Terrors of the Sea of Dread
by Cab Davidson from Threshold Magazine issue 31From the Journal of Averyx, Inquisitor for the Sphere of Time, finder of lost Immortals, Patron of Alphatia in Majesty, Futures, Investigations, Resources and Expansion (AIM FIRE).
Image: Plesiosaur http://pandius.com/Plesiosaurus.png
Caption: Plesiosaur, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
In hardball it is Sundsvaal Freemen vs. Draco Rex. In the Thyatian arena it is the Retarii vs. the Samntites. And who can forget the fabulous era of annual contests between Strongheart and Warduke for the crown of Ierendi. In sports enduring rivalries captivate and thrill us most. To Immortals the greatest sport of all is the quest to join our ranks. And as an Alphatian, I can say with great pride that nobody does rivalries like we do.
The greatest, most enduring, longest lasting and (in my view) most important was the centuries-long political standoff between Gargantua and Thaneg, of which the Sea of Dread still shows the metaphysical scars. Each was a great Alphatian in the truest expansionist sense - Gargantua claiming rule over new territories in the far north of Norwold with apprentices as obsessed with creating giant creatures as he was, and Thaneg settling on what would become known as the Isle of Dread with a cadre of geologically inclined spellcasters and a lot of clone spells. While it may appear that each should have little to do with the other, they fought over funding, military and economic support from the Imperial crown, and favour among members of the Grand Council, and their political machinations are only rivalled by gross physical intrusions into each other's projects.
And it was one such intrusion by Gargantua right into the heart of Thaneg's operation that so changed the nature of the sea that, as a result, it became known as the Sea of Dread. A temporal bomb of such shocking intensity that the denizens thereof are now forever beholden to those changes - residents from the Sunlit Sea in the north to those of the Jungle Coast in the south, from Thanegia to Furmenglaive, their lives all radically different as a result. The fauna of the ocean is now defined by that event.
The events Averyx refers to, and which he will go on to describe in more detail, define much of the fauna of the Sea of Dread. Gargantua and his followers' interference with Thaneg's work was never intended to stop Thaneg cloning prehistoric creatures, the intent was to make the continuation of that work to its completion (and Thaneg's ascent to immortality) impossible. In this effort Gargantua was spectacularly successful - and the fauna of the Sea of Dread remains affected to this day.
Simply, in and around the Isle of Dread, creatures native to the Cretacious or Jurassic1 eras are most common, whereas as one travels from the coastal waters around the Thanegioth Archipelago to the (relatively benign) waters of Minrothad and Ierendi, more modern forms of marine life become dominant, but stranger (and often more dangerous) creatures from earlier periods are still found. The waters immediately around the Isle of Dread team with life forms native to the time period of Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops horridus, while around Minrothad most creatures are modern but occasional specimens that originate in the Carboniferous era (5 times further back even than the Cretaceous) are found. Skilled navigators understand that while different areas may, on the surface, seem entirely similar, the dangers of those zones may be radically different.
It is the Cretaceous zone, and the creatures that inhabit it, that will be described first.
Cretaceous Zone Creatures
[Image: Archelon] http://pandius.com/archelon.png
Caption: Archelon, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
Archelon
AC: 2
HD: 15
Movement Rate (swimming): 120' (40')
Movement Rate (land): 30' (10')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 2d8
Number Appearing: 0 (1d4)
Save As: F8
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 2
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 1,650
The archelon is a giant sea turtle, feeding on fish, crustaceans, and other slow-moving marine creatures. Other than the dragon turtle, it is the largest known turtle to have lived, measuring up to 15 feet in length and weighing over 4,000 pounds. The archelon's shell is its primary defence, protecting it from predators and other dangers in the ocean. However, if threatened, Archelon can use its powerful jaws to deliver a bite.
The archelon is rarely encountered on land and is primarily a sea creature, only returning to land to lay its eggs. It is a solitary creature and tends to avoid conflict unless provoked or its nesting site disturbed. Despite its massive size, the archelon is relatively peaceful, and sailors of the Sea of Dread are known to view them as a bringer of good luck, and larger, and distinctively marked specimens can become well known among the crews of merchant ships, who look out for them on each ocean crossing.
[Image: Aristonectes] http://pandius.com/Aristonectes.png
Caption: Aristonectes, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
Aristonectes
AC: 3
HD: 10*
Movement Rate (swimming): 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 2d6 + special
Number Appearing: 0 (1)
Save As: Fighter 5
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 2
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 1,750
The aristonectes is a massive marine reptile, a plesiosaur with a long, robust neck. It can grow up to 40' long, with a powerful, extended neck and four thick flippers. Its body is protected by tough, scaly skin, and its jaws are tightly packed with conical teeth. The aristonectes is a solitary creature and is rarely encountered by humans. It spends most of its time swimming far from shore, near the ocean surface, seeking out dense shoals of small fish and shellfish.
