Sentient Ooze Player Character

Ever since it occurred to me that Yaphit (from the television show The Orville) is basically an ooze, I've been fascinated with the notion of playing an ooze character. (Well, specifically an ooze artificer.) 

Yaphit
Source: The Orville

Of course, whenever I've introduced this idea to anyone DM who is willing to listen, the very first question is always, "How does that work?"

Well, I'm writing this blog to answer that question. What follows is a write-up for the idea of playing an ooze as a player character. I think the concept works out well as it is solidly based on published information regarding oozes. Some of the technical details might still need working out, but that is what this blog was always meant to be...a place to write about and try new ideas for the Dungeons and Dragons RPG. So, here we go!

Sentient Ooze

Ooze. The word conjures images of black puddings, ochre jellies, and gelatinous cubes prowling dungeons and caverns alike for complacent creatures to consume with their acidic bodies. But there are other kinds of oozes hiding in those shadows--sentient creatures whose fledgling intelligence drives them out of the darkness on a quest to understand a wholly alien world and the meaning of their existence within it. Many of these wanderers become overwhelmed at the bewildering chaos that fills the sentient life. These terrified individuals retreat to the place of their awakening where they long to regress to their former selves. Others become filled with a bottomless wanderlust, craving more exploits with each new experience. These adventurous individuals “consume” the world through all their senses so that they might answer the greatest question of all. “Why am I here?”

Psychic Origins

The amorphous nature of oozes gives them the ability to slink through tiny cracks, cling to ceilings, and flatten into shimmering pools. That nature also makes them susceptible to psionic energy. A gray ooze living near psionic creatures can, given enough time, absorb their psychic force to become more intelligent and develop limited telepathic abilities. This process can be hastened if a flumph decides to offload to the ooze any unwanted negative psionic energy it might have syphoned from others. An oblex is another kind of intelligent ooze. These cunning hunters are created by mind flayers through psionic experiments. They live only to consume the thoughts and memories of their victims.

Oblex Spawn
Source: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

Whether by accident or by design, the origin of every sentient ooze is rooted in the prolonged exposure to psychic energy. The exposure is also the source of the sentient ooze’s limited telepathic abilities. One of the first obstacles a newly awakened ooze faces is communicating with others as it tries to identify and express all that it’s experiencing. Their limited telepathy becomes critical to not only language acquisition but also communication. Over time, a sentient ooze will learn at least one language if not more. They will also learn that they should not always inject their thoughts into the minds of others without first asking permission or otherwise alerting the recipient.

The Pull of Juiblex

Juiblex, The Oooze Lord
Source: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

Juiblex is the demon lord of oozes. As such, he is able to exert a certain amount of influence over all puddings, jellies, and ochres. His mere presence, in fact, can alter their general behavior. For example, some oozes might show malevolent intent rather than mindless hunger. Others might gain higher intelligence without a hint of ill will towards sentient beings.

Sentient oozes still feel this connection with Juiblex though to a lesser degree. It often manifests in dreams, visions, or telepathic experiences whose origins they do not know or whose meaning they do not understand. Whereas an ooze might feel these experiences are simply part of their own impulses, a sentient ooze is aware that the pull is external. It is one of the many realities that drive a sentient ooze into their quest for identity and belonging.

The Quest for Identity and Belonging

A sentient ooze’s awakening can be a jarring experience. Their new intelligence makes them aware that they are no longer what they once were but does not grant them immediate understanding of what they have become. New thoughts, feelings, and awareness overwhelm, confuse, and even frighten them. This onslaught drives many on a quest for meaning; they want to know who they are, why they awakened, and where their place is in this new, confounding world. For many, the quest itself becomes the reason for their existence.

A sentient ooze might look inward for answers. These individuals become ascetics living out their years in isolated temples or forgotten ruins. Others might look to other sentient beings for these answers. They surround themselves with whomever they feel might be ideal teachers who can help them navigate the world.

Altered States

A sentient ooze undergoes as much a physical transformation as a psychological one. It’s as though the weight of telepathy and the burden of intelligence dulls the baser characteristics. A sentient gray ooze, for example, might find it easier to blend into their surroundings than their humanoid companions but they certainly are no longer able to make themselves indistinguishable from their surroundings as they had been prior to their awakening.

