Aberration Quick Tactics
This document offers some basic tactics and details on fighting
styles for the majority of the aberration creatures from the
Fifth Edition manual of monsters. For more detailed tactics,
check out the Fifth Edition Gamemaster's Survival Guide, now
on Kickstarter.
Aboleth Tactics
Pulled straight from your favorite cosmic horror stories,
aboleths are psychic mutant fish that lurk in foul subterranean
ponds, interminably plotting against the surface-dwellers.
Fighting Style: Solo Monster. Aboleths come loaded with
feature and attacks plus some fun Legendary Actions and
Region Actions. Although they’re better when they have some
cheap swimming minions, they can definitely hold their own as
a CR 10 monster.
Basic Tactics
1. Start hidden in murky water up to 60 feet from your targets.
2. Use your lair actions to either pool targets into water or use
your rage conduit against them. Swim up within 10 feet of
targets on your normal turn and take the Dodge action. If a
creature hits you, it becomes infected. Use your legendary
actions to tail swipe.
3. When it’s your turn again, make three tentacle attacks
against any nearby targets, then swim away and take cover.
Chuul Tactics
These abolethic servants resemble large lobster creatures. They
actively seek out magic users and magic items for their horrific
masters.
Fighting Style: Skirmisher. While chuuls have the stats for
a brute or tank, if we follow the fluff, we know their job is to
grab a target and dash back into the ocean. Therefore, they’re
skirmishers.
Basic Tactics
1. Start in water up to 35 feet away from a target, hidden if
possible.
2. Rush up to the nearest spellcasting target that you can and
hit it with your pincers and tentacles. Deal nonlethal
damage so you can kidnap them.
3. Once you have a target grappled and paralyzed, return to
the water.
Cloaker Tactics
These doom blankets are horrific, manta-ray-looking creatures
that lurk in the Underdark, disguising themselves as cloaks.
Fighting Style: Lurker. Cloakers come with False
Appearance and proficiency in Stealth. These creatures pop out,
grab a target, and dash.
Basic Tactics
1. Start combat disguised as a cloak or hidden in darkness.
2. Leap out and attack the nearest target with your bite. If you
fail to grapple it, smack it with your tail, then fly away.
3. If you successfully grab the target, start flying away with it.
Use your moan and phantasms to cover your escape on later
turns.
Gibbering Mouther Tactics
Another creature straight out of a horror novel, these
shapeless, moaning masses come loaded with some horrific
controller features.
Fighting Style: Controller. Gibbering mouthers are a
nightmare for parties unaware of their features. Wise melee
combatants won’t even get near them, which forces artillerists
to pick them as targets over other artillerists.
Basic Tactics
1. Place the gibbering mouther in a 15-foot wide bottleneck.
Its Gibbering and Aberrant Ground will prevent melee
targets from getting around it. Mouthers have swim speeds,
too, so consider placing them in water.
2. Ready blinding spittle for any creature that moves within 15
feet of the mouther.
3. Anyone foolish enough to get close to the mouther deserves
to get bitten repeatedly.
Otyugh Tactics
These disgusting, poop-eating aberrations lurk in sewer
tunnels, refuse heaps, swamps, and other foul places.
Fighting Style: Brute. Otyughs do a ton of damage to any
creatures on which it can get its rubbery tentacles. Plus, their
bite inflicts disease. They’ll tie up players for a few rounds
letting other monsters get in some attacks.
Basic Tactics
1. Start combat within 35 feet of the targets.
2. Charge toward the nearest targets and hit them with your
tentacles. Grab as many different creatures as you can. Bite
whatever target looks easiest to eat (i.e., they’re not wearing
a lot of armor).
3. So long as you have at least two targets wrapped up in your
tentacles, bash them against the nearest solid surface with
your tentacle slam.