despair. Runes within the kraken's lair light up, creating the effect of a symbol spell with the Hopelessness effect. A creature that fails the saving throw will get a feeling that starting to serve or worship the kraken is the only way it will survive this encounter. There may also be runes that create a symbol spell with a different effect or that work as glyphs of warding.
Regional Effects
The region containing a kraken’s lair is warped by the creature’s blasphemous presence, creating the following magical effects:
- Neverending Storms. The kraken can alter the weather at will in a 12-mile radius centered on its lair. The effect is identical to the control weather spell.
- Repelling Currents. Strong currents try to push unwanted visitors away from the lair. These currents can be first encountered within 10 miles of the lair and become more common closer to the lair.
- Cursed Waters. Water elementals coalesce within 6 miles of the lair. These elementals can’t leave the water and have Intelligence and Charisma scores of 1 (−5). In addition, rifts to the fathomless depths of the Elemental Plane of Water may open.
- TItan's Servants. Aquatic creatures within 6 miles of the lair that have an Intelligence score of 2 or lower are charmed by the kraken and aggressive toward intruders in the area.
- Unholy Forbiddance. The area within 1 mile of the kraken's lair is under the effect of a forbiddance spell targeting celestials.
When the kraken dies, all of these regional effects fade immediately.
Previous Versions
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