Oozes and 5ed

[JellyPooga]

So a friend of mine was looking for apocalyptic cheese for a 3.5 game and I suggested some Oozemaster/Blighter Bown Mold shenanigans. Anyway, it got me thinking about Oozes in 5ed and it occured to me that aside from the Monster Manual entry and Favoured Enemy, there appears to be zero Class Features, Spells or Feats that specifically deal with this creature type. There's plenty for other creature types, such as Turn Undead and Protection from E/G, but all but nothing for our slimy friends.

So, does anyone know something I don't? Any suggestions for things that might apply to Oozes or their traits (reliable access to acid Resistance/Immunity for example)? Any homebrew that anyone knows of or has suggestions for?

Thanks in advance for any input!

[Ninja_Prawn]

Well for starters, it's pretty easy to refluff Protection from Evil and Good to cover oozes. I did just that with Faerie Ward here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20238229&postcount=2), because I wanted a protection spell that was safe to use by fey PCs. Obviously.

And Middle Finger of Vecna (for which I am now an official writer!) has an Oozemaster sorcerous origin here (http://www.middlefingerofvecna.com/2015/07/oozemaster.html).

Resistance-wise, Absorb Elements and Protection from Energy both work on acid, and black and copper dragonborn both have it as a racial trait. Draconic sorcerers of those colours can get it for 1 SP.

[Specter]

I'd make them resistant to SneakAttack, because that makes no sense at all.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I'd make them resistant to SneakAttack, because that makes no sense at all.

"Go for its weak spot!"
"Uh....?"

[Reosoul]

I'd make them resistant to SneakAttack, because that makes no sense at all.

Yes! Screw you, one class in particular! Here in the land of magic and dragons, we only allow logic!

/derail thread

[PeteNutButter]

I had one of my PCs find a spell that was Conjure Ooze (after defeating an appropriate boss). Operated the same as conjure animals (same CRs and amount) but with you know... oozes. Didn't seem exceptionally broken, but he may have yet to unlock its true potential. Weaker than conjure animals in the open as they are easily kited, but stronger in other cases.

This can probably work with most creature types as similar spells already exist for a few.

[JellyPooga]

Well for starters, it's pretty easy to refluff Protection from Evil and Good to cover oozes. I did just that with Faerie Ward here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20238229&postcount=2), because I wanted a protection spell that was safe to use by fey PCs. Obviously.

And Middle Finger of Vecna (for which I am now an official writer!) has an Oozemaster sorcerous origin here (http://www.middlefingerofvecna.com/2015/07/oozemaster.html).

Yeah, I've seen the Oozemaster Sorcerer Origin there and it...didn't quite hit the spot for me. I dunno, I always saw the Oozemaster as either a very odd Druid or a Wizard that's gone off the rails a bit. I could also see a Warlock working, harking back to the days when Thrall of Jubilex etc. were a thing. Trying to fathom how a Sorcerer got Ooze "blood" in his heritage, however, is...something I'd rather not dwell on!


Resistance-wise, Absorb Elements and Protection from Energy both work on acid, and black and copper dragonborn both have it as a racial trait. Draconic sorcerers of those colours can get it for 1 SP.

Good call. The Nature Domain Dampen Elements feature also works.


I had one of my PCs find a spell that was Conjure Ooze (after defeating an appropriate boss). Operated the same as conjure animals (same CRs and amount) but with you know... oozes. Didn't seem exceptionally broken, but he may have yet to unlock its true potential. Weaker than conjure animals in the open as they are easily kited, but stronger in other cases.

This can probably work with most creature types as similar spells already exist for a few.

I agree. Assuming it's all based on CR, there shouldn't be any issues with allowing a "Conjure" spell in the vein of all the others. The problem on the Ooze front is that there's precisely four (OK, there's technically five is you count Psychic Grey Ooze) oozes in the Monster Manual. Going by the precedent set by the existing Conjure spells, you're looking at something like;


Conjure Minor Ooze (aka: Conjure Slimy Doom, Conjure Puddle o' Ooze or Conjure Icky Death)
4th level Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 60ft
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You summon one or more creatures with the Ooze type that appear in unoccupied spaces that you can see within range. Choose one of the following options for what appears:

- One creature with the Ooze type of CR:2 or lower
- Four creatures with the Ooze type of CR:1/2 or lower

[explanatory paragraph match other Conjures]

Option one is either one Gelatinous Cube or one Ochre Jelly, option two is four Grey Oozes. The higher level version (which I'd probably peg it as a 5th level spell) wouldn't be Conjure Ooze with a selection of Oozes to choose from, it would literally be Conjure Black Pudding. Not exactly "Variety Town".

On the subject of things your friend may be missing; Grey Oozes have a unique utility application; namely that they can safely and silently disable most mechanical traps and locks by squishing themselves into the mechanism and letting good ol' nature take its course. They corrode 2" of metal in a single round; more than sufficient to eat a hole through a lock as quickly as, if not quicker than a thief can pick it. Black Puddings can go one better and simply dissolve the entire door (any door thicker than 2" is a hefty door indeed, but even those will succumb in a couple of rounds unless magically protected).

