Amphibious. The aboleth can breathe air and water.
Mucous Cloud. While underwater, the aboleth is surrounded by transformative mucus. A creature that touches the aboleth or that hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is diseased for 1d4 hours. The diseased creature can breathe only underwater.
Probing Telepathy. If a creature communicates telepathically with the aboleth, the aboleth learns the creature’s greatest desires if the aboleth can see the creature.
Multiattack. The aboleth makes three tentacle attacks.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become diseased. The disease has no effect for 1 minute and can be removed by any magic that cures disease. After 1 minute, the diseased creature’s skin becomes translucent and slimy, the creature can’t regain hit points unless it is underwater, and the disease can be removed only by heal or another disease-curing spell of 6th level or higher. When the creature is outside a body of water, it takes 6 (1d12) acid damage every 10 minutes unless moisture is applied to the skin before 10 minutes have passed.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft. one target. Hit: 15 (3d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Enslave (3/Day). The aboleth targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed by the aboleth until the aboleth dies or until it is on a different plane of existence from the target. The charmed target is under the aboleth’s control and can’t take reactions, and the aboleth and the target can communicate telepathically with each other over any distance.
Whenever the charmed target takes damage, the target can repeat the saving throw. On a success, the effect ends. No more than once every 24 hours, the target can also repeat the saving throw when it is at least 1 mile away from the aboleth.
The aboleth can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The aboleth regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. The aboleth makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail Swipe. The aboleth makes one tail attack.
Psychic Drain (Costs 2 Actions). One creature charmed by the aboleth takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage, and the aboleth regains hit points equal to the damage the creature takes.
Aboleths lair in subterranean lakes or the rocky depths of the ocean, often surrounded by the ruins of an ancient, fallen aboleth city. An aboleth spends most of its existence underwater, surfacing occasionally to treat with visitors or worshipers.
Lair Actions
When fighting inside its lair, an aboleth can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the aboleth takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects:
- The aboleth casts phantasmal force (no components required) on any number of creatures it can see within 60 feet of it. While maintaining concentration on this effect, the aboleth can’t take other lair actions. If a target succeeds on the saving throw or if the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the aboleth’s phantasmal force lair action for the next 24 hours, although such a creature can choose to be affected.
- Pools of water within 90 feet of the aboleth surge outward in a grasping tide. Any creature on the ground within 20 feet of such a pool must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 20 feet into the water and knocked prone. The aboleth can’t use this lair action again until it has used a different one.
- Water in the aboleth’s lair magically becomes a conduit for the creature’s rage. The aboleth can target any number of creatures it can see in such water within 90 feet of it. A target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or take 7 (2d6) psychic damage. The aboleth can’t use this lair action again until it has used a different one.
Regional Effects
The region containing an aboleth’s lair is warped by the creature’s presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Underground surfaces within 1 mile of the aboleth’s lair are slimy and wet and are difficult terrain.
- Water sources within 1 mile of the lair are supernaturally fouled. Enemies of the aboleth that drink such water vomit it within minutes.
- As an action, the aboleth can create an illusory image of itself within 1 mile of the lair. The copy can appear at any location the aboleth has seen before or in any location a creature charmed by the aboleth can currently see. Once created, the image lasts for as long as the aboleth maintains concentration, as if concentrating on a spell. Although the image is intangible, it looks, sounds, and can move like the aboleth. The aboleth can sense, speak, and use telepathy from the image’s position as if present at that position. If the image takes any damage, it disappears.
If the aboleth dies, the first two effects fade over the course of 3d10 days.
omg
It's only large, so you can put it in a river or lake (if the river or lake is big enough).
"Shall I prepare thee for Hummer's Bay?" laughed the Aboleth in the minds of the decimated crew of the Dauntless. "To be made servile - therefore compliant, run roughshod to your mental dismay, your short lives insignificant to this giant, sometimes too hot the eye of summer shines."
Dreadknot looked at the remains of his crew through the salty sweat that near blinded him. Wiping his brow and lifting the conch he blew hard as the ship lurched against the titantic black tethers, the tug of the sails and swell of the sea - forces above his pay grade.
"Often it is told, undersea complexions dimm'd, every sail of life squared and trimm'd, but thy eternal devotion will not fade - hmm what's this?"
With the blink of an eye - the inky darkness of the Aboleth's residue stained the frigate, leaving Dreadknot shakily kneeling by the rail. Like a shadow of a fast moving cloud or momentary nightmare that left a sudden sweat - the terror was gone. Perhaps to return at anytime... It would haunt the dreams of each survivor long past this voyage.
I am a Forever DM in my 6-Player(Plus Me) Group. I wanted to go gentle on them and, in a dungeon, send some steam mephits against them for a small encounter. The Players were Level 4, we had a Human Monk(way of astral self), Life Domain Aasimar Clerik, Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer(Homebrew Race), High Elf Druid(Circle of Wildfire) and a Tiefling Warlock(Lurker in the Deep or Undying, idk).
After they Complained, i decided to make the Dungeon so hard, that they shall never request something hard ever again. after some small encounters, the came to the Boss-Room. a giant underground sea, and in the middle waited, you guessed it, A Goddamn Aboleth, supported by a Water Elemental to spread its Magical Water, and about 5 Steam Mephitis, who got charmed by the Aboleth. Long Story short: They almost died and decided to never challenge me again because of ,,too low difficulty".
If you can find a copy of Lords of Madness from 3.5e there's a chapter dedicated to them.
The DC for phantasmal force doesn’t seem to be listed. It’s 16.
Thank you for reminding that exists> hahaha
As an Aquatic creature shouldn't it show up as an Underwater monster? It only has the Underdark tag even though it says in its description its in the ocean.
Ok so, say somehow a player character was able to transform into this, would charm last after they turn back?
muito pika. esse bicho deu tpk mó foda kkkk. Meus player são mó fraco, geral 4 nego nivel 1 e não mataram kkkkkkkkkk
yeah
there was a myth or something that said aboleths were some of the first beings on earth right?
It means that in effect, the lair rolled a 20 on its initiative roll.
ok so i have a question i just started dnd i wanna dm by reactions does it mean how the aboleth reacts to certain things and can i add certain attacks that the aboleth does not have but does make sence and fits with the aboleth
That’s an interesting idea.
The Aboleth has a pretty good toolset as is, but you want to add some extra twists, maybe a “panic” option? Something like: When the Aboleth is reduced below half health, it releases a psychic screech, all creatures with in 60 ft must succeed a DC 14 WIS save, or be Blinded & Deafened for a round.
Or, maybe it leaves behind an illusory double. Something that gives the creature a chance to escape a fight it’s losing.
Or, maybe it has a “kill switch” for its psychic slaves (like a Banshee’s Howl), that it can use once a day. Throwing away minions to try to hurt a charmed enemy seems like a very Aboleth thing to do.
The campaign I'm running has a lot of rivers. This could be useful...
What level do you think I should throw my party of 5 at this? (2 barbarians, paladin, rogue, artificer)
Cetephods are some of the smartest animals in the animal kingdom. I don't find this a stretch.
A truly disgusting creature. Basically a hagfish that controls people's minds
do you think this guy would hang out in the underworld rivers like the Acheron, Phlegmethon, lethe, or styx?