Reincarnated aboleth

[JadePhoenix]

How would this work? Which of their powers would they keep? Would they keep anything at all? Is this RAW legal?
I'm a bit confused, so any help would be greatly apreciated.

[Mystral]

This is legal by RAW. You would have to compile a new chart for abberrations, though, so the aboleth might get reborn as a beholder, or as a mind flayer, or whatnot.

It loses all aboleth abilities, but retains it's memories (debatable if it also retains the racial memory of the aboleth race). It keeps it's stats, but they are changed depending on the race, of course.

[JadePhoenix]

This is legal by RAW. You would have to compile a new chart for abberrations, though, so the aboleth might get reborn as a beholder, or as a mind flayer, or whatnot.

It loses all aboleth abilities, but retains it's memories (debatable if it also retains the racial memory of the aboleth race). It keeps it's stats, but they are changed depending on the race, of course.

The thing is, nowhere does it say you lose racial abilities. I'm speculating purely mental/learning based abilities should stay (say, an elf's weapon proficiencies, a dwarf's stonecunning) but physical abilities obviously go away (such as halfling's bonus to Jump for example). But psionics? Should it stay? Is it skill based or is it related to brain chemistry?

[MesiDoomstalker]

The thing is, nowhere does it say you lose racial abilities. I'm speculating purely mental/learning based abilities should stay (say, an elf's weapon proficiencies, a dwarf's stonecunning) but physical abilities obviously go away (such as halfling's bonus to Jump for example). But psionics? Should it stay? Is it skill based or is it related to brain chemistry?

I can answer the psionics. As with other abberations like Beholders, their supernatural, SLA and PLA abilities have a direct bio-physical source. An aboleths brain produces the psionic energy to use its psionic powers, its a biological function that should be lost if the aboleth is reincarnated.

[Urpriest]

It's not obvious, but since the Reincarnate spell explicitly says that class abilities are retained I would conclude that racial abilities are not retained (unless they add feats or skill points, since those are explicitly retained).

[JadePhoenix]

It's not obvious, but since the Reincarnate spell explicitly says that class abilities are retained I would conclude that racial abilities are not retained (unless they add feats or skill points, since those are explicitly retained).

But it says you keep your memories, and some racial abilities are cultural abilities (like the elves' weapon proficiencies).
Since it looks like a reincarnated aboleth would lose psionics, I don't think there's any appeal here, unfortunately.

[Urpriest]

But it says you keep your memories, and some racial abilities are cultural abilities (like the elves' weapon proficiencies).
Since it looks like a reincarnated aboleth would lose psionics, I don't think there's any appeal here, unfortunately.

There are plenty of things that explicitly deny you class features and explicitly allow you to keep your memories, though. Your character knowing things and being able to act on that knowledge are different things.

[JadePhoenix]

There are plenty of things that explicitly deny you class features and explicitly allow you to keep your memories, though. Your character knowing things and being able to act on that knowledge are different things.

I'm not so worried about RAW here, I'm worried about what makes more sense. I mean, this is from a DM perspective.

[Urpriest]

I'm not so worried about RAW here, I'm worried about what makes more sense. I mean, this is from a DM perspective.

Sure, but in my experience it's generally best to use the concept of "what makes sense" that seems closest to the one used in designing the rules. And one thing they're pretty consistent about is that knowing things and having abilities are essentially entirely distinct. It's just as "makes sense" as the alternative, since we don't know how things like shapeshifting work in real life because, well, they don't.

[Mystral]

From the making sense standpoint, look at it like this:

Your character has honed his ability and natural elven grace to allow him to effectively wield the longbow and the longsword, elegant, but powerfull weapons.

After reincarnation, you're a gnoll. Your learnt movements that utilise your elven grace mean absolutely nothing, now.