Aboleth 5e stat block

Large aberration, lawful evil · CR 10 · 2024 stat block below

Armor Class: 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 135 (18d10+36)
Speed: 10 ft., swim 40 ft.
Challenge: 10 (5,900 XP)
Proficiency bonus: +4

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	9 (-1)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)

Saving throws: Con +6, Int +8, Wis +6
Skills: History +12, Perception +10
Senses: darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages: Deep Speech, telepathy 120 ft.

Traits

Amphibious. The aboleth can breathe air and water.

Mucous Cloud. While underwater, the aboleth is surrounded by transformative mucus. A creature that touches the aboleth or that hits it with a melee attack while within 5 ft. of it must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is diseased for 1d4 hours. The diseased creature can breathe only underwater.

Probing Telepathy. If a creature communicates telepathically with the aboleth, the aboleth learns the creature's greatest desires if the aboleth can see the creature.

Actions

Multiattack. The aboleth makes three tentacle attacks.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become diseased. The disease has no effect for 1 minute and can be removed by any magic that cures disease. After 1 minute, the diseased creature's skin becomes translucent and slimy, the creature can't regain hit points unless it is underwater, and the disease can be removed only by heal or another disease-curing spell of 6th level or higher. When the creature is outside a body of water, it takes 6 (1d12) acid damage every 10 minutes unless moisture is applied to the skin before 10 minutes have passed.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Enslave (3/Day). The aboleth targets one creature it can see within 30 ft. of it. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed by the aboleth until the aboleth dies or until it is on a different plane of existence from the target. The charmed target is under the aboleth's control and can't take reactions, and the aboleth and the target can communicate telepathically with each other over any distance. Whenever the charmed target takes damage, the target can repeat the saving throw. On a success, the effect ends. No more than once every 24 hours, the target can also repeat the saving throw when it is at least 1 mile away from the aboleth.

Legendary actions

Detect. The aboleth makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.

Tail Swipe. The aboleth makes one tail attack.

Psychic Drain (Costs 2 Actions). One creature charmed by the aboleth takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage, and the aboleth regains hit points equal to the damage the creature takes.

How aboleths fight

An aboleth is a huge, ancient fish-like aberration with an Intelligence of 18, telepathy out to 120 feet and passive Perception 20. It fights from the water, where it swims at 40 feet, and every tentacle hit can infect its target with a disease that, after a minute, stops the victim regaining hit points unless they’re underwater and burns their skin with acid when they’re out of it.

Its most dangerous weapon is Enslave: a DC 14 Wisdom save or the target is charmed and under the aboleth’s control until the aboleth dies. A charmed fighter fighting for the aboleth is much worse than any tentacle, and the aboleth can spend legendary actions on Psychic Drain to hurt its thralls and heal itself.

Running an aboleth at the table

Start with thralls. Aboleths rule through servants: charmed humanoids, chuuls and other creatures. The party should meet those first.
Enslave the strongest. Charm the barbarian or paladin on the first turn, then keep the charmed character between the aboleth and the party.
Stay in deep water. Underwater, characters without a swimming speed fight at a disadvantage, and its Mucous Cloud can leave them able to breathe only water.
Use legendary actions every round. Tail Swipe when someone comes close, Psychic Drain when it needs healing, Detect when something is hiding.

Common questions

How do you break an aboleth’s Enslave?

The charmed creature gets a new Wisdom save every time it takes damage, so hitting your friend can free them. The charm also ends if the aboleth dies or is on another plane. Protection from Evil and Good stops an aberration charming the protected creature at all, and Calm Emotions suppresses it.

How does the aboleth’s disease work?

A creature hit by a tentacle makes a DC 14 Constitution save. On a failure it’s diseased: nothing happens for a minute, during which any disease-curing magic like Lesser Restoration removes it. After that minute, it can’t regain hit points out of water, takes 1d12 acid every 10 minutes its skin is dry, and only Heal or 6th-level magic can cure it.

How dangerous is an aboleth?

It’s CR 10 (5,900 XP). For four characters, the Dungeon Master’s Guide’s encounter math makes it Hard at 7th or 8th level and Deadly at 6th, before counting its thralls.

Can an aboleth leave the water?

Yes, it can breathe air, but it crawls at only 10 feet on land, so it rarely does.

Does an aboleth have legendary actions?

Yes, three per round: Detect (a Perception check), Tail Swipe (one tail attack), and Psychic Drain (2 actions: 3d6 psychic to a charmed creature, healing the aboleth by the same amount).

How do I fight an aboleth underwater?

Cast Water Breathing on the party. Underwater, a creature without a swimming speed has disadvantage on melee weapon attacks unless it uses a dagger, javelin, shortsword, spear or trident, so bring those or a Ring of Swimming.

