Give their reminder on some of the most dangerous creatures within the Deacon Ocean. Hope you enjoy the read on some of our games most mythic and dangerous seafolk which may soon be encountered.
Skum Are Psychic, Alien-Like Monsters That Serve Aboleths
Skum are corrupted by the influence of other powerful aquatic creatures, often an aboleth. Despite their straightforward brutality, skum have several more alien abilities that set them apart from standard melee monsters.
Water Elementals, Aquatic Warriors That Can Be Summoned
Fewer creatures are more natural aquatic monsters than water elementals. They are the magical essence of water animated into a physical and threatening form. Water elementals can squeeze through almost any space, whether underwater or on dry land. Their unique Whelm attack can grapple multiple creatures and deal damage each turn.
Kraken Priests Serve Krakens
Kraken priests are dangerous spellcasters who have devoted themselves to the service of a kraken in hopes of currying favor and siphoning some amount of power off in the process. Kraken priests gain a swim speed and resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, making them challenging water enemies.
A kraken priest's connection to their master grants them some innate spellcasting, including Evard's Black Tentacles, Control Water, Water Walk, and even the ability to cast Command at will. Introducing a kraken priest into a D&D campaign is a great way to foreshadow an even more powerful looming threat.
The Maw Of Sekolah - a Decorated Monster Representing the Sahaugin God
The Maw of Sekolah is an enormous, two-headed shark summoned by sahuagin cultists in rituals to their dark shark god. The Maw can move up to its 50-foot speed after another character's turn, attempt to smell out its prey with a Perception check, or even attack every creature within 60 feet of it with gnashing shark mouths.
Water Elemental Myrmidon
Water elemental myrmidons are stronger versions of water elementals magically bound into plate armor. This gives them significantly higher defenses, coupled with some unique offensive options over their more conventional kin. Most notably, they wield tridents in combat rather than using their natural form. A water elemental myrmidon's high Armor Class and hit points make them certainly dangerous. Their Freezing Strike attack is particularly damaging to player characters already slowed by fighting underwater.
Aboleths - Haunts of Dark Waters
Aboleths are inspired by the terrors of the deep. They reside in the depths of ancient seas and lakes. They are ancient beings that use their psychic abilities to enslave other creatures. Aboleths harbor an ancient resentment against all gods. Their ability to enslave other creatures means they might be found fighting alongside many other, disparate creatures. This can help ensure that fighting an aboleth's thralls is always a surprise.
Morkoths Are Sinister, Hypnotic Squids
Morkoths are massive, squid-like creatures found within flooded lairs on secluded islands. Similarly to an aboleth a morkoth can manipulate the minds of adventurers and wield hypnosis as one of its primary weapons.
Morkoths are habitual hoarders, and they fill their lairs with powerful magic that allows them to track down items, cause creatures to lose track of their possessions, and even make water breathable and clean as air.
Wastriliths - Nopt Even the Ocean is Safe from Demons
A wastrilith is a potent amphibious demon. Wastriliths are known to corrupt water with their very presence. When a wastrilith comes into contact with water, the effect turns it incredibly toxic and murky almost immediately.
A wastrilith is always accompanied by other demons. Their corrupted water is poisonous to players but heals demons when consumed.
Juvenile Krakens May Be Young, But Can Still Terrorize Ships
The kraken is one of the most iconic aquatic enemies. However, it's also an endgame enemy meant for very powerful parties. Lower-level adventurers will struggle a suitable amount against the younger and weaker juvenile kraken.
A juvenile kraken has fewer extreme versions of a kraken's most devastating abilities but its attacks automatically grapple creatures to fling them further away to blight melee enemies, while ink clouds and lightning strikes make life unpleasant for ranged attackers and magic users. Despite its youth, a juvenile kraken is one of the most dangerous sea monsters.
Storm Giant Quintessents - Masters of Water, Lightning, and Wind
The storm giant quintessent is a much more dangerous being than your typical storm giant. Completely in sync with the elements and nature, a storm giant quintessent can become one with natural disasters themselves, such as a harsh blizzard or storm. When it comes to combat, a storm giant quintessent can attack with its Lightning Sword dealing an astonishing amount of damage. Additionally, it can displace other creatures with a gust or attack from afar with lightning bolts.
Dragon Turtles Wreck Ships and Breathe Deadly Steam
Dragon turtles are a constant aquatic monster threat that adventurers should always be wary of while traveling on the high seas. While not as dangerous as ancient dragons, these D&D sea monsters boast a minimum of 341 hit points and Armor Class of 20. They're one of the sturdiest monsters parties might run into. A dragon turtle can expel a deadly blast of steam that deals whopping damage to anything unfortunate enough to get in its way. Alternatively, it can devastate players and ships with its slam attack.
Leviathans Are Iconic Sea Beasts That Command the Tides
The leviathan is one of the most dangerous opponents that can be encountered beneath the waves. With a challenge rating of 20 and access to powers the leviathan is a sea monster that can be the final boss of an entire campaign.
The scariest tool at a leviathan's disposal is its ability to create tidal waves. These waves are up to 250 feet long, up to 250 feet high, and up to 50 feet thick. They damage anyone in their area, even on a successful saving throw. These tidal waves continue to move throughout the fight, potentially devastating an entire party in combat.
Elder Tempests Are Living Storms with Some Watery Attributes
An elder tempest is one of the most dangerous elemental threats players can encounter. Its status as the elemental embodiment of the storm makes it equally as comfortable over the water as anywhere else. The elder tempest is less of an aquatic monster and more of a sapient natural disaster. With terrifying legendary actions like Lightning Strike and Screaming Gale, an elder tempest can attack up to four times every round. The very presence of this being dissipates all flame and fog and causes all ranged attack rolls to be made at disadvantage.
Krakens Destroy Ships and Port Towns with Incredible Ease
Few aquatic monsters are as iconic in fantasy as krakens. Like the elder tempest, krakens possess a startlingly high challenge rating of 23+. Dealing damage to a kraken can be an endeavor in itself. They are immune to several damage types on top of the inherent challenges of fighting underwater. A kraken's offensive capabilities are just as impressive, since they attack at least three times a round for massive damage. They can provide a constant threat of elemental damage, physical attacks, swallowing party members, and even blinding the party by releasing ink clouds as a legendary action.
Ancient Dragon Turtles Are Apocalyptic Threats on the High Seas
Dragon turtles are some of the most dangerous sea monsters. However, Fizban's Treasury of Dragons introduces an older and even more threatening version. An ancient dragon turtle has lived long enough and amassed enough power to become a Mythic Monster. Ancient dragon turtles are even harder to kill than their mundane kin. The high defenses and vicious Steam Breath are still there. On top of that, it can regain all of its hit points the first time it's reduced to 0. When it does, it gains powerful new Mythic Actions like a storm aura around it, signaling that the fight has truly begun.
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