Wine Ooze - By Bill Silvey
Frequency: Uncommon
Number Appearing: 1
Armor Class: 10
Move: 6"
Hit Dice: 3+1
% In Lair: 0%
Treasure Type: 0
No. Of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attack: 1-6/1-6
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Defense: See Below
Magical Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Non-
Alignment: Neutral
Size: Varies; averages 6' in diameter
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/XP Value: VI/250
A bizarre creature, the Wine Ooze is infrequently created when powerful spells that require Wine as a material component go awry, or sometimes when wine is left stored in a magical decanter for an overlong period. A less frequent yet not unheard-of cause is the contamination of old, spoilt wine with water from a
Bowl of Watery Doom or Bowl of Controlling Water Elementals, or an
Everfull Flask etc.
The Wine Ooze is an amorphous dark puddle likely (50% chance) to be mistaken for a Grey Ooze (q.v.). Seeking only to feed, the Wine Ooze creeps along dark corridors in forgotten places such as cellars or abandoned mansions waiting for an unwary creature to approach. When it senses it's prey nearby, it lashes out with pseudopods in an attempt to knock the victim into it's viscous mass so that they drown, or succumb to the second effect that the Ooze has.
This second effect is the result of what the Ooze's origin - it will immediately
render someone unfortunate enough to come in direct contact with it totally drunk, to the point of incoherence. This state isn't to be taken lightly; the intoxication is severe enough to poison the blood of the victim, and he or she must consume a Cure Poison potion or like curative must be administered. Otherwise, coma and death will soon follow. If the unlucky lone delver happens upon this underground predator, when they are knocked out, the Wine Ooze will use the acidic properties of it's vinegar-like body to slowly digest the prey, meanwhile, it continues to poison the victim (who will never regain
consciousness) until they are dead. Prey which escapes the Wine Ooze will suffer a -1 on all Saving Throws and to-hit rolls, as well as any activities which require use of the
Wisdom characteristic, due to a blinding headache, slight nausea and other "hangover" like symptoms.
The Wine Ooze hates sunlight, as it adversely affects the fungous mass that forms the inner parts of it's "body". A spell of
Continual Light will cause the beast to retreat at top speed, but it will lash out if it is pursued. Fire based spells do 3x normal damage (due to the alcohol content). If a full skin of water is poured into the creature, it will dilute it to the point where it's movement is halved. Any alcohol poured into it (ale, wine, whiskey, etc.) will cause it to Regenerate as a Troll (q.v.).
The presence of the Wine Ooze is betrayed by a strong smell of sour wine. Other types of Wine Ooze are rumored to exist, based on other alcoholic beverages such as Whiskey, Ale, and Stout beer. It is likely they would have a similar behavior pattern to that of the Wine Ooze.