Oozes, and the limits of grabbing

[David Ordiales]

The Grab monster ability stays that once the monster have grabbed something with a body part, he cannot use that body part, and that the limit for grabbing is the number of body parts the monster have. I have read other post about how grab works and the limits of things like a Kraken, but oozes pseudopods (to me) seems like "appearing" from the main mass of the monster at will, so, How many "pseudopods" have an ooze?, and thus, how many things can an ooze grab at the same time.

Reference of grab:
Grab: 1 action
Requirements The monster's last action was a success with a Strike that lists Grab in its damage entry, or it has a creature grabbed using this action. Effect The monster automatically Grabs the target until the end of the monster's next turn. The creature is grabbed by whichever body part the monster attacked with, and that body part can't be used to Strike creatures until the grab is ended.

Using Grab extends the duration of the monster's Grab until the end of its next turn for all creatures grabbed by it. A grabbed creature can use the Escape action to get out of the grab, and the Grab ends for a grabbed creatures if the monster moves away from it.

[SuperBidi]

It's purely up to the GM. There are no guidelines about how many creatures an Ooze can Grab.

[Thod]

Actually the answer in most circumstances is 2. This has to do with action economy and not number of pseudo pods.

David Ordiales wrote:

Reference of grab:
Grab: 1 action
Requirements The monster's last action was a success with a Strike that lists Grab in its damage entry, or it has a creature grabbed using this action. Effect The monster automatically Grabs the target until the end of the monster's next turn. The creature is grabbed by whichever body part the monster attacked with, and that body part can't be used to Strike creatures until the grab is ended.

Using Grab extends the duration of the monster's Grab until the end of its next turn for all creatures grabbed by it. A grabbed creature can use the Escape action to get out of the grab, and the Grab ends for a grabbed creatures if the monster moves away from it.

Round 1:

Action 1 - something
Action 2 - attack victim A
Action 3 - grab victim A

Round 2:
Action 1 - grab victim A (sustain the grab on A)
Action 2: attack victim B
Action 3 - grab victim B

The ooze now lacks the actions to grab a third victim while maintaining the grab on the previous victims. This assumes it uses attack followed by the monster ability to grab.

You can increase the number by
1) being hasted gives a +1
2) having improved grab
3) using a grab attack instead of the free grab ability

So a hasted Ooze with improved grab should top out at 4 victims.

[Castilliano]

Except in those rules it also says the Grab action extends the grab for all creatures grabbed by it.

So round 3+
-attack a non-grabbed creature
-Grab action to add that creature to the pile; having used the Grab action, the monster has now extended the duration for all the others too.
-Whatever they want (constrict perhaps, hitting all grabbed creatures)
Repeat.

I would think an ooze would be able to grab whomever's within reach.
Similar to a Mimic who has a limited size, yet unlimited sticking power.

An alternate way would be to base it on size, using rules similar to Engulf or Swallow Whole, though with the "hands" meta-concept, I'd think 2 grabbed opponents would be the minimum (w/ potential corner cases).

[The Raven Black]

Get it to move : "the Grab ends for a grabbed creature if the monster moves away from it."

[Leomund "Leo" Velinznrarikovich]

SuperBidi wrote:

It's purely up to the GM. There are no guidelines about how many creatures an Ooze can Grab.

[Amaya/Polaris]

Oozes are mainly limited by the amount of people that can fit in their reach, it seems.

[Ravingdork]

I assume that number of limbs doesn't matter, but rather the number of listed attack entries. If an ooze only has pseudopod as an attack, and it grabs someone, then it can no longer use pseudopod to attack.

[The Raven Black]

Ravingdork wrote:

I assume that number of limbs doesn't matter, but rather the number of listed attack entries. If an ooze only has pseudopod as an attack, and it grabs someone, then it can no longer use pseudopod to attack.

That is a possible choice.

Another is no limit.

And everything in between.

So, yes it is really up to the GM to decide what will make their game the most fun.

[Cordell Kintner]

Ravingdork wrote:

I assume that number of limbs doesn't matter, but rather the number of listed attack entries. If an ooze only has pseudopod as an attack, and it grabs someone, then it can no longer use pseudopod to attack.

Creatures with multiple of the same limb will list that limb only once. Examples like the Kraken, which has 8 to 10 limbs to grab with, and the Drainberry Bush, which has 4. They both even have abilities that let them grab multiple creatures at once. If they were limited by the number of attack types they would be unable to make use of those abilities.

[Ravingdork]

Cordell Kintner wrote:

Ravingdork wrote:

I assume that number of limbs doesn't matter, but rather the number of listed attack entries. If an ooze only has pseudopod as an attack, and it grabs someone, then it can no longer use pseudopod to attack.

Creatures with multiple of the same limb will list that limb only once. Examples like the Kraken, which has 8 to 10 limbs to grab with, and the Drainberry Bush, which has 4. They both even have abilities that let them grab multiple creatures at once. If they were limited by the number of attack types they would be unable to make use of those abilities.

I was referring exclusively to creatures where the number of limbs is unclear.

If the number of limbs is unclear, and they also possess an ability that allows them to grab multiple creatures, then they are obviously an exception to my above statement.