[MToF] Oblex Simulacrums

[Vogie]

So I'm thinking of throwing a couple of Oblexes (Oblicies?) at my party during a Halloween-y one-shot, and have a question on the Sulfurous Impersonations.

The stat block states that

The simulacrum is a piece of the oblex that can travel up to 120 ft away
"... the simulacrum is the oblex, meaning that the oblex occupies its space and the simulacrum's space simultaneously"
The Oblex has a multiattack, Pseudopod & Eat Memories actions, as well as some innate spellcasting.

At first read, I thought it would've created an actual simulacrum of a target that it had consumed the memories of. For example, if it had consumed a veteran and an Apprentice Wizard, it'd be able to effectively "summon" a veteran or apprentice wizard using Sulfurous Impersonation.

Reading it again, I'm not so sure - all it seems to gain from Eat memories are proficiencies, languages and, well, memories. All of the spells or non-proficiency skills collected by the victims of the Oblex don't seem to matter - using Sulfurous Impersonation to create a Veteran, for example, will not give you a 17 AC fighter with a longsword multiattack - It'll still have the stats of the oblex, while happening to look like a veteran. Similarly, a Sulfurous Impersonation of an Apprentice Wizard won't have any spells, outside the Innate Spellcasting the oblex normally has.

Which is correct? How have you played it and/or seen it played?

[Segev]

So I'm thinking of throwing a couple of Oblexes (Oblicies?) at my party during a Halloween-y one-shot, and have a question on the Sulfurous Impersonations.

The stat block states that

The simulacrum is a piece of the oblex that can travel up to 120 ft away
"... the simulacrum is the oblex, meaning that the oblex occupies its space and the simulacrum's space simultaneously"
The Oblex has a multiattack, Pseudopod & Eat Memories actions, as well as some innate spellcasting.

At first read, I thought it would've created an actual simulacrum of a target that it had consumed the memories of. For example, if it had consumed a veteran and an Apprentice Wizard, it'd be able to effectively "summon" a veteran or apprentice wizard using Sulfurous Impersonation.

Reading it again, I'm not so sure - all it seems to gain from Eat memories are proficiencies, languages and, well, memories. All of the spells or non-proficiency skills collected by the victims of the Oblex don't seem to matter - using Sulfurous Impersonation to create a Veteran, for example, will not give you a 17 AC fighter with a longsword multiattack - It'll still have the stats of the oblex, while happening to look like a veteran. Similarly, a Sulfurous Impersonation of an Apprentice Wizard won't have any spells, outside the Innate Spellcasting the oblex normally has.

Which is correct? How have you played it and/or seen it played?

The interpretation that says you don't get to use (nor have to look up) the stat block of the impersonated creature is correct. It says it's the Oblex, not the creature. It just gets to look like the creature, sound like the creature, speak like the creature, and have the knowledge and memories of the creature, sufficient to enable it to fool people. But when it needs to reference stats and abilities, it uses the Oblex's stat block.

[NoxMiasma]

I think it would be reasonable to say that an Oblex's Simulacrum, on it's own, cannot do anything not in the Oblex's stats, but I would also argue that any equipment the Simulacrum picks up (not is formed with, leather armour formed from ooze-stuff is no more or less durable than full-plate, homespun cotton or cloth-of-gold, because its all protoplasmic slime) would be able to alter it's abilities. If the Oblex ate a fighter's, guard's or warlord's memories, it would gain those weapon and armour proficiencies, and therefore, if that fighter simulacrum picked up a longsword, it should be able to use it, as should any other simulacrum that oblex forms.