A petrifying ooze

[Uncle Pine]

Last time (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?524065-Breath-weapon-(horses)) a particularly weird idea came to me I got quite the awesome feedback, so here I am once again.

I have this mental image of an ooze that petrifies its opponents instead of (or at least before) dissolving them with acid. Is there a way to do that, either an obscure template or combination of abilities/feats giving a petrifying attack, a way to imbue a creature with petrifying spells, or an actual ooze creature with a petrification attack printed in some obscure adventure or manual? So far, the only solution I could think of isn't particularly elegant: a fiendish black pudding with at least 11 Sorcerer or Wizard levels to gain access to Flesh to Stone (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fleshToStone.htm) that delivers it via slam attacks.

For the sake of this thread, consider all the variant "flesh to X" spells (ice, salt, etc.) kosher.

[unseenmage]

Is there a reason Flesh to Stone wont work with Living Spells (https://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/livingspell.shtml)?

[Uncle Pine]

Is there a reason Flesh to Stone wont work with Living Spells (https://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/livingspell.shtml)?
The living spell template can be applied to "any spells that create an area or effect (not targeted spells), but not a spell whose effect is already a creature (such as a summon monster spell)." Flesh to stone is a targeted spell.

[DrMotives]

Other than "living spell", I don't know any template that makes things into oozes, but Savage Species does have a Gelatinous Creature template. Sure, it makes things aberrations, not oozes, but a gelatinous cockatrice is still a chicken-shaped mass of slime with a bite attack that can petrify.

[Torpin]

Last time (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?524065-Breath-weapon-(horses)) a particularly weird idea came to me I got quite the awesome feedback, so here I am once again.

I have this mental image of an ooze that petrifies its opponents instead of (or at least before) dissolving them with acid. Is there a way to do that, either an obscure template or combination of abilities/feats giving a petrifying attack, a way to imbue a creature with petrifying spells, or an actual ooze creature with a petrification attack printed in some obscure adventure or manual? So far, the only solution I could think of isn't particularly elegant: a fiendish black pudding with at least 11 Sorcerer or Wizard levels to gain access to Flesh to Stone (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fleshToStone.htm) that delivers it via slam attacks.

For the sake of this thread, consider all the variant "flesh to X" spells (ice, salt, etc.) kosher.

according to the dmg you can do whatever you want its your game. and everything you see in every rule book is a guide.
comparing a black pudding to a medusa, both are cr 7 monstersso its not unreasonable. if you want to modify the engulf base the petrify off of the medusa, knock the puddings con down by 4, reducing saves need to 19, hp by 20 and then bumping the cr by 2 and call it fair is how i would do it

[Torpin]

also you can just give the gelatinous cube's engulf the ability to petrify instead of paralyze, in combat it wont have that much of a mechanical difference but it may require a larger amount of resources to be spend after so just bump up the cr by 1 or 2 as you see fit. you are the DM you are allowed.

[Jack_Simth]

Perhaps a Living Spell of Flesh to Salt, Mass? It's not strictly kosher (Flesh to Salt, Mass, is multiple-target with a target-target range restriction, rather than an area per se), but if you're the DM....

[Feantar]

Homebrew a spell Called Breath of the Gorgon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/gorgon.htm), that gives you 1 use of the gorgon's breath weapon (flesh to stone, 60 ft cone). Set it to level 8 (Remember that holy word/blasphemy/dictum/word of chaos is level 7, the first mass kill spell, and symbol of death is level 8) or even level 9 if you want to be safe (a wail of the banshee equivalent). Make a living spell out of it. Done.

Edit: Had written one round breath weapon which I just realised could be Persisted.

[Blue Jay]

Creeping Stone from Dragon #314 (p. 30) is pretty much exactly what you want. It's a 6HD, CR 6 Large ooze with the Earth subtype that petrifies creatures it engulfs. It also has a rather fast 20-ft speed for an ooze as well as a Climb speed, a burrow speed (with Earth Glide), Constrict and a slow effect.

You could also use the Ooze Creature template from Green Ronin's Advanced Bestiary. A medusa or gorgon is a valid base creature for the template, and the creature will keep its existing special attacks, as well as gain oozy attacks. Technically, it wouldn't be a classic ooze: it would be a medusa or gorgon made of slime, but I'm sure you could fluff that easily enough.

[Uncle Pine]

Creeping Stone from Dragon #314 (p. 30) is pretty much exactly what you want. It's a 6HD, CR 6 Large ooze with the Earth subtype that petrifies creatures it engulfs. It also has a rather fast 20-ft speed for an ooze as well as a Climb speed, a burrow speed (with Earth Glide), Constrict and a slow effect.

