Thanks for the feedback, Mixster!

I haven't converted a monster to Legend before, I realize that this one can easily create havoc but not sure how to tone the power level down, or if I even should. My intention is for the Aboleth to be a behind-the-scenes puppet master, rather than something out in the open.

Hm, it would probably be better to handle it environmental wise - i.e. instead of making it weaker, make sure the players have a chance to prepare and plan accordingly.. they may have a good idea of the properties of the final adversary revealed from the shadows. For instance they may have glimpses him and his lair through a scrying mirror, or found/liberated a member of the Aboleths minions... Perhaps they are given a talisman which can protect one human from mind-affecting spells (he can then be the character to lure the aboleth into the trap).
You could also make it possible that the encounter takes place in an area where the Aboleth has the upper hand - but through clever tactics it can be lead into a nearby area where it is much more vulnerable.

Don't forget, real world people can kill tigers and elephants - not because we hack away harder or withstand its attacks better.. but because we plan better

Though, the above is really hard to achieve. A player group can sometimes have a bad day, or think that "it's not nearly time for the final encounter", so they don't prepare as much as they should. I have seen player groups walse into tough encounters, but have also seem them overpreparing dramatically for easy encounters.

- Dan

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Author of the Eberron for Legend/MRQ2 conversion:
http://runequill.com/files/Eberron_Legend.pdf

So true Dan, I prefer the argument you raise. After all, as you mention, real-world people kill animals with thorough planning. One distinction, would be the Aboleth is very intelligent!

The idea is to use the Aboleth in a Cthulhuesque manner, controlling people from behind the scenes to bring it slaves, worshippers, whatever! People disappear but it isn't obvious or overly noticeable, as the setting is a large city. I can lead the party around with real clues and throw them off with red herrings while providing other shorter adventures to provide experience.

I don't have all the details mapped out in my head as yet but this is the overview.

Well, building off D&D, and what this monster can, here's what I'd do if I were an Aboleth in a city environment.

Keep to the sewers, especially the lower ones where you can be reasonably safe, use dominated alligators (or whatever marine animal you can find in the sewers). To drag some humans down to you you can use for slaves to grab other humans to eat.

The trick would be to build a prison, where you'd be able to stash your humans for later use of food, or sending out with your domination ability to get more humans for the traps. I'd probably test out how good the humans turned out to bring more humans back when dominated, and keep those that does best alive longer. When you need to retrieve a human for domination, simply cast the spell on him and have him jump in the water, then hit him with your, Breathe Water "poison". Then swim/carry him out and send him up the sewers to get more humans 3-4 humans should be able to be taken per casting.
Remember to hit your agents with the moisture poison, so they will need to go back for moisturizing, even if they are freed from their domination.

Plan on taking either lonely homeless people that wont be missed, primarily for food, and entire families primarily for agents. Taking entire families is good because it gives you emotional blackmail, you can tell the agent you send out that you will kill his family should he fail. Taking homeless people is good for obvious reasons.

In combat use your illusions as your primary line of defense, when you hear adventurers arriving, making illusionary walkways over pitfalls seperates them and makes them weak.
Your marine animals should be able to work with you even while not dominated, as they will probably favor attacking humans over yourself (you are much bigger, and they get poisoned if they try to eat you).

Oh and although you are much better in combat than any lone human, you are not a combat monster, so hide deep down if they try to fight you, and use the water as your primary defense.

A sound way of creating an alternate option for adventurers to fight such a foe, would include either freeing it's "slaves" or draining water from the pool it lives in.

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Meep Meep

You have a devious mind there Mixster! I like the idea a lot ...

It is quite horrible actually ..

- Dan

_________________
Check out my RuneQuest 6 blog!. It now has an adventure idea generator

Author of the Eberron for Legend/MRQ2 conversion:
http://runequill.com/files/Eberron_Legend.pdf

Lol, his mind or what that scenario could do to a group ...