Aboleth spawn are aberrations bound to an aboleth but not sharing an aboleth's configuration of limbs. They first appeared in Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep.
Description
An aboleth spawn's lower body is composed of four tentacles, similar to an aboleth, but its upper body is roughly humanoid, with two arms and a head connected to a torso. On the head are three eyes lined up vertically, as on an aboleth, but also indentations where humanoid eyes and a nose are typically placed. Aboleth spawn are known to carry spears.[1]
The aboleth spawn in Cael Morrow were visibly corrupted by ruidium,[2] at least until the Apotheon is redeemed or destroyed.[3]
Abilities
The following is taken from Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep, p. 135.
- Skill proficiency: Perception
- Damage resistances: psychic
- Condition immunities: charmed, frightened
- Abolethic Vessel: Must obey its aboleth master
- Amphibious: Can breathe both water and air
- Water dependency: Takes damage if it spends too much time away from water
- Actions
- Psychic lash: a spell attack that deals psychic damage
- Spear
- Tentacle: Can grapple on a hit, one creature for each of its tentacles
- Multiattack: attacks with one Spear, two Tentacles, and one Psychic Lash
History
Depiction of a pair of aboleth spawn corrupted by ruidium in Cael Morrow, by adragonswinging from Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep.[art 2]
Two aboleth spawn guarded the Alyxian Aboleth's lair in a kelp forest.[2] Other locations in Cael Morrow may contain other pairs of aboleth spawn.[4]
Trivia
The art for the aboleth spawn's statblock was originally used in Ghosts of Saltmarsh for skum, which are humanoids transformed by an aboleth's magic through its diseased touch.[5][6]
References
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, pp. 134–135.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 134.
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 11.
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 124.
- ↑ See Ghosts of Saltmarsh, p. 254.
- ↑ See Shawn Wood's 2019 tweet about his art.
Art:
- ↑ Depiction of an aboleth spawn, by Shawn Wood from Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep, p. 135. This page contains unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
- ↑ Depiction of a pair of aboleth spawn corrupted by ruidium in Cael Morrow, by adragonswinging from Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep. Used with permission. This page contains unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.