Palladium Fantasy's Karivakis Sea Tempest

Here is an illustration featured in the “Bizantium and Northern Islands” book that is published by PalladiumBooks for is Palladium Fantasy pen & paper RPG game line. Created and co-written by Glen Evans and Kevin Siembieda, just read below to see the wickedness.

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      The Sea of Despair, the Icy Ocean and to a much lesser degree, the Northern Sea have always been known as a breeding ground for sea serpents. These waters are full of huge, monstrous creatures, and some species seem to return regularly to mate, lay eggs or give birth to live young. These myriad animals only add to the peril faced by anyone who dares to travel through the treacherous waters that encircle the mysterious Land of the Damned. For centuries, Bizantians have speculated as to why the Sea of Despair is home to so many serpents. Some say those who control the Land of the Damned are breeding these creatures as “watchdogs of the sea”. Others claim that dimensional barriers within the Sea of Despair are weak, allowing the monsters to come in from others worlds. Regardless of the how they got there, the Sea of Despair and the northern waters around it are populated by some very unique and strange sea creatures. 

NOTE: I was asked to design and illustrate a sea creature devised from the book's Random Sea Monster Generator on pages 132 - 136. 

This is what I came up with (Unpublished until now). 

Step 1. The Basics: (The below stats are the actual ending results once all of the Steps were applied)

Attributes: I.Q. 1D4+8, M.E. 11, M.A. 4, P.S. 28, P.P. 13, P.E. 21, P.B. 4, Spd. 43 in Water (12 on land). Not likely to travel on land for long periods, but can scale large ships, ice shelves and ice bergs and stalk beaches to hunt or rest, or run up on land quickly like a crocodile ambushes prey.  

Size: 20-34 feet (6 to 10.2 m), and weighs 7-11 tons – after the Mutation however, a mature adult can grow to 40-68 feet long (12.2 to 20.4 m) and weigh 15-23 tons.
Hit Points: 165 (+82.5 HP, due to mutation = 262 Total HP for the mature adults.)
S.D.C.: 180
Natural AR: 8 
P.P.E.: 28
Natural Abilities: Can breathe air for 1D4 hours before needing to return to the sea. Echolocation, Sonar, Lateral Lines motion sensory. Predator Enhanced mutation – becomes aggressive and territorial. +1 to initiative, +1 to strike, +1 attack per melee, +3 additional points of damage to all attacks. It can detect blood in the water up to two miles (3.2 km) away.  

Attacks Per Melee: 6 per melee round.

Damage: Bite does (Orca head) 3D6+3 damage, (Shark Head) 3D6+3 damage and (Crocodilian Head) 3D6+6, head butt from Orca head (3D6+3), Shark (2D6+3) and Saurian(3D6+3), tail slash or swat (3D6+3), Claw swipe( 3D6+3), Ram: 4D6+3, full speed ram (1D6X10+3).  Plus an additional +6 to all physical normal attacks if done by a mature adult due to Gigantism, experienced in the maturation of this creature.

Bonuses: +4 to strike and +4 to parry, +3 to dodge, +3 additional to all damage attacks, +1 to initiative and +2 on all saving throws.

Psionics: 1D4 sensitive psychic abilities, all at second level proficiency: 6D +10 ISP

Additional Features and Abilities:

Super Regeneration: The Creature regenerates 4D6 S.D.C./Hit Points per melee round, and grows back eyeballs, severed limbs, its tail and appendages within 3D4 days.

Magic Sponge: The Sea monster’s body soaks up magical energies. The creature is not immune to magic, but is +6 to save vs magic and magic weapons and magic attacks (Fireballs, Call Lightning, Shards of Ice, etc.) inflict half damage. If there is a duration, penalties or side-effects, they too are reduced by half. As bad as that may sound, what’s worse is that the monster is attracted to beings with high levels of mystical energy/P.P.E. and targets them as preferred prey – men of magic, Faerie Folk, dragons, certain sea creatures, as well as powerful magic items that it may swallow.     

Step 2: Body type/Appearance:

I rolled a 7% giving me –

Humanoid/Bipedal: Two Legs, feet, arms, and hands.

Design Note: “I instantly began to think of the possibilities inspired from Creature of the Black Lagoon” to “Godzilla” to build upon.”

