Aboleths, Tritons, and Mucus

[ZenBear]

So! It is my understanding that an aboleth's mucus causes a physiological change in any creature it touches, that change being a surface-dwelling oxygen breather becomes an oxygenated-liquid enjoyer. Please refer to the Giga-chad meme of your choice for comedic context. My question is, how does that affect the sigma-chads that are Tritons, or for that matter other amphibious creatures like the beta sea elves? The reason I ask is one of my players has decided to be a noble in exile from a Triton kingdom that was recently #rekt by some unknown aquatic beastie, and the Abolethic Sovereignty would fit quite nicely for that role. I'm just curious if saying that a number of Tritons "drowned" would make sense?

Author's Note: All "chad" references were made with a hyper-saturation of irony and sarcasm. Do not @ me. :smallcool:

[Keltest]

Well, the stronger dose from the tentacles turns you into jelly for the aboleth to enjoy at its leisure, so my guess is creatures that are already aquatic just ignore the mucus cloud and try not to get tentacle slapped just like everyone else.

[Willowhelm]

IIRC it prevents you from breathing in air. So that would affect a triton too, wouldn’t it?

[Unoriginal]

IIRC it prevents you from breathing in air. So that would affect a triton too, wouldn’t it?

That is correct:


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 feet 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.

Emphasis mine.

But since the mucus's effect only last 4 hours at maximum unless it was applied directly with tentacles, under which case the creature is going to melt if not underwater or constantly moisturized, so aside from a weird experience it wouldn't cause too much troubles (unless the character was prevented from escaping by being unable to breath air or the like).

[ZenBear]

unless it was applied directly with tentacles, under which case the creature is going to melt if not underwater or constantly moisturized

Ooh, I forgot about that! I think that would make for an even more chilling hint to spur the players on to discover the mystery. The PC washed up on the shore having narrowly escaped the devastation of their home with a single close friend or family member in tow, only for that companion to have melted away as they fled inland. Some pretty squicky body-horror there!