The aristonectes is usually a peaceful filter feeder, grabbing mouthfuls of prey and filtering them out of seawater using its teeth. If it mis-times this with a larger creature, however, its bite can easily crush bones, and it is capable of dragging a full-grown human underwater with ease. While not primarily preying on such large creatures, if they do catch a human or demi-human they typically take them to deeper water to drown them before consuming. A victim of an aristonectes's bite must make a saving throw vs. paralysis or be trapped, and while they take only a small amount of damage each round (1d8) from being crushed, normal rules for drowning also apply. Once trapped, a character can only be freed by either killing the aristonectes or forcing it to fail a morale check.
[Image: Elasmosaurus] http://pandius.com/Elasmosaurus.png
Caption: Elasmosaurus, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
Elasmosaurus
AC: 6
HD: 6+3
Movement Rate (swimming): 90' (30')
Attacks: 1 bite/1 tail slap
Damage: 2d6/1d8
Number Appearing: 0 (1d6)
Save As: F4
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 350
The elasmosaurus is a massive sea creature resembling a plesiosaur, with an extremely long neck and a relatively small head. It can reach lengths of up to 40 feet and weighs several tons. The elasmosaurus is a predator of fish, squid, and other sea creatures. It is not aggressive towards humans but can become territorial and defensive if its territory is threatened. The elasmosaurus attacks with a powerful bite from its jaws and can also use its long tail to strike its enemies. Despite its massive size, it is surprisingly agile and can manoeuvre quickly in the water. While typically solitary it is most often encountered with others of its species, gathering to hunt great shoals of fish and squid, its head darting in to grab individual prey. In such scenarios, the elasmosaurus becomes far less discriminating in prey selection, and can in its haste attack much larger creatures.
[Image: Hatzegopteryx] http://pandius.com/Hatzegopteryx.png
Caption, Hatzegopteryx, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
Hatzegopteryx
AC: 5
HD: 13
Movement (flying): 180' (60')
Movement (walking): 180' (60')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 6d6
Number Appearing: 0 (1d2)
Save As: F7
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 2
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 1,350
The hatzegopteryx is a huge (50'-wingspan), long-necked azhdarchid pterosaur, and while it is not specifically a marine animal it hunts across islands of the Sea of Dread. On those islands, it is the alpha predator of small- and medium-sized animals. Somewhat more heavily built but slightly smaller than the quetzalcoatlus, it is as capable of running down prey on land as it is at attacking from the air, having a wide, sharp beak with which it can make a devastating attack. It can swallow human-sized prey on 18-20 on an attack roll, and a dwarf-sized or smaller creature on a 17-20.
While perhaps not as fearsome as many land-based predators of its era, its capacity to launch from flat ground using all four of its limbs to push off into the air, after which it can glide for hundreds of miles between islands almost effortlessly, has allowed it to become the undisputed alpha predator across a wide area.
[Image: Mosasaurus] http://pandius.com/Mosasaurus.png
Caption: Mosasaurus, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
Mosasaurus
AC: 3
HD: 15
Movement Rate (swimming): 180' (60')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 6d6
Number Appearing: 0 (1)
Save As: F8
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: Vx2
Intelligence: 2
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 1,650
The mosasaurus is one of the most massive ocean-going predators of its own or any era. It can grow up to 50 feet in length, with four powerful flippers and a strong tail allowing it to reach a shocking speed for its scale, forcing its massive torpedo-like bulk through the water with enormous force. It has a powerful bite that can crush its prey, and while it can swallow human-sized or smaller victims whole on an attack roll of 19-20 it usually prefers to make multiple bite attacks to immobilise or kill its prey first. The mosasaurus is a solitary predator that hunts in the deep waters of the ocean, preferring to ambush prey from below, but it is capable of chasing down all but the swiftest prey. It may occasionally venture close to shore if there appears to be prey there. It has a thick, scaly hide that protects it from most attacks. And while it is an air-breathing reptile, it can spend prolonged periods sleeping on or near the sea floor, preferring broken ground such as submerged ruins to make its lair. Therein the excreted and regurgitated indigestible remains of prey may often be found, including any treasures they carried.
Thalassotitan
AC: 5
HD: 15*
Movement Rate (swimming): 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 tail slap or 1 bite
Damage: 4d8 or 2d10
Number Appearing: 1
Save As: F8
Morale: 11
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 2
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 2,700
The thalassotitan is a massive aquatic reptile, similar to mosasaur in being able to propel its massive, torpedo-like bulk through the water with great force facilitated by four powerful flippers and an enormous tail. It is one of the largest marine reptiles known, with a length of over 50 feet and a weight of over 70 tons. The thalassotitan can strike its enemies with its tail, as well as attacking with a large head full of sharp teeth. It prefers to bask in surface waters, stalking the great kelp and sargasso forests for prey, able to lie motionless therein for hours at a time, usually attacking any prey with surprise (1-4 on 1d6). It can swallow man-sized or smaller prey on an attack roll of 19-20, and if it succeeds in doing so it typically retreats to deeper water to digest its meal.
While not typically keen to hunt humans, it tends to view any ships passing through its hunting ground as another large predator threatening its territory. It will usually respond with loud grunts and snarls, threatening its foe, and if the ship continues through its territory it will align itself with it under the water and start beating on the hull with its tail. The damage it inflicts can make crewmen fall into the water, and causes significant damage to the ship.
