Aboleth Manipulator

Family: Aboleth

Huge aberration, lawful evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 207 (18d12+90)
Speed 10 ft., swim 50ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	14 (+2)	20 (+5)	21 (+5)	19 (+4)	21 (+5)

Saving Throws Int +9, Wis +8, Cha +9
Skills Arcane +13
Tools Alchemist supplies +13
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Aquan, Deep Speech, Draconic, Undercommon
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

SPECIAL Traits

• Amphibious. The manipulator can breathe air and water.
• Spellcasting. The manipulator is a 14th level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with attacks). The manipulator may cast detect thoughts at will and has the following wizard spells prepared:
  • Cantrips (at will): acid splash, mage hand, mending, minor illusion, prestidigitation
  • 1st level (4 slots): charm person, detect magic, identify, thunderwave
  • 2nd level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, hold person, mirror image, ray of enfeeblement
  • 3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, counterspell, major image
  • 4th level (3 slots): black tentacles, control water, greater invisibility
  • 5th level (2 slots): conjure elemental, hold monster, telekinesis
  • 6th level (1 slot): chain lightning, create undead
  • 7th level (1 slot): forcecage
• Mucous Cloud. While underwater, the manipulator is surrounded by transformative mucus. A creature that touches the manipulator or that hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is diseased for 1d4 hours. The diseased creature can breathe only underwater.
• Split Mind. Whenever the manipulator takes the Attack action, it may cast a cantrip or spell in place of attacking with its blades.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. A manipulator can make four attacks: two with its tentacles and two with its blades.
• Blades. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) slashing damage. Blade attacks are considered magical.
• Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or become diseased. The disease takes effect 1 minute after the failed save and can be removed by any magic that cures disease. After 1 minute, the diseased creature’s skin becomes translucent and slimy, the creature can’t regain hit points unless it is underwater, and the disease can be removed only by heal or other disease-curing spell of 6th level or higher. When the creature is outside a body of water, it takes 7 (1d12) acid damage at the end of every 10 minutes unless moisture is applied to the skin.
• Enslave (3/Day). The manipulator targets one creature it can see within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed until the manipulator dies or until the manipulator is on a different plane of existence from the target. The charmed target is under the manipulator’s control and can’t take reactions, and the manipulator and the target can communicate telepathically with each other over any distance. Whenever the charmed target takes damage, the target can repeat the saving throw. On a success, the effect ends. No more than once every 7 days, the target can also repeat the saving throw when it is at least 1 mile away from the manipulator.

ABOUT

Manipulator aboleth are specially bred to grow four nearly humanoid arms, allowing fine manipulation of objects without resorting to clumsy slaves. They produce magical items and research in laboratories deep within aboleth cities, churning out arcane artifacts that their brethren can use. They are even more arrogant than a typical aboleth, if such a thing is possible.

Manipulator aboleth are utterly ruthless in combat, as they are unwilling to risk extended battle. Unprepared foes rapidly fall to their mind-bending magic, and those that resist are torn and battered by their multitude of physical attacks.

These aboleth quickly flee from any foe that proves to be too deadly to combat directly.

Magical research is the lifeblood of manipulator aboleth, and they will go to great lengths to procure ancient texts and dark secrets. They may use powerful illusions to pose as a humanoid wizard or – more rarely – directly buy from humanoids, as long as the aboleth maintains a position of superiority in all such transactions. They also sponsor attacks on adventurers leaving places where such secrets are known to be lost in attempts to gain them for themselves. This creature appears to be a massive fish comprised of milky slime. It is utterly featureless until it grows a pair of thick pseudopods.