Kraken BBEG: Looking for ideas

[Urpriest]

Recently I have become enamored of the idea of a Kraken BBEG. I mean, they're high-CR, intelligent, big and scary...but I've run into a few roadblocks.

First, the fluff: I'm not sure what a Kraken would want. What would its goals be? What sort of evil plans does a super-intelligent giant squid have? What minions would it have, and what would they want? How would it keep them in line, and what would it use them for?

Second, the mechanics: the Kraken, despite its intelligence, is largely a melee beast. Its spell-like abilities are all once-per day, and it doesn't get very many of them. I was excited about Dominate Animal giving it lots of persistent thralls until I realized it has a rounds/level duration, so it's really only useful to provide backup in one fight/day. To do anything interesting as a BBEG I feel like this guy needs a bit more versatility. Probably this could come via class levels, in particular I'm getting an amusing image of a Kraken Ur-Priest, but a Kraken Divine Crusader could also be interesting if I could find an appropriate deity and domain. If we're aiming for CR 20, what levels and templates would you put on a Kraken to make it a worthy boss villain?

[Dusk Eclipse]

About motivations.. how about a cliché one, he wants to drown the world so he can dominate the survivors, how he is going to do that? Simple the power of plot. I would the novelty of seeing a freaking Kraken as a mastermind will offset the reaction to such a simple plan :smallwink:

As for his SLA, how about giving him the Magic Blooded template? I think a few more uses of its slas would help... perhaps even give him the Phrenic template so now it is an even more inteligent psychic squid!!! As the Psi-like abilities are explicitly treated as SLAs the magic blooded template would give him more uses.

[TroubleBrewing]

This comes at a spectacular time, as I'm planning a Kraken fight for a high-level party as well.

I've been toying with the idea of 8 levels of Binder; bumps the CR to 20 with abilities the party is not likely to recognize, and it gives an even more Lovecraftian feel to an already Lovecraftian monster. Plus, it's also a Cha-based class, and the Kraken's SLA's are Cha-based.

To go off the Divine Crusader angle, perhaps the Competition domain? It grants Regenerate, which would be useful to any creature which usually is defeated by severing its limbs. Not to mention that the rest of the list is solid as can be.

I advise Leadership shenanigans; it cuts down on the action economy advantage. Perhaps Kua Toa, or maybe Sauhagin? They're both aquatic, and you can never have too much Lovecraft.

[Cieyrin]

I could definitely see a Divine Crusader of Yeathan, focusing on the Blackwater domain, though Procan and Storm domain could also be neat if you switch it to CE. Consider the summoning in of a fiendish kraken to tag team with, as well as sending forth of negative energy charged waves. :smallbiggrin:

EDIT:
This comes at a spectacular time, as I'm planning a Kraken fight for a high-level party as well.

I've been toying with the idea of 8 levels of Binder; bumps the CR to 20 with abilities the party is not likely to recognize, and it gives an even more Lovecraftian feel to an already Lovecraftian monster. Plus, it's also a Cha-based class, and the Kraken's SLA's are Cha-based.

To go off the Divine Crusader angle, perhaps the Competition domain? It grants Regenerate, which would be useful to any creature which usually is defeated by severing its limbs. Not to mention that the rest of the list is solid as can be.

I advise Leadership shenanigans; it cuts down on the action economy advantage. Perhaps Kua Toa, or maybe Sauhagin? They're both aquatic, and you can never have too much Lovecraft.

I don't think Binder or Divine Crusader would be considered associated levels, so you can have more than 8 levels in there before CR 20. :smallwink:

[MesiDoomstalker]

Make it a Tauric creature combining with a Sea Hag and its motives is to claim a powerful weapon that has powers over the seas to dominate the underwater realms.....then flood the world and dominate that. Bonus points if you give it a custom SLA that mutes people.:smallwink:

[Quietus]

Well, in terms of improving it, adding spellcaster levels will give you 2 wizard/sorcerer/cleric/whatever levels per CR increase, up to 20 levels. You could technically take it up to 16 levels of caster for CR20, which is enough to get some crazy tricks. Clericzilla kraken would be very silly indeed, though I'd choose my class based on the motivation. If you're looking to drown the world, then druid levels may be the order of the day.

I do like Binder, actually, or maybe there is something neat you can do with Totemist? Definitely gives a very different feel, and its many hit dice would allow it to stack a lot of essentia into a single meld.

[TroubleBrewing]

Oooh, Totemist would be an interesting sight.

[silver spectre]

If you have access to it, dragon magazine issue 334 has "Ecology of the Kraken".

That might help jog loose a few ideas.

I suggest giving it the Umbral Creature template from "Libris Mortis".
Incorporeality, 40' fly speed, 3d6 strength damage, and spawn shadows would make for a nasty shock to PCs that are just expecting a big squid, but it does trade off some of its physical capabilities.

Then add on some levels of dread necromancer for self healing and the ability to rebuke other undead.


If you have "The Book of Templates" the Arcane Servitor template will give your kraken the spellcasting of a tenth level sorceror.


Do you want to keep it as a melee bad guy, go with the evil overlord concept, or something else?

[Rising Phoenix]

Oooh, Totemist would be an interesting sight.

Flying Squid...a flying GIANT squid... ahem...

