Kraken Variants

This is a continuation of the 3E/3.5 Kraken Variants thread that was displaced to General Tabletop Discussions during one of Enworld's "great server hiccups".

A Kraken Variant Index is posted next.

Completed conversions from the original thread will be reposted here for the sake of convenience.

Kraken Variant Index
Khalk'ru (with Aspect of Khalk'ru)
Kraken, Mystaran
Kraken, Awnshegh ("The Kraken")
Krakendraugr (Undead Kraken)
Krakentua, Male (Revised)
Krakentua, Female (Revised)

1. In original OD&D, the "Hyborean" Kraken is Khalk'ru from A Merritt's Dwellers in the Mirage. COMPLETED
2. In BECMI, Kraken are quite different from the AD&D/3E+ version, so I fancy statting it as a "Mystaran Kraken". COMPLETED
3. In AD&D's Birthright setting, The Kraken is an awnshegh in Blood Enemies (1995) COMPLETED
4. Birthright also has an Undead Kraken in Legacy of the Hero-Kings (1996) COMPLETED
5. The CC's Krakentua conversions are a more than a little wonky so deserve a revision WORKING
6. Kara-Tur has Krakentua Spawn in Test of the Samurai (1989) WORKING?
7. Nehwon has the giant squid-like Leviathan in Deities and Demigods (1980), Lankhmar (1985) and LNA2 - Nehwon (1990) PENDING

Khalk'ru
Colossal Outsider (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 30d8+420 (555 hp)
Initiative: +11
Speed: Fly 40 ft. (8 squares, perfect)
Armor Class: 42 (–8 size, +7 Dex, +8 deflection, +25 natural), touch 17, flat-footed 35
Base Attack/Grapple: +30/+61
Attack: Tentacle +37 melee (3d8+15 plus touch of destruction)
Full Attack: Twelve tentacles +37 melee (3d8+15 plus touch of destruction)
Space/Reach: 30 ft./ 20 ft. (60 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks: Constrict 3d8+15 plus touch of destruction, expert grappler, improved grab, interdimensional suggestion, spell-like abilities, touch of destruction
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., deflection, maddening presence, immunity to mind-affecting effects, spell resistance 35, true seeing
Saves: Fort +31, Ref +24, Will +25
Abilities: Str 40, Dex 25, Con 39, Int 15, Wis 26, Cha 26
Skills: Concentration +47, Diplomacy +12, Escape Artist +40, Hide +24, Intimidate +41, Knowledge (arcana) +35, Knowledge (religion) +35, Knowledge (the planes) +35, Listen +41, Sense Motive +41, Spot +41, Survival +8 (+12 on other planes), Use Rope +7 (+11 to bind)
Feats: Blind-Fight, Cleave, Dire Charge, Combat Reflexes, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Quicken Spell-Like Ability ×4 (enervation, greater dispel magic, mass suggestion, nightmare)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 25
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

A titanic octopoidal horror with a dozen tentacles as long as ships and a globular body the size of a building. The creature floats in the air as if it were in water. Its skin is blacker than black, its only color is the red of its unfathomably malevolent eyes whose piercing gaze seems to see your every sin and weakness.

Khalk'ru is a terrifying extraplanar entity whose only interest in the Material Plane is its annihilation. It is known by many titles, including The Dissolver, The Eater-Up of Life, The End-Without-End, The Living Nothingness and The Lightless Timeless Void. The Dissolver is able to subtly influence mortals on the Prime Material Plane, creating insane cults who call upon Khalk'ru to destroy sacrifices or enemies and beg it to spare them. The worst of these cultists dream of summoning their lord to destroy all of creation, but fortunately most cults of The Dissolver are only able to summon an aspect of Khalk'ru (as detailed below). There are several magical items associated with The Living Nothingness, relics of a lost civilization of Khalk'ru worshippers whose nihilism destroyed them.

Khalk'ru is roughly 150 feet across, from tentacle-tip to tentacle-tip.

