Page 15 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

Handbook if you intend to spotlight a psionic aberration in Vile Darkness
your campaign. Finally, master aberrations such as aboleths, mind flayers, and

Basing the mental powers of psionic aberrations on psi-like tsochari are capable of cold, dispassionate evil that humanoids
abilities or psion levels rather than spell-like abilities or wiz- simply cannot comprehend. Mind flayers rip the living brains

ard levels adds a new dimension to your game. First of all, if from their hapless captives and devour them; aboleths
your players are not familiar with the psionic transform heroes into gelatinous, mucus-
rules, they will quickly realize that they breathing slaves. These are not foes for
don’t know what their enemies are truly the faint of heart. They are hor-
capable of. This is a desirable state of affairs in rible, repellent, and positively
shocking in their diver-
an aberration-centric campaign, because
CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS AN ABERRATION? the players will naturally be at least a gence from any normal
little scared of the unknown. Increas-
standards of human
ing your players’ sense of the threat
morals or behavior.
to their characters and reducing
Some powerful
aberrations might
their comfort level with the
perils they face goes a long have knowledge of the
way toward transform- Dark Speech, or wield
ing your campaign into spells or items that deal
a darker, more alien vile damage, or coldly
place. Even if your inflict terrible tortures

players are familiar on their captives. In addi-
with the psionic rules, tion, the deity known

they will find that facing as the Patient One
foes that are every bit as serves as patron
Illus. by D. Kovacs goes a long way toward leveling that lack other
to aberrations
psionically capable as they are
the playing field between characters

divine figures.
and monsters.
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MORE ABERRATIONS
Lords of Madness spotlights the most iconic and prevalent aber- Ineffable Horror: Winged predators of the deep underground,
rations from the Monster Manual, plus a handful of notable ab- flights of ineffable horrors roam the depths of the earth. Under-
errations from other sources. If you would like other aberration dark page 91.
choices, here are some interesting aberration races you might Ixitxachitl: Masters of the tropical seas, the cruel devil-rays
want to feature in your own campaign. wage endless war against the other undersea races. Monster
Avolakia: These wormlike creatures possess the ability to Manual II page 128.
assume humanoid form and use that power to lead adventurers Naga: Although they rarely gather in great numbers, nagas
to terrible ends deep underground. They are potent necroman- charm or dominate lesser creatures into doing their bidding.
cers and guard their lairs with hordes of animated dead. Monster Some believe that nagas were bred thousands of years ago by
Manual II page 28. the yuan-ti as sacred animals or guardians. Monster Manual
Ethergaunt: Inscrutable sorcerers from the Ethereal Plane, the page 191.
ethergaunts combine arcane might and scientific knowledge to Neh-Thalggu: Natives of the Far Realm, neh-thalggus—or, as
build weapons of terrible power. Fiend Folio page 64. they are better known, brain collectors—roam the multiverse,
Gibbering Orb: Sages speculate that the gibbering orbs are taking the brains of humanoids in their endless quest for knowl-
progenitors of both beholderkin and stranger beasts such as edge and magical power. Epic Level Handbook page 206.
gibbering mouthers. These horrifyingly alien creatures wander Nilshai: Belonging to the same extraplanar ecology as the
the planes in search of spellcasters to devour. Epic Level Hand- ethereal filcher and the ethereal marauder, the nilshai—or
book page 191. ethereal theurges—are alien spellcasters that visit the Mate-
Ha-Naga: Mightiest of the nagas, the ha-nagas are the living rial Plane to plunder lore and take slaves. Unapproachable East
gods of spirit nagas and other evil members of nagakind. Epic page 67.
Level Handbook page 195. Nothic: Likely the result of some failed magical experiment,
Hook Horror: Surface adventurers think of hook horrors as nothics plague ruins and caverns, preying on any who cross their
mindless monsters, but these creatures, created as a servitor race path. Miniatures Handbook page 65.
by some long-dead cabal of archmages, possess a sly cunning and Yurian: Sometimes known as the crabfolk, the yurians are
gather in large, dangerous bands. Monster Manual II page 126. among the few nonevil aberrations. Fiend Folio page 198.
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