AC 14 (chain shirt)
HP 135 (18d8 + 54; bloodied 67)
Speed 30 ft.
Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 15
Skills Deception +6, Intimidation +6
Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Deep Speech, one more
Abolethic Agent. The aboleth champion is treated as an aboleth for the purposes of an aboleth thrall’s Self-Sacrifice reaction.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The champion makes two melee attacks.
Serrated Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage. If the target is a creature other than an undead or construct, it makes a DC 15 Constitution saving throw . On a failure, it receives a wound. While wounded, it takes 4 (1d8) ongoing slashing damage and is rattled . Further wounds on a wounded creature have no effect. A creature can use an action to make a DC 12 Medicine check, ending the ongoing damage and rattled condition on a success. The effect also ends if the target receives at least 1 hit point of magical healing.
Strangling Grasp. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 15). While grappled in this way, the target is restrained and can’t breathe , and the champion can’t use its strangling grasp on a different creature.
Mental Blast. The champion emits a 15-foot cone of psychic energy. Each creature in the area makes a DC 13 Intelligence saving throw . On a failed save, the target takes 27 (5d10) psychic damage and is rattled until the end of its next turn. On a success, the target takes half damage and isn’t rattled.
BONUS ACTIONS
Vicious Taunt. The champion magically mocks or threatens a rattled creature that can hear and understand it. The target makes a DC 14 Charisma saving throw . On a failure, it takes 14 (4d6) psychic damage and has disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of its next turn.
While certainly not above coercing or dominating creatures into following them—indeed, most aboleths fill out the ranks of their followers this way—aboleths also have genuine leadership ability, and their most loyal lieutenants serve them willingly. Too useful to be subjected to the Sea Change, these fanatical humanoid champions are instead rewarded with fell power, cruel combat techniques, and unearthly resilience.
Aboleth champions travel where aboleths cannot go, acting as emissaries, spies, and ship captains upon the Midnight Sea. They frequently lead groups of dominated thralls, who follow the champion’s orders as mindlessly as they do the aboleth’s own.
Combat
The champion attacks with its serrated sword, inflicting wounds on as many foes as possible. It then uses Vicious Taunt and makes strangling grasp attacks against wounded creatures. If it can target two foes (or three foes and an ally), it uses Mental Blast. It retreats only to attack again later.
Aboleths dwell beneath the Midnight Sea, but their minions explore every part of Underland.
CR 0–2 1 or 2 oculites ; 1d4 slitherwhites
CR 3–4 maw swarm ; 3 or 4 oculites
CR 5–10 aboleth champion
Treasure 150 iron coins (worth 10 gp each, but only to creatures that trade with aboleths); vicious longsword
CR 11–16 aboleth champion with 3 or 4 aboleth thralls , oculites , or slitherwhites ; aboleth brute with 1 or 2 aboleth thralls ; aboleth fallen ascendant
Treasure a barnacled mithral nameplate, torn from an ancient ship, bearing the name Red Queen (worth 5,000 gp), 10 vials of bubbling slime (each acts as a combined potion of greater healing and potion of water breathing )
Humanoids include a number of different intelligent, language-using bipeds of Small or Medium size. Humans and elves are humanoids, and so are orcs and goblins. Humanoids may employ magic but are not fundamentally magical—a characteristic that distinguishes them from bipedal, language-using fey, fiends, and other monsters. Humanoids have no inherent alignment, meaning that no humanoid ancestry is naturally good or evil, lawful or chaotic.