Hetzuud

Medium ooze (shapechanger), neutral evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 91 (14d8 + 28)
Speed 20 ft., climb 10 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 13 (+1)

Skills Deception +5, Perception +4, Stealth +5
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive perception 14
Languages Common, Hetzuud (tactile), Ultari
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Amorphous. The hetzuud can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
  • Change Shape (3/Day). The hetzuud can use an action to polymorph into an object or person, as noted below. Internal Storage. A hetzuud can secrete and carry equipment inside itself but can only store items smaller than the hetzuud’s current form (assumed or natural) with a total weight less than or equal to the hetzuud’s carrying capacity. If a hetzuud spends an action when using its change shape ability, it can don armor or clothing stored inside it, or ready up to two weapons or other items. A hetzuud can retrieve any item stored inside itself as a bonus action.
  • Merge. In its natural form, an adjacent hetzuud can merge with another willing hetzuud as an action without provoking an attack of opportunity. Up to four hetzuud can merge in this fashion, thereby creating a hetzuud amalgam. Hetzuud within an amalgam remain in constant communication with one another and can coordinate their actions to greater effect while joined, having advantage on all initiative rolls. All hetzuud within an amalgam can continue making their own independent actions, manifesting pseudopods to make slam attacks and wielding any manufactured weapons, magic items, or other gear as normal. If a merged hetzuud leaves a square adjacent to the amalgam, it must spend another action to do so and loses all benefits of the amalgam. A successful shove special attack can forcibly separate a single hetzuud from an amalgam (determined randomly). An amalgam provides the following additional effects to all its members:
    • Collaborative Resistance. A hetzuud amalgam had advantage when making saving throws against individually targeted effects.
    • Conjoined Combat. When two or more hetzuud within an amalgam attack the same foe, and each attack has advantage. In addition, as an action any hetzuud in an amalgam may use the help action to assist any other hetzuud in the amalgam.
    • Distributed Wounds. Hetzuud within an amalgam split all hit point damage equally by sharing it among themselves.
    • Pliable Transposition. As a move action, any hetzuud within an amalgam may swap places with another member of the amalgam to occupy a different square within the amalgam.
    • Size Increase. The amalgam is considered large sized. Each individually conjoined hetzuud has advantage on Strength checks. The hetzuud also receive a natural reach of 10 feet and each slam attack deals an additional 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
    • Mimic Object. As an action, a hetzuud can assume the shape of any inanimate object of the same size category, such as an armchair, bulky chest, door, or statue. The hetzuud cannot substantially alter its size, unless merged with more its kind (see above). While the hetzuud is motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
    • Perfect Copy. When a hetzuud uses change shape, it can assume the appearance of specific individuals. The hetzuud has advantage on Deception checks related to the appearance of such shapes and disguises.
    • Vision. Unlike most oozes, a hetzuud can see normally outside its blindsight radius.

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The hetzuud makes a two slam attacks.
  • Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

ABOUT

A nefarious race of sentient predatory oozes, hetzuud gained notoriety as spies and infiltrators capable of altering their shape and density to interact with almost any environment. They excel at mimicking other creatures and objects by modifying their texture and coloration. Multiple hetzuud can also merge into deadlier, greater-sized oozes with dangerous combat abilities, controlling multiple pseudopods with deadly effect.

An adult hetzuud weighs around 200 pounds and can squeeze itself into 4 cubic feet, or a 1-foot-radius sphere.

Hetzuud maintain a culture of collective development and expansion rather than individual rights. This stems from the natural instinct to merge together for mutual protection. They prove inherently amoral, regarding other species as rivals to dominate. Hetzuud place great emphasis on contributing to their overall society, and hetzuud who champion individualism serve little purpose, leading their peers to inevitably shun, exile, or destroy them.

Procreation of a new hetzuud brood can occur between two or more individuals. They must remain merged during the incubation process, which takes eight hours. Afterward, a newborn hetzuud separates from its parents and takes 2 years to mature. To produce viable offspring, hetzuud must ensure considerable genetic diversity between participating parents and they can sense by touch if another member of their species would make a suitable mate. Producing more than one offspring per merge is considered taboo.

Hetzuuds have little parental instinct or loyalty beyond their natural impulse to preserve their race. They place their young in caves or enclosed areas safe from other predators, and then leave them to grow and mature unattended, feeding on whatever sustenance they can acquire. Elder hetzuud reclaim their young after they learn to mimic other creatures and objects, training them as workers, retainers, or soldiers. After a period of indentured servitude to pay for such training, young hetzuud eventually seek their own fortune, but always in close alliance with the collective society.

The governing leadership of hetzuud enclaves inevitably consists of long-lived elders grown to Huge size. They store and process information collected from other species and civilizations in an attempt to use such knowledge for the betterment of hetzuud society. When a momentous decision concerns the entire race, these elders merge together in an extremely rare act. The last such convocation occurred when the hetzuud decided to join the Ultari Hegemony.

A silvery puddle-like blob of malleable goo transforms into a new shape, its surface rapidly taking on detailed textures and color.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Legendary Planet Adventure Path (5E) © 2020, Legendary Games; Authors: Matt Goodall, Jim Groves, Steven T. Helt, Tim Hitchcock, Jason Nelson, Richard Pett, Tom Phillips, Mike Shel, Neil Spicer, Mike D. Welham

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