Mud Slime

Medium Ooze (Aquatic)

Hit Dice: 5d10+10 (37 hp),dying/dead –3/–15 Initiative: +0 Speed: 20 feet,swim 40 feet AC: 14 (+4 natural),touch 10,flat-footed 14 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+5 Attack: Pseudopod +5 melee (1d8+2) Full Attack: 3 pseudopods +5 melee (1d8+2) Space/Reach: 5 feet/5 feet (Face/Reach:5 feet by 5 feet/5 feet) Special Attacks: Envelop,improved grab Special Qualities: Amphibious,natural camouflage, tremorsense 60 feet,ooze traits Saves: Fort +3,Ref+1,Will +1 Abilities: Str 14,Dex 11,Con 15,Int –,Wis 10,Cha 4 Skills: Listen* +10,Spot* +10 Feats: —

Environment: Temperate marshes Organization: Solitary,pair,or clutch (3–12) Challenge Rating: 3 Treasure: Standard Advancement: 6–10 HD (Medium);11–18 HD (Large)

A mud slime is an oval-shaped pile ofsludge that resembles the muck found at the bottom ofa river or stream.It lurks along the edges ofponds and creeks,waiting for a creature to draw near it.When it attacks,it rears up to engulfits target and suffocate it.It also sometimes hides in deep mud or swamp water.In either case,its dark coloration often allows it to catch its opponents by surprise.In a few cases,these creatures serve as watchers and sentinels.Their finely honed senses allow them to detect intruders,even those hidden by magic.

Mud slimes are a common danger in most swamp areas. They lack the ability to distinguish dangerous prey from creatures they can easily overwhelm,prompting them to attack almost anything that draws near.Their aggressive behavior is driven by neither malice nor evil.They need tremendous amounts offood to sustain themselves.Once a mud slime has devoured a large amount offood,it enters a dormant state much like sleep.This state can last up to five days.

Although they are mindless,mud slimes make excellent guardians and lookouts.A mud slime’s entire outer membrane is one large sensory organ.The creature can “feel” sound and light by detecting the variations and patterns in sonic and light energy in the environment around it, allowing it to see and hear as a human.It can also sense changes in pressure and the vibrations in the ground and water,allowing it to instantly pinpoint the location ofany creature that draws close.Even invisible or concealed intruders cannot avoid a mud slime’s detection.These abilities,combined with the mud slime’s voracious appetite,make it a good choice for watching over an isolated or hidden pathway.Few individuals let one loose in an area they expect to use,because a mud slime is difficult to control and unable to recognize allies.Instead,the slimes are left to wander sewers,mine passages,and abandoned tunnels that lead to important locations that have fallen out ofuse.

Combat

A mud slime knows only one combat tactic—it simply lunges at the nearest target and attempts to engulfhim.The creature is incapable ofrealizing that smaller or unarmored targets make easier prey.Although it can move on land (and will do so to chase down a target trying to avoid it),typically a mud slime waits in a pool ofwater and strikes at the first thing that comes within its reach. * Skills (Ex): Due to their keen senses and the nature of their outer membrane,mud slimes gain a +10 racial bonus to all Listen and Spot checks.

Envelop (Ex): With a successful grapple check,a mud slime can engulfa target ofMedium size or smaller.A slime that has engulfed a victim can take no actions except for holding its prey in a death grip as its digestive juices burn him with acid.The victim takes 3d6 points of acid damage each round on the slime’s turn.He may attempt to break free with a successful grapple check,but the slime gains a +4 bonus to its check to maintain its grip.A victim’s allies can attempt to cut him free.Any attack with a slashing weapon that deals more than 10 points ofdamage denies the slime its +4 bonus to the grapple check and gives the victim a +4 bonus.The victim’s allies may also attempt to pull their friend free with a Strength check (DC 25).

Improved Grab (Ex): Ifa mud slime hits an opponent with its pseudopod attack,it may initiate a grapple as a free action that does not provoke an attack ofopportunity.

Amphibious (Ex): Mud slimes can breathe both water and air,allowing them to both survive underwater and crawl across land.

Natural Camouflage (Ex): A mud slime gains a +12 competence bonus to Sneak checks made to hide while it remains motionless in a watery or muddy area.

Tremorsense (Ex): A mud slime automatically detects the presence and location ofany creature or object that stands on the ground or in the water within 60 feet ofit.

Capturing and Using a Mud Slime

Most individuals who want to capture a mud slime start by plying the creature with tremendous amounts offood.A slime that has gorged itselffalls into a sleeplike state,after which hunters can easily drag it into a large chest or other container,transport it to a distant location,and set it loose to watch over that location.Since these creatures are nonintelligent,training them to perform specific tasks is impossible;however,their very nature makes them ideal guardians. Once they are deposited in an area,their keen senses and boundless appetites make it difficult for visitors to that area to sneak past them.At the same time,they lack the intellect to accept bribes or turn on their master.

Mud Slime Encounter (EL 3)

A crime lord active in the town where the characters are currently staying had been using several mud slimes to watch over a passage that leads from the town’s sewers into the basement ofhis hideout.The criminal had a magic item that enabled him to fly,allowing him to easily avoid his own guards.Recently his competitors eliminated the crime lord and seized most ofhis goods.Rather than fight the slimes to get access to his hideout,they knocked holes in the passage near where the guards were located and waited for the slimes to escape into the sewers.

For the last several weeks,the slimes have been enjoying their newfound freedom.They have devoured several beggars who had been living in the sewers and have spawned many young.The disappearances have caught the attention ofauthorities,who originally suspected slavers or kidnappers were behind them.As the slime population grows,the monsters become more aggressive in seeking meals—a few ofthem even venture out ofthe sewers in search offood,which makes the true reason for the disappearances clear.Ifthe characters want to help, they must descend into the sewers to vanquish the slimes before their population grows so great that the townsfolk cannot hope to defeat them.