Aboleth Feats

and hidden knowledge. The memories quickly return to the hidden depths of the aboleth’s mind, but the fl ash of insight is enough to infuse the creature’s mind with a powerful rush of inspiration and spontaneous evolution. The aboleth can increase its Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 2 points. This is a permanent, untyped bonus, similar to those gained by advancing four character levels. At 4th level, a savant aboleth’s memories fl are again, and it can increase its Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 2 points.

Greater Glyph (Sp): Starting at 3rd level, a savant aboleth’s glyph of warding spell-like ability improves and becomes a greater glyph of warding spell-like ability. It must expend raw materials worth 400 gp (or 16 XP) each time it uses this spell-like ability. A savant aboleth can voluntarily underpower this spell-like ability to cast a glyph of warding instead.

True Enslave (Su): Beginning at 4th level, a savant aboleth’s enslave ability grows much more powerful. An enslaved creature can no longer make a new Will saving throw each day to break free from the enslavement; the condition is permanent until successfully dispelled. Additionally, the enslavement lasts no matter how far the savant aboleth moves from its slave. Slaves on a different plane remain enslaved, but the savant aboleth cannot communicate with them telepathically until they return to the same plane.

Elder Glyph (Sp): At 5th level, a savant aboleth’s greater glyph of warding spell-like ability improves and becomes an elder glyph of warding spell-like ability (see below). It must expend raw materials worth 1,000 gp (or 40 XP) each time it uses this spell-like ability. A savant aboleth can voluntarily underpower this spell-like ability to duplicate either a glyph of warding or a greater glyph of warding instead.

Although aboleths have no doubt discovered and developed countless specialized and unique feats during their millions of years of existence in the sunken realms of the world, those aboleths that come into contact with other races favor a fairly small number of unique feats. These feats are detailed below.

Craft Aboleth Glyph [Item Creation]

An aboleth with this feat can create magic glyphs that store spells or have specialized effects of their own.

Prerequisites: Aboleth, caster level 5th.

Benefi t: The creature can create a permanent glyph of warding effect that automatically recharges and replenishes its own energy after a short period of inactivity after it is triggered.

Crafting an aboleth glyph takes one day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. The base price of an aboleth glyph is its caster level × spell level × 1,000 gp. To create the glyph, the creature must spend 1/25 of the base price in XP and use up raw materials costing one-half of the base price. A newly created glyph functions exactly as if the creature had cast glyph of warding on the affected area, except that the glyph automatically reappears 1 minute after it is discharged. Similarly, if the glyph is dispelled, it reforms as good as new 1 minute later. An aboleth glyph can be destroyed only in the same manner that a magic item can be destroyed—Mordenkainen’s disjunction, physical destruction of the glyph, and so on. Alternatively, the aboleth can create a master glyph. Each master glyph is a unique glyph with specifi c effects and base costs; several sample master glyphs are detailed later in this chapter.

Death Frenzy

When an aboleth takes this feat, its sense of immortality rebels against the very concept of death. If threatened with death, the creature becomes frenzied with speed and fury.

Prerequisites: Aboleth, Diehard, Endurance.

Benefi t: If the aboleth is reduced to fewer hit points than its total Hit Dice, it automatically enters a death frenzy. Entering this state is an immediate action; the aboleth can enter a death frenzy even when it’s not its turn. While in a death frenzy, the aboleth cannot cast spells, use spell-like abilities, or use supernatural special attacks. When an aboleth enters a death frenzy, it gains a +4 morale bonus to its Strength and Dexterity, and the threat range for all its natural attacks doubles. When it makes a full attack, it can make one additional attack each round at its highest base attack bonus. Its land speed increases by 10 feet, and its swim speed increases by 20 feet. Finally, it gains fast healing 2. A death frenzy lasts until the creature is killed or until its hit points rise enough to equal or exceed its total number of

Hit Dice. Upon emerging from a death frenzy, the creature immediately takes 1d4 points of Strength damage.

Enlarge Mucus Cloud

An aboleth with this feat can extend its mucus cloud into a wider area.

