A traditional Dungeons and Dragons monster is getting a brand new look in 2025 Monster Handbook. Subsequent month, Wizards of the Coast will launch a brand new Monster Handbook to Dungeons and Dragons. The brand new rulebook will include over 500 creature stat blocks, most of which have been rebalanced to mirror the revised fifth version D&D ruleset. Along with stat blocks, the 2025 Monster Handbook is full of new paintings, with a number of monsters getting a serious overhaul. Whereas Wizards of the Coast unveiled the guide's new dragon designs, one other traditional monster additionally obtained a radically revamped design.
In a YouTube video displaying varied aberrations and exudations within the new Monster Handbook, Dungeons and Dragons displayed paintings presenting a really totally different search for the aboleth, a primordial creature with alien intelligence. The aboleth has historically been depicted as a fish-like creature with three eyes, however Kev Walker's new artwork offers the aboleth a way more alien look.
The aboleth's new design is a towering mass of tentacles with a big, open mouth for a mouth. Though the aboleth retains its three vertically aligned eyes, they're now triangular and rather more disgusting.
The Aboleth in Dungeons & Dragons, Defined
Traditional D&D monster that when dominated the world and has a lethal cloud of mucus that transforms its victims
Aboleth is without doubt one of the strangest Dungeons and Dragons monsters, having first appeared within the 1980 journey Residents of the Forbidden Metropolis by Zeb Prepare dinner. In D&D custom, The aboleths dominated historic empires that predated the arrival of the gods on the Materials Aircraft. When the gods appeared, they destroyed the aboleth realms and freed the growing life varieties that had been being psychically dominated by them. Usually, aboleths dream of rebuilding their empires and humiliating the gods, robbing them of energy in the identical method as earlier than.
Aboleths are usually amphibious creatures that reside in historic ruins or underground. Along with having highly effective psychic talents able to mentally enslaving sentient life varieties, they'll additionally produce a cloud of mucus that transforms these round them. A creature affected by the aboleth's mucus loses the power to breathe air, making them extra weak to the aboleth as they're pressured to stay within the aboleth's area. Though aboleths usually are not usually the principle villains of a D&D marketing campaign, they typically present unforgettable encounters and implausible, recurring villains.
Our Take: Aboleths Look A lot Extra Alien Now
The traditional design was enjoyable, however these Aboleths really feel extra like a risk
Whereas I've at all times liked the concept of evil fish aliens who predate the gods, the brand new aboleth design makes the creatures look rather more Lovecraftian. To be trustworthy, the brand new designs really feel extra according to the sport's lore. In any case, it appears a bit of unusual that fish creatures as soon as dominated humanity, and these new aboleth designs appear a bit of scarier and weirder. Aboleths are one in every of my favorites Dungeons and Dragons monsters, so I hope we get to see extra creatures within the not-so-distant future.
Supply: YouTube/Dungeons and Dragons