Monarch Dodora
2020-02-27, 06:45 PM
Ooze-Bonded
Oozes provoke fear and disgust in most, but to some their acids, toxins and fluid forms are a source of fascination - even envy. For a few, this preoccupation can become an obsession that compels them onto the path of the ooze-bonded, and to become creatures of slime themselves.
An ooze-bonded's transformation begins when they consume a sample of still-living ooze and, via strict diet and the aid of certain surprisingly-common medicines, entice it into a symbiotic relationship with their own body. The ooze seeps through their system until it infests their very cells, and the end result is a person still recognisably who they once were, but made from something more akin to slime than flesh. Ooze-bonded cultivate their new forms with careful obsession, and grow to acquire all the traits that make oozes so feared.
Role: In combat, an ooze-bonded brings to bear the repellent onslaught of their gelatinous kin coupled with a mind that can think and react to changing circumstance, and opponents who underestimate them swiftly find themselves paralyzed, engulfed, and unceremoniously dissolved. Their penchant for climbing and squeezing through tight spaces also makes ooze-bonded consummate explorers, as does their ability to simply corrode through any obstacle they cannot navigate.
Alignment: any.
Hit die: d8.
Class Skills
The ooze-bonded’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).
Skill ranks per level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table: Ooze-bonded
Level
BAB
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Unarmed Damage
Special
1
+0
+2
+0
+2
1d6
Improved Unarmed strike, infusion, mutable limbs, oozeform (move action)
2
+1
+3
+0
+3
1d6
Augment, dissolution (immunity to sleep effects)
3
+2
+3
+1
+3
1d6
Bonus feat
4
+3
+4
+1
+4
1d8
Augment
5
+3
+4
+1
+4
1d8
Dissolution (light fortification)
6
+4
+5
+2
+5
1d8
Augment
7
+5
+5
+2
+5
1d8
Bonus feat
8
+6/+1
+6
+2
+6
2d6
Augment, dissolution (immunity to poison)
9
+6/+1
+6
+3
+6
2d6
Oozeform (swift action)
10
+7/+2
+7
+3
+7
2d6
Augment
11
+8/+3
+7
+3
+7
2d6
Bonus feat, dissolution (immunity to flanking)
12
+9/+4
+8
+4
+8
3d6
Augment
13
+9/+4
+8
+4
+8
3d6
Oozeform (immediate action)
14
+10/+5
+9
+4
+9
3d6
Augment, dissolution (immunity to stunning)
15
+11/+6/+1
+9
+5
+9
3d6
Bonus feat
16
+12/+7/+2
+10
+5
+10
4d6
Augment
17
+12/+7/+2
+10
+5
+10
4d6
Dissolution (immunity to paralysis)
18
+13/+8/+3
+11
+6
+11
4d6
Augment
19
+14/+9/+4
+11
+6
+11
4d6
Bonus feat
20
+15/+10/+5
+12
+6
+12
6d6
Augment, oozeform (free action, indefinite duration), dissolution (immunity to polymorph and criticals, ooze type)
Class Features
The following are class features of the ooze-bonded.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ooze-bonded are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the greatclub, heavy flail, light flail, light hammer, sap, warhammer, and whip, and with light armour, medium armour, and shields (except tower shields). They prefer equipment built from organic materials, which they can enhance with their infusion ability (below), and avoid inorganic armour since it prevents the bodily contact they need for many of their skills to function.
Mutable Limbs (Ex): At 1st level an ooze-bonded can transform either one or both of their arms into bludgeoning pseudopods, which allows them to treat their unarmed strike as a one-handed weapon instead of a light weapon. An ooze-bonded can also fuse both arms into a single huge pseudopod to treat their unarmed strike as a two-handed weapon. Performing or reversing this ability is a move action, or a swift action made as part of movement, equivalent to drawing or sheathing a weapon. The hand of a transformed limb is not considered free while this ability is in effect.
Infusion (Ex): This is an attempt to get around the problem of how an ooze does oozy things while in a suit of armour - like engulf people or seep under a door - and also to give them more weapon choices than just 'I hit with my pseudopod-hands'. The rulse for it feel very finicky, though. I feel like they could be trimmed down a lot. Ooze-bonded can symbiotically fuse their body into equipment crafted from organic materials such as cloth, leather, hide, wood, bone or similar. Infused weapons channel various offensive effects, while infused armour allows the use of abilities that require bodily contact, which uninfused armour prevents. An ooze-bonded’s natural weapons and unarmed strikes are always considered infused unless the ooze-bonded uses equipment that counts as an unarmed strike or natural weapon but that is not infused, such as metal gauntlets.
An ooze-bonded can perform infusion on equipped armour and clothing, and on weapons and items either held or kept about their person. Infusion requires one minute of bodily contact, but otherwise needs no action and can be performed on any number of items at once. Infused equipment becomes soaked in slime but is otherwise unharmed. Once complete, the infusion can be sustained indefinitely as long as the ooze-bonded maintains contact with the infused equipment or keeps it generally close to hand (extradimensional spaces such as a bag of holding do not count for this purpose). Infused items left elsewhere for more than one hour per point of Constitution modifier (minimum 1 hour) dry out and must be reinfused.
Any special properties an item acquires from infusion function only for the ooze-bonded that infused it, and only while they wear or wield it. Items that derive their functionality from non-organic parts (such as an axe with a wooden haft but a metal head) either cannot be infused or gain no special benefit from infusion. An infused ranged weapon does not confer any infused abilities to its ammunition, and ammunition gains no offensive benefit from infusion. An ooze-bonded that infuses a weapon already infused by another ooze-bonded overwrites the previous infusion, though the process fails if the previous infuser establishes contact with the item before the new infusion is complete.
Oozeform (Ex): An ooze-bonded can dissolve their body into a semisolid mass of slime for a limited time. Starting at 1st level, an ooze-bonded can enter oozeform for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + their Constitution modifier. At each level after 1st, they can enter oozeform for 2 additional rounds. Temporary increases to Constitution, such as that gained from a bear’s endurance spell, do not increase the number of rounds this form can be maintained. An ooze-bonded can assume this form as a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and maintain it each round as a free action. The total number of rounds of oozeform is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive. An ooze-bonded can maintain oozeform for additional rounds in excess of the limit, but each round spent in oozeform past the limit inflicts two points of Constitution damage, which occurs immediately upon choosing to enter or maintain oozeform.
An ooze-bonded in oozeform gains the following:
The amorphous (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/universalMonsterRules.html#amorphous) special quality, which grants immunity to critical hits and precision damage such as sneak attacks.
The compression (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/universalMonsterRules.html#compression) special quality, which allows the ooze-bonded to move through an area as small as one-quarter their space without squeezing or one-eighth their space when squeezing. Infused equipment also gains this quality, but uninfused equipment does not, and may not fit through the space the ooze-bonded is attempting to navigate.
The engulf (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/universalMonsterRules.html#engulf) special attack. This ability cannot be used in uninfused armour.
Blindsight (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/universalMonsterRules.html#blindsight) to a range of 20 feet plus 5 feet per class level.
Blindness, with immunity to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.
Immunity to drowning and suffocation as long as some part of their body is exposed to a supply of breathable air.
An ooze-bonded in oozeform maintains the same basic body shape as their base form but is made entirely of constantly-shifting slime, and is vulnerable to effects that target oozes as well as those that target their own creature type. Oozeform does not hinder the functionality of an ooze-bonded's equipped magic items unless the item’s description notes otherwise, nor does it affect an ooze-bonded’s ability to speak, use their hands, or perform other such tasks.
At 9th level an ooze-bonded can choose to enter oozeform as a swift action. At 13th level they may also enter oozeform as an immediate action. At 20th level they may enter oozeform as a free action, and stay in oozeform for an indefinite number of rounds without suffering Constitution damage.
Unarmed Strike: I'm not sure if this is ridiculous. Crunch-wise,ooze-bonded end up with an unarmed strike effectively six size categories larger than their base size, so... Colossal++? Is that even allowed? Also, they achieve it by "shifting extra mass into their arms", so to imitate the really big unarmed strikes you'd be transforming your whole body into a fist... actually, I'll keep this unchanged, just for that mental image. :P An ooze-bonded gains Improved Unarmed Strike (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/feats.html#improved-unarmed-strike) as a bonus feat at 1st level. Ooze-bonded can also shift extra mass into their limbs to deal heavier blows: their unarmed strike deals damage as if it were two size categories larger (1d6 for a Medium ooze-bonded, 1d4 for Small). At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, this effective size category increases by one step; see the FAQ on weapon size category changes. (https://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fm#v5748eaic9t3f) The damage bonus from this ability does not stack with the unarmed strike damage of the monk class; use whichever is higher.
Dissolution (Ex): Ooze-bonded transform into full-fledged oozes as they advance in levels. At 2nd level, and every three levels thereafter, this transformation grants a benefit.
At 2nd level, an ooze-bonded becomes immune to sleep-inducing effects.
At 5th level, they gain a 25% chance to ignore the extra damage from a critical hit or precision damage attack, as if protected by the light fortification (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/magicArmsAndArmor/armorSpecialAbilities.html#fortification) armour property.
