Monster Prestige Class : Savant Aboleth
Aboleths are powerfully strong creatures, but they do not value physical strength in their leaders. Rather, they look to the eldest, the most intelligent, the wisest, and the most forceful of personality to lead them. In short, they look to the savant aboleths.
Savant aboleths are highly arrogant creatures. They organize and run aboleth society, rarely leaving the boundaries of their chosen city except to trade information or to train a new savant in the ways of the glyph. Savants lust for magical lore and bend all of their city's resources to the acquisition of new magic - in particular, the capture of new slaves with the ability to cast arcane spells.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Savant Aboleth, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Aboleth
- Feats: Ability Focus (enslave), Ability Focus (slime), Craft Aboleth Glyph, Quickslime.
- Spells: Ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells.
Class Skills
The savant aboleth's class skills are Appraise, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Forgery, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, and Use Magic Device.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Skills
All the following are class features of the savant aboleth prestige class.
Spellcasting: At each level, a savant aboleth gains new spells per day as if it had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class it belonged to before adding the prestige class. It does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If an aboleth had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a savant, it must decide to which class it adds the new level for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Glyph Mastery (Sp): At 1st level, a savant aboleth has mastered the ancient craft of the aboleth glyph. When a savant aboleth creates an aboleth glyph, multiply the base cost of the glyph by 7500 to determine its cost in XP and raw materials.
Additionally, a savant aboleth gains the ability to cast glyph of warding as a spell-like ability a number of times each day equal to its savant aboleth level. Each use of this spell-like ability costs 200 gp in raw materials (rare inks, crushed shells, and powdered gemstones). Alternatively, a savant aboleth can expend 8 XP instead of spending the 200 gp.
Although this ability mimics a divine spell, this spell-like ability uses arcane magic.
Ossification (Ex): As a savant aboleth grows more powerful, its body begins to transform and become more heavily armored. Ridges of bone form atop its skull and run down its spine, eventually encasing the savant aboleths brain and back in thick natural armor. A savant aboleth's natural armor bonus improves by 2 points at 1st level, 3rd level, and 5th level.
Enlarged Enslave (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, the range of a savant aboleth's enslave special attack is doubled from 30 feet to 60 feet.
Recrudescent Memories (Ex): At 2nd level, a savant aboleth's memories surface in a sudden blast of forgotten and hidden knowledge. The memories quickly return to the hidden depths of the aboleth's mind, but the flash of insight is enough to infuse the creatures mind with a powerful rush of inspiration and spontaneous evolution. The aboleth can increase its Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 2 points. This is a permanent, untyped bonus, similar to those gained by advancing four character levels.
At 4th level, a savant aboleth's memories flare again, and it can increase its Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 2 points.
Greater Glyph (Sp): Starting at 3rd level, a savant aboleth's glyph of warding spell-like ability improves and becomes a greater glyph of warding spell-like ability. It must expend raw materials worth 400 gp (or 16 XP) each time it uses this spell-like ability. A savant aboleth can voluntarily underpower this spell-like ability to cast a glyph of warding instead.
True Enslave (Su): Beginning at 4th level, a savant aboleths enslave ability grows much more powerful. An enslaved creature can no longer make a new Will saving throw each day to break free from the enslavement; the condition is permanent until successfully dispelled. Additionally, the enslavement lasts no matter how far the savant aboleth moves from its slave. Slaves on a different plane remain enslaved, but the savant aboleth cannot communicate with them telepathically until they return to the same plane.
Elder Glyph (Sp): At 5th level, a savant aboleth's greater glyph of warding spell-like ability improves and becomes an elder glyph of warding spell-like ability (see below). It must expend raw materials worth 1,000 gp (or 40 XP) each time it uses this spell-like ability. A savant aboleth can voluntarily underpower this spell-like ability to duplicate either a glyph of warding or a greater glyph of warding instead.
| Savant Aboleth | HD: d8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells |
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Glyph mastery, ossification +2 | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Enlarged enslave, recrudescent memories | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Greater glyph, ossification +4 | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Recrudescent memories, true enslave | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Elder glyph, ossification +6 | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
Source: Lords of Madness