aboleths and illusions...

[bweenie]

I am planning an aboleth encounter...I am somewhat confused as to how to run illusions, esp with the 'at will' thrown in.'
a) it's able to use 'project image' at will. how should I run the shadow aboleth? Can it attack. What if the characters attack it? How much damage can it take?
b) One of it's spells requires a component: powdered jade. Assuming that a minion powdered the jade and left it on a little island in the Aboleths lake, how close does it need to be to use the component?

Any other advice?

 

[allenw]

I am planning an aboleth encounter...I am somewhat confused as to how to run illusions, esp with the 'at will' thrown in.'
a) it's able to use 'project image' at will. how should I run the shadow aboleth? Can it attack. What if the characters attack it? How much damage can it take?
b) One of it's spells requires a component: powdered jade. Assuming that a minion powdered the jade and left it on a little island in the Aboleths lake, how close does it need to be to use the component?

Any other advice?

a) The projected image is intangible, so it can't attack, except through spells (see the spell description, quoted below). If the image is attacked, it takes no damage (though it could be affected by something like Dispel Magic); however, that would count as "interacting" with it, so the characters would get a Will save to see that it wasn't really the aboleth. It could still cast spells though it, though, even if the PCs know it's not real. Note that the aboleth has to maintain line of effect to maintain the image (essentially, no solid barriers between it and the image).

b) Spell-like abilities don't use any components (vebal, somatic, or material), so no jade is required. If it's an aboleth with levels in a spellcasting class, it would need to have any components for its actual spells on its person.

Project Image
Illusion (Shadow)

Level: Brd 6, Sor/Wiz 7

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)

Effect: One shadow duplicate

Duration: 1 round/level (D)

Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with)

Spell Resistance: No

You tap energy from the Plane of Shadow to create a quasi-real, illusory version of yourself. The projected image looks, sounds, and smells like you but is intangible. The projected image mimics your actions (including speech) unless you direct it to act differently (which is a move action).

You can see through its eyes and hear through its ears as if you were standing where it is, and during your turn you can switch from using its senses to using your own, or back again, as a free action. While you are using its senses, your body is considered blinded and deafened.

If you desire, any spell you cast whose range is touch or greater can originate from the projected image instead of from you. The projected image can’t cast any spells on itself except for illusion spells. The spells affect other targets normally, despite originating from the projected image.

Objects are affected by the projected image as if they had succeeded on their Will save.

You must maintain line of effect to the projected image at all times. If your line of effect is obstructed, the spell ends. If you use dimension door, teleport, plane shift, or a similar spell that breaks your line of effect, even momentarily, the spell ends.

 

[bweenie]

a) The projected image is intangible, so it can't attack, except through spells (see the spell description, quoted below). If the image is attacked, it takes no damage (though it could be affected by something like Dispel Magic); however, that would count as "interacting" with it, so the characters would get a Will save to see that it wasn't really the aboleth. It could still cast spells though it, though, even if the PCs know it's not real. Note that the aboleth has to maintain line of effect to maintain the image (essentially, no solid barriers between it and the image).

Does range count from the creature itself, or the shadow too. In particular, cna it dominate something 30' from the shadow (the limit of it's range).

 

[Eccles]

Unless you know precisely which part of the world it's in, attacking an Aboleth on its home ground is likely to be a very dumb idea.

The things are very intelligent, and are wise and charismatic enough to have allies. Not to mention the whole 'Scum' thing... Oh, and dominated adventurers, or others who've been affected by the Slime and can't leave the Aboleth's side for fear of drowning in the air.

Programmed images and persistent images might litter its area.

I had planned a random encounter with a group of 4 aboleths (damn random encounter tables) for my party in the Underdark. Knowing that they would be in water, I picked a cave filled with a lake. Then tried to think like a psionic tentacled leviathan.

So I covered the surface of the lake with illusory cave-floor, and put some villains as a programmed illusion in the middle of it, planning an obviously bad ambush.

The aboleth's plan was to let the party see the ambush, and charge it. They'd fall straight through the floor, and into the water, where the aboleth would sit underneath with its mouth open (if it heard the players coming).

If it was surprised by armoured adventurers plunging into its lake, it would just swim over to 'em and try to enslave 'em.

I later abandoned the encounter as I realised it would involve the eradication of my entire adventuring party. To sum up - Aboleths = Scary in their own environment. Pretty rubbish when they're out of water.