Shade
Monster Junkie
Yep, I'll post it in the morning. Gotta run!
-
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Special Conversion Thread: Finishing off the oozes
- Thread starter Shade
- Start date
Yep, I'll post it in the morning. Gotta run!
Shade
Monster Junkie
Last one!
Marble Pudding
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subterranean
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE Animal (1)
TREASURE: Incidental
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING 1
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 6
HIT DICE: 8
THACO: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK 2-16
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Glue, acid
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: S-L (3’-8' tall)
MORALE: Special
XP VALUE: 2,000
Marble puddings can harden the surface of their normally pliant bodies to appear like chunks of stone. They are usually gray, with streaks of white or black over their surfaces, giving them their distinct “marble” look.
The discovery of the marble pudding has caused quite a stir in academic circles. Many sages believe that this creature proves a genetic relationship between the deadly pudding and the mimic. Certainly, the similarities between the mimic and the marble pudding would seem to support this theory.
Combat: Like a mimic, the marble pudding relies on imitation to catch its prey. Unlike other puddings, which aggressively hunt down their victims, the marble pudding adopts the shape of a harmless piece of stone and lets its victims come to it. Marble puddings can alter their color to blend in with the stones of their environment. Once prey comes within range, the pudding strikes out with a pseudopod (with a -4 penalty to its victim’s surprise roll). If this hits, the pudding secretes an adhesive that bonds to the victim, preventing its escape. The pudding then softens its rock-like outer texture and flows over its victim, engulfing and dissolving it with its acid. The acid produced by a marble pudding is weaker than that of other puddings of its sizes, causing only 2-16 hp damage per round. Similarly, the “glue” it produces is weaker than mimic glue, giving victims a -1 bonus on their Open Doors roll to pull free.
Marble puddings share the deadly pudding immunities against poison, cold, and acid. Lightning and blows from weapons cause them to divide into two smaller creatures.
Since they have no eyes, marble puddings are immune to vision-based attacks (such as light and continual light spells) and illusions that are primarily visual. Instead of a sense of sight, marble puddings share the deadly puddings’ ability to sense heat and analyze material structures at a range of 90 feet.
Habitat/Society: Marble puddings are usually found underground, in natural caverns and tunnels where they use their marble-imitating abilities to best advantage. They are more patient than normal puddings, often waiting motionless for days before attacking a creature who wanders too close. Somewhat territorial, a marble pudding usually remains within a half-mile or so of its “home.”
Marble puddings are able to climb walls, ceilings, and sheer surfaces, but they are unlikely to do so unless there is a good chance of encountering prey there. (For instance, a marble pudding might station itself along the ceiling in a cave where bats roost.) Additionally, they are usually encountered singly, for they have no interaction with others of their species. Encounters with more than one marble pudding occur only in areas where the “hunting” is particularly good, and there is enough prey to go around. Even in these case, though, each marble pudding is on its own—they do not cooperate with, assist, or even acknowledge the presence of others of their kind.
Ecology: Marble puddings can go weeks between meals. They do not have a preference for any particular type of prey; instead, they lash out at anything that moves past them whenever they are hungry. Similarly, they do not seem to fear any type of creature, as anything that moves is considered fair prey. None knows for certain whether the marble pudding is related to the mimic. If the two creatures are related, it would explain the mimic’s natural immunity to the acid of deadly puddings.
As if there weren’t enough controversy over the marble pudding’s genetic ties, one sage has put forth yet another supposition: observing the creature’s stone-imitating camouflage and ability to project pseudopods from its body, he has postulated a link between the marble pudding and the roper. While the roper is arguably a much more complex creature, it too can alter the shape of its body, changing its coloration better to match the surrounding rock, and shoot sticky strands from its body.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #251 (1998).
Marble Pudding
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Subterranean
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE Animal (1)
TREASURE: Incidental
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING 1
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 6
HIT DICE: 8
THACO: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK 2-16
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Glue, acid
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: S-L (3’-8' tall)
MORALE: Special
XP VALUE: 2,000
Marble puddings can harden the surface of their normally pliant bodies to appear like chunks of stone. They are usually gray, with streaks of white or black over their surfaces, giving them their distinct “marble” look.
