Favorite D&D 4E moment: when my Halfling rogue saved the Dwarven cleric from the gelatinous cube by attacking the cleric with the Bait and Switch power: on a successful hit it does double weapon damage, and you and the target switch places, and then you can scoot the target and yourself around a bit.
I critted (I swear, my dice have a knack for comedic timing). Me: Um, you only need one kidney, right?From the cleric: “Thank you. I think?”
ahh…yes…loved green slime as a DM. Rot grubs always got me though. even ended up with a slight phobia over earthworms with them as a result. the idea that something so small could kill you in just a few rounds…and absolutely nothign to do about it if you didnt have any cure diseases available. though i think my personal favorites of the slime variety were black puddings and grey oozes.
*chuckle*… Not exactly Ninja’s, but the chap at Yellow Peril is currently running a Bro’s-eye view of
the 47 Ronin… It’s quite well done, and makes me laugh every new page. Loved the reference to the
‘Red Solo Cup’, though not being a Bro, I had to YouTube it.
As a person who’s never played DnD but has always been interested in the entire universe, I’ve always been intrigued by Jelly Cubes. It always seemed like a monster/trap(?) that would only work in a very constrained set of rules.
Actually the Gelatinous Cube works really well (as shown here) on aggressive adventures (and creatures) that deal with perceived threats by charging them, which isn’t that rare a strategy in most RPGs (or even real life to a lesser extent). Well, and the thing most people forget is they’re actually so transparent as to be nearly invisible so you don’t see them until fairly close.
Still, as you say they’re very much a creation of the D&D setting (though they’d do well in most influenced settings as well). When insane wizards who live in dungeons full of square hallways are a common feature of the environment, you know something is going to spring up that fits that particular terrain.
But that’s my point, even as a completely transparent creature, one would have to be almost entirely oblivious to engulf themselves in one and not realize it. I would think the visual disturbance, the floating remains of whatever else was in the room, or the initial shock of walking into jelly would lead one to react. The only real situation I could see it working would be as part of an ambush, forcing adventurers to retreat into an unlit room with one in it.
Charging directly into a barely moving cube of viscous makeup is also an action I would only expect to see in a Wile E. Coyote cartoon. It’s like if a lumberjack knocked himself out on the tree he was trying to cut down. I’d think even a Berserker would say “The only danger of this is becoming engulfed in it. I should be at least moderately mindful of that.” I mean it’s happening here because this is a comedic strip and that’s the gag.
Or does it work by some kind of extreme osmosis where once its surface is broken, it creates a vacuum effect that sucks things in, like some sort of above-ground bladderwort? If that were the case, it would make more sense to me.
I once ran a dungeon with a couple (read: exactly 2) of these in it. The party came upon one, and, rather intelligently, decided not to fight it. They instead tried to coax it into a pit they’d found earlier. However, as they lured the cube along, they failed to notice the other one at the opposite end of a hallway, boxing them in. Good times were had by all. Except the fighter.
Oh man! We had that exact line in a D&D game. We encountered a gelatinous cube in a 5ft hallway. One of the players said, “Wait a minute. Those are large creatures that take up a 10ft space. How does it fit in this 5ft hallway.” He looked really satisfied to catch the DM with a mistake. The DM just looked at him, shook his head a little, and said completely dead pan, “There’s always room for Gelatinous Cubes.”
Oh, Gawwwwd!!! I know no-one will read this cos I’m a week late, BUT; this reminds me of when D&D was first explained to me, with a sample play! The Gelationous Cube is the bane of the classic RPG board gamer!!
So “hilar’!”
Awww… Adorable avatar: Syrn’j & Byron. First time I thought an avatar adorable. I wish this could be my avatar forever, but I am no longer computer-savvy enough to make it so. Sigh.
It certainly seems like quite a sticky situation.
He’s really put his foot in it this time…
It seems like a very absorbing problem to me!
He shouldn’t’ve axed it questions it puddin’t answer.
It had him at ‘jello.’
he’s just jelly of it
He just needs to wait for a better idea to gel.
this fight didn’t work out, but then, them’s the shakes.
Damnit Byron! I said you need to start the day eating a square meal, NOT being a square’s meal!
I’m almost jellyous of his situation. He’s gotta put his foot down about it though and axe the right questions about his choices here.
This is what happens when you don’t have a flan.