Combat
Khalk'ru typically opens combat by using Dire Charge and Great Cleave to try to strike as many opponents as possible with its tentacles while simultaneously barraging them with quickened spell-like abilities. If an enemy does not dissolve to Khalk'ru's touch of destruction the octopoid abomination switches to constriction attacks and its other spell-like abilities. When Khalk'ru is presented with opponents too feeble to pose a threat it occasionally holds off annihilating them and merely waits for its maddening presence special attack to transform those creatures into its insane worshipers.

Constrict (Ex): Khalk'ru deals automatic tentacle damage with a successful grapple check.

Deflection (Ex): Khalk'ru has a profane bonus to its armor class equal to its Charisma bonus (if any).

Expert Grappler (Ex): If Khalk'ru 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 tentacle attacks as normal.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Khalk'ru must hit with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Interdimensional Suggestion (Sp): Once per week, Khalk'ru may use suggestion as a spell-like ability on a creature located on a different plane of existence, provided that the target creature knows of Khalk'ru's existence. This exposes the suggestion's target to Khalk'ru's maddening presence ability (see below).

Maddening Presence (Su): Khalk'ru's presence is so horrific that any creature within 120 feet who observes it are subject to madness. Failure on a DC 33 Will save indicates that the victim takes 1d4 Wis drain. Rather than entering a withdrawn nightmare state, a creature drained to zero Wisdom regains its normal Wisdom score but becomes a fanatical worshiper of Khalk'ru who returns to their home plane and attempts to summon Khalk'ru there. A creature that makes a saving throw against Khalk'ru's maddening presence is immune to it for 24 hours. Blindness is no protection — Khalk'ru's presence is an affront to all five senses. This is a mind-affecting ability. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—astral projection, chaos hammer (DC 22), cloak of chaos (DC 26), desecrate, destruction (DC 25), detect good, detect law, enervation, greater dispel magic, greater scrying (DC 25), greater teleport (DC 25), mass suggestion (DC 24), nightmare (DC 23), unhallow, word of chaos (DC 25); 3/day—dream, quickened enervation, quickened greater dispel magic, quickened mass suggestion (DC 24), quickened nightmare (DC 23), symbol of insanity (DC 26), weird (DC 27); 1/day—implosion (DC 27), storm of vengeance (DC 27). Caster level 20th; save DC 18 + spell level.

Touch of Destruction (Su): Any creature hit by Khalk'ru's tentacle or constrict attacks must succeed at a DC 33 Will save or gain negative energy levels equal to their hit dice. A victim who fails the Will save must then succeed at a DC 33 Fortitude save or their corpse is utterly consumed as if affected by a destruction spell. Creatures immune to energy drain and/or death effects are still subject to the destruction effect it they fail both saving throws. The only way to restore to life a creature destroyed by Khalk'ru's touch is to use true resurrection, a carefully worded wish spell followed by resurrection, or miracle. Victims who have merely had all their energy levels drained by Khalk'ru may be restored to life by resurrection. In either case, restoration spells can be used to restore the lost levels. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

True Seeing (Su): This ability continuously duplicates the effect of the spell.

Aspect of Khalk'ru
Gargantuan Outsider (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 15d8+135 (202 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: Fly 40 ft. (8 squares, perfect)
Armor Class: 32 (–4 size, +5 Dex, +5 deflection, +16 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 27
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+39
Attack: Tentacle +23 melee (2d8+18 plus touch of destruction)
Full Attack: Tentacle +23 melee (2d8+18 plus touch of destruction)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./ 15 ft. (60 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d8+18 plus touch of destruction, expert grappler, improved grab, touch of destruction
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., deflection, immunity to mind-affecting effects, spell resistance 25, true seeing
Saves: Fort +18, Ref +16, Will +14
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 21, Con 29, Int 11, Wis 20, Cha 20
Skills: Diplomacy +7, Hide +11, Intimidate +23, Knowledge (arcana) +18, Knowledge (religion) +18, Knowledge (the planes) +18, Listen +18, Sense Motive +18, Spot +18, Survival +5 (+7 on other planes)
Feats: Blind-Fight, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 15
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

A gigantic black tentacle coils in the air. It resembles the limb of a titanic octopus with sucking discs along its inner surface, but there is something ineffably hideous about it.