Aboleths compared with similar monsters

Monster	How it compares
Chuul	CR 4. A crab-like aberration that often serves aboleths, with paralyzing tentacles.
Kraken	CR 23. The ocean’s apex monster: a Gargantuan titan with lightning storms and crushing tentacles.
Cloaker	CR 8. An aberration that passes for a cloak, wraps itself around a victim’s head and moans to terrify everyone nearby.
Gibbering Mouther	CR 2. A mass of mouths and eyes whose babble can drive creatures mad.
Dragon Turtle	CR 17. Another deep-water terror, with a 60-foot cone of scalding steam.

How many aboleths for a fight?

An aboleth is worth 5,900 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many aboleths fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.

Party level	Low	Moderate	High
7th	—	—	1
8th	—	1	1
9th	—	1	1
10th	1	1	2
11th	1	1	2
12th	1	2	3
13th	1	2	3
14th	1	3	4
15th	2	3	5
16th	2	4	6
17th	3	4	7
18th	3	5	9
19th	3	7	11
20th	4	8	12+

Budgets add up every monster’s XP, so you can swap some for other creatures of the same total. Try other party sizes and mixes in the encounter calculator.

How the aboleth compares at CR 10

Against the 5 other challenge 10 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the aboleth has more hit points than 1 of them, which makes it one of the frailest at its CR. See every CR 10 monster.

Statistic	Aboleth	CR 10 average
Armor Class	17	17.6
Hit points	135	159
Best attack bonus	+9	+9

Aboleth 2024 stat block

The 2024 Monster Manual revised the aboleth, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:

Hit points: 135 → 150.
New in its stat block: Eldritch Restoration, Legendary Resistance, Mucus Cloud, Consume Memories, Dominate Mind and Lash.
Gone from it: Mucous Cloud, Tail, Enslave, Detect and Tail Swipe.

Armor Class: 17
Hit Points: 150 (20d10 + 40)
Speed: 10 ft., swim 40 ft.
Challenge: 10 (5,900 XP)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	9 (-1)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)

Senses: darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages: Deep Speech; telepathy 120 ft.

Traits

Amphibious. The aboleth can breathe air and water.

Eldritch Restoration. If destroyed, the aboleth gains a new body in 5d10 days, reviving with all its Hit Points in the Far Realm or another location chosen by the GM.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day, or 4/Day in Lair). If the aboleth fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Mucus Cloud. While underwater, the aboleth is surrounded by mucus. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 14, each creature in a 5-foot Emanation originating from the aboleth at the end of the aboleth’s turn. Failure: The target is cursed. Until the curse ends, the target’s skin becomes slimy, the target can breathe air and water, and it can’t regain Hit Points unless it is underwater. While the cursed creature is outside a body of water, the creature takes 6 (1d12) Acid damage at the end of every 10 minutes unless moisture is applied to its skin before those minutes have passed.

Probing Telepathy. If a creature the aboleth can see communicates telepathically with the aboleth, the aboleth learns the creature’s greatest desires.

Actions

Multiattack. The aboleth makes two Tentacle attacks and uses either Consume Memories or Dominate Mind if available.

Tentacle. Melee Attack Roll: +9, reach 15 ft. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) Bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it has the Grappled condition (escape DC 14) from one of four tentacles.

Consume Memories. Intelligence Saving Throw: DC 16, one creature within 30 feet that is Charmed or Grappled by the aboleth. Failure: 10 (3d6) Psychic damage. Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: The aboleth gains the target’s memories if the target is a Humanoid and is reduced to 0 Hit Points by this action.

Dominate Mind (2/Day). Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 16, one creature the aboleth can see within 30 feet. Failure: The target has the Charmed condition until the aboleth dies or is on a different plane of existence from the target. While Charmed, the target acts as an ally to the aboleth and is under its control while within 60 feet of it. In addition, the aboleth and the target can communicate telepathically with each other over any distance. The target repeats the save whenever it takes damage as well as after every 24 hours it spends at least 1 mile away from the aboleth, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Legendary actions

Lash. The aboleth makes one Tentacle attack.

Psychic Drain. If the aboleth has at least one creature Charmed or Grappled, it uses Consume Memories and regains 5 (1d10) Hit Points.

Similar monsters

Cloaker CR 8 aberration
Otyugh CR 5 aberration
Chuul CR 4 aberration
Gibbering Mouther CR 2 aberration
Deva CR 10 celestial
Guardian Naga CR 10 monstrosity
Stone Golem CR 10 construct
Young Gold Dragon CR 10 dragon
Young Red Dragon CR 10 dragon

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