Protoaboleth

Family: Aboleth

Medium aberration, neutral evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 39 (6d8+12)
Speed 10ft., swim 30ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	15 (+2)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)	13 (+1)	13 (+1)

Skills Intimidate +3, Perception +5
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 120ft.

Challenge 3 (700 XP)

SPECIAL Traits

• Amphibious. The protoaboleth can breathe air and water.
• Mucous Cloud. While underwater, the protoaboleth is surrounded by transformative mucus. The mucous cloud causes the area in a 5 ft. radius of the protoaboleth to be lightly obscured. A creature that touches the aboleth or that hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is diseased for 1d4 hours. The diseased creature can breathe only underwater.
• Probing Telepathy. If a creature communicates telepathically with the protoaboleth, the protoaboleth learns the creature’s greatest desires.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The protoaboleth makes two tentacle attacks against a single target. If at least one of the tentacle attacks hits a target, the protoaboleth may also make a bite attack.
• Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become diseased. The disease has no effect for 1 minute 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 another disease-curing spell of 6th level or higher. When the creature is outside a body of water, it takes 6 (1d12) acid damage at the end of every 10 minutes unless moisture is applied to the skin before 10 minutes have passed.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it becomes grappled (escape DC 13). At the start of each of the protoaboleth’s rounds, the target takes 4 (1d6) necrotic damage due to blood loss. This damage reduces the target’s hit point maximum until it takes a long rest.
• Domination (1/Day). The protoaboleth targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed by the protoaboleth until the protoaboleth dies or until it is on a different plane of existence from the target. The charmed target is under the protoaboleth’s control and can’t take reactions, and the protoaboleth and the target can communicate telepathically with each other over any distance. The target may repeat the saving throw at the end of any round in which it takes damage. On a success, the effect ends. The effect automatically ends anytime the target is at least 1 mile away from the aboleth. A protoaboleth may not have more than 3 creatures dominated at any one time.

Rare in the extreme, protoaboleth are the forebears of modern aboleth. As befitting such primordial creatures, they dwell in the most forgotten area of the world, deep in dinosaur-haunted jungles, or miles beneath the earth. They hate most other creatures equally, especially their more powerful descendants.

Protoaboleth tend to keep a few powerful monsters at hand, charmed as bodyguards. They allow their slaves to do the bulk of any actual combat, attacking only the weakest or most gravely injured of their foes. They flee combat if they are wounded, retreating to sulk and seethe with hatred in the deepest pools.

Protoaboleth never keep intelligent creatures as direct slaves for long, as they loathe anything as intelligent as themselves. They may act as a bestial “god” to primitive humanoids, appearing at dark ceremonies of appeasement, but only to gain unknowing bodyguards, food, and treasures.

True aboleth destroy protoaboleth when they discover them, viewing them as lesser creatures whose time has long passed. This mammalian humanoid has deep gray flesh and an elongated, rounded head. Its mouth forms a beaklike muzzle, full of sharp, conical teeth.