Flareater Working Draft
Flareater
Medium Ooze
Hit Dice: 6d10+36 (69 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 20 (+10 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+6
Attack: Slam +7 melee (2d4+3 plus 1d4 acid and 1d4 Con)
Full Attack: Slam +7 melee (2d4+3 plus 1d4 acid and 1d4 Con)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Acid, constrict 2d4+3 plus 1d4 acid and 1d4 Con, engulf, improved grab
Special Qualities: Blindsight 60 ft., growth, immune to fire damage, ooze traits
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +2, Will -3
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 10, Con 22, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: Climb +10, Listen +6, Spot +6, Survival +6
Feats: Ability Focus (engulf), Track, Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary or colony (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —
A human-sized mass of slime, colored an emerald green so deep it is almost black. The gelatinous thing looks like living dark water, flowing with surprising speed. There's something malevolently purposeful in the way it moves and ripples.
Flareaters are deadly subterranean oozes that appear to be related to green slime - probably a natural mutation or the result of magical experimentation. They are unnaturally warm to the touch. Flareaters live solely to eat and reproduce, but pursue these objectives with extraordinary intelligence. Eternally hungry, they methodically search for their favorite food – sources of light.
A flareater can grow to a diameter of up to 6 feet and a thickness of about 6 inches. A typical specimen weighs about 250 pounds.
COMBAT
Flareaters are continuously in search of prey. They may track creatures for some time before striking, and prefer to attack by dropping upon prey from a wall or low ceiling. A flareater will usually eat any light-sources it senses before it tries to devour its opponents.
Acid (Ex): A flareater can secrete a digestive acid that dissolves organic material and metal quickly, but does not affect stone. Any melee hit or constrict attack by the flareater deals acid damage and Constitution damage, and the opponent's armor and clothing dissolve and become useless immediately unless they succeed on DC 19 Reflex saves.
Blindsight (Ex): A flareater's entire body is a primitive sensory organ that can ascertain prey by scent and vibration within 60 feet.
Constrict (Ex): A flareater deals automatic slam, acid and Constriction damage with a successful grapple check.
Engulf (Ex): A flareater can simply mow down Medium or smaller creatures as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. The flareater merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make opportunity attacks against the ooze, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC 18 Reflex save or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent's choice) as the flareater moves forward. Engulfed creatures are subject to the flareater's constrict attack, and are considered to be grappled and trapped within its body. The save DC is Strength-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
Growth (Su): A flareater can eat a non-magical light source, such as a lamp or torch, by smothering it, automatically putting it out (the flareater cannot eat a carried light source unless it first makes a disarm check to cause the creature carrying the light to drop it). For each light source that the flareater eats, it gains one positive level. Alternately, a flareater may absorb any spell with the Light descriptor, unless it is a spell that harms Oozes (such as sunbeam or sunburst), which affect the flareater normally. The flareater gains one positive level for each level of the spell. A flareater cannot absorb natural daylight, starlight, or moonlight.
If a flareater's hit dice plus its positive levels adds up to 12 or more, it automatically splits into two identical 6 HD flareaters, each with half of the original's current hit points (round down).
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a flareater must hit 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 constrict.
Skills: A flareater has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.
