Forum

[Shade]

Special Conversion Thread: Finishing off the oozes

Ooze, Living Pool
Huge Ooze
Hit Dice: 13d10+91 (162 hp)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 10 ft.
Armor Class: 6 (-2 size, -2 Dex), touch 6, flat-footed 6
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+24
Attack: Slam +14 melee (2d6+10 plus 1d8 acid)
Full Attack: Slam +14 melee (2d6+10 plus 1d8 acid)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Acid, engulf, improved grab, thickening
Special Qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, ooze traits, transparent camouflage
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +2, Will +3
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 6, Con 24, Int —, Wis 9, Cha 6
Skills: Swim +15
Feats: —
Environment: Warm and temperate land and underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: 1/10th coins, 50% goods (no nonmetal or nonstone), 50% items (no nonmetal or nonstone)
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 14-26 HD (Huge); 27–52 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

The pool appears very still. No fish or insects swim through it. Amidst the algae, weeds, and mud that line its bottom is the glint of metal.

A living pool is a predatory ooze, most closely related to the gelatinous cube. It pretends to be a pool of water, lying in wait for prey. Its consistency is close to that of water, but it quickly thickens when prey enters its "water" or is pulled in with a psedudopod. Because its acid is harmless to metal and stone, it often absorbs silt and polished stones from the surface of actual ponds to improve its disguise, as well as carrying around the inorganic treasures of its past meals as lures for its next meal.

A typical living pool is about ten feet thick and twenty feet in diameter, weighing some 50,000 pounds.

COMBAT

A typical living pool typically lies in ambush, awaiting the approach of prey. When prey comes close enough to drink, the pool lashes out with a pseudopod and attempts to draw it into its body, where it will quickly drown while its digestive fluids do their work.

Acid (Ex): A living pool’s acid does not harm metal or stone.

Engulf (Ex): A living pool may attempt to draw a grappled victim into its fluid body with another successful grapple check. Engulfed creatures must succeed at Constitution checks each round or begin to drown (see drowning rules in the DMG), are subject to the pool's acid, and are considered to be grappled and trapped within the pool's body. Because the living pool is composed of acid, not water, spells such as water breathing offer no help in surviving the effect of drowning in their fluids.

A trapped victim can attack the living pool or make additional grapple checks to escape its grasp. The character cannot cast spells with a verbal component or use any other item or ability that requires speech.

While holding a victim, the living pool can continue to make slam attacks at no penalty.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a living pool must hit with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to drown the victim.

Thickening (Ex): Once a living ooze begins to drown a victim, it instinctively thickens its consistency. The living pool's speed is reduced by 5 feet, and its damage reduction changes to 5/slashing. Additionally, any trapped victims suffer a -2 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty on Dexterity, and -4 penalty on grapple checks.

Transparent Camouflage (Ex): Living pools are almost indistinguishable from water, it takes a DC 20 Spot check to notice a stationary living pool is not an ordinary body of water before it attacks. A moving Living Pool is hard to see, even under ideal conditions, and it takes a DC 15 Spot check to notice one. Creatures who fail to notice a moving living pool, or choose to take a "refreshing dip" into a stationary one, are automatically engulfed.

Anyone with ranks in Survival or Knowledge (nature) can substitute one of those skills instead of Spot to notice that a stationary living pool is not a mundane pond.

Originally appeared in Adventure Pack I (1987).