Black Pudding
Large Ooze · · CR 4
- Ooze
- Large
- Tier 1
Black Pudding, CR 4, fills the large ooze role with unaligned disposition. Encounter regions: underground. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 4
- Type
- Ooze
- Size
- Large
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Underground
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Black puddings dwell in deep dungeons, sewers, and forgotten foundries, slowly consuming organic and metallic matter alike. They squeeze through cracks as small as one inch, leaving slime trails that mark their passage. They reproduce by splitting when damaged or fed enough, with each fragment growing to full size. They have no natural predators and are limited only by available food. Some ancient dwarven mines were abandoned solely because puddings infested the lower tunnels.
Behaviour
Black puddings are mindless oozes, driven by hunger and tropism toward warmth and movement. They flow downward by default but climb walls when chasing prey. They cannot be reasoned with, charmed, or frightened. They split when hit with slashing or lightning damage, doubling threats unpredictably. Their corrosive acid dissolves metal, leaving behind digested coins and weapon scraps. They can survive submerged for weeks and emerge from drains unexpectedly.
Origin
Black puddings are believed to be primordial protoplasm, the substance from which life first emerged, persisting in deep places untouched by progress. Some sages claim they are spiritual residue from negative-plane incursions. Others argue they are spawned from oozes in the Plane of Slime. Wizards have studied black puddings for millennia, hoping to harness their digestive properties, though such experiments invariably end with the wizard becoming a meal.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Black Pudding
- What is the challenge rating of Black Pudding?
- Black Pudding has a challenge rating of 4. It matches tier-1 encounter math.
- What type of creature is Black Pudding?
- By creature type, Black Pudding is a ooze, large size.
- Where does Black Pudding live?
- The bestiary places Black Pudding in Underground.