Prerequisites: Aboleth, Con 20.

Benefi t: The aboleth’s mucus cloud extends to fi ll an area equal to its natural reach (a 10-foot radius for most aboleths).

Normal: The aboleth’s mucus cloud has a radius of only 1 foot.

Special: On land, the aboleth’s mucus cloud becomes a mucus puddle of an equal radius. The mucus can affect other beings in contact with the puddle (including any that move through it using their base land speed), but beings that jump or fl y over it, or otherwise avoid the puddle, are safe.

Memory Eater

An aboleth with this feat is particularly adept at extracting memories and knowledge from the bodies of those it consumes.

Prerequisites: Aboleth, Cha 21.

Benefi t: The aboleth processes and remembers countless memories of those it has eaten. It can make untrained skill

checks in any skill, including those in which it has no ranks and that normally cannot be used untrained.

Normal: Aboleths receive only random fl ashes of memory that quickly fade while eating the fl esh of an intelligent creature.

Powerful Bite

An aboleth with this feat develops jaws that are much more muscular than normal, allowing it to bite more effi ciently.

Prerequisites: Aboleth, Str 28, Weapon Focus (bite).

Benefi t: An aboleth with this feat gains a natural bite attack that deals 2d6 points of damage plus half its Strength modifi er. If the aboleth makes a full attack, this bite attack is a secondary attack and is made with a –5 penalty on the attack roll.

Normal: The aboleth’s bite attack is an unarmed strike that takes a fullround action to use and deals 1d4 points of damage on a hit. Quickslime

The slime attack of an aboleth with this feat is particularly fast and diffi cult to resist.

Prerequisites:

Aboleth, Ability Focus (slime).

Benefi t: The save DC of the creature’s slime attack gains a +2 bonus; this stacks with the bonus granted by the

Ability Focus (slime) feat. Further, the transformation process takes only 1d4+1 rounds to affect the victim’s skin.

Normal: The transformation process takes 1d4+1 minutes. Reach Bite

An aboleth with this feat can extend its jaws and esophagus out from its body to make attacks beyond its normal reach.

Prerequisites: Aboleth, Str 28, Powerful Bite, Weapon

Focus (bite).

Benefi t: The creature’s reach with its bite attack extends by an additional 5 feet.

Normal: The creature’s bite attack has a reach equal to its standard reach (10 feet for most aboleths).

T hicken Mucus An aboleth with this feat can produce mucus that is thicker than normal, and other creatures fi nd it diffi cult to swim through. Prerequisites: Aboleth, Con 22, Enlarge Mucus Cloud. Benefi t: Creatures within range of the mucus cloud have their swim speed reduced by half if they start their movement in the cloud. Additionally, all creatures in melee with this aboleth take a –1 penalty on attack rolls, Armor Class, and Refl ex saving throws. Aboleths, skum, and Glyph of slave’s glory Glyph of law creat ures t ransfor med by an aboleth’s slime attack are unaffected by Thicken Mucus and can move through the cloud without penalty. Special: When on land, this ability affects only nonaboleth (or nontransformed creatures) that walk through the mucus puddle. The land speed of these creatures is reduced by half, and their swim speed is not affected. Flying creatures are not affected. Freedom of movement negates these penalties. Toxic Mucus An aboleth with this feat can produce mucus that is poisonous to other creatures. Prerequisites: Aboleth, Con 22, Enlarge Mucus Cloud, Thicken

Glyph of the deep Glyph of the slime curse Mucus. Benefi t: Any creature that comes in contact with the mucus cloud becomes poisoned. The creature must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + half the aboleth’s Hit Dice + Con modifi er) or take 1d4 points of Dexterity damage. One minute later, the creature must save again against the same DC or take another 1d4 points of Dexterity damage. Creatures that remain in the mucus cloud for multiple rounds must make additional saving throws each round. Aboleths, skum, and creatures transformed by an aboleth’s slime attack are immune to the effect of Toxic Mucus and can move through the cloud without penalty.

Illus. by W. England