Special Conversion Thread: Finishing off the oozes

[Cleon]

I'm fine with reducing the abilities.

I guess thickening could be a separate ability, but it affects "drowning" victims. Since the living pool is mindless, though, maybe we should just make this an automatic thing that happens as soon as the pool engulfs someone.

I'd describe Thickening as a separate ability, but include the drowning attack in its Engulf write-up.

Earlier on, freyar mentioned the Aballin's DR/bludgeoning. Maybe a "thickened" Living Pool gets DR/slashing, since its body is now a firm gel - Bludgeoning blows would just be absorbed by its resilient jelly, and it has no vitals to be stabbed by Piercing weapons.

 

[Shade]

Earlier on, freyar mentioned the Aballin's DR/bludgeoning. Maybe a "thickened" Living Pool gets DR/slashing, since its body is now a firm gel - Bludgeoning blows would just be absorbed by its resilient jelly, and it has no vitals to be stabbed by Piercing weapons.

I could go for that. Freyar?

 

[freyar]

Works for me. So...

Thicken (Ex): A living pool can partially solidify its internal make up into a gel as a move action (and revert to its normal form as a move action). When it thickens, it takes a 5 ft penalty to its base speed, but it gains DR 5/slashing. In addition, any victim of the living pool's Drown ability take the following penalties: -2 attacks, -4 Dex, and -4 grapple.

Check the numbers! We might also put in tactics that most living pools automatically Thicken once they're Drowning someone.

 

[Shade]

Revising...

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, but it gains damage reduction 5/bludgeoning. Additionally, any trapped victims suffer a -2 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty on Dexterity, and -4 penalty on grapple checks.

So do we add this back to drown?

"If other characters use slashing or piercing weapons to attack the living pool while it is holding a victim, those attacks have a 25% chance of hitting the trapped character, and they do no harm to the living pool."

 

[Cleon]

Revising...

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, but it gains damage reduction 5/bludgeoning. Additionally, any trapped victims suffer a -2 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty on Dexterity, and -4 penalty on grapple checks.

So do we add this back to drown?

"If other characters use slashing or piercing weapons to attack the living pool while it is holding a victim, those attacks have a 25% chance of hitting the trapped character, and they do no harm to the living pool."

Well, I still don't see why a thick gel should be vulnerable to bludgeoning weapons, wouldn't DR 5/slashing make more sense? I know Aballin's have DR vs bludgeoning, but they're watery creatures who would be splashed about by a blunt weapon...

Hmm, that gives me an idea, maybe a Living Pool has DR 5/bludgeoning when its a thin liquid, and its DR type changes to 5/slashing when it thickens? Or, maybe it gains an slashing damage-type resistance and becomes DR 5/bludgeoning and slashing, although I can't think of a precedent for a 3.0+ beastie having resistance to two types of weapon simultaneously.

As for the drowning, did you ever say why we're using the Aballin version as opposed to the Carnivorous Wall's? The Wall's version is so much simpler, and I quote:

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 must succeed at Constitution checks each round or begin to drown (see drowning 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 2d6 points of damage per round as the fluids are drained from their bodies. 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.
​

 

[Shade]

Well, I still don't see why a thick gel should be vulnerable to bludgeoning weapons, wouldn't DR 5/slashing make more sense? I know Aballin's have DR vs bludgeoning, but they're watery creatures who would be splashed about by a blunt weapon...

That's reasonable. I thought Freyar's post above was a typo, but I suppose slashing does make more sense in this case.

Hmm, that gives me an idea, maybe a Living Pool has DR 5/bludgeoning when its a thin liquid, and its DR type changes to 5/slashing when it thickens? Or, maybe it gains an slashing damage-type resistance and becomes DR 5/bludgeoning and slashing, although I can't think of a precedent for a 3.0+ beastie having resistance to two types of weapon simultaneously.

I don't think bludgeoning and slashing would work, since so few weapons deal two types of damage. I could see the bludgeoning to slashing transformation, though, and it might give the creature an interesting niche.

As for the drowning, did you ever say why we're using the Aballin version as opposed to the Carnivorous Wall's?

The aballin just seemed closer in flavor to the pool. However, I agree that the emphasized bit is simpler and more elegant, so I'll make the change to the ability. A name change to Engulf is probably appropriate as well, since we used the gelatinous cube as the original template, and it uses "engulf".

 

[Cleon]

I don't think bludgeoning and slashing would work, since so few weapons deal two types of damage. I could see the bludgeoning to slashing transformation, though, and it might give the creature an interesting niche.

It was just an idea I threw out to see if it would stick, I prefer the bludgeoning to slashing transformation.

 

[Cleon]

The aballin just seemed closer in flavor to the pool. However, I agree that the emphasized bit is simpler and more elegant, so I'll make the change to the ability. A name change to Engulf is probably appropriate as well, since we used the gelatinous cube as the original template, and it uses "engulf".

I've just checked the updated Living Pool on Homebrews and you have "The victim is at risk of drowning (see Water Dangers in the DMG for the risks and effects of drowning)" in the drown write-up. I think the phrasing used in Carnivorous Wall "Engulfed creatures must succeed at Constitution checks each round or begin to drown (see drowning rules in the DMG)" is better, because it explicates the necessity of starting Con checks vs drowning. The version as written implies that the engulfed victim can hold their breath according to the DMG suffocation rules.

Also, its base attack should be +9 (13 HD at 3/4 BAB per HD), Grapple +24. Shade and I both got our sums wrong in posts #489 and #493.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

 

[freyar]

Ok, I think this is starting to shape up. Are we giving it DR 5/bludgeoning when unthickened or only giving it DR when thickened?