Aboleth w/ Age Categories?

[bykov]

I have some mixed thoughts about the psionic dominate vs enslave thing, also. I do wish they'd just picked a consistent mechanic. Personally, I think I like using enslave. It just seems a little unique to lump it in with everything else.

I concur. That leads me to think that Enslave (Su) could be set up to: # of times per day equal to 1/2 HD; Will DC equal to 10 + 1/2 HD + CHA Mod; shift it back to similar to dominate spell; one target per use (multiple targets is cool, it could maybe go to # of targets = to age category?); and maintain either the 24 hour rechecks no matter how powerful the aboleth or stage it to 24 hours * age category. Now the types of creatures affected is where I stick. Psionic dominate is nice as it evolves with manifester level, but the spell equivalent is dominate monster. I feel that may be a bit much, maybe just leave it to humanoid & monstrous humanoid? The thing that does get me is that aboleths were around looooong before humans, would they really be that specialized?

About the transformation: a Fort save makes sense in a way, but it doesn't really work with the mechanic of the Will saves. You could drop the Will saves and just give a Fort save at the start. Succeed, and you're conscious and can escape (breaks mental control). Fail, and you're unconscious and must be rescued or else transform. Also, once transformed, I might make it hard to be freed than break enchantment, but I might just be being mean.

I see what you are saying that multiple save can become cumbersome. If I were to choose, I would leave it to the Will save, being emersed in slime would make it pretty hard to avoid the physical tranformation. My other option was to have successful Fort saves stave off transformation for one day, allowing the victim a chance to get to another Will save.

Just a question: why not use skum for the servitors?

Ah, great minds think alike. I was thinking exactly that when I started, but the more I thought about that and after reading the ecology I was really liking the flavor of a servitor being the first stage, if they proved to have useful skills as servitors, this would be the form they would keep. However, those that had no specialized skill set would be subject to experimentation. The role of the Noble Aboleth in the ecology would be transferred to a prestige class, making an Aboleth Eugenecist that would have Skum Transformation as a class feature. I could also pitch the prestige class and give Skum Transformation to Nobles and greater.

I may be going too deep, but the flavor has a hold on me.

Bykov.

 

[freyar]

Hey, lots of cool options for aboleths? Always good!

 

[bykov]

Breakdown of abilities...

Here is a breakdown of the simpler abilites:

Amphibiuos (Ex) - Straight forward. All age categories have it.

Bite (Ex) - 2d6 for Huge (Common thru Noble), 3d6 for Gargantuan (Ruler thru Greater Ruler), 4d6 for Colossal (Grand Ruler) [ ALL +1/2 STR mod]; always provokes AoO.

Detect Thoughts (Ex) - 60' range, Will DC = 10 + 1/2 HD + CHA mod.

Genetic Knowledge (Ex) - Bonus on all knowledge skill checks equal to 1/2 HD.

Improved Grab (Ex) - Straight forward.

Mucus Cloud (Ex) - 5' radius for Huge (Common thru Noble), 10' radius for Gargantuan (Ruler thru Greater Ruler), 15' radius for Colossal (Grand Ruler); Fort DC = 10 + 1/2 HD + CON mod.

Slime (Ex) - Fort DC = 10 + 1/2 HD + CON mod.

Swallow Whole (Ex) - 2d8 for Huge (Common thru Noble), 3d8 for Gargantuan (Ruler thru Greater Ruler), 4d8 for Colossal (Grand Ruler) [ ALL +STR mod]; Esophagus hp - 25 Huge, 35 Gargantuan, 50 Colossal; Esophagus AC 10 + 1/2 Nautral Armor bonus.

True Seeing (Su) - 120' range

Caster/Manifester Level = HD +2

That will leave the not so simple: Enslave (Su), Memory Siphon (Su), Slave Transformation (Su), & Telepathy (Su) for further examination barring any issues with the abilities listed above.

Thanks for the input!

Bykov.

 

[bykov]

Slime Time (ooo... it rhymed)

In AD&D a round was 1 minute and a turn was 10 rounds. In the conversion of the 3e aboleth, the MM kept the time duration for the incubation of the Slime (Ex) ability, taking 1d4+1 minutes and 1d12 damage every 10 minutes. To me this seemed to make the slime a non-factor in combat.

In my revision, I modified the slime to take effect in 1d4+1 rounds and 1d12 damage per minute.

Was this too aggresive, or does it accomplish what I think it does and make the slime a combat effective ability? Should it be?

Thanx!

Bykov.

 

[bykov]

Telepathy...

OK, I have three items I would like to discuss:

1) Should the standard telepathy range increase with age category or stay at 100' throughout the progression? If it should advance, any ideas on the progression?