I'll echo what is said above but Psionics could also make it very scary...Now it's a giant squid that 'plays' with your mind...

have it manifest death urge, share pain forced etc and it could make for a really freaky encounter

[Andorax]

Dragon 300 "vile content" sealed section included rules for Kraken cultists (5-level Deep Thrall PrC).

Just a thought.

[Toliudar]

+1 to psionics/magic jar/anything that facilitates it more directly interacting with the PC's, possibly from the safety of being 100' below them.

Possible plot point: one of its favourite coastal hunting grounds has been diked off and reclaimed as arable land by the local humanoids. It's working to destroy the dikes and let back the sea. An alternative, if you want the misunderstood version of the BBEG, is that the surface dwellers have cut off access to some kind of spawning ground/burial ground/sacred place upriver.

[Fouredged Sword]

I like the flying undead tenticaled lovecraftian horror aspect.

Consider giving it a cleric level and follow the walker in the waste class to completion. Give it a burrow speed somehow.

Unkillable Undead Desert Kracken!

[Piggy Knowles]

What about a Kraken... that has been possessed by a ghost?

There's a lot of mileage you can get out of the concept, but you mentioned wanting thralls, so let's take a Ghost, Psion 5/Thrallherd 5 (CR 12, making this a CR 14 encounter... increase Thrallherd levels to up the encounter level as you like) who has managed to possess the friggin' kraken.

A centuries-past undead psion decides to leave the world above ground and travel through the seas, possessing various creatures and moving on. As it has traveled, it has heard of a place in the depths where other sea creatures are afraid to go, a place where an ancient beast occasionally rises to feed. The psion travels there and discovers the Kraken. After many tries, the psion manages to possess this force of nature.

Unlike the true Kraken, who was destructive but content with its own domain, the psion has decided that the Kraken should set itself up as the God of the seas. It begins terrorizing undersea cities, collecting thralls and demanding tribute and worshipers. Within a matter of decades, the vast majority of the teeming oceans are either hailing this tentacled beast as their God, or living in fear of those that do.

The Kraken has been very careful to avoid calling attention to itself to those above the water's surface, knowing that man and his brethren rarely look into the deeps. As their new God, one of his decrees is that contact with the surface world is forbidden on pain of death. But a group of merfolk has managed to smuggle a plea for help to the surface...

[Qwertystop]

Have the PCs find an Apparatus of the Crab on a mountain. It has magic that unless it is sent to the bottom of the sea, bad things will happen to the finders (the PCs, in this case).
2 things could follow from this:
1: They try using it to explore the waters. They find the Kraken.
2: They realize that it's garbage, and throw it in the ocean. The Kraken finds it, and gets angry at either:A:This mockery of his kingdom
B: He had put the Apparatus there to lure adventurers.
Either way, he finds the PCs.

[mint]

The Kraken is pregnant and getting ready to give birth to loads of little seamonsters. I needs food for the kids. Humans live in dense groups. You can catch a lot of them in one go. They are also bad at being underwater.
Que amphibious minions. They raid coastal towns and take all the inhabitants into the sea.
Could be the squid needs fresh meat for its lil'chuldrenz and maybe you want a device so the PCs might save some people. If so provide means of transporting them alive to the birthing place, maybe a domed city under the waves or an island cove.
Maybe this is where the minions where living when mommasquid found them.
Hard to say what type of minions to go for. Depends on the style of the Kraken. If it were me I would go with egoist psion or psywar and maybe hack out the spell-likes and transplant something else in there.
Controlling minions either by the threat of violence or a pheromone produced during pregnancy.

[Tvtyrant]

The Kraken owns a massive coral reef filled with lesser "monsters" that feed it in return for protection. Mer, Aboleth, renegade Sahuagin, etc. They all live in relative harmony because it does not allow infighting. However the Krakens community has become densely over populated, and conflicts have broken out between different factions. In order to fix this while maintaining its own reputation the Kraken plans to instigate a fight between the community and a group of adventurers.

This fight will allow the Kraken to kill off the most offensive members of the community and blaim it on the attacking adventurers. Once the key members of each faction have been wiped out the Kraken will kill the adventurers and return to its pleasant life style.

I would argue for a Totemist, Binder, or Warblade. The Warblade would have multiweapon fighting and use a kukri in each tentacle.

[Fouredged Sword]

Oh no. It's a Kraken! And it's got a knife!

[Jair Barik]

You could alter the leviathan plot from Elder Evils. Have the kraken seeking to summon awaken the bigger fish to flood the planet with water.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Phrenic Creature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/phrenicCreature.htm) nets him a lot of fun nifty toys, plus a CHA boost.

Half black dragon half troll.... oh wait, let's not go there :smallbiggrin:

[Fouredged Sword]

Actualy having it start with the troll-blooded feat would make it a supriseingly tough foe. It could fight, take serrious damage, and then slink away into the water. Anyone who wanted to actualy kill it would have to follow and fight on it's terms in the depths of the ocean, where fire magic is hard.

Also - Kracken soul-eater

[DarkEternal]

I played a Dragon published adventure recently, high level(characters were like level 19 or something in it), which had an apropriate Kraken sorcerer in it, which wielded a staff/rod/wand in each of it's tentacles. It was pretty tough. Of course, they slaughtered it eventually, but they are PC's after all.

