Gelatinous Cube

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Gelatinous Cube (Threat Role) (CR 4)

One of the dungeon's most deadly, unusual and specialized predators, gelatinous cubes spend their existence mindlessly roaming dungeon halls and dark caverns, swallowing up organic material such as plants, refuse, carrion, and even living creatures. Materials the cube cannot digest, such as metal and stone, can eventually fill up the creature's mass with such detritus, and at times the creature may excrete some of this material out of its body. Often the treasure and possessions of past victims remain inside the gelatinous cube, leaving a ghostly impression of their material remains.

Sages believe these creatures evolved as a specialized advancement of gray oozes. Some beings use gelatinous cubes as protectors of dungeons and underground fortifications, trapping the immense creatures in massive metal crates and transporting them through either slave power or magic to their final guard posts. They make particularly efficient waste disposal mechanisms as well—a tribe that can trap a gelatinous cube in a pit or other area that it cannot climb out of can use it as a midden or even a deadly trap, depending only on the ingenuity of the creatures who caught it.

Gelatinous cubes are generally 10 feet to a side and weigh upward of 60,000 pounds, though subterranean explorers report larger specimens trawling the deepest caves and corridors. In locations with plentiful sources of food, gelatinous cubes can exist for hundreds of years, if not thousands. However, if denied organic material for more than 6 months, a gelatinous cube begins shrinking. Eventually this stresses its walls and the creature leaks rapidly evaporating slimy liquid until its body collapses and disappears completely.

A gelatinous cube's acid only dissolves organic matter, and leaves metal and stone polished but otherwise unharmed.

GENERAL

CR 4 Hit Dice 5

XP 4,800 (Threat Role included)

N Large Ooze

Init +2; Senses Blindsight 60 ft., Perception +6

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+3 dex, +7 armor)

hp 120

Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: Threat Role: Immune to the first 5 instances of any status condition, Ooze Traits, Transparent, Reconstitution

Immunities: Ooze Traits

Weaknesses: -

OFFENSE

Speed 15 ft.

Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 5 ft.

Single Melee 3x Heaving Surge +8 (1d8+3/19-20x2) acid damage, must be different creatures

Full Melee Engulf, 2x Heaving Surge +8 (1d8+3/19-20x2) acid damage, must be different creatures

Ranged Acidic Spurt +8 (1d8+3/x2) acid damage plus slowed (swift action; see below)

Special Attacks Engulf, Acidic Spurt

Action Points 2 (Threat Role)

STATISTICS

Str 10, Dex 1, Con 26, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 10

Base Atk +4; CMB +9; CMD 20

Feats -

Skills none, but see Transparent

Languages -

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Transparent

Due to its lack of coloration, a gelatinous cube is difficult to discern. A DC 20 Perception check is required to notice a motionless gelatinous cube. Any creature that fails to notice a gelatinous cube and walks into it is automatically engulfed.

Engulf

During a full-attack action, a gelatinous cube may make a 5-foot step and simply engulf any Large or smaller creatures in its path. It can only make two heaving surge attacks during a round in which it engulfs. The gelatinous cube merely has to move over the opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make attacks of opportunity against the cube, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw against the engulf. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity can attempt a DC 13 Reflex save to avoid being engulfed—on a success, they are pushed back or aside (victim's choice) as the cube moves forward (this is forced movement). Engulfed creatures gain the pinned condition, and are trapped within its body until they are no longer pinned. At the beginning of each of the Gelatinous Cube's turns after a creature is engulfed, each engulfed creature takes 1d8+3 acid damage. Up to four living medium (or smaller) creatures or one large living creature may be engulfed at any time. Once creatures are slain, they no longer occupy space within the cube and more creatures may be engulfed.

Reconstitution

Upon being reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, special organs within the gelatinous cube's body burst and reconstitute its gelatinous flesh. The gelatinous cube immediately purges any engulfed creatures when this occurs, but is restored to half its hit points (60). Any extant status conditions on the gelatinous cubes at the time this ability is triggered are cleared.

Acidic Spurt

As a swift action, the Gelatinous Cube may attack a creature up to 40 feet away with its acidic spurt. In addition to the acid damage dealt, creatures struck by acidic spurt are slowed until the end of their next turn. Acidic Spurt +8 (1d8+3/x2) acid damage.

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 4,500 gp (threat role included)

COMBAT TACTICS

A gelatinous cube is a Threat Role monster, and boy do they qualify!

A single gelatinous cube is equivalent to at least four normal monsters, and should provide a good challenge to most parties all by itself. Upon detecting prey in the radius of its blindsight senses gelatinous cubes will usually wait to see if things will stumble into them, taking full advantage of their Transparent ability. If the prey moves away or takes aggressive action, the gelatinous cube will enter combat with one or two acidic spurts and a move, to close the gap. If it only uses one acidic spurt, it will double move. It may also spend an action point in the first round to further close the gap, or to use acidic spurt on additional nearby foes.

Once engaged in melee, it will make optimal use of full attack actions to engulf opponents, via-5-foot steps, while continuing to use heaving surges. Even during a full attack action, a gelatinous cube will use acidic spurt against a ranged target, to keep its prey close by.

Gelatinous Cubes should spend their action points in the first and second rounds, as they are mindless and aggressive. They will never consider fleeing. They are driven to endlessly scour their environment of all organic materials and have no thoughts or desires beyond that.

Gelatinous cubes are slow, lumbering hulks that are nonetheless fully capable of catching up to you and eating you with little effort at all.