Thats pudding it lightly!
just the perfect avatar
They did my question! This is the best thing ever!
Congrats
Favorite D&D 4E moment: when my Halfling rogue saved the Dwarven cleric from the gelatinous cube by attacking the cleric with the Bait and Switch power: on a successful hit it does double weapon damage, and you and the target switch places, and then you can scoot the target and yourself around a bit.
I critted (I swear, my dice have a knack for comedic timing). Me: Um, you only need one kidney, right?From the cleric: “Thank you. I think?”
Sadly this reminds me of my groups most derpy D&D 3E moment: where we were almost TPKed by a stationary gelatinous cube. It was not a good night.
Fucking slimes. We used to use Fruit Gems candies as their figures on the grid, then whoever finished them off got to eat it.
Brilliant.
I hate those things so very much. Our DM had a wizard npc that liked to hide them on top of trap doors. And you thought drop bears were bad!
Could be worse, could be Green Slime.
ahh…yes…loved green slime as a DM. Rot grubs always got me though. even ended up with a slight phobia over earthworms with them as a result. the idea that something so small could kill you in just a few rounds…and absolutely nothign to do about it if you didnt have any cure diseases available. though i think my personal favorites of the slime variety were black puddings and grey oozes.
I approve of Gelatinous Cube having it’s own tag. I hope we’ll see more of this character.
Next time, rust monster and mimic.
How about Frigg & her heavy plate armor & a Rust Monster? That would be a laugh-riot.
They go on adventures!
It is the worst type of Gelatinous Cube: Lime Flavored
I love how the original idea of the Gelatinous Cubes was that they were created by a lazy wizard to clean up their perfect 3’x3′ stone hallways.
Do you believe in coincidence?
http://www.meatshield.net/archive/467-no-one-expects-the-gelatinous-cube/
I never have, but then the Universe just loves proving me wrong. :)
Eli.
No one expects the gelatinous cube because the internet has everyone expecting ninjas.
*chuckle*… Not exactly Ninja’s, but the chap at Yellow Peril is currently running a Bro’s-eye view of
the 47 Ronin… It’s quite well done, and makes me laugh every new page. Loved the reference to the
‘Red Solo Cup’, though not being a Bro, I had to YouTube it.
http://ypcomic.com/2014/01/13/the-47-bronin-page-1/
Eli…
I don’t think he was ready, for this jelly.
Ha! In fact, its body is, indeed, too bootylicious. I didn’t even spot that!
Who’s Beer Dyron…oh wait.
As a person who’s never played DnD but has always been interested in the entire universe, I’ve always been intrigued by Jelly Cubes. It always seemed like a monster/trap(?) that would only work in a very constrained set of rules.
Actually the Gelatinous Cube works really well (as shown here) on aggressive adventures (and creatures) that deal with perceived threats by charging them, which isn’t that rare a strategy in most RPGs (or even real life to a lesser extent). Well, and the thing most people forget is they’re actually so transparent as to be nearly invisible so you don’t see them until fairly close.
Still, as you say they’re very much a creation of the D&D setting (though they’d do well in most influenced settings as well). When insane wizards who live in dungeons full of square hallways are a common feature of the environment, you know something is going to spring up that fits that particular terrain.
But that’s my point, even as a completely transparent creature, one would have to be almost entirely oblivious to engulf themselves in one and not realize it. I would think the visual disturbance, the floating remains of whatever else was in the room, or the initial shock of walking into jelly would lead one to react. The only real situation I could see it working would be as part of an ambush, forcing adventurers to retreat into an unlit room with one in it.
Charging directly into a barely moving cube of viscous makeup is also an action I would only expect to see in a Wile E. Coyote cartoon. It’s like if a lumberjack knocked himself out on the tree he was trying to cut down. I’d think even a Berserker would say “The only danger of this is becoming engulfed in it. I should be at least moderately mindful of that.” I mean it’s happening here because this is a comedic strip and that’s the gag.
Or does it work by some kind of extreme osmosis where once its surface is broken, it creates a vacuum effect that sucks things in, like some sort of above-ground bladderwort? If that were the case, it would make more sense to me.
Always fight jelly cubes with buckets of ice cream (and duel wielded cans of whipped cream, with cherries)
Man, I remember the Fifties era Berserker Jell-O Mold recipes, they all looked AWFUL.
Ah, gelatinous cube, we meet again, but this time it is