D&D 5E Aboleth entry in 5e Monster Manual

[Dire Bare]

Meh. The artwork isn't my favorite aboleth piece, hope it's just artistic interpretation rather than a visual reconcepting of the monster. The actual entry bugs me not at all. I certainly noticed the new addition of reincarnation on the plane of water, but it doesn't bother me. Aboleths don't predate elemental water, not in my mind anyways. It's certainly different, but not a big deal. While it's cool and understandable if some folks don't care for the addition, some here are overreacting just a tad.

HOW DARE U CHANGE MAH MONSTUR!

 

[Wrathamon]

I don't see how reincarnation has anything to do with them not believing in a deity. If anything its more of their cycle of life and shows it has nothing to do with deities. They die and get reborn with no help from some puny god-being.

doesn't bug me.

I would probably add that once on the plane of water the lil reincarnated tadpole needs to eat the other aboleth tadpoles to get enought strength to open a portal and then it can get reborn on the material plane again in one of the underground seas.

 

[Hannerdyn]

I too, am unreasonably angry about this.

 

[Jester David]

I hadn't see that tidbit. I must have been put off by the lame lamprey art for the aboleth.

I imagine the aboleth reincarnating is meant to be similar to demons and devils. But as the aboleth isn't extraplanar it is silly. And the plane of mention is even sillier.

 

[SpaceOtter]

I hadn't see that tidbit. I must have been put off by the lame lamprey art for the aboleth.

How dare you besmirch the noble lamprey! They demand an apology!
Now kiss and make up...

 

[Uder]

I'm offended about something or other myself! I think I'll go key a dungeon.

 

[SkidAce]

I'm offended about something or other myself! I think I'll go key a dungeon.

Don't you dare...I just got that dungeon painted.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I'm a huge aboleth fan, I have plans for them in multiple campaigns, and I love everything written about the 5E aboleth...

Except the reincarnation thing.

Here's the deal: Not only is it not thematically appropriate (IME), it's unnecessary.

Every aboleth knows everything that every other aboleth knows, or ever has known. There's no need for a specific individual aboleth to come back, because the others are just going to go right on continuing the exact same plot.

I find that--the idea that you cannot stop them, that there's always another to pick of the thread, that they combine the best of both individual and hive mind--to be a far creepier and more aesthetically appropriate way of making them "unkillable" than literal reincarnation.

 

[Thank Dog]

You don't kill aboleths, you just inconvenience them.

And they remember...

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Not quite. They only know what their parents know they won't know what their siblings knew, and I doubt the get their parents memories of what happened after their birth.