Monster Monday: Seafoam Slime, the Coastal Creeper

Today's Monster Monday is seafoam slime, an aquatic ooze that lurks in the shallows waiting to rush out like a rogue wave and tackle its prey, pinning them and filling their lungs with foamy water so that it can drag them back into the surf to feed.

The seafoam slime has Improved Bull Rush, Trip, and Drag, allowing it to unleash a barrage of combat maneuvers designed to disrupt a small part of adventurers in a way that feels very natural for what basically amounts to a living wave. It may be a CR 4 monster, but its Drown ability means it can easily incapacitate an unwary adventurer if it gets the drop on them.

photo by Brocken Inaglory, via Wikimedia

Sea foam at Ocean Beach, San Francisco

The following text in gold is available as Open Game Content under the OGL. Open Game Content is ©2017 Jonah Bomgaars.

A foaming wave breaks out of the surf and rushes up the beach toward you

Seafoam Slime    CR 4

XP 1,200

N Medium ooze (aquatic)

Init -2; Senses blindsight 120 ft.; Perception -5

DEFENSE

AC 8, touch 8, flat-footed 8 (-2 Dex)

hp 52 (5d8+30)

Fort +6, Ref -1, Will -4

Defensive Abilities amorphous, ooze traits, transparency

Immune acid, cold, fire

Weaknesses vulnerable to electricity

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.

Melee slam +9 (1d6+9 plus grab)

Special Attacks drown

STATISTICS

Str 23, Dex 7, Con 20, Int --, Wis 1, Cha 1

Base Atk +3; CMB +9 (+11 bull rush, drag, and trip, +13 grapple); CMD 17 (can’t be tripped)

Feats Improved Bull Rush^B, Improved Drag^B, Improved Trip^B, Toughness^B

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Drown (Ex)

As a standard action, a seafoam slime can flood the lungs of a helpless creature that shares the same space. If the target cannot breathe water, it cannot hold its breath and immediately begins to drown slowly. On its turn, the target can attempt a DC 17 Fortitude save to cough up this water; if it fails, it falls unconscious at 0 hp. On the next round, a fallen target must attempt another DC 17 Fortitude save; if it fails, it drops to -1 hit points and begins dying. On each subsequent round, it must make a DC 17 Fortitude save or take 1d6 points of lethal damage. On the first successful save, or when another creature makes a successful DC 17 Heal skill check on the target, the water clears from the target’s lungs and the target stabilizes. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Transparent (Ex)

While underwater, a seafoam slime’s body becomes transparent, effectively rendering it invisible.

ECOLOGY

Environment any ocean, coastline

Organization solitary, pair, or surf (3-6)

Treasure none

Seafoam slimes lurk invisibly in the surf, waiting for prey to pass near. Then they dart out of the water like a rogue wave and attack their prey. These slimes often drown unwary beachgoers and drag them back to the water to feed.

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Plot Hooks and Encounter Ideas

• A beach party is interrupted by a swarm of living waves, terrorizing beach babes and surfer bros alike.
• Once a year, at high tide on a new moon, a small fishing village is attacked by a gargantuan seafoam slime that rolls in like a tidal wave. 
• The pirate's treasure map leads to a low sandbar inhabited by giant man-eating starfish and criss-crossed by rampaging seafoam slimes. 
• After the battle, the bilge of the ship began to flood with water, but water wasn't the only thing that came in...

-your surfactant d20 despot