Necrotic Ooze
Necrotic oozes are common scavengers that are attracted to large amounts of death and decay such as barrows, tombs, and crypts. These oozes can also be attracted by large surges of necromantic energy associated with rituals to raise the dead.
Crawling Corpses
These oozes tend to have a rather peculiar appearance as their form is always littered with decaying corpses and bones. This appearance is quite unusual for oozes as their kind tend to dissolve and consume anything trapped within their form. Only when an ooze either has eaten more than it consumes will remnants of its meals will be floating among its gelatinous from. However, many scholars believe that the reason for the ooze's corpulent appearance is actually due to its diet. It is believed that necrotic oozes primarily feed off of necrotic energy, which can be commonly consumed when a creature transitions from life to death. However, because the ooze has little nutritional use for bones and flesh, these corpses remain in its form acting as a natural defense sickens any attackers and weakens prey ensnared within the ooze's ectoplasm
Necrotic Ooze Tactics
Necrotic oozes are generally drawn to regions with a lot of death and decay. As a result, there are a common pest in many tombs and crypts. Those who conduct extensive necromantic experiments and rituals must also be wary as necrotic surges are sure to draw their presence. Although necrotic oozes are scavengers by nature, they are not opposed to devouring living creatures. In fact, the necrotic energy siphoned from a dying creature is believed to be more nutritious than a long-decayed corpse.
Vampiric Ectoplasm
Like all oozes, its body is its most dangerous weapon. Once a creature is engulfed by the ooze, the necrotic ectoplasm immediately begins siphoning their life force. Due to the unique properties of the ooze, it is able to forge a vampiric bond with engulfed creatures slowing draining their life force and even sharing the pain the ooze receives while its prey fights back.
Necrotic Metabolism
However, their most dangerous feature is their metabolism. Each times the necrotic ooze consumes the life force of a creature, it immediately stimulates rapid cellular growth causing the necrotic ooze to create a smaller clone of itself. However, this feature only seems to work when the ooze kills a living creature, most likely due to the potency of the necrotic energy from its life force. Because of this, one should take special care to remove a necrotic ooze from civilized areas are quickly as possible or risk a potential infestation of necrotic oozes.
Necrotic Ooze
Large Ooze, Unaligned
- Armor Class 6 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 84 (8d10+40)
- Speed 15ft., climb 15ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 3 (-4) 20 (+5) 1 (-5) 6 (-2) 1 (-5)
- Saving Throws Con +7
- Skills Stealth +0, Perception +0
- Senses blindsense 60ft (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 11
- Proficiency Bonus +2
- Challenge 4(1100 xp)
Amorphous Form The ooze can can move through a space as narrow as one inch without squeezing.
Damage Transfer When the ooze takes damage, it takes only half damage redirecting the other half to one engulfed creature. The creature takes this damage as necrotic damage. The ooze can only benefit from this feature if it has at least one engulfed creature.
Death Eater When the ooze takes necrotic damage, it takes no damage and regains a number of hitpoints equal to the necrotic damage dealt.
Ooze Form The ooze takes up its entire space. Other creatures can enter the space, but a creature that does so is subjected to the ooze's Engulf and has disadvantage on the saving throw.
Creatures inside the ooze can be seen but have total cover. A creature within 5 feet of the ooze can take an action to pull a creature or object out of the ooze. Doing so requires a successful DC 12 Strength check, and the creature making the attempt takes 7 (2d6) necrotic damage.
The ooze can hold only one Large creature or up to four Medium or smaller creatures inside it at a time.
Stench Any creature other than a ooze that starts its turn within 10 feet of the ooze must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of the creature's next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the stench of any ooze for 1 hour.
Spider Climb The ooze can climb difficult surfaces, including ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Actions
Multiattack. The ooze can make two attacks with its pseudopods
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 10ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4+2) acid damage + 4(1d8) necrotic damage. On a hit, the target is unable to regain hitpoints until the end of its next turn.
Necrotic Leech. One creature engulfed by the ooze must succeed a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, it takes 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. On a successful saving throw, the creature takes half damage.
The ooze regains a number of hitpoints equal to the necrotic damage dealt.
Engulf. The ooze moves up to its speed. While doing so, it can enter Large or smaller creature's spaces. Whenever the ooze enters a creature's space, the creature must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw.
On a successful save, the creature can choose to be pushed 5 feet back or to the side of the ooze. A creature that chooses not to be pushed suffers the consequences of a failed saving throw.
On a failed save, the ooze enters the creature's space, and the creature takes 7 (2d6) fire damage and is engulfed. The engulfed creature can't breathe, is restrained, and takes 9 (2d8) necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns and cannot regain hitpoints for the duration of being engulfed.
When the ooze moves, the engulfed creature moves with it. An engulfed creature can try to escape by taking an action to make a DC 12 Strength check. On a success, the creature escapes and enters a space of its choice within 5 feet of the ooze.
Reaction
Thanatotic Splitting When the ooze reduces a creature to 0 hitpoints while the ooze has at least 10 hitpoints, it can spawn a necrotic ooze in an unoccupied space space within 5ft. of it. The new ooze has hitpoints equal to half the original's current hitpoints, rounded down. New oozes are one size smaller than the original.