Large Beast, Unaligned
- AC
- 11
- Initiative
- +1 (11)
- HP
- 45 (7d10+7)
- Speed
- 10 ft., Swim 60 ft.
| Score | Mod | Save | |
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 17 | +3 | +3 |
| DEX | 13 | +1 | +1 |
| CON | 13 | +1 | +1 |
| INT | 5 | -3 | -3 |
| WIS | 10 | +0 | +0 |
| CHA | 4 | -3 | -3 |
Traits
Water Breathing. The octopus can breathe only underwater. It can hold its breath for 1 hour outside water.
Actions
Tentacles. Melee Attack Roll: +5, reach 10 ft. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) Bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it has the Grappled condition (escape DC 13) from all eight tentacles. While Grappled, the target has the Restrained condition.
Reactions
Ink Cloud (1/Day). Trigger: The octopus takes damage while underwater. Response: The octopus releases ink that fills a 10-foot Cube centered on itself, and the octopus moves up to its Swim Speed. The Cube is Heavily Obscured for 1 minute or until a strong current or similar effect disperses the ink.
How to run Giant Octopus
A giant octopus loaned to the party functions as an underwater transport and infiltration tool, not a combat ally. A druid summons it. A sea hag gives the party a temporary deal. A krakken captain owes the party a favor. However the octopus arrives, it's on loan and does not bond with humanoids.
Use it for its 60 feet of swim speed and grappling reach. The octopus can carry a medium rider into deep water, scout ahead through narrow caves, retrieve submerged objects, and grapple one underwater enemy to hold it still while the party handles the others. In a real fight, it's fragile: 45 HP and AC 11 mean it can take hits for a few rounds before it needs to retreat.
Once the octopus has taken damage half its HP or more, have it disengage to deeper water. The party finishes the fight without it. When the mission ends, the octopus departs. Make the exit graceful rather than abrupt. If the party wants to call on it again, they have to go back to whoever supplied it and make a new arrangement.
A giant octopus is a submerged ambush encounter. It has Stealth +5, Passive Perception 14, and 60 feet of swim speed that keeps it in deep water where the party can't reach. The octopus uses Tentacles to grapple at 10-foot reach, dealing 2d6+3 bludgeoning and imposing Grappled and Restrained on Medium or smaller creatures. The escape DC is 13. Its reaction, Ink Cloud, fills a 10-foot cube with obscuring ink once per day when it takes damage underwater, giving it cover to swim away.
Set the encounter with the octopus already submerged and unnoticed. The party approaches a docked boat, a coastal cave, or a reef. Use the octopus's high Stealth to make spotting difficult. When it strikes, it grabs a PC with Tentacles and swims 60 feet away, dragging the grabbed creature. Use the drowning rules, not damage. A PC being held 60 feet underwater has a problem that combat stats don't fix. The octopus doesn't care about the rest of the party; it cares about separating one target from the group.
The octopus is fragile outside grappling. 45 HP and AC 11 mean ranged attacks will hurt it badly. It relies on distance and darkness. Ink Cloud is your escape tool once or if the party brings enough damage. The octopus has Intelligence 5, which is low but not mindless. Once the fight turns, it swims to deep water and releases any grabbed creature out of spite.
Have the octopus steal something from the party as it flees. A ring, a weapon, a letter in a waterproof pouch. The recovery of that item becomes the next adventure.
Stat block from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 © Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.