Wanted: Sea Monster Sighting Reports!

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Okay, here's the creatures that are still unchosen as of 11/19:

Marine lycanthropes: Surprisingly, types other than seawolf are still in need of a writer. Sharks, rays, orcas, eels.... really, these have got to be included!

Unnatural beasts: Perhaps a chapter on real-life sea animals that are dangerous (sharks, squid, venomous fishes & inverts, etc) would be appropriate to start off the netbook, and variants like undead sharks could fit into that part as rumors and sidebars. (Doctor-evil? Would you be willing to compile a list of creatures to include, even if you don't have time to write the actual chapter?)

Marine undead (generic): Bowlyns, lacedons, sea zombies, and aquatic remnants all deserve a few comments. Cure's jolly roger text could form the bulk of this chapter, but we shouldn't forget other marine Walking Dead or their incorporeal counterparts.

Marine undead (template): Guess I'll take these, unless anyone else comes forward. (Sharon)

Marine fey: Drownling, dread sirine, corrupted nerieds & nixies. DeepShadow has kelpies, but they shouldn't be the only fey out there.

Reavers: As Ravenloft's indigenous sea-race, these guys need to be included, given how little we know about them.

Scrags/merrows/vodyanoi (umber hulk version, not Frostburn's): Guess these guys will just get a sidebar, or perhaps a passing mention as the minions of something stronger.

Will o' sea/blackskate: I'm not sure Jakob's caller from the deeps can carry a chapter all by itself, so these two still ought to be included, the former especially since it's Ravenloft-specific.

Langoir (QtR9), giant starfish (Ship of Horrors), hammerclaw (Stormwrack) : These things could be squeezed into the "unnatural beasts" chapter. Really, they're so big and dumb that they really only need a quickie in-character anecdote, plus game-stats for the ship-eating starfish.

Scyllan (Stormwrack): Such a nasty fiend would surely be unique in Ravenloft, so a sidebar on a single individual is all it needs. Perhaps it could lurk offshore of the Isle of Demise, to carry on with the classical Greek motif of Althea's domain and cause shipwrecks that strand unlucky sailors on the medusa's island? Sounds like a Dread Possibility!


Aside from the template undead (sea vampires, sea zombie lord, lacedon lord), I could probably tackle two other topics, three if I really push it, but I'd rather not shoulder all of what's left. At a minimum, we need to address the lycanthropes, reavers, and fey, as these are the types DMs are most likely to use and have questions about.

[Jakob]

Will o' sea/blackskate: I'm not sure Jakob's caller from the deeps can carry a chapter all by itself, so these two still ought to be included, the former especially since it's Ravenloft-specific.

Scyllan (Stormwrack): Such a nasty fiend would surely be unique in Ravenloft, so a sidebar on a single individual is all it needs. Perhaps it could lurk offshore of the Isle of Demise, to carry on with the classical Greek motif of Althea's domain and cause shipwrecks that strand unlucky sailors on the medusa's island? Sounds like a Dread Possibility!

I can try to include something about them.

About the scyllan... Uhm... Something Dragonov would be scared of!
About placing it in Lamordia with Althea... The scyllan as it is has really not much in common with the mythic creature of the Odissey. And I fear the Finger is becoming a bit too crowded.

February? Ohgodsthanks. I was afraid I had two weeks to write the whole thing. I think I'll do the Spawn of Orochi too, then.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Marine fey: Drownling, dread sirine, corrupted nerieds & nixies. DeepShadow has kelpies, but they shouldn't be the only fey out there.

Reavers: As Ravenloft's indigenous sea-race, these guys need to be included, given how little we know about them.

I'll take the rest of the fey. I'd like to take the reavers, too, but I don't think I'll have the resources to do both them and the fey. I'll offer my notes on Saragoss reavers to whoever picks them up.

Edit: I'll take remnants and bowlyns, too, as there's not much to do there and I've already developed both already.

[NeoTiamat]

Okay, first a short update on Sea Wolves. They're about 1/3rd written and 2/3rds plotted out, but I've been sidetracked by the fact that I have three research papers due in as many weeks. So I'm going to be a bit lax on writing till finals or so, then I'll have free writing time clear till the due date, so I can do a lot.

Sea Wolves I'm using the Stormwrack version (wolf-headed seal), but its a lycanthrope with a hybrid form (a web-footed werewolf), as well as the well-known wolf-seal form. Sea Stalkers are being kept solely as a name by which the greater variation is sometimes called.

Regarding other chapters, I could probably manage the Unnatural Beasts, it fits with my researcher theme, and I think I can handle one more, say, hmm.... Lycanthropes, I seem to be up to my ears in werewolves these days.

I might grab some other unloved critter if I get all of these done, but this (and accompanying NPCs) should keep my busy for most of Winter Break.

