A huge, bloated, eyeless, formless octopus rises from the sand. From its pale, yellow shapeless body sprouts ten long tentacles tipped with cruel barbed pads.
Sand Kraken CR 8
XP 4,800
N Large magical beast
Init +4; Senses tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +11
Environment warm deserts
Organization solitary
Treasure none
The sand krakens are dangerous creatures encountered only in remote wastelands. A sand kraken keeps its body well concealed, buried deep in sand or loose rock, and inaccessible to most attacks. The creature never moves from the place where it digs its first burrow and once it settles in, will never again see the light of day. The only parts of a sand kraken that are usually seen are its tentacles, and by then it is often too late.
Sand krakens are omnivores, but prefer meat to any other food. Once it captures and kills its prey, it pulls the carcass down into its sandy lair, and devours it with its great central maw. For this reason, a number of scholars speculate a biological relationship between sand krakens and dustdiggers.
For most of its life, a sand kraken remains dormant and silent, buried several feet below the surface of the ground. When it senses prey its tentacles swiftly rise to the surface. A sand kraken uses its initial attacks to immobilize its prey by constriction. Each tentacle has its own secondary brain, and can attack independently. While tentacles can be harmed and severed, the only true way to kill a sand kraken is to dig it up and destroy its body.
Sand Kraken from the Tome of Horrors Complete, Copyright 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author Erica Balsley.