The discovery of the marble pudding has caused quite a stir in academic circles. Many sages believe that this creature proves a genetic relationship between the deadly pudding and the mimic. Certainly, the similarities between the mimic and the marble pudding would seem to support this theory.
Combat: Like a mimic, the marble pudding relies on imitation to catch its prey. Unlike other puddings, which aggressively hunt down their victims, the marble pudding adopts the shape of a harmless piece of stone and lets its victims come to it. Marble puddings can alter their color to blend in with the stones of their environment. Once prey comes within range, the pudding strikes out with a pseudopod (with a -4 penalty to its victim’s surprise roll). If this hits, the pudding secretes an adhesive that bonds to the victim, preventing its escape. The pudding then softens its rock-like outer texture and flows over its victim, engulfing and dissolving it with its acid. The acid produced by a marble pudding is weaker than that of other puddings of its sizes, causing only 2-16 hp damage per round. Similarly, the “glue” it produces is weaker than mimic glue, giving victims a -1 bonus on their Open Doors roll to pull free.
Marble puddings share the deadly pudding immunities against poison, cold, and acid. Lightning and blows from weapons cause them to divide into two smaller creatures.
Since they have no eyes, marble puddings are immune to vision-based attacks (such as light and continual light spells) and illusions that are primarily visual. Instead of a sense of sight, marble puddings share the deadly puddings’ ability to sense heat and analyze material structures at a range of 90 feet.
Habitat/Society: Marble puddings are usually found underground, in natural caverns and tunnels where they use their marble-imitating abilities to best advantage. They are more patient than normal puddings, often waiting motionless for days before attacking a creature who wanders too close. Somewhat territorial, a marble pudding usually remains within a half-mile or so of its “home.”
Marble puddings are able to climb walls, ceilings, and sheer surfaces, but they are unlikely to do so unless there is a good chance of encountering prey there. (For instance, a marble pudding might station itself along the ceiling in a cave where bats roost.) Additionally, they are usually encountered singly, for they have no interaction with others of their species. Encounters with more than one marble pudding occur only in areas where the “hunting” is particularly good, and there is enough prey to go around. Even in these case, though, each marble pudding is on its own—they do not cooperate with, assist, or even acknowledge the presence of others of their kind.
Ecology: Marble puddings can go weeks between meals. They do not have a preference for any particular type of prey; instead, they lash out at anything that moves past them whenever they are hungry. Similarly, they do not seem to fear any type of creature, as anything that moves is considered fair prey. None knows for certain whether the marble pudding is related to the mimic. If the two creatures are related, it would explain the mimic’s natural immunity to the acid of deadly puddings.
As if there weren’t enough controversy over the marble pudding’s genetic ties, one sage has put forth yet another supposition: observing the creature’s stone-imitating camouflage and ability to project pseudopods from its body, he has postulated a link between the marble pudding and the roper. While the roper is arguably a much more complex creature, it too can alter the shape of its body, changing its coloration better to match the surrounding rock, and shoot sticky strands from its body.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #251 (1998).
Cleon
Legend
I'd start it as Small, maybe with lower HD, and give it Improved Grab & Constrict like a Deadly Pudding rather than an Engulf attack. That allows a Small pudding to attack a bigger opponent, and then Medium/Large puddings can be listed under Advancement.
I'll make an attempt at a more detailed write up later.
