Goomi, the thinking ooze

[Admiral Squish]

Goomi
Medium Ooze (thinking ooze)
Hit Dice: 2d10+2
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (2 squares)
Armor Class: 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1
Attack: Slam +1 melee (1d4+1 plus 1d3+1 acid)
Full Attack: Slam +1 melee (1d4+1 plus 1d3+1 acid)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Acid
Special Qualities: Blindsight 30 ft., Blindsense 90 ft, thinking ooze traits.
Saves: Fort +2, Ref -0, Will -1
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, cha 9
Skills: ----
Feats: ----
Environment: Cold marshes
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: ----
Treasure: ----
Alignment: ----
Advancement: ----
Level Adjustment: +3

Goomi are shaped like the torsos of humanoids set atop a main blob, about four and a half feet tall. Except they lack any sort of features, such as fingers, eyes, mouths, or anything else requiring detail, and are semitransparent. They have nothing in the way of organs, except darker patches of slime in their heads, that functions like a brain. They range in color from gray to green to blue or teal, but they al have that darker patch. They hold weapons by half-submerging them in their bloblike hands, and it seems to work just as well. Armor drapes loosely over their bodies, though they rarely use either, preferring freedom from the restrictions of armor. Goomi don’t have male or female genders, they simply divide once they get large enough. They have the urge to feed and divide like so about once every twenty years, and their numbers steadily grow On rare occasions, two goomi will meet, and if so inclined, they will mix their materials together to create a completely new goomi, rather than a copy of the original. Divided goomi are much like the same person, though with time, they begin to differ from one another. It is unknown how long goomi live, as goomi themselves place no importance on measuring such things. Goomi weigh about 120 pounds

Thinking ooze subtype:
Goomi are intelligent oozes, with the thinking ooze subtype. They are capable of emotion and sentient thought (though they’re not very good at it yet). The thinking ooze differs from the ooze subtype in the following ways:
Features: As intelligent oozes, goomi have the following features.
-Goomi derive their hit dice, base attack progression, saving throws, and skill points from it’s class levels.
Traits: As intelligent oozes, goomi have the following traits.
-Unlike other oozes, Goomi have an intelligence score.
-Unlike other oozes, Goomi are affected by mind-affecting spells and abilities
-Immune to Poison, Sleep effects, Paralysis, Polymorph, and Stun
-Goomi do not have the normal acid damage trait of their race. See Acid special attack.
-Goomi are subject to flanking, sneak attacks, and critical hits.
-Goomi have blind sight 30 ft, and blind sense 90 ft.
-Goomi need to eat ad breathe, but not sleep.
-Goomi have a natural slam attack dealing 1d6 damage

Acid: Goomi deal an extra 1d3+½ their HD* acid damage with an slam or a successful touch attack. A goomi may choose to deal 10+½ their HD* to all objects they’re in contact with, as long as they remain in contact with it for a full round. This affects grappled opponents‘ equipment, though the contact only deals their touch damage to the actual opponent, and only affects them as such when actually held in a pin. They may also spit acid to make a ranged touch attack dealing the same damage as their touch attack, with a range of thirty feet and no range increment. This is a standard action, and can be used once per minute. This acid does not affect stone, but will affect organic substances and metal.

*= rounded up

Goomi as characters:

- -2 dexterity, +4 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +2 wisdom, -2 charisma.
-Thinking ooze traits
-Goomi reduced to less than -10 HP lose cohesion, and fall apart. They behave as though struck with a successful disintegrate spell, only leaving slime instead of dust.
-Goomi gain a racial +8 to climb checks and escape artist checks. They also gain a +4 to hide checks.
-Goomi gain the Acid special attack.
-Goomi are blind, but have blind sight 30 ft., and blind sense 90 ft.
-Goomi gain one slam attack for 1d4 at 1½x strength bonus.
-Goomi have a level adjustment of +3

Racial feats:

Potent acid: Your acid is extra-potent for your race. You add half your constitution modifier to your acid damage, and your HD damage progression become 3/4ths. This same damage adds to your damage to objects. The base for object damage is now 12

Improved potent acid: You acid is extremely potent for your race. Your HD progression for damage becomes one for one, and you add your full constitution bonus to damage from your acidic touch. Also applies to object damage. The base for object damage becomes 15
Requires: Potent acid, BAB +5

Greater potent acid: Your acid is incredibly strong for your race. You lose your con bonus, and your HD bonus to acid damage. Instead, acid damage becomes 1d4 damage for every two HD you have, and ignores harness. Base damage for objects is +20.
Requires: Improved potent acid, BAB +10

Spit range: Your acidic spit flies further than most of your race. Your range becomes sixty feet, with no range increment. Blindsense penalties still apply to this attack.
Requires: Point blank shot

Improved blindsight: You gain blindsight out to fourty feet, and blindsense out to one hundred twenty feet.
Requires: Wisdom 14

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Hi! It's me again, with yet another madness-fueled creation. Now, I wrote all this up, but I need your help to figure out if it's balanced. I don't even know where to start on the LA, so give me some help, here. Any advice is appreciated.

