The ocean has spawned the spirit of adventure in many who have gazed upon its surface. This wondrous, aquatic realm teems with life. Lowly microscopic organisms serve as the foundation for this vast ecosystem by providing nourishment for larger creatures on the food chain. At first glance, one might think humanity reigns over the oceans because they harvest its waters. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The undersea realm has its own native master who rules its domain with an iron tentacle. Woe be it to those who forger the true lord of the depths, the legendary kraken!

These gigantic relatives of squids are perhaps the most horrific of all the creatures that prowl the shadowy world of the watery deep. The immense, oft malevolent predators can cause even the most stalwart sailor to grow weak in the knees with the mention of their name. Krakens are vengeful creatures char possess a wickedly cruel intelligence and have no natural enemies.

A mature kraken can reach 35 meters in length and weigh three metric tons. The upper surface of their bodies is usually grayish in color with black mottling. Their underbelly and suction cups along the tentacles are sickly white in coloration. These aggressive creatures have voracious appetites. They have been known to mistake passing ships for whales, and several kraken attacks were recorded in the 1930s. Krakens prefer to surprise potential victims and attempt to glide with the ocean while waiting for an opportune moment to strike.

Krakens generally strike their prey from a distance with their tentacles. These rubbery weapons are incredibly strong and can resist attempts to sever them. Once the life has been crushed from their victims they are drawn to the beast’s viscous beak, which can crack the hull of the sturdiest wooden vessel. If an encounter should go against the creature, it can release an ink cloud to cover its escape.

These titanic monsters tend to lead solitary lives and rarely take a mate. They usually only interact with their kind to propagate the species or battle for territory. Deep canyons or vast undersea caves are the kraken’s favored home of choice. Their lairs are usually littered with the remains of sunken ships, the bones of their victims, and lost riches. Wealth, of course, is meaningless co these creatures but has on occasion lured foolish treasure hunter to their doom.

Heroes of all ages have tried and will try to pierce the veil of myth and mystery which surrounds these creatures. Cloak-and-dagger settings might have heroes searching for an enemy spy submarine that sank to the bottom of the sea after venturing too close to a kraken’s lair. The beast could live near ancient undersea ruins and unwittingly guard a vast fortune. Merfolk might ask for aid in stopping a monstrous rampage. In occult settings, these creatures could be worshipped as vengeful gods or presumed to have mystical powers. Super-hero games can pit heroes directly against the deadly, oceanic terrors.

These creatures are also useful to set the mood. Reports of kraken sightings can cause terror by themselves. Mounting rumors could disrupt the economy of a coastal community. When things look their bleakest, the characters could encounter an eccentric ship’s captain who is looking to replace lost crewmen and is bent on destroying the monster who slew them.

Typical Kraken

Reflexes 12D: brawling 14D, sneak 6D
Coordination 2D: throwing SD
Physique 18D: lifting 20D, swimming 19D
Knowledge 1 D: navigation: undersea 7D
Perception 5D: search 7D,survival 5D+2, tracking 6D+1
Presence 8D: intimidation 10D
Strength Damage: 10D
Move: 24
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 63
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: beak (damage+3D); tentacle (damage +2D; successful tackle can continue apply damage each round as a free arrack until victim breaks free); rubbery hide (Armor Value +2D vs. blunt weapons; resistant to temperature and pressure extremes); highly developed sense of hearing (+2 to related skill totals); unusual eye structure ( +1D co see hear and in low- light conditions); ink cloud (+15 to the difficulty of sight-based skill attempts by those outside of the cloud; quickly spreads to ; lasts at least one hour); sensitive eyes (will break off attacks and submerge if blinded); large size (scale value 22)

Note: Krakens can attack once with its bite or twice with its arms each round. If a victim is caught in one tentacle, they may still use other tentacles to attack; they may capture a maximum of eight victims.