Aboleth w/ Age Categories?

[freyar]

Per minute sounds pretty good.

 

[bykov]

Per minute sounds pretty good.

Occasionally, I get way to wrapped up in massive damage....

I am thinking, like you said, dropping the spell/power link.

Downsize the ability to 1 negative level +1 negative level per age category.

I will closely mimic mindwipe, but without the psionic stigma.

Though the INT & WIS drain make sense, I think I am dabbling in overkill.

Still the once per minute works.

Bykov.

 

[bykov]

Memory Siphon (Su)

OK, I am down to two options. The original and one I used your feedback to make. Let me know what you think...

Memory Siphon (Su): An aboleth consumes the memories of any living creature it ingests. Any living creature in the aboleth’s esophagus immediately, and every minute thereafter, gains one negative level. In addition, whenever a creature gains a negative level it must succeed a Fort save (DC 18) or take 1 INT and 1 WIS drain. The DC is 18 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based.

I think this grabbed the essence of what we were talking about without going overboard. I am still working out the progression. It would either be 1 per age category, or it could be advanced by dice value (1/1d2/1d3/1d4/1d6/2d4/3d4)

The original is, of course,

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.

Which would progress as the mindwipe power.

Thank You.

Bykov.

 

[bykov]

Servitor Transformation (Su)

Not much changed with this. Used Freyar's advise and stayed with one save. Eventhough the transformation has no save in and of itself, it is the need for the creature to break the mental control of the Enslave ability that will allow it to escape.

Servitor Transformation (Su): To prepare an enslaved humanoid or monstrous humanoid for long-term servitude, an aboleth encases the creature underwater in a thick slime cocoon. This cocoon is identical to the nourishing shell that aboleth lay their eggs. However, a living creature encased in it is transformed into a subservient aquatic creature (see Aboleth Servitor template) over the next 1d4+3 days. During this transformation, the target creature is not only physically changed, but mentally changed to be completely subservient and pliable to the aboleth's whims, including transfer of control to another aboleth.
A target creature is still afforded any Will saves it is allowed to break the aboleth's control (at a -4 penalty) during the first 3 days of the transformation. Any target able to regain autonomy may attempt a DC 10 Strength check (each retry at a +1 DC) to escape the slime cocoon. A creature that is able to escape can be restored to normal by a heal or greater restoration spell.
If after 3 days the creature is unable to escape, it is rendered completely immobile as the transformation runs its course. Once transformed, the creature is bound indefinitely as a slave to the aboleth and is unable to further resist its control, barring death of the controlling aboleth or the use of a break enchantment or dispel magic spell against an effective caster level equal to transforming aboleths manifester level.
The physical transformation, once complete, can only be reversed using either a wish spell or similar effect.

Only changes were to the name (from Slave to Servitor) and added sample spells to reverse the effects of the transformation.

The only item that might change with the age progression is the types of creatures it can transform. That will be dependant on what the final Enslave ability looks like.

Thanks!

Bykov.

 

[bykov]

Enslave (Su)

I have broken down Enslave into (5) aspects. The first two I think are pretty straight forward and unless there is a differing opinion, I will go with them.

#1 - Resistance to Enslave - Enslave's duration is indefinite, but the target is allowed a Will save every 24 hours to attempt to break free. I do not see that 24 hour window expanding over the age categories.

#2 - Similar to Dominate Person - With our choices of dominate person, dominate monster and psionic dominate, it seems that mimicking dominate person is the way to go. This also allows easy translation between a psionic and magically based creature if so desired.

The other (3) aspects are Range, Creature Types Affected, and Times/Day:

Range

Standard is 30'. As with the ecology article, this range expands with the greater aboleth. So sticking with 30' across the board seems restrictive. I believe that increasing 30' per category would be excessive, especially considering the Enslave ability would then extend beyond the aboleth's telepathy at higher ages. So I think the options are:

A - 30' per age category and increase telepathy 50' per age category, or

B - 30' + 10' per age category, giving the aboleth 40' early on and 100' at the most advanced age category.

Creature Types Affected

I am thinking humanoid plus one other type per age category. This could give a common aboleth humanoid and monstrous humanoid, while a greater aboleth could have humanoid, fey, and giant and a grand ruler (category 7 in the second progression) could have humanoid, monstrous humanoid, outsiders, fey, giants, magical beasts, aberrations, and dragons.

The other option would be to give a limited number at the beginning and leave it as such. I can see applications for humanoids, monstrous humanoids, fey, giants, aberrations (not so much...but aren't skum aberrations?), and outsiders.

Times/day

In the ecology the common was at 3/day and the greater was at HD/day. I am thinking HD/2 per day. This would put the common at 4/day and the grand ruler at 16/day. Or to have the start point line up it could be HD/2 minus 1 per day.

The other option is to stick with 3/day but add the ability to do multiple targets at once, but I think that would be very overpowered for any monster.

As always, your input is greatly appreciated Freyar (and any other lurkers out there that would care to chime in )

Bykov.

 

[freyar]

Wow, would love to get through all this but, like I said: busy! Maybe I can get to it tomorrow night or the weekend... Anyway, on the memory siphon at least: I think either version is good. Choose your poison!

This is good stuff!

 

[bykov]

Inertial Armor?

A very interesting point has come into the Aboleth conversion thread that the aboleth is very weak on physical defense. I concur.

The flavor of the aboleth does set it up to be a mental giant with the weaker body. Being that as it may, would not have the aboleth developed, through one form or another, a psionic solution to this problem?

I am considering adding the Psi-Like Ability - Inertial Armor 1 or 3/day.

This would give the Common Aboleth a +8 armor bonus to AC (24 total) as a CR 9. This bonus would then increase by +2 per age category due to Manifester Level progression.

Any thoughts?

Bykov.

 

[freyar]

You know, I'm not so sure they would have evolved that. But it would be one of the first things that an aboleth would pick up as a psion! Just my 2 cents, anyway.

 

[bykov]

You know, I'm not so sure they would have evolved that. But it would be one of the first things that an aboleth would pick up as a psion! Just my 2 cents, anyway.

True that! Especially since it is available as a first level psion.

Great point!

With that, this brings me to an associated question. Should aboleths be considered Naturally Psionic? Any PC race that is considered playable gets bonus power points. Should the aboleths be the same as the Chaosen from Eberron?

Naturally Psionic (Ex): Empty vessels gain 1 extra power point per character level, regardless of whether they choose a psionic class.

I think it would play well with the genetic memory and the psionic nature of aboleths.

Thanks!

Bykov.

 

[freyar]

Makes sense. As usual, though, they need to take a psionic class to use those power points.