Special Conversion Thread: Finishing off the oozes

[Echohawk]

Does anyone have the Crypt of Lyzandred module? That would clear up the original intent.

The carnivorous walls in CoLtM are the inside walls of a maze. It is pretty hard to figure out from the text and the (rather poor) map what the author intended "SZ G (80+ square feet)" to mean, but I think I'd treat each section of carnivorous wall as a separate creature, 10' high, 10' wide and (about) 5' thick.

 

[Shade]

Going with Large and grouping them does seem the best way to go.

Let's work on ability scores. Here are some from other Large oozes:

White Pudding: Str 15, Dex 2, Con 20, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
Creeping Stone: Str 18, Dex 1, Con 22, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1
Shadow Jelly: Str 15, Dex 1, Con 18, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1
Lava Ooze: Str 19, Dex 1, Con 24, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1
Void Ooze: Str 20, Dex 1, Con 26, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1

These guys have Int 6 per the original stat block, so we'll probably want to increase the other mental stats as well.

 

[Cleon]

Going with Large and grouping them does seem the best way to go.

Let's work on ability scores. Here are some from other Large oozes:

White Pudding: Str 15, Dex 2, Con 20, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
Creeping Stone: Str 18, Dex 1, Con 22, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1
Shadow Jelly: Str 15, Dex 1, Con 18, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1
Lava Ooze: Str 19, Dex 1, Con 24, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1
Void Ooze: Str 20, Dex 1, Con 26, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1

These guys have Int 6 per the original stat block, so we'll probably want to increase the other mental stats as well.

Their 2-8 damage with paralysis is identical to an AD&D 2nd edition Gelatinous Cube, so I'd consider their 3E stats as well.

Gelatinous Cube: Str 10, Dex 1, Con 26, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1.

I fancy something inbetween Gelatinous Cube and Creeping Stone, so how about Str 15, Con 22, Int 6?

 

[Shade]

Sounds good. Wis 11, Cha 6?

 

[Cleon]

Sounds good. Wis 11, Cha 6?

Why not. My first instinct would a lower Cha, around 3-4, but it doesn't really make any difference as far as its performance as a monster goes since I doubt any of its powers will be Charisma-dependent.

Hmm, if the physical stats are between Creeping Stone and Gelatinous Cube I guess we could bump Con up to 24 to put it right in the middle. That would make it:

Carnivorous Wall - Str 15, Dex 1, Con 24, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 6

 

[Shade]

Looks good. Added to Homebrews.

We need a modified engulf where it pulls the creature into its space, rather than flowing over it.

 

[freyar]

I'd also suggest improved grab (maybe we should make the slam a pseudopod?). Modifying from the gelatinous cube (note my question marks):

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a carnivorous wall must hit a creature no larger than itself 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 try to engulf the opponent in the following round.

Paralysis (Ex): A carnivorous wall secretes an anesthetizing slime. A target hit by a wall’s melee attack or else just touching the wall must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 5d4 rounds?. A successful save indicates that the target is immune to that wall's paralysis for 24 hours?. The wall can automatically engulf a paralyzed opponent. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Engulf (Ex): A carnivorous wall can engulf a grappled opponent by making a successful grapple check against that opponent. Engulfed creatures begin to drown (see suffocation rules in the DMG), and are considered to be grappled and trapped within the wall's body. Creatures that die while engulfed are immediately animated as burning zombies (see below) and expelled from the wall.

 

[Cleon]

I'd also suggest improved grab (maybe we should make the slam a pseudopod?). Modifying from the gelatinous cube (note my question marks):

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a carnivorous wall must hit a creature no larger than itself 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 try to engulf the opponent in the following round.

Paralysis (Ex): A carnivorous wall secretes an anesthetizing slime. A target hit by a wall’s melee attack or else just touching the wall must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 5d4 rounds?. A successful save indicates that the target is immune to that wall's paralysis for 24 hours?. The wall can automatically engulf a paralyzed opponent. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Engulf (Ex): A carnivorous wall can engulf a grappled opponent by making a successful grapple check against that opponent. Engulfed creatures begin to drown (see suffocation rules in the DMG), and are considered to be grappled and trapped within the wall's body. Creatures that die while engulfed are immediately animated as burning zombies (see below) and expelled from the wall.

The basics look good to me, although I'd add some more qualifiers from the standard Engulf and Swallow Whole descriptors to the Engulf:

Engulf (Ex): A carnivorous wall can engulf a grappled opponent of a smaller size than itself as a standard action by making a successful grapple check against that opponent. It automatically succeeds in engulfing a paralyzed opponent. Engulfed creatures begin to drown (see suffocation rules in the DMG) and are considered to be grappled and trapped within the wall's body. Engulfed creatures continue to be subject to the wall's paralyzing slime and take 1d6? acid damage and 1d6? fire damage per round from the wall's digestive processes. Creatures that die while engulfed are immediately animated as burning zombies (see below) and expelled from the wall. A Large carnivorous wall's interior can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

 

[Cleon]

Before we get onto the tricky issue of the 'burning zombie' creation can we agree on the armour class? The original monster has a very high AC for an ooze - AC 3 while most AD&D oozes have AC 8-9.

Considering it pretends to be a solid wall, giving it a natural armour bonus would work. Although it's unusual for a 3rd edition Ooze to have natural armour I don't believe there's anything in the rules that forbids it.

AD&D AC 3 equates to 3rd edition AC 17, so if we give it +12 natural armour that'll put it in the right ballpark.

Armor Class: 16 (–1 size, –5 Dex, +12 natural), touch 4, flat-footed 16

What do you think?

 

[Shade]

I'm fine with a natural armor. I picture it "oozy" on the inside with a crusty series of plates on the outside. As a result, I'd suggest we note that unlike most oozes, they cannot thin out nearly as small and creep under doors, through holes, etc.

I also think we need an ability that allows them to "lock" with others of their kind to create a long wall. That way, a single ooze cannot be moved, squeezed past, etc. Thoughts?