[Tvtyrant]

Oh no. It's a Kraken! And it's got a knife!

My poor coffee... You owe me 30c worth of coffee!

[Ason]

Make it a Tauric creature combining with a Sea Hag and its motives is to claim a powerful weapon that has powers over the seas to dominate the underwater realms.....then flood the world and dominate that. Bonus points if you give it a custom SLA that mutes people.:smallwink:

Does it have DR 15/pointy part of a ship? Regardless, it'll need twin eel animal companions or cohorts. (i.e. I see what you did there.)

[Legendairy]

I believe possession was mentioned IE demonic, ghost. That would give it motivation fitting whatever you want. If you don't mind biting off the novels too much maybe it had some mind influencing magical item that has been takin from it and it wants to reclaom said item. Followers are easy a huge huge colony of scrags worship the thing and since it had its little mind magical item it didn't move much and the Scrags fed it offerings. That will give you plenty of little guys to play with and you could do the cheese troll/ half dragon stuff. The scrags could have random shamans and other things too should make for an interesting fight if alot of things are flying around like that and a massive sea creature wrecking shop on ship, shore, and well everything.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Does it have DR 15/pointy part of a ship? Regardless, it'll need twin eel animal companions or cohorts. (i.e. I see what you did there.)

DR 30/Epic and Starboard actually. But in all seriousness FINALLY! somebody picked up on it.

[Cieyrin]

Actualy having it start with the troll-blooded feat would make it a supriseingly tough foe. It could fight, take serrious damage, and then slink away into the water. Anyone who wanted to actualy kill it would have to follow and fight on it's terms in the depths of the ocean, where fire magic is hard.

Also - Kracken soul-eater

Troll-Blooded is Human Regional, like Jotunbrud, etc. Can't be taken by a non-Human not from that region of Greyhawk. PGtF removed the Knowledge(Local) hack, too. And anyways, there's probably an easier way of getting Regen on it than trying to have it mate with a troll. Elemental Template, PrC, SOMETHING.


DR 30/Epic and Starboard actually. But in all seriousness FINALLY! somebody picked up on it.

That's only b/c I was too busy rolling my eyes to respond. :smallwink:

[Xefas]

The first thing that jumped into my head was:

Various Aquatic Adventurers: We have you cornered, and no one is coming to save you! Just give up and make it easy on yourself!

Kraken: *maniacal laughter* Let no joyful gurgle be heard! Let no merfolk look down at the seafloor with hope! And let this day be cursed by I, who readies to wake...the humans!

(Gasps are heard all around as human ships appear from the mists above, and begin firing cannons and spells down into the ocean around the adventurers.)

Adventurers: :smalleek: No! I thought they were only a myth! D=

[MesiDoomstalker]

That's only b/c I was too busy rolling my eyes to respond. :smallwink:

Hey, somebody had to do it. :smallwink: I'm just glad I was the one to do it. :smalltongue:

[McStabbington]

Old. long-lived Kraken is working with cultists of Dagon to summon him to the mortal plane. The cultists are using human sacrifices as part of their evil rituals. The Kraken is either a) Dagon's most worshipful follower, and the PC's need to knock him out before he can complete the final ritual to bring Dagon in, or b) the kraken has tricked the cultists into summoning Dagon so that the kraken can kill him (your choice whether this is realistic or not) and harvest his powers to become a demon lord himself.

[Urpriest]

The only issue I have with possession plots is that they don't take advantage of the Kraken's very high mental stats. I feel like the Kraken by itself should be a plotter, without someone else manipulating it.

Most of the other ideas here are awesome, though. I'm still partial to the Ur-Priest (A true Godless Killing Machine!) but Binder sounds wickedly alien (how many levels does one need to access Zyrcell?) and Phrenic(+Magic-Blooded?) gives it some very nice versatility and power. The flood the world plots are a bit cliche, but I like the more specialized idea of it breaking dikes (plus, excuse to create fantasy Holland) and the utterly different direction of being a cultist of Dagon (he's one of my favorite demon princes, would probably be the top if not for the whole Grazz't-Iggwilv thing. Also, the Entropy domain has some really cool-looking spells). Keep 'em coming!

Edit: Also, it appears that Mouthpick weapons grant proficiency. While I've always been of the opinion that Mouthpick weapons would look irredeemably silly in practice, a Kraken with a Mouthpick Spiked Chain could actually be pretty metal.

[MesiDoomstalker]

The only issue I have with possession plots is that they don't take advantage of the Kraken's very high mental stats. I feel like the Kraken by itself should be a plotter, without someone else manipulating it.

Most of the other ideas here are awesome, though. I'm still partial to the Ur-Priest (A true Godless Killing Machine!) but Binder sounds wickedly alien (how many levels does one need to access Zyrcell?) and Phrenic(+Magic-Blooded?) gives it some very nice versatility and power. The flood the world plots are a bit cliche, but I like the more specialized idea of it breaking dikes (plus, excuse to create fantasy Holland) and the utterly different direction of being a cultist of Dagon (he's one of my favorite demon princes, would probably be the top if not for the whole Grazz't-Iggwilv thing. Also, the Entropy domain has some really cool-looking spells). Keep 'em coming!