A.R. 8, SDC: 3D4X10 (rolled 180), Size: 16+2D6 feet (5.5-8.5 m) (chose 8+16=24 feet (7.2 m), and weighs 7-11 tons – after the Mutation however, a mature adult can grow to 48 feet (14.4 m) and weigh 14-18 tons, 3 attacks per melee round, +1 to strike, +2 to parry, can walk on dry land (Spd.: 2D6+2 (Rolled 10=12 w/ Bonus) and can breathe air for 1D4 hours before needing to return to the sea.

Step 3. Number of Heads:

Rolled a 87. 86-96%: Three, +2 Additional attacks per melee round.

“Awe man…. There goes the original ideas, unless I do a three headed Godzilla/Ghidorah hmmmm….. Then it hit me, this is Fantasy, so what would some mage design or awry magic cause, or Both!?” With Three heads, I thought of the top Apex predators in the ocean – The Orca, The Great White shark and the Salt Water Crocodile. Sure I could have went squid, but I wanted to get away from any Cthulu like creature for the moment, I wanted bite force and reach with these maws. The squid’s beak is powerful but it needs the arms to really make it as deadly vs the top three I chose, IMHO.

With the Killer whale orca, I get the good intelligence, I needed plus Natural Echolocation & Sonar, thus it will serve as the central Leading head for the monster, as it can easily figure out things, learn from its encounters, identify so many subjects and beings, communicate, work in pods and have social interactions and coordinate is own heads or work with others of its kind and adjust its attacks, etc.

The Great White shark  brings the lateral sensory lines along its head sides of its body to detect various vibration and movement in the waters, plus a crushing bite with rows of self-replenishing serrated teeth and an excellent olfactory for detecting blood in the water. These underwater tracking features will help this monster locate a wide array of prey items to sustain it.

Finally, the Salt water crocodilian, brings the bite reach and highest bite force on the planet. This will help crush ship hulls and breach boats, bone, scales, armor, shields, shells, carapace, tentacles and any other natural defenses that might protect prey items.

Now, with the scale of these heads being made to monster size, I began to think of their prehistoric counterparts (i.e.; Brygmophyseter or a Livytan for the whale, Megalodon for the shark and the giant Sarcosuchus or Deinosuchus for the crocodilian) as likely comparisons of the type of raw power they would possess, then I began to really smile, Chester Cat style that is.  ”

4. Type of Heads:

“OOOPS! I jumped the gun, sheeeeesh. Fortunately, the write-up says is GM’s choice, so you can Roll or select from the list to determine the head(s) of the Sea monster. So I have already made my choices.

Refinement: Instead of going with the prehistoric Brygmophyseter, I stuck with the orca due o aesthetics. I prefer the Orcas head and pattern so much more, plus they are seemingly more intelligent and formidable as marine predators. If this monster is going to possibly be a social animal and hunts in pods, I want orcas leading the helm.

Some good choices on the list had me pondering though: A. Fish any type could have been a Barracuda, B. Eel or lamprey, Moray Eel or Lamprey of giant scale, whew! C. Shark, A cookie cutter shark could do some serious hull damage to ships, boats, rafts, flesh, etc.” 

5. Intelligence & Aggression:

“Because of the Orca head chosen as the dominant mind, I went with - Near- Human Intelligence: I.Q. 1D4+8. “

An intellect similar to dolphins, this sea monster demonstrates a level of thinking and perception that is uncommon in animals. It recognizes patterns and specific monsters and people, types of people, prey, predators/enemies, weapons and danger; uses stealth and basic strategies.

6. Additional Appendages:

 “Man…. I wanted extra tentacles, but I rolled fish Tail or Extra fins.”

Fins and flippers that adds to the maneuverability underwater; +2 to dodge, +12 to the creature’s normal speed attribute. 

“Ahhh… Here we go, Awesome speed bonus underwater so that it can truly deliver fast paced hit and runs, plus the dreaded ambushes from underneath the surface like a Croc or great white shark. An array of dorsal fins that become the signature feature above the water’s surface that identifies that this unique creature is closing in.  The Lead dorsal being the orca, then the shark and finally a spined-fin similar to Spinosaurus.

GET OUT OF THE WATER!!!! Is all I can say “

Step 7. Features & Abilities:

I wanted to roll low to get either natural water magic abilities or Natural Wizard Magic abilities. Instead I roll high and get – Super Regeneration, I’ll take that.

The Creature regenerates 4D6 S.D.C./Hit Points per melee round, and grows back eyeballs, severed limbs, its tail and appendages within 3D4 days.