Tusoteuthis
AC: 5
HD: 15**
Movement Rate (swimming): 240' (80')
Attacks: 2 tentacles/1 bite
Damage: 1d8/1d8/5d8
Number Appearing: 1
Save As: F8
Morale: 10
Treasure Type: H
Intelligence: 3
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 3,750
The tusoteuthis is a huge squid (50' long, with a further reach of 50') that hunts the deep sea. It is known for its long, whip-like tentacles used to snare prey, and its powerful beak that can crush even the strongest of bones. Tusoteuthis is an intelligent creature, and while not aggressive it is an opportunistic predator and will treat adventurers as prey, if the odds seem in its favour.
Encountering a tusoteuthis in the deep can be a deadly affair. Its tentacles can reach up to 50' in length, and it can use them to pull even large creatures towards its beak. Creatures thus struck with tentacles are, next round, drawn back to the mouth of the creature to be bitten. Its beak is strong enough to easily crush most foes, and on a bite attack roll of 19-20 a victim of up to ogre-size is swallowed whole. It has exceptional (90') infravision, often allowing it to see potential prey well before it can be detected, and usually it will slowly manoeuvre to a point where it can attack with surprise. Unwary foes will be surprised on a 1-5 on 1d6, and once it has taken prey it retreats to the ocean depths.
Th tusoteuthis is known to be attracted to light, hunting many of the bioluminescent organisms of the depths. In the darkness of night, it rises to shallow waters, hunting prey by the shadows cast in moonlight.
Individuals of the species may live to a great age, many being over 200 years old. They prefer to make a lair in the crushing depths of the deepest parts of the ocean, where they gather all of the light-reflecting materials they find. In amongst shards of glass, iridescent shells and other valueless trinkets elderly specimens may amass vast hoards of treasure, equal to those of dragons.
Tylosaurus
AC: 4
HD: 12+2
Movement Rate (swimming): 150' (50')
Attacks: 1 bite/1 tail slap
Damage: 2d8/2d6
Number Appearing: 0 (1)
Save As: F7
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: Vx2
Intelligence: 2
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 1,350
The tylosaurus is a huge predator, measuring up to 35 feet long and resembling a massive crocodile, but with powerful flippers in place of legs and a great tail closer to that of a whale. While it can leave the water, it does so only to lay eggs, and is a specialist predator of estuaries and shallow waters around coral reefs, where it is a cunning hunter with many different strategies to catch prey. Typically, it relies upon its incredible speed and strength to catch prey, which includes other large marine reptiles. But it can also hide amongst detritus after storms, and will conceal itself among wreckage from sunken ships, even among survivors, waiting until larger numbers of rescuers turn up to provide more prey.
The tylosaurus tends to keep a clear ledge or cave within the reef where it takes freshly killed prey to store until it has aged to suit its tastes. While the creature itself does not value treasure, the belongings of victims are often to be found there.
Xiphactinus
AC: 5
HD: 8
Movement Rate (swimming): 180' (60')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 2d10
Number Appearing: 0 (1d4)
Save As: F4
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 650
The xiphactinus is a massive prehistoric fish that can grow up to 20 feet in length. It has a long, slender body with sharp teeth and a powerful jaw capable of crushing the shellfish it prefers to feed upon. It is a fierce predator and often hunts in small packs. Despite its size and predatory nature, xiphactinus rarely attacks prey as large as humans, preferring to prey on smaller turtles and shellfish, which it can crush with ease. It has however been known to take speculative bites from slower-moving adventurers that in some ways resemble their typical prey, especially any armoured characters on or near the sea bed.
Other than the near unsolvable issue of linguistics (how one refers to something one intends to have already done yesterday in one's own future, is more of a crisis of syntax and grammar than continuity), perhaps the hardest things to understand about time is that it is both linear and, well, not. Mortals frequently refer to the sands of time, as if each grain is an event flowing through the aperture of an hourglass, a perception based on the quite extraordinary stability of Mystaran time enforced by the hierarchs of our sphere. If left unpoliced, being unconstrained by thought, liberated from the ordering of matter, and free of the requirement to dissipate the chaos of energy, time is a very different entity indeed, and the past and future themselves become malleable realities. But this understanding is dangerous, and mortal minds cannot fully assimilate it. Thus the most potent artifacts of time, those that confer such understanding, are also by far the most dangerous.
This brings me to the Temporal Lens, an ancient, pure diamond sphere formed by the collapsing matter of the final stars of a now long-dead universe, endowed with the potency of a whole pantheon of Immortals of Time, created such that their own existence might outlast their own reality. The device itself had to possess an Immortal's perception of time, thus any mortal who holds it can likewise perceive and manipulate time. Thaneg pinned much of his hope on this artifact, making its theft, destruction, or even mere subversion a priority for Gargantua.
