D&D General On the physiology of Gelatinous Cubes

[overgeeked]

There's a bit of a...discussion...going on in one of the related threads about the particular physiology of a gelatinous cube and how it functions.

So, ENWorld people. Does anyone have any thoughts on the physiology of a gelatinous cube and whether it's immune to certain conditions, whether it has a primary foot / face, whether it can climb walls...or be tripped.

 

[Cruentus]

Isn’t the Gelatinous Cube the one that fills the hallway? If it’s in a hallway, it has whatever immunities the stat block indicates, and cannot be lifted, pulled, tripped, grappled, or otherwise fiddled with. I’d imagine it would be immune to poison, stun, and prone at a minimum.

if it’s out in a room, it’s still a large square of gelatinousness, no facing, no primary foot, can move in any direction, if it’s flipped over somehow (can’t imagine how if anything touching it gets absorbed), it’s not affected in any way.

For my purposes it has no up or down, no front or back, and all its sides allow for mobility and/or absorption. At least, that’s how I rule it.

 

[darjr]

It tastes like lemon lime. Or thinks we do.

Is it a giant cell? Or truly a wild accumulation of acidic slime come to life?

 

[MarkB]

Each time the gelatinous cube is affected by an attack or ability that would render a creature prone, roll a d6. This determines which face it lands on. Different orientations of the cube modify its behaviour as follows:

6. The cube acts normally.
5. The cube's speed becomes 5 feet, but it can make two pseudopod attacks on its turn.
4. The cube gains a 10 foot climb speed, and can traverse smooth vertical surfaces or even ceilings without needing to make a check. However, engulfed creatures gain a gravity assist to escape if it is no longer touching the ground, reducing the DC to 7.
3. The cube gains indigestion. Immediately upon engulfing a creature, or if one is already engulfed at the start of its turn, it forcefully spits it out and can aim it as a ranged attack (+4 to hit, range 15/30 ft) dealing 2d6 acid and 2d6 bludgeoning damage to both the launched creature and the target creature on a hit.
2. The cube gains the ability to dash as part of its Engulf attack, moving up to twice its speed. However, creatures already engulfed are left behind when it does so.
1. The cube is considered prone, despite its immunity. On its turn it can expend half its movement speed (rounded up) to attempt to right itself. When it does so, it rolls a d6 and consults this table.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Is it a giant cell? Or truly a wild accumulation of acidic slime come to life?

I think of it as a giant single-celled organism, but magically animated acidic slime is a pretty good alternate take.

In either case, it doesn't have a face and it can't be tripped. In lots of adventures over the decades, cubes have been trapped down at the bottom of pits by other dungeon inhabitants, which seems to be a pretty strong argument against them being able to climb.

 

[Seramus]

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!

 

[darjr]

I think think of it as a giant single-celled organism, but magically animated acidic slime is a pretty good alternate take.

In either case, it doesn't have a face and it can't be tripped. In lots of adventures over the decades, cubes have been trapped down at the bottom of pits by other dungeon inhabitants, which seems to be a pretty strong argument against them being able to climb.

Yea, I think that makes sense.

They've been in halls filling them, down in a hole filling the bottom, dropped from above onto PCs. Hard to say there is a top or bottom in my mind.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

 

[aco175]

D&D rules are a strange lot and the way specific beats general means that you can do silly things. If a PC had a power that knocked something prone I would let them since the PC has a specific power and I want them to use it provided the monster does not have immunity to it. One can come up with reasons or descriptions on how to trip a snake or dehydrate a skeleton, so I guess oozes are fair game.

 

[Vaalingrade]

They're actually eggs.

For what? You don't want to know.