by John Gourd
Frequency: Special
Number Appearing: 1
Armor Class: 6
Move: 18"
Hit Dice: 10
% in Lair: nil
Number of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: nil
Special Attacks: Restores lost HPs to victims
Special Defenses: Restores own HPs
Intelligence: Non-intelligent
Alignment: Neutral
Size: S to L (3' - 8')
Psionic Ability: nil
Attack/Defense Modes: nil
The Red Cross Pudding will only 'attack' the party if one or more of the players is injured. Only the player with the highest percentage of lost HPs will be favored with "Doctor Blob's" attention. It will not dissolve anything while in melee. The Red Cross Pudding restores its own HPs every melee round, thus making it very difficult to destroy. It otherwise conforms to the black pudding in regards to magic, fire, etc.
Appearance: This creature appears much like a black pudding, except for its off-white color and the small scarlet cruciform marks scattered over its upper surface.
[John sprang his Red Cross Pudding on an unsuspecting group during a game at a recent con. He notes that, at first, paranoia ran rampant, and the characters tried to flee the monster, but "I gave them little choice in the matter. They were amazed (not to mention relieved...). I'd just finished treating them to a ruthless exchange with a pair of ogres; one of the party was in need."]
(Originally appeared in Sorceror's Scroll, Vol. I, No. 2, February 1987, p. 5; Mary H Kelly, editor.)
Pat's Web Graphics
