Oozes thrive in the dark, shunning areas of bright light
and extreme temperatures. They flow through the damp
underground, feeding on any creature or object that
can be dissolved, slinking along the ground, dripping
from walls and ceilings, spreading across the edges
of underground pools, and squeezing through cracks.
The first warning an adventurer receives of an ooze's
presence is often the searing pain of its acidic touch.
Oozes are drawn to movement and warmth. Organic
material nourishes them, and when prey is scarce they
feed on grime, fungus, and offal. Veteran explorers know
that an immaculately clean passageway is a likely sign
that an ooze lairs nearby.
Slow Death. An ooze kills its prey slowly. Some
varieties, such as black puddings and gelatinous cubes,
engulf creatures to prevent escape. The only upside
1 of this torturous death is that a victim's comrades can
come to the rescue before it is too late.
Since not every ooze digests every type of substance,
some have coins, metal gear, bones, and other debris
suspended within their quivering bodies. A slain ooze
can be a rich source of treasure for its killers.
Unwitting Servants. Although an ooze lacks the
intelligence to ally itself with other creatures, others that
understand an ooze's need to feed might lure it into a
location where it can be of use to them. Clever monsters
keep oozes around to defend passageways or consume
refuse. Likewise, an ooze can be enticed into a pit trap,
where its captors feed it often enough to prevent it from
coming after them. Crafty creatures place torches and
flaming braziers in strategic areas to dissuade an ooze
from leaving a particular tunnel or room.
Spawn ofjuiblex. According to the Demonomicon
of Jggwilv and other sources, oozes are scattered
fragments or offspring of the demon lordjuiblex.
Whether this is true or not, the Faceless Lord is one
of the few beings that can control oozes and imbue
them with a modicum of intelligence. Most of the time,
oozes have no sense of tactics or self-preservation.
They are direct and predictable, attacking and eating
without cunning. Under the control ofjuiblex, they
ex.hibit glimmers of sentience and malevolent intent.
Ooze Nature. An ooze doesn't require sleep.
VARIANT: PSYCHIC GRAY OOZE
A gray ooze that lives a long time can evolve to become
more intelligent and develop limited psionic ability. Such
occurrences are more common in gray oozes that live near
psionic creatures such as mind flayers, suggesting that the
ooze can sense and mimic psionic ability.
A psionic gray ooze has an Intelligence score of6 (-2), as
well as the following additional action.
Psychic Crush (Recharge 5-6). The ooze targets one
creature that it can sense within 60 feet of it. The target must
make a DC 10 Intelligence saving throw, taking 10 (3d6)
psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on
a successful one.