Cleon
Legend
Marble Pudding[FONT="]
[/FONT]Size/Type: Medium Ooze[FONT="]
[/FONT]Hit Dice: 8d10+40 (84 hp)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Initiative: -5[FONT="]
[/FONT]Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.[FONT="]
[/FONT]Armor Class: 5 (-5 Dex), touch 5, flat-footed 5
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+9[FONT="]
[/FONT]Attack: Slam +10 melee (1d6+4 plus 1d6 acid)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Full Attack: Slam +10 melee (1d6+4 plus 1d6 acid)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.[FONT="]
[/FONT]Special Attacks: Acid, adhesive, constrict 1d6+4 plus 1d6 acid[FONT="]
[/FONT]Special Qualities: Blindsight 90 ft., immunity to acid, immunity to cold, mimic stone, ooze traits, split, wallcrawling[FONT="]
[/FONT]Saves: Fort +7, Ref -1, Will -1[FONT="]
[/FONT] Abilities: Str 16, Dex 1, Con 20, Int 1, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: Climb +11, Disguise +6* (+14 mimicking stone)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Feats: Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (Slam)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Environment: Underground[FONT="]
[/FONT]Organization: Solitary[FONT="]
[/FONT]Challenge Rating: 6[FONT="]
[/FONT]Treasure: None[FONT="]
[/FONT]Alignment: Always neutral[FONT="]
[/FONT]Advancement: 9-15 HD (Medium); 16-24 HD (Large)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Level Adjustment: —[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]The slab of rock exudes slimy tentacles and attempts to seize hold of you.[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT]A typical marble pudding is roughly 5 feet across and a foot thick, weighing some 1200 pounds. Their flesh is denser than most other oozes. They are naturally gray, with streaks of white or black over their surfaces, giving them their distinct “marble” look, but can change their colour and texture to match any kind of background stone.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]Combat[FONT="]
[/FONT]Marble puddings are not active hunters, preferring to lie in ambush mimicking slabs of rock until prey wanders by, whereupon they attempt to grapple them with an adhesive pseudopod and crush and dissolve their prospective meal. They seldom use their wallclimbing ability to set up an ambush, unless their territory has a lot of flying animals inhabiting it, such as a bats' roost.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]Acid (Ex)[FONT="]
[/FONT]A marble pudding secretes a powerful acid that can dissolve flesh. Any melee hit or constrict attack deals acid damage.[FONT="]
[/FONT]Adhesive (Ex)
A marble pudding's pseudopods can exude a thick slime that acts as a powerful adhesive, holding fast any creatures or items that it touches. An adhesive-covered marble pudding automatically grapples any creature it hits with its slam attack. An opponent can break this adhesive's hold with a DC 18 Strength check, although they must still succeed at a grapple or Escape Artist check to escape the grapple, and if they fail at this the pudding can re-adhere itself as a free action.
Strong alcohol dissolves the adhesive, but the marble pudding still can grapple normally. A marble pudding can dissolve its adhesive at will, and the substance breaks down 5 rounds after the creature dies.
The Strength DC check to escape the adhesive is Con dependent.[FONT="]
[/FONT]
Constrict (Ex)[FONT="]
[/FONT]A marble pudding deals automatic slam and acid damage with a successful grapple check.[FONT="]
[/FONT]Mimic Stone (Ex)
A marble pudding can harden the surface of their normally pliant bodies to a rock-like hardness, while changing its color and texture to appear like any stone it is in contact with. In this condition a marble pudding is very hard to distinguish from a chunk of rock, characters who examines the marble pudding can detect the ruse with a successful Spot check opposed by the pudding’s Disguise check. Of course, by this time it is generally far too late.
While mimicking stone a marble pudding cannot move, but gains hardness 8 and is fully aware of its surroundings. A marble pudding can revert to its pliant state as a free action in order to move or attack.
A character with stonecunning can apply that bonus to their Spot checks to notice a camouflaged marble pudding. If they possess skill ranks in Knowledge (geology) or Knowledge (mining) they can substitute that bonus for Spot in the check to notice the monster.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]Split (Ex)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Blows from weapons and electricity attacks cause a marble pudding to divide into two identical oozes, each with half of the original’s current hit points, rounded down, after subtracting the damage of the attack which caused the split. A pudding with 10 hit points or less cannot be further split and dies if reduced to 0 hit points.
Wallcrawling (Ex)
A marble pudding need not make Climb checks to traverse a vertical or horizontal surface (even upside down). It retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class while climbing and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]Skills[FONT="]
[/FONT]A marble pudding has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. A marble pudding has a +8 racial bonus on Disguise checks when masquerading as a stone.