Thaneg had adventured to the edge of the solar system to find the Lens. With his apprentices and allies he outwitted a self-sustaining colony of meks on the outermost planet, Nyx, and had returned with their prize. He could now obtain specimens from any time in Mystara's history for his cloning projects, and thus his quest for immortality (involving the creation of a unique environment with unique inhabitants from vastly different eras) accelerated rapidly, along with his wider influence in the Sea of Dread area. This also drew in more investors from mainland Alphatia, and the rate of speculative trade and colonisation projects therein increased tenfold. For a few short years it appeared as if the future of Alphatia on Mystara would be a civilisation settled around all of the shores of the Sea of Dread - an alternative reality I may visit, one day.
To Gargantua, who had relied on the income from precisely the same settlers and traders to come towards Norwold to support his own project involving super-sized creatures, this was a disaster. At this time, it was unlikely that even the might of Alphatia could support both projects. Thus, the stage was set - a battle for control of the Temporal Lens, with the winner aspiring to claim his place in the ranks of the Immortals.
Jurassic Zone Creatures
Dearc
AC: 6
HD: 4**
Movement (flying): 240' (80')
Movement (swimming): 180' (60')
Movement (land): 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 1d6+special
Number Appearing: 0 (4d8)
Save As: F2
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 125
The dearc is a medium-sized pterodactyl, with a wing span of around 9'. Its body is coloured in a way reminiscent of a penguin or guillemot, with a black back and white chest, and its beak is thronged with many jagged teeth from which prey cannot easily escape. It thrives both on the surface of the ocean and on land, usually roosting on islands and cliff tops that are hard to access by any creatures that cannot fly.
It primarily preys on fish and cephalopods, which it picks out when flying above the ocean. When it spots a shoal, it chooses targets therein and dives towards them at great speed, reaching up to twice its normal flying speed in a dive, tucking in to a tight form allowing it to attack pretty up to 10' below the ocean's surface by surprise (1-4 on 1d6).
The dearc prefers small prey, but when hungry it will swoop down to attack sailors on the deck of a ship, tearing great chunks of flesh from them with its horrible bite attack. Its jagged teeth leave wounds that bleed profusely, meaning that unless an injured character stops to bind the wound it will continue to bleed for 2d6 rounds, inflicting 1 point of damage per round. Thus if a wound is not rapidly attended to (taking 2 rounds to bandage) it may be fatal, and a flock of dearc can thus be a serious threat.
Leedsichthys
AC: 3
HD: 19
Movement (swimming): 180' (60')
Attacks: 1 ram
Damage: 4d4
Number Appearing: 0 (4d8)
Save As: F2
Morale: 7
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 2,250
This colossal (up to 90') creature may be the largest bony fish to ever live. It has a huge, gaping mouth held open most of the time, as it sedately swims just beneath the ocean surface filter-feeding. It consumes vast amounts of plankton, but rarely takes prey bigger than small fry. It is a gentle giant, and none have ever been known to attack humans or humanoids of any sort. It has been known to accidentally capsize smaller fishing vessels, and if attacked it may ram opponents before invariably swimming away.
Sailors crossing the Sea of Dread often view the sightings of leedsichthys as a good omen, these huge, harmless creatures frequently following in the wake of sailing ships, attracted to their phosphorescent wakes.
[Image: Liopleurodon] http://pandius.com/Liopleurodon.png
Caption: Liopleurodon, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
Liopleurodon
AC: 4
HD: 20*
Movement (swimming) 150' (50')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 4d8
Number Appearing: 0 (1)
Save As: F9
Morale: 10
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 3
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 4,175
One of the most dangerous predators of the Jurassic zone, the liopleurodon is an enormous (up to 25' long) pliosaur, essentially resembling a flippered crocodile of immense scale. It is primarily an ambush predator, preferring to hunt prey near the surface of the ocean, most often smaller marine reptiles as they surface for air. When attacking from below it can gain surprise on a 1-3 on 1d6, often then retreating for a short while before returning to surprise its foe again. It can swallow man-sized or smaller creatures on a hit roll of 19 or 20, and swallowed creatures suffer 2d8 acid damage and a further 1d8 crushing damage due to the abrasive action of gastroliths (rocks swallowed to crush food) in the creature's stomach.
The liopleurodon is rather more cunning than most other marine reptiles, possessing slightly more than rudimentary intelligence. It is capable of strategic thinking, and often plans its attacks on ships with great care, choosing to nudge a vessel when a sailor is precariously placed, falling into the water to be lost without anyone on deck noticing that they are absent until it is too late.
Pliosaurus
AC: 3
HD: 12
Movement Rate (swimming): 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 3d6
Number Appearing: 0 (1)
Save As: F5
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 1,250
The pliosaurus is a large, powerful marine reptile with a crocodile-like head, short neck, and long, broad flippers. It can grow up to 40 feet in length and is a formidable predator. Its jaws are filled with sharp, conical teeth, and it can deliver a powerful bite to crush the shells of its prey. Despite its size and strength, the pliosaurus is not as fast as some other predators, favouring ambush over chasing down prey, usually attacking from beneath (and when doing so it gains surprise on a 1-4 on 1d6). While it rarely attacks humans and demi-humans, it can easily mistake small boats for prey animals, and has been known to attack those rowing to or away from islands in the Sea of Dread.
