Medium ooze, unaligned
Armor Class 8
Hit Points 22 (3d8 + 9)
Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +2 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 (+1) | 6 (-2) | 16 (+3) | 1 (-5) | 6 (-2) | 2 (-4) |
Saving Throws (suggested) Con +5
Skills Stealth +2
Damage Resistance Acid, Cold, Fire
Condition Immunities Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Exhaustion, Frightened, Prone
Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Amorphous. The ooze can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Corrode Metal. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal that hits the ooze corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal that hits the ooze is destroyed after dealing damage. The ooze can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical metal in 1 round.
False Appearance. While the ooze remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an oily pool or wet rock.
ACTIONS
- Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) acid damage. If the target is wearing nonmagical metal armor, its armor is partly corroded and takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the ac it offers The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10
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
A gray ooze is a slimy horror that looks like wet stone or a sedimentary rock formation. It is actually a form of living stone that has been liquefied by the forces of chaos. A gray ooze is rarely thicker than six or eight inches, but sometimes grows to a length of 12 feet. It can move and attack with surprising speed, using its pseudopod to lash out at anything that comes near. A gray ooze is highly acidic and can corrode metal and wood with ease. It has no eyes, ears, or other sensory organs, but it can sense vibrations and heat within 60 feet of it. A gray ooze is mindless and driven by hunger, consuming any organic or metal material it encounters.
COMBAT
A gray ooze is a dangerous opponent for any adventurer, especially those who rely on metal weapons or armor. Any nonmagical metal weapon that hits a gray ooze is partially dissolved by its acid, losing effectiveness with each strike. Nonmagical metal armor worn by a target of a gray ooze’s attack is also corroded, reducing its protection. A gray ooze can eat through two inches of nonmagical metal in one round. A gray ooze is resistant to acid, cold, and fire damage, and immune to many conditions that affect living creatures, such as being blinded, charmed, deafened, exhausted, frightened, or prone. A gray ooze can squeeze through any space as narrow as one inch wide without difficulty, making it hard to escape or trap. A gray ooze cannot climb walls or ceilings, so it slides, drips, and oozes along cavern floors. A gray ooze’s only weakness is its low dexterity and armor class, making it vulnerable to agile or ranged attackers.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
A gray ooze is usually found in dark and damp places, such as caves, sewers, dungeons, or ruins. It prefers to hide in cracks, crevices, or pools of water, waiting for unsuspecting prey to come close. A gray ooze does not need air, water, or light to survive, only food. A gray ooze is solitary and does not communicate or cooperate with other oozes or creatures. It does not have any sense of self-preservation or fear, and will attack anything that moves or emits heat within its range. After a large meal, a gray ooze reproduces by “budding”: growing a small pod that is left behind in a corridor or cavern. This pod takes two to three days to mature and then the little gray ooze absorbs its leathery shell and begins slithering about, searching for a meal. Sometimes more than one of these monsters are found together, but this is just a random event because they are not intelligent.
ECOLOGY
A gray ooze is a product of chaos and magic, not a natural creature. It does not have a biological life cycle or reproduce in any conventional way. Some scholars believe that gray oozes are created when powerful spells go awry or when chaotic energies seep into the earth and transform the stone into ooze. Others speculate that gray oozes are remnants of an ancient civilization that experimented with alchemy and transmutation. A gray ooze feeds on any organic or metal material it can find, leaving behind nothing but dust and slime. A gray ooze has no natural predators or allies, and is considered a menace by most civilized races. Some alchemists and merchants are interested in obtaining samples of gray ooze for their corrosive properties or as ingredients for potions and magic items. It is rumored that metalworkers of extraordinary skill keep very small oozes in stone jars to etch and score their metal work, but this is a delicate and dangerous practice.