Ooze oriented character concept

[Tvtyrant]

I was looking at Thrall of Jubilex and was wondering how to go about making an Ooze based character. ToJ is a good start, but it doesn't get to summon very many oozes and its more like a melee character with some Ooze on top.

My first thought was to make an ooze lycanythrope by making a gelatinous animal, but that wouldn't work because they become aberrations :(

So my question is are there any other Ooze based classes in 3.0, 3.5 or Pathfinder that would aid me in my quest?

[Maho-Tsukai]

I believe 3e had a PrC known as the Oozemaster, which had some nice Ooze related abilities. However, it also had 5/10 CL progression, so if you are a fullcaster that class would be utterly and completely horrid for you despite the flavor because 5/10 CL progression murders fullcasters, period. However, the good thing about the class is that it is from 3e. Due to not being 3.5e or pathfinder material you could feasibly get your GM to allow it to at least have 9/10 CL progression since some 3.5e updates of 3e classes gave classes that had 5/10 CL progression in 3e to have 9/10 CL progression in 3.5e.(Pale Master ring a bell?)

While this is a link to D&D wiki, it's not homebrew by them. This class comes from 3e and is a part of the 3e SRD:

Oozemaster

[Tvtyrant]

ToJ is none caster, and gets slightly worse abilities but full BaB. I could take Ooze Master 10 and then ToJ 5, which would net me at will alter self, ooze subtype, some (not much) ooze summoning and a little bit of overlapping acid damage (4d6 acid damage on top of impact damage three times per day).

[Tvtyrant]

I have to be wrong about this; the wording of Polymorph indicates that I could take the form of a standard Aboleth, giving me 20 Con, 26 Str, and 16 Dex.

Also, ToJ gives you Polymorph at will; does this mean ever 8 minutes you have to switch back to human and then back to Aboleth, or that you can stay in Aboleth form indefinitely?

[Thurbane]

By my reading of it, you are correct. This is why I'm often leary of mixing 3.0 and 3.5 material...

[Tvtyrant]

Jellyman I:
Fighter 3/Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian 4/Thrall of Jubilex 10/?

Not sure if this is legal; uses Great Fortitude to get the 7 in Fortitude early for entrance into Thrall of Jubilex. If not add either three more levels of Fighter or swap Fighter out for 6 levels of Ranger (more skill points and same BaB). Basic premise of build is the at will Polymorph ability of Thrall of Jubilex + pounce from Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian.

Main point is that using Thrall of Jubilex you get a lot of power and versatility without being a caster. Full BaB isn't the greatest gift ever, but it has other goodies.

Special abilities to note:

1. Polymorph at will allows you to take the form of an Aboleth (8 HD), which gives you 26 Str, 20 Con, and some Dex. The tentacle attacks of an Aboleth are their primary natural attacks, giving you Str 1.5 bonus on attacks with each of them. The combination of Aboleth with Rage and Pounce allows you to make 4 tentacle attacks with +36 to hit and +12 to damage from the strength bonus on each tentacle. While this only amounts to 48 damage on 4 hits, your almost guaranteed those hits and they each give a chance to slime the opponent. You also have a grapple bonus of +43, which combined with Improved Grapple is +47. Most importantly is that because you have Pounce you can do this on a charge. So 48 base damage per round (if you can get a charge) without buffs and a really good grapple bonus (remember Aboleths are huge).

2. You get to summon a Black Pudding and a Hezrou each day, along with smaller jellies. Not the most potent features on the planet, but they add versatility. Also you get to do this in plate armor.

3. You get at will Alter Form and Polymorph, which adds a lot of versatility to you. The Polymorph can go up to 8 HD, which isn't great but you do get Aboleth out of it. Also birds, sharks, etc.

4. Immune to Criticals and Sneak attacks at level 17 (level 20 if Great Fortitude doesn't work the way I think it does). You can get that lots of places, but here you get it with everything else and without losing your humanoid type (you can't drink potions, but everything else is on the menu).

[Thurbane]

Not sure if this is legal; uses Great Fortitude to get the 7 in Fortitude early for entrance into Thrall of Jubilex.

No, not legal - needs to be the base Fort save, not including bonuses.

Also, Fighter 3? If you're going to take Fighter, for all that's holy, take an even number of levels! The 3rd level of Fighter is a total waste - it get's you basically nothing. Go Fighter 2 or Fighter 4.

