Medium-Size Elemental (Water)

Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp)

Initiative: -1 (Dex)

Speed: 10 ft

AC: 12 (-1 Dex, +3 natural)

Attacks: Slam +3 melee; or mud glob +0 ranged touch

Damage: Slam 1d4+3; or mud glob 0 (see text)

Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft

Special Attacks: Mud throwing, engulf

Special Qualities: Elemental, damage reduction 10/+1, dormant state, immunities, susceptibility, tremorsense

Saves: Fort +3, Ref -1, Will +0

Abilities: Str 14, Dex 9, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 10

Climate/Terrain: Temperate and warm water and underground

Organization: Solitary, gang (3-6), or pack (7-12)
Challenge Rating: 1

Treasure: None

Alignment: Always neutral

Advancement: 4-6 HD (Small)

Mudmen are formed in pools of mud where enchanted waters collect and evaporate.

   Mudmen resemble short, stocky humanoids, formed of mud. They have a barrel shaped body, and long, thick arms that end in huge, roughly formed hands. Their heads are featureless, though on occasion eyes or a mouth will be formed in the mud.

COMBAT

Mudmen cannot detect living creatures outside their mud pool, but once a creature enters a pool, the mudman senses it and assumes its humanoid form. If a creature leaves the pool, the mudmen will not follow, but will sink back down into the pool and assume their dormant state.

   A mudman attacks using its fists or hurling mud at its foes (its preferred form of attack).

   Dormant State (Ex): A mudman will lie below the surface of the pool with the substance of their body spread throughout the pool. This is its natural form. In this form it is immune to all weapon attacks, but is still susceptible to attacks from spells.

   When the presence of a living creature is detected in the pool, the mudman assumes its humanoid form. This is a standard action. It may alternate between forms, but does not heal damage by shifting forms.

   Mud Throwing (Ex): A mudman attacks by hurling globs of mud at its opponent. These globs deal no damage and have a range increment of 10 feet. A successful ranged touch attack means the mud glob hits the target and solidifies in the same round.

   A creature hit suffers a –2 penalty to its attack rolls and a –4 penalty to effective Dexterity. The creature must make a Reflex save (DC 15) or be stuck to the ground. Even with a successful save, the creature can only move at half speed.

   A creature stuck to the ground can break free with a successful Strength check (DC 22) or by dealing 10 points of damage to the hardened mud with a bludgeoning weapon. Breaking the mud off, or another creature assisting, does not require an attack roll; hitting the mud is automatic, after which the creature that hit makes a damage roll to see how much of the mud happened to be broken off.

   Breaking the mud off is a standard action that does provoke an attack of opportunity.

   A character capable of spellcasting that is bound by the mud must make a Concentration check (DC 15) to cast a spell.

   Additional hits by the globs increase the Reflex save DC, Strength check DC, and Concentration check DC by +1 per hit. The penalties to attack rolls and Dexterity do not stack.

   Engulf (Ex): A mudman may hurl itself at any creature within 10 feet by making a ranged touch attack. A successful attack roll destroys the mudman and covers a Medium-size or smaller creature with mud that instantly solidifies around its head.

   A creature caught in this manner takes suffocation damage (see Suffocation, page 88 in the DMG).

   The hardened mud can be hit automatically and is destroyed when it takes 10 hit points of damage from a bludgeoning weapon. The victim receives an equal amount of damage from each successful attack on the hardened mud. It can also be pried off (Strength check DC 25).

   If the mudman misses its attack, it may reform, taking a full round action to do so.

   Tremorsense (Ex): A mudman can automatically sense the location of anything within 120 feet that enters its mud pool.

   Elemental: Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, and stunning. Not subject to critical hits. Mudmen have darkvision 60 feet.

   Immunities (Ex): Immune to all mind-influencing effects.

   Susceptibility (Ex): Dispel magic acts as a fireball spell (1d6 per caster level to a maximum of 10d6) against mudmen. Transmute mud to rock deals 1d8 points of damage per caster level (maximum 15d8) to a mudman.

The Mudman first appeared in the 1e MM II (Gary Gygaz, 1983).