Temnodontosaurus
AC: 4
HD: 8**
Movement Rate (swimming): 180' (60')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 4d6
Number Appearing: 0 (4d4)
Save As: F8
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 3
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 1,750
The temnodontosaurus is a large marine reptile, one of the larger ichthyosaurs (reptiles resembling fish) measuring up to 35 feet in length with a streamlined body with powerful jaws and sharp teeth. It has long, slender jaws filled with sharp-pointed teeth, which are usually used to catch fish and squid. It has a lifestyle similar to that of large dolphin or killer whale species, forming small pods that hunt cooperatively, led by an older female.
It is a fast and agile swimmer, capable of catching prey in an open chase. Likewise, when threatened it can escape at great speed. It has excellent vision and can track its prey even in low light conditions. It can communicate with others of its species up to 1 mile away, using ultrasound, and can use the same sensitivity to sound to determine if creatures in the water with it are hostile (effectively having the ability to detect enemies in a 240' radius).
While not typically thought of as predators of humans and demi-humans, it is an intelligent and wily hunter, able to adapt its feeding strategy to new prey. Whole settlements on isolated islands near the Isle of Dread have been lost to the temnodontosaurus, which can observe and learn from the daily patterns of land-dwelling creatures and adapt its hunting to catch them when they must cross any bodies of water.
Vampyropod
AC: 5
HD: 1**
Movement Rate (swimming): 180' (60')
Attacks: 1 tentacle
Damage: 1 + energy drain.
Number Appearing: (0) 2d8
Save As: F1
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: Special
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 12
Vampyropods are small (1' to 2' long) undead creatures resembling cuttlefish, being somewhat flattened, and containing a stiff bone or 'pen' running along most of the length of their body giving them a strange, stiff appearance. They are among the most sinister creatures of the waters in which they reside, preferring to hunt around deep water mountains, volcanos and shipwrecks that attract the large creatures upon which they prey.
They are drawn to sources of life energy, primarily towards whichever creature has the highest number of levels or hit dice within 360' of them. They shun sunlight, and are never found at a depth above 500', being perfectly suited to the abyss. With superb (90') infravision and incredible hearing (meaning they are surprised on only a 1 on 1d10), they quietly and almost invisibly stalk their prey.
They strike with a single tentacle, inflicting only a single point of damage, but also energy draining 1 level or hit dice from their victim. After draining a level, they take on a deep violet glow, and immediately retreat into the depths. This colour of light does not penetrate the deep water very far, and they are only visible for 240', usually as they head downwards.
How long they continue to glow, or whether there is any goal in their predation, is unknown. There are rumours from the deep that they are gathering life energy to restore their leader, the Great Vampyropod, in his fortress at the bottom of a great crack in the ocean floor. The truth or otherwise of this rumour will no doubt emerge in time.
Vampyropods are immune to all sleep, charm and hold spells, all mind affecting magic, and can be turned as ghouls.
Picture it. The caldera of a sleeping volcano, on an island around 100 miles to the north of the Isle of Dread. Thaneg constructed one of his research facilities there, specifically to allow him to experiment with the Temporal Lens without damaging the still vulnerable ecologies he was nurturing on the main island, the results of which were already spectacular. He had sent teams into the Cretaceous, obtaining specimens for cloning, and was reporting great success. It was this island that Gargantua attacked, bringing many of his own creations. Massive (Gargantuan, in fact) lizards, amphibians and birds attacking simultaneously from the sea and the sky. The battle raged long, and Gargantua's victory by force of arms alone was far from certain. The factor that handed him a strategic victory was that Thaneg failed to grasp Gargantua's purpose, which was not one of conquest or even one of simple destruction. He required but a few moments with the Lens.
Sacrificing his last mega-frogs and colossal gannets in a distracting assault on Thaneg's northern flank, Gargantua entered the central complex of the island and gained his few moments alone with the lens. In this short time he merely did one thing - he forced the energy of the lens into accelerating the timeline of the cloning project in the Sea of Dread. The result was magnificent.
Within hours, the ocean was full of creatures from different eras - zones full of monsters from the Cretaceous and Jurassic teemed in the tropical, warm oceans. And further away, as far as distant Hattias, Minrothad and Ierendi, creatures from more ancient and strange eras began to emerge. The volcano itself, made unstable by one of the largest expenditures of artifact power in Mystaran history, erupted, and sank beneath the waves.
Within days, ships started disappearing from the surface of the Sea. Within a month trade had slowed to a near standstill, and planned Alphatian colonies on the Serpent Peninsula and on the continent of Davania were put on hold. Thaneg's income stream dried up, and the whole focus of the Empire's expansion instead looked north and west, rather than to the south.
Thaneg was not yet thwarted - the final events of the glorious but destructive rivalry of the two greatest wizards of their era is one I will return to later. But his plans were for the moment in tatters. And the ecology of the Sea of Dread (as it is known as a result) forever changed.