A sentient ooze in its natural state cannot see, hear, or speak. They do retain their blindsight which grants them the ability to sense their surroundings. They can use their limited telepathy for communication. They also retain any ability to form pseudopods that they might have had, which allows the use of objects. 

With enough practice, sentient oozes who can form pseudopods can also learn to take on a vaguely humanoid shape. Head, body, arms, hands, legs, and feet are all present but detailed features, such as eyes, nostrils, and fingernails, are not well defined or entirely absent. Their bodies can be suggestive of male or female but more often are neutral as the idea of gender is alien. They do retain their natural color and transparency. This cannot be changed. From a distance, a sentient ooze in this form will pass for humanoid but any close observation can reveal their true nature. For that reason, sentient oozes who travel among humanoids often learn how to disguise themselves.

The physical mechanisms for speech are complex. It’s more difficult for a sentient ooze to shape them than it is to take on a humanoid form. Because of that, most sentient oozes find it easier to rely on their limited telepathy while in their natural state and only grant themselves the ability to speak while in a humanoid form. Their speech typically has a thick accent that others who are unfamiliar with sentient oozes can’t identify.

Spells and Spellcasting

Spells continue to affect a sentient ooze in the same way they affect their non-sentient counterparts. Since oozes cannot hear, they cannot be affected by spells that require the ability to hear the caster. Likewise, they cannot be deafened or blinded. Sentient oozes, however, do lose their immunity to being charmed. With intelligence comes that opportunity to be hoodwinked.

A sentient ooze cannot cast any spell with the Verbal component unless they have formed the mechanisms for speech. Their blindsight does count as seeing or hearing their targets. Those who can form them can use pseudopods when a Somatic component is required.

Sentient Ooze Names

When asked the question, “Who are you,” most sentient oozes will respond with, “I don’t know.” It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that names are a completely alien concept to newly awakening oozes. It’s only through necessity, due to interactions with other sentient beings who expect a sentient ooze to have a name, that they will pick one for themselves. These chosen names are often pragmatic, related in some way to the place of origin, their immediate surroundings, or where they want to go, such as Dark Cavern, Dripping Water, Dead Bird, or Far Rock Keep. Over time a sentient ooze will learn to take on a name that is more fitting to others’ expectations. For example, if among gnomes, a sentient ooze might adopt a gnomish name. If among elfs, they might adopt an elvish name. 

Because sentient oozes don’t see names are particularly important beyond immediate practical needs, they see no problem with changing their name as often as is needed or preferred. Those unfamiliar with this peculiar quirk might perceive this name switching as lying or as an attempt to avoid identification. Out of practicality, some sentient oozes will begrudgingly pick one name to go by, but even then the name generally holds no special meaning to them.

Sentient Ooze Traits

Ochre Jelly
Source: Monster Manual 1e

Your sentient ooze character has certain characteristics in common with all other sentient oozes.

Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence score increases by 2.

Age: There is no known age of maturity for sentient oozes. Like their non-unawakened counterparts, sentient oozes can live for a very long time as long as they are not destroyed and can secure sustenance.

Alignment: Generally, a newly awakened ooze has no concept morality and therefore often acts in a truly neutral, pragmatic capacity. That said, some oozes might retain echoes of morality from the psionic energy that awakened them. For example, if a sentient ooze had been fed a constant stream of evil thoughts, then they might lean more toward evil acts. Over time, a sentient ooze will learn right and wrong from their peers and take on the behavior that allows them to better fit in.

Size: Sentient oozes are shapeless masses that can be anywhere from 3 feet to 10 feet in diameter. You must choose either Small, Medium, or Large for your size.

Speed: 25ft.

Blindsight: You have no eyes but instead rely on physical sensations (such as heat or vibrations) and psionic energy to sense your surroundings. You have blindsight out to 60ft. And are blind beyond this radius.

Ooze Nature: You do not require sleep to survive.

Amorphous: While in your natural state you can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. You can also form up to two pseudopods that can be used in combat or to manipulate/use items. In this way, you are just like a two-armed humanoid when using them.

