Table of Contents
The Bestiary
Between Casaran and Vuronu
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Description
The Hull Cracker is the most feared, most legendary natural creature of the Casaran seas - a gigantic octopus bent on the utter destruction of passing ships. The beast is unusually smart and cunning - if overpowered, the Cracker escapes by spreading a great ink cloud, obscuring its path from all pursuers.
Tactics
This creature's primary goal is to immobilize, and then sink passing small to large vessels in order to get at a long-term supply of meat. It will grab masts, rigging, sails, and sailors to accomplish this end, while keeping it's head body near sea level and away from non-grabbed attackers.
The particular Hull Cracker near the end of Chapter 2 isn't hungry. Something is compelling it to attempt to damage or redirect The Steadfast from reaching Vuronu. It will attempt to grab Pierre Kairau and fling him - first into the deck, then after grabbing him again, into the ocean.
Note
Consider this as a skill challenge instead - see God of the Flaming Sea from the At-Will blog.
Kraken
Gargantuan Monstrosity (Titan), Chaotic Evil
- Armor Class: 18
- Hit Points: 481 (26d20 + 208)
- Speed: 30 ft., Swim 120 ft.
- Initiative: +14 (24)
STAT SCORE MOD SAVE STR 30 +10 +17 DEX 11 +0 +7 CON 26 +8 +15 INT 22 +6 +6 WIS 18 +4 +11 CHA 20 +5 +5 - Immunities: Cold, Lightning; Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Restrained
- Skills: History +13, Perception +11
- Senses: truesight 120 ft.; Passive Perception 21
- Languages: Understands Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, And Primordial but can't speak; telepathy 120 ft.
- CR 23 (XP 50,000, or 62,000 in lair)
==== Traits ====
- Amphibious. The kraken can breathe air and water.
- Legendary Resistance (4/Day, or 5/Day in Lair). If the kraken fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
- Siege Monster. The kraken deals double damage to objects and structures.
==== Actions ====
- Multiattack. The kraken makes two Tentacle attacks and uses Fling, Lightning Strike, or Swallow.
- Tentacle. Melee Attack Roll: +17, reach 30 ft. 24 (4d6 + 10) Bludgeoning damage. The target has the Grappled condition (escape DC 20) from one of ten tentacles, and it has the Restrained condition until the grapple ends.
- Fling. The kraken throws a Large or smaller creature Grappled by it to a space it can see within 60 feet of itself that isn't in the air. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 25, the creature thrown and each creature in the destination space. Failure: 18 (4d8) Bludgeoning damage, and the target has the Prone condition. Success: Half damage only.
- Lightning Strike. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 23, one creature the kraken can see within 120 feet. Failure: 33 (6d10) Lightning damage. Success: Half damage.
- Swallow. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 25, one creature Grappled by the kraken (it can have up to four creatures swallowed at a time). Failure: 23 (3d8 + 10) Piercing damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it is swallowed and no longer Grappled. A swallowed creature has the Restrained condition, has Cover against attacks and other effects outside the kraken, and takes 24 (7d6) Acid damage at the start of each of its turns.
If the kraken takes 50 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, each of which falls in a space within 10 feet of the kraken with the Prone condition. If the kraken dies, any swallowed creature no longer has the Restrained condition and can escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting Prone.
==== Legendary Actions ====
- Storm Bolt. The kraken uses Lightning Strike.
- Toxic Ink. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 23, each creature in a 15-foot Emanation originating from the kraken while it is underwater. Failure: The target has the Blinded and Poisoned conditions until the end of the kraken's next turn. The kraken then moves up to its Speed. Failure or Success: The kraken can't take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Hull Cracker (Kraken)
Source: 5.2 SRD (D&D 2024) - Available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
Undocumented Vuronu Creatures
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These creatures come to be when a specter possesses a living body, and is then unable to escape when that body dies. The specters are in a way 'stuck' in a degrading body. Because of this they are highly aggressive, aiming to lower the willpower of any other being so they can escape their carcasses and instead take over the target of their attacks.
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This creature is both extremely rare and extremely dangerous. Contended Apparitions occur when two or more specters inhabit a body of a living medium to large creature, and remain there. The creature becomes maddened, lashing out at everything nearby with insatiable blood-lust. Even after the creature dies of the strain, the remaining body and specters possessing it are extremely dangerous.
(There's an awesome mini-boss for you. The moment the party thinks they've defeated it, it can rise from it's collapsed position, even more furious then before, and requiring a second butt-kicking. It would (of course) be awesome if it totally ignored some fatal injury in it's second state as well, like if it were missing half it's face.)
