The Kraken’s Garden •

Salvage and treasure is always a good motivator for getting your

party to jump feet first into a dangerous situation. Have them
An Introduction hear about sunken wrecks from local fishermen or old salty
pirates.

S
unlight ripples across the steadily
approaching white sand a few fathoms below your
feet. The water, crystal clear, fades into an infinite Variants
turquoise void as you descend to the ocean’s bottom. Sign up to my Patreon to get access: patreon.com/afternoonmaps
The weights attached to your ankles drag you down-
wards, the water breathing spell keeping you alive.

You land lightly and begin to make your way across the ocean floor.
You can see, looming in the blue haze ahead, an escarpment of rock
and coral. The giant oversized living corals are brightly coloured
and teaming with life. Fish, sea anemones and spiny urchins the size
of trees occupy every crevice.

You spy the wreck resting amongst the coral forest, its skeleton
protruding from the sand. You bounce slowly forward hoping its
cargo is in better condition. Your contact assured you it would be
there, buried just below the sand. You begin to dig, shovel slowed
by the waters resistance.

A shadow blocks out the sun, you wait for it to pass and when it
doesn’t you look up. Above you, gracefully gliding over the coral
cliffs edge, is a huge inky black shape. Tentacles break up the
silhouette of the creature. Tentacles are almost universally a bad sign
you think just before the creature jets towards you, aforementioned
tentacles flailing.

Notes and Tips

• 30x30 map
• Be sure to read up on underwater combat rules and make sure to
inform your players about these restrictions well before combat.
• The party could be dropped from a boat directly above, or they
may have to make their way to the location.
• Even clear ocean water has a limited view distance, make sure to
define it and remember to use it during combat.
• Creatures and monsters can hide within the coral, allowing for a
number of vectors of attack.
• There are a few caves along the cliffs edge which can be used by
both the players and monsters.
• If a creature can produce ink to obscure the battlefield utilise it!
Or have your humanoid enemies use squid ink like smoke bombs!
• The sea urchins have very sharp spines. If a player is thrown
against them it’s going to hurt!
• Sahuagin are always a good choice for humanoid underwater
encounters, however there are lots of other choices including
Kuo-toa, sea hags or Merfolk.
• Merfolk bandits could be raiding ships. The party must go below
to follow them to their hideout.
• Throw in a Chuul or two, they are challenging by themselves but
can also be servants of Aboleths.
• If someone starts to bleed have a shark or twenty appear. The
longer the party sticks around the more sharks appear.
• Have sharks circle the party, darting in and out, then at some
tipping point have them go into a feeding frenzy!
The Kraken’s Garden
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