At 8th level, they become immune to poison.
At 11th level, they can no longer be flanked.
At 14th level, they become immune to stunning.
At 17th level, they become immune to paralysis.
At 20th level, an ooze-bonded achieves complete symbiosis with the slime in their body. Their type changes to Ooze, they gain immunity to critical hits, precision damage, and polymorph, and they no longer need to sleep. Though oozes are ordinarily blind, an ooze-bonded’s base form retains any modes of sight it possessed prior to transforming.
Augmentation: Ooze-bonded cultivate their slime’s growth to gain additional abilities. At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, an ooze-bonded chooses an augment from the list in the Augments section below. The following rules apply to augments unless noted in their description:
An augment’s Ooze Bonus represents the assistance that the ooze-bonded’s slime provides to their abilities, and is a circumstance bonus equal to half the ooze-bonded’s class level.
An augment’s save DC is equal to 10 + ½ the ooze-bonded’s class level + the ooze-bonded’s Constitution modifier.
Where an augment refers to a spell or magical effect, the ooze-bonded’s class level is the effective caster level for the effect, though the effect of the augment itself is non-magical.
Bonus feat: At 3rd level, and every four levels thereafter, an ooze-bonded gains a bonus feat. This may be selected from among the Improved Combat Maneuver feat line (such as Improved Bull Rush or Improved Disarm); the Greater Combat Maneuver feat line; or from the Ooze feats, described below. An ooze-bonded must still meet a feat’s prerequisites to select it.
Augments
Four skill trees, each with five skills. Ooze-bonded choose 10 total, so they can master two trees or mix-and-match. I tried to design them so that no skill depended on any others to work, so you aren't locked in to any one tree by your early choices. I also wanted them to improve with level and not be 'static', so you can't just reap their full benefit and then multiclass away. There's a few that need tweaking for this (like how Acid Strike maxes out at 15th level), but I think most of them are okay. Also also, they should give an oozeform benefit and a base-form benefit.
One thing I am wondering about is that the ooze-bonded doesn't really have any limited-use abilities except for oozeform. Some of these could probably stand to be restricted in that manner. Suggestions are welcome, as are assurances that it doesn't matter :P
Acid Augments
Acid Strike (Ex): Your infused weapons deal acid damage as the corrosive special ability. You can suppress or resume this ability as a free action. If you are in oozeform, and grappling or pinning the target of your attack, the acid damage is also applied to their armour and clothing unless they succeed on a Reflex save. At 8th level the damage from this augment increases to 2d6 and at 15th level it increases to 3d6. This ability does not stack with any corrosive or corrosive burst properties a weapon may already have.
Acid Body (Ex): Your blood and bodily fluids become potently acidic. Creatures that damage you with natural weapons or unarmed strikes, or manufactured weapons that damage you, take 1d6 acid damage per successful attack. A creature you engulf in oozeform also receives this damage upon being engulfed, and at the beginning of each of your turns that it remains engulfed, and must make a Reflex save to avoid their equipment taking the same damage. At 8th level the damage from this ability increases to 2d6 and at 15th level it increases to 3d6. You can suppress or resume this ability as a free action. You cannot deal reactive damage in uninfused armour.
Acid Resistance (Ex): You gain acid resistance 10. At 5th level this increases to 20, and at 10th level it increases to 30. At 15th level you become immune to acid. Your infused equipment also benefits from this resistance.
Catalyzed Corrosion (Ex): You awaken your ooze's ability to break down tough and inorganic materials. You gain the following benefits:
You can damage objects and surfaces through extended contact. As a free action at the beginning of your turn you can inflict acid damage equal to your class level plus your Constitution modifier to any objects or surfaces you choose that are in contact with your body or infused equipment and have been for at least one round. Objects must be unattended, or the attendee must be either willing, helpless, or pinned (you are considered to be in contact with all of an opponent’s equipment as long as you maintain the pin).
Acid damage you inflict with any of your acid augments deals its full damage against objects instead of half damage, and attacks on objects that include your acid as part of the damage ignore a number of points of hardness equal to your class level plus your Constitution modifier. Hardness is not bypassed if the acid fails to do any damage.
The ooze in your body senses the presence of materials it can digest, and instinctively lunges for them when you do. Gain your Ooze Bonus to your CMB when making a Sunder Combat Maneuver with an infused weapon.
Acid Glob (Ex): You can produce and throw a ball of acidic slime as a standard action. This functions as a splash weapon with a range increment of 10 feet, or as a greater splash weapon (https://www.aonprd.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Noxious%20pig) for ooze-bonded of size Large or larger, and coats its victims in an acidic goo that persists for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. The ball deals 1d6 acid damage per two class levels to anyone struck directly and 1 point of acid damage per two class levels to anyone within the splash radius, and also damages clothing and armour. Damage occurs when the ball strikes its target and at the beginning of each of your subsequent turns. You can produce one glob of acid slime per day, plus one per three class levels.
Sticky Augments
Sticky Hands (Ex): You can bolster your grip with secretions of gluey slime. Gain your Ooze Bonus to Combat Maneuver checks to Grapple, Disarm, and Steal when making these maneuvers with an infused weapon. In oozeform, you gain the grab universal monster ability when attacking with an infused weapon with which you can use the Grapple combat maneuver.
Sticky Stance (Ex): You can stick yourself to floors and walls. Gain your Ooze Bonus to your CMD against the Bull Rush, Drag, Overrun, Reposition, and Trip Maneuvers, and to any other Combat Maneuver check that attempts to move you against your will by physical force, as long as you are standing on or adjacent to a solid surface you can stick to. You also gain your Ooze Bonus to Acrobatics checks made to balance, and to Climb checks. In oozeform you can climb as if under the effect of the spider climb (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/spells/spiderClimb.html) spell. You lose these benefits in uninfused armour.
Sticky Body (Ex): Your inner fluids become a potent adhesive that sticks attackers and their weapons. When you are struck and damaged by an enemy within 5 feet of you, you can affix a gluey tendril of slime to them as an immediate action. This functions like the tendrils created by the Sticky ability of a tar jelly (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/oozes/jelly-tar/), except that the tendril has hit points equal to your class level, an AC equal to 10 + your Ooze Bonus, and you do not gain a bonus to attack rolls. In oozeform you are also treated as if under the effects of the adhesive blood (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advancedClassGuide/spells/adhesiveBlood.html) spell. You can release stuck weapons as a free action. These abilities do not function in uninfused armour.
Sticky Stop (Ex): You hinder your foes' movements with well-timed drenchings of sticky slime. You gain Stand Still (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/feats.html#stand-still) as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites, and you can add your Ooze Bonus to the Combat Maneuver check. You also gain your Ooze Bonus to your CMD against a foe's Acrobatics checks to move past you without provoking attacks of opportunity. These benefits only apply when you wield an infused weapon. In oozeform, you can soak grappled opponents in glue to bind them; this functions as the 'tie up' grapple option, but you need have no rope to hand, and you add your Ooze Bonus to the check. This attack cannot be used in uninfused armour.
Sticky Glob (Ex): You can produce and throw a ball of sticky slime as a standard action. This functions as a splash weapon with a range increment of 10 feet, or as a greater splash weapon (https://www.aonprd.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Noxious%20pig) for ooze-bonded of size Large or larger. A creature struck directly is affected as if by a tanglefoot bag, except that the DCs are equal to your augment DC, it has hit points equal to your maximum hit point total, and it is effective against creatures up to one size category larger than you. Creatures in the splash radius gain the entangled condition unless they succeed on a Reflex save. All squares within the target and splash radius are coated in sticky slime, as the glue seal (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/g/glue-seal/) spell. You can produce one glob of sticky slime per day, plus one per three class levels.
Slippery Augments The sticky and slippery skill trees are supposed to mirror each other, so if a sticky ooze-bonded fights a slippery ooze-bonded their advantages should more or less cancel out. I think I've done a reasonable job, but feel free to suggest improvements. Slip and Slide (Ex): You can release bursts of slippery slime to take your opponent's feet out from under them. Gain your Ooze Bonus to your CMB for the Bull Rush, Drag, Overrun, Reposition and Trip Combat Maneuvers when making these maneuvers with an infused weapon. In oozeform, on a successful check to Bull Rush, Drag, or Reposition an opponent, you can spray grease on the floor beneath them as a free action, reducing their CMD to 0 for the purposes of calculating how far you can move them. These benefits do not apply against airborne or waterborne foes.
Slick-Skinned (Ex): You drench yourself in lubricants that make it hard for opponents to get a grip on you or your possessions. Gain your Ooze Bonus to Escape Artist checks and to your CMD to resist or escape a grapple. In oozeform this bonus becomes equal to your class level plus your Constitution modifier. This lubricant also coats any equipment on your person (whether infused or not), conferring your Ooze Bonus to your CMD against the Steal Combat Maneuver. You lose these benefits in uninfused armour. Finally, gain your Ooze Bonus to CMD to resist being disarmed of an infused weapon.
