Monster Manual Encounters #2

Aboleth
 For weeks, you've been hearing rumors of an ancient, submerged city which has been exposed by an earthquake which
drained the lake which once covered it. Gathering your party, you've travelled to the rumored location, and to your surprise
the rumors are true! An ancient city of cyclopean construction rises ominously from the depths of the half-drained lakebed
before you, its walls and towers discolored by lichens and strange algae, exposed to the beaming sun for the first time in
millennia.

A surge of water erupts before you, and a bulbous mass of pale flesh rises from the shallow water. Its large, unblinking
eyes seem to stare through you, and a voice booms in your mind:
"Leave this place, interlopers! You are not welcome here. I am Ghul'oon, and this domain belongs to me and me alone.
Turn back, and tell those of your kind there is nothing for them here. I will not warn you a second time."

Monster Manual Encounters – Aboleth 2

The City
The Lakebed, and the city itself, have only been partially drained by the earthquake. At "ground" level there remains
anywhere from three to six feet of murky, silt-filled water. Treat these half-submerged areas as difficult terrain for any
characters wading through them. Any creature below the surface of the water counts as being Heavily Obscured to observers
above the surface or more than 10 feet away below the surface. Additionally, the lakebed and city "floor" are riddled with
cracks, chasms, windows, and doorways which a character simply walking across might easily fall into, most of these pits are
no more than ten or fifteen feet deep, but some of the aboleth's buildings extend well "below ground" and might pose serious
risks for characters incapable of swimming out.
Because the city was built underwater for creatures with a swim speed, navigating it poses unique challenges. The ease
of moving in three dimensions while swimming does not translate to walking around, and so characters at ground level may
find certain buildings to only be accessible via a doorway fifteen feet up, or located on the "roof" of the building they're
attempting to enter. Additionally, as the aboleths have natural darkvision, buildings are unlit and no regard was given to
allowing surface light to reach the lower levels - many areas of the city are so densely overhung that they are only dimly
illuminated, even in full daylight.
Enough water remains in most of the city for Ghul'oon to swim around, although in the shallower areas its bulk is not
entirely submerged. Additionally, to reach the upper tiers of the city, it is occasionally forced to resort to its crawling land
speed (Ghul'oon despises this, and has tasked the huge majority of its slaves with relocating all useful objects from the upper
city into the still-submerged lower portions).

The Ambush
When Ghul'oon has had enough of the adventurers' intrusion, it carefully picks a spot to ambush them. At a crossroads
in the city, it will emerge from an opening to a lower level and attack. The gateway Ghul'oon emerges from has a 20 foot
diameter, and Ghul'oon bursts out the center, attacking characters with the full extent of its reach. Characters which charge
towards it risk falling through the hole around it and under the water, where Ghul'oon will be at a massive advantage to
dispose of them. Cracks in the surface of the structure around it also allow Ghul'oon to use its tentacles to attack from below
the water while submerged, exposing nothing but its tentacles to counterattack (treat Ghul'oon as if it had 3/4 cover while it
attacks this way).
Additionally, Ghul'oon is not alone. For this fight, it brings along three Water Weirds, four Kuo-Toa Whips, and a Kuo-Toa
Archpriest. These creatures start either below the surface of the water or in nearby buildings. Each are under Ghul'oon's
control, and will fight as tactically as possible:
The Water Weirds stay merged with the surface of the water until they attack, effectively invisible. They will pass any
frontline melee combatants and attempt to subdue and drown any spellcasters or ranged attackers in the party's rearguard.
Two of the Whips use their first actions to cast Shield of Faith on Ghul'oon and the Archpriest. The others attempt to
use their Bane spells on the party. They fight in pairs and attempt to reach the back lines to eliminate spellcasters as well.
These are also the creatures Ghul'oon will siphon health from using its Psychic Drain legendary action, although it tries not to
kill them where possible.
The Kuo-Toa Archpriest heals any of its allies that get below 2/3 of their hit points, and tries to focus on concentration
spells which add buffs to Ghul'oon. It actively avoids melee combat, withdrawing if approached and using its swim speed to
outpace pursuers.

Monster Manual Encounters – Aboleth 3

Monster Manual Encounters – Aboleth 4