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These are souls and soul-fragments that have only just been separated from their proper bodies. They are in shock, formless and completely dormant . They have no willpower, and as a result cannot manipulate the environment or posses anything. This is a very short-lived state, lasting less than an hour, and certainly less then an advanced chromatic’s regular feeding session.
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These are souls that have began to realize their separated state. They are confused and non-aggressive. They appear as nothing to most. With awakened sight, they appear as strange, morphing forms, almost fetal in nature. They have a very low willpower.
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These souls have begun to realize a familiar form and feel desperation and hunger for their bodies. By this time they become more mobile, wandering, not too far from where they were separated. They have a moderate to low willpower, and they’re able to pull moisture or mist from the air to show slight cloud-like form. With awakened sight they appear as vague and featureless versions of the bodies they once possessed. They may possess plants or small animals.
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After having been separated for some time, the souls take on a more clear form, and with awakened sight they appear as dopplegangers of their original form, clothing and weapons included. They are highly aggressive and have a moderate to high willpower. They are capable of possessing large creatures and weakened sentients. They can also take form by pulling together some of the environment around them for a short time, becoming golem-like. This form can last for some time, nearly of the original body’s age at the time it was separated.
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After a period of aggressive seeking for it’s original body, the specter begins to degrade and come apart, spurred on by many uses of willpower for possession and manipulation. This degrading specter is the most aggressive of them all, characterized by desperation. It has a moderate to high willpower. With awakened sight they appear as a misty doppleganger of their original form, details and clarity of form beginning to fade.
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These souls have been around so long they have forgotten their form, and even the limits of their soul, prone to combining and mixing with other formless souls nearby. They are mostly aggressive, but weak, having a low willpower. These souls are gathered mostly around the ‘gate’, waiting for rest and resolution. Even with awakened sight, they appear mostly as a cloud and mist.
From Thomas' Journal
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Description
Description is TBD but these little guys sure are noisy!
(Riri) is Vokovi's pet parrotbeak.
Tiny Beast, Unaligned
- Armor Class: 10
- Hit Points: 1 (1d4 - 1)
- Speed: 20 ft., Climb 20 ft.
- Initiative: +0 (10)
STAT SCORE MOD SAVE STR 3 -4 -4 DEX 16 +3 +3 CON 8 -1 -1 INT 2 -4 -4 WIS 12 +1 +1 CHA 3 -4 -4 - Skills: Perception +2
- Senses: darkvision 30 ft.; Passive Perception 12
- CR 0 (XP 0 or 10; PB +2)
Tactics: A Parrotbeak Squirrel will try to hide from strangers. Otherwise, if provoked, it will attempt to lob small objects. If counterattacked will leap onto attacker and bite. If outnumbered, will Screech.
===== Traits =====
Empathy (Vu-Yunu) When in contact or bound, Parrotbeaks are sensitive to strong Vu-Yunu emotions and are known to respond by parroting “words” out loud.
Agile. This creature doesn't provoke Opportunity Attacks when it moves out of an enemy's reach.
Tail Swing/Spring Once per short rest, the Parrotbeak may use its tail to swing/spring up to double movement without any penalties. May be used to travel above ground (in trees, etc.), if there is an appropriate landing area.
===== Actions =====
Beak Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +2, reach 5 ft. 1 Piercing damage.
===== Bonus Actions ====
Nut Toss Range Attack Roll 15' range (60' drop); +2, 1 damage from nuts, fruit, small rocks…
Screech Once per long rest, the Parrotbeak may emit an ear piercing screech causing painful ringing ears for those 30' radius that fail a DC12 (WIS)Perception saving throw. This lasts for one round and causes victims to be at disadvantage in Perception checks. Those deafened or with free hands to cover their ears automatically save.
===== Reactions =====
Burrow. Parrotbeak may attempt to hide (increase cover) behind any appropriately sized barrier, bury itself in leaves, or duck into the loose fold of fabric.
Parrotbeak Squirrel enjoying Leatheryfruit
Source: 5.2 SRD (D&D 2024) - Available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
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Small Beast, Unaligned
- Armor Class: 13
- Hit Points: 7 (2d6)
- Speed: 30 ft., Climb 30 ft.
- Initiative: +3 (13)
STAT SCORE MOD SAVE STR 7 -2 -2 DEX 16 +3 +5 CON 11 +0 +0 INT 2 -4 -4 WIS 10 +0 +0 CHA 4 -3 -3 - Skills: Perception +2
- Senses: darkvision 60 ft.; Passive Perception 12
- CR 1/8 (XP 25; PB +2)
==== Traits ====
- Pack Tactics. The rat has Advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the rat's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally doesn't have the Incapacitated condition.
==== Actions ====
- Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +5, reach 5 feet. 5 (1d4 + 3) Piercing damage.
Giant Rat
Source: 5.2 SRD (D&D 2024)