Greased Lightning (Ex): Your lubricants let you skate with ease across the ground and slip through the tightest gaps without effort. You gain a 10-foot enhancement bonus to your land speed, and you can also move at half-speed while prone. In oozeform, you can move at full speed when squeezing, and when moving your opponent across the ground in a grapple. You lose these benefits in uninfused armour.
Slippery Target (Ex): You can skid and slip beneath the guard of your enemies. Gain your Ooze Bonus to Acrobatics checks made to move through a foe's space or threatened squares, and to Combat Maneuver checks that attempt to entangle you or stop or slow your movement. In oozeform, you can use the momentum of an opponent's blow to skid back to a safe distance: when struck in melee by an opponent at least one size category larger than you, you can move five feet across the ground directly away as an immediate action, plus 5 feet per five class levels. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You lose these benefits in uninfused armour.
Slippery Glob (Ex): I dislike all of the 'glob' augments, but I dislike this most of all. It's too finnicky.You can produce and throw a ball of slippery slime as a standard action. This functions as a splash weapon with a range increment of 10 feet, or as a greater splash weapon (https://www.aonprd.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Noxious%20pig) for ooze-bonded of size Large or larger. A creature of your size category or smaller struck directly by the glob is drenched in a thick coating of oils that confer a penalty to CMB to Grapple, Disarm and Steal checks equal to your Ooze bonus; in addition, the burst coats any items held in their hands if they fail a Reflex save, conferring a grease (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/g/grease) effect on these items and forcing the wielder to drop them. Creatures more than one size category larger than you are too big to coat completely; in this case you can choose to aim for either their body or their hands, conferring one penalty or the other. The burst also coats the target’s square and the splash squares as the grease (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/g/grease) spell; creatures in affected squares must make a Reflex save or fall prone. You can produce one glob of slippery slime per day, plus one per three class levels.
Noxious AugmentsMany problems with this skill tree.
I dislike the name, first of all - this tree is supposed to cover 'chemical' type powers like poisons and paralyzers, but the word 'chemical' sounds too sci-fi, and I can't think of anything better. 'Toxic' and its brethren are problematic because they imply that all the augments are poison effects when they're not (an ooze's paralyzing slime is not in fact a poison effect, colour me surprised). I need a word that means 'poison' but won't make players cry to the DM that poison immunity protects them from everything in it.
Also, the anticoagulant augment is garbage. I threw it in just because I couldn't think of a last power to trick out the tree with, and I'll gladly throw it out again. On that note, soporific glob is also an eyesore. I can't tell if it's over- or under-powered, and either way it's boring.
Numbing Slime (Ex): You can deliver an anaesthetising slime once per round as part of an attack with an infused weapon. A creature struck must make a Fortitude Save or have their speed reduced to five feet for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. A creature that fails a save against a second dose of your numbing slime while under the effects of the first is also staggered until the end of your next turn. A creature that fails a save against a third dose while still under the effects of the second is also paralyzed until the beginning of your next turn. At 8th level, you can use this ability twice per round, and at 15th you can use it three times per round. A missed attack does not consume your use of this ability. In addition, a creature you engulf must make a Fortitude save upon being engulfed, and at the beginning of each of your turns that it remains engulfed, or be affected by a dose of numbing slime (this does not count toward your uses of the ability). At 8th level they must save or be affected by two doses. At 15th level they must save or be affected by three doses. Subsequent doses of your numbing slime do not increase or reset the duration of the lower-level effects, and a creature suffering the effects of three doses is unaffected by further applications. All stages of this ability are paralysis effects, and effects that remove paralysis remove all stages of this ability at once as if they were a single effect.
Anticoagulant (Ex): You secrete a chemical from your weapons that draws fluid from wounds, causing intense bleeding. Your infused weapons gain the wounding (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/magicArmsAndArmor/weaponSpecialAbilities.html#wounding) special ability. The bleed damage stacks to a maximum equal to your Ooze Bonus.
Toxic Body (Ex): You coat your skin with vile secretions. Your body gains the bitter (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/magicArmsAndArmor/armorSpecialAbilities.html#bitter) and putrid (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/magicArmsAndArmor/armorSpecialAbilities.html#putrid) armour special properties, except that the DCs are your augment DCs and the duration of the putrid property's sickening effect is one round per class level. You lose these benefits in uninfused armour. A creature you engulf must make a Fortitude save when engulfed and at the beginning of your turn each round it remains engulfed or be affected by your putrid ability even if it previously saved successfully.
Absorb Poison (Ex): If you succeed on the initial Fortitude Save to resist a dose of poison, you can store the poison for your own use as a free action. You can store only one dose of poison at a time; absorbing a second destroys the first. You cannot store a poison whose DC is higher than your augment DC (thus, the bonuses from the Augment Focus (Noxious) and Greater Augment Focus (Noxious) feats can raise this limit). Once stored, you can deliver the poison with a melee touch attack as a standard action (regardless of the original delivery method). In oozeform, you can also deliver the poison a free action as part of an attack with an infused weapon, or as an immediate action in response to someone touching you. The poison's saving throw DC is unchanged. If you do not use the poison within ten minutes per class level, it dissipates harmlessly in your system. If you have poison immunity you must still succeed on a saving throw to absorb the poison, but you gain a +4 bonus to the check (and you remain unaffected by it if you fail).
Soporific Glob (Ex): You can produce and throw a ball of sedating slime as a standard action. This functions as a splash weapon with a range increment of 10 feet, or as a greater splash weapon (https://www.aonprd.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Noxious%20pig) for ooze-bonded of size Large or larger. A creature struck directly must make a Fortitude save or gain the Stunned condition for 1d4 rounds. Creatures in the splash radius must make a Fortitude save or gain the Dazed condition for 1d4 rounds. You can produce one glob of soporific slime per day, plus one per three class levels.
Ooze Feats
Augment Focus
Choose a type of augment - Acid, Sticky, Slippery, or Noxious. Your augments of this type are harder to resist.
Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against augments of the type you select.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of augment.
Augment Focus, Greater
Choose a type of augment for which you have already taken the Augment Focus feat. Your augments of this type are very hard to resist.
Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against augments of the type you select. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Augment Focus.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of augment to which you have already applied the Augment Focus feat.
Concentrated Form
You can shrink by squeezing out your body’s excess water.
Prerequisites: Ooze-bonded level 1st.
Benefit: Once per day you can shed your body’s water as a full-round action to shrink by one size category. This functions as the reduce person spell, except that your equipment (even your infused equipment) is unaffected. You can maintain this form without harm for a number of hours equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum one hour); after this, you suffer the effects of thirst until you reverse the transformation, achieved by absorbing enough water as a full-round action to reconstitute your body (around 5 gallons to grow from Diminutive to Small, 10 gallons to grow from Small to Medium, and 40 gallons to grow from Medium to Large).
Engulf, Improved
Your engulf attack is difficult to avoid or counter.
Prerequisite: Engulf attack.
Benefit: You gain a +2 dodge bonus against attacks of opportunity provoked by your engulf attack, and a +1 bonus to the DC to avoid your engulf attack.
Engulf, Greater
When you engulf, you do it on your terms.
Prerequisite: Improved Engulf.
Benefit: You gain a +2 dodge bonus against attacks of opportunity provoked by your engulf attack, and a +1 bonus to the DC to avoid your engulf attack. These bonuses stack with those from Improved Engulf. When making an engulf attack, you choose whether an opponent gets a Reflex save or an attack of opportunity. If you are engulfing multiple opponents, this ability applies against only one of them (your choice). Opponents who succeed on the Reflex save may still choose whether they are pushed backwards or aside.
Normal: The choice of Reflex save or attack of opportunity is made by the target.
Free-flow Donning
You pour into armour like honey into a jar.
Prerequisite: Oozeform ability.
Benefit: While in oozeform the time it takes for you to don armour is reduced to one round for each minute it would normally take, to a minimum of one round.
Normal: Donning or removing armour takes between five rounds and several minutes, depending on the armour.
Immediate Infusion
You can forcefully increase the speed of the infusion process.
Prerequisites: Oozeform and Infusion abilities.
Benefit: In oozeform you can take a full-round action to rapidly infuse your equipment. The process completes at the beginning of your next turn.
Normal: The infusion process takes one minute, and does not require an action.
Metabolic Conversion
You can convert your stored slime projectiles from one form to another.
Prerequisites: At least two of the acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob augments.
Benefit: As a full-round action, you can spend a use of any of your acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob augments to use another of these augments that you also possess.
Metabolic Quickening
You can produce and throw a glob of slime in the blink of an eye.
Prerequisite: Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob augment.
Benefit: You can use Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob as a swift action by taking a -4 penalty to the saving throw DC.
Normal: Using Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob is a standard action.
Metabolic Splitting
You can split your slime projectiles in half to attack two targets at once.
Prerequisite: Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob augment.
Benefit: When you use Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob, you can take a full-round action to produce and throw two projectiles. Each projectile requires a separate ranged touch attack and takes a -4 penalty to the save DC. Overlapping areas from the two projectiles do not stack.
