Medium ooze, lawful evil
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed 20 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +3
Proficiency Bonus +5 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 (-1) | 19 (+4) | 16 (+3) | 19 (+4) | 12 (+1) | 15 (+2) |
Saving Throws Int +7, Cha +5
Skills Deception +5, Perception +4, plus one of the following: Arcana +7, History +7, Nature +7, or Religion +7
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, prone
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this distance), passive Perception 14
Languages Common plus two more languages
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Amorphous. The oblex can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Aversion to Fire. If the oblex takes fire damage, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.
Innate Spellcasting. The oblex’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
- 3/day each: charm person (as 5th-level spell), color spray, detect thoughts, hold person (as 3rd-level spell)
Sulfurous Impersonation. As a bonus action, the oblex can extrude a piece of itself that assumes the appearance of one Medium or smaller creature whose memories it has stolen. This simulacrum appears, feels, and sounds exactly like the creature it impersonates, though it smells faintly of sulfur. The oblex can impersonate 1d4 + 1 different creatures, each one tethered to its body by a strand of slime that can extend up to 120 feet away. For all practical purposes, the simulacrum is the oblex, meaning that the oblex occupies its space and the simulacrum’s space simultaneously. The slimy tether is immune to damage, but it is severed if there is no opening at least 1 inch wide between the oblex’s main body and the simulacrum. The simulacrum disappears if the tether is severed.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The oblex makes one pseudopod attack and uses Eat Memories.
- Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: + 7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 5 (2d4) psychic damage.
- Eat Memories. The oblex targets one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 18 (4d8) psychic damage and become memory drained until it finishes a short or long rest or until it benefits from the greater restoration or heal spell. Constructs, oozes, plants, and undead succeed on the save automatically. While memory drained, the target must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from any ability check or attack roll it makes. Each time the target is memory drained beyond the first, the die size increases by one: the d4 becomes a d6, the d6 becomes a d8, and so on until the die becomes a d20, at which point the target becomes unconscious for 1 hour. The effect then ends. When an oblex causes a target to become memory drained, the oblex learns all the languages the target knows and gains all its proficiencies, except for any saving throw proficiencies.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
An adult oblex is a medium-sized ooze created by mind flayers as part of their experiments on the slimes, jellies, and puddings that infest the depths of the Underdark. It is a slime that can assault the minds of other creatures and consume their memories, leaving them as mindless husks. An adult oblex has a pale yellow color and a faint sulfurous smell. It can impersonate up to five different creatures that it has devoured, each one tethered to its body by a strand of slime that can extend up to 120 feet away. The oblex can communicate telepathically with any creature within 120 feet of it, and it can also speak Common and two more languages that it has learned from its victims.
COMBAT
An adult oblex is a cunning and deceptive foe that prefers to lure its prey into a false sense of security before striking. It uses its skill at Deception to impersonate friendly or familiar creatures, such as merchants, travelers, or even allies of the adventurers. It can also use its innate spellcasting ability to cast charm person, color spray, detect thoughts, and hold person to manipulate or incapacitate its targets. The oblex’s main weapon is its pseudopod, which it uses to make physical attacks and to eat memories. When the oblex hits a creature with its pseudopod, it can choose to deal psychic damage instead of bludgeoning damage, and force the target to make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes additional psychic damage and loses some of its memories, becoming more susceptible to the oblex’s influence. The oblex can also use this ability to drain the memories of a creature that is incapacitated or restrained by its slime.
An adult oblex is not without weaknesses, however. It has an aversion to fire, which causes it to have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks if it takes fire damage. It also has a limited range for its impersonations, which can be exposed by cutting or burning the slime tether that connects them to the oblex’s body. Additionally, the oblex’s impersonations are not perfect, and they may reveal subtle flaws or inconsistencies in their appearance, behavior, or speech that can be detected by a perceptive or insightful observer.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
An adult oblex typically dwells in dark and damp places in the Underdark, such as caves, tunnels, or ruins. It may also venture to the surface world at night or under cover of darkness, looking for new victims to feed on. An adult oblex is usually solitary, but it may occasionally cooperate with other oblexes or mind flayers for mutual benefit or protection. An adult oblex is also capable of creating smaller oozes called oblex spawn, which are extensions of its own consciousness that act as its eyes and ears in different locations. An adult oblex can control up to four oblex spawn at a time, and it can communicate with them telepathically as long as they are within one mile of it.
An adult oblex is driven by an insatiable hunger for memories, which it considers to be the most delicious and nourishing form of sustenance. It views other creatures as nothing more than food sources, and it has no qualms about killing them or leaving them as mindless shells. An adult oblex is also curious and intelligent, and it may seek out rare or exotic memories that can expand its knowledge or satisfy its curiosity. An adult oblex may also have a twisted sense of humor or amusement, and it may toy with its prey or impersonate them for fun or mockery.
ECOLOGY
An adult oblex is an unnatural creature that has a negative impact on the natural balance of its environment. It preys on any living creature that crosses its path, regardless of size or intelligence. It does not discriminate between animals, plants, humanoids, or even other oozes. It consumes not only their flesh and blood, but also their memories and personalities, leaving behind empty shells that are doomed to die or wander aimlessly. An adult oblex also poses a threat to the social order and stability of any community that it infiltrates. It can sow discord and confusion among the inhabitants by impersonating their friends, family members, or leaders. It can also spread false information or rumors that can cause panic or conflict. An adult oblex has no natural predators or enemies, except for those who are aware of its existence and seek to destroy it. An adult oblex may also face competition or hostility from other oblexes or mind flayers, who may see it as a rival or a resource.