The Dreaded Depths

Waytravel to The Dreaded Depths...

I
t is well known that the seas around Dragonsmoke are special. Almost seeming alive, they make it incredibly difficult for anyone to travel by sea. Similar to the roads around Wildcross, rocks, and other dangers will be in one place, and then next time you sail that way will not be there. One thing remains constant. The Depths. A strange natural phenomenon sits at the bottom of the ocean where several massive pockets of air exist and the water does not enter. You can travel from bubble to bubble with a bit of a swim. Almost as if it is daring you to adventure, the sea grants you the benefits of Water Breathing with a duration of 48 hours. You can only gain this once per visit and it persists over long and short rests.
Tier II Waypoint | The Deep will not allow anyone through of 4th level or lower. The monsters present flee instinctively should anyone of 11th level or higher arrive.
Jurisdiction: The Deep

Underwater Combat Rules

When making a melee weapon attack, a creature that doesn't have a swimming speed (either natural or granted by magic) has disadvantage on the attack roll unless the weapon is a dagger, javelin, shortsword, spear, or trident. A ranged weapon attack automatically misses a target beyond the weapon's normal range. Even against a target within normal range, the attack roll has disadvantage unless the weapon is a crossbow, a net, or a weapon that is thrown like a javelin (including a spear, trident, or dart).
Creatures and objects that are fully immersed in water have resistance to fire damage.

Crushing Silence

The darkness, silence, and pressure from being so deep in the ocean takes its toll on your body. Your head feels like it is being crushed, you feel like you can hear nothing but your own blood pumping through your ears, and all colour is muted. The sea has invited you in, hoping that you will lose your mind and be lost here forever. Every 24 hours you spend here requires you to make a DC 12 Charisma save or gain a temporary Long-term Madness that lasts until you leave the Depths. Upon 3 failures, gain an Indefinite Madness, and roll 1d100. On a result of 55 or lower your character is lost to the Depths and they will need to be rescued before you can use them again.

The Dreaded Depths Solo Encounters

Unlike normal waypoints, these encounters only happen in the environment listed. All Land encounters take place in an air pocket. All Underwater encounters take place underwater. Any encounter with both environments listed can occur in either location.
CR 1/8: Giant Crab – Land/Underwater
CR 1/8: Merfolk - Underwater
CR 1/4: Tortle - Land
CR 1/4: Ixitxachitl - Underwater
CR 1/2: Sahuagin – Land/Underwater
CR 1/2: Reef Shark - Underwater
CR 1: Sea Spawn – Land/Underwater
CR 1: Giant Octopus – Underwater
CR 2: Merrow – Underwater
CR 2: Sahuagin Priestess – Land/Underwater
CR 3: Killer Whale – Underwater
CR 3: Swashbuckler – Land
CR 4: Giant Coral Snake – Land/Underwater
CR 4: Lizard King/Queen – Land/Underwater
CR 5: Giant Crocodile – Underwater
CR 5: Kraken Priest – Land/Underwater
CR 6: Sahuagin Blademaster – Land/Underwater
CR 6: Thousand Teeth - Underwater

The Dreaded Depths Special Encounters

The following encounters appear only once. When they have been slain and their rewards taken, they do not return. Notify a DM, so that they can list the slayer.

Laurel - Underwater

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CR/Monster	Reward Type	Soloable?	Slayer(s)	Date Slain
CR 5: Giant Shark	Treasure Hoard	Yes

This be no ordinary shark, she's smarter than any sailor and quicker than death himself. If she comes for the fish in your net, they aren't your fish anymore.

— Fisherman

Prerequisites

• Complete an easy skill challenge to find the shark's lair
• Significantly cut yourself on the rocks to lure her out. Take 10 damage. This damage cannot be reduced or negated in any way. Combat begins immediately.

Loot

• 600 cp, 4,000 sp, 2,300 gp, 110 pp
• Potion of Greater Healing

Finn Ryder + Baruma - Underwater

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CR/Monster	Reward Type	Soloable?	Slayer(s)	Date Slain
CR 3: Dark Tide Knight CR 3: Killer Whale	Treasure Hoard	Yes

Finn has been plundering these waters since I can remember. The cocky bastard has caused lots of suffering. He wouldn't be so tough if it wasn't for Baruma. That whale has more battle scars than most suits of armour. I never knew that animals could be driven by greed, and it's only a matter of time before one of them kills the other for a larger piece of the pie.

— Longshoreman

Prerequisites

You must get both Finn and Baruma together to have this encounter.

Baruma

• Complete a medium quest to find Baruma's hunting ground.

Finn Ryder

• Spend 2 Lower-Class Contacts to convince a Giant Seahorse to give you a ride.
• Dump 2,000 gp into the ocean.

