[DF] Identifying an ooze
 

What skill would a delver use to identify an ooze? Naturalist? Thaumatology? Some obscure Hidden Lore?

As a side note, a table of monster types and skills used to identify them might be helpful, but most of the others are obvious or made so.

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

For oozes, slimes, etc that are naturally-occurring creatures, Naturalist seems to be what we've got. A DF campaign might want to add Survival (Caverns) to the list of Survival specialties, and that might then be an option for identifying your typical underground slimies.

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

Hazardous Materials (Magical)

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

Recognition (DF2, p. 9). You don't even need to roll to identify a common natural creature found in your setting (Animals, Hybrids, Plants, Slimes, and other Mundane creatures). Roll against Naturalist for exotic versions of natural creatures.

Large oozes may seem exotic to us, but if they're common in the setting people will just know about them and be able to generally recognize them, the same way they know about other natural life.

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

Thanks, I really need to read that book again! The section on Monsters is quite interesting.

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

I seem them exotic as danger as Quicksand. That ever knows about but a lot of people have no clue abot how to spot it, or tel it apart from normal slime

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

You tell them apart from normal slime by the fact that they move. Also, that they're usually big cubes of slime.

Now, if the slime is unmoving and distributed around the area like normal slime, then yeah, they won't be spotting it without a Per-based skill check.

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

I see most oozes are camo-hunters so thats exatly they type of places they hide, where they blend in.

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

I knew about that even when I wrote the post. Trust me, it doesn't handle oozes, which are a listed monster type.

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

Once again it would depend on the campaign world, wouldn't it? Take Pathfinder, for example.

You would use Naturalist for slimes that are mutated or magical versions of moss, lichens, algae such as Brown Mold or Slime Mold.

Turn to Occultism for slimes that are too weird for this world like a Colour Out of Space or a Shoggoth.

Thaumatology could be useful for slimes that are the direct result of magical experimentation. Alchemical Ooze Swarms and Gelatinous Cubes would be examples of these.

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

This thread reminds me of the time, many years ago, when I had the party freaked out over a weird brown pudding that finally turned out to be a monster turd.

The players were kind enough to take this in good spirits, despite pointing out that as they drew closer to do combat with it, there really should have been a tell-tale aroma.

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

Alchemy as an alternative to Naturalist, since some oozes can become potions.

Re: [DF] Identifying an ooze
 

I know a guy who did the reverse, used color and odor cantrips to turn a wall covering amount of green slime to dragon poop. The PCs got into a xxxx flinging fight that killed the whole party. :)