Archive Ooze
Large • Ooze • Unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 127 (15d10 + 45)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Initiative -2 (8)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 (+3) | 7 (-2) | 16 (+3) | 14 (+2) | 8 (-1) | 7 (-2) |
Saving Throws Int +5
Skills History +8
Damage Resistances psychic
Damage Immunities acid
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages telepathy 30 ft. (only mimicked sentences from absorbed literature)
CR 7 (XP 2,900; PB +3)
Amorphous. The ooze can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Book Sense. The ooze can pinpoint the location of books and other written works within 100 feet of itself.
Magic Resistance. The ooze has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Perfect Memory. The ooze perfectly recalls any information contained in literature it has absorbed.
Spider Climb. The ooze can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Unusual Nature. The ooze doesn't require air or sleep.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ooze makes two Pseudopod attacks and uses Spell Archive once.
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +6, reach 10 ft. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6) psychic damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14). While grappled this way, the target has disadvantage on Intelligence saving throws.
Spell Archive. The ooze casts one of the following spells, requiring no spell components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The ooze randomly determines which spell to cast, but then decides targets logically according to the spell:
At will: blindness/deafness, color spray, fog cloud, grease, mirror image, mislead, prismatic orb, shatter, silent image, thunderwave, web
BONUS ACTIONS
Information Overload (Recharge 5-6). Intelligence Saving Throw: DC 14, each creature grappled by the ooze. Failure: The target becomes stunned until the end of its next turn.
REACTIONS
Potentially Protective Magic (2/Day). Trigger: The ooze is targeted by an attack roll or forced to make a saving throw. Response: Roll a d6. On an even number, the ooze gains a +3 bonus to AC. On an odd number, it gains a +3 bonus to its saving throws. The effect lasts until the start of its next turn.
Archive Ooze
Large • Ooze • Unaligned
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 90 (12d10 + 24)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Initiative -2 (8)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (+2) | 7 (-2) | 14 (+2) | 12 (+1) | 8 (-1) | 7 (-2) |
Saving Throws Int +3
Skills History +5
Damage Resistances psychic
Damage Immunities acid
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages telepathy 30 ft. (only mimicked sentences from absorbed literature)
CR 4 (XP 1,100; PB +2)
Amorphous. The ooze can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Book Sense. The ooze can pinpoint the location of books and other written works within 100 feet of itself.
Magic Resistance. The ooze has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Perfect Memory. The ooze perfectly recalls any information contained in literature it has absorbed.
Spider Climb. The ooze can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Unusual Nature. The ooze doesn't require air or sleep.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ooze makes two Pseudopod attacks and uses Spell Archive once.
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +4, reach 10 ft. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) psychic damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 12). While grappled this way, the target has disadvantage on Intelligence saving throws.
Spell Archive. The ooze casts one of the following spells, requiring no spell components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 11, +3 to hit with spell attacks). The ooze randomly determines which spell to cast, but then decides targets logically according to the spell:
At will: blindness/deafness, color spray, fog cloud, grease, mirror image, mislead, prismatic orb, shatter, silent image, thunderwave, web
BONUS ACTIONS
Information Overload (Recharge 5-6). Intelligence Saving Throw: DC 12, each creature grappled by the ooze. Failure: The target becomes stunned until the end of its next turn.
REACTIONS
Potentially Protective Magic (2/Day). Trigger: The ooze is targeted by an attack roll or forced to make a saving throw. Response: Roll a d6. On an even number, the ooze gains a +2 bonus to AC. On an odd number, it gains a +2 bonus to its saving throws. The effect lasts until the start of its next turn.
Archive Ooze
Large • Ooze • Unaligned
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 171 (18d10 + 72)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Initiative -2 (8)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 7 (-2) | 18 (+4) | 16 (+3) | 8 (-1) | 7 (-2) |
Saving Throws Int +7
Skills History +11
Damage Resistances psychic
Damage Immunities acid
Condition Immunities deafened, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, prone, restrained
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages telepathy 30 ft. (only mimicked sentences from absorbed literature)
CR 10 (XP 5,900; PB +4)
Amorphous. The ooze can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Book Sense. The ooze can pinpoint the location of books and other written works within 100 feet of itself.
Magic Resistance. The ooze has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Perfect Memory. The ooze perfectly recalls any information contained in literature it has absorbed.
Spider Climb. The ooze can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Unusual Nature. The ooze doesn't require air or sleep.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ooze makes two Pseudopod attacks and uses Spell Archive once.
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +8, reach 10 ft. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 14 (4d6) psychic damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14). While grappled this way, the target has disadvantage on Intelligence saving throws.
Spell Archive. The ooze casts one of the following spells, requiring no spell components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The ooze randomly determines which spell to cast, but then decides targets logically according to the spell:
At will: blindness/deafness, color spray, fog cloud, grease, mirror image, mislead, prismatic orb, shatter, silent image, thunderwave, web
BONUS ACTIONS
Information Overload (Recharge 5-6). Intelligence Saving Throw: DC 16, each creature grappled by the ooze. Failure: The target becomes stunned until the end of its next turn.
REACTIONS
Potentially Protective Magic (3/Day). Trigger: The ooze is targeted by an attack roll or forced to make a saving throw. Response: Roll a d6. On an even number, the ooze gains a +4 bonus to AC. On an odd number, it gains a +4 bonus to its saving throws. The effect lasts until the start of its next turn.
QUICK REFERENCE
USING MONSTER VARIANTS
Monster variants allow the GM to adjust encounters to better match the party’s strength, narrative needs, or world-building logic. A weaker variant may represent a juvenile, wounded, or lesser specimen, while a stronger variant can serve as a leader, champion, ancient creature, or apex predator.
Variants can be used to fine-tune difficulty without changing the core identity of the monster, making them ideal for scaling encounters, reinforcing hierarchy within a faction, or creating memorable boss-style enemies. You can even use the same stat block but different variants in the same encounter if you want.
Design Note. Each monster is primarily balanced around its normal version. Weaker and stronger variants are derived adjustments and may not always preserve every tactical nuance or “feel” of the original creature. GMs are encouraged to review variants carefully and adjust abilities or tactics as needed to best suit their table.