My thought is currently either 100'/200'/300'/400'/500'/750'/1000' or 25'/ 2 HD

2) I having been stuck on certain aspects of the ecology. The first being the Common aboleth being able to contact its superior Greater aboleth to collect slave and the ability of the Grand to communicate with Rulers at a range of 10000 miles. This has brought me to the idea of adding the ability Telepathic Link (Su). This would grant a longer distance communication with select members of an aboleth society. So the common might have 100 mile range to contact the greater aboleth for whom it is gathering slaves. It then also would align with the grand aboleth being able to be linked with the rulers in its dominion at 10000 miles.

In addition, this link could be used to bind servitors to their masters, either at the same range or a significantly lesser range.

Any thoughts?

3) Should the radius for slaves (those not made into servitors) be equal to 1 mile per age category? The ecology gives us 1 mile for common & noble and 2 miles for greater, ruler, & grand.

Thank you!!!

Bykov.

 

[freyar]

I'm thinking:

1) Keep 100' range throughout
2) Add the telepathic link, including servitors at a reduced range
3) Go 1 mi/age category, sure!

 

[bykov]

Telepathic Link (Su) & Telepathy (Su)

OK, with that, here is what I have for the Common Aboleth:

Telepathic Link (Su): A common aboleth possesses a telepathic link with the greater aboleth for which it gathers slaves out to a distance of 100 miles. They can communicate telepathically. Because of this link, one has the same connection to an item or place that the other does. For instance, if the common aboleth has seen a location, its greater aboleth could teleport into that room as if it had seen it too.
A common aboleth also possesses a telepathic link with all servitors under its control out to a distance of 10 miles.
Telepathy (Su): A common aboleth can communicate telepathically with any other creature within 100 ft. that has a language. A common aboleth can also communicate telepathically with any of its slaves (1-mile radius) and with any aboleth (10-mile radius).

In the progression of age, I will keep telepathy at 100' with all other creatures. Telepathy with enslaved creatures will progress at 1 mile per age category (1/2/3/4/5/6/7 (all in miles)). For telepathy with any other aboleth the progression will be 10/20/50/100/200/500/1000 (all in miles).

The same progression will be used for aboleth/servitor telepathic link and it will be 10× that for specific connections, such as a common aboleth to a specific greater.

Let me know if I missed something.

Thanks!
Bykov.

 

[bykov]

Memory Siphon (Su)

Memory Siphon (Su): An aboleth consumes the memories of any creature it ingests. Any creature the aboleth consumes must succeed a Fort save (DC 18) or have its memories siphoned as though by a mindwipe psionic power (ML 10th, 2 negative levels*), except that negative levels gained in this way are permanent. The save DC is Charisma-based.

This is how I originally wrote up the Memory Siphon ability. One thing I have surmised and have since tried to do is eliminate an ability mimicking a psionic power for ease of use. Flavor wise, mindwipe is perfect, but not everyone uses/understands psionics (I disregarded them completely until recently). yet again, I have three different ways to resolve it:

1) Keep it psionic. If this is the case, the aboleths ability would increase 1 negative level per 3 manifester levels (or HD since they are linearly proportionate)

2) Change mindwipe to enervate (the spell equivalent). This would make the ability 1d4 negative levels per round. I would likely give this a +1 per age category beyond the first, making the Grand Rulers ability 1d4+6 negative levels per round.

3) Pitch the 'like spell/power' aspect and go straight ability drain. The original mindwipe in the Complete Psionics Handbook was 1 INT + 1 WIS + 1 Level of drain. In that ilk, Memory Siphon could be 1d4 INT + 1d4 WIS drain per round plus 1 INT + 1 WIS per age category above common. For me, this is one place that negative levels makes absolute sense, but managing negative levels can be cumbersome.

I do like the 1 INT + 1 WIS + 1 Level, but I think it may be a bit much to manage, even if it would only happen once some poor PC was swallowed by an aboleth. As I said, I very rarely agree with the use of negative levels, but with an aboleth siphoning off your memory, thus your experiences (or XP!) it makes perfect sense.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Bykov.

 

[freyar]

Since I think you're doing everything psionic, either keep mindwipe or just explicitly state the effect. I'd probaby not do it per round but just go for 1d4 Int, 1d4 Wis, and maybe a negative level per age category or something.

 

[bykov]

Since I think you're doing everything psionic, either keep mindwipe or just explicitly state the effect. I'd probaby not do it per round but just go for 1d4 Int, 1d4 Wis, and maybe a negative level per age category or something.

Interesting, so go massive assault on the intellect of the creature but less often. Makes sense. I can't see it being a one time deal, but I see your point that once per round is a bit excessive.

What do you think of:

1d4 INT + 1d4 WIS + [1 Neg. Level per Age Category]. Ability Drain increases w/ size (1d6 Garg.; 1d8 Colossal). Once every minute, thus giving a victim 10 rounds to either cut his/her way out or be saved by the victim's comrades. (Round is 6 seconds, right?). I figure if you go any longer the victim will have been cut to ribbons by the esophagus, preventing any further extraction of mind snacks.

I like the default being psionic, as the creature has always been psionic; however, I will put magical equivalent SLAs in an under bar.

Groovy.

Bykov.