Black Pudding

Family: Oozes

Large ooze, unaligned

Armor Class 7
Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30); Wound Threshold N/A
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	5 (-3)	16 (+3)	1 (-5)	10 (+0)	1 (-5)

Damage Immunities acid, cold, lightning, slashing
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
Languages –
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Amorphous. The pudding can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing (see Adventurers, Combat).
• Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the pudding or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the pudding corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the pudding is destroyed after dealing damage. The pudding can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or metal in 1 round.
• False Appearance. While the pudding remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a shadowy area.
• Spider Climb. The pudding can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

ACTIONS

• Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) acid damage. In addition, nonmagical armor worn by the target is partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.

REACTIONS

• Split. When a pudding that is Medium or larger is subjected to lightning or slashing damage, it splits into two new puddings if it has at least 10 hit points. Each new pudding has hit points equal to half the original pudding’s, rounded down. New puddings are one size smaller than the original pudding.

ABOUT

Entirely black, made of a substance that barely reflects light, the black pudding hunts stealthily by sticking to the ceiling and dropping onto prey. Its highly corrosive fluids can melt practically anything: flesh, wood, metals vulnerable to corrosion… However, gold, mithral, platinum, and adamantium are unaffected.

SPECIAL OPTION

By using this option, attacking with the wrong weaponry is even more dangerous when confronting a black pudding, as its offspring take advantage of their numbers and have the following trait:

• Pack Tactics. The pudding has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the pudding’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.