An aspect of Khalk'ru is a single tentacle from a terrifying extraplanar entity known as Khalk'ru the Dissolver whose only interest in the Material Plane is its annihilation. Crazed worshippers call upon Khalk'ru to destroy sacrifices or enemies and beg it to spare them. Most cults of Khalk'ru lack the means or power to conjure The Dissolver in its entirety so summon an aspect of Khalk'ru instead.

An aspect of Khalk'ru is a 50 foot long tentacle.

Combat
An aspect of Khalk'ru uses its Cleave and Combat Reflexes feats to try to hit as many opponents as possible and affect them with its touch of destruction ability. It reserves its improved grab and constrict special attacks for powerful or desirable targets.

Constrict (Ex): An aspect of Khalk'ru deals automatic tentacle damage with a successful grapple check.

Deflection (Ex): Khalk'ru has a profane bonus to its armor class equal to its Charisma bonus (if any).

Expert Grappler (Ex): An aspect of Khalk'ru that chooses to grapple an opponent but remain ungrappled itself only takes a –10 penalty on its grapple checks instead of the normal –20 penalty. It may then make tentacle attacks as normal.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the aspect of Khalk'ru must hit with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Touch of Destruction (Su): Any creature hit by an aspect of Khalk'ru's tentacle or constrict attacks must succeed at a DC 22 Will save or gain 1d4+2 negative energy levels. A victim who gains negative energy levels equal to their hit dice must succeed at a DC 22 Fortitude save or their corpse is utterly consumed as if affected by a destruction spell. Creatures immune to energy drain and/or death effects are still subject to the destruction effect it they fail both saving throws. The only way to restore life to a creature destroyed by Khalk'ru's touch is to use true resurrection, a carefully worded wish spell followed by resurrection, or miracle. Victims who have merely had all their energy levels drained by Khalk'ru may be restored to life by resurrection. In either case, restoration spells can be used to restore the lost levels. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

True Seeing (Su): This ability continuously duplicates the effect of the spell.

Originally appeared in Supplement IV: Gods, Demigods, Heroes (1976)

Kraken, Mystaran
Colossal Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 64d10+640 (992 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: Swim 80 ft. (16 squares)
Armor Class: 40 (–8 size, +1 Dex, +37 natural), touch 3, flat-footed 39
Base Attack/Grapple: +64/+101
Attack: Tentacle +78 melee (6d6+21/19-20)
Full Attack: Ten tentacles +78 melee (6d6+21/19-20) and bite +78 melee (8d8+10/19-20)
Space/Reach: 150 ft./ 50 ft. (750 ft. with tentacle)
Special Attacks: Constrict 6d6+21, expert grappler, improved grab, shipcrusher
Special Qualities: Camouflage, darkvision 750 ft., ink cloud, jet, superior low-light vision
Saves: Fort +46, Ref +37, Will +30
Abilities: Str 52, Dex 13, Con 31, Int 5, Wis 16, Cha 12
Skills: Escape Artist +13, Hide –11, Intimidate +16, Listen +30, Spot +30, Swim +29
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dire Charge, Diehard, Endurance, Epic Will, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (bite, tentacle), Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Improved Multiattack, Power Attack, Superior Initiative, Weapon Focus (bite, tentacle)
Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 25
Treasure: Double Standard (mostly in lair, only useful magic items will be carried)
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: 65-128 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: —

A vast mass floats in the water. The mass's greenish-blue colour and frilled surface closely resembles seaweed but then it moves, revealing it to be a living creature of unthinkable size. Piecing together what portions of it can be made out reveal the mass to be an squid-like beast of truly titanic size. Its body is bigger than all but the largest ships and its ten tentacles stretch longer than many city streets.

Mystaran kraken are dim-witted relatives of the common kraken. They are almost unfathomably large, and may be one of the biggest creatures alive. They spend most of their lives in the abyssal depths they call home, but when the hunger or anger of the kraken wakes they can be as devastating as a hurricane, rising to the surface and crushing large ships into splinters with casual ease.

Mystaran kraken are carnivores. They usually hunt by simply reaching out their furlong-length tentacles to snag passing creatures. An immobile Mystaran kraken resembles a floating mass of kelp, and it normally uses this disguise will waiting for unfortunate prey to wander past.

