You Better Hope She Found a Sitter

The Soccer Mom Megalodon dwarfs all other sharks, its size rivaling the Kraken. Her imposing teeth shatter even the most sturdy vessels, capturing the occupants inside her massive maw to feed her spawn. Her brood tend to reside in her mouth, traveling with her as she races through the sea, leaving destruction in her wake.

While the parentage of her substantial brood is often in question, her devotion to her children is not—those who harm her children meet swift ends. Her children typically appear as normal Hunter Sharks with some reaching the size of Giant Sharks. Unlike their mother, her spawn tend to be focused on their own hungers and desires, spoiled by their doting mother. Whether they’re demanding the latest toy, being shuttled between after-school activities, or gnawing on amateur adventurers, these little monsters radiate chaos.

The Megalodon rarely ventures to the surface, unless food becomes scarce or tempting treats ventures into her domain. Ships transporting toys or sporting goods make for prime targets with the crew serving as food and their goods serving as gifts and welcome distractions for her children. 

Soccer Mom Megalodon Lair

The Megalodon’s Lair is their body itself with its digestive system serving as a sort of mobile dungeon, complete with hazardous stomach acid, confining tunnels, and a maze of intestines. Megalodons tend to have numerous children, who live within the protective confines of their mother’s mouth. The Megalodon typically travels with other sharks, particularly Giant Sharks and Hunter Sharks.

Lair Actions

On Initiative count 20 (losing Initiative ties), the Soccer Mom Megalodon can take one of the following Lair Actions; it can’t take the same Lair Action two rounds in a row:

Digestive Juices. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 20, all creatures in the Esophagus, Gall Bladder, Liver, Pancreas, or Stomach. Failure: 27 (6d8) Acid damage. Success: Half damage.

Peristalsis. Strength Saving Throw: DC 20, all creatures in the Lair. Failure: 10 (3d6) Force damage and the creature is moved into an adjoining room of the Megalodon’s choice. Any creature who starts its turn in the Stomach takes 22 (5d8) Acid damage. It can't take this action again until the start of its next turn.

Who Let the Pups Out?. The Megalodon summons creatures into one room of the Lair:

• 1d4 Hunter Sharks appear inside the Megalodon’s Childcare Facility.
• 1d4 - 1 (min. 1) Black Puddings into the Liver.
• 1d6 (min. 2) Grell into the Spiral Valved Intestines.

Regional Effects

The region containing the Megalodon's lair is warped by aquatic and necrotic magic, creating the following effects:

Blood in the Water. Water within 10 miles of the Megalodon smells of Blood and Death.

Child Care. The sea is calm, protecting children and guiding them to safety within 50 miles of the Megalodon.

Dental Health. While within 10 miles of the Megalodon, lost or broken teeth regrow within 1 hour.

If the Megalodon is destroyed, these regional effects immediately end.

Building a Megalodon Encounter

Some of the Megalodon’s actions force creatures into different parts of her Lair, each with differing effects. The layout, conditions, and contents of the Megalodon's Lair are key when building an encounter. While a Megalodon is typically found underwater, the inside of their Mouth may have pockets of air and varying levels of water—high levels of water may necessitate swimming and render flying infeasible, while lower levels may create Difficult Terrain or pose no movement penalties. The onset of the encounter can inform some of these decisions—a Megalodon that breaches the surface, attacking a ship containing the adventurers is more likely to have a pocket of air that lasts for the duration of combat with debris from the ship forming obstacles or rafts in the ensuing battle and the ship’s treasure reserves settling into the Stomach.

A battle with a Megalodon may not even conclude on its death as players must escape from the massive corpse by any available orifice. The Mouth and Stomach have high ceilings, reaching over 30 feet, while confined spaces, such as the Esophagus, Spiral Valved Intestines, Pancreas, and Gall Bladder are Difficult Terrain. The durability and thickness of the walls become a key factor in these circumstances. The recommended AC is 20 with 39 HP (per 5-foot cube) and a Damage Threshold of 15. It has Resistance to Fire, Radiant, and Bludgeoning damage and is Immune to Cold, Poison, and Psychic damage. The Spiral Valved Intestines are a maze that may contain living prey or dangerous obstacles, leading to a rear exit, the Cloaca. Oozes (e.g., Black Pudding, Gelatinous Cube) make for thematic enemies in the Liver and Stomach, while Aberrations (e.g., Gibbering Mouther, Grell, or Grick) make useful enemies in the Spiral Valved Intestines. Undead enemies or Kuo-Toa can add additional challenges and flavor.