[arkanis]

A very strange but neat idea. I like it and I'm even tempted to use it in a campaign I'm running on another site if you wouldn't mind.

I would recommend some slight alterations though. I'm just going to throw a bunch of things out there:

Acid Damage
Like all other natural weapons, I would say just leave it at a flat 1d6 acid damage and automatically deal this damage every round to a creature they touch/grapple.
Weapons that strike them should need a Reflex save to avoid being melted (DC10 +1/2 HD + Con mod).

Engulf
As a full-round action they can deal 3d6 damage to a creature? It would be better than stating a flat 10 damage + Con bonus + 1/2 HD. That seems odd.

HD
2d10 instead of 1d10? Most Medium creatures have 2 racial HD.

Fumes
Sickened or nauseated instead of Con damage? It would drastically alter the recommended level adjustment.

Spitting
Works like Acid Splash spell only its extraordinary?

Transparency
Small bonus to hide checks?

[Admiral Squish]

Acid damage: I gave the extra damage so it'd stay a relatively valuable asset, even at the later levels. Rather than simply being really useful at first level, and never again.

Engulf: Upon examining the ooze section, I noted only the gelatinous cube as having the engulf ability, and it's large-sized. The 10+1/2HD+Con mod is the damage oozes do to objects, I though it was a good base to work off.

HD: 2d10 sounds better, yeah.

Fumes: I based the function off the fumes of real acids. You have to make this sort of save when you get close enough to enough acid to dunk someone in. I suppose i could just remove this feature.

Spitting: Acid splash is pretty weak after first level. I think mine would stay useful. Even at first, it's not that good a spell. I might make the damage a die or two lower, though.

Transparency: Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'll toss that on.

[Admiral Squish]

Does everyone in this forum HATE MONSTERS? How can this have SEVENTY-FIVE views, and ONE comment? Tell me if you love it! Tell me if you hate it! Just tell me something, the anxiety is unbearable!

[9bit]

I think it looks like a good monsty..

[arkanis]

LOL. I think the concept of a thinking ooze was just beyond its time. :P

Anyway, with the "engulf" I was trying to give you a recommendation for IF you're going to use it.

I can see why you'd want the acid to grow with the creature, but most racial abilities aren't meant to do that and don't. A lizardfolk's claws and bite don't increase in damage simply because it gained levels and neither does a drider's poison or doppelganger's slam or a half dragon's breath weapon.

Oh yeah, and if you're sure you want their spit do a lot of damage, you should look up the Dracotaur (I think they're in the Draconomicon). They have a Fire Spittle ability which I think would be useful as an example.

That's my two posts and two cents. Good luck.

[Admiral Squish]

Well, I can understand a slam or bite not growing. But in theory a secretion like the goomi's acid would grow as it did, growing more potent, like a snake's venom growing as it gets bigger. Breath weapons of a dragon grow, so why shouldn't a half-dragon's? Lots of these things make no sense, and need some help, in my opinion.

I don't have the draconomicon, sadly. Can someone give me the numbers? though I was aiming to make it the same as their touch, especially since it's really them hurling a small portion of their mass at the target.

Thanks again for the advice!

[arkanis]

My bad. Dracotaur are in the MMIII. I don't have the book with me but I just remembered that.

[Lord Tataraus]

An interesting concept and one very close to my own race the Globble. I think your acid damage is far too much. I would suggest removing the con bonus to damage and dropping the HD bonus to 1/4. Remember that an acidic weapon deals 1d6 acid damage for a +1 magic enhancement and this ability goes a little bit further (applying to grapples) so the damage should be close to that.

[Devin]

It's a cute picture. ^_^

[Admiral Squish]

An interesting concept and one very close to my own race the Globble. I think your acid damage is far too much. I would suggest removing the con bonus to damage and dropping the HD bonus to 1/4. Remember that an acidic weapon deals 1d6 acid damage for a +1 magic enhancement and this ability goes a little bit further (applying to grapples) so the damage should be close to that.

Good point on the damage.
Maybe lower the die-size by two, halve the con mod, and keep the half HD progression? If it goes down to 1/4, it gets outclassed too quick. I really want a race that's an asset, even at later levels. As for the grapple, that'd go down, too. But the damage to objects should probably stay the same.

Actually, my idea sort of evolved out of the desire to make a gummy bear D&D race. As you can tell, it didn't end that way...

[Lord Tataraus]

Hmm...after some thought, I'd say 1d3 + 1/2 HD is good. I'd still suggest not including the con mod into the damage, that's just too much. Con mod usually goes for fort save DCs, not the actual damage. Though you could have bonuses based on Con mod via racial feats that increase the Acid ability.

[Admiral Squish]

Hmm...after some thought, I'd say 1d3 + 1/2 HD is good. I'd still suggest not including the con mod into the damage, that's just too much. Con mod usually goes for fort save DCs, not the actual damage. Though you could have bonuses based on Con mod via racial feats that increase the Acid ability.

Hmm... A dragon disciple's breath weapon adds 1d6 every two levels. Maybe a set of feats that increases the progression to match this? Two or three feats before you get that kind of progression speed, but still, it'd be pretty nice...

Okay, I'll go edit that in and start on feats.

[Admiral Squish]

The first incarnation of the feats are up! They'll probably need some editing before they're good for play, so suggestions are welcome.

[Darkkwalker]

So, no idea on the LA yet? Because I'd very much like to know but am horrible and reasoning out what it would be. And if it isn't LA 0. How would you make it such?

[Admiral Squish]

I have no clue at all what the LA on this thing would be.

[Lord Tataraus]

So, no idea on the LA yet? Because I'd very much like to know but am horrible and reasoning out what it would be. And if it isn't LA 0. How would you make it such?

I reserved my estimate for LA until after the acid was figured out, so with that done. My first estimate would be LA+3 to 4. This kind of thing is hard to determine. So lets break it down:

• +4 Con and +2 Wis is mostly negated by the -2 Dex, -2 Int and -2 Cha, however, a +4 to any major stat is worth more than two -2s, thus by stats only this is a low LA+1
• Immune to Poison, Sleep effects, Paralysis, Polymorph, and Stun - all very useful that merits a solid LA+1 with ability adjustments.
• Sneak attacks and critical hits have a 50% chance of failure. Partial fortifiaction is powerful, that's a boost to LA+2.
• Goomi have blind sight 30 ft, and blind sense 90 ft and otherwise blind - the drawback is not enough to balance the amazing power of blindsense/sight especially at that range, that merits a high LA+2 or low LA+3
• Natural slam attack - very useful especially with the acid attack though in light of the other abilities, it doesn't affect the LA at this point.
• No need to sleep - extremely useful and usually underrated, but otherwise doesn't effect the LA much at this point.
• Acid special ability - a very powerful ability especially when combined with the other traits, this knocks the LA in the high +3 to low +4
• Skill bonuses - icing

So with all that in mind and in addition to the complete lack of drawbacks, I would place the LA at a solid +4.

[Admiral Squish]

LA+4? Dag. This dude's a lot more powerful than intended. Any reccomendations for nerf? Just to put it down to a fair +3 or even a +2.

[JackMage666]

Goomi are subject to flanking. Sneak attacks and critical hits have a 50% chance of failure.

Even though it's more balancing, I must ask - How? I understand the flanking, I suppose, but Sneak Attack and Critical Hits mean you hit somewhere good. If they're oozes, well, the body is all the same. Theres no sweet spot to hit, so to speak. Being able to land a Crit or a Sneak attack on this seems kinda strange to me.

But, it is more balancing, I guess... Just doesn't make sense to me.

[Admiral Squish]

Even though it's more balancing, I must ask - How? I understand the flanking, I suppose, but Sneak Attack and Critical Hits mean you hit somewhere good. If they're oozes, well, the body is all the same. Theres no sweet spot to hit, so to speak. Being able to land a Crit or a Sneak attack on this seems kinda strange to me.

But, it is more balancing, I guess... Just doesn't make sense to me.

Well, they have specialized sections of ooze. Darker patches that function as brain and other major organs. However, they're less vulnerable than the human equivalent, due to the ooze's habit of reforming endlessly.

[Lord Tataraus]

LA+4? Dag. This dude's a lot more powerful than intended. Any reccomendations for nerf? Just to put it down to a fair +3 or even a +2.

Unfortunately, you've run into the same problem I had with my ooze-type race. Due to the benefits it requires tons of drawbacks or the sacrificing of abilities. This is why my Globbles have no acid ability. So, my suggestions: remove the 50% miss chance on SA and Crits. For the Globbles, rationalized that because of their transparent nature, the ease of aiming negated the less vulnerable nature of the organs. At this point you could get by with a high LA+3 pretty safely. If you want it a bit lower you need to and a few more drawbacks or get rid of some of those immunities.

[Admiral Squish]

Unfortunately, you've run into the same problem I had with my ooze-type race. Due to the benefits it requires tons of drawbacks or the sacrificing of abilities. This is why my Globbles have no acid ability. So, my suggestions: remove the 50% miss chance on SA and Crits. For the Globbles, rationalized that because of their transparent nature, the ease of aiming negated the less vulnerable nature of the organs. At this point you could get by with a high LA+3 pretty safely. If you want it a bit lower you need to and a few more drawbacks or get rid of some of those immunities.

I think I can stand +3.