Ooze, Gurgling

Family: Oozes

Large ooze, unaligned

Armor Class 8
Hit Points 47 (5d10 + 20); Wound Threshold: N/A
Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	6 (-2)	19 (+4)	2 (-4)	10 (+0)	1 (-5)

Damage Resistances acid
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
Languages –
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Anxious Rage. When it’s been reduced to under half its hit points, the gurgling ooze may enter an anxious rage. In this state, it has advantage on Strength and Constitution checks and saving throws, it inflicts +1d6 bludgeoning damage on melee weapon attack damage rolls, and gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• Amorphous. The gurgling ooze can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing (see Adventurers, Combat).
• Detect Freshwater. The gurgling ooze can detect fresh water within 1 mile.
• Spider Climb. The gurgling ooze can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

ACTIONS

• Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) acid damage.

ABOUT

The gurgling ooze looks like a mass of luminescent bluish sap, slowly pulsating to the rhythm of its dull life. Its clumsy, balloon-like appearance belies an extremely resistant skin and great strength. This ooze is quick to become aggressive toward anyone attempting to take its water, defending its precious resource to the end.

This ooze is both feared and appreciated. Like a sponge, it’s able to extract water from mist, dew, a leaking wall, or even simply from highly humid air. Its specialized senses allow it to easily find a source of fresh water, into which it settles. It bloats in size as it drinks, developing a storage sac that inflates like a balloon until it reaches about 3 feet across. Once satisfied, it looks like a mushroom, and mainly feeds on mineral or plant matter, thanks to its pseudopods.

As an opportunistic omnivore, a gurgling ooze will kill and devour any creature attempting to deprive it of water or drain its sac. Savvy travelers of the Netherworld know to feed the gourd (for example with a freshly hunted carcass) so that it enters a kind of digestive dormant state, making it easier to pierce the water sac and take sparingly from it without provoking a reaction. In this way, it’s possible to obtain an amount of water roughly equal to what the gourd consumed.

While it can be useful, the gurgling ooze can also be a threat. If several of these creatures settle in a spring and inflate with water, they can end up creating a dam, significantly reducing the water flow downstream and potentially leading to severe drought. It would then be tempting to solve the problem decisively by attacking the gourds.

However, the Netherworld druids wonder if such events are a sign of a greater imbalance. Natural species would normally have predators. While occasional excesses may happen, these usually return to a natural balance without humanoid intervention. In order to end these nuisances, the root of the problem must surely be found elsewhere.