Skum

Ghosts of Saltmarsh

Skum CR: 5

Medium aberration, unaligned

Armor Class: 14 (natural armour)

Hit Points: 93 11d8+44

Speed: 20 ft , swim: 40 ft

STR

19 +4

DEX

11 +0

CON

18 +4

INT

7 -2

WIS

12 +1

CHA

9 -1

Skills: Perception +4

Damage Resistances: psychic

Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 1

Languages: Common, Deep Speech, telepathy 60 ft.

Challenge Rating: 5

Skum by WotC

Abolethic Vassal. The skum is permanently charmed by its aboleth master.
Amphibious. The skum can breathe air and water.
Psychic Conditioning. The skum is immune to the frightened and charmed conditions unless they are from effects created by an aboleth.
Water Dependency. The skum takes 6 1d12 acid damage every 10 minutes it goes without exposure to water.

Actions

Multiattack. The skum makes three attacks: two with its trident and one with its Mind-Breaking Touch.
Trident. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 1d20+7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 1d6+4 piercing damage.
Mind-Breaking Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 1d20+7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 4d8 psychic damage, and the target has disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws until the end of the skum's next turn.

These poor souls are the fate of those that have succumbed to an aboleth's magic through its disease-bearing touch. Transformed into creatures called skum, they barely resemble their past forms, their skin turning slimy and translucent while their limbs warp to resemble those of deep-sea oddities. The change makes them dependent on water, which they must immerse themselves in regularly lest they experience painful-and potentially lethal-skin eruptions. Skum are bound to their aboleth master not just by their cursed state, but by a psychic bond that compels them to serve its every sinister whim.

Suggested Environments

Environment: Coastal, Ocean, Sea, Swamp, Underwater