Triassic Zone Creatures
Atopodentatus
AC: 7
HD: 4
Movement Rate (land): 60' (20')
Movement Rate (swimming): 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 1d6+2
Number Appearing: 0 (1d4)
Save As: F2
Morale: 6
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 75
The atopodentatus is a medium-sized (7' to 9' long) marine reptile with a long, slender body and a distinctive beak-like snout lined with sharp, peg-like teeth. This is used to root around for shellfish in sand and sediment, but at a push it can deliver a painful bite. Its small, curved teeth are well-suited for scraping algae from rocks, but are not particularly effective in combat. The atopodentatus is generally docile and will avoid conflict if possible, but can become aggressive if threatened or cornered. It is often to be found sunning itself on rocky shores on islands in the Sea of Dread, rapidly leaping into the sea to avoid danger.
Whether encountered on land or sea, the atopodentatus will attempt to flee if it perceives a threat.
Atychodracon
AC: 6
HD: 6+3*
Movement Rate (swimming): 150' (50')
Attacks: 1 bite or 1 breath
Damage: 4d6 or by breath
Number Appearing: 0 (2d4)
Save As: F4
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: H
Intelligence: 3
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 650
The atychodracon is a medium-sized plesiosaur, with a shorter neck than many of its relatives, and a head that measures almost a fifth of its (up to 20' long) body. The head is lined with sharp teeth that it uses to grasp and tear at prey, and its enormous size means that the creature can swallow far larger prey than might be anticipated from its size, being able to swallow man-sized or smaller creatures on an attack roll of 19-20.
Unusually, the atychodracon possesses a rudimentary breath weapon. It consumes, in addition to meat, a huge amount of seaweed, which ferments within its gut to form gases so flammable that they ignite when expelled, even in water. This creates a cone of fire, 30' long and 20' wide at the furthest end, and all creatures within this area must save vs. dragon breath or suffer damage equal to the atychodracon's current hit point total. It is itself immune to fire- and heat-based damage.
The atychodracon is never found alone, living either in pairs or in small groups of related individuals. It makes a rudimentary lair on the seabed, usually near the heart of its hunting territory. There, it hoards treasure.
Rumours that an ancient Immortal used the atychodracon as a model for creating the first dragons persist, although there is no evidence that this is true. If this is the case, nobody has identified the Immortal, and if the dragons know they're not saying.
[Image: Cymbospondylus] http://pandius.com/Cymbospondylus.png
Caption: Cymbospondylus, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
Cymbospondylus
AC: 4
HD: 12
Movement Rate (swimming): 150' (50')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 4d8
Number Appearing: 0 (1d6)
Save As: F6
Morale: 11
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 1,250
The cymbospondylus is a large marine reptile, a primitive ichthyosaur, measuring up to 60 feet in length. It has a long, streamlined body with four flippers and a powerful tail. Its head is large and powerful, with sharp teeth for grasping and tearing prey. It has only a small dorsal fin, and an extended lower fluke on its tail, giving it an appearance almost as if a colossally bulky elongated snake.
The cymbospondylus hunts in the shallow waters along the coast, preying on fish and other small marine creatures. It is an aggressive and territorial creature, attacking anything that it perceives as a threat. Small pods, often containing up to 6 individuals, defend hunting territories from others of their own kind, and they try to drive off other predators. While they do not see humans and demi-humans as a threat, they may perceive ships as just such rival predators.
[Image: Shonisaurus] http://pandius.com/Shonisaurus.png
Caption: Shonisaurus, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
Shonisaurus
AC: 5
HD: 20
Movement Rate (swimming): 150' (50')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 4d10
Number Appearing: 0 (3d6)
Save As: F20
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 2
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 2,375
The shonisaurus is a huge (up to 70'), primitive ichthyosaur. Its body is streamlined with a long neck and tail, and four flippers that it uses to swim through the water, but at a fairly sedate speed relative to some of its relatives. It has a huge, barrel-like chest, containing blubber for warmth and huge lungs, allowing it to dive for extended periods, to a tremendous depth.
While its immense size may imply that it is a hazardous predator, it is disinterested in hunting near the surface, and instead chooses to bask, rest and socialise with others of its species during the day. At night, it heads down to the depths to hunt ammonite species that rise to shallower waters themselves to feed as the sun goes down. The shonisaurus, warmed by the sun's heat, is not the fastest predator of the depths but it is faster than the (still cold) cephalopods that are rising from the cold depths at night, and it catches and crushes its prey as it rests in warmer water preparing at the start of its own nightly hunt.
The shonisaurus is therefore not aggressive and often follows ships for a period of time just out of curiosity. If attacked, it typically retreats, but it is wise not to anger it as it can deliver a terrifying bite if forced to do so.
[Image: Map of zones] http://pandius.com/GeologicalZonesSeaDread.jpg
Encounters in the Sea of Dread
The map shows zones of the Sea of Dread where monsters associated with different periods of geological history will occur. Zones closer to Mount Orca, a lost volcanic island around 100 miles north of the Isle of Dread, are more dominated by creatures that would otherwise be extinct than those further away. Thus when determining random encounters in the ocean, refer to Table 1 to determine the probability of encountering such a creature.