Edit: Also, it appears that Mouthpick weapons grant proficiency. While I've always been of the opinion that Mouthpick weapons would look irredeemably silly in practice, a Kraken with a Mouthpick Spiked Chain could actually be pretty metal.

If you make Fantasy Holland, make the dikes partially magic, partially mechanical. They act as failsafes for one another. Plus, if your PC's fail they don't automatically fail completly. In addition, make destorying the dikes being extremly detrimental. Say, millions of square miles inland is below sea level due to excessive mining or an epic spell gone wrong. Gives you an excuse to have Fantasy Holland in the first place. The key is that destroying a dike should threaten more than just one city, even a metropolis, but a large swath of countryside AND other cities, inland as well. Not sure if real Holland has back up dikes, but I can see Fantasy Holland having dikes that appear from nowhere along roadways another failsafe.

I know I'm suggesting a bunch of failsafe measures but its realistic given the power of magic and it also allows the PC's to 'fail' without destroying large parts of the land/city.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Are you sure you are not partial to Ur-Priest.. cause you know.... (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CaptainObvious)?

I was thinking, instead of flooding the earth how about trying to find a way for it and it's minions to come to land, perhaps some artefact or some defunct magic...maybe raising an underwater empire to the lands from where it can starts it new empire?

[Cog]

The Warblade would have multiweapon fighting and use a kukri in each tentacle.
I wonder if there's some stance the Kraken could take to take advantage of that setup. Something around 1st level, maybe, to make it multiclassing-friendly... nah. That'd be asking too much.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I wonder if there's some stance the Kraken could take to take advantage of that setup. Something around 1st level, maybe, to make it multiclassing-friendly... nah. That'd be asking too much.

... Blood in the water? (did you forget your [sarcasm] tags?)

[TroubleBrewing]

(did you forget your tags?)

There are SARCASM tags for the forum now?!

[Runestar]

Half-fiend is a combination that never goes old...:smallbiggrin:

[Eldan]

To expand on the Dyke idea:

The land behind the dyke used to be part of the seafloor. As the Kraken sees it, the humans have conquered his land and turned it into a hostile waste. Of course, for the humans, that was centuries ago, but the Kraken still remembers well.

Bonus points: something is trapped there. More bonus points: someone. Another Kraken, dormant in a tiny stagnant underground pool.

[TheJake]

I like the idea of a Kraken + Ur-Priest + Elder Evil sourcebook (DIY that is) + Leadership.
Combine it with the cultists with Ecology of the Kraken, Sahuagin and other deep sea beasties and you could have a something truly fierce...

- J.

[Fouredged Sword]

It's a Kracken, and it's got a chain! Better just give it your wallet!

[Kol Korran]

i'm fairly crap with mechanics, but here might be some fluff ideas:

- Motivation: the Kraken is BORED- it has swam the oceans, been to the depths, explored it's mysteries, and byt he god (less?) universek, it is so freaking Boring!

sure, from time to time it has seen those "air ships" from above. in it's time the kraken maybe even drowned a few, but these were mostly boring as well. it has stopped really trying a few hunderds/ thousands of years ago...

but somethign changed- those clumsy, gill less, barely swimming creatures from above started coming to the oceans in this past era. they seem to have developed magic, tools and so on... the kraken gets to hear a bit about them (adeventurers? enterprising merchants and so on), and becomes fascinated! the social systems, jthe magic, the creativity. it seems that life above land made these creatures quite... hardy, adaptable and strange... delicioulsy strange!

instead of drowning the above world, the Kraken wants to try and export it, as much as it can, below the waves, into his/ her own domain! making a little kingdom down below to explroe and test his/ her new subjects, learn from them, and say "ooooh! would you look at that! aren't they adorable? and real smart too!"

the Kraken starts collecting (through minions) all kind of itesm from above- some important, some less seemingly so (more to confuse the players) as well as kidnap all kind of people to "the habitat" down below. maybe it even creats some scheme that may cause a large "upworld" population to try and make more commerce or even settle the world below?

i think that the Kraken is first and foremost a manipulator and politician. many aquatic (and perhaps up world) groups follow it's advice because it persuades them so. each believing they know it's real purposes, when it keeps it's real purpose a mystery.

thus, together with the confusing evidence ("ok, we know the high mage got kidnapped somewhere, but why was the cook kidnapped as well?"/ "they broke into the vault of the forbidden knowledge! wait, they stole the seasonal calanders?") and conflicting reports from the minion groups (the hags- "he will bring on ancienct magic to devour the world!" aboleths- " a new psionic mutant slave warrior race!" Scrags- "lots and lots of delicious food!" sauhagin- "sacrifice for the shark god! to war!") theparty might be kept confused and partially in the dark till the late stages of the campaign.

the Kraken's attitude could be likened to that of the anatagonist in the discworld novel- "interesting times", where the guy is a mastermind of "parody chine/ japan/ asia" who wants nothing more than to ge his hands on NAkh Morpork- the new and fascinating city of "free people", only he has the most wrong idea about how the city works, and what it is...

the Kraken's attitude is slightly like Xykon in terms of super- powerfull, not really caring about everything otehr than his own plans and amusement, can't be bothered with the regular-shticks. however, quite more intelligent and aware i'd suggest.

hopethis helped.