Humanoid Impersonator: Your natural state is to remain in a non-rigid, undefined form that others might liken to a mound of goo, a pool of viscous liquid, or other shapeless mass. You can use an action to take on a vaguely humanoid form and to gain the ability to speak. This humanoid form will be of the same size as your natural form (Small, Medium, or Large). You cannot alter your appearance once you assume this form. You can remain in this form for up to 8 hours, after which time you will revert back to your natural state. You can also choose to revert to your natural state at any time. You cannot resume the humanoid form again until after you take a short rest. It is possible to use Humanoid Impersonator to give yourself the ability to speak without taking on a humanoid form.

Limited Telepathy: The same psionic energy that awakened you also granted you limited telepathy that you can use to communicate with others. You can target one creature within your blindsight to project your thoughts into theirs. If the target is willing, they can reply with their thoughts and you will be able to intercept that reply. This does not grant you the power to read minds. While you can project your thoughts, just as one might speak, you cannot force the recipient to reply.

Languages: Language was the first major obstacle you were required to overcome as you learned to reach out to others. As a result, you can speak two languages of your choice. These will most likely be the languages you first encountered immediately after your awakening. Due to your blindness you can neither read nor write without the aid of magic. 

Disguise Artist: The need to blend in with the humanoids around you has nurtured a talent for concealing your true appearance. You have proficiency in the Disguise skill.

Natural Defenses: You cannot be blinded, deafened, or knocked prone while in your natural state. You also have resistance to acid damage in your natural state. You cannot be blinded or deafened while in your humanoid form, but you can be knocked prone. You also lose your acid resistance while in your humanoid form. 

Subraces: There are as many different kinds of oozes as there are humanoids. Some of the most common are the black pudding, gray ooze, and ochre jelly. For a full description of these see the Monster Manual.

Black Pudding Traits

Black Pudding
Source: Monster Manual

Ability Score Increase: Your Strength or Constitution score increases by 1.

Acidic Response: Your body retains some of its corrosive effects from before you were awakened and your new-found intelligence has allowed you to gain some control over it. While you’re in your natural state, you can use an Action to activate your Acidic Response (see the Corrosive Form for the black pudding in the Monster Manual). Once activated, the effect lasts for one minute. It affects all creatures per the description, even your allies. It also affects all metal and wood, even weapons of those materials that you might be using. You can use another Action to once again contain the effect. The effect also ends if you assume a humanoid form. Once used in this way, you cannot use Corrosive Response again until you complete a long rest. You cannot use this effect while you’re in a humanoid form.

Spider Climb: You can climb difficult sources, including upside down on ceilings, without needing an ability check. Your movement speed for doing so is 10ft.

Gray Ooze Traits

Gray Ooze
Source: Monster Manual

Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Metal Corrosion: Your body retains some of its corrosive effects from before you were awakened and your new-found intelligence has allowed you to gain some control over it. While you’re in your natural state, you can use an Action to activate your Metal Corrosion (see the Corrode Metal for the gray ooze in the Monster Manual). Once activated, the effect lasts for 1 minute. It affects all metal per the description, even on weapons you might be using. You can use another Action to once again contain the effect. The effect also ends when you assume a humanoid form. Once used in this way, you cannot use Metal Corrosion again until you complete a long rest. You cannot use this effect while you’re in a humanoid form.

Rocky Cover: You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made when you are on rock or gravel. 

Ochre Jelly Traits

Ochre Jelly
Source: Monster Manual

Ability Score Increase: Your Strength score increases by 1.

Cunning Hunter: You have proficiency in the Wisdom (Survival) skill and have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) skill checks when tracking. 

Lightning Resistance: Your body retains some of its immunity to lightning from before you were awakened and your new-found intelligence has allowed you to gain some control over it. While you’re in your natural state, you can use an Action to activate your Lightning Resistance, granting you resistance to lightning damage for up to 1 minute. You can use another Action to once again contain the effect. The effect also ends when you assume a humanoid form. Once used in this way, you cannot use Metal Corrosion again until you complete a long rest. You cannot use this effect while you’re in a humanoid form.

Spider Climb: You can climb difficult sources, including upside down on ceilings, without needing an ability check. Your movement speed for doing so is 10ft.

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