I've spoken to many people on wether ooze in this setting are a natural or unnatural creature. Some argue that some are unnatural as they are living forms of gloop that the machine produces, yet some ooze form out in the underdark naturally because they are natural in their own environment.

I've heard some say that a mad god created ooze to eradicate all of creation.

All very logical, true, and good answers, but I a little bit more input before I decide on one or the other.

Any ideas then?

I'd like a decisive answer to this too. I understand that the information is simply not available in source books, which really just means it's up to the DMs to make a decision and say "(insert opinion) is how things are, if you want to know why, find out in game".

Personally, I view them as an analogue to bacteria. Their function -seems- to be to clean things. They take a substance, dissolve it into themselves, and thus make the substance less harmful. Bodies, trash, sludge... whatever. They are clearly evident wherever these things are in abundance. Just as flies are in abundance around trash and bodies. They do not -spawn- from the trash, they simply feed on it, grow, and multiply.

You might even think of them as living with their behavior almost identical to that of single celled organisms and viruses (and no I'm not going into a debate on whether or not viruses are living in the scientific sense. That debate is still raging in the scientific world.). They seek out a food source, grow, and eventually divide when they become too large.

Therefore, it is in my opinion that they are naturally occurring.

Source books cite them with a creator. You have to do a great deal of digging, but Jubilex, Ghaundar, and a few other mad dark gods typically get credit.

It'd be terrific to hear a DM viewpoint. My estimate though, is they'll say we should try to figure this out in game.

They are odd, their creature type isn't magical beast, as most created things would be, or abberation. But simply "ooze". I think they're in a class all by themselves.

They also pro-create, kind of, by dividing. So that's kind of like, natural.

But is it meiosis or mitosis?

AnonymousInterviewer But is it meiosis or mitosis?

...Biology is not with us today. :-(

Meiosis is for sex-cell creation, while mitosis is the encompassing term for cell division in terms of growth, regeneration, cancer, etc... Both involves a cellular division but for different purposes!

The term used for reproduction of a unicellular organism is neither mitosis or meiosis, but binary fission.

This, of course, has nothing to do with Ooze and D&D, but I still wanted to clarify!

I view them as natural and even (in most cases) beneficial to their environments. Although I think it could largely depend upon the druid / nature lover in question. In my eyes, though, they serve a purpose and that is to assist in cleaning up "waste". It makes them almost critical to cities, and one of the reasons they are primarily found in sewers and the like.

It depends and varies radically, but most oozes most druids wouldn't have a problem with. Certainly they're not aberrations or undead.

In EfU there's a lot of different kinds of oozes though. Some types probably would be bad in a druid's eyes.

Hypertext d20 srd on oozes...

Just tossing it out there...

I know I haven't been around long enough to actually really say anything, but I think that oozes should be killed or not killed, based on what you think IG. If your character doesn't know if an ooze is unnatural or not, just kill it if it is a threat, or just leave it if it's not. IMO. :wink:

It's not quite that simple, unfortunately. A character's IC knowledge may not be matched by your own OOC knowledge. A druid should have some idea about the nature of oozes in this example, and be able to make a call like this but you as a player might have absolutely no idea.

So perhaps Druids would know as part of their training and teaching, yet city folk shouldn't give a hoot.

Joe Desu So perhaps Druids would know as part of their training and teaching, yet city folk shouldn't give a hoot.

Exactly - the first three posts of the thread are from people currently playing druids.

Yup, I myself OOCly had no clue about how what ooze is classed as. (Don't play PnP, only NWN)

Thanks for everyones input and for Howland stating the facts.

Howland It depends and varies radically, but most oozes most druids wouldn't have a problem with. Certainly they're not aberrations or undead.

Denko Why would a druid have a problem with aberrations? Aren't they "natural"?

Abberations are decidedly unnatural.

Aberrations are freaks.

Illithid- Brain eating tentacle faced humanoid creatures that come from an empire around the sun in the future.

Beholders-Many eyed floating orbs with two minds whose children eat the way out of the birthing beholders womb, only to be killed if it looks a bit different.

Umber hulks-A mixture between an ape and an insect that maddens you with the gaze of their big eyes.

Ettercaps-Spider loving...things?

Need I go on? They are too freaky to be natural. <_<

Requiem Need I go on? They are too freaky to be natural. <_<

And I know the definition of an aberration... What I was asking if what sets them apart from the rest of living beings, why they are called aberrations.

Umber hulks-A mixture between an ape and an insect that maddens you with the gaze of their big eyes.

Basilisks are a magical lizard, but their base form is that of an animal. They evolved naturally and were not created.

Aberrations, however, do not seem to be naturally occurring, at least in our world. They are simply not a product of Nature and are therefore not a part of the balancing forces of nature. The same can be said of Outsiders. Imps and Demons come from -somewhere- but they aren't natural to our world and therefore do not belong in our world.

Creature type determines how magic affects a creature. Type determines certain features, such as Hit Dice size, base attack bonus, base saving throw bonuses, and skill points.

An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three.

Magical beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than 2. Magical beasts usually have supernatural or extraordinary abilities, but sometimes are merely bizarre in appearance or habits.

If we name them aberrations because they are freaks, then we may as well name 90% of insects, and many other animals freaks too. I don't think I need to put examples. Rolling Eyes

There is a difference between the types of freaks you see in the natural world, and the types of freaks which crack open your skull and eat your brain.

Those are two completely different categories of freakiness. <_<

Aberrations tend to have origins outside of the prime material plane, and be so freakishly strange and unnatural that they violate the natural order of things.

What separates aberrants from outsiders then? Just the freakish, strange, unnatural part?

What separates aberrants from outsiders then? Just the freakish, strange, unnatural part?

Probably their anatomy and minds, which is unlike that of any other creature.

Unlike most other living creatures, an outsider does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an outsider is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate and resurrection, don’t work on an outsider.