Darkshard Ooze, Forge Leader

Family: Oozes

Medium ooze, chaotic evil

Armor Class 16 (chain mail)
Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12) and 60 temporary hit points
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)	4 (-3)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)

Skills Perception +4, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, poison
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened
Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Corpse Possession. If the ooze loses all its temporary hit points, the corpse it possesses is completely destroyed and the ooze reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the corpse, using the regular statistics of a darkshard ooze. The ooze can also end the possession as a bonus action.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The ooze makes two weapon attacks.
• Darkspike. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 13).
• Spike Explosion (Recharge 5-6). The ooze creates a blast of razor-sharp dark spikes around it. Each creature within 15 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 21 (6d6) piercing damage and suffer a lingering wound. While wounded, the creature’s speed is halved and it loses 3 (1d6) hit points at the start of each of its turns due to blood loss. Any creature can take an action to stanch the wound with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Medicine) check, and the wound also closes if the target receives magical healing. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage with no additional effects.
• Spiky Gobbet. The ooze lobs a gobbet of spiky goo at a point it can see within 30 feet of it. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw as the goo explodes into a cloud of spikes. A creature takes 14 (4d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

BONUS ACTIONS

• Darkshard Infestation. The ooze attempts to infest a creature it is grappling. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or contract a disease. Until the disease is cured, the target can’t regain hit points and must repeat the saving throw after each hour that elapses. On a failed save, the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by 10 (3d6). The target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0 as a darkshard ooze spawns inside it. If the target succeeds on three of these saves, it is no longer diseased.
• Rip Flesh. A target the ooze is grappling takes 7 (2d6) piercing damage and must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on attacks rolls, ability checks, and saving throws until the end of its next turn.

REACTIONS

• Disruptive Skewer. When a creature the ooze can see within 60 feet of it begins casting a spell, the ooze makes a weapon attack against it. If the attack hits, the creature must make a spellcasting ability check against a DC equal to 10 + the spell’s level. On a failure, the creature’s spell fails and has no effect.