[sreservoir]

\Most of the other ideas here are awesome, though. I'm still partial to the Ur-Priest (A true Godless Killing Machine!) but Binder sounds wickedly alien (how many levels does one need to access Zyrcell?) and Phrenic(+Magic-Blooded?) gives it some very nice versatility and power. The flood the world plots are a bit cliche, but I like the more specialized idea of it breaking dikes (plus, excuse to create fantasy Holland) and the utterly different direction of being a cultist of Dagon (he's one of my favorite demon princes, would probably be the top if not for the whole Grazz't-Iggwilv thing. Also, the Entropy domain has some really cool-looking spells). Keep 'em coming!


binding zceryll comes online at 12, or 10 if you use improved binding, which binders get as a bonus feat. (or take it as a regular feat and then a much-worse bonus feat at 4, of course.) you have at least one other vestige to work with. taken to 14, or 9/KotSS 5, or maybe X 1/binder 4/anima mage 10, you get three vestiges (and the last gets 6th spells).

hell, binder 5/ur-priest 2/anima mage 9 should work, with the adaptation. binder 5/ur-priest 1/tenebrous apostate 5 would get to zceryll, though you do end up getting stuck with tenebrous all the time, when you have only two spaces. binder combines well with ur-priest, really. apart from missing spellcraft, of course, but you have lots of hit dice, no?

[Urpriest]

It's a Kracken, and it's got a chain! Better just give it your wallet!

Think of it like this:

"The beast arises from the black trench, its baleful eye taller than two grown men. Its eight long tentacles writhe below, surrounding a cruel beak encrusted with seaweed and barnacles. A rusted, spiky anchor chain lolls from the creature's maw, the remains of the last ship it devoured. You wonder if yours might be the next."

I like the idea of an undersea kingdom or similar experiment. It could also be merged with the Dagon/Leviathan plots to make an undersea community that exists for magical experimentation/breeding.

Also, I've noticed that the Kraken by default has Improved Trip. While I'm not sure if it can be used with tentacles RAW, designer intent appears to be a creature that has a 60 foot radius of battlefield control. Eat your heart out fighters (literally)!

[Safety Sword]

It needs to have a parrot on its... er... never mind.

It should speak all of it's languages (in your mind) with a pirate accent however.

What if your Kraken is actually not a Kraken at all... but a polymorphed evil Titan or something? You could get some milage out of confusing your players that way.

[Waker]

How about taking levels in Warlock? Some fun invocations to take could be: Dark One's Own Luck (to boost his Refl or Will by 5), Voracious Dispelling (kinda hard to fight an underwater monster when he keeps removing buffs and suppressing items), Chilling Tentacles (The giant squid summons giant tentacles to attack you).
Grappling Blast from Dragon 358 would allow you to add eldritch blast damage to enemies grappled. The horrid thing is that it doesn't require it's own action, it's automatically used when you successfully grapple, meaning if you snag the whole party, everyone gets hit by it. Plus half the damage is applied to your next grapple checks against them.

[TroubleBrewing]

It's a giant squid that... Shoots lasers?

Rad.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

How about taking levels in Warlock? Some fun invocations to take could be: Dark One's Own Luck (to boost his Refl or Will by 5), Voracious Dispelling (kinda hard to fight an underwater monster when he keeps removing buffs and suppressing items), Chilling Tentacles (The giant squid summons giant tentacles to attack you).
Grappling Blast from Dragon 358 would allow you to add eldritch blast damage to enemies grappled. The horrid thing is that it doesn't require it's own action, it's automatically used when you successfully grapple, meaning if you snag the whole party, everyone gets hit by it. Plus half the damage is applied to your next grapple checks against them.

Actually, the dispelling thing is *NOT* a bad notion. Considering most PC's are not amphibious by nature, and rely on some form of magic, it becomes a No Save Just Die effect due to drowning, if they don't get it back up soonish.

Harassment guerrilla warriors with Warlock6 and voracious dispelling and 3d6 pop-guns? Maybe they use Entropic Warding as well, to sneak in and out. Maybe even pull them up to Warlock7, then they have both Walk Unseen (invisibility) and Entropic Warding to make it nearly impossible for most things to chase them.

[Runestar]

But at that lv, your few lvs in warlock won't really do much to a lv20 party. Especially voracious dispelling; the dispel check will be so low that it won't have a chance of dispelling anything! :smallconfused:

[ILM]

How about the Kraken is the undisputed king of the seas (what with, you know, CR 20) and has gotten tired of humans playing aroung in his backyard. He either wants to keep humans from the seas altogether, or is ready to tolerate them in exchange for some impossible terms (sacrificing virgins, sending servants, or whatever you can come up with). In short, he starts a war for the seas. Humans are kind of forced to participate cause, you know, with no sea transport (and trade) and being forced to fish clandestinely, they'd probably be in trouble. To make it all a bit more urgent, make it a world made of a number of large islands.

[silver spectre]

Random idea here...

A spacecraft (or the equivalent) wrecked on this world and the remains sank into the deep sea. The kraken found the wreck and has mastered or is mastering the technology in the ship (it is smarter than many arch mages), technology which includes cybernetics as well as facilities to create and install cybernetics.
In the process of learning the technology (possibly advancing in a tech based class as well) the kraken has enhanced itself and some of its favored minions.

