Creature---Gelatinous Cube

[MurfinMS]

Hi gang, running through the Gs on the ol' Bestiary,and remembered that one of the things I always liked about accursed D&D was the Gelatinous Cube, with its goofy 10x10x10' dimensions just ideal for sliding through the dungeon (which always seemed to be mapped on grid paper using 10x10x0' squares).

Anyhow, as a RQ player, the closest thing to it was the Gorp, something I've never really cared for.

I didn't like the Gorp's really high acid damage, yet wanted the Cube to have some sort of kick, so I decided on 1D2pts of acid. This is, according to Call of Cthulhu, rquivalent to kye or battery acid, so should probably have effects that aren't instantaneous---Of course, thinking onb it, the Cubes could always have no acid at all...

So I decided to knock out my own version of the Gelatinous Cube.With several different sizes included. Creature volume is based on units of 1m3

(1 cubic meter). As water and meat both have about the same weight per volume, I went on the assumption that 1m3 of Gelatinous Cube weighed in at 1000kg, and I extrapolated from there.

Enjoy.

-Ken-

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Gelatinous Cube

An unnatural sorcerous creation, this shapeless, nearly transparent blob of putrid tissue lives only to ea; slowly oozing, amoeba-like, along waterways and other humid places, as well as through ruins, caves and catacombs, absorbing organic material---both living creatures and carrion---to be broken down by the creature’s caustic digestive enzymes. Inorganic materials of all sorts remain trapped and visible inside the creature’s body.

A gelatinous cube is quite resilient to physical attack, with ordinary, non-magical weapons merely passong through the rancid tissue without causing damage---though they themselves may be damaged by the gelatinous cube’s acid if the weapon’s AP are overcome.

Because of the corrosive nature of the gelatinous cube, acid and poison have no effect on it.

These gelatinous horrors can only be killed by fire or magic.

Ordinary flame, or flame-based weapon-enhancing magic will inflict only 1/2 normal damage.

Weapon-enhancing magic not using fire, such as Bladesharp or Damage Boosting only do damage equal to the points of the spell. Spells such as Disruption , Lightning Bolt and Rune spells take effect normally.

If a gelatinous cube is slain, objects of a non-organic origin, such as gold, other metals, gemstones, and other non-soluble treasures may be found amongst the refuse.

However, as s gelatinous cube retains its acidic properties for a number of days after death equal to CON, anyone wishing to root through the remains would be well advised to use a stick.

A gelatinous cube attacks by moving next to an intended victim and attempting to envelope him,

If the victim fails a Dodge or Jump roll, the gelatinous cube oozes over the victim---like amber over an insect--- enveloping a single Hit Location. If the victim Fumbles the Dodge or Jump roll, he falls into the monster; 1D3 contiguous Hit Locations being engulfed at one time. A 00 Fumble of this roll results in 1D3+3 contiguous Hit Locations being engulfed instead.Should the victim’s head be engulfed, eventual suffocation will occur.

If the victim can still move after the cube’s initial attack,he may try a second Dodge or Jump to move away. Fumbles are treated as above.

If a Dodge succeeds, the victim may attack as usual in the same melee. If the victim tries to Jump, however, no attack may be attempted that melee. A different Agility skill might be substituted, depending upon the situation and the GM.

Should the target fail to move away following the creature’s initial attack, the creature engulfs the next contiguous Hit Location the following melee.

A gelatinous cube’s attack may not be parried---the creature simply flowing over the parrying weapon to engulf its foe.

Each round a target’s Hit Location remains swallowed up by a gelatinous cube, it will take 1D2 acid damage, As the gelatinous cube’s tissue easily flows into and through joints and openings in a victim’s worn armor, it provides no protection against this damage.

Gelatinous cubes have varying SIZ, and can be quite large; occasionally exceeding more than 25m3. Gelatinous Cube SIZ is dependent on the 1000 kg weight of a m3 of its viscous, tissue..

Gelatinous cubes have 1D6+6 HP per m3 of volume. All gelatinous cubes, regardless of SIZ, have 1D5 STR, 3D6 POW, and 1D6 DEX

Small Gelatinous Cube

Characteristics Average

STR 1D6 3-4

SIZ 1m3 43

POW 3D6 10-11

DEX 1D6 3-4

HP 1D6+6 9-10

Move 2

Notes: The creature’s large size gives foes + 11% to their chances to hit.

