D&D Lore: Monster Lab - Aboleth (Ancient Aliens of the Deep)

I love the idea that aboleth are native to the prime material plane and they are just horror from before the rule of the gods

Hot take: D&D needs far less Mind Flayers and far more Aboleths!

I think i know the reason 5e mentioned this plane of water stuff.... Explanation: In the plane of water there is the "Sea of Timelessness" realm, Indicating there is close ties between the Demiplane of time and Plane of Water. We can actually directly tie them with the base default campaign setting throughout the 1980-1990's which is Mystara. This is the source of where being like Ulgurshek (mentioned in Fiendish codex hordes of the abyss and etc...) comes from, He is a Draeden in the 92nd layer of the abyss who IS the demonweb pits as a single entity. Back in these days, God's didn't require beliefs and were called "Immortals" and used 5 general spheres of power throughout the Astral Sea (which actually still exists to this very day seemingly). And during the "Dungeons and Dragons Players Guide to Immortals", Time itself is DIRECTLY labeled to be tied to the Element of water (or at least most closely tied to water)! I think this is why 5e mentioned Abeloths soul going to the plane of water. Because Abeloth exists beyond the standard Material Planes time. Soooo~ In order to materialize in the material plane from the far realms, They need to use an element. And it just turns out they're most compatible with water via being outside the material planes time. It all checks out, The 2 are compatible. 😁👍

The lords of madness states that the illithids and the aboloth have what amounts to a mutual respect for one another but wouldn't the aboleth brain be highly sought after by the illithids?

Hour long video!? Yes please!

Your timing was perfect. I am throwing my group against an Aboleth very soon and was just thinking of looking for a vid like this when bam! Here you are

Is their mouth a gaping maw filled with sword length fangs? Is it multiple disks of razor blades like a lamp ray. Is the aboleth's skin smooth grey and spongy, or is it rough and covered with spikes? The answer to these and many more questions regarding the aboleth's physical description is "Yes". They are all of these and many more all at once. Their physical bodies are anything and everything. Their features are formed from the fears and nightmares of those material beings that have the unfortunate fate of coming into contact with these oldest of all horrors. Every creature sees the aboleth differently depending on that creature's deepest darkest fears. This however is no illusion. This is how the aboleth truly looks. Many different forms all at once. They have been alive long before the material plane came into existence henece they are not bound by its rules of physics.

Love Aboleth as a big baddy. My current campaign is progressing through a series of adventures leading up to one. Thanks for the timely video :)

Great detail. I once used a Morkoth being framed by a greater Aboleth to take the fall when the adventurers finally came for it.

I'm with you on this, everything I recall from 1st through 4th edition tied them to arriving with the Obyriths, and coming from the far realm.

Great Video

I think it’s honestly more intriguing when the aboleth are the true inheritors of the material plane. Not made by the hands of any god, but shaped by primordial forces older than any god and utterly alien to both them and their creations. It makes even the material plane more intriguing by speaking to its original nature prior to the arrival of the gods and makes the Aboleths’ enmity towards gods and mortals much more earned

Loved the aboleth since I first read the Ecology of the Aboleth in Dragon 131, including the savant.

I love this video and this topic. I enjoy using Aboleth, not always as the big bad, because of their innate abilities. As for the returning to the plain of water concept. I have just chosen to incorporate that as a pocket within the plain that houses empty Aboleth carcasses. These empty shells serve as backup bodies for the oldest of Aboleth consciousness to inhabit once their current bodies are beyond repair. I have also used Aboleth as reoccurring encounters in some long running campaigns.

I wonder if the Illithid are a distant relative of the Aboleth or maybe a subspecies. Maybe an Elder Brain is an Aboleth transformation that happens when they are in their Deep slumber...

I agree on the official art for Aboleth. Aberrations really need to be nightmare fuel. 🦑

Wow munchies and drink ready, doggo and kitty minions next to me ready, lights out music up. WOOT WE ARE READY!!!

I always found it cool that Aboleths are actually afraid of Illithids, because they have no idea where or when they came from.

You really did a nice job on this one man. Really impressed with the level of detail you included. I think this just might be my favorite video of yours, thanks 👍👍

Awesome video!... I have an Aboleth in my campaign that the party think they have defeated permanently... Mu hahahahaha