In short, apply the d20 future cybernetics/technology for something your fantasy based PCs won't expect.

[The Glyphstone]

Pretty much any plot you could stick an aboleth in charge of, you could give to a kraken, at least in temperament. They're more of a up-close-and-nasty boss than a manipulator like the aboleth, but the 'giant evil sea creature with tentacles' role overlaps pretty well.

[Waker]

But at that lv, your few lvs in warlock won't really do much to a lv20 party. Especially voracious dispelling; the dispel check will be so low that it won't have a chance of dispelling anything! :smallconfused:
Well, the party is more likely to depend on the use of magic items to get around in the water (Ring of Freedom for example) the dispel would be targeted against the caster levels of the items. But in the case of buffs, the Kraken could just use a wand of greater dispel magic, even without levels of Warlock he has ranks in UMD.

[Cieyrin]

But at that lv, your few lvs in warlock won't really do much to a lv20 party. Especially voracious dispelling; the dispel check will be so low that it won't have a chance of dispelling anything! :smallconfused:

You forget that Warlock would be nonassociated for a Kraken. 16 levels of Warlock get you to CR 20, meaning we have Dark invocations to play with. :smallcool:

[silver spectre]

You forget that Warlock would be nonassociated for a Kraken. 16 levels of Warlock get you to CR 20, meaning we have Dark invocations to play with. :smallcool:

I love the imagery of a kraken warlock with Dark Discorporation turning into a swarm of shadowy baracuda (instead of bats) and whipping out an eldritch chain vitriolic blast.
It's something that would likely ruin the prepared spell casters day since he was probably prepped for fighting one big critter rather than a swarm of them, and the fighters would be unlikely to have swarm fighting weapons.

[ThirdEmperor]

The Kraken is old. Old and powerful and a master of many magics no surface mage shall ever know. It was born millenium ago, when the world was young, along with many, many others, back when the seas were wild and ruled by it's kind. And it heard. It heard the call of Dagon, the song that will one day be heard by all as the world meets it's end in a deluge of water and fury. It listened well, listened to it's master's song and took what knowledge it could. And the song asked only one thing in return. It asked the Kraken to build a city at the edge of the ocean, a wonderful, beautiful city like the world had never seen, of tall spires and volcanic glass, to populate the city with new creatures, servitors for the Lord of the Deep, and to build at the center of that city a gate, inscribed with runes and old, deep magic. A gate by which Dagon could enter the mortal realm to sing his fell song.

The Kraken, ever obedient, did as his master commanded, he built the city, dragged foul things from the darkest depths to serve his master as slaves, forged the gate from jade and blood. But the gods saw what he planned, and they would not let the Kraken befoul their domain. The gods created a great maelstrom, an all devouring rift in the sea. The Kraken was powerless, helpless to do naught but roar in anger as the sea flowed away around him, the tides rushing back, dragging him and his servitors into the deepest depths, down into a watery abyss below the world, and leaving his great city a ruin, stranded on land where he could not reach it.

And there it remained, until it heard the song once more, until it's master calld the Kraken back. It returned from it's undersea prison, from the dark places bneath the deepest ocean, and it saw it's work, a new city built where the old one once stood, populated by humans. The song still rang in it's ears, and the Kraken knows what it's master demands. It shall return the seas to their former glory, it shall make the oceans overflow and claim back what the gods taken from them. And then, once the great city is once more below the waves, the Kraken and it's servitors, new servitors, made from humans this time, shall open the gate and call Dagon forth.

[Waker]

You forget that Warlock would be nonassociated for a Kraken. 16 levels of Warlock get you to CR 20, meaning we have Dark invocations to play with. :smallcool:
16 levels of Warlock to work with eh? Well, quite a bit can be done with that. Sadly I don't have my books with me at the moment, so much of this will have to be done from memory. I'm counting on the rest of you to fill in the gaps.
Least: Dark One's Own Luck, Entropic Warding (20% miss chance on rays)
Lesser:Curse of Despair, Flee the Scene, Voidsense (+Ink Cloud)Voracious Dispelling
Greater:Devour Magic, Enervating Shadow
Dark:Dark Foresight or Word of Changing
Feats: Improved Disarm, Quicken and Empower Spell-like ability, Grappling Blast and maybe something wacky like Obtain/Improved Familiar.

Common tactics: Before approaching the party, the Kraken summons up a group of water elementals using UMD. He leaves the elementals behind and attacks the party focusing on any identifiable spellcasters first, combining Devour Magic with his Improved Grab ability. It's safe to say at least one of the party will attempt to charge him, but he can snag them with his huge reach. And then it gets mean.

If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents. With his huge grapple checks (aided by Grappling Blast) he can easily maintain a grip on the PCs. He then uses his Jet ability to move 280ft away from the rest of the group. Should the party follow, they run into the previously summoned Elementals. While away from the party, the Kraken sets about to grappling, pinning and disarming the captured PCs. After tossing any weapons/magic items to the bottom of the ocean (or his familiar) and generally removing them as threats to him, he can return to finish off the rest of the party, possibly using the previous tactics.
By the way, his grapple looks like this, +56 to grapple 2d8+12+7d6. Half of the blast damage (avg 10) is applied to the next grapple check against the target.
His saves are Fort +26, Refl +17, Will +23

[Arcane_Secrets]

I proxied and corrupted (BoVD) an advanced kraken a while back (eventually, I'll repost both builds involved). While I'll answer the question of motivations for later, I think that the result was by itself pretty devastating even though a lot of the SLA's were 3/day.

