Alien Mind. If a creature tries to read the Eldest's thoughts or tries to deal psychic damage to it, that creature must succeed on a DC 27 Intelligence saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.
Amphibious. The Eldest can breathe air and water.
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics) The Eldest is a 20th level spellcaster. It's spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 27, +19 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
- Cantrips (at will): guidance, mage hand (invisible), mind sliver, vicious mockery
- 1st level (4 slots): charm person, command, dissonant whispers, sanctuary
- 2nd level (3 slots): phantasmal force, see invisibility, tasha's mind whip
- 3rd level (3 slots): fear, slow, tidal wave
- 4th level (3 slots): confusion, locate creature, Raulothim's psychic lance
- 5th level (3 slots): scrying, synaptic static, telekinesis
- 6th level (2 slot): mental prison, true seeing
- 7th level (2 slots): divine word, tether essence
- 8th level (1 slot): feeblemind, reality break
- 9th level (1 slot): psychic scream, weird
Magic Resistance. The Eldest has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Mucous Cloud. While underwater, the Eldest is surrounded by transformative mucus, causing the area within 10 feet of the Eldest to be lighly obscured and difficult terrain. A creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the Eldest must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw or become diseased by the mucus. A diseased creature has disadvantage on saving throws against the Eldest's spells and against its Enslave ability.
For the first minute, the disease can be removed by any magic that cures diseases. After 1 minute however, 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
Probing Telepathy. If a creature communicates telepathically with the Eldest, the Eldest learns the creature's greatest desires if the Eldest can see the creature.
Slippery Skin. The Eldest has advantage on ability checks made to avoid or escape a grapple.
Timeless Body. The Eldest is immune to any spell or ability that would cause it to age.
Multiattack. The Eldest uses its Wild Current and casts one of its spells. It then makes three attacks with its tentacles and one with its tail and uses reel.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack +19 to hit, reach 60 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (4d8+10) bludgeoning damage plus 27 (6d8) psychic damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 20). While grappled in this way, it also is restrained. The Eldest can have up to eight creatures restrained at a time.
Reel. The Eldest pulls each creature grappled by it up to 30 feet straight toward it.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 25 ft. one target. Hit: 41 (6d10+8) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 27 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Devouring Maw. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (4d12+10) piercing damage plus 27 (6d8) acid damage and the target is swallowed by the Eldest.
While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the Eldest, it takes 54 (12d8) acid damage and 27 (6d8) psychic damage and the Eldest learns everything the creature knows and regains hit points equal to half the damage dealt.
If the Eldest takes 60 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the Eldest must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the Eldest. If the Eldest dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 30 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Wild Current. The Eldest psionically creates a strong current in a 300-foot line that is 20 feet wide. All creatures caught in that current must make a DC 27 Strength saving throw. On a failure, they are pulled up to 60 feet closer to the Eldest or pushed the same distance away (the Eldest's choice) and are knocked prone.
Maelstrom (Recharge 5–6). The Eldest psionically creates a whirlpool centered on a point it can see within 300 feet of it. The whirlpool lasts for one minute or until the Eldest uses this ability again and has a radius of up to 60 feet and a depth of 60 feet. The whirlpool's area is difficult terrain, and any creature that starts its turn there or enters it for the first time on a turn must succeed on a DC 27 Strength saving throw or take 72 (16d8) bludgeoning damage and be pulled into the center of the whirlpool where it becomes restrained.
Enslave (3/Day). The Eldest targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed by the Eldest until the Eldest dies or until it is on a different plane of existence from the target. The charmed target is under the Eldest's control and can't take reactions unless commanded by the Eldest to do so, and the Eldest 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 Eldest
Knowledge of the Ages. When the Eldest makes an ability check or fails a saving throw, it can use its reaction to grant itself a bonus to that ability check or saving throw equal to its Intelligence modifier.
Protective Underlings. When the Eldest is hit by an attack, it can force another aboleth or a creature charmed by it within 50 feet of it to use its reaction to take the hit instead.
The Eldest can take 5 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 Eldest regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. The Eldest makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Slithering Strike. The Eldest moves up to its speed without provoking attacks of opportunity and makes an attack with its tail.
Devour (Costs 2 Actions). The Eldest makes an attack with its devouring maw.
Cast a Spell (Costs 2 Actions). The Eldest casts one of its spells.
Energy Drain (Costs 2 Actions). One creature charmed by the Eldest takes 42 (12d6) psychic damage and it loses a spell slot of the highest level it still has spell slots available. The Eldest regains hit points equal to the damage the creature takes and regains a spell slot of a level equal to or less than the level of the drained spell slot.
Abolethic Authority (Costs 3 Actions). The Eldest commands up to six aboleths or creatures charmed by it to use their reactions to move up to their speed and to make a weapon attack against a creature of the Eldest's choice or to manipulate an object the Eldest can see. In addition, any chosen creature can add a d4 to its attack rolls and saving throws and deals an additional 2d8 psychic damage with its weapon attacks until the start of the Eldest's next turn.
