The Aboleth’s Lair Towards the Aboleth’s Lair

Deep beneath the surface, where light and The temple the aboleth now occupies was once
hope are swallowed by darkness, lies a located on a rocky outcropping near the sea.
submerged ruin occupied by an Aboleth. Once Long ago, a disastrous storm struck the cliff
an opulent temple devoted to a forgotten sea where it was built, causing the entire temple to
god, this ruin is now the aboleth’s lair, where sink deep beneath the crashing waves.
the ancient aberration spends its time
The temple is now located 300 feet below the
scheming to rebuild its long-fallen empire. water's surface and 100 feet off land, meaning
The lair is an underwater complex of crumbling the characters will likely need to find a way to
corridors and sunken rooms, although some breathe underwater before they can access the
chambers still contain air. Shifting water lair.
tainted by the aboleth’s presence spread its Crashing Waves. Any creature without a
aberrant influence far beyond its lair
Swim Speed who enters the water must make a
The Aboleth’s Lair is designed for a party of DC 15 Strength saving throw or take 4d6
four level 10 characters using the XP Budget Bludgeoning damage as they are thrown
per Character guidelines in the 2024 Dungeon against the rocks by the relentless waves.
Master’s Guide. Creatures make this saving throw for every
minute they spend in the water.
Adventure Hook
Divine Resonance. The storm that caused this
Townsfolk are vanishing from seaside villages temple’s destruction was brought about by a
along a stretch of coastline. The remaining rival of the ancient sea god. While forgotten,
villagers whisper of terrible dreams and the god despises the fact that an aboleth has
something that lives in the depths of the claimed its temple. Characters that offer a
nearby bay, beckoning them from beneath the prayer to the sea god and succeed in a DC 15
waves. Wisdom (Religion) check gain the ability to cast
There have also been reports of villagers Water Breathing once without requiring a spell
developing illnesses from drinking specific slot.
water sources, as if they have suddenly become
fouled. This disease causes its host to sprout
gills while its skin turns pale and transparent.

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 Aboleth Lair Locations
The following locations are keyed to map A.

Map A: Aboleth’s Lair

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 General Features Crushing Darkness. No natural light can reach
this far down beneath the waves. The area's
Recurring features of the aboleth’s lair are description assume the characters have a light
described in the following sections: source or some other means of seeing in the
dark.
Partially Submerged
When the temple fell into the sea, the divine A2. The Sea God's Crypt
magic imbued into its stones allowed it to
remain partially airtight. Areas A1 and A2 Submerged in icy, dark water, this room once
suffered more extensive damage and are served as a crypt for the temple’s priests. Stone
completely underwater. It’s advised to
sarcophagi, encrusted with barnacles and
familiarize yourself with the rules for
swimming, underwater combat, and algae, are scattered across the chamber. Some
suffocation before running this adventure. lie cracked open, revealing skeletons wrapped
in tattered, waterlogged robes.
Lighting
Areas A3, A4, A5, and A6 are illuminated by Crustaceans from the surrounding sea floor
bioluminescent fungi, suffusing the ruins with have gathered in here to pick at the bones of
Dim Light. the long-dead priests. The aboleth's abberant
influence has warped them into four swarms of
Aberrant Influence blood thirsty brinescourge (Swarm of
Characters that enter the ruins hear faint Quippers) that attack any living creature on
whispers in Deep Speech and must succeed in a sight.
DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or have
Disadvantage on saving throws against being Crushing Darkness. There are no light
Charmed while in the lair. If a creature’s saving sources in this room. The area's description
throw is successful, the creature is immune to assume the characters have a light source or
the influence for the next 24 hours. some other means of seeing in the dark.

Tunnel to A6. The southern wall and floor has

Regional Effects crumbled into what looks like a pit. Creatures
The area inside the lair and the surrounding that investigate the pit and succeed in a DC 15
region is warped by the aboleth’s presence, Wisdom (Perception) check see that the pit is
imposing the Foul Water and Psionic actually a tunnel. Following the tunnel leads
Projection regional effects from page 12 of the characters to an underwater entrance to the
2024 Monster Manual. southeast of A6.

A1. The Coral Courtyard

This open space, devoid of a ceiling, was once a

courtyard that allowed sunlight to warm its
paving stones. Now, coral formations line the
perimeter, some natural and others shaped into
grotesque forms by the aboleth’s influence.

Four Merrow loyal to the aboleth patrol the

underwater courtyard outside the temple.

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 chitinous bodies shifting in waves to create a
A3. The Hall of the Tides symphony of chittering and clicking.

This grand, partially submerged chamber was

Four swarms of brinescourge coat the walls of
once a shrine to a long-forgotten sea god. The this hallway. They use the Swarm of Quippers
crumbling mosaics depict a vibrant underwater stat block but are amphibious so they can
kingdom, where merfolk and sea creatures breathe air and water and have Speed of 30
feet. They are ravenously hungery and attack
worship a divine figure.
any creature that enters the hallway.
Two hulking Chuuls, loyal to the aboleth, guard A6. The Aboleth’s Sanctum
the hall and patrol the waters. They attempt to
grapple and paralyze any invading creatures
In this octagonal room that used to be an
and drag them to the aboleth in A6.
opulent temple, the crumbling floor has mostly
A4. Transformation Chamber given way to pools of dark water. Green light
from bioluminescent algae reflects off the
Slimy, humanoid-sized pods dot the floor of this waves, casting shifting shadows. Something
chamber. Silent figures in robes walk stiffly immense moving under the water causing
around the pods. waves to lap at the edges of the stone floor.

These creatures are humanoids who were The aboleth lurks underneath the water in this
psychically dominated and reshaped by the room and telepathically communicates with
aboleth's abberant infection. They use the the characters when they enter. If they respond
Sahuagin Warrior stat block but do not have telepathically, it uses its Probing Telepathy trait
the Shark Telepathy trait. They attack any to gain knowledge of their deepest desires and
creature who is not an agent of the aboleth and uses that knowledge against them.
fight to the death.
If a fight breaks out, it attempts to use
Pods. There are twenty pods that contain Dominate Mind on a creature that failed its
humanoids in the process of transformation. If saving throw against the lair's Abberant
a pod is cut open, the creature within dies. The Influence effect. It then uses its Tentacle
transformation process can only be stopped by attacks to grapple creatures and drag them into
killing the aboleth in A6. the water.
Telepathic Communication. The humanoids Underwater Navigation. Creatures who are
in the pods can be talked to via telepathy. A underwater can swim underneath the floor to
creature other than the aboleth attempting to the other side.
do so must succeed in a DC 15 Wisdom saving
throw or take 2d6 Psychic damage. Treasure. The aboleth guards relics of its lost
empire. At the bottom of the pool in A6, a
A5. Chittering Hallway cache of treasure can be found including a Pearl
of Power, Mariner’s Armor, and various gems
The walls of this hallway are alive with worth 4,400 GP.
unsettling movement. Swarms of abberant
crustaceans cling to every surface, their jagged,