Zone |
% chance of prehistoric encounter |
Cretaceous |
80% |
Jurassic |
70% |
Triassic |
50% |
Permian |
30% |
Carboniferous |
10% |
Devonian |
10% |
The probability of random encounters remains the same in all zones, but a second roll should be made before determining the type of encounter. If a prehistoric creature is determined, the DM should select an appropriate encounter for the party.
Note that not all random encounters must be horrifying, or even dangerous, and many such may simply instil a sense of wonder. For example a Devonian encounter may be with a shallow reef teaming with strange trilobites, or a Cretaceous encounter might perhaps be with giant (but harmless) ammonites bumping into a ship.
Permian Era Creatures
Acrolepis
AC: 5
HD: 1
Movement Rate (swimming): 150' (50')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 1d4
Number Appearing: 0 (2d6)
Save As: F1
Morale: 7
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 10
The acrolepis is a bony-headed fish with a slender body and sharp teeth. It is typically 4 feet in length and inhabits shallow estuaries and surface waters around islands in the Sea of Dread. The acrolepis hunts smaller fish and other aquatic creatures for food and is often preyed upon by larger predators. Alone, it is not a particularly dangerous creature, but its sharp teeth can inflict painful wounds, and if encountered as a shoal it can be hazardous.
[Image: Archegosaurus] http://pandius.com/Archegosaurus.png
Caption: Archegosaurus, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
Archegosaurus
AC: 6
HD: 4
Movement (swimming): 150' (50')
Movement (land) 90' (30')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 2d4
Number Appearing: 0 (3d6)
Save As: F2
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 275
This curious creature resembles a small (up to 5') crocodile, although with a more fish-like head, without the protruding teeth of a crocodilian, and with a finely pointed snout and shorter legs. It is in fact an amphibian, being comfortable on the many small, uncharted islands on which it makes its home. It hunts small fish, and is rarely aggressive towards larger creatures if encountered in the ocean, but it returns to the sheltered waters of ponds and creeks on islands to lay its eggs. Here, it is more dangerous, becoming territorial and trying to drive other large creatures away from the pools in which its eggs are brooded. It has been known to attack and kill sailors trying to replenish their fresh water supplies.
Helicoprion
AC: 4
HD: 12*
Movement (swimming): 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 4d6+special
Number Appearing: 0 (1)
Save As: F7
Morale: 10
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 2,125
The helicoprion is a large (up to 24') shark-like species, torpedo-shaped with a pointed snout, and a wickedly curled spiral of teeth on its lower jaw with which it can give terrible bites. The spiral constantly grows and unwinds as the creature ages, always exposing new horrifically sharp, serrated teeth with which it tears and rasps at its prey. It prefers to attack from below, and when doing so it can surprise a foe on a 1-4 on 1d6. It takes a single bite, inflicting 4d6 damage, leaving an open wound that continues to cause 1d4 damage each round until either the victim makes a saving throw vs. paralysis (which they may make each round), spends a whole round staunching the blood flow, or dies. A helicoprion will normally circle its prey, going ever deeper, waiting to see if its bitten victim dies or whether it needs to return to strike it again.
Lebachacanthus
AC: 5
HD: 6*
Movement (swimming): 150' (50')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 2d6+special
Number Appearing: 0 (1)
Save As: F3
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 450
The lebachacanthus is a shark-like fish, rather elongated with a thin dorsal fin running most of the length of its somewhat eel-like back, and muscled pectoral fins with which it can manoeuvre in the narrow, muddy confines of creeks, estuaries, coral reefs and coastal waters in which it makes its home. It tries to get as close as possible to prey before making a single darting attack, and if it hits victims must make a saving throw vs. paralysis or be stuck to their pointed, cusped teeth. In the following round, the lebachacanthus will try to swallow its prey, being able to swallow any prey up to the size of a human if it has first been impaled. This is achieved by further bite attack against the impaled foe, but to successfully swallow a trapped victim it must only hit armour class 9. The swallowed victim takes full bite damage (12) that round, after which standard rules for being swallowed apply.
The lebachacanthus stalks shallow waters of the Sea of Dread, and it makes no distinction between animal and humanoid prey.
Prionosuchus
AC: 8
HD: 14
Movement (swimming): 180' (60')
Movement (land): 60' (20')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 4d4
Number Appearing: 0 (1)
Save As: F8
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 650
A huge crocodile-like amphibian with an elongated, pointed snout, typically a hunter of fish and squid, the prionosuchus is a predator found among coral reefs, islands and coastlines. It has short legs and a powerful flat tail, moving from side to side to provide rapid movement in the water, making it slow and cumbersome on land. It is territorial, and does not tolerate other large predators or even other examples of its own species within its hunting grounds. Attacks on creatures as large as humans and demi-humans are rare, but do occur if a prionosuchus feels its territory is threatened.
