Special Conversion Thread: Aboleths

[bykov]

Always a big fan of additional Knowledge. Intimidate doesn't work in my mind as they are dominated slaves. Lack of free will does make them pretty pliable. However, as we build up the other aboleths, they do eventually get a fear type ability (frightful presense maybe?) and a 3-eyed alien lookin' thing is pretty intimidating.

Bluff does work for me as it would be key to selling the illusions, etc.

For the psionic version, change Spellcraft to Psicraft.

For both versions list Swim as the typical is to list skills even when they only get a racial bonus.

Bykov.

 

[Shade]

Always a big fan of additional Knowledge. Intimidate doesn't work in my mind as they are dominated slaves. Lack of free will does make them pretty pliable. However, as we build up the other aboleths, they do eventually get a fear type ability (frightful presense maybe?) and a 3-eyed alien lookin' thing is pretty intimidating.

I'm convined. The psionic version really needed that extra Knowledge skill.

For the psionic version, change Spellcraft to Psicraft.

Good catch. I also changed Use Magic Device to Use Psionic Device, and changed "scrolls" to "power stones" for the synergy bonuses.

For both versions list Swim as the typical is to list skills even when they only get a racial bonus.

Oops...I generally remember that. Fixed.

Updated.

 

[freyar]

city (1d8 plus 10-20 aboleths or saltwater aboleths plus 20-100 skum)?

CR 9 or 10?

 

[Shade]

Looking through the other aboleths in the article, a city consists of:

1 ruler aboleth
3-8 noble aboleths
7-12 greater aboleths
Each greater aboleth has as many as five common aboleth gathering slaves for it. (so 35-60 aboleths?)
Every 2-4 aboleth group has 7-12 skum (so roughly 60-160 skum?)

Other noteworthy bits from the main article:

Common aboleth have a life span of about 2,000 years. Greater and noble aboleth live to be about 3,000 years old. Rulers can live as long as five millennia, while the grand aboleth may well be immortal.

When a common aboleth enslaves a total of seven creatures (regardless of their hit dice), a greater and noble aboleth arrive using probability travel and take the slaves back to their city. Each greater aboleth has as many as five common aboleth gathering slaves for it. It takes from 2-8 turns for the greater and noble aboleth to arrive, though they are alerted immediately by telepathy when the quota is met.

From what I can tell, probability travel allows the manifester to physically enter the astral plane. So maybe astral caravan?

This (a ruler's) telepathy has a range of 100 miles and allows complete communication with all subject aboleth in that range. Note that all other types of aboleth can and do communicate by telepathic means, though this has a range of no more than 20 miles and must be used consciously. They can also communicate with other intelligent creatures by these means, with a range of 100 yards, but seldom do so.

 

[freyar]

That sounds good for the city. Do you want to put it in all the aboleth entries, or just the ruler aboleth's?

Is probability travel an ability of the greater aboleth or just the noble? I'd read it as the latter, but it's not clear.

 

[Shade]

Let's put the city in all the aboleths' entries, but include the various subgroups for each type.

Something like this for the Greater Aboleth:

Organization: Solitary, brood (2-3), slaver brood (1 plus 1-5 aboleths plus 7-60 skum), or city (7-12 plus 1 ruler aboleth, 3-8 noble aboleths, 35-60 aboleths or saltwater aboleths and 60-160 skum)?


As for the probability travel, the individual entries seem to indicate only the noble and grand aboleths should have it.

The aboleth does not have an effective biting attack because of the position of its mouth. If, for some reason, its opponent is immobilized, the aboleth may elect to consume its victim. If it chooses to do so, it receives but one biting attack per round. Damage varies with the type of aboleth; common ones do 3-18 hp damage per bite and swallow whole on a roll of 20, greater and noble aboleth do 4-24 hp damage and swallow whole on a roll of 19 or 20, and ruler aboleth do 5-30 hp damage and swallow whole on a role of 18, 19 or 20. The grand aboleth never attacks in this way. Those swallowed take one quarter of their maximum normal hit points in damage each round until they die.

Should we include the following within each of our variant aboleth entries?

Aboleth Bites
Although an aboleth's mouth is relatively small, it can still deliver a nasty bite. An aboleth's bite attack is considered an unarmed strike, not a natural attack, and without the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, it provokes attacks of opportunity. Likewise, the act of extruding its feeding stalks and rearing back to bite is a clumsy move for most aboleths, so a bite attack is a full-round action. An aboleth can't attack with its tentacles at the same time as it bites.

On a successful hit, an aboleth's bite deals 1d4 points of damage, plus half its Strength bonus.

 

[freyar]

Yes, let's go with the LoM bite, but perhaps increase the damage a step for each improved version. Or perhaps with size increases. What do you think?

Your plan for the organization sounds good.

 

[demiurge1138]

Frankly, we could give the noble and ruler aboleths an actual bite attack with a nonproficiency penalty, like a horse's hooves.

 

[freyar]

Frankly, we could give the noble and ruler aboleths an actual bite attack with a nonproficiency penalty, like a horse's hooves.

Nice idea. So maybe the LoM version for regular, saltwater, and greater versions and the nonproficient natural attack for noble and ruler? I could go for that.

 

[bykov]

From what I can tell, probability travel allows the manifester to physically enter the astral plane. So maybe astral caravan?

I would give the Noble Aboleth Astral Caravan but give the Greater Aboleth Astral Passenger 1/day.

Another thing I had seen was ESP, which translates to the spell detect thoughts, which the similar psionic power is read thoughts. Both of which I would give 3/day.

Another item I saw in the main artical was a bonus vs. spells equal to 1/4 HD. Would you think this translates to an SR/PR? If so, I was thinking 11+ 1/2 HD....mind you, thought shield does this as well so it may just be a moot point.

Bykov.