Black Pudding: Difference between revisions

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| Description | Black Puddings are the most commonly encountered of the oozes, and that alone makes them noteworthy.  Black Puddings are extremely hard to kill completely, and after a battle with a swarm of puddings, baby puddings are usually spawned by the dozens over the next several weeks, as random spots and spatters scattered in the battle will slowly grow into more of the vile things.
| Description | Black Puddings are the most commonly encountered of the oozes, and that alone makes them noteworthy.  Black Puddings are extremely hard to kill completely, and after a battle with a swarm of puddings, baby puddings are usually spawned by the dozens over the next several weeks, as random spots and spatters scattered in the battle will slowly grow into more of the vile things.


:Like all oozes, black puddings are horrifying things.  They are not really alive, nor are they dead, nor are they even undead.  They simply exist in an unquiet state of hungry growth.  Puddings never sleep or rest or do anything else like an actually-living creature will do.  Black puddings are a lot 'thicker' than many other oozes, although they are more runny than gelatinous cubes.  Due to their heavy, gelid consistency, in their resting state they form a heaping mound of midnight semi-liquid matter about ten feet across and easily seven or eight feet high.  They move with a eerie sucking flow and can cling to about anything that can resist their acid matter, which is very little indeed aside from solid stone.
Like all oozes, black puddings are horrifying things.  They are not really alive, nor are they dead, nor are they even undead.  They simply exist in an unquiet state of hungry growth.  Puddings never sleep or rest or do anything else like an actually-living creature will do.  Black puddings are a lot 'thicker' than many other oozes, although they are more runny than gelatinous cubes.  Due to their heavy, gelid consistency, in their resting state they form a heaping mound of midnight semi-liquid matter about ten feet across and easily seven or eight feet high.  They move with a eerie sucking flow and can cling to about anything that can resist their acid matter, which is very little indeed aside from solid stone.


:Black puddings are incredibly dangerous, and will cause a strong response if sighted near any intelligent creatures' lairs.  Puddings are to be found and eradicated as fast as possible, before they find their way into your house one dark night and eat you.
Black puddings are incredibly dangerous, and will cause a strong response if sighted near any intelligent creatures' lairs.  Puddings are to be found and eradicated as fast as possible, before they find their way into your house one dark night and eat you.
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   <!-- Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance" -->
   <!-- Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance" -->


| Ability-1-Action-Required =  
| Ability-1-Action-Required = Free Action 1/Rnd, after successful attack
   <!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action
   <!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action
                 Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc.        -->
                 Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc.        -->
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| Ability-1-Description = Once per round as a free action, the Black Pudding may attempt a [[Sunder]] maneuver against the first creature it successfully strikes. This is a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The Black Pudding makes a [[Maneuver Offense]] check (1d20 + {{Maneuver-Offense}}). If the result equals or exceeds the target's [[Maneuver Defense]], the first non-broken item on this list becomes corroded, gaining the [[Broken]] condition:
| Ability-1-Description = Once per round as a free action, the Black Pudding may attempt a [[Sunder]] maneuver against the first creature it successfully strikes. This is a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The Black Pudding makes a [[Maneuver Offense]] check (1d20 + {{Maneuver-Offense}}). If the result equals or exceeds the target's [[Maneuver Defense]], the first non-broken item on this list becomes corroded, gaining the [[Broken]] condition:


::* Shield
* Shield
::* Armor
* Armor
::* Weapon/Item held in main hand
* Weapon/Item held in main hand
::* Weapon/Item held in off-hand
* Weapon/Item held in off-hand
::* Boots
* Boots
::* Helmet
* Helmet
::* Belt
* Belt
::* Bracers
* Bracers


: If none of the above items are present, or all of them are broken, the Sunder maneuver has no effect. Since the Black Pudding is mindless, it must always follow this sequence and may not choose a more effective item from the list to corrode first. Note that, unlike a normal Sunder attack, this attack does not deal any damage itself, since the Black Pudding already dealt normal attack damage prior to making the sunder.
If none of the above items are present, or all of them are broken, the Sunder maneuver has no effect. Since the Black Pudding is mindless, it must always follow this sequence and may not choose a more effective item from the list to corrode first. Note that, unlike a normal Sunder attack, this attack does not deal any damage itself, since the Black Pudding already dealt normal attack damage prior to making the sunder.




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   <!--Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance"-->
   <!--Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance"-->


| Ability-2-Action-Required =  
| Ability-2-Action-Required = Free Action 1/Rnd, After successful attack
   <!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action
   <!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action
                 Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc.        -->
                 Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc.        -->
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| Ability-2-Description = Up to once per round, when a black pudding hits a foe with a Pseudopod attack (either Smash or Swarm) it may 'pour itself' along the length of that pseudopod and enter the space of the struck creature.  This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.   
| Ability-2-Description = Up to once per round, when a black pudding hits a foe with a Pseudopod attack (either Smash or Swarm) it may 'pour itself' along the length of that pseudopod and enter the space of the struck creature.  This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.   


: The black pudding may only use this ability against creatures it has struck -- if Gorge would take them into a space with a creature they struck and a creature they haven't struck, the pudding must adjust the movement to only include the struck creature. If it cannot do so, it can't use the Gorge ability.   
The black pudding may only use this ability against creatures it has struck -- if Gorge would take them into a space with a creature they struck and a creature they haven't struck, the pudding must adjust the movement to only include the struck creature. If it cannot do so, it can't use the Gorge ability.   