Step 8. Strange Abilities Table:

Magic Sponge: The Sea monster’s body soaks up magical energies. The creature is not immune to magic, but is +6 to save vs magic and magic weapons and magic attacks (Fireballs, Call Lightning, Shards of Ice, etc.) inflict half damage. If there is a duration, penalties or side-effects, they too are reduced by half. As bad as that may sound, what’s worse is that the monster is attracted to beings with high levels of mystical energy/P.P.E. and targets them as preferred prey – men of magic, Faerie Folk, dragons, certain sea creatures, as well as powerful magic items that it may swallow.      

 Step 9. Sea of Despair Animal Mutations:

The Sea of Despair is home to the largest concentration of freakish monsters, sea serpents and abominations in the world. Even the heavily populated Sea of Dread and Icy Ocean pale in comparison to the sheer quantity of aquatic nightmares within the Sea of Despair. Unfortunately, most sea-life born in and around the Sea of Despair exhibits strange, magic-induced mutations.  This category allotted for GMs to roll twice or pick twice. I did one and one:

Rolled Predator – becomes aggressive and territorial. +1 to initiative, +1 to strike, +1 attack per melee, +3 additional points of damage to all attacks. It can detect blood in the water up to two miles (3.2 km) away. 

Chose Gigantism: Double the normal size with twice the normal SDC and 50% more Hit Points. The creature inflicts +1D6 additional points of damage in any of its physical attacks.

 And that is how this Beastie came to be.

I picture the Creature as follows:

  Found in the Sea of Despair, the Icy Ocean and some Northern Seas, particularly in the frigid waters where whales, walrus and other blubber rich prey are plentiful are several pods of the Sea Tempest. The Sea Tempest have a diverse diet, though different pods may specialize more often on different types of prey that are within their hunting grounds. Different pods have been observed to use different hunting strategies and techniques on the same prey suggesting that each pod’s hunting style is culture based and taught within each pod. As a social pack hunter during its earlier phase in life, Each Pod is led by a matriarch mother and raised until it reaches maturation. Females stay within the Pod while young bulls are driven out and become solitary transients. I is during this solitary life style that the magical mutation of gigantism begins to transpire as the pod’s magic nulling affects are no longer at work. This enables the gigantism growth spurts seen in adult bulls, causing the sexual dimorphism between the genders.

 Being loners and contending with the array of Sea Serpents, hunters and other predators of the Seas, Sea Tempest bulls grow more tenacious in their actions and territorial in order to survive on their own. The larger they get the bolder their temperament becomes, losing a great deal of their upbringing social respect towards one another or other creatures.  Adult Bulls are far more aggressive and pods will stay close together, with the young well-protected in the center of the pod, as they are very wary of Sea Tempest Bulls.  The bulls have been known to prey on solitary individuals, especially the young or injured.  Only during mating season, when the Cows turn a solid ivory white during the mating season, will the Matriarch allow for Adult bulls to respectfully approach without being attacked by the more agile and numerous Pod. The Cows attract adult bulls whom will fight ferociously with high-speed ramming, biting and tail swatting each other to compete for the right to mate. Courting takes place and once the mating is successful, the female will begin to transition back into her orca striped pattern again. When no mature females are left in their solid ivory pattern, he bulls are driven off.  

  Sea Tempest Pods tend to hunt marine life and often avid human and faerie folk, though they will opportunistically take small stranded parties if there is a lack of other food. Adult bulls however are just the opposite and will opportunistically take any food; walrus, small parties of humans, Ice Bear men, Iceborn or even large sharks, whales, ships, sea serpents and anything else they feel they can ambush and overwhelm when given a chance, even each other.

Alignments may vary for pods, but are often considered: Miscreant or Anarchist, but may develop a healthy respect for humans and avoid confrontations, as long as the pod is not harmed or the young threatened. There are growing numbers of reports of sailors being protected from an attacking sea serpents by a pod joining a ship in repelling dangerous monsters that might also be an enemy to that Pod. Curiosity within the playful young also may bring the pod close to inspect ships and is crew or to play games or cooperatively hunt and flush game from the ice shelves for all to feed.  Sea Tempest will share their kills if such a hunt transpires, but should they be cheated or shorted (i.e.: pulling the kill out of the water prematurely or entirely), they will attack the ship and remember those they recognize for a lifetime.

Solitary Bulls are viewed as Anarchist to Diabolic evil, unreasonable or trainable and filled with testosterone and will not cooperate with any other creature.