If you want to add versatility to your build, there is the Jaunter PrC (Expedition to the Demonweb Pits) - it's easy entry, 4 levels long, and gives you some sweet teleport based abilities.

...but yeah, that's a fairly nice build you've got.

[zagan]

If you want to enter Thrall of Jubilex early you just need three class with good fort save. Fighter 1/Barbarian 1/Monk 1 work for example that allow you to enter at level 4. (Monk because it got all good save and escape artist as a class skill but there's probably a non core class that grant that or another way to gain escape artist.)

Another Prc that's ooze related is Spell sovereign that grant a living spell familiar,
but it's from a dragon mag (357)

[Hyfigh]

I thought it required a +7 base Fort...?

[zagan]

I thought it required a +7 base Fort...?

In my copy of BoVD it's +6, are they any other version ?

[Tvtyrant]

There are also two Ooze related domains, but they don't get advanced by the two ooze related prestige classes; having ooze turning would be cool if you could, you know, turn oozes :P

The reason I was looking at Aboleth was because it has Mucus Cloud and Slime as EX abilities, and they are both ooze/slime related debuffs. Slime isn't that good, but Mucus Cloud is amazing. You essentially instant kill anything that fails the fort save and doesn't breathe in water, because it makes them unable to breathe air for three hours but doesn't give them the ability to breathe in water.

So Other then the three mandatory levels in Spirit Totem Barbarian, what do you guys think the best base melee classes would be for this? They need full BaB and I don't want casting, but other then that what is useful?

[zagan]

Well swashbuckler give full bab and escape artist, Crusader or Warblade could be nice for a few maneuver taken just before entering Thrall but no escape artist.

Why 3 level of spirit totem barbarian, 1 is enough for pounce ?

[The Glyphstone]

There are also two Ooze related domains, but they don't get advanced by the two ooze related prestige classes; having ooze turning would be cool if you could, you know, turn oozes :P

The reason I was looking at Aboleth was because it has Mucus Cloud and Slime as EX abilities, and they are both ooze/slime related debuffs. Slime isn't that good, but Mucus Cloud is amazing. You essentially instant kill anything that fails the fort save and doesn't breathe in water, because it makes them unable to breathe air for three hours but doesn't give them the ability to breathe in water.

So Other then the three mandatory levels in Spirit Totem Barbarian, what do you guys think the best base melee classes would be for this? They need full BaB and I don't want casting, but other then that what is useful?

You'll need magical flight of some sort, cause otherwise you're stuck limping along at the Aboleth's 10ft. land speed. and note that Mucus Cloud, by the wording of the ability, only functions underwater. Slime works on anything its tentacles hit though.

[Thurbane]

So Other then the three mandatory levels in Spirit Totem Barbarian, what do you guys think the best base melee classes would be for this? They need full BaB and I don't want casting, but other then that what is useful?

Not full BAB, but Warshaper might be a good choice once you get your Polymorph ability.

[Tvtyrant]

Hmmmm, have fly cast on me in combat kinda ruins the whole not needing to be a caster thing. Cursed Fish Speed!

Anyway, Aboleths have reach, so I could charge ten feet and full attack (might actually work in its advantage, because it could litterally charge back and forth while making the attacks). I might have to find an alternate land version :(

Edit: 8 Headed Hydra has 8 HD, and gets even more attacks! You lose the Slime ability, but you get fast healing for 18 hp a turn. Nice.

[The Glyphstone]

Hmmmm, have fly cast on me in combat kinda ruins the whole not needing to be a caster thing. Cursed Fish Speed!

Anyway, Aboleths have reach, so I could charge ten feet and full attack (might actually work in its advantage, because it could litterally charge back and forth while making the attacks). I might have to find an alternate land version :(

Edit: 8 Headed Hydra has 8 HD, and gets even more attacks! You lose the Slime ability, but you get fast healing for 18 hp a turn. Nice.

Polyhydra cheese is indeed excellent.

[Betropper]

Consider the Oozebound? I'm currently using it in a campaign but I don't know if your DM would allow homebrew.

[Tvtyrant]

Solution to Aboleth speed problem: Either buy four Decanters of Endless Water and flood everything (literally fill up the dungeon and swim down to the treasure :P) or take the run feet and move fifty ft a round as a full action. With 20 Con it can keep it up for a while.