Normal: Using Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob is a standard action and produces only one projectile.
Surging Stand
You can get up off the floor by simply reshaping yourself into a standing position.
Prerequisite: Oozeform ability.
Benefit: You can stand from prone in oozeform without provoking an attack of opportunity. In addition, while in oozeform, you can use the same kind of action to stand from prone as you use to activate oozeform (for example, a 9th-level ooze-bonded in oozeform can stand from prone as a swift action).
Normal: Standing from prone requires a move action and provokes attacks of opportunity.
Special: This ability cannot be used in uninfused armour.
Prestige Classes
Flail Snail Disciple
An ooze-bonded's fascination with creatures of slime can verge toward the obsessive, and oozes themselves are not its only target. Sometimes, in their subterranean explorations, an ooze-bonded might encounter a stately migration of flail snails, and become entranced by their slow majesty. The flail snail disciples are a loose-knit group of these individuals, and they arm themselves with flails and suits of shell-crafted armour in imitation of the magic-warping gastropods they so admire.
The title of 'disciple' is self-bestowed; they learn mostly from each other. A prospective new member proves his worthiness by the cut of his armour the skill of his flail-arm; those inducted find themselves amidst an almost schoolboy-fraternal group, with a boisterous but mostly good-natured competitiveness between its members over whose armour is the most snail-like and whose flail is biggest. The techniques they have developed, however, are not to be underestimated, and include a fierce proficiency with flail weapons and a bond with their armour so deep it heals alongside their own bodies - and even comes to warp spells.
What the flail snails themselves think of all this varies from one individual to another, though most view their hangers-on with the patient bemusement of an adult watching children play at being grown-ups.
Alignment: any.
Hit die: d10.
Requirements
To qualify to become a flail snail disciple, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base attack bonus: +3.
Feats: Weapon Focus (light flail or heavy flail) or Exotic Weapon Proficiency (dire flail), Two-Weapon Fighting.
Skills: Climb 2 ranks, Craft (armor) 2 ranks.
Special: Augmentation class feature, at least one slippery-type or sticky-type augment. Must have crafted a suit of armour from shell (though it need not be flail snail shell).
Class Skills
The flail snail disciple’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).
Skill ranks per level: 2 + Int modifier.
Table: Flail Snail Disciple
Level
BAB
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1
+1
+1
+1
+0
Snail shell
2
+2
+1
+1
+1
Weapon training, flailing limbs
3
+3
+2
+2
+1
Dual flailing, slime rope
4
+4
+2
+2
+1
Retraction
5
+5
+3
+3
+2
Mucus, slime coating
6
+6
+3
+3
+2
Weapon training (or advanced weapon training)
7
+7
+4
+4
+2
Snail's pace
8
+8
+4
+4
+3
Dual flailing
9
+9
+5
+5
+3
Snail's mantle
10
+10
+5
+5
+3
Warp magic, weapon training (or advanced weapon training)
Class Features
The following are class features of the flail snail disciple prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Flail snail disciples gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Augmentation: The flail snail disciple's class level stacks with levels in any other class to determine the level-based dependencies of slippery-type and sticky-type augments. Levels of flail snail disciple do not, however, grant additional augments.
Dissolution: The flail snail disciple's class level stacks with levels in any other class to determine the advancement of the dissolution class feature.
Oozeform: The flail snail disciple's class level stacks with levels in any other class to determine the advancement of the oozeform class feature.
Snail Shell (Ex): At 1st level, a flail snail disciple learns how to overcome the ordinarily-fragile nature of equipment crafted from shell (see the entry for bone in the Special Materials section, which includes the rules for shell). When a piece of equipment built from shell undergoes infusion from a flail snail disciple, it gains the following benefits for the duration of the infusion:
If the item has the fragile quality due to being made from shell, this quality is suppressed.
If a weapon has a damage penalty due to being made from shell, or a suit of armour or a shield has an AC penalty due to being made from shell, these penalties are suppressed.
The item gains a bonus to its hardness equal to the flail snail disciple's class level.
Weapon Training (Ex): At 2nd level, a flail snail disciple receives weapon training in the flails weapon category, as the fighter class feature. If the flail snail disciple has weapon training in other weapon groups, those bonuses increase as normal for the class feature (and acquiring subsequent training in other weapon groups increases the bonus to the flails weapon group).
At 6th level, and again at 10th level, a flail snail disciple’s weapon training bonuses increase, and he may select an advanced weapon training option to apply to the flails weapon category, chosen from the following: Combat Competence, Combat Maneuver Defense, Defensive Weapon Training, Effortless Dual-Wielding, Fighter's Reflexes, Versatile Training, Weapon Specialist.
If a flail snail disciple already has weapons training in the flails weapon category when he takes his second level of this class, he may instead select an advanced weapon training option from the list above to apply to the flails weapon category.
Flailing Limbs (Ex): At 2nd level, a flail snail disciple learns to reshape his fist into a flail-like appendage, which allows him to treat his unarmed strike as if it were part of the flails category of the weapon training class feature. Performing or reversing this ability is a move action, or a swift action made as part of movement, equivalent to drawing or sheathing a weapon. A transformed hand is not considered free while this ability is in effect. A flail snail disciple can transform both hands in the same action, and also use the Mutable Limbs class feature in the same action if he possesses it.
Dual Flailing (Ex): At 3rd level a flail snail disciple gains the benefit of the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat while dual-wielding weapons from the flails category of the weapon training class feature, even if he does not meet the feat's prerequisites. At 8th level he gains the benefit of the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat, with the same conditions.
Slime Rope (Ex): At 3rd level, a flail snail disciple can extrude a strand of up to 20 feet of ropelike slime as a move action, to a maximum length of 60 feet. The rope can stick to an anchor-point and holds the weight of the flail snail disciple plus an additional load of 100lbs x the flail snail disciple's Constitution modifier (minimum 100lbs). The flail snail disciple can climb the rope with a DC 10 climb check; for other climbers, the DC is 20. The rope can be extruded from or merged with any part of the flail snail disciple’s body; hence, the flail snail disciple can remain stationary on the rope, or lower himself, while keeping his hands free. Once the flail snail disciple breaks contact with the rope (a free action), the slime decomposes in 1d4 rounds. This ability cannot be used in uninfused armour.
Retraction (Ex): At 4th level, while in oozeform and wearing armour made from shell, a flail snail disciple can withdraw himself into his armour as a swift action. This grants the flail snail disciple a +2 bonus to AC if his armour is light, or a +4 bonus if his armour is medium or heavy (although heavy armours typically cannot be crafted from shell). While retracted, a flail snail disciple cannot move, attack, maintain a grapple or pin, or keep a grip on anything with his hands except for infused equipment. He can return to normal as a free action. A flail snail disciple must be infused to his armour to perform this ability, and he returns to normal if his oozeform ends.
Mucus (Ex): At 5th level, while in oozeform, a flail snail disciple can coat the area he occupies with a layer of mucus as a free action. This mucus can be one of two types: slippery or sticky. A creature that enters a square of slippery mucus must make a Reflex save or fall prone (as the grease spell, although the mucus does not duplicate any other effect of this spell). Sticky mucus transforms squares into difficult terrain. The flail snail disciple can move through his own mucus without penalty. The mucus lasts until the beginning of the flail snail disciple’s next turn, or until it is exposed to any source of fire. The mucus is considered to be either a slippery-type or sticky-type augment respectively for the purpose of calculating save DCs. This ability cannot be used in uninfused armour.
Slime Coating (Ex): At 5th level, a flail snail disciple gains fire resistance 10. This resistance is suppressed if the flail snail disciple is suffering the effects of thirst. A flail snail disciple’s infused equipment also benefits from this resistance.
Snail’s Pace (Ex): At 7th level, a flail snail disciple’s long experience of shell armour lets him overcome much of its restrictiveness. When a flail snail disciple infuses to a suit of armour made from shell, he gains the following benefits for the duration of the infusion: the armour’s speed penalty is reduced by 5 feet, its maximum Dexterity bonus increases by 1, its armour check penalty is reduced by 2, and for the Climb skill the armour check penalty is reduced to 0.
Snail's Mantle (Ex): At 9th level, a flail snail disciple becomes so attuned to his shell equipment that it becomes almost a part of his body. Whenever the flail snail disciple is subject to an effect that would heal him for at least three hit points (including natural healing), his shell equipment regains one hit point for every three hit points the effect would restore, provided he is infused to the equipment and in physical contact with it. In addition, a flail snail disciple can sleep in his infused shell armour without becoming fatigued.
Warp Magic (Su): At 10th level, a flail snail disciple unlocks the secret of the flail snails' magic-warping shells. When a flail snail disciple infuses to a suit of armour made from shell, the armour gains the magical properties of a suit of snailplate for the duration of the infusion. The enhancement bonus of this ability stacks with any enhancement bonus the armour already possess, to a maximum of +5 (though it does not stack with enhancement bonuses from other sources, such as spells). The reflective property bestowed by this ability can be used only once per day, even if the flail snail disciple subsequently infuses to a different set of shell armour.