Carboniferous Era Creatures
[Image: Diplocaulus] http://pandius.com/Diplocaulus.png
Caption: Diplocaulus, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
Diplocaulus
AC: 6
HD: 1*
Movement (swimming): 120' (40')
Movement (land): 60' (20')
Attacks: 1 bite/1 shock
Damage: 1d4/2d6
Number appearing: 0 (2d4)
Save As: F1
Morale: 7
Treasure Type: 0
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 11
A slow-moving, medium-sized amphibian, somewhat similar to a newt, growing to round 3' long. Its most striking feature is that it has a huge, arrow-shaped head. It most commonly hunts amongst coastal seaweed and rock pools, where it uses small electrical shocks to stun prey before consuming it.
While it is not aggressive, and will try to escape if attacked, if encountered it can use electrical shocks in defence. Once every 2 rounds a diplocaulus can create an electrical shock that causes any foes within 5' to save vs. wands or take 2d6 damage (with half damage taken if the saving throw is successful).
Dracopristis
AC: 6
HD: 4*
Movement Rate (swimming): 180' (60')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 4d8
Number Appearing: (0) 1
Save As: F2
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 100
A small (rarely more than 5' long) shark-like fish species that frequents coral reefs and shallow, rocky shores, where it is a specialist ambush hunter. It typically makes a single darting attack from a hidden cave or crevasse entrance at twice its normal movement speed, an incredible pace it can maintain for only one round, before darting back. It has a particularly unpleasant bite attack, with multiple rows of teeth inflicting terrible damage. Compared with other sharks and shark-like predators, it is inflexible, with huge fins, making following it back into its lair or pulling it back out a difficult task - essentially when it has retreated back into its lair it is treated as having an AC of -4, and all attacks made against it inflict only half damage.
Ornithoprion
AC: 6
HD: 5+3
Movement Rate (swimming): 180' (60')
Attacks: 1 skewer
Damage: 3d6
Number Appearing: (0) 1-2
Save As: F3
Morale: 10
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 225
The ornithoprion is a large (about 30 feet long) prehistoric fish that resembles a modern-day swordfish. It has a long, pointed snout that it uses to spear its prey, which includes other fish and smaller marine reptiles. The ornithoprion is a swift swimmer and can move through the water at great speeds, making it difficult to catch or to escape from. As a solitary hunter it is usually only encountered alone, but may be found in pairs during the breeding season (winter). The ornithoprion is not known to attack humans, but unwary fishermen have been known to catch them, and the result is usually tragic.
Devonian Era Creatures
Dunkleosteus
AC: 3
HD: 14*
Movement (swimming): 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 6d6+death
Number Appearing: 0 (1)
Save As: F7
Morale: 10
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 650
The fearsome dunkleosteus is a horrific prehistoric terror of the oceans. Easily reaching 30' long, with enormous, gaping mouths at the front of heavily armoured heads, it hunts by swimming to within 30' of a target, at which point it sucks water and extends its grotesque, bony jaws forward 15', well in front of its body, before closing its mouth in a horrific bite attack. On a roll of 15-20 its victim must make a saving throw vs. death ray or be cut in two and instantly killed by the unimaginable force of the bite. If they succeed they still take 6d6 damage. In addition, on an attack roll of 19 or 20 the victim is swallowed (no saving throw).
The dunkleosteus views almost anything it sees that is smaller than itself as prey, and can crush armour as easily as shellfish. Thankfully, it is confined to the depths of oceans in very small areas, although persistent rumours of populations of them surviving elsewhere in deeper ocean trenches do persist.
[Image: Jaekelopterus] http://pandius.com/Jaekelopterus.png
Caption: Jaekelopterus, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).
Jaekelopterus
AC: 2
HD: 8
Movement Rate (swimming): 120' (40')
Attacks: 2 pincers/1 bite
Damage: 1d8/1d8/3d6
Number Appearing: 0 (1d2)
Save As: F4
Morale: 11
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 1
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 650
The jaekelopterus is a giant prehistoric sea scorpion that can grow up to 8' long. It has a long, narrow body with a large tail spine, and two large pincers on the front of its segmented body. Its third pair of limbs are modified into swimming paddles, allowing it to move quickly through the water. It is a fierce predator, and will attack any creature it comes across, including humans. Its pincers are strong enough to crush bones, and its bite can cause serious injury or even death.
While it is typically a solitary creature, it may be occasionally found with others of its species if there is sufficient prey. Unusually, despite being a large predator, it is not territorial. It prefers to hunt in shallow waters, where it can easily ambush its prey from below.
Tiktaalik
Armor Class: 9
Hit Dice: 6
Movement Rate (swimming) 150' (50')
Movement Rate (on land): 60' (20')
Attacks: 1 bite/2 punches
Damage: 2d6/1d6/1d6
Number Appearing: 0 (1d4)
Save As: F6
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 3
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 275
The tiktaalik is a large, predatory fish-like creature that has the ability to move on land using its powerful forelimbs. It has a long, flat body with large, sharp teeth and eyes on top of its head that allow it to see above the water's surface. It is around 9' long when fully grown, and it is a voracious but opportunistic predator of shallow seas and islands.
When encountered, the tiktaalik will attack with its bite and powerful forelimbs. The tiktaalik sits at something of a transition between fish and limbed animals, and has gained a reasonable intelligence from its need to hunt in a diverse range of habitats.
1Or Dinosaur Times, in Mystara terms.