Deep Thrall - Evil/Dead Prestige Class

This Prestige class uses elements that may not be applicable to the Forgotten Realms Campaign

Among civilizations living along the edges of the great oceans of the world, stories of the kraken are far from myth. Some have witnessed firsthand the destruction these monsters can inflict: they have seen friends and family attacked and dragged beneath the waves by the terrifying krakens. They assume that these poor souls have drowned or were eaten, and more often than not, they are correct. However, in some cases, these supposedly lost individuals have merely been captured by a kraken. They are taken deep beneath the surface, where the kraken has created a watertight series of caves in which humanoids can survive. These humanoids are kept as slaves, to be used for food and amusement by their cruel overlord. Entire generations of slaves have lived in these dark caves, and over time most forget that the surface world exists.

To maintain their "schools," krakens pick out exceptional individuals and provide them with the best food, duties, and comforts. If they prove worthy, these humanoids are then marked by the kraken, which involves wrapping one of its powerful, suckered tentacles across the slave's naked form. This embrace leaves behind wounds that turn into terrible scars. From that moment on, the slave is considered a deep thrall, the servant of the mighty kraken. Through some unknown connection to her master, the deep thrall begins gaining powers.

Deep thralls are chosen to be guards and taskmasters, lording their favored positions over the other slaves. Traitors to their own people, the deep thralls cruelly enforce discipline among the slaves and keep an eye out for troublemakers and for other potential deep thralls. They actively encourage breeding among the slaves, instilling a deep sense of subservience to the kraken. Trapped deep under water, these communities can become seriously inbred, requiring a steady supply of slaves from the surface. Slaves subsist mostly on fish and other seafood, as well as the corpses of their fellow prisoners.

In addition, deep thralls are used as "ambassadors" by the kraken, undertaking missions to the surface to negotiate on behalf of their master. These deep thralls are viewed with utter revulsion by the surface dwellers they negotiate with. However, most would rather bargain and compromise than become the target of an enraged kraken. Deep thralls are also used as spies, saboteurs, and thieves for their masters. They stalk the cities and shorelines close to the kraken's territory, looking for potential food, items that the kraken might want to possess, and threats (like mustered fleets).

Deep thralls usually cloak themselves under dark hoods or use magic to hide their facial scarring. In some seaside communities, however, these individuals pass these scars off as wounds sustained from a "battle with a squid." This is usually enough to fool even the crustiest of seadogs.

Almost any class can become a deep thrall. The kraken chooses characters of different classes, based on the need at any time. Fighters, barbarians, monks, and rangers are chosen if brute strength and intimidation are required. Rogues and bards are picked for infiltration work and information gathering. Wizards and sorcerers are prized for spellcasting ability. Krakens seem to have little use for clerics, considering themselves above the powers of the deities of the surface dwellers, and rarely choose members of this class.

Deep thralls of a single kraken work together in tightly knit groups, coordinating their efforts for the greater good of their master. They are antagonistic, or at least coolly neutral, to deep thralls of other krakens that they might encounter during their missions.

Hit Die: d10

To qualify to become a Deep Thrall, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

Deep Thrall Details

From: Dragon #300

Older Prestige class adapted to 3.5

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