Oozes provoke fear and disgust in most, but to some their acids, toxins and fluid forms are a source of fascination - even envy. For a few, this preoccupation can become an obsession that compels them onto the path of the ooze-bonded, and to become creatures of slime themselves.
An ooze-bonded's transformation begins when they consume a sample of still-living ooze and, via strict diet and the aid of certain surprisingly-common medicines, entice it into a symbiotic relationship with their own body. The ooze seeps through their system until it infests their very cells, and the end result is a person still recognisably who they once were, but made from something more akin to slime than flesh. Ooze-bonded cultivate their new forms with careful obsession, and grow to acquire all the traits that make oozes so feared.
Role: In combat, an ooze-bonded brings to bear the repellent onslaught of their gelatinous kin coupled with a mind that can think and react to changing circumstance, and opponents who underestimate them swiftly find themselves paralyzed, engulfed, and unceremoniously dissolved. Their penchant for climbing and squeezing through tight spaces also makes ooze-bonded consummate explorers, as does their ability to simply corrode through any obstacle they cannot navigate.
Alignment: any.
Hit die: d8.
Class Skills
The ooze-bonded’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).
Skill ranks per level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table: Ooze-bonded
Level
BAB
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Unarmed Damage
Special
1
+0
+2
+0
+2
1d6
Improved Unarmed strike, infusion, mutable limbs, oozeform (move action)
2
+1
+3
+0
+3
1d6
Augment, dissolution (immunity to sleep effects)
3
+2
+3
+1
+3
1d6
Bonus feat
4
+3
+4
+1
+4
1d8
Augment
5
+3
+4
+1
+4
1d8
Dissolution (light fortification)
6
+4
+5
+2
+5
1d8
Augment
7
+5
+5
+2
+5
1d8
Bonus feat
8
+6/+1
+6
+2
+6
2d6
Augment, dissolution (immunity to poison)
9
+6/+1
+6
+3
+6
2d6
Oozeform (swift action)
10
+7/+2
+7
+3
+7
2d6
Augment
11
+8/+3
+7
+3
+7
2d6
Bonus feat, dissolution (immunity to flanking)
12
+9/+4
+8
+4
+8
3d6
Augment
13
+9/+4
+8
+4
+8
3d6
Oozeform (immediate action)
14
+10/+5
+9
+4
+9
3d6
Augment, dissolution (immunity to stunning)
15
+11/+6/+1
+9
+5
+9
3d6
Bonus feat
16
+12/+7/+2
+10
+5
+10
4d6
Augment
17
+12/+7/+2
+10
+5
+10
4d6
Dissolution (immunity to paralysis)
18
+13/+8/+3
+11
+6
+11
4d6
Augment
19
+14/+9/+4
+11
+6
+11
4d6
Bonus feat
20
+15/+10/+5
+12
+6
+12
6d6
Augment, oozeform (free action, indefinite duration), dissolution (immunity to polymorph and criticals, ooze type)
Class Features
The following are class features of the ooze-bonded.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ooze-bonded are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the greatclub, heavy flail, light flail, light hammer, sap, warhammer, and whip, and with light armour, medium armour, and shields (except tower shields). They prefer equipment built from organic materials, which they can enhance with their infusion ability (below), and avoid inorganic armour since it prevents the bodily contact they need for many of their skills to function.
Mutable Limbs (Ex): At 1st level an ooze-bonded can transform either one or both of their arms into bludgeoning pseudopods, which allows them to treat their unarmed strike as a one-handed weapon instead of a light weapon. An ooze-bonded can also fuse both arms into a single huge pseudopod to treat their unarmed strike as a two-handed weapon. Performing or reversing this ability is a move action, or a swift action made as part of movement, equivalent to drawing or sheathing a weapon. The hand of a transformed limb is not considered free while this ability is in effect.
Infusion (Ex): This is an attempt to get around the problem of how an ooze does oozy things while in a suit of armour - like engulf people or seep under a door - and also to give them more weapon choices than just 'I hit with my pseudopod-hands'. The rulse for it feel very finicky, though. I feel like they could be trimmed down a lot. Ooze-bonded can symbiotically fuse their body into equipment crafted from organic materials such as cloth, leather, hide, wood, bone or similar. Infused weapons channel various offensive effects, while infused armour allows the use of abilities that require bodily contact, which uninfused armour prevents. An ooze-bonded’s natural weapons and unarmed strikes are always considered infused unless the ooze-bonded uses equipment that counts as an unarmed strike or natural weapon but that is not infused, such as metal gauntlets.
An ooze-bonded can perform infusion on equipped armour and clothing, and on weapons and items either held or kept about their person. Infusion requires one minute of bodily contact, but otherwise needs no action and can be performed on any number of items at once. Infused equipment becomes soaked in slime but is otherwise unharmed. Once complete, the infusion can be sustained indefinitely as long as the ooze-bonded maintains contact with the infused equipment or keeps it generally close to hand (extradimensional spaces such as a bag of holding do not count for this purpose). Infused items left elsewhere for more than one hour per point of Constitution modifier (minimum 1 hour) dry out and must be reinfused.
Any special properties an item acquires from infusion function only for the ooze-bonded that infused it, and only while they wear or wield it. Items that derive their functionality from non-organic parts (such as an axe with a wooden haft but a metal head) either cannot be infused or gain no special benefit from infusion. An infused ranged weapon does not confer any infused abilities to its ammunition, and ammunition gains no offensive benefit from infusion. An ooze-bonded that infuses a weapon already infused by another ooze-bonded overwrites the previous infusion, though the process fails if the previous infuser establishes contact with the item before the new infusion is complete.
Oozeform (Ex): An ooze-bonded can dissolve their body into a semisolid mass of slime for a limited time. Starting at 1st level, an ooze-bonded can enter oozeform for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + their Constitution modifier. At each level after 1st, they can enter oozeform for 2 additional rounds. Temporary increases to Constitution, such as that gained from a bear’s endurance spell, do not increase the number of rounds this form can be maintained. An ooze-bonded can assume this form as a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and maintain it each round as a free action. The total number of rounds of oozeform is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive. An ooze-bonded can maintain oozeform for additional rounds in excess of the limit, but each round spent in oozeform past the limit inflicts two points of Constitution damage, which occurs immediately upon choosing to enter or maintain oozeform.
An ooze-bonded in oozeform gains the following:
The amorphous (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/universalMonsterRules.html#amorphous) special quality, which grants immunity to critical hits and precision damage such as sneak attacks.
The compression (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/universalMonsterRules.html#compression) special quality, which allows the ooze-bonded to move through an area as small as one-quarter their space without squeezing or one-eighth their space when squeezing. Infused equipment also gains this quality, but uninfused equipment does not, and may not fit through the space the ooze-bonded is attempting to navigate.
The engulf (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/universalMonsterRules.html#engulf) special attack. This ability cannot be used in uninfused armour.
Blindsight (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/universalMonsterRules.html#blindsight) to a range of 20 feet plus 5 feet per class level.
Blindness, with immunity to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.
Immunity to drowning and suffocation as long as some part of their body is exposed to a supply of breathable air.
An ooze-bonded in oozeform maintains the same basic body shape as their base form but is made entirely of constantly-shifting slime, and is vulnerable to effects that target oozes as well as those that target their own creature type. Oozeform does not hinder the functionality of an ooze-bonded's equipped magic items unless the item’s description notes otherwise, nor does it affect an ooze-bonded’s ability to speak, use their hands, or perform other such tasks.
At 9th level an ooze-bonded can choose to enter oozeform as a swift action. At 13th level they may also enter oozeform as an immediate action. At 20th level they may enter oozeform as a free action, and stay in oozeform for an indefinite number of rounds without suffering Constitution damage.
Unarmed Strike: I'm not sure if this is ridiculous. Crunch-wise,ooze-bonded end up with an unarmed strike effectively six size categories larger than their base size, so... Colossal++? Is that even allowed? Also, they achieve it by "shifting extra mass into their arms", so to imitate the really big unarmed strikes you'd be transforming your whole body into a fist... actually, I'll keep this unchanged, just for that mental image. :P An ooze-bonded gains Improved Unarmed Strike (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/feats.html#improved-unarmed-strike) as a bonus feat at 1st level. Ooze-bonded can also shift extra mass into their limbs to deal heavier blows: their unarmed strike deals damage as if it were two size categories larger (1d6 for a Medium ooze-bonded, 1d4 for Small). At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, this effective size category increases by one step; see the FAQ on weapon size category changes. (https://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fm#v5748eaic9t3f) The damage bonus from this ability does not stack with the unarmed strike damage of the monk class; use whichever is higher.
Dissolution (Ex): Ooze-bonded transform into full-fledged oozes as they advance in levels. At 2nd level, and every three levels thereafter, this transformation grants a benefit.
At 2nd level, an ooze-bonded becomes immune to sleep-inducing effects.
At 5th level, they gain a 25% chance to ignore the extra damage from a critical hit or precision damage attack, as if protected by the light fortification (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/magicArmsAndArmor/armorSpecialAbilities.html#fortification) armour property.