Encounter Notes

• Finn (Dark Tide Knight) has a swim speed equal to his move speed and retains the ability to breathe underwater even if separated from Baruma.
• During the encounter, you can spend a bonus action to reclaim some of your spent gold as it falls to the ocean floor. Each time you take this bonus action regain 100gp. Once the combat is complete, any unclaimed gold is lost forever.

Loot

• 400 cp, 6,000 sp, 2,300 gp, 80 pp

The Locker - Underwater

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CR/Monster	Reward Type	Soloable?	Slayer(s)	Date Slain
CR 6: Gallows Speaker	Treasure Hoard	Yes

The Locker? Why be ye wanting to go there? It be a place of death and despair. No, I thinks we be avoiding it like the... well... like the Locker.

— Pirate Captain

Prerequisites

• Talk with some pirates about their superstitions.
• Spend 24 hours in The Depths
• Expend 2 pieces of Lore
• Complete a slow moderate skill challenge to locate The Locker.

Encounter Notes

• The Gallows Speaker gains a swim speed equal to its fly speed.

Loot

• 700 cp, 3,000 sp, 2,100 gp, 140 pp
• 7 x Pearls (100 gp each)

The Hunter - Underwater

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CR/Monster	Reward Type	Soloable?	Slayer(s)	Date Slain
CR 7: Water Elemental Myrmidon	Treasure Hoard	Yes

Fishies?... Fishies...! FISHIES!! Where are you? No Fishies... Dispair. Laurel? No, not enough blood. Baruma? No, no shinies. Upsiders? No, no nets. Must be him.

— Dolphin

Prerequisites

• Spend 24 hours in the Depths getting to The Locker.
• Speak with some lost souls about how the Myrmidon hunts them for sport.
• Complete a medium quest where you kill 3 or more ghost/spirit-type creatures to incur the Myrmidon's wrath. Once completed, you only have enough time for a short rest, before the Myrmidon hunts you down.

Encounter Notes

• The Myrmidon's Tridents are made of water. As a free action on its turn, it can create a new trident in an empty hand.

Loot

• 1,200 cp, 7,000 sp, 2,800 gp, 150 pp
• Potion of Gaseous Form
• Potions of Superior Healing

Belly of the Beast - Underwater

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CR/Monster	Reward Type	Soloable?	Slayer(s)	Date Slain
CR 8: Sperm Whale	Treasure Hoard	Yes

Come, Ahab’s compliments to ye; come and see if ye can swerve me. Swerve me? ye cannot swerve me, else ye swerve yourselves! The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run. Over unsounded gorges, through the rifled hearts of mountains, under torrents’ beds, unerringly I rush! Naught’s an obstacle, naught’s an angle to bar the way. Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee. Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common pool! and since neither can be mine, let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale!

— Babbling Lost Soul

Prerequisites

• Spend 24 hours in the Depths getting to The Locker
• Speak with the Babbling Lost Soul, who was formerly a Captain but has completely lost his mind, about the great whale.
• Expend 2 Lore.
• Find a way to become a fish. You can use any class features such as wild shape, the polymorph spell, etc. If you wish to use a disguise kit the DC is 20. The whale will avoid you while anyone nearby is in their normal form.

Encounter Notes

• At the start of combat, you will take damage from 1 bite attack and be swallowed. If your ability states that you transform from taking the damage, you are still swallowed before you have fully transformed back to your normal self.

Loot

• 1,100 cp, 10,000 sp, 2,000 gp, 130 pp
• Spell Scroll (Eldritch Blast)

Terror of the Deep - Underwater

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CR/Monster	Reward Type	Soloable?	Slayer(s)	Date Slain
CR 10: Aboleth	Treasure Hoard	Yes

Wait... What's this? Sweet miss. I thought I had lost you, sweetness. It's fate. What bliss. Your folly will cost you dear, my dear. You'll see. You'll never escape me. Give in to your fear, my dear.

— The Aboleth

Prerequisites

• Spend 24 hours in the Depths getting to the Locker
• Complete a medium quest
• Complete a medium skill challenge
• When you first encounter the Aboleth roll 1d4. On the result of a 4 or higher you encounter the Aboleth. Any other result and it is the Aboleth's projection. Redo the quest and skill challenge components. Each additional time you repeat the process add an additional +1 to your roll to see if you encounter the Aboleth.

Encounter Notes

• Must be run by a DM
• A Character enslaved by the Aboleth must be rescued before they can be used again. Rescue may not require battling the Aboleth.

Enslaved PCs

• None

Loot

• 200 cp, 4,000 sp, 1,900 gp, 120 pp
• Pearl of Power
• Boots of Elvenkind

Discovered by
Voaraghamanthar
Date discovered
06-Dec-2021

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