Kataigída (The Storm Whale of the Dark Seas)
Sea Monster Level: Apollyon
Health: 20,000 (+10,000 per ship, caps at 50,000)
Durability: Treated as a ship with 50% DR to cannon fist
Inspiration/Reference:
Monster Hunter - Dah’ren Mohran
(GIves a general body shape idea, primarily the head horn. Alongside a reference for the size.)
Mechanics:
Follower - This creature will choose a random nearby player upon spawning and will remain at the side of the ship a fair distance. This’ll allow you to bombard it with cannonfire without making it an annoying boss to chase around. If you turn it will turn as well accordingly.
Weak Points - At times the creature will come in for a side slam, at this point it will charge the side it plans to slam into you with revealing various weak spots. From here, manually aiming your cannons or other tools at your disposal and hitting these weak points will deal boosted damage, and inflict a stun if 3 are hit before it slams into the player.
Stunned - When stunned, it will remain still for 30 seconds during which you can “dock” and walk on the whale itself. From here you can gather various items such as storm whale items that spawn on its back, or you can use this as an opportunity to destroy a part of the storm whale to gain additional part specific loot.
Alternatively you can just bombard it like a barbarian, or ram into its frontal horn for a chance to break it. Breaking the horn can net some valuable items but you must return to it after slaying the storm whale to capitalize on it. (Boosted rates, more rewards, but the items pertaining to it will be significantly reduced from the loot pool upon slaying the whale)
Breakable Parts - Besides the main body parts that can be broken (Horn and Back, breaking these will weaken the sea monster), you can break various lesser parts across the body of the beast by using your abilities/ship on them. Doing so will net you immediate rewards with boosted rates based on the location, however, note that breaking these parts will not weaken any attacks in the creatures arsenal, but it will allow you to get some damage in through alternative means (it could also create weak spots).
Diver - The storm whale will dive when it changes targets, or when it is preparing to do a unique attack. It would do any sea monster hunter to recognize the signs lest they be too late in avoiding the attack.
Skills:
Back based attacks (Breakable)
Storm Call - The beast’s back glows and it places various points alongside your ship (and your allies) before sending down a powerful lightning strike. These strikes deal no damage to the ship but place hazards for the player to worry about.
Weakened the hazards and lightning are reduced in power
Storm Razer - The beast begins to swim on its side and begins to charge 3 powerful beams of lightning. By swimming on its side it temporarily loses track of the player, thus allowing them to perform a ram (risky, high part break damage, guaranteed interrupt), attempt to bombard with explosive cannon shells (medium risk, medium part break damage, DPS check), or avoid the attack by calling off the sails (low risk, no damage). Alternatively, if you have an ally they can freely ram the underside of the beast, dealing +25% ram damage and suffering minimal initial consequences. This alternative, however, causes the beast to randomly pick a new target (can include the initial player), and perform a dive (refer to “Diving Ram”).
Weakened the beams take longer to charge up properly.
Horn based attacks (Breakable)
Diving Ram - From a dive, the beast will emerge fully charged with lightning, while boosting itself with the wind will perform a terrifyingly fast ram. With proper timing an ally can redirect this by ramming into the beast’s face from the side, however, lest you be a loner you must attempt to face the beast and avoid it at the last minute.
Weakened the attack becomes much slower and won’t instantly destroy your ship (unless it’s already pretty weak/is weak durability wise).
Lightning Blade - Using its horn the beast will supercharge it with lightning and slash at any ship that dare go in front or to the side of it. This attack will instantly cleave any ship in half unless they are made of the most sturdy of materials.
(This attack could have a visual as it’ll the ranged slash itself is ridiculously fast)
Weakened this attack no longer becomes possible.
Rewards:
The storm whale drops many rewards, all of which can be taken to a skilled ship builder or blacksmith to craft various items for you. Note that every ship part can be upgraded with the creature’s parts, and that I’ll be listing scaling for level 125 with the potential to be level 300 (or higher). Ideally the gear and ship part rarities will be listed as rare/exotic.
Ship parts
Stormbreaker Ram (level 120/125)
Defense - 450
Ram Damage - 2250
Ram Defense - 125
Magic Storage - 250
Ram Speed - 1.4
Special:
(½) When combined with the Stormhide Hull, rams will become significantly faster and electrically charged. Additionally, magic energy storage will be magnified.
Buffs: +0.4 (Ram Speed), x1.2 Magic Storage
Stormhide Hull (level 120/125)
Defense - 3750
Ram Defense - 625
Magic Storage - 125
Special:
(½) When combined with the Stormbreaker Ram, rams will become significantly faster and electrically charged. Additionally, magic energy storage will be magnified.
Buffs: +0.4 (Ram Speed), x1.2 Magic Storage
Weapons:
Schístis (Strength, Colossal Greatsword)
Q - Storm Caller
Thrust your blade into the air and summon a powerful storm of lightning strikes at the indicated location.
E - Cleave (Grab)
Dash forward and smash your target with the pommel of your sword, dazing them, follow this up with a powerful lightning infused downward slash.
Schízon (Katana)
Q - Storm Slash
Sheathe your blade before performing a dashing slash, at the end of the attack the user will sheathe their blade with every target caught in the attack being subject to a multiple of lightning slashes.
E - Sky Splitter
Sheathe your blade and perform a powerful lightning slash forward. The ranged slash itself is fast and pierces targets, but deals moderate damage.
Accessory:
Storm Necklace
(Probably focus on power and attack speed)
Storm Forged Helmet (?)
(Probably defense and attack speed focused)
Armor (?):
Storm Forged Chestplate (?)
(Probably defense and attack speed focused)
Storm Forged Leggings (?)
(Probably defense and attack speed focused)
Items:
Storm Charged Horn Fragments
Used in - Ship Parts, Accessories, Weapons
Storm Whale Backplate Fragments
Used in - Ship parts, Accessories (?), Armor (?)
Storm Charged Scales
Used in - Accessories, Weapons, Armor (?)
Storm Plate
Used in - Ship Parts, Armor (?)
Storm Crystal Fragments (Stuff that grows on the back)
Used in - Accessories, Weapons, Armor (?)
Notes:
The reason I have armor as (?) is because I’m not entirely sure on whether or not it should be added. In fact, since it could be considered exotic, it can probably have some other stat like power or something. Weapon skills are just ideas, I don’t really know what to do with them exactly, but I do want them to be a thing. I don’t really know what to add for fighting styles, maybe that’s where the armor comes in? Lastly, I’d like to say that, yes, this is really early considering the dark seas isn’t even out yet, but I want to see what works and what doesn’t in the community. Also I’m not entirely sure if I got the balancing right with the ship parts, especially since I used common/uncommon stuff for reference (it’s also all we have), when you factor in the level and the rarity it could be much stronger.