Now, Poli-Sci presentation in an hour, and here I am writing about Ravenloft. Bad Mikhail! Bad D&D addict! Bad!

[cure]

Teeny tale of a Will-o'Sea terror for the possible use be someone:

WILL-O’-WISP, DREAD, WILL-O’-SEA
“The installation of brightly coloured buoys along the channel considerably reduced the number of vessels claimed each year by the Maiden’s Rock. And the addition to the buoys of lamps, effective in all but the thickest mist, spared many more lives. But our good work has come to naught in the last year. Ships, in all but the clearest weather, are again frequently impaling themselves upon that foul black spear. Worse, not so much as a single man has escaped the wrecks and reached the docks alive. When we find the bloated corpses terror is invariably etched upon their faces. And we know to row out in search of bodies the day after hearing thunder in the fog.”

-Milton Hargrove, Assistant Harbour Master of Paridon

[cure]

I will do the Shadow Sharks and, if there are no other takers, the Wight Whale. I might be able to do the Sea Zombies also, if not spoken for, as they are somewhat related to Jolly Rogers.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Just to clarify: is this freshwater as well as marine? I was under the impression that this is just the seas, but the animals above include freshwater creatures.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

I'm assuming that nixies and other fey can adapt to both fresh and salt water, as the legends about them aren't always consistent as to what sort of habitat they favor. It plays off the 'uncanny' aspect of the fey, that they'd ignore the physiological barriers that prevent most fish from freely transitioning between freshwater and salt. Plus, I doubt if we'll ever get around to a Freshwater Monsters netbook, so while this book's focus is marine critters, it wouldn't hurt to have a few monsters that are able to move up rivers to cause trouble inland (which reavers already do).

FWIW, nixies were included as a marine race in the old Sea Peoples OD&D supplement, and that was set on Mystara, the game-setting which Ravenloft's biggest sea (the Nocturnal) is mostly based upon. So you can always say that that's how saltwater nixies got into the Land of Mists, if you think it's a problem.

[Jakob]

Where can I find info on the will'o'deep? ^_^

[Rotipher of the FoS]

AFAIK, it was a rather late addition to the 2E product line, so it was only ever described as a monster-book entry, never making an appearance in the modules, novels, etc. Check RLMCIII for its 2E description, or Denizens of Dread/Darkness for the 3E version.

BTW, it's the will 'o sea that's a sea monster. "Will o' deep" refers to a different (subterranean) Ravenloft variant on the will o' wisp theme.

[cure]

Do we have any sea/river/lake serpents?

[Rotipher of the FoS]

DwarfPcFan from the WotC boards has already offered to write about sea serpents, and to contribute the sea drake he'd posted to their Ravenloft forum. If someone else has sea serpent ideas (includes other big scaly critters like dragon turtles), I'm sure he'd be happy to have someone to work with on the topic.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Necropolis states that Ravenloft (Dread) Sirens are undead probably the result of merfolk made into undead by the HoA blast. Should they be fey instead? Undead fey? Undead merfolk with no living counterparts? Or are we willing to add merfolk.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Considering Viktor Hazan didn't even know that the figurine on that dried-up fountain in Port d'Elhour was a mermaid, it's unlikely that merfolk are there in any numbers, or that they're much known to land-dwellers. Dwarves and elves are already scarce in Ravenloft, so deviations from the humanoid body-plan would be even more obscure as races. If anything, they'd be known as "mythical" creatures that a Markov-type might base a Broken One on, and that outlanders speak of on occasion (but who listens to them? Bunch of weirdos... ). That's not to say a few merfolk couldn't be there, only that they'd be extremely shy and rare: the stuff of drunken, lonely sailors' tales, not an acknowledged native species.

"Dread sirines" were described in one of the netzines, and the standard sirine has been published for 3.5, as a fey. In retrospect, those undead mermaids in Necropolis were probably either outlander-merfolk who chose the worst possible time to get trapped in the Land of Mists, or (more likely, since merfolk and river water don't mix) composite undead which Azalin created before the Requiem, and nicknamed "sirens" for convenience.

[Mangrum]

No point in sitting on this conversion:

Will-o’-Sea

Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium III
Usually NE Huge Aberration (Air)
Initiative: +10
Speed: Fly 50 ft. (perfect) (10 squares)
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +11, Spot +11

Space/Reach: 15 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+14
Attack: Shock +15 melee touch (6d6 electricity)
Attack Options: Blind-Fight
Special Attacks: Shocking burst

Hit Dice: 15d8+15 Hit Points: 82
Armor Class: 24 (–2 size, +6 Dex, +10 deflection), touch 24, flat-footed 18
Immune: Magic
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +13, Will +13
Defense Options: Dodge
Special Qualities: Lightning bolt

