So, aboleth tend towards the arcane classes, especially wizardry. What schools and kinds of spells do you feel are most fitting for aboleth mages in general? Mainly from a thematic viewpoint. Evocations? Necromancy?
Illusion and enchantment are quite obvious in that they're already strengths of the species, but maybe other magical knowledge would be used to spread out, rather than focus?
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Despite their obvious penchant for subtlety, I could see them appreciating evocation from a "primordial power" standpoint - on the other hand, the fact that they're as adroit as they are at controlling the living gives them less incentive to practice necromancy, as well as conjuration. They of course value and know how to make good use of knowledge, so they'd like divination as well.
If you want to go further afield, I could see Truename magic fitting them rather well (think of the booming, gibbering noises they'd make echoing about their caverns, pretty Lovecraftian) - and I think I recall from somewhere that they like runic magic.
Yeah, in D&D they had their magical sigils - forgot about those. I should go dig up lords of madness from wherever I have it.
So, aboleth tend towards the arcane classes, especially wizardry. {. . .}
So they did, but that was written long before Occult Adventures came out. Psychic (or Psionic, if you go the Dreamscarred Press route) magic seems right up their (dark) alley. With respect to schools, they should know ALL of them, although not necessarily using the same style as Humanoids. After all, where did Humans get their knowledge of magic from?
So, aboleth tend towards the arcane classes, especially wizardry. {. . .}So they did, but that was written long before Occult Adventures came out. Psychic (or Psionic, if you go the Dreamscarred Press route) magic seems right up their (dark) alley.
Yes, but I'm not using psionics for this (and the reasons for that are too long to go into, but it's not something I can be convinced of in this case)
With respect to schools, they should know ALL of them, although not necessarily using the same style as Humanoids. After all, where did Humans get their knowledge of magic from?
That's a fair point. Although, of course, humans can have further developed certain aspects that Aboleths wouldn't care much for.
They're very much into glyphs, wards, symbols, anything involving writing stuff down.
Just based on their SLA's in their Bestiary entry, I think the obvious answer is Illusion, But BECAUSE of their SLA's, that's already pretty thoroughly covered. I think the other obvious answer is based on their Ex abilities and the spell that's actually named after them (Aboleth's Lung): Transmutation. I think it would make sense for an Aboleth to appreciate Transmutation magic, which could allow them to hide their Glyphs with Secret Page, physically board a ship as a Human with Alter Self and more directly/efficiently capture slaves, get good at crafting with Crafter's Fortune, etc.
So, aboleth tend towards the arcane classes, especially wizardry. {. . .}So they did, but that was written long before Occult Adventures came out. Psychic (or Psionic, if you go the Dreamscarred Press route) magic seems right up their (dark) alley.Yes, but I'm not using psionics for this (and the reasons for that are too long to go into, but it's not something I can be convinced of in this case)
Psionics is 3rd party, psychic magic is Paizo, from Occult Adventures. Totally different things.
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Word casting, from Ultimate Magic, would be fun and effective, though confusing.
If you're giving them class levels, and don't have Occult Adventures, I'd suggest wizardry too. I'd personally house-rule their spell books as huge, engraved tablets on the walls of their deep-sea cavernous cities, and their arcane bonds not requiring any magical tools at all.
Or, possibly, give one an amulet that it swallowed and can use that way.