At 8th level, they become immune to poison.
At 11th level, they can no longer be flanked.
At 14th level, they become immune to stunning.
At 17th level, they become immune to paralysis.
At 20th level, an ooze-bonded achieves complete symbiosis with the slime in their body. Their type changes to Ooze, they gain immunity to critical hits, precision damage, and polymorph, and they no longer need to sleep. Though oozes are ordinarily blind, an ooze-bonded’s base form retains any modes of sight it possessed prior to transforming.
Augmentation: Ooze-bonded cultivate their slime’s growth to gain additional abilities. At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, an ooze-bonded chooses an augment from the list in the Augments section below. The following rules apply to augments unless noted in their description:
An augment’s Ooze Bonus represents the assistance that the ooze-bonded’s slime provides to their abilities, and is a circumstance bonus equal to half the ooze-bonded’s class level.
An augment’s save DC is equal to 10 + ½ the ooze-bonded’s class level + the ooze-bonded’s Constitution modifier.
Where an augment refers to a spell or magical effect, the ooze-bonded’s class level is the effective caster level for the effect, though the effect of the augment itself is non-magical.
Bonus feat: At 3rd level, and every four levels thereafter, an ooze-bonded gains a bonus feat. This may be selected from among the Improved Combat Maneuver feat line (such as Improved Bull Rush or Improved Disarm); the Greater Combat Maneuver feat line; or from the Ooze feats, described below. An ooze-bonded must still meet a feat’s prerequisites to select it.
Augments
Four skill trees, each with five skills. Ooze-bonded choose 10 total, so they can master two trees or mix-and-match. I tried to design them so that no skill depended on any others to work, so you aren't locked in to any one tree by your early choices. I also wanted them to improve with level and not be 'static', so you can't just reap their full benefit and then multiclass away. There's a few that need tweaking for this (like how Acid Strike maxes out at 15th level), but I think most of them are okay. Also also, they should give an oozeform benefit and a base-form benefit.
One thing I am wondering about is that the ooze-bonded doesn't really have any limited-use abilities except for oozeform. Some of these could probably stand to be restricted in that manner. Suggestions are welcome, as are assurances that it doesn't matter :P
Acid Augments
Acid Strike (Ex): Your infused weapons deal acid damage as the corrosive special ability. You can suppress or resume this ability as a free action. If you are in oozeform, and grappling or pinning the target of your attack, the acid damage is also applied to their armour and clothing unless they succeed on a Reflex save. At 8th level the damage from this augment increases to 2d6 and at 15th level it increases to 3d6. This ability does not stack with any corrosive or corrosive burst properties a weapon may already have.
Acid Body (Ex): Your blood and bodily fluids become potently acidic. Creatures that damage you with natural weapons or unarmed strikes, or manufactured weapons that damage you, take 1d6 acid damage per successful attack. A creature you engulf in oozeform also receives this damage upon being engulfed, and at the beginning of each of your turns that it remains engulfed, and must make a Reflex save to avoid their equipment taking the same damage. At 8th level the damage from this ability increases to 2d6 and at 15th level it increases to 3d6. You can suppress or resume this ability as a free action. You cannot deal reactive damage in uninfused armour.
Acid Resistance (Ex): You gain acid resistance 10. At 5th level this increases to 20, and at 10th level it increases to 30. At 15th level you become immune to acid. Your infused equipment also benefits from this resistance.
Catalyzed Corrosion (Ex): You awaken your ooze's ability to break down tough and inorganic materials. You gain the following benefits:
You can damage objects and surfaces through extended contact. As a free action at the beginning of your turn you can inflict acid damage equal to your class level plus your Constitution modifier to any objects or surfaces you choose that are in contact with your body or infused equipment and have been for at least one round. Objects must be unattended, or the attendee must be either willing, helpless, or pinned (you are considered to be in contact with all of an opponent’s equipment as long as you maintain the pin).
Acid damage you inflict with any of your acid augments deals its full damage against objects instead of half damage, and attacks on objects that include your acid as part of the damage ignore a number of points of hardness equal to your class level plus your Constitution modifier. Hardness is not bypassed if the acid fails to do any damage.
The ooze in your body senses the presence of materials it can digest, and instinctively lunges for them when you do. Gain your Ooze Bonus to your CMB when making a Sunder Combat Maneuver with an infused weapon.
Acid Glob (Ex): You can produce and throw a ball of acidic slime as a standard action. This functions as a splash weapon with a range increment of 10 feet, or as a greater splash weapon (https://www.aonprd.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Noxious%20pig) for ooze-bonded of size Large or larger, and coats its victims in an acidic goo that persists for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. The ball deals 1d6 acid damage per two class levels to anyone struck directly and 1 point of acid damage per two class levels to anyone within the splash radius, and also damages clothing and armour. Damage occurs when the ball strikes its target and at the beginning of each of your subsequent turns. You can produce one glob of acid slime per day, plus one per three class levels.
Sticky Augments
Sticky Hands (Ex): You can bolster your grip with secretions of gluey slime. Gain your Ooze Bonus to Combat Maneuver checks to Grapple, Disarm, and Steal when making these maneuvers with an infused weapon. In oozeform, you gain the grab universal monster ability when attacking with an infused weapon with which you can use the Grapple combat maneuver.
Sticky Stance (Ex): You can stick yourself to floors and walls. Gain your Ooze Bonus to your CMD against the Bull Rush, Drag, Overrun, Reposition, and Trip Maneuvers, and to any other Combat Maneuver check that attempts to move you against your will by physical force, as long as you are standing on or adjacent to a solid surface you can stick to. You also gain your Ooze Bonus to Acrobatics checks made to balance, and to Climb checks. In oozeform you can climb as if under the effect of the spider climb (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/spells/spiderClimb.html) spell. You lose these benefits in uninfused armour.
Sticky Body (Ex): Your inner fluids become a potent adhesive that sticks attackers and their weapons. When you are struck and damaged by an enemy within 5 feet of you, you can affix a gluey tendril of slime to them as an immediate action. This functions like the tendrils created by the Sticky ability of a tar jelly (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/oozes/jelly-tar/), except that the tendril has hit points equal to your class level, an AC equal to 10 + your Ooze Bonus, and you do not gain a bonus to attack rolls. In oozeform you are also treated as if under the effects of the adhesive blood (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advancedClassGuide/spells/adhesiveBlood.html) spell. You can release stuck weapons as a free action. These abilities do not function in uninfused armour.
Sticky Stop (Ex): You hinder your foes' movements with well-timed drenchings of sticky slime. You gain Stand Still (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/feats.html#stand-still) as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites, and you can add your Ooze Bonus to the Combat Maneuver check. You also gain your Ooze Bonus to your CMD against a foe's Acrobatics checks to move past you without provoking attacks of opportunity. These benefits only apply when you wield an infused weapon. In oozeform, you can soak grappled opponents in glue to bind them; this functions as the 'tie up' grapple option, but you need have no rope to hand, and you add your Ooze Bonus to the check. This attack cannot be used in uninfused armour.
Sticky Glob (Ex): You can produce and throw a ball of sticky slime as a standard action. This functions as a splash weapon with a range increment of 10 feet, or as a greater splash weapon (https://www.aonprd.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Noxious%20pig) for ooze-bonded of size Large or larger. A creature struck directly is affected as if by a tanglefoot bag, except that the DCs are equal to your augment DC, it has hit points equal to your maximum hit point total, and it is effective against creatures up to one size category larger than you. Creatures in the splash radius gain the entangled condition unless they succeed on a Reflex save. All squares within the target and splash radius are coated in sticky slime, as the glue seal (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/g/glue-seal/) spell. You can produce one glob of sticky slime per day, plus one per three class levels.
Slippery Augments The sticky and slippery skill trees are supposed to mirror each other, so if a sticky ooze-bonded fights a slippery ooze-bonded their advantages should more or less cancel out. I think I've done a reasonable job, but feel free to suggest improvements. Slip and Slide (Ex): You can release bursts of slippery slime to take your opponent's feet out from under them. Gain your Ooze Bonus to your CMB for the Bull Rush, Drag, Overrun, Reposition and Trip Combat Maneuvers when making these maneuvers with an infused weapon. In oozeform, on a successful check to Bull Rush, Drag, or Reposition an opponent, you can spray grease on the floor beneath them as a free action, reducing their CMD to 0 for the purposes of calculating how far you can move them. These benefits do not apply against airborne or waterborne foes.
Slick-Skinned (Ex): You drench yourself in lubricants that make it hard for opponents to get a grip on you or your possessions. Gain your Ooze Bonus to Escape Artist checks and to your CMD to resist or escape a grapple. In oozeform this bonus becomes equal to your class level plus your Constitution modifier. This lubricant also coats any equipment on your person (whether infused or not), conferring your Ooze Bonus to your CMD against the Steal Combat Maneuver. You lose these benefits in uninfused armour. Finally, gain your Ooze Bonus to CMD to resist being disarmed of an infused weapon.