Abilities: Str 1, Dex 22, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 18, Cha 14
Skills: Search +5, Survival +5 (+7 following tracks)
Social: Bluff +17, Disguise +10 (+12 acting), Intimidate +3, Sense Motive +4
Languages: Auran
Outcast Rating: 11 (+4 size, +3 appearance, +2 reputation, +1 beyond the pale, +1 unnatural powers)
Feats: Ability Focus (lightning bolt), Alertness, Blind-Fight, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon FinesseB

Environment: Any aquatic (Sea of Sorrows, Nocturnal Sea)
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Standard
Advancement: 16–24 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

Will-o’seas are a powerful form of will-o’-wisp that make their home on and around the seas of Ravenloft. Will-o’-seas lure sailors to watery graves, then feed on the horrified, frenzied panic of their drowning victims. Will-o’-seas are usually encountered just off common trade routes, appearing most frequently at dusk or in the early evening, particularly during storms. The rest of the time, they retreat beneath the waves, usually lairing in one of the shipwrecks they have created.

A will-o’-sea generally appears as a shifting cascade of glowing energy from 12 to 20 feet in length, often indistinguishable from the luxuriant displays of color produced by an arora borealis. Unlike other will-o’-wisps, a will-o’-sea cannot extinquish its glow, though it can dim itself somewhat. Although these massive will-o’-wisps cannot turn invisible, they are adept at altering their size and shape. Will-o’-seas often mimic the shape of a ship or lighthouse, using their glow to outline empty shapes. By altering the intensity of their aura, they can appear as gentle St. Elmo’s fire or a fiery blaze, hoping to attract investigators. Alternatively, a will-o’-sea may lurk beneath the surface of seaweed-choked waters, mimicking the silvery shimmer of half-seen sunken treasures.

A will-o’-sea’s body is a latticework of spongy globes and interconnecting tendrils, stretching about 10 feet across and weighing about 20 pounds, and its glowing body can shed as much light as a bonfire.

Will-o’-seas speak Auran. They have no vocal apparatus, instead communicating through a combination of visual cues and a series of electrical snaps, clicks, and hums. A few old salts along the shores of the Sea of Sorrows and the Nocturnal Sea claim that the scaly devils of the deep have learned this language and cooperate with will-o’-seas to lure seamen to the bottom.

Combat
Will-o’-seas usually position themselves above hidden reefs or shoals, hoping to lure ships to their doom. They delight in the frenzy of drowning men, and so often try to sink ships while leaving as many of the crew alive as possible. They then hover over the survivors, taunting them and thwarting their every attempt to reach safety. Should the crew prove more resilient than expected, a will-o’-sea can release lethal bolts of electricity to kill men, shatter masts, and set ships ablaze.

Will-o’-sea hunting grounds often gain reputations as ships’ graveyards, with numerous wrecks littering the bottom. These wrecks are often haunted by ghosts, sea zombies, and other restless drowning victims. The will-o’-sea typically ignores these undead, using them to guard its lair.

Lightning Bolt (Su): Once every 1d4+1 rounds, as a standard action, a will-o’-sea can produce a lightning bolt, dealing 10d6 points of electricity damage (Reflex DC 21 half; caster level 10th). The save DC is Charisma-based.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A will-o’-sea is immune to most spells or spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance, except those that deal cold damage.

Semiaquatic (Ex): A will-o’-sea can move and breathe as freely underwater as it can in the air. However, it cannot use its electrical attacks while submerged.

Will-o’-Sea Lore
Characters with bardic knowledge or ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can learn more about will-o’-seas. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

KNOWLEDGE (ARCANA)
DC 18: This cascading curtain of color, resembling St. Elmo’s fire or the northern lights, is actually a creature called a will-o’-sea, a powerful variety of will-o’-wisp adapted to life at sea. This result reveals all aberration traits and the air subtype.

DC 23: Will-o’-seas can fly with remarkable agility and can move just as freely underwater. They are completely immune to most spells or spell-like effects, and they attack by generating crackling lighning bolts. However, a will-o’-sea needs a few moments to recharge its electrictal attacks, and it cannot unleash them underwater.

DC 28: A will-o’-sea can alter the size and shape of its glow, sometimes mimicking the beacon of a lighthouse or the glint of sunken treasures. Although immune to most spells or spell-like effects, will-o’-seas are affected by magical cold.

DC 33: Other varieties of will-o’-wisp exist. Although their abilities are similar, these creatures—such as the will-o’-deep and will-o’- sea—have adapted to specialized environments.

BARDIC KNOWLEDGE
DC 18: Will-o’-seas are malevolent lights that try to lure lost ships onto unseen shoals, then feed on the torment of the drowning sailors.

DC 23: The scaly devils of the deep sea have learned the strange language of the will-o’-seas, and are in league with them to send ships down to the briny bottom.