A white pudding, sometimes called a snowmound beast,[3] was a type of deadly pudding that thrived in cold and aquatic environments.[2]
Description[]
White puddings were oozes that were related to the well-known black puddings. Unlike their more common cousins, they were well-adapted to cold climates, and took residence in snow, as well as ice floes. They were the bane of adventurers and creatures that dwelt in such regions, as they were almost impossible to spot.[2]
These creatures were huge mounds of snow-colored flesh that blended perfectly into their environment, and even absorbed ice and snow.[3]
Behavior[]
Such unintelligent creatures had no need for sleep, but were mostly active during the night.[2] White puddings were said to be warded off by extremely loud noises, and almost never formed groups.[4][3]
Combat[]
These puddings initiated attacks by grabbing and constricting prey, usually the closest ones if facing multiple foes. Due to their almost perfect camouflage in arctic areas, they would always surprise their foes. Whilst grabbing, they would produce a deadly poison, dissolving the victim's clothing and the victims themselves in an astonishingly quick time.[4][2] However, if opponents were perceptive, and attacked with pure metal or stone, this would hurt the puddings without dissolving the material.[2]
Weapons that pierced or slashed did not hurt white puddings at all, but instead caused them to split into two, smaller white puddings. If the new puddings became too small, they could not be split any further, and died.[2]
Like other puddings, they were blind, and thus immune to gaze-based attacks and all other visual effects, including illusions. As well as this, they were immune to poison, paralysis, stun, being polymorphed, and being put to sleep. Being flanked did not impose any combat issues upon these oozes.[2]
Ecology[]
Such oozes hunted a range of other arctic creatures, from seals and penguins to humans journeying through snowy regions. The victims of white puddings never got a chance to cry out for help, as they were instantly smothered and killed. When they had no access to easy prey, they would digest plant material, but required more than this to be healthy.[2]
The essence of such a pudding could be used as a poison, which made the imbiber less intelligent and wise, as well as hurting them.[7] These poisons sold for around 500 gp,[7] but if they were incorporated into a vapor trap, the device sold for around 50 times as much.[8]
Rumors[]
It was said that a gargantuan white pudding existed in the High Ice, which never moved. Instead, the several-hundred-foot-long beast waited for creatures to come to it, and consumed them.[3]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Christopher Perkins (February 2012). “Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl”. In Steve Winter ed. Dungeon #199 (Wizards of the Coast) (199)., p. 14.
- ↑ 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 Wolfgang Baur, James Jacobs, George Strayton (September 2004). Frostburn. Edited by Greg Collins. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 147–148. ISBN 0-7869-2896-4.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Anauroch”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 22. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 David "Zeb" Cook et al. (1989). Monstrous Compendium Volume One. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-8803-8738-6.
- ↑ Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 102. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson (1988). The Throne of Bloodstone. (TSR, Inc), p. 41. ISBN 0-8803-8560-X.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wolfgang Baur, James Jacobs, George Strayton (September 2004). Frostburn. Edited by Greg Collins. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 16. ISBN 0-7869-2896-4.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur, James Jacobs, George Strayton (September 2004). Frostburn. Edited by Greg Collins. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 20. ISBN 0-7869-2896-4.