Page 5 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

Aboleths, or the deep masters, are the loathsome lords of the
Introduction underground seas. Perhaps the most alien and inscrutable of
Among the most iconic elements of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS all the major aberration races, the aboleths are mighty psions
game are its unforgettable monsters. Dragons roam the skies, and mages whose sinister influence wells up from the deepest

seeking towns to burn and plunder. Hordes of ravening orcs places in the earth.
lurk sullenly in the wastelands and barren places, waiting Beholders, the terrible eye tyrants, command fearsome
for the chance to sweep down on the unsuspecting lands of innate magical power. With a single glance they kill, paralyze,
humankind. Demons and devils pry and push at the borders confuse, or enslave their foes. Rapacious and arrogant, a single
of their infernal planes, seeking the opportunity to enter beholder can easily become the overlord of its own realm of
evil.
the world and wreak their terrible evil. Bizarre, antediluvian
CHAPTER # monstrosities—things of deadly eyes, squirming tentacles, and ing creatures. Mind flayers might comprise the single most

Mind flayers, or illithids, are brilliant, cruel, and terrify-

mind-poisoning horror—lurk in the deep and remote places,
dreaming terrible alien dreams of conquest and dominion over
dangerous threat to the dominion of humanoids in the daylight
lands of the surface world.
the world outside. These are the aberrations, creatures whose
Neogi, the slave takers, are a race of greedy and sinister
very existence outrages nature, creatures that belong to distant
times and dimensions of cosmic terror. merchants who spin their webs of gold and misery across the
human world.
Grell, or the eaters, are an alien race of predators that haunt
THE BOOK OF the wild and lonely places of the world. Armed with an inde-
ABERRATIONS cipherable admixture of alchemy and science, the fearsome
While this book might seem to be intended primarily for grell ruthlessly destroy all other races that blunder into their
Dungeon Masters, the monsters discussed in this tome are so territory.

powerful, iconic, and prevalent in the D&D universe that any The Tsochari, or the wearers of the flesh, are a race of
player wishing to know more about his character’s adversaries invasive parasites that wear the stolen bodies of their victims
should be interested in the information contained herein. so that they can pass in human society.
Chapter 9 includes a number of feats, spells, and prestige classes The six races mentioned here pose the most widespread
for characters whose principal enemies include monsters of the and virulent threats to humans and other good races. They
aberration type. While the focus of this book is on aberrations, combine magical power, ruthless genius, and cold, calculating
many of these new rules elements can apply to other creatures. malice; they are alien and inscrutable, things born of madness
New aboleth, illithid, and silthilar (a new aberration swarm) and nightmare. Brave indeed are the heroes who venture into
grafts can benefit an adventurer in any sort of campaign, as their domains.

can any of several new domains and magic items. Of course, the Far Realm and the deep, dark places of the
Naturally, Dungeon Masters will find dozens of new mon- earth are responsible for spawning forth many more creatures

sters, monster feats, monster spells, and tremendous amounts than these. Many other aberrations can be found in this book,
of hidden lore about these same creatures. Everything you need including the half-farspawn, a new template for the offspring
to highlight an iconic aberration race in your campaign (or to of creatures that have consorted with aberrations; the psionic
survive such an event, if you are a player) can be found in this psurlon; and the bizarre silthilar, masters of grafts.
book. Each chapter devoted to one of the major aberration
races also includes an encounter site, complete with keyed
locations and ready to be used in an existing campaign. WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
Unlike the creatures that populate Draconomicon or Libris Lords of Madness makes use of the information in the three
Mortis, aberrations share few common characteristics other D&D core rulebooks—Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s
than a broad thematic link. Other than the fact that they’re Guide, and Monster Manual. In addition, it includes refer-
all inhuman monsters that have powerful magical abili- ences to material from several D&D supplements, including

ties and dwell deep underground, aboleths, mind flayers, Fiend Folio, Monster Manual II, Epic Level Handbook, Miniatures
and beholders do not really share any common origins or Handbook, Libris Mortis, and Expanded Psionics Handbook, as
physiology. Therefore, the major races of aberrations are well as the FORGOTTEN REALMS® supplements Underdark and
each discussed in their own chapter, with little reference Unapproachable East. Although possession of any or all of these
to other aberrations. supplements will enhance your enjoyment of this book, they
The major aberration races include the following monsters: are not strictly necessary.

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