A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Let’s Get Kraken (5E)

Let’s Get Kraken (5E) by Ken Spencer is a role playing game supplement published by Necromancer Games for use with Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result. The supplement is also available in versions for Pathfinder and Swords & Wizardry.

The PDF is available from DriveThruRPG for for $12.99 and is also available in printed form from sites such as Amazon. The PDF has 30 pages and is the version reviewed but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. Two pages are the front and rear covers, one the front matter, two the Table of Contents and one the Open Game License.

The first page of content explains this in an adventure for 2-6 characters of levels 5-7. The characters are up against a kraken, a creature they will probably not be able to beat in open battle; instead, they need to stop the sorcerer controlling it, or use one of the other options. It also explains that this offers the Wievin Strip, and that once the adventure is over, the rest of the trip can be explored or used as a base for further adventures in the Sundered Kingdoms; the adventure is in the Lost Lands setting. The Dramatis Personae lists the major NPCs and where their main description can be found.

Part One: Adventure Overview explains that fishing boats from Ostin have been attacked by a kraken. A sorcerer with a grudge against the town, following his exile and most recent burning alive of his parents after they were accused of being heretics, has gained control of the kraken. There are hooks to involve the characters and several different options given for stopping the kraken. One of these is a battle with a dragon turtle, and a sidebar, Kaiju Fight!, has the players control the dragon turtle and its minions in the battle against the kraken. There are different events other than the kraken that can happen, including the arrival of the local baroness, who leads a, doomed, hunt for the kraken.

Part Two: Trouble in Ostin describes the fishing village of Ostin. There is a map and various important locations are detailed, along with brief details on some NPCs, and a d20 list of rumours.

Part Three: The Wievin Strip starts with a random encounter table and a hex map of the area. Various locations in the Strip are briefly detailed.

Part Four: Stormwall Temple gives the history of the temple to Quell, whose last two priests were forced out by the baroness. The various locations in the temple are described.

Part Five: Tern Island has a random encounter table, a map and details on the different locations.

Part Six: The Ruined Fortress details this, which is on Tern Island.

Ending the Adventure looks at how the characters might have succeeded, and what the results of the baroness’s death, or the primary villain’s survival, might be.

Appendix A: New Monsters has stats for four new monsters.

Appendix B: NPCs has starts for three major NPCs.

Let’s Get Kraken (5E) in Review

The PDF is well bookmarked with major and minor sections linked. The Table of Contents is to a similar level of depth and is hyperlinked. Navigation is very good. The text maintains a two-column format and some minor formatting issues were noticed. As well as the colour maps, most of which would be described as functional but nothing more, there are three colour illustrations, one of which may be custom. Presentation is okay.

The adventure has the potential to be quite dangerous, especially if the characters decide they can face the kraken head-on; something that could be very unfortunate for them. There are also a number of minor nuisances; not actively hostile encounters, but the baroness could be a nuisance, as long as she lives. The adventure is also fairly sandbox in nature, as characters could go to different places when they choose rather than when driven by plot, and could easily be expanded; the Wievin Strip need not just be for future adventures, as the GM could add further encounters and side quests to the main adventure. There are different ways of succeeding too, rather than one specific solution, making this a pretty flexible adventure. Let’s Get Kraken (5E) is an interesting adventure and it can be found on Amazon.