[/FONT]Size/Type: Medium Ooze[FONT="]
[/FONT]Hit Dice: 8d10+40 (84 hp)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Initiative: -5[FONT="]
[/FONT]Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.[FONT="]
[/FONT]Armor Class: 5 (-5 Dex), touch 5, flat-footed 5
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+9[FONT="]
[/FONT]Attack: Slam +10 melee (1d6+4 plus 1d6 acid)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Full Attack: Slam +10 melee (1d6+4 plus 1d6 acid)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.[FONT="]
[/FONT]Special Attacks: Acid, adhesive, constrict 1d6+4 plus 1d6 acid[FONT="]
[/FONT]Special Qualities: Blindsight 90 ft., immunity to acid, immunity to cold, mimic stone, ooze traits, split, wallcrawling[FONT="]
[/FONT]Saves: Fort +7, Ref -1, Will -1[FONT="]
[/FONT] Abilities: Str 16, Dex 1, Con 20, Int 1, Wis 1, Cha 1
Skills: Climb +11, Disguise +6* (+14 mimicking stone)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Feats: Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (Slam)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Environment: Underground[FONT="]
[/FONT]Organization: Solitary[FONT="]
[/FONT]Challenge Rating: 6[FONT="]
[/FONT]Treasure: None[FONT="]
[/FONT]Alignment: Always neutral[FONT="]
[/FONT]Advancement: 9-15 HD (Medium); 16-24 HD (Large)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Level Adjustment: —[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]The slab of rock exudes slimy tentacles and attempts to seize hold of you.[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT]A typical marble pudding is roughly 5 feet across and a foot thick, weighing some 1200 pounds. Their flesh is denser than most other oozes. They are naturally gray, with streaks of white or black over their surfaces, giving them their distinct “marble” look, but can change their colour and texture to match any kind of background stone.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]Combat[FONT="]
[/FONT]Marble puddings are not active hunters, preferring to lie in ambush mimicking slabs of rock until prey wanders by, whereupon they attempt to grapple them with an adhesive pseudopod and crush and dissolve their prospective meal. They seldom use their wallclimbing ability to set up an ambush, unless their territory has a lot of flying animals inhabiting it, such as a bats' roost.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]Acid (Ex)[FONT="]
[/FONT]A marble pudding secretes a powerful acid that can dissolve flesh. Any melee hit or constrict attack deals acid damage.[FONT="]
[/FONT]Adhesive (Ex)
A marble pudding's pseudopods can exude a thick slime that acts as a powerful adhesive, holding fast any creatures or items that it touches. An adhesive-covered marble pudding automatically grapples any creature it hits with its slam attack. An opponent can break this adhesive's hold with a DC 18 Strength check, although they must still succeed at a grapple or Escape Artist check to escape the grapple, and if they fail at this the pudding can re-adhere itself as a free action.
Strong alcohol dissolves the adhesive, but the marble pudding still can grapple normally. A marble pudding can dissolve its adhesive at will, and the substance breaks down 5 rounds after the creature dies.
The Strength DC check to escape the adhesive is Con dependent.[FONT="]
[/FONT]
Constrict (Ex)[FONT="]
[/FONT]A marble pudding deals automatic slam and acid damage with a successful grapple check.[FONT="]
[/FONT]Mimic Stone (Ex)
A marble pudding can harden the surface of their normally pliant bodies to a rock-like hardness, while changing its color and texture to appear like any stone it is in contact with. In this condition a marble pudding is very hard to distinguish from a chunk of rock, characters who examines the marble pudding can detect the ruse with a successful Spot check opposed by the pudding’s Disguise check. Of course, by this time it is generally far too late.
While mimicking stone a marble pudding cannot move, but gains hardness 8 and is fully aware of its surroundings. A marble pudding can revert to its pliant state as a free action in order to move or attack.
A character with stonecunning can apply that bonus to their Spot checks to notice a camouflaged marble pudding. If they possess skill ranks in Knowledge (geology) or Knowledge (mining) they can substitute that bonus for Spot in the check to notice the monster.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]Split (Ex)[FONT="]
[/FONT]Blows from weapons and electricity attacks cause a marble pudding to divide into two identical oozes, each with half of the original’s current hit points, rounded down, after subtracting the damage of the attack which caused the split. A pudding with 10 hit points or less cannot be further split and dies if reduced to 0 hit points.
Wallcrawling (Ex)
A marble pudding need not make Climb checks to traverse a vertical or horizontal surface (even upside down). It retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class while climbing and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]Skills[FONT="]
[/FONT]A marble pudding has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. A marble pudding has a +8 racial bonus on Disguise checks when masquerading as a stone.
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