Ooze Templates
Oozes are really cool monsters in theory—they’re just a little different, but in a cool way. Unfortunately, in practical gameplay, oozes are boring, with combats coming down to it slamming the PCs, then grappling them. While new and exciting oozes would be cool, today I thought we should look at some ways to make the oozes that we already have more interesting. Check out these templates.
Morphic
Morphic oozes are unusual in that they have more control over their amorphous form than other oozes, allowing them to twist their gel-like bodies into a variety of shapes, and even mimic the forms of other creatures. Because they can assume the forms of more terrifying creatures, these oozes are often mistaken for magical beasts or aberrations.
Creating a Morphic Creature
“Morphic” is an inherited template that can be applied to any creature of the ooze type. A morphic creature retains all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities, except as noted here.
Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +2.
Type: A morphic creature gains the shapechanger subtype.
Defensive Abilities: A morphic creature retains all the defensive abilities of the base creature and gains the morphic defense ability.
Morphic Defense (Sp): Whenever the morphic creature uses its change form or mimic special attacks, it gains an additional +4 dodge bonus to AC for as long as the ability is active.
Weaknesses: A morphic creature gains the unstable form weakness.
Unstable Form: A morphic creature’s transformations are especially unstable and can be disrupted with physical trauma. Whenever a morphic creature suffers an amount of damage equal to or greater than 1/10 its maximum hit points, if it has assumed another form using its change form or mimic abilities, it is forced back into its natural form.
Special Attacks: A morphic creature retains all of the special attacks of the base creature and gains the following special attacks.
Change Form (Sp): A morphic creature can shift its ooze body into the shape of another creature, gaining some of its abilities as a standard action. This functions like the spell beast shape IV, except that the morphic creature does not gain any supernatural or spell-like abilities that the assumed form might have possessed, and assuming a new form does not allow the morphic creature to speak unless it already had the ability to do so. Additionally, the morphic creature retains the gel-like qualities of its body, and so does not gain the normal +10 bonus on Disguise checks to pass as the selected creature. A morphic creature can use this ability at will, but each transformation lasts for only 1d10 rounds.
Mimic (Sp): A morphic creature can mimic the form of another creature it observes for at least 3 rounds. As a standard action, a morphic creature can assume the form of another creature it has witnessed for at least 3 full rounds, as though using the spells giant form II, monstrous physique IV, shapechange, or vermin shape II, except that the morphic creature retains the gel-like qualities of its body, and so does not gain the normal +10 bonus on Disguise checks to pass as the selected creature. This transformation lasts for 1 minute, or until the morphic creature returns to its base form. The morphic creature does not gain any of the supernatural or spell-like special abilities of the assumed form.
Ability Scores: Increase from the base creature as follows: Dex +4, Con +4.
Ecology
A morphic ooze is either magically or chemically different from a typical member of its species in such a way that gives it greater control of its amorphous body, allowing it to assume the forms of other creatures. This provides it a distinct advantage in hunting for food, allowing the ooze to gain more offensive power while it devours its prey. Occasionally, a morphic creature will try to blend into a group of its prospective victims, before attacking when they seem most vulnerable. Because a morphic creature retains its gel-like body, color, and consistency when it transforms, they are rarely mistaken for members of other species.
Slime
Slime creatures are powerful oozes that represent living embodiments of deadly chemicals. Though slime creatures are not as caustic as most oozes, they make up for it by having more fluid bodies, as well as poisonous flesh that infects those who come into contact with them.
Creating a Slime Creature
“Slime” is an inherited template that can be applied to any ooze creature. A slime creature retains all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities, except as noted here.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.
AC: A slime creature never receives a natural armor bonus to AC, as its body is almost entirely liquid.
Defensive Abilities: A slime creature retains all the defensive abilities of the base creature and gains the poison body ability.
Poison Body (Ex): An adjacent creature which hits a slime creature with a natural attack or melee weapon is exposed to slime poison (see special attacks, below).
Special Attacks: A slime creature retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains the following special attacks.
Natural Attack (Ex): A slime creature does not deal acid damage with its natural attacks or during a grapple; instead, whenever a slime creature hits another creature with one of its natural attacks, and each round it is in a grapple with another creature, that creature is exposed to slime poison.
Slime Poison: Type poison (contact); Save Fortitude DC 20 + 1/2 the slime creature’s Hit Dice + the slime creature’s Con modifier
Frequency 1/ round for 6 rounds
Effect 1 Con damage, and a creature that is reduced to 0 Con in this way is completely dissolved into animate slime. One minute after its death, it is returned to life as a slime creature of the same type that killed it. Dealing at least 1 point of cold damage to the resulting slime creature halts this process; Cure 1 save.
Slime Puddle (Ex): When a slime creature is reduced to 0 hit points, it immediately dies, filling an area equal to its space with a puddle of slime poison, which lasts for 1 hour before becoming inert. Dealing at least 1 point of cold damage to the puddle causes it to immediately become inert.
Ecology
No one knows where the original slime creatures came from, as most are created by exposure to slime poison. Most slime creatures share little in common with the creatures they were before, instead being driven almost entirely by hunger. Because of their poisonous bodies, they are occasionally sought out by alchemists looking to make particularly virulent poisons.