Description
The Eldest
There is one aboleth older than everything else: The Eldest. This creature of immense power was one of the first life-forms to be created, and was already considered ancient when our world came into existence. Over millions of years, the Eldest amassed knowledge and power, becoming one of the most powerful psionic creatures.
The Eldest was the ruler of the obelisk-shaped soaring city of Xxiphu and of the Abolethic Sovereignty. The Eldest also is in some way related to Hadar and other sentient stars and is believed to be the only living being capable of using the Key of Stars to open a portal to the Far Realm. One aspect the Abolethic Sovereignty was known for was the Symphony of Madness, a terrifying discordant song of magic created to take control of a fire primordial.
The Eldest is larger than any other aboleth, has grown more tentacles and has aspects and powers of all other kinds of aboleths. Also, just like a regular overseer, it is able to control lesser aboleths as if they were its slaves - and of course it has countless slaves under its control.
Aboleth
Before the coming of the gods, aboleths lurked in primordial oceans and underground lakes. They reached out with their minds and seized control of the burgeoning life-forms of the mortal realm, making those creatures their slaves. Their dominance made them like gods. Then the true gods appeared, smashing the aboleths' empire and freeing their slaves. Aboleths have never forgotten.
Eternal Memories. Aboleths have flawless memories. They pass on their knowledge and experience from generation to generation. Thus, the injury of their defeat by the gods remains perfectly preserved in their minds. Aboleths' minds are treasure troves of ancient lore, recalling moments from prehistory with perfect clarity. They plot patiently and intricately across eons. Few creatures can conceive of the extent of an aboleth's plan.
Gods in the Lake. Aboleths dwell in watery environments, including ocean abysses, deep lakes, and the Elemental Plane of Water. In these domains and the lands that adjoin them, aboleths are like gods, demanding worship and obedience from their subjects. When they consume other creatures, aboleths add the knowledge and experiences of their prey to their eternal memories. Aboleths use their telepathic powers to read the minds of creatures and know their desires. An aboleth uses this knowledge to gain a creature's loyalty, promising to fulfill such wants in exchange for obedience. Within its lair, the aboleth can further use its powers to override senses, granting creatures, such as its followers, the illusion of promised rewards.
Enemies of the Gods. The aboleths' fall from power is written in stark clarity on their flawless memories, for aboleths never truly die. If an aboleth's body is destroyed, its spirit returns to the Elemental Plane of Water, where a new body coalesces for it over days or months. Ultimately, aboleths dream of overthrowing the gods and regaining control of the world. Aboleths have had untold eons to plot and to prepare their plans for perfect execution.
Lair and Lair Actions
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 deranged worshipers. The Eldest itself lairs in the once flying, now sunken, city of Xxiphu, which is shaped like a giant obelisk.
Lair Actions
When fighting inside its lair, the Eldest can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Eldest takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects:
- Phantasmal Killer. The Eldest casts phantasmal killer (no components required, save DC 27) on any number of creatures it can see within 60 feet of it. While maintaining concentration on this effect, the Eldest can’t take other lair actions, but it can still maintain concentration on another spell. If a target succeeds on the saving throw or if the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the Eldest’s phantasmal killer lair action for the next 24 hours, although such a creature can choose to be affected.
- Surging Tide. Pools of water within 150 feet of the Eldest surge outward in a grasping tide. Any creature on the ground within 30 feet of such a pool must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 30 feet into the water and knocked prone. The Eldest can’t use this lair action again until it has used a different one.
- Secrets of the Ancients. The Eldest casts a spell of its choice it does not already know, using a spell slot as normal. The Eldest can’t use this lair action again until it has used a different one.
- Tentacles of the Deep. The Eldest targets a surface within its lair. Tentacles sprout from that surface within a 40-foot cube. Each creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of that area must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 27 (6d8) bludgeoning damage and be restrained. A restrained creature can use its action to escape with a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check. The tentacles last until initiative order 20 on the next round, and the aboleth can't use this lair action again until it has used a different one.
- Echoes of the Symphony. The fading Symphony of Madness echoes through the Eldest's lair. Each creature within the Eldest's lair must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or take 27 (6d8) psychic damage and develop a long-term madness. In addition, on a failure, a creature's flesh starts twisting. An affected creature's movement speed is halved, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and when it attempts to cast a spell, it must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or the spell fails. The effects last until initiative order 20 on the next round and the Eldest 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:
- Within 3 miles of the lair, sometimes faint echoes of the Symphony of Madness can be heard. A creature that spends more than 1 hour within 3 miles of the lair must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or develops a long-term madness.
- 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.
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Posted Jul 22, 2023Simply wonderufl, as powerful as you'd expect a CR 30 creature to be, would make for an amazing Great Old One warlock patreon. Great work !