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Hit Location (D20) Points

Body 01-20 0/ 10

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Weapon SR Attack% Damage

Envelop 7 75 1D2 acid

Medium Gelatinous Cube

Characteristics Average

STR 1D6 3-4

SIZ 3m3 56

POW 3D6 10-11

DEX 1D6 3-4

HP 3D6+18 28-29

Move 2

Notes: The creature’s large size gives foes + 18% to their chances to hit.

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Hit Location (D20) Points

Body 01-20 0/ 29

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Weapon SR Attack% Damage

Envelop 7 75 1D2 acid

Large Gelatinous Cube

Characteristics Average

STR 1D6 3-4

SIZ 9m3 68

POW 3D6 10-11

DEX 1D6 3-4

HP 9D6+54 85-86

Move 2

Notes: The creature’s large size gives foes +24% to their chances to hit.

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Hit Location (D20) Points

Body 01-20 0/ 86

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Weapon SR Attack% Damage

Envelop 7 75 1D2 acid

Huge Gelatinous Cube

Characteristics Average

STR 1D6 3-4

SIZ 27m3 81

POW 3D6 10-11

DEX 1D6 3-4

HP 27D6+162 256-257

Move 2

Notes: The creature’s large size gives foes + 30% to their chances to hit.

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Hit Location (D20) Points

Body 01-20 0/ 257

_________________________________________________

Weapon SR Attack% Damage

Envelop 7 75 1D2 acid

[Dredj]

Thank you for the stats on one of the more interesting D&D creatures:thumb: However, weren't the gelatinous cubes also susceptible to fire? Maybe setting one aflame would produce noxious gases that could fill a dungeon pretty quickly?

[MurfinMS]

Thank you for the stats on one of the more interesting D&D creatures:thumb: However, weren't the gelatinous cubes also susceptible to fire? Maybe setting one aflame would produce noxious gases that could fill a dungeon pretty quickly?

Noxious smoke roiling from the thing and filling the air with smoke? Hey, why not. I was thinking ithe poison gas could have a POY=T equal to, say, 1/2 HP or something. Which isn't out of hand when dealing with the small specimens, but is totally out of hand with the big ones. Maybe the poison gas/smoke should just have an across-the-board POT of 3D6 to make things easier.

Of course, just how much volume of smoke would something like that produce anyhow?... m3 of smoke equal to creature SUZ? Smoke volume in m3 equal toqual to 1/6 HP? Smoke volume equal to 3x m3 of creature volume?

I don't know, What sounds reasonable to oyu?

Best,

-Ken-

[MurfinMS]

Well, looking over my post on the Cubes, I ran across a few things...

Aside from a few typos, I guess I don't really care for the stuff about thwe acid.

Instead of giving it 1D2 acid (like battry acid or lye, as opposed to the *serious* acid damage something like the Gorp or the Alien Queen might have), I figured by saying that the thing;s digerstive enzymes would *eventually* break down organics was more reasonable.

Of course, making the acid less gross meant getting rid of the acid damage associated with each round of being enveloped by the thing.

Then theres the comment about the cube still being acidic for a number of days equal to its CON after death. Only problem was that the write-up part happened before I had the stats finalized---the gelatinous cubes have no CON, so I guess just assign a number of days to its post-mortem acidity, or assign a dice range in hours or whatever.

Wanting weaker acid, I decided that the damage taken from digging through the dead beastie looking for treasure should be reduced to 1pt got rscj hour spent digging. More an inconvenience than something that could melt your hands.

Thought I'd shre.

Best,

-Ken-

[Dredj]

Noxious smoke roiling from the thing and filling the air with smoke? Hey, why not. I was thinking ithe poison gas could have a POY=T equal to, say, 1/2 HP or something. Which isn't out of hand when dealing with the small specimens, but is totally out of hand with the big ones. Maybe the poison gas/smoke should just have an across-the-board POT of 3D6 to make things easier.

Of course, just how much volume of smoke would something like that produce anyhow?... m3 of smoke equal to creature SUZ? Smoke volume in m3 equal toqual to 1/6 HP? Smoke volume equal to 3x m3 of creature volume?

I don't know, What sounds reasonable to oyu?

Best,

-Ken-

I'm not really sure of the smoke volume, myself. I was thinking more along the lines of it filling up a room. The bigger the cube, the bigger the room it fills. If the party encounters it in a tunnel, then they have to get out of the tunnel fast and wait until the smoke clears. Maybe the smoke can congeal again into an acid that drips from the walls and ceilings>:->

Edited January 24, 2009 by Dredj

[skarl]

Or congeal into a batch of little cubes, possibly they reproduce through this process? That way the adventurers are unknowingly propagating the species.