Black Pudding

Black Pudding (CR 7)

Neutral - Large - Ooze

Lore:	K. (Dungeoneer)
14		29
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

11

Perception:
21	+11
Passive	Active

Ambush:

10+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses

Movement Types:

Defense

AC

23

Man Def

23

Monster Health
113	56	11
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+9
Refl:	+4
Will:	+4

Strong Against:

• (Mindless) Immune (no effect): all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, fear, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms)
• (Ooze 1) Immune (no effect): gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight
• (Ooze 2) Immune (no effect): poisons (tainted, poisoned, blighted), magical sleep (drowsy, sluggish, asleep), paralyzed, stunned, polymorph
• (Ooze 3) Immune (no effect): flanking, prone (quelled, prone, splayed]])
• (Ooze 4) Hardened (½ damage): critical hits, precision damage
• Immunity to piercing, Hardened to Slashing

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Large
10 ft.		10 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+12

Man Off

+11

Action

0

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Pseudopod Smash +12 (2d10+7/x2)
  as undefined damage type
  Acid Damage + Gorge

Full Attack (Melee):

• 1x Pseudopod Smash +12 (2d10+7/x2)
  as undefined damage type
  Acid Damage + Gorge

Standard Attack (Ranged):

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

16

STR

1

DEX

22

CON

—

INT

1

WIS

1

CHA

Skills:

• Perception: 11
• All other skills: 6 (no ranks)

Languages:

Feats:

Special Abilities

Corrosion (Ex)

Gorge (Su)

When a black pudding hits a foe with a Pseudopod attack (either Smash or Swarm) it may 'pour itself' along the length of that pseudopod and enter the space of the struck creature. This is mechanically handled in-game as the ability to make a five foot step after any such attack (e.g. only usable once per round, not usable if you've already moved this round, etc). The black pudding may only use this ability against creatures it has struck -- if a 5-foot Gorge step would take them into a space with a creature they struck and a creature they haven't struck, the pudding must adjust the step to only include the struck creature. If it cannot do so, it can't use the Gorge ability. Being inside a pudding's space this way does not impede either the pudding or the victim in any way, except that the victim takes acid damage at the end of any move or 5-foot step the pudding makes which leaves them inside the pudding's space, to a maximum of once each combat round. This effectively adds acid damage to their attack which they used to trigger Gorge, and may cause considerably more damage than that if victims do not move away from the pudding.

Portion Control (Ex)

Once per encounter, as a triggered free reaction, upon being struck by a piercing or slashing weapon, a Black Pudding will split from one Large creature into four Medium creatures in the same space. Once split, each Pudding can and will move and attack independently using the same initiative. Each one has one fourth of the ORIGINAL hit point total of the Black Pudding (round down), has only five feet of reach, but otherwise does full damage with all attacks. This effectively serves as a full heal and quadruples the creature's damage, so, don't do this unless you're really sure about it.

Pseudopod Swarm ()

As a full attack action the Black Pudding may make up to four Pseudopod Swarm attacks. Each of these four attacks has and each successful attack inflicts of acid damage, and may be used to trigger Gorge. These attacks have a reach of ten feet before Portion Control is triggered, and five feet after. The Black Pudding will use these attacks on all enemies it can reach, closest first. If there are fewer than four enemies it can reach, it will attack all enemies then randomly attack one enemy with all leftover attacks.

Black Pudding

Black Puddings are the most commonly encountered of the oozes, and that alone makes them noteworthy. Black Puddings are extremely hard to kill completely, and after a battle with a swarm of puddings, baby puddings are usually spawned by the dozens over the next several weeks, as random spots and spatters scattered in the battle will slowly grow into more of the vile things.

Like all oozes, black puddings are horrifying things. They are not really alive, nor are they dead, nor are they even undead. They simply exist in an unquiet state of hungry growth. Puddings never sleep or rest or do anything else like an actually-living creature will do. Black puddings are a lot 'thicker' than many other oozes, although they are more runny than gelatinous cubes. Due to their heavy, gelid consistency, in their resting state they form a heaping mound of midnight semi-liquid matter about ten feet across and easily seven or eight feet high. They move with a eerie sucking flow and can cling to about anything that can resist their acid matter, which is very little indeed aside from solid stone.

Black puddings are incredibly dangerous, and will cause a strong response if sighted near any intelligent creatures' lairs. Puddings are to be found and eradicated as fast as possible, before they find their way into your house one dark night and eat you.

Combat Tactics

Black Puddings are utterly mindless. They sense motion or warmth, they move toward it and attack. They will not use five foot steps to attain extra opportunity attacks with their reach, nor will they bother with flanks except by accident. If they are able to use Portion Control, all four of the new oozes act independently, moving to the closest prey and attacking with vigor. Note that Pseudopod Swarm is four melee attacks, and can be used against any and all targets the Pudding can reach, up to four attacks on a single target is allowed.

Out of Combat

Rewards

XP: 3,200

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 2,875 gp.

Weight: 70 lbs.     Volume: 2.8 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)