Aboleth
Aberration · Crown of Domination
T5d12Sovereign
Ancient aquatic tyrants with psionic minds, aboleths lurk in underwater ruins, enslaving minds and transforming victims into scaly slaves through mucus-covered slime.
Tier 5 · Role Sovereign · Pool Vigor 10 / Vitality 30 · AC 13 · ATK +8 · Save DC 19 · Dmg d12
| Stat | Score | Mod | Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | 16 | +3 | d6 |
| Mind | 22 | +6 | d12 |
| Sense | 20 | +5 | d10 |
| Heart | 20 | +5 | d10 |
| Cunning | 20 | +5 | d10 |
| Fate | 8 | -1 | -d3 |
Passives
Spellcasting (drowned psionics)
The aboleth's mind presses through water and bone alike, ancient psionics it has practiced since before the first cities drowned. Its powers reach any creature it can sense within 120 ft, and it speaks mind to mind with them.
Mucous Cloud
The aboleth breathes air and water. A creature that starts its turn within 5 ft of it saves (Body, DC 19) or takes 1 Vigor damage and cannot breathe air for 1 hour as slime clogs its lungs.
Maneuvers
Phantasmagoria
The aboleth floods one creature within 60 ft with a drowning vision of things that never were. It saves (Mind, DC 19) or is stunned for 1 round; on a success it takes 1 Vigor damage as the false sensation frays.
Declarations
Declared in the enemy tactical window and resolved at the start of its next turn. Any Vitality it loses first forces the disruption roll: on a 1 the telegraph is lost.
Domination
The aboleth fixes its will upon one creature within 30 ft, which saves (Mind, DC 19) or takes 5 damage and must obey its telepathic commands (save ends; it repeats the save whenever it takes damage). On a success, it takes 1 Vigor damage.
Reactions
Crushing Grip
When a creature within 60 ft strikes the aboleth, unseen force closes around it. That creature saves (Body, DC 19) or takes 5 damage and is restrained until the end of its next turn.
Tactics
GM tactics
Opens with Domination on the strongest-looking warrior. Uses charmed victims as shields. Retreats into deep water if threatened, forcing land-dwellers to follow into its domain.
Running it
Rules
- Shield of Tier + Heart mod over a Vitality pool of 10 + 4 x Tier. Full Vigor at combat start; at the start of its turn it rolls 5 exploding d4s and regains 1 Vigor per 4. Dead at 0 Vigor and 0 Vitality.
- A hit rolls d12. A crit rolls two: 2d12.
- Crits on a natural 15+ (Cunning 20).
- Two or three attacks in a normal turn: multiattack is the threat scaler, and one swing a round makes it a mook.
- Sovereign: 2 Sovereign Actions a round, spent after other combatants' turns, on top of its attacks.
- Any Vitality lost while a telegraph is pending forces its disruption roll; on a 1 the telegraph is lost.
- Never checks morale: it fights to 0 Vitality or to the exit written into its lowest phase.
- NPCs never take wounds.