[Arcane_Secrets]

I love the imagery of a kraken warlock with Dark Discorporation turning into a swarm of shadowy baracuda (instead of bats) and whipping out an eldritch chain vitriolic blast.
It's something that would likely ruin the prepared spell casters day since he was probably prepped for fighting one big critter rather than a swarm of them, and the fighters would be unlikely to have swarm fighting weapons.

I like this idea, but the barracudas don't seem to quite work thematically. I'd make it some other kind of crustacean or other invertebrate creature instead, like a massive swarm of blue-ringed octopi, nautilus, cuttlefish, or even ammonites.

[Safety Sword]

I like this idea, but the barracudas don't seem to quite work thematically. I'd make it some other kind of crustacean or other invertebrate creature instead, like a massive swarm of blue-ringed octopi, nautilus, cuttlefish, or even ammonites.

Sharks.

Laser beams attached to their heads as an optional extra.

Failing that, ill-tempered mutated sea bass may be a reasonable substitute.

[Runestar]

Alternatively, use Dagon's stats in fiendish codex? :smalltongue:

[silver spectre]

Laser beams attached to their heads as an optional extra.


From the SRD
Laser Optics The recipient’s eyes are replaced with ocular implants capable of firing thin laser beams.
Benefit: Using laser optics is an attack action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A “laser eye” deals 2d6 points of fire damage, threatens a critical hit on a natural 20, and has a range increment of 20 feet. Each additional eye adds +2 to the damage roll (thus, a pair of laser eyes would deal 2d6+2 points of fire damage).
A creature equipped with multiple laser eyes must fire them simultaneously at the same target.

Laser equipped sharks is very much an option if cybernetics are employed...:smallbiggrin:

[Piggy Knowles]

OK, I can understand wanting to stick with a true kraken, instead of a kraken being possessed by a ghost.

But what if we reversed it? Instead of a kraken possessed by a ghost, you used a... GHOST KRAKEN?

It's a little silly, but possession plots really are fun, and it would be pretty shocking when it turns out that the ghost that was possessing the king's general is a gargantuan tentacled beast. And it gives the kraken an easy way to influence the world above the waves, too...

[sreservoir]

if you went ghost (+2 CR) kraken (12 CR), you'd still have 12 levels to play with to get to 20. (hey, binder 12 gets zceryll even without improved binding!)

[Downysole]

To expand on the Dyke idea:

The land behind the dyke used to be part of the seafloor. As the Kraken sees it, the humans have conquered his land and turned it into a hostile waste. Of course, for the humans, that was centuries ago, but the Kraken still remembers well.

Bonus points: something is trapped there. More bonus points: someone. Another Kraken, dormant in a tiny stagnant underground pool.

I was thinking his spawning partner is in an inland sea. It used to be connected to the ocean, but ages past, things changed. Now, the river is too small to take and all the underwater rivers are blocked. So he brings the rains down with his control weather SLA and tries to bring a flood large enough to get him to the inland sea.

I'm sure you could come up with other things he can do in order to get him transported that far too.

[Moogleking]

I was thinking his spawning partner is in an inland sea. It used to be connected to the ocean, but ages past, things changed. Now, the river is too small to take and all the underwater rivers are blocked. So he brings the rains down with his control weather SLA and tries to bring a flood large enough to get him to the inland sea.

I'm sure you could come up with other things he can do in order to get him transported that far too.

And then, after the party have widdled down the Kraken over the course of many rounds, his partner heals him and the party have 2 of them to worry about :smalltongue:

The original being the Binder-build (aka Melee) and his partner being a Warlock.

[shadow_archmagi]

Obviously it's a Vampire Kraken.

A vampire Kraken gets to make eight attacks at 2d8+12 for two negative levels each, and it gets 5 hp for every one that lands!

[Tvtyrant]

Or its a Psywarrior Kraken that produces claws and poison on different tentacles for mad damage. Also, Expansion for grappling ships.

[sreservoir]

Or its a Psywarrior Kraken that produces claws and poison on different tentacles for mad damage. Also, Expansion for grappling ships.

at psywar 14, it can take EK (metamorphosis) and be a ship.

[Eldan]

Or its a Psywarrior Kraken that produces claws and poison on different tentacles for mad damage. Also, Expansion for grappling ships.

Seconding that. It needs to be bigger.

[sreservoir]

Seconding that. It needs to be bigger.

with an augmented expansion, of course.

[Urpriest]

Seconding that. It needs to be bigger.

Can also be done with Persisted Righteous Might. Point for the Ur-Kraken.

[Runestar]

I find that I don't really like colossal sized foes; the size penalty to AC and attacks is not easy to swallow, plus the kraken is already auto-win for its size-related attacks like grapple anyways (either that or the PCs are immune), so the extra size-related boost won't really help. Gargantuan is the sweet spot for me. In fact, if I were to run say, a tarrasque, I would slap on dungeonbred. :smallredface:

The wizard's website does have stats for a half-kraken/half-molydeus (a half-fiend variant) foe though.

