All-Consuming Hunger

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

At a Glance

An undead ooze. This is a departure from the official description; explained below.

DM’s Notes

I think the idea behind this creature is fine, but the execution is… flawed. Here are a couple points of disagreement.

It can’t have an alignment

It has no Intelligence score… I think this should preclude having an alignment.

It can’t be a swarm

It’s described as a swarm, but this doesn’t make any sense unless each individual part comprising it is a creature in its own right. Otherwise, where would the swarm get the ability to move? A swarm of ants works, but a swarm of light bulbs does not.

Solution: it’s an ooze, not a swarm. Yes, an undead ooze. Yes, it’s okay for it to have two Types; see anaxim and atropal in the Epic Level Handbook for the precedent.

The disease needs tweaking

All-Consuming Wasting is a supernatural disease which (presumably) everyone who comes in contact with the Hunger must save versus. A failed save means the victim becomes another Hunger. Scary. However, there’s no advancement given, which breaks the logic of this attack. Say a Hunger emerges from the Underdark into someone’s cellar, and slimes a hapless family of four 1st-level commoners. Two days later, there are four new 16-HD Hungers. See the problem? There’s no way to logically explain making a 16-HD monster out of anything with less than 16 HD. Especially using a wasting disease.

Solution: consuming a fallen foe (which the Hunger can and will do even while fighting other opponents) adds the victim’s HD (and body parts) to the Hunger. The Hunger does not gain HD from class levels… only from base HD. The Hunger does not gain spell usage or any other abilities possessed by creatures consumed. The Hunger starts with 8 HD, and when it exceeds 24 HD an 8-HD ooze splits off of it. This consumption does prevent or limit resurrection, the same as if the hapless victim had been eaten by a barghest or whatever else.

Sources

Disclaimer

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