Darkshard Ooze

Family: Oozes

Medium ooze, chaotic evil

Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	8 (-1)	15 (+2)	4 (-3)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +3
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, poison
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, prone, restrained
Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Amorphous. The ooze can enter a creature’s space and stop there. It can also move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
• Light Weakness. While in bright light, the ooze has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.
• Spider Climb. The ooze can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The ooze makes two Darkspike attacks.
• Darkspike. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 12).
• Possess Corpse. The ooze disappears into an intact corpse within 5 feet of it that belonged to a Large or smaller creature. The ooze is now effectively the possessed creature and it gains a number of temporary hit points equal to the corpse’s hit point maximum in life. While inside a corpse, the ooze uses the creature’s Strength and Dexterity, AC, and speed, if they re higher than its own. The ooze loses its immunity to being grappled, prone, and restrained, and its Liquid Form, Light Sensitivity, and Spider Climb traits. It gains any armor or weapon proficiencies the creature had and can use any equipment the creature is wearing or carrying. The possession lasts until the temporary hit points are lost (at which point the corpse is completely destroyed) or the ooze ends its possession as a bonus action. When the possession ends, the ooze reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the corpse.
• 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 12 Dexterity saving throw as the goo explodes into a cloud of spikes. A creature takes 7 (2d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

BONUS ACTIONS

• Rip Flesh. A target the ooze is grappling takes 3 (1d6) piercing damage and must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on attacks rolls, ability checks, and saving throws until the end of its next turn.
• Darkshard Infestation. The ooze attempts to infest a creature it is grappling. The target must succeed on a DC 12 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.

ABOUT

Liquid metal brought to life by fell magic, the mysterious darkshard ooze is a nightmarish creature.

Resembling ferrofluid, the ooze’s dark, metallic body contorts and writhes with glistening spikes as it drags itself across a dungeon’s floor. Sensitive to light, the ooze prefers to remain in darkness. In combat, the ooze can extend its form to create long spikes that can pierce and rend flesh. It can also lob pieces of itself to scatter fragments of spiked metal in all directions.

Darkshard oozes scavenge on carrion and will often seek out any dark location where corpses are plentiful, such as disused dungeons and ancient ruins. The darkshard ooze eats its meals by crawling into them and consuming them from inside.

Once it has hollowed a corpse, it often extends itself to fill out the corpse and wear it like a second skin.

This provides the ooze with both a layer of protection and shields it against the light it so hates. While inhabiting a corpse this way, the ooze lies perfectly still, waiting for new prey to wander too close.