A typical Mystaran kraken has a body 150 feet long and tentacles up to 750 feet long, giving it an "armspan" of 1,600 feet or so.

Mystaran kraken can speak Abyssal and Aquan, but almost never talk. Particularly old or intelligent specimens may know additional languages.

Combat
A Mystaran kraken strikes with its tentacles, trying to constrict its opponents and drag them close enough to make bite attacks. If it's seriously injured or loses five or more tentacles it uses its ink cloud and flees the battlefield.

A Mystaran kraken can attack with all its tentacles simultaneously, dividing its attacks among as many opponents as it likes. The kraken can bring all ten tentacle attacks to bear against a Colossal opponent, it can attack a Gargantuan creature with up to 4 tentacles, a Huge creature with 2 tentacles, and Large or smaller opponents with only one tentacle.

An opponent can make sunder attempts against a Mystaran kraken’s tentacles as if they were weapons. A Mystaran kraken’s tentacles have 60 hit points. If a 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 kraken’s tentacle deals damage to the kraken equal to half the limb’s full normal hit points. A Mystaran kraken usually withdraws from combat if it loses five of its tentacles. A kraken regrows severed limbs in 1d10+10 days.

Camouflage (Ex): A Mystaran kraken can rest motionless and almost perfectly mimic a floating mass of kelp. It takes a DC 30 Spot check to distinguish a camouflaged Mystaran kraken before it moves. Unfortunate creatures may already be within reach of the kraken's tentacles before they see it. Creatures with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) or Survival may use one of those skills instead of Spot to notice the monster.

Constrict (Ex): A Mystaran kraken deals automatic tentacle damage with a successful grapple check.

Expert Grappler (Ex): If a Mystaran kraken 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 tentacle attacks as normal.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a Mystaran kraken must hit with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Ink Cloud (Ex): A Mystaran kraken can emit a cloud of jet-black ink in an 1000-foot spread once per minute as a free action. The cloud provides total concealment, which the kraken normally uses to escape a fight that is going badly. Creatures within the cloud are considered to be in darkness.

Jet (Ex): A Mystaran kraken can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 320 feet. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting.

Shipcrusher (Ex): A Mystaran kraken can constrict a colossal creature or object with more than one tentacle. The constriction damage increases by 1d6 for each additional tentacle.

Superior Low-Light Vision (Ex): A Mystaran kraken can see ten times as far as a human can in dim light.

Skills: A Mystaran kraken can slightly change its color and shape, giving it a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. A Mystaran kraken also can squeeze and contort its body, giving it a +10 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks.

A kraken 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.

Originally appeared in AC9 - Creature Catalogue (1986)

OK, you have the Mystaran kraken listed as "working," but I think you can remove the [?] from the language line and call it done. I like that choice.

Want to do the Birthright ones next?

freyar said:

OK, you have the Mystaran kraken listed as "working," but I think you can remove the [?] from the language line and call it done. I like that choice.

Click to expand...

Done.

freyar said:

Want to do the Birthright ones next?

Click to expand...

It makes scant difference to me, so we might as well go through them following the order of the original post.

The Kraken - Original Stats

kraken
INTELLIGENCE: Genius (19)
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
MOVEMENT: Sw 9, Jet 24
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: G (110′ long)
ARMOR CLASS: 0 (tentacle) / -5 (body)
HIT POINTS: 220
SAVES AS: F24
THAC0: 2 (base)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 9
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10+10(x2)/2d8(x6)/10d4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Constriction, ink cloud
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%
MORALE: Fearless (20)
BLOOD: Major (Azrai) 47
BLOOD ABILITIES: Death Touch (Major), Long Life (Great), Major Regeneration (Great), Regeneration (Great)
XP VALUE: 29,000


The largest monster in Cerilia, the Kraken acts like nothing more than an animal, though some say it has exceptional intelligence.