Greased Lightning (Ex): Your lubricants let you skate with ease across the ground and slip through the tightest gaps without effort. You gain a 10-foot enhancement bonus to your land speed, and you can also move at half-speed while prone. In oozeform, you can move at full speed when squeezing, and when moving your opponent across the ground in a grapple. You lose these benefits in uninfused armour.
Slippery Target (Ex): You can skid and slip beneath the guard of your enemies. Gain your Ooze Bonus to Acrobatics checks made to move through a foe's space or threatened squares, and to Combat Maneuver checks that attempt to entangle you or stop or slow your movement. In oozeform, you can use the momentum of an opponent's blow to skid back to a safe distance: when struck in melee by an opponent at least one size category larger than you, you can move five feet across the ground directly away as an immediate action, plus 5 feet per five class levels. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You lose these benefits in uninfused armour.
Slippery Glob (Ex): I dislike all of the 'glob' augments, but I dislike this most of all. It's too finnicky.You can produce and throw a ball of slippery slime as a standard action. This functions as a splash weapon with a range increment of 10 feet, or as a greater splash weapon (https://www.aonprd.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Noxious%20pig) for ooze-bonded of size Large or larger. A creature of your size category or smaller struck directly by the glob is drenched in a thick coating of oils that confer a penalty to CMB to Grapple, Disarm and Steal checks equal to your Ooze bonus; in addition, the burst coats any items held in their hands if they fail a Reflex save, conferring a grease (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/g/grease) effect on these items and forcing the wielder to drop them. Creatures more than one size category larger than you are too big to coat completely; in this case you can choose to aim for either their body or their hands, conferring one penalty or the other. The burst also coats the target’s square and the splash squares as the grease (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/g/grease) spell; creatures in affected squares must make a Reflex save or fall prone. You can produce one glob of slippery slime per day, plus one per three class levels.
Noxious AugmentsMany problems with this skill tree.
I dislike the name, first of all - this tree is supposed to cover 'chemical' type powers like poisons and paralyzers, but the word 'chemical' sounds too sci-fi, and I can't think of anything better. 'Toxic' and its brethren are problematic because they imply that all the augments are poison effects when they're not (an ooze's paralyzing slime is not in fact a poison effect, colour me surprised). I need a word that means 'poison' but won't make players cry to the DM that poison immunity protects them from everything in it.
Also, the anticoagulant augment is garbage. I threw it in just because I couldn't think of a last power to trick out the tree with, and I'll gladly throw it out again. On that note, soporific glob is also an eyesore. I can't tell if it's over- or under-powered, and either way it's boring.
Numbing Slime (Ex): You can deliver an anaesthetising slime once per round as part of an attack with an infused weapon. A creature struck must make a Fortitude Save or have their speed reduced to five feet for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier. A creature that fails a save against a second dose of your numbing slime while under the effects of the first is also staggered until the end of your next turn. A creature that fails a save against a third dose while still under the effects of the second is also paralyzed until the beginning of your next turn. At 8th level, you can use this ability twice per round, and at 15th you can use it three times per round. A missed attack does not consume your use of this ability. In addition, a creature you engulf must make a Fortitude save upon being engulfed, and at the beginning of each of your turns that it remains engulfed, or be affected by a dose of numbing slime (this does not count toward your uses of the ability). At 8th level they must save or be affected by two doses. At 15th level they must save or be affected by three doses. Subsequent doses of your numbing slime do not increase or reset the duration of the lower-level effects, and a creature suffering the effects of three doses is unaffected by further applications. All stages of this ability are paralysis effects, and effects that remove paralysis remove all stages of this ability at once as if they were a single effect.
Anticoagulant (Ex): You secrete a chemical from your weapons that draws fluid from wounds, causing intense bleeding. Your infused weapons gain the wounding (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/magicArmsAndArmor/weaponSpecialAbilities.html#wounding) special ability. The bleed damage stacks to a maximum equal to your Ooze Bonus.
Toxic Body (Ex): You coat your skin with vile secretions. Your body gains the bitter (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/magicArmsAndArmor/armorSpecialAbilities.html#bitter) and putrid (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/magicArmsAndArmor/armorSpecialAbilities.html#putrid) armour special properties, except that the DCs are your augment DCs and the duration of the putrid property's sickening effect is one round per class level. You lose these benefits in uninfused armour. A creature you engulf must make a Fortitude save when engulfed and at the beginning of your turn each round it remains engulfed or be affected by your putrid ability even if it previously saved successfully.
Absorb Poison (Ex): If you succeed on the initial Fortitude Save to resist a dose of poison, you can store the poison for your own use as a free action. You can store only one dose of poison at a time; absorbing a second destroys the first. You cannot store a poison whose DC is higher than your augment DC (thus, the bonuses from the Augment Focus (Noxious) and Greater Augment Focus (Noxious) feats can raise this limit). Once stored, you can deliver the poison with a melee touch attack as a standard action (regardless of the original delivery method). In oozeform, you can also deliver the poison a free action as part of an attack with an infused weapon, or as an immediate action in response to someone touching you. The poison's saving throw DC is unchanged. If you do not use the poison within ten minutes per class level, it dissipates harmlessly in your system. If you have poison immunity you must still succeed on a saving throw to absorb the poison, but you gain a +4 bonus to the check (and you remain unaffected by it if you fail).
Soporific Glob (Ex): You can produce and throw a ball of sedating slime as a standard action. This functions as a splash weapon with a range increment of 10 feet, or as a greater splash weapon (https://www.aonprd.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Noxious%20pig) for ooze-bonded of size Large or larger. A creature struck directly must make a Fortitude save or gain the Stunned condition for 1d4 rounds. Creatures in the splash radius must make a Fortitude save or gain the Dazed condition for 1d4 rounds. You can produce one glob of soporific slime per day, plus one per three class levels.
Ooze Feats
Augment Focus
Choose a type of augment - Acid, Sticky, Slippery, or Noxious. Your augments of this type are harder to resist.
Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against augments of the type you select.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of augment.
Augment Focus, Greater
Choose a type of augment for which you have already taken the Augment Focus feat. Your augments of this type are very hard to resist.
Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against augments of the type you select. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Augment Focus.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of augment to which you have already applied the Augment Focus feat.
Concentrated Form
You can shrink by squeezing out your body’s excess water.
Prerequisites: Ooze-bonded level 1st.
Benefit: Once per day you can shed your body’s water as a full-round action to shrink by one size category. This functions as the reduce person spell, except that your equipment (even your infused equipment) is unaffected. You can maintain this form without harm for a number of hours equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum one hour); after this, you suffer the effects of thirst until you reverse the transformation, achieved by absorbing enough water as a full-round action to reconstitute your body (around 5 gallons to grow from Diminutive to Small, 10 gallons to grow from Small to Medium, and 40 gallons to grow from Medium to Large).
Engulf, Improved
Your engulf attack is difficult to avoid or counter.
Prerequisite: Engulf attack.
Benefit: You gain a +2 dodge bonus against attacks of opportunity provoked by your engulf attack, and a +1 bonus to the DC to avoid your engulf attack.
Engulf, Greater
When you engulf, you do it on your terms.
Prerequisite: Improved Engulf.
Benefit: You gain a +2 dodge bonus against attacks of opportunity provoked by your engulf attack, and a +1 bonus to the DC to avoid your engulf attack. These bonuses stack with those from Improved Engulf. When making an engulf attack, you choose whether an opponent gets a Reflex save or an attack of opportunity. If you are engulfing multiple opponents, this ability applies against only one of them (your choice). Opponents who succeed on the Reflex save may still choose whether they are pushed backwards or aside.
Normal: The choice of Reflex save or attack of opportunity is made by the target.
Free-flow Donning
You pour into armour like honey into a jar.
Prerequisite: Oozeform ability.
Benefit: While in oozeform the time it takes for you to don armour is reduced to one round for each minute it would normally take, to a minimum of one round.
Normal: Donning or removing armour takes between five rounds and several minutes, depending on the armour.
Immediate Infusion
You can forcefully increase the speed of the infusion process.
Prerequisites: Oozeform and Infusion abilities.
Benefit: In oozeform you can take a full-round action to rapidly infuse your equipment. The process completes at the beginning of your next turn.
Normal: The infusion process takes one minute, and does not require an action.
Metabolic Conversion
You can convert your stored slime projectiles from one form to another.
Prerequisites: At least two of the acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob augments.
Benefit: As a full-round action, you can spend a use of any of your acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob augments to use another of these augments that you also possess.
Metabolic Quickening
You can produce and throw a glob of slime in the blink of an eye.
Prerequisite: Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob augment.
Benefit: You can use Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob as a swift action by taking a -4 penalty to the saving throw DC.
Normal: Using Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob is a standard action.
Metabolic Splitting
You can split your slime projectiles in half to attack two targets at once.
Prerequisite: Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob augment.
Benefit: When you use Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob, you can take a full-round action to produce and throw two projectiles. Each projectile requires a separate ranged touch attack and takes a -4 penalty to the save DC. Overlapping areas from the two projectiles do not stack.