: Being inside a pudding's space this way does not impede either the pudding or the victim in any way, except that the victim takes {{Special-Swift-Dmg}} as {{dmg|acid}} damage at the end each of the pudding's turns, if the victim is still sharing a space with the pudding.  This effectively adds {{Special-Swift-Dmg}} {{dmg|acid}} damage to the attack which the pudding used to trigger Gorge, as well as a source of ongoing damage, if victim does not move away from the pudding.
Being inside a pudding's space this way does not impede either the pudding or the victim in any way, except that the victim takes {{Special-Swift-Dmg}} as {{dmg|acid}} damage at the end each of the pudding's turns, if the victim is still sharing a space with the pudding.  This effectively adds {{Special-Swift-Dmg}} {{dmg|acid}} damage to the attack which the pudding used to trigger Gorge, as well as a source of ongoing damage, if victim does not move away from the pudding.


: Note that puddings cannot occupy the same space as other puddings, meaning that Gorge can never be used on the same creature more than once per round, regardless of how many puddings may be present in the encounter.
Note that puddings cannot occupy the same space as other puddings, meaning that Gorge can never be used on the same creature more than once per round, regardless of how many puddings may be present in the encounter.




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   <!--Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance"-->
   <!--Values: Sp, Su, Ex; can also include things like "disease", "poison" or "stance"-->


| Ability-3-Action-Required =  
| Ability-3-Action-Required = Free Action 1/Enc
   <!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action
   <!-- Values: Full Round Action, Full Attack Action, Standard Action, Move Action, Swift Action, Free Action, Immediate Action
                 Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc.        -->
                 Free Action 1/Rnd, Free Action 1/Enc, Always On, Auto At Start of Encounter, Auto Upon Death, etc.        -->
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| Ability-3-Description = Once per encounter, as a triggered free reaction, upon being struck by a piercing or slashing weapon, a Black Pudding will split from one Large creature into four Medium creatures in the same space.  Once split, each Pudding can and will move and attack independently using the same initiative.  Each one has one fourth of the ORIGINAL hit point total of the Black Pudding ({{Hit-Points|n=0.25|op=mult}}), regardless of any damage the pudding has taken up to this point. (This is, effectively, a full heal for the pudding.)
| Ability-3-Description = Once per encounter, as a triggered free reaction, upon being struck by a piercing or slashing weapon, a Black Pudding will split from one Large creature into four Medium creatures in the same space.  Once split, each Pudding can and will move and attack independently using the same initiative.  Each one has one fourth of the ORIGINAL hit point total of the Black Pudding ({{Hit-Points|n=0.25|op=mult}}), regardless of any damage the pudding has taken up to this point. (This is, effectively, a full heal for the pudding.)


: Once split, the puddings can no longer make full attack actions. Instead, they may only use make a single ''Pseudopod Smash'' each round as a standard action, though they retain their 10 feet of reach with this attack.  This leaves each split pudding with a move action to move closer to their prey, if necessary.  
Once split, the puddings can no longer make full attack actions. Instead, they may only use make a single ''Pseudopod Smash'' each round as a standard action, though they retain their 10 feet of reach with this attack.  This leaves each split pudding with a move action to move closer to their prey, if necessary.  


: Note that, while the sheer quantity of split puddings makes flanks more likely, puddings, being mindless, will not seek these out.
Note that, while the sheer quantity of split puddings makes flanks more likely, puddings, being mindless, will not seek these out.


   <!-- Insert colons ":" before each paragraph after first; replace any to-hit, damage or save DC numbers with variables:
   <!-- Insert colons ":" before each paragraph after first; replace any to-hit, damage or save DC numbers with variables:
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| OutOfCombat = In the absence of any prey to seek out, puddings will sometimes wander aimlessly, often in large circles or straight lines, until prey is detected.  In other cases, puddings have been known to go completely dormant for years, until disturbed by motion or warmth in their vicinity.   
| OutOfCombat = In the absence of any prey to seek out, puddings will sometimes wander aimlessly, often in large circles or straight lines, until prey is detected.  In other cases, puddings have been known to go completely dormant for years, until disturbed by motion or warmth in their vicinity.   


: It is not known how long a pudding can survive without food, but evidence seems to suggest it is measured in decades.  This begs the question of why they are so voracious when food is present, eagerly devouring anything they can catch, with limitless hunger.   
It is not known how long a pudding can survive without food, but evidence seems to suggest it is measured in decades.  This begs the question of why they are so voracious when food is present, eagerly devouring anything they can catch, with limitless hunger.   


: One popular theory regarding the origin of the black pudding is that puddings aren't alive at all, merely magical weapons created for the sole purpose of destroying anything organic they encounter.  However, their complete lack of anatomy makes it very difficult to determine their origins, whether manufactured or evolved.
One popular theory regarding the origin of the black pudding is that puddings aren't alive at all, merely magical weapons created for the sole purpose of destroying anything organic they encounter.  However, their complete lack of anatomy makes it very difficult to determine their origins, whether manufactured or evolved.




Revision as of 15:16, 2 March 2021

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