Gelatenous Orb

Frequency: Uncommon
No. Appearing: 1-6
Armor Class: 4
Move: 8"
Hit Dice: 1-3 hp (to 4 hd)
% In Lair: 40%
Treasure Type: copper
# of Attacks: 1
Dam/Attack: special
Special Attacks: poison (sleep)
Special Defenses: immune to electrically based attacks
Magic Resistance: 10%
Intellegence: animal
Alignment: neutral
Size: S (6" diameter)
Psionic Ability: nil
Att/Def Modes: nil
Lvl/X.P. Val: 300 + 10/hp

The gelatenous orb is a fairly small globe some 6" in diameter, a cousin to the blobber. It moves by rolling along the floor, though it can hop up to 4' and bounce up to 1 1/2 times the amount that it falls as a blobber. Gelatenous orbs are for the most part harmless, but if attacked, they can shoot a stream of fluid which is a sort of contact poison. Failing to save causes one to sleep for d6 turns (10-60 minutes). They have a small mouth with sharp teeth which do d2 hit points of damage. It will only attack something that it has caused to sleep. As with blobbers and undertakers, gelatenous orbs gain hit points from lightning based attacks at 1/2 the amount of damage that they would have taken by same electrical attacks.

They can sense electricity up to 100 yards away, and are attracted to it. A gelatenous orb can gain up to 4 hit dice if gained through exposure to electricity, but otherwise they have a maximum of 3 hit points when full grown. They are immune to electrically based attacks and cold based attacks only do 1/2 damage.

They prefer cool, moist regions, preferrably in dark places. They are usually found in caves or sometimes dense forests, where direct sunlight is at a minimum. They like water, and sometimes inhabit deep pools, feeding upon fish. They breathe in water as well as in air. They will sometimes attack lone fishermen, squirting their sleep potion and then raiding the fish that the man has, but usually they mean no harm to humankind, being on the whole afraid of men. They will only attack a man if threatened or very hungry.

They have a ravenous appetite, and need to eat 5 pounds or more of meat a day. They sometimes attack in packs of 1-6 and only then do they become truly aggressive. Gelatenous orbs are good at imitating sounds, and often will fool a party by luring them into opening doors that they cannot open themselves or slide under, but their intentions are usually not to harm.