[Specter]

Yes! Screw you, one class in particular! Here in the land of magic and dragons, we only allow logic!

/derail thread

Come on. If you wanna test it, just stick a knife in jello and see where it hurts the most.

[JellyPooga]

Come on. If you wanna test it, just stick a knife in jello and see where it hurts the most.

I find aiming for the fruit pieces does the most damage (and is the tastiest!) :smallbiggrin:

[Ninja_Prawn]

The problem on the Ooze front is that there's precisely four (OK, there's technically five is you count Psychic Grey Ooze) oozes in the Monster Manual.

Homebrew to the rescue again? I have a CR 6 Glitterfire and CR 8 White Pudding up my sleeve, though they're not in the public domain yet. I'm sure someone will have made more oozes somewhere...

[JellyPooga]

Homebrew to the rescue again? I have a CR 6 Glitterfire and CR 8 White Pudding up my sleeve, though they're not in the public domain yet. I'm sure someone will have made more oozes somewhere...

I'd quite like to see the return of the Void Ooze or something like it (but not flying...that was silly), myself. The notion of a creature that can replicate itself after only a few rounds of feeding is rather terrifying.

[Reosoul]

Come on. If you wanna test it, just stick a knife in jello and see where it hurts the most.

I'm just saying, it's a slippery slope. Once you start with the "It just makes sense", then you're going to run into trouble.

Like, how do you harm a ghost with mundane weapons? How can a creature have a burrow speed of 40 feet per six seconds? Etc, etc.

It's a mistake to go down that road in a game like D&D.

[JellyPooga]

I'm just saying, it's a slippery slope.

Of course it is; we're talking about Oozes!:smallwink:

[Reosoul]

Of course it is; we're talking about Oozes!:smallwink:

Ah, damn it! Stop that! I'm trying to be serious and make a serious point and, and...

[TripleD]

Trying to fathom how a Sorcerer got Ooze "blood" in his heritage, however, is...something I'd rather not dwell on!


According to the Sorcerer fluff heritage is just one way you acquire your powers. Other examples could be things like being born under the right star, having a fey as a godparent, getting caught in spell when you were little, etc. Basically something weird happened to you when you were a kid.

Maybe the ooze sorcerer grew up in a very filthy home and ate some weird stuff off the floor when they were little?

[Slipperychicken]

I'd make them resistant to SneakAttack, because that makes no sense at all.

I'm not so sure. That line of thinking is a big part of how rogues became near-useless in 3rd, barring extraordinary workarounds. Much of the monster manual, including very broad and commonly-used categories like elementals, oozes, undead, incorporeals, and constructs were flat-out immune to their main class feature because the devs decided sneak-attacking shouldn't work on them.

And then you have to ask, if precision isn't valuable in harming a creature, then why should dexterity (or any stat used to representing accuracy or well-timed blows, as wisdom and intelligence sometimes are) ever apply to damage rolls against them? How do you reason the sharpshooter feat would work against them? After all you can't hit an ooze in the eye, and a monster made out of air doesn't exactly have a weak-spot. I think it's terribly messy and that WotC had good reasons for changing it in 5e.

[Finback]

According to the Sorcerer fluff heritage is just one way you acquire your powers. Other examples could be things like being born under the right star, having a fey as a godparent, getting caught in spell when you were little, etc. Basically something weird happened to you when you were a kid.

Never has the phrase, "A wizard did it" meant so much. It's no small matter for an evil wizard to abduct a sleeping child and perform experiments on them. This is why it's a common expression around tired children - "you snooze, you ooze."

*rimshot*

[Saeviomage]

Come on. If you wanna test it, just stick a knife in jello and see where it hurts the most.

Thought experiment. Take a cube of jello that is 5' across. Slice at it with a 1' knife. Note that if you slice straight at the centre, you make a 1' gash that basically reseals immediately, but if you make your cut 1' from the corner, you can remove the corner completely.

The same principle applies to every possible 3 dimensional shape.

[poolio]

I would make them ether weak to ice based damage, or make bludgeoning damage do more after being hit with ice damage,

And i kinda agree with the other guys removal of sneak attack damage, i mean yeah sucks for rogue, but he can do tons of damage every turn to everyone/else so who cares if there's one creature type it doesn't work on?

I have an irrational fear of oozes and slimes of all kinds due to two characters losing hard earned armor to their acidic touch, something that carries over to any character i play sporting shiny pants, much to the delight of my groups dm.

[Specter]

I find aiming for the fruit pieces does the most damage (and is the tastiest!) :smallbiggrin:

This thread is gold.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Rather than immunity to sneak attack specifically, I'd just give them resistance to nonmagical weapons. Same basic idea, but not affecting any class in particular.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Rather than immunity to sneak attack specifically, I'd just give them resistance to nonmagical weapons. Same basic idea, but not affecting any class in particular.

It does strike me as odd that none of the MM oozes have even resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning damage, at least. I suppose it gives homebrewers something to do, though.