| Hit Dice: | 6d10+30 (63 hp) |
| Initiative: | −5 |
| Speed: | 15 ft. (3 squares), climb 5 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 5 (−5 Dex), touch 5, flat-footed 5 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +4/+9 |
| Attack: | Slam +9 melee (1d8+7 plus 2d4 cold) |
| Full Attack: | Slam +9 melee (1d8+7 plus 2d4 cold) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Cold aura, constrict 1d8+7 plus 2d4 cold, improved grab |
| Special Qualities: | Airy, blindsight 60 ft., immunity to cold, ooze traits, split, vulnerability to fire |
| Saves: | Fort +7, Ref −3, Will −3 |
| Abilities: | Str 20, Dex 1, Con 20, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1 |
| Skills: | Climb +13, Hide −5; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | — |
| Environment: | Cold mountains |
| Organization: | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating: | 5 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Always neutral |
| Advancement: | 7–9 HD (Medium); 10–18 HD (Large) ♊ |
| Level Adjustment: | — |
What at first appeared to be just a bank of snow is in fact a lacy, delicate-looking creature resembling an enormous snowflake with a complex structure.
One of the most attractive of oozes, the snowflake ooze inhabits cold climates and the depths of caves or tunnels where natural ice can be found. It slowly moves around the area, seeking warm-blooded creatures to freeze.
A snowflake ooze can grow to a diameter of about 10 feet and a thickness of about 4 inches, but it can compress its body to fit through cracks as small as 1 inch wide. A typical specimen weighs about 250 pounds.
A snowflake ooze uses straightforward tactics, attempting to grab and constrict prey.
Constrict (Ex): A snowflake ooze deals automatic slam damage and cold damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a snowflake ooze must hit with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Airy (Ex): Since a snowflake ooze’s physiology is made up of a little ooze and lots of empty space, it is difficult to know where to attack. Any piercing melee or ranged attack directed at it has a 20% miss chance (the blow or missile just passes harmlessly through the creature’s space). Even a true seeing effect is useless in determining where and how to strike the creature.
Cold Aura (Ex): A snowflake ooze exudes cold. Any creature within 5 feet of one takes 1d6 points of cold damage (DC 18 Fortitude half). The save DC is Constitution-based.
Split (Ex): Bludgeoning weapons deal no damage to a snowflake ooze. Instead, the creature fractures into two identical snowflake oozes, each with half of the original’s current hit points (round down). A snowflake ooze with 10 hit points or less cannot be further split and dies if reduced to 0 hit points.
Skills: A snowflake ooze has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. When in an area containing snow or ice, a snowflake ooze gains a +12 racial bonus on Hide checks.
Snowflake oozes inhabit the mountains and vales of the Mror Holds, northern Karrnath, and the northern mainland of the Lhazaar Principalities. Rumor has it that the lich queen’s blisteringly cold island called Farlnen (located in the Lhazaar Sea), plays host to several dozen of these creatures. Larger specimens prey on visitors to the Tashana Tundra (on Sarlona) and the Frostfell.
Snowflake oozes plague travelers as far west as Icewind Dale and as far east as Narfell. They are also known to inhabit caverns that doubly serve as white dragon lairs.
Source: Monster Manual III, page 161.