Glacial Ooze

At first glance what appears to be a snow bank or mound of snow reveals itself to be a sentient creature formed of snow and ice.

Glacial Ooze (CR 6)

Large Ooze (Cold)
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: -5
Senses: Blindsight 60 feet; Perception -5

Speed: 20 feet (4 squares), Swim 20 feet
Space: 10 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 4, touch 4, flat-footed 4 (-5 Dex, -1 size, +0 natural)
Hit Points: 69 (6d8+42)
Saving Throws: Fort +9, Ref -3, Will -3
Damage Reduction: 5/bludgeoning
Immunity: cold, ooze traits
Weaknesses: vulnerability to fire

Offense

Melee: slam +5 (2d4+3 plus 1d6 cold)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: cold, Engulf (DC 15, 1d6 cold and freezing embrace), Freeze

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
15 (+2)	1 (-5)	24 (+7)	-	1 (-5)	1 (-5)

Base Attack Bonus: +4
CMB +7
CMD 12 (can't be tripped)

Feats:

Skills: Swim +10

Languages:

Special Abilities

Cold (Ex)

A glacial ooze's form is extremely cold, dealing 1d6 cold damage with its slam attack. Creatures attacking a glacial ooze unarmed or with natural weapons take this cold damage each time one of their attacks hits.

Freezing Embrace (Ex)

As a free action, a glacial ooze can encase an engulfed opponent in ice. A frozen creature takes 2d4 points of cold damage each round. A frozen creature can break free of the ice by making a successful DC 19 Strength check. The ice is AC 10, hardness 0, and has 10 hit points per 5-foot section. A frozen creature cannot use a weapon to break free even if it was holding it when it was frozen. Spells with verbal, material, or somatic components cannot be cast by a creature encased in ice. The check DC is Strength-based and includes a +4 racial bonus.

Transparent (Ex)

A glacial ooze is hard to identify, even under ideal conditions, and it takes a DC 20 Perception check to notice one. Creatures who fail to notice a glacial ooze and walk into it are automatically engulfed.

Ecology

Environment: Cold Plains
Organization: solitary
Treasure: none


This creature appears as translucent bluish-white icy sludge about 10 feet on each side (though larger specimens have been encountered). This ooze is conjectured to be a relative of the gelatinous cube, though a link between the two has yet to be established. The glacial ooze is at home in or out of the water, and is often encountered inhabiting frozen or partially frozen lakes and rivers.

It gains nutrients from water and snow, absorbing them into its gelatinous form and digesting them. Like many oozes, the glacial ooze is a scavenger and feeds on the carcasses of once living creatures that have frozen to death. Rather than completely digesting such creatures, the glacial ooze absorbs all bodily fluids and liquids from a corpse, leaving behind a frozen and rotted husk.

A glacial ooze attacks by forming a pseudopod and pummeling a foe. Against creatures smaller than itself, it simply moves across them, absorbing them into its form and holding them until they freeze to death.

Copyright Notice Author Scott Greene.