Gelatinous Cube

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Gelatinous Cube (Threat Role) (CR 4)

Oozes are matter in a dread, unquiet state of existence. Oozes are not exactly alive, nor are they safely dead. They merely exist, in a mindless state of eternal hunger, forever seeking their next meal.

Of the various oozes, one of the most deadly, unusual and specialized predators is the Gelatinous Cube. Cubes are one of the most viscous of the oozes, very close to being a solid, and as such have a well-defined cubical shape. Gelatinous Cubes spend their existence mindlessly roaming the darkness, swallowing up all they encounter. Materials the cube cannot digest, such as metal and stone, may briefly remain in the cube's thick, transparent substance, leaving an eerie impression of the unfortunate departed.

Some beings use gelatinous cubes as protectors of dungeons and underground fortifications. 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.

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, and may grow to tremendous sizes.

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 (+4 armor, +3 dex, +3 natural, +0 deflection)

hp 150

Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: Reconsitution, Transparent

Immunities:

• Immune to the first 5 instances of any status condition
• all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms) (an ooze with an Int score loses this trait)
• gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight
• precision damage, critical hits, flanking
• poison
• sleep
• polymorph, paralysis, stunning

Weaknesses: -

OFFENSE

Speed 15 ft., Semi-Solid (see below)

Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 5 ft.

Single Melee 3x Heaving Surge +8 (1d8+4/19-20x2) acid damage, must be different creatures

Full Melee Engulf, 2x Heaving Surge +8 (1d8+4/19-20x2) acid damage, must be different creatures

Ranged Acidic Spurt +8 (1d8+4/x2), range increment 30 feet, 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 +7; CMD 18

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+4 acid damage. Up to four living medium (or smaller) creatures or one large living creature may be engulfed at any time. Creatures that are engulfed have line of sight out of the cube, but have line of effect to nothing. Once creatures are slain, they no longer occupy space within the cube and more creatures may be engulfed.

Reconstitution

The first time the gelatinous cube is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, it immediately purges any engulfed creatures and appears dead until the start of its next turn. As a free action at the start of its turn, special organs within the gelatinous cube's body burst and reconstitute its gelatinous flesh. The gelatinous cube is restored to half its hit points (75). 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+4/x2) acid damage.

Semi-Solid

A gelatinous cube never suffers movement penalties or squeezing penalties from moving through or ending its turn on top of gelatinous parasites. There is no limit to the number of gelatinous parasites that a gelatinous cube may share space with. It suffers squeeze penalties for sharing space with other gelatinous cubes, however.

TREASURE

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

COMBAT TACTICS

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.

NOTE TO REFEREES

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 many parties all by itself. If the party has more than four members, add a Gelatinous Parasite for each party member above four, up to seven. If your party has eight players, they meet TWO cubes! If your party has more than eight players, wow, and add a Parasite for every player and a Cube for every four players.

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Gelatinous Parasite (CR 4)

Many Gelatinous Cubes are accompanied by, or perhaps infested by, smaller, crystal-clear oozes of a much more liquid nature. These things have been dubbed Gelatinous Parasites, on the assumption that they are gaining sustenance at the expense of the Cube.

The exact nature of the relationship between Gelatinous Cubes and Gelatinous Parasites is not common knowledge. What is well known is that Gelatinous Parasites are just as hungry and aggressive as a Gelatinous Cube, and if an infested Cube attacks, the Parasites will be attacking just as hungrily.

To make things worse, Parasites are a lot smaller and faster than a Gelatinous Cube, and if you thought running away from a Cube while Slowed was no fun, the Parasites make it even worse....

GENERAL

CR 4 Hit Dice 5

XP 1,200

N, Medium, Ooze

Init +2; Senses tremorsense 60ft, Perception +6

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+4 armor, +3 dex, +3 natural, +0 deflection)

hp 50

Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: Parasitism

Immunities:

• all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms) (an ooze with an Int score loses this trait)
• gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight
• precision damage, critical hits, flanking
• poison
• sleep
• polymorph, paralysis, stunning

Weaknesses: -

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., Semi-Solid (see below)

Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.

Single Melee Polyp Slap +8 (1d8+1/x2) acid damage

Ranged Acidic Squirt +8 (1d8+4/x2) acid damage

Special Attacks -

Action Points 0

STATISTICS

Str 10, Dex 10, Con 14, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 10

Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 18

Feats -

Skills -

Languages -

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Parasitism

If a Gelatinous Parasite starts its turn inside of, or takes a move action that passes through, a Gelatinous Cube, it gains 5 hit points either as healing or as temporary hit points. This ability cannot be used more than once per round. As mindless creatures, the parasites will not seek this out during combat, but it may occur circumstantially.

Transparent

Due to its lack of coloration, a gelatinous parasite is difficult to discern. A DC 25 Perception check is required to notice a motionless gelatinous parasite.

Semi-Solid

A gelatinous parasite never suffers movement penalties or squeezing penalties from moving through or ending its turn on inside of a gelatinous cube. It suffers squeeze penalties for sharing space with other gelatinous parasites, however.

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 1,125 gp

COMBAT TACTICS

Gelatinous Parasites generally begin combat inside the space of the Gelatinous Cube. As they move to attack foes, they gain hit points from their Parasitism ability.

Since Parasites are completely mindless, that's pretty much the only 'tactic' they'll ever use. They move toward prey and either squirt acid at range or polyp slap in melee.