Ochre Jelly Split + Healing surge

[Lord Zardoz]

Just to figure things out, I recently confirmed for myself that Monsters do get Healing Surges (page 7 of the MM). In most cases, this is pretty straight forward. When injured, use a 2nd wind action if reasonable, regain 1/4 hp. But the Ochre Jelly (page 202 under Ooze), has a power that may react strangely with that.

Split (when first bloodied; encounter)
The ochre jelly splits into two, each with hit points equal to onehalf
its current hit points. Effects applied to the original ochre
jelly do not apply to the second one. An ochre jelly can’t split if
reduced to 0 hit points by the attack that bloodied it. Left alone,
the two halves recombine into a single creature at the end of the
encounter.

This raises a few questions.
Now, a monster of less than level 10 has 1 surge. If the jelly does not use the surge prior to splitting, does each half of the jelly get a surge? Or is there only 1 surge?

When a split Ochre Jelly uses a Healing Surge, does it regain 25 hp (1/4 the max Hp of the jelly at the start of the encounter), or does it use 1/4 the max Hp that the segment had when it healed?

In the unlikely event that half of a a sbloodied and split Ochre Jelly is brought back above the bloodied hp level (would require external healing) does it recombine? (I am guessing No here, but seems worth considering).

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Palladion]

I do not usually post nonsensical, but... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

I think there are two ways of interpreting this. If you consider the split creature as one creature in two parts, then either half of the jelly can use the single healing surge (if heroic tier) to regain 1/4 of the total creature's hit point. If each half of the jelly is considered a new creature, each half gets a healing surge which heals only 1/4 of the half's hit points.

(Personally, I would choose the first option, just because I think even with the split, the jelly is still considered a single creature in the eyes of the MM, but that is just opinion.)

 

[FadedC]

Keep in mind that there is no way for the ocre jelly to trigger his own healing surges and no monsters with abilities that interact with them. So this situation is unlikely to come up unless a PC decides to heal one.

But I'd personally assume that each new ooze has max hp equal to 50% of the original. This is purely a guess though, I don't believe there are any rules to go by given the unlikliness of the jelly getting a healing surge.

 

[Argyuile]

There are 2 parts to actually healing with a healing surge. All monsters have healing surges but only some of them have abilities that let them use the healing surge in combat (i.e. Bulette). The Orche Jelly can't actually use a healing surge to heal unless its grouped with some other creature that actually lets it use the surge.

Edit: Ninja'd

 

[Sojorn]

Page 291 in the PHB for clarification on the "Who has Second Wind?". It's a PC only action unless noted in the monster's or NPC's stat block.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

Page 291 in the PHB for clarification on the "Who has Second Wind?". It's a PC only action unless noted in the monster's or NPC's stat block.

That is some critical, need to know info that should have been duplicated in the MM.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Victim]

It actually does say in the MM that most monsters don't have ways to spend their healing surges.

 

[Ulthwithian]

I think a better Jelly question would be whether or not the two Ooze halves also split.

The ochre jelly splits into two, each with hit points equal to onehalf
its current hit points.

Depending on the way you read this, we have two 'new' oozes, and if so, they should be able to split.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

I ran it in one fight, and only had it split once. Healing did not come into play because I did not look up the rules for monsters and healing surges.

On a side note, the Ochre Jelly makes a great solo fight for low level characters. Beefy hp, nice damage, but not as overwhelming as a low level dragon. Fight still ended in a TPK though. they caused it to split, and killed one part of it, but the other part managed to win. If a PC had not gotten stuck in a metal grate he tried to squeeze through (failed a DC 15 acrobatics check, could not remove himself, spent the entire fight stuck), they might have pulled through.

END COMMUNICATION