That's awesome! I knew something like this had to exist somewhere.

I am also aware that a petrifying ooze is easily homebrewable, but sometime I get this itchy feeling to try and get a RAW alternative nonetheless. Perhaps it's just me. :smallbiggrin: Thanks to everyone who pitched in!

[Crake]

That's awesome! I knew something like this had to exist somewhere.

I am also aware that a petrifying ooze is easily homebrewable, but sometime I get this itchy feeling to try and get a RAW alternative nonetheless. Perhaps it's just me. :smallbiggrin: Thanks to everyone who pitched in!

Well, dragon magazine is basically glorified homebrew anyway :smalltongue:

[unseenmage]

The living spell template can be applied to "any spells that create an area or effect (not targeted spells), but not a spell whose effect is already a creature (such as a summon monster spell)." Flesh to stone is a targeted spell.

Pretty sure War Magic spells from Dragon mag turn targeted spells into areas IIRC. Would get +1 spell level.

[ShurikVch]

The living spell template can be applied to "any spells that create an area or effect (not targeted spells), but not a spell whose effect is already a creature (such as a summon monster spell)." Flesh to stone is a targeted spell.Hey, Living Flesh to Stone (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ls/20060918a) is official!

[Falontani]

Crossbreeding Flesh and Blood. Third party book. Lets spellcasters create hybrid creatures (like the owlbear). Not so easy that any player could abuse it, due to it being harder to do than creating magic items (often times taking months of in game research, as well as requiring them to subdue and restrain the creatures used to create the crossbreed). It is very well written imo, and with slight reworking (was designed for 3e) works very well as both a dm tool, and something players can strive for.

[unseenmage]

I mean, if we're going 3rd party the Amalgam template in Advanced Bestiary literally smooshed two creatures together.

[Uncle Pine]

Hey, Living Flesh to Stone (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ls/20060918a) is official!
This is in every possible way exactly what I was imagining (down to the incorporated slow effect, which I find fantastic), as well as yet another confirmation of something that's already been echoed in this thread: one man's exception to the rule is another man's amazing idea. Finding out that the rules as written accounted for even that incredible thing can be fascinating, but simply tweaking them can be a lot easier sometime. :smallbiggrin:


Crossbreeding Flesh and Blood. Third party book. Lets spellcasters create hybrid creatures (like the owlbear). Not so easy that any player could abuse it, due to it being harder to do than creating magic items (often times taking months of in game research, as well as requiring them to subdue and restrain the creatures used to create the crossbreed). It is very well written imo, and with slight reworking (was designed for 3e) works very well as both a dm tool, and something players can strive for.

I mean, if we're going 3rd party the Amalgam template in Advanced Bestiary literally smooshed two creatures together.
I actually have both those books. Each of the two methods have their benefits, but this time the petrifying ooze is already covered.

[Feantar]

Hey, Living Flesh to Stone (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ls/20060918a) is official!
And thus, </thread>.

[Thurbane]

You could also have one of the intelligent oozes (Assassin Jelly, Cesspit Ooze, Conflagration Ooze, Living Ferroplasm, or Summoning Ooze) take levels in Archivist, Sha'ir, Shugenja, Sorcerer, Wizard, Wu Jen (Earth), or Urban Druid.

You'd also need a bunch of feats for an ooze to be able to cast spells, in most cases.

...but Living Stone to Flesh or Creeping Stone would be better, more straightforward options.

[Mnemius]

I remember an undead (not evil) from an adventure on wizards back long long ago that had a constitution draining aura that petrified anyone who hit 0 Con (so you'd need a flesh to stone and then raise dead to revive, but hey! no body decay!).

Maybe turn that aura into a "If ooze is touching you" effect, so it bakes into it's attacks and engulfs?

[DrMotives]

I remember an undead (not evil) from an adventure on wizards back long long ago that had a constitution draining aura that petrified anyone who hit 0 Con (so you'd need a flesh to stone and then raise dead to revive, but hey! no body decay!).

Maybe turn that aura into a "If ooze is touching you" effect, so it bakes into it's attacks and engulfs?

That's kind of like the earth whisper from Races of Stone, an incorporeal elemental that has a dex drain touch. Being at 0 dex from its attacks petrifies you.

[Mnemius]

Did some digging. The adventure was called Stone Dead, was part of the 3.5 archive. The monster was called a gravecrawler and is in the MM2.

It's aura was Fort Dc every round for con damage. If you hit 0, you became stone. Shuffle that into an ooze as a replacing all the +acid damage on it's hits and constricts with Fort DC for con damage.

Adjust the DC and damage as for how much threat you want.