Oth

Large aberration (shoth), lawful neutral

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 119 (14d10 + 42)
Speed 30 ft., climb 10 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 18 (+4)

Skills Arcana +3, Perception +5, Persuasion +7, Religion +3
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages all, telepathy 100 ft.
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Special Traits

  • Amorphous. The oth, including its equipment, can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
  • Multiple Roles. Choose either the Dripping Arcanist or Paladin of Shoth trait.
  • Dripping Arcanist. The oth’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell casting DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It may cast the following spells innately, requiring only verbal components:
  • Paladin of Shoth. The oth derives its power from Shoth itself, its zom shining with sacred light. Its Armor Class increases by 2. A non-shoth creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the oth must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be blinded by the light of Shoth until the end of its turn.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The oth makes two oozing slam attacks or one oozing slam and one greatsword attack.
  • Oozing Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) bludgeoning damage and 2 (1d4) acid damage.
  • Greatsword (Paladin of Shoth Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) slashing damage.
  • Merge. A shoth who has less than half its maximum hp can merge with any other shoth creature within 10 feet, adding its remaining hp to that creature’s. The hp gained this way can exceed the normal maximum of that creature. A shoth can accept one such merger every 24 hours.
  • Spray (Recharge 6). The oth sprays acid in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (5d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

About

Oth are soozes that have lived at least 100 years. The oth command the soozes and pilot the strange oozing ships which carry the shoth from world to world. Oths take their orders from droths and negotiate with the creatures of a world. Their magic and natural charm help them to lead a creature, people, or species to the zolvs. Oths are large humanoids with four appendages, and they wear hooded cloaks. Their zoms are stored inside their chest and pulse rhythmically like a mortal heart.

Friendly. Oths are charismatic and friendly creatures, despite their oozing appearance. They have excellent senses of humor and can get along with nearly everyone. They sincerely want what is in the best interests of their allies. However, they work tirelessly to move their allies towards being dissolved since they see it as the best way of achieving ultimate kinship for all living creatures.

The Shoth

Be at peace, lose your bones, be one with the shoth.

The shoth are an aberrant race of oozing humanoids from outside the known planes. Their leader, and namesake, is a creature with god-like powers whose gelatinous body floats like a star in a distant galaxy. The shoth have no home world; instead, they wander the universe inside massive oozing vessels capable of interplanar travel. The largest of these vessels, the Dripping Palace, contains an avatar of Shoth itself.

The singular purpose of all the shoth is to dissolve willing, sentient life in great bubbling pools called zolvs. Far from being war-like and dominating, the shoth instead form close relationships with creatures, assisting those creatures in whatever way they can.

The shoth provide assistance, wisdom, riches, and guidance until the object of their attention accepts the greatest offer the shoth can make-absolute co-mingling. In this way, the shoth increase both their knowledge and their numbers. They have been known to work for a millennia or more before making the offer of the zolv.

The process of dissolving oneself in a zolv is not painful or unpleasant. The creature wades into the thick protein bath and is flooded with calm and peaceful emotions. Slowly, the creature submerges itself, and its body is dissolved, rising again as a vaguely-humanoid ooze.

The shoth follow a strict code of laws recorded in magical spheres called zoms. Each shoth carries its own zom, to which it telepathically refers often. Only the shoth can fully understand the zom’s sigils and sounds, though magic such as the comprehend languages spell gives the caster some measure of understanding. The laws of Shoth are actually the collected wisdom of all the disparate sentient species who have been dissolved over the aeons.

The shoth divide themselves into different castes according to their age. Newly dissolved shoth are called soozes, while shoth who have persisted a century or more earn the title oth.

These elders serve as generals in the shoth armies or as scholarly wizards who pursue magical knowledge to add to the collective.

The few who live for 500 years or more become droths. These massive piles of ooze no longer appear humanoid, instead looking like smaller versions of Shoth itself. Droths are required for the creation of zolvs and, therefore, are usually the last to arrive to a world.

Trustworthy. The shoth are true to their word. They are interested in gaining the trust of others and do not employ trickery, deception, or intimidation to obtain it. Once the shoth have targeted a creature or group for dissolution, they are true friends and allies.

Never by Force. Though the shoth have many laws recorded in the zoms, the overarching law states that creatures must agree to be dissolved without force or coercion. The zolv is the last step in the relationship, and it is never offered before the shoth are confident the creature will accept.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Creature Codex. © 2018 Open Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Chris Harris, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Chris Lockey, Shawn Merwin, and Jon Sawatsky.