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 19 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is diseased for 1d12 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.
Immutable Form. The Aboleth Nova is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
Magic Resistance. The Aboleth Nova has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Powerful Luminosity. The Aboleth sheds bright light illuminating in a 30-foot radius. The light is so strong that any creature standing at 5 feet and looking at the Aboleth must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be blinded until the start of the creature's next turn. If the creature decides to not look at the Aboleth it can avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn, but it will have disadvantage on attack rolls against it until the start of its next turn. This Trait Is Activated And Deactivated Every 12 Seconds.
Prismatic Shield. The Aboleth Nova is enclosed in an invisible barrier that extends from itself to form a 10-foot-radius, 20-foot-high cylinder. The first time a creature moves through the barrier the creature must make a WIS saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is poisoned. It must then make a Constitution saving throw (DC 19) at the end of each of its turns. If it successfully saves three times, the effect ends. If it fails its save three times, the creature turns to slime and dies, if the creature is in a body of water when it dies, the contents of that person are irretrievable. The successes and failures don't need to be consecutive; keep track of both until the creature collects three of a kind. The cylinder moves with the Aboleth and remains centered on itself.
Multiattack. The aboleth makes three tentacle attacks, or two tentacle attacks and its It's intoxicating touch attack.
Spellcasting. The aboleth nova is an 23rd-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20, +14 to hit with spell attacks). The aboleth nova has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): mind sliver, viscous mockery, chill touch, dancing light, eldritch blast, poison spray, shape water
1st level (5 slots): chaos bolt, dissonant whispers, absorb elements, bane, command
2nd level (4 slots): mind spike, phantasmal force, darkness, hold person
3rd level (4 slots): blink, counterspell, dispel magic, pulse wave,
4th level (4 slots): phantasmal killer, confusion, control water, dimension door
5th level (4 slots): synaptic static, dominate person, dream, modify memory
6th level (3 slots): mental prison, forbidden, globe of invulnerability
7th level (3 slots): force cage, power word pain, project image
8th level (2 slots): feeblemind, maddening darkness, tsunami
9th level (2 slots): psychic scream, weird
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 19 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.
Intoxicating Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is magically cursed for 1 hour. Until the curse ends, the target has disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws and all ability checks.
Fluxscale (Recharge 3-6). As a bonus action at the end of its turn, the aboleth pulses with unstable energy. All creatures within 5 feet of the aboleth or within 15 feet if looking in its direction must make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 8d4 psychic damage and takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws. This effect can stack up to a cap of -6 and lasts until the creature completes a long rest. At the end of each of its turns, the creature can make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw. On a successful saving throw, the effect ends. The fluxscale always uses this action if it can do so.
Enslave (5/Day). The aboleth targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 19 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.
Psychic Attacker. Once per turn when the aboleth nova casts a spell that deals psychic damage, it can use it's reaction to treat all 1's on a damage die as a 2.
Psychic Rebuke. If the aboleth nova is subjected to a spell that would deal psychic damage or teleport it against it's will, it can use it's reaction to force that creature to make a Charisma saving throw. Taking 2d10 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
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 Perception check.
Tail Swipe. The aboleth makes one tail attack.
Potent Spellcasting. The aboleth nova casts a spell of second level or lower.
Psychic Drain (Costs 2 Actions). One creature charmed by the aboleth takes 12 (2d12) psychic damage, and the aboleth regains hit points equal to the damage the creature takes.
Anti-Magic Discord (Costs 3 Actions). All magic items in a 25ft radius are temporarily disabled until the start of the Aboleth's next turn.
Lair and Lair Actions
Aboleth Nova's lair in subterranean lakes or the depths of the astral ocean, often surrounded by the ruins of an ancient, fallen aboleth city. An aboleth nova spends most of its existence underwater, surfacing occasionally to treat with visitors or deranged 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 cast 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 19 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 20 feet into the water and knocked prone, taking 3d6 bludgeoning damage. 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 19 Wisdom saving throw or take 21 (3d12) 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 become blinded for 1 hour.
- 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.
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