Slime creatures,[1][3] also popularly referred to as slime zombies,[2] were the end result of the parasitic plant-like oozes known as olive slimes metamorphizing a host's body.[1][2][3]
Description[]
Once a creature was latched onto by an olive slime, the ooze would spread itself over the victim's body.[2] Growing in their flesh,[4] feeding upon their body fluids, and gradually replacing all skin and muscle tissue.[2] Eventually, once metamorphosis into a slime creature was complete, a host's body was composed almost entirely of thick ooze, bearing the same olive hue as olive slimes. They bore only a rudimentary resemblance to their original form,[1] requiring a close examination if one wished to ascertain their former identity.[2][3] The host's skeleton was usually the last remnant of its body to be consumed.[1]
In some cases, if slain a slime creature would dissolve into a new patch of olive slime.[2]
Behavior[]
Olive slimes incurred increasing damage upon a host's mind over time.[2][4] Thus regardless of what they were originally, a slime creature always possessed a crude form of intelligence, no greater than that of a common animal.[1][5] This intelligence was barely enough for them to be capable of understanding a few spoken words, to speak in low gurgling voices,[1] and to learn from experiences.[5] Some even showed enough ingenuity to create simple traps[1][5] or ambushes.[1]
Slime creatures also were driven by an urge to protect their source slime,[4] to feed, and to maintain its growth. This was due to a symbiotic brain link that formed between the two over the process of metamorphosing. Consequently, a slime creature lost all forms of attachment it had in its previous life. If called upon by the source olive slime to defend it, a slime creature would immediately jump into action.[2]
And though its occurrence was exceptionally rare, if a slime creature was created from a worshiper of Jubilex it could potentially retain fragments of its former mind.[1]
Abilities[]
Slime creatures possessed a telepathic bond with other slime creatures, allowing them to communicate with each other over long instances, effective at ranges of roughly 200‒600 ft (61‒180 m).[1][2] The symbiotic brain link they had to their source olive slime extended as far as 200 mi (320,000 m), but could not be carried across planes of existence.[2]
Before full metamorphosis occurred, a creature could be saved from becoming a slime creature with a casting of cure disease. By the time a victim fully metamorphized, there was little short of a limited wish spell that could reverse their condition.[2] This transformation also destroyed the creature's mortal soul, thus spells like speak with dead would not function on them.[6]
Much like the olive slimes that create them,[2] slime creatures were vulnerable to acid, freezing cold, fire and magic missile. Allegedly spells that affected plants could also affect them,[3][5] although the effects of entangle were minimal at best.[5] A slime creature could be also harmed and gradually killed by application of green slime,[1][5] as they and olive slimes were opposing oozes that reacted violently towards each other, quickly neutralizing the other with their touch.[2][3][4]
Slime creatures were largely impervious to harm from mundane weaponry, spells that affected the mind,[5] lightning,[1][5] sonic energy, sleep spells, polymorph spells, diseases, and poisons.[1]
Combat[]
Slime creatures fought by slamming other creatures with their pseudopods or whatever remained of their original bodies.[1] They usually sought fights with animals and would attack human or demihuman-sized creatures on sight,[5] seeking to spread olive slimes to others.[5][1]
They generally focused their efforts towards one creature at a time and would utilize simple tactics, such as flanking. They sometimes organized cunning defenses with other slime creatures in order to better fight back against those who sought to destroy them or their olive slimes.[1]
History[]
In the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR,[7] sometime around the month of Flamerule, a group of eccentric entertainers, entrepreneurs, and scientists embarked upon a colonizing expedition to an island had they discovered in the Shining Sea off the coast of Chult, which they dubbed the "Forgotten Island". Led by a charismatic Waukeenar priest named Devlin, with the help of an ancient Sunite relic called the Heart of the Beast they sought to create a tourist attraction on the isle that would attract people from all across the Realms.[8] Baerwald, a hierophant druid of Silvanus, heard of these plans and traveled to the island himself in hopes of convincing Devlin to abandon his plans, but his pleas were rebuffed. Unwilling to allow Devlin's team to disrupt the balance of nature, Baerwald accelerated the growth of a strong colony of olive slimes inhabiting caverns beneath the island. By the month of Marpenoth, the olive slimes had converted several dinosaurs on the Forgotten Island into slime creatures[9] and through them infected the majority of Devlin's expedition team, ruining his operation.[10]
Ecology[]
Habitats[]
Slime creatures could be found in a variety of different damp habitats, including forests, swamps, and fens.[2][3] They were equally at home on land and in warm, shallow waters.[3][5] Regardless of their habitat, slime creatures were rarely ever far from olive slimes.[1]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 Campbell Pentney (March 2006). “Caverns of the Ooze Lord”. In Erik Mona ed. Dungeon #132 (Paizo Publishing, LLC) (132)., pp. 56–57.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 276. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 110. ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Campbell Pentney (March 2006). “Caverns of the Ooze Lord”. In Erik Mona ed. Dungeon #132 (Paizo Publishing, LLC) (132)., p. 46.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 277. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ Erik Mona (January 1999). A Land Remembered. Living City (RPGA), p. 8.
- ↑ Erik Mona (January 1999). A Land Remembered. Living City (RPGA), p. 21.
- ↑ Erik Mona (January 1999). A Land Remembered. Living City (RPGA), pp. 2, 4.
- ↑ Erik Mona (January 1999). A Land Remembered. Living City (RPGA), p. 4.
- ↑ Erik Mona (January 1999). A Land Remembered. Living City (RPGA), p. 20.