Normal: Using Acid glob, sticky glob, slippery glob or soporific glob is a standard action and produces only one projectile.
Surging Stand
You can get up off the floor by simply reshaping yourself into a standing position.
Prerequisite: Oozeform ability.
Benefit: You can stand from prone in oozeform without provoking an attack of opportunity. In addition, while in oozeform, you can use the same kind of action to stand from prone as you use to activate oozeform (for example, a 9th-level ooze-bonded in oozeform can stand from prone as a swift action).
Normal: Standing from prone requires a move action and provokes attacks of opportunity.
Special: This ability cannot be used in uninfused armour.
Prestige Classes
Flail Snail Disciple
An ooze-bonded's fascination with creatures of slime can verge toward the obsessive, and oozes themselves are not its only target. Sometimes, in their subterranean explorations, an ooze-bonded might encounter a stately migration of flail snails, and become entranced by their slow majesty. The flail snail disciples are a loose-knit group of these individuals, and they arm themselves with flails and suits of shell-crafted armour in imitation of the magic-warping gastropods they so admire.
The title of 'disciple' is self-bestowed; they learn mostly from each other. A prospective new member proves his worthiness by the cut of his armour the skill of his flail-arm; those inducted find themselves amidst an almost schoolboy-fraternal group, with a boisterous but mostly good-natured competitiveness between its members over whose armour is the most snail-like and whose flail is biggest. The techniques they have developed, however, are not to be underestimated, and include a fierce proficiency with flail weapons and a bond with their armour so deep it heals alongside their own bodies - and even comes to warp spells.
What the flail snails themselves think of all this varies from one individual to another, though most view their hangers-on with the patient bemusement of an adult watching children play at being grown-ups.
Alignment: any.
Hit die: d10.
Requirements
To qualify to become a flail snail disciple, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base attack bonus: +3.
Feats: Weapon Focus (light flail or heavy flail) or Exotic Weapon Proficiency (dire flail), Two-Weapon Fighting.
Skills: Climb 2 ranks, Craft (armor) 2 ranks.
Special: Augmentation class feature, at least one slippery-type or sticky-type augment. Must have crafted a suit of armour from shell (though it need not be flail snail shell).
Class Skills
The flail snail disciple’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).
Skill ranks per level: 2 + Int modifier.
Table: Flail Snail Disciple
Level
BAB
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1
+1
+1
+1
+0
Snail shell
2
+2
+1
+1
+1
Weapon training, flailing limbs
3
+3
+2
+2
+1
Dual flailing, slime rope
4
+4
+2
+2
+1
Retraction
5
+5
+3
+3
+2
Mucus, slime coating
6
+6
+3
+3
+2
Weapon training (or advanced weapon training)
7
+7
+4
+4
+2
Snail's pace
8
+8
+4
+4
+3
Dual flailing
9
+9
+5
+5
+3
Snail's mantle
10
+10
+5
+5
+3
Warp magic, weapon training (or advanced weapon training)
Class Features
The following are class features of the flail snail disciple prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Flail snail disciples gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Augmentation: The flail snail disciple's class level stacks with levels in any other class to determine the level-based dependencies of slippery-type and sticky-type augments. Levels of flail snail disciple do not, however, grant additional augments.
Dissolution: The flail snail disciple's class level stacks with levels in any other class to determine the advancement of the dissolution class feature.
Oozeform: The flail snail disciple's class level stacks with levels in any other class to determine the advancement of the oozeform class feature.
Snail Shell (Ex): At 1st level, a flail snail disciple learns how to overcome the ordinarily-fragile nature of equipment crafted from shell (see the entry for bone in the Special Materials section, which includes the rules for shell). When a piece of equipment built from shell undergoes infusion from a flail snail disciple, it gains the following benefits for the duration of the infusion:
If the item has the fragile quality due to being made from shell, this quality is suppressed.
If a weapon has a damage penalty due to being made from shell, or a suit of armour or a shield has an AC penalty due to being made from shell, these penalties are suppressed.
The item gains a bonus to its hardness equal to the flail snail disciple's class level.
Weapon Training (Ex): At 2nd level, a flail snail disciple receives weapon training in the flails weapon category, as the fighter class feature. If the flail snail disciple has weapon training in other weapon groups, those bonuses increase as normal for the class feature (and acquiring subsequent training in other weapon groups increases the bonus to the flails weapon group).
At 6th level, and again at 10th level, a flail snail disciple’s weapon training bonuses increase, and he may select an advanced weapon training option to apply to the flails weapon category, chosen from the following: Combat Competence, Combat Maneuver Defense, Defensive Weapon Training, Effortless Dual-Wielding, Fighter's Reflexes, Versatile Training, Weapon Specialist.
If a flail snail disciple already has weapons training in the flails weapon category when he takes his second level of this class, he may instead select an advanced weapon training option from the list above to apply to the flails weapon category.
Flailing Limbs (Ex): At 2nd level, a flail snail disciple learns to reshape his fist into a flail-like appendage, which allows him to treat his unarmed strike as if it were part of the flails category of the weapon training class feature. Performing or reversing this ability is a move action, or a swift action made as part of movement, equivalent to drawing or sheathing a weapon. A transformed hand is not considered free while this ability is in effect. A flail snail disciple can transform both hands in the same action, and also use the Mutable Limbs class feature in the same action if he possesses it.
Dual Flailing (Ex): At 3rd level a flail snail disciple gains the benefit of the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat while dual-wielding weapons from the flails category of the weapon training class feature, even if he does not meet the feat's prerequisites. At 8th level he gains the benefit of the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat, with the same conditions.
Slime Rope (Ex): At 3rd level, a flail snail disciple can extrude a strand of up to 20 feet of ropelike slime as a move action, to a maximum length of 60 feet. The rope can stick to an anchor-point and holds the weight of the flail snail disciple plus an additional load of 100lbs x the flail snail disciple's Constitution modifier (minimum 100lbs). The flail snail disciple can climb the rope with a DC 10 climb check; for other climbers, the DC is 20. The rope can be extruded from or merged with any part of the flail snail disciple’s body; hence, the flail snail disciple can remain stationary on the rope, or lower himself, while keeping his hands free. Once the flail snail disciple breaks contact with the rope (a free action), the slime decomposes in 1d4 rounds. This ability cannot be used in uninfused armour.
Retraction (Ex): At 4th level, while in oozeform and wearing armour made from shell, a flail snail disciple can withdraw himself into his armour as a swift action. This grants the flail snail disciple a +2 bonus to AC if his armour is light, or a +4 bonus if his armour is medium or heavy (although heavy armours typically cannot be crafted from shell). While retracted, a flail snail disciple cannot move, attack, maintain a grapple or pin, or keep a grip on anything with his hands except for infused equipment. He can return to normal as a free action. A flail snail disciple must be infused to his armour to perform this ability, and he returns to normal if his oozeform ends.
Mucus (Ex): At 5th level, while in oozeform, a flail snail disciple can coat the area he occupies with a layer of mucus as a free action. This mucus can be one of two types: slippery or sticky. A creature that enters a square of slippery mucus must make a Reflex save or fall prone (as the grease spell, although the mucus does not duplicate any other effect of this spell). Sticky mucus transforms squares into difficult terrain. The flail snail disciple can move through his own mucus without penalty. The mucus lasts until the beginning of the flail snail disciple’s next turn, or until it is exposed to any source of fire. The mucus is considered to be either a slippery-type or sticky-type augment respectively for the purpose of calculating save DCs. This ability cannot be used in uninfused armour.
Slime Coating (Ex): At 5th level, a flail snail disciple gains fire resistance 10. This resistance is suppressed if the flail snail disciple is suffering the effects of thirst. A flail snail disciple’s infused equipment also benefits from this resistance.
Snail’s Pace (Ex): At 7th level, a flail snail disciple’s long experience of shell armour lets him overcome much of its restrictiveness. When a flail snail disciple infuses to a suit of armour made from shell, he gains the following benefits for the duration of the infusion: the armour’s speed penalty is reduced by 5 feet, its maximum Dexterity bonus increases by 1, its armour check penalty is reduced by 2, and for the Climb skill the armour check penalty is reduced to 0.
Snail's Mantle (Ex): At 9th level, a flail snail disciple becomes so attuned to his shell equipment that it becomes almost a part of his body. Whenever the flail snail disciple is subject to an effect that would heal him for at least three hit points (including natural healing), his shell equipment regains one hit point for every three hit points the effect would restore, provided he is infused to the equipment and in physical contact with it. In addition, a flail snail disciple can sleep in his infused shell armour without becoming fatigued.
Warp Magic (Su): At 10th level, a flail snail disciple unlocks the secret of the flail snails' magic-warping shells. When a flail snail disciple infuses to a suit of armour made from shell, the armour gains the magical properties of a suit of snailplate for the duration of the infusion. The enhancement bonus of this ability stacks with any enhancement bonus the armour already possess, to a maximum of +5 (though it does not stack with enhancement bonuses from other sources, such as spells). The reflective property bestowed by this ability can be used only once per day, even if the flail snail disciple subsequently infuses to a different set of shell armour.