Making A Wish Creates New D&D Monster In Mordenkainen's

The Oblex, one of the new monsters featured in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, is a creation of Make-A-Wish recipient Nolan Whale.

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Jeremy Crawford describes the Oblex; "While oozes are typically mindless blobs that slowly slink around dungeons and consume mindless prey, the oblex can absorb the thoughts and memories of a person they attack. When an elder Oblex consumes enough memories, it creates Oblex Spawn...which are essentially the excess memories of the victims an Oblex can no longer absorb." The Oblex are the result of experiments by the Mind Flayers.

​Whale's character, a mohawked and tattooed dwarf, appears as one of the pieces of art in the book. Comicbook.com reported this information.

You can learn more about the Oblex and Whale's contributions to Modenkainen's here:

<font color="#000000" face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif">[video=youtube;ULDbmpI0Wi8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULDbmpI0Wi8[/video]​

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

There was a comment on the video with an idea that I find very interesting. What if there was a village where they accepted the Oblex? Near the end of their lives elders willingly let themselves be absorbed as a way to preserve their memories and wisdom for future generations. In times of need people go to the Oblex and wait for it to spin out a copy to dispense teachings and offer perspective. Of course, being a nefarious monster, the Oblex would spin these lectures any way it sees fit and use it's influence to take control of things.

 

[Matchstick]

There was a comment on the video with an idea that I find very interesting. What if there was a village where they accepted the Oblex? Near the end of their lives elders willingly let themselves be absorbed as a way to preserve their memories and wisdom for future generations. In times of need people go to the Oblex and wait for it to spin out a copy to dispense teachings and offer perspective. Of course, being a nefarious monster, the Oblex would spin these lectures any way it sees fit and use it's influence to take control of things.

That is awesome!

You could have an oblex in the attic of a inn replicating the inn owner's mother and making him do crazy things! Who knows what people would do if they could feel like their loved ones are still with them!

 

[Gradine]

There was a comment on the video with an idea that I find very interesting. What if there was a village where they accepted the Oblex? Near the end of their lives elders willingly let themselves be absorbed as a way to preserve their memories and wisdom for future generations. In times of need people go to the Oblex and wait for it to spin out a copy to dispense teachings and offer perspective. Of course, being a nefarious monster, the Oblex would spin these lectures any way it sees fit and use it's influence to take control of things.

Eberron has communities very similar to this, particularly orc communities in the Shadow Marches associated with the Cults of the Dragon Below.

Which is exactly what I'll be pilfering this little plot hook for.

 

[generic]

This reminds me of the Kandra, from Mistborn.

 

[jgsugden]

It reminds me of the Obliviax, Memory Moss, from prior editions.

 

[R_Chance]

It reminds me of the Obliviax, Memory Moss, from prior editions.

I thought the same thing.

 

[Coroc]

I am a bit unsure about this one, but i think it also reminds me of ?Ghaunadan?, soemwhere in 2nd ed FR, those were Drow who turned from Lolth to rever Ghaunadaur, a slime god. I think there were some hybrid drow/slime creatures but i can be wrong. It was some 2nd ed adventure hook for waterdeep.

 

[Aaron L]

It makes me think of the Commeson, or Superhuman Water, that created the Fake Vegeta in Dragon Ball Super.

 

[Istbor]

That is a sweet monster that, as has been pointed out, can help create some really interesting villains, plot hooks and even potentially helpful situations.

I definitely can find a use for some of these things in my current home-brewed world. One that is rife with eldritch horrors and the machinations of their Mind-flayer servants.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I think I may add somewhere in a campaign a cult or Drow worshipers of That Which Lurks where, when they get close enought to their god, the priest/acolyte give themselves to the Oblex so it could gather all experiences and memories and increase in power. That would make for an interesting side-BBEG.