Two of the beast’s tentacles are barbed, and it uses them to latch onto the sides of ships. whales or giant squid when it hunts. These tentacles do 1d10+10 points of damage per hit, and can be used with all the creatures other attacks. The smaller tentacles are used for constricting and crushing targets; Six can be used each round, though only two can attack a single man-sized creature. A character hit by a smaller tentacle takes 2d8 points of damage and must save versus paralyzation or be wrapped up, immobilized in the tentacle (automatic damage each round) until the Kraken lets go or someone severs it with 20 points of damage (the larger tentacles take 30 points before severing). All tentacles are AC -5 because of their extreme toughness.

The Kraken’s bite is used only on a ship itself or on food; its beak does 10d4 points of damage to anything it bites.

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.

Originally appeared in Blood Enemies: Abominations of Cerilia (1995).

Notes on Blood Abilities:

Death Touch
Exude virulent poison, death touch results in disease or death depending on strength and can spoil food and drink, or pollute enclosed water. May manifest as skin-contact poison, injected poisons, or a spray/cloud/underwater ink cloud. Max dispersal affects creatures in 25' radius.

Major death touch requires a save vs. death magic: failure kills in 1-10 rounds, success causes target to contract a disease doing 1d4 hp a per day until neutralize poison or cure disease is cast on them.

Some awnsheghlien have even more dangerous variants of this ability.

Long Life
Characters with great long life age at a rate of one year each century.

Major Regeneration
The character regains lost hit points at a rate of one per round. Lost limbs, organs, or senses are restored in weeks (30 days, reduced by one day per Constitution point).

Note: Regeneration is a prerequisite. If using the Hovering on Death’s Door rule, a regenerating scion doesn’t continue to lose hit points at negative HP, but still dies at –10.

Awnshegh, Kraken
Colossal Outsider (Aquatic, Chaotic, Evil, Native, Water)
Hit Dice: 40d8+440 (620 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: Swim 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 35 (–8 size, +1 Dex, +20 natural, +5 insight, +7 deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 34
Base Attack/Grapple: +40/+74
Attack: Tentacle +50 melee (2d10+18/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 tentacles +50 melee (2d10+18/19-20) and 6 arms +50 melee (1d8+9) and bite +50 melee (8d6+9/19-20)
Space/Reach: 50 ft./30 ft. (90 ft. with tentacle, 60 ft. with arm)
Special Attacks: Constrict 2d10+18 or 1d8+9, death cloud, expert grappler, improved grab, shipcrusher, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 5 [regrows body parts], jet [360 ft.], low-light vision, spell resistance 30
Saves: Fort +33, Ref +25, Will +29
Abilities: Str 46, Dex 13, Con 33, Int 19, Wis 20, Cha 24
Skills: Concentration +44, Diplomacy +44, Escape Artist +34, Hide +22, Intimidate +40, Knowledge (arcane) +37, Knowledge (geography) +37, Knowledge (nature) +37, Knowledge (the planes) +37, Listen +48, Search +47, Sense Motive +38, Spot +48, Survival +25 (+29 aboveground or on other planes and when finding way, avoiding natural hazard, or following tracks), Swim +26, Use Magic Device +40, Use Rope +1 (+5 to bind)
Feats: Blind-Fight, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Dire Charge, Improved Critical (bite, tentacle), Imp Initiative, Improved Multiattack, Improved Trip, Iron Will, Multiattack, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Superior Initiative
Environment: Cold aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 23
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

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.

Combat
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. 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.

Constrict (Ex): The Kraken deals automatic arm or tentacle damage with a successful grapple check.

Death Cloud (Su): Once every 1d4+1 rounds, The Kraken can squirt a cloud of jet-black ink over a 120-ft. spread as a swift action. The cloud provides total concealment (creatures within the cloud are considered to be in darkness) and is charged with supernatural venom. The first time a living creature contacts this venomous ink they must succeed at a DC 37 Fortitude save or take 1d10 Constitution drain and contract Inky Doom (see below). One minute after contact, the creature must succeed at a second DC 37 Fortitude save or take an additional 2d10 Constitution damage. Death cloud ink loses its harmful effects 1d4+1 rounds after being emitted by The Kraken.

Death cloud ink is both a supernatural poison and a magical death effect; a creature immune to death effects cannot be harmed by it, and abilities such as death ward will block all damage from a death cloud if they succeed at a DC 25 caster level check (roll once per cloud). Abilities that grant saving throw bonuses against poison or death attacks both apply to saving throws against a death cloud. A creature immune to poison but subject to death effects can be harmed by a death cloud, but whenever they attempt to save against the cloud they roll the saving throw twice and picks the best result.

Inky Doom (Su): Supernatural disease—contact, Fortitude DC 37, incubation period 1 day; damage 1 Con drain.

Unlike normal diseases, inky doom continues until the victim reaches Constitution 0 (and dies) or is cured as described below.

Inky doom is a powerful curse, not a natural disease or poison. A character attempting to cast any conjuration (healing) spell on a creature afflicted by inky doom must succeed on a DC 25 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the afflicted character.

To eliminate inky doom, the curse must first be broken with break enchantment, death ward or remove curse (requiring a DC 25 caster level check for the spell), after which a caster level check is no longer necessary to cast healing spells on the victim, and the inky doom can be magically cured as any normal disease.

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

The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Fast Healing (Ex): The kraken's fast healing can regrow lost portions of its body provided it can survive their removal. Unlike regeneration, it can not reattach severed body parts by holding them to the stump. Regrowing lost organs or body parts takes 5 to 15 days (2d6+3), depending on the severity of the injury; severed limbs can regrow entirely in 5 to 8 days (1d4+4).

Jet (Ex): The Kraken can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 360 feet. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, The Kraken must hit with an arm or tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Shipcrusher (Ex): The Kraken can constrict a colossal creature or object with more than one limb. If one or both tentacles are constricting, the constriction damage equals 2d10+27 plus 1d10 for each arm or tentacle that is shipcrushing. If it's only shipcrushing with its arms, the constriction damage equals 2d8+18 plus 1d8 for each arm it is constricting with.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day—control water (DC 19); 1/day—control winds (DC 20), control weather, horrid wilting (DC 23). Caster level 20th. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Skills: The Kraken 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
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 mountains. 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.

It seems worthwhile comparing the standard 2E Kraken to the unique Awnshegh version. For the sake of compactness only differences will be mentioned:

MOVEMENT: Sw 9, Jet 24 - 2E Kraken have Sw 3, Jet 21
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil - 2E Kraken are neutral evil
SIZE: G (110′ long) - 2E Kraken are 90′+ long
ARMOR CLASS: 0 (tentacle) / -5 (body) - 2E Kraken are 5 (tentacle) / 0 (body)
HIT POINTS: 220 - 2E Kraken are 20 HD monster so have 20-160 hp
SAVES AS: F24 - 2E Kraken save as 20 HD monsters
THAC0: 2 (base) - 2E Kraken have THAC0 1
NO. OF ATTACKS: 9
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10+10(x2)/2d8(x6)/10d4 - 2E Kraken have 3d6(x2)/2d6(x6)/7d4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Constriction, ink cloud - 2E Kraken have spell-like abilities and their ink isn't toxic
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30% - 2E Kraken have Standard magic resistance
MORALE: Fearless (20) - 2E Kraken have Fanatic (18)
XP VALUE: 29,000 - 14,400 for 2E Kraken

Also, note the statblock says the Awnshegh Kraken's tentacles are AC 0 while the text says they're AC -5. A 2E Kraken's tentacles take 18 hp to sever, the Awnshegh's 30 or 20 hp depending on whether it's a main tentacle or "smaller tentacle" (i.e. an arm in 3E).

Okay, first off The Kraken is supposedly the largest living creature on the planet so we'd better make it Colossal.

I'm uncommitted as to whether to give it the standard Kraken's SLAs. On the one hand there's no mention of them in the original text, and if it had faerie fire or weather summoning it'd likely have used them in combat and survivors of its rampages might have noticed and reported it, but on the other hand standard Kraken appear to exist in Cerilia plus Undead Kraken that are derived from them.

The Brecht priests' claim it's extraplanar in original seems unlikely on the face of it, although I suppose it could be a Fiendish/Half-Fiend/Water-Element Kraken that used to live in the Abyss or the Elemental Plane of Water. That could give it the SR of this monster, but might add more SLAs the original text makes no mention of!