Dude, Where's My Sword? [Monster]

[Callix]

This is just a vague idea...

Tunnelsucker
Large Ooze
HD 6d10 + 12 (45 HP)
Speed 15 ft. (3 squares); Climb 10ft
Init: -1
AC 14; touch 8; flat-footed 14
(+6 natural, -1 size, -1 Dex)
BAB +4; Grp +12
Attack Slam +7
(1d8+6, 20/x2) or projectile +4 ranged (1d6+4 or special)
Full-Attack Slam +7 (1d8+6, 20/x2) or 3 Projectiles ranged +4 (1d6+4 or special)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Improved Grab, Engulf, Eject
Special Qualities Snare Weaponry, Blindsight 60ft, Ooze traits, Mindless
Saves Fort +4 Ref +1 Will +2
Abilities Str 18, Dex 8, Con 14, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills None
Feats None
Environment Any Underground
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 5
Treasure 50% gold; 1/2 gems, no art, 1/2 magic items
Alignment Always Neutral
Advancement 6-10 HD (Large), 11-16 HD (Huge);

The tunnel ahead is filled with a greenish goo. As you approach, a single pseudopod reaches out hungrily towards you.

The tunnelsucker is a large creature common to all manner of underground systems, particularly those which are no longer maintained. More of a nuisance than a true threat, the tunnelsucker does not eat animal matter or minerals. It eats vegetation and fungi, and in order to remove the lichens and molds it subsides on, it has a powerful suction mechanism. To eject the rocks and so forth it absorbs, it developed its most damgerous ability, to violently launch absorbed items. The ooze will even eject absorbed adventurers.

Combat: A tunnelsucker grabs at anything within reach. If injured, it fires all the projectiles it can at the attacker. It does not flee.

Snare Weaponry (ex): Any manufactured weapon that strikes the tunnelsucker is sucked towards the centre. If the wielder fails an opposed strength check, the weapon is drawn into the ooze and may be ejected. A creature which strikes with natural weapons or unarmed strikes must make an opposed Strength check or be grappled.

Improved Grab (ex): The Tunnelsucker may attempt to start a grapple as a free action whenever it hits with a slam attack, and does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the target.

Engulf (ex): The tunnelsucker may attempt to engulf any grappled creature, and does so at the first opportunity. An engulfed creature cannot breathe and is considered grappled, but the ooze is not. An engulfed creature is ejected the next round, and may fight the ooze from within. Treat the creature as underwater and entangled. Only creatures one size category smaller than the tunnelsucker or smaller may be engulfed.

Eject (ex): The tunnelsucker can fire engulfed objects and creatures at opponents. As a full-round action, it can fire up to 3 projectiles with a +2 racial bonus. Projectiles have a 10ft range increment. Rocks and similar objects deal 1d6+4 damage. Engulfed weapons deal their listed damage. Engulfed creatures deal 1d6+4 damage, and take the same damage (no save). The tunnelsucker despises the taste of living flesh, and ejects a living creature first. Metal also disagrees with it, and it fires metal objects as a next preference, or first if no living creatures are engulfed. Rocks and wooden items are fired last. The ooze deals no damage to any object or creature engulfed.

This is my first monster. Please point out any flaws etc.

[Poppatomus]

A bit too late at the moment to give it a full review, but it seems cool. I like the idea of absorbing and firing weapons and oozes seem to be relativly underrepresented here, at least recently.

Two small suggestions: Engulf should probably be limited to creatures the Tunnelsucker's size or smaller and There should be some kind of effect on natural weapons I think, even if they can't be absorbed and fired (maybe an automatic grapple check to preven the attacker from making another attack with the same natural weapon, or some such.)

May it be the first of many.

[Callix]

Thanks, I've made the changes. I noticed not many oozes were getting up recently. Also, all aspects of this monster are up for discussion, including HD and CR. I'm a noob. Advise me.

[Joltz]

lol. I like it. Overall it's pretty well build, everything works as-is. I just have a few suggestions to streamline it.

oh, nvm. One thing wrong-wrong. As a mindless creature, it shouldn't have feats. anyway...

The wording of the Eject is a bit muddled. You could just say that attacks made with the Eject ability require a ranged attack to hit and the ooze has a +2 racial bonus to hit with these attacks (I think that's what you meant). Also, the damage seems a bit arbitrary. Why is it a d6+1 why not make it +4 (its str modifier). Also, it would probably be simplest if you just listed the attacks from the eject ability in the full attack block. (can it eject to make a single attack?)

About the Engulf ability. It says that engulfed creatures are considered underwater and entangled. Does this mean you can swim to the surface of the ooze or something? It's simplest if you just consider the creature grappled.

Snare Weaponry hmmm... no save. I like my saves. I'd think a target would get a reflex save (DC 10+1/2 the ooze's HD+it's str mod) instead of a str check.

The ooze's CR seems a tad high for it's hp and damage dealing ability, but I could be completely wrong on that.

One last thing, I noticed it has no HD cap on it's advancement. Monsters should usually have those to keep crazy DMs from making 79 HD versions to terrorize their PCs. If you don't want it to be able to get bigger than Huge I'd cap it at 16 or so. I like to have the ability to make big bad scary versions though. I think I'd make it go
6-10 (Large), 11-16(Huge), 17-24(Gargantuan)

I like it a lot though. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't bother typing that much for it :smallbiggrin:

[Callix]

*fixing* Thanks Joltz. I figured the nuisance value and lack of saves warranted a higher CR, and I wanted Eject to be more than 1 attack/round, so I made it a special full-round action rather than an attack form. Rogues should avoid this fight. But that's true of all ooze fights.

[Joltz]

Actually, between the low hp, lack of defensive abilities (DR, split, ect.), and only 30 ft blindsight, it's not scary at all if you know what it is. Yeah, I just looked at the MM. All the oozes in there have blindsight to 60ft. which is a big thing when they're blind otherwise (ooze trait). Anything with darkvision 60 and knowledge of its abilities is gonna stand 50ft away and take out a bow, possibly while laughing. Unless it's intended to be a joke (and at CR 5 it shouldn't be) it should probably have 60ft blindsight.

Oh! Another thing I though of while I was typing earlier. There's no mention of range increments in the eject ability. What kind of range does it have? Also, when you took out the feats entry you left the hit bonus from weapon focus (slam).

Oh yeah, A quick dual wielding rogue with oozebane maces (or an oozebane quarterstaff) can actually be mildly effective against oozes. Then there's always the possibility of running around with an oozebane sling... I like rogues too much to admit that they can't overcome any challenge. :smallwink:

[Callix]

Thanks again. A rogue with decent dex just shooting it from a reasonable range will be pretty effective. They just shouldn't close :smallsmile: . I like rogues too.

[Joltz]

Yeah, looks good now. The str check instead of a reflex save to resist snare weaponry gives it a different feel. That combined with a lack of a split ability makes me picture it as a gooey thing that sucks up stuff like thick mud instead of the jello-type consistency I picture other oozes as having. If you're quick you can get your weapon in and out before other oozes can do anything, but this one is just too thick and gooey. I like it :smallamused:

The only thing bugging me now is the lack of HD cap. I know people who'd look at that and make some ridiculously over-advanced version just for the heck of it and look for any excuse to throw it in a campaign.

[Callix]

Aww, but half the fun is hurling a CR27 vacuum cleaner at an epic party... Seriously? I missed it. I'll fix.

[Demented]

There's nothing really bad about putting no limit on the advancement... DMs can do it anyway, and CR is supposed to automatically adjust with advancement regardless.

It just defies convention.
(And also means that you're, by the rules, stuck with a Huge ooze, no matter how many HD you give it.)