[Tvtyrant]

I find that I don't really like colossal sized foes; the size penalty to AC and attacks is not easy to swallow, plus the kraken is already auto-win for its size-related attacks like grapple anyways (either that or the PCs are immune), so the extra size-related boost won't really help. Gargantuan is the sweet spot for me. In fact, if I were to run say, a tarrasque, I would slap on dungeonbred. :smallredface:

The wizard's website does have stats for a half-kraken/half-molydeus (a half-fiend variant) foe though.

But if you had a colossal Balhanoth is could grapple anything! No immunity, just sweet crushing death.

[Metahuman1]

Have there been any votes for a ToB class?

Give the Kraken Combat reflexes (if it has low dex give it a homebrew feat to use a different stat to fuel that feat or something.) and Robilars Gambit, and now you've got High damage, added durability, and lots of stamina off Warblade.

Or Crusader could create an unholy monster feel while being the thing that JUST, WON'T, DIE! And doing steady damage. The kind of steady damage that's high and consistent enough that with the just won't die thing going it could get scary in a hurry.

Or if you really wanna be a damage output monster you could hit it with swordsage levels.

[Cieyrin]

But if you had a colossal Balhanoth is could grapple anything! No immunity, just sweet crushing death.

You only have to be Gargantuan to be able to grapple anything, you can grapple things up to one size category bigger than you. The only problem you'll have with Colossals is that you'll have a -4 size penalty in comparison and the strength that goes with it. Anyways, this is an NPC, I don't expect a Wujen PC casting Giant Size to be slugging it out with our Kraken.

[Anarchy_Kanya]

It's a giant squid that... Shoots lasers?

Rad.
You mean this? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLL1xmHBwx0&feature=player_detailpage#t=544s)

[Seharvepernfan]

In my homebrew world, there is an island in a kraken owned domain. The island is home to the kraken's slave nation of humans, which is policed by the krakens sahuagin army. Magic is forbidden amongst the slaves.

The kraken itself is a half-fiend, which is my template of choice for BBEGs. I never actually statted it out, but sorcerer levels sound nice, or maybe just the spell like abilities of a mind flayer.

[Runestar]

Is there anyway to let a kraken breath air? I am envisioning this winged squid hovering above a small town, and terrorising its people left and right with tentacle rakes...:smallcool:

The kraken is also eligible for the monster of legend template. :smalleek:

[Cieyrin]

Is there anyway to let a kraken breath air? I am envisioning this winged squid hovering above a small town, and terrorising its people left and right with tentacle rakes...:smallcool:

The kraken is also eligible for the monster of legend template. :smalleek:

Savage Species should have an Air Breathing spell, inverse to Water Breathing, though it could be in SpC, I'm not sure...

[Sith_Happens]

How about the Kraken is the undisputed king of the seas (what with, you know, CR 20) and has gotten tired of humans playing aroung in his backyard. He either wants to keep humans from the seas altogether, or is ready to tolerate them in exchange for some impossible terms (sacrificing virgins, sending servants, or whatever you can come up with). In short, he starts a war for the seas. Humans are kind of forced to participate cause, you know, with no sea transport (and trade) and being forced to fish clandestinely, they'd probably be in trouble. To make it all a bit more urgent, make it a world made of a number of large islands.

This, particularly that last bit. An Earthsea/Windwaker-type setting will make it a lot easier to write a plot around a kraken, particularly one long enough for a full campaign (since the thread is asking about a kraken BBEG, not a kraken one-shot villain).

[Urpriest]

Is there anyway to let a kraken breath air? I am envisioning this winged squid hovering above a small town, and terrorising its people left and right with tentacle rakes...:smallcool:

The kraken is also eligible for the monster of legend template. :smalleek:

I feel like Monster of Legend isn't that useful in this case. It would give 5 levels of cleric casting, but then cleric becomes associated, so in the end it would end up with less casting. Unless you mean the rest of the template.

Also, ThirdEmperor, I really like how you combined the undersea city idea with the Dagon worship idea. A very Ry'leh/Carcosa feel.

[Arcane_Secrets]

Is there anyway to let a kraken breath air? I am envisioning this winged squid hovering above a small town, and terrorising its people left and right with tentacle rakes...:smallcool:

The kraken is also eligible for the monster of legend template. :smalleek:

I think there's an Amphibious template in Stormwrack or somewhere else that could solve the air-breathing issue.

[Piggy Knowles]

Divine Minion Kraken devoted to Shar, with levels in Planar Shepherd? Key yourself to the elemental plane of water and travel around in a bubble of water when above ground...

[Runestar]

I feel like Monster of Legend isn't that useful in this case. It would give 5 levels of cleric casting, but then cleric becomes associated, so in the end it would end up with less casting. Unless you mean the rest of the template.

Also, ThirdEmperor, I really like how you combined the undersea city idea with the Dagon worship idea. A very Ry'leh/Carcosa feel.

The template can grant 2 immunities and frightful presence (pretty much the only useful special attack). You can't go wrong the massive stat boosts and save bonuses. :smallbiggrin:

I am liking the ur-priest idea, but how does racial HD interact with its caster lv? So a kraken ur-priest10 still has a caster of just 10 (or 14 with practiced spellcaster)? :smallannoyed: