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Shub-Naddar, Ooze

Appearance

When it is not moving, or only moving very slowly, Ooze can be nearly impossible to distinguish from the typical rocky floors, walls, and ceilings of the Underhalls tunnels. The faster the Ooze moves, the more agitated and bubbly the surface of the Ooze becomes. Ooze, like other Shub-Naddar, naturally and quickly changes color, temperature, and texture to match that of the surface it is moving over, making it even more difficult to spot.
    Ooze is rarely found by itself and is almost always accompanied by either a Caustic Terror or Cetephipid. These other creatures then form a bond with the Ooze, regenerating from its substance as well as directing its flow, movement, and actions. Left by itself Ooze only reacts to attackers, never instigating an offensive action against other creatures unless it is close to starving.
    Ooze usually appears as a single blanket of jelly like substance rather than the many hundreds of smaller individual Ooze jellies that make up the whole blanket. These creatures act together in unison as if they were actually one creature. Typically a colony of Ooze is accompanied by one Cetephipid for every 50 Oozes. Frequently, larger Ooze colonies are also accompanied with several Caustic Terrors. Most individual Oozes are no larger than two feet across and no more than several inches thick. When not rallying its mass for combat a single ooze can nearly cover a five foot square area with a thin sheen of its jelly-like substance, allowing the awareness of a hive to spread over an incredibly large area and then quickly retreat upon itself if it comes under attack.
    Most Shub-Naddar cannot leave the area occupied by the Ooze. Cetephipids organize the ooze into a semi-sentient moving mass, Overlords watch over larger colonies, and Caustic Terrors are the only Shub-Naddar able to freely leave the Ooze to serve as advanced units, explorers, and hunters.

Combat

Ooze attacks only under the direction of a Cetephipid or if harmed. Unless organized by a Cetephipid, Ooze attacks forthright and without cease until the source of its pain is completely destroyed. Under the guidance of a Cetephipid or Overlord, Ooze becomes more dangerous, using the intelligence of its controller to evince more effective tactics, including flanking, ambushes, feints, retreats, and so forth. Shub-Naddar control the ooze by chemical-enzyme reaction which requires contact with the Ooze to activate. Though Ooze is unintelligent, any Shub-Naddar in contact with an Ooze colony is continually aware of all that the ooze experiences and all intelligent Shub-Naddar in contact with Ooze share a hive mind. Ooze attacks by flowing over its opponents.
    Paralyzation (Ex): Any creature touched by Ooze must make a Fortitude save (DC 16) each round that they are in contact or succumb to paralyzation. Enzymes in the ooze interact with a creatures nervous system by contact against the creatures skin and cause a loss of motor control so this is a limp paralyzation. The paralyzation lasts until 1d4 rounds after the creature is no longer in contact with the Ooze.
    Suffocation (Ex): On each round following paralyzation the Ooze attempts further paralysis of a creatures nervous system and the paralyzed victim must roll another Fortitude save (DC 16) each round or begin to lose life supporting body function control. On the first round of suffocation the creature falls unconscious. On the following round the victim drops to -1 hit points and is dying as their heart and lungs slowly stop. On the third round the victim dies.
    Distracting (Ex): Any non-mindless creature vulnerable to the swarm's damage that begins its turn with a swarm in its square is nauseated for 1 round (Fortitude DC 16 negates). Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using a skill that involves patience and concentration requires a Concentration check (DC 20).
    Chameleon (Ex): Ooze is difficult to detect. It's flesh is capable of rapidly changing texture, density, and color, allowing it to easily imitate a wide variety of substances with near flawless aptitude. Ooze camouflaging typically conforms to its surroundings unless otherwise controlled by a Cetephipid or Overlord. The DC to Spot unmoving, camouflaged Ooze is DC 30. Slow moving Ooze (a speed of 30 or less) is DC 20. Quick flowing Ooze is DC 10 to Spot.
    Unlike other Shub-Naddar, Ooze is unable to simulate complex organs and therefore cannot create for itself eyes to see or a nose to smell with, limiting their understanding of their environment to touch and blindsight.
    Mindless: Immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). Automatically fails intelligence effects.
    Shub-Naddar Traits: Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. Cannot be flanked and immune to critical hits. The entire surface of a Shub-Naddar is a sensory organ, thus granting them blindsight 80 ft. radius. Unless manifesting eyes, ears or other sensory organs, all Shub-Naddar are blind and deaf. Shub-Naddar do not breathe or sleep.
    Swarm Traits: Not subject to critical hits or flanking. Immune to mind-affecting spells. Suffers only half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. Immune to any spell that targets a specific number of creatures. Suffers double damage from area of effect attacks that allow no saving throw; suffers -10 saving throw penalty against area of effect spells. Does not threaten creatures in nearby squares or in their square, however they do attack and distract creatures whose square they occupy.

Habitat/Society

The Shub-Naddar is a society ruled through terror from the strongest, and mind-control of the weakest. Overlords are at the top of the hierarchy, creating Ooze and shaping Cetephipids and Caustic Terrors from the primordial soup that the Ooze behaves like. Cetephipids in turn create more Ooze, and if several cetephipids are able to control enough Ooze and coerce enough Caustic Terrors to obey their rule, a new Overlord is formed as the Cetephipids merge into one creature.
    Shub-Naddar are cruel creatures which view all other organic matter as merely food to further the great engine of hunger which the race thrives upon. They are devious and delight in the torture, fear, and destruction of other living creatures. It is not uncommon for a highly evolved Cetephipid to lure creatures into a trap by imitating the voice of a lost adventurer and assuming a convincing humanoid form, surrounded by camouflaged Ooze or other Shub-Naddar. They are highly intelligent creatures and well adapted to survival in the dangerous depths of the Underhalls. Caustic Terrors frequently assume the guise of an armored denizen of the underground and walk among the dark-races until in a moment of twisted humor when it lashes out and slays those about it in a grisly fashion.

Ecology

All Shub-Naddar live upon can live and thrive upon any organic matter. Caustic Terrors and Overlords can survive on anything, including minerals, if they must. For the most part, Shub-Naddar live at the top of the food chain in the Underhall depths, conducting attacks upon the other races of the Underhalls for food and for sport. Shub-Naddar are one of the deepest dwelling sentient life-form of the underworld.

History

For a long time, Shub-Naddar were only a legend, a creature which was only rarely encountered by Drakher hunting parties or spoken of by wizened beholders to those who dare to seek and pay for such knowledge. Since the Breaking of the Sultan and the arrival of the Silothreni, who were forced to travel even deeper into the earth to defend against the Drakher and other underground races, the Shub-Naddar have become more aware of the teaming life which lives in the upper reaches of the Underhalls and has begun to venture upward. The Silothreni frequently war against the Shub-Naddar for their survival and territory. As of yet there have been no reports of Shub-Naddar appearing above the gates of the Underhalls, in the labyrinth of caverns and tunnels that separate the Underhalls from the surface world.

Variants and Resources

It is suspected that there lurk even more powerful or other varieties of Shub-Naddar which live in the deepest lost depths of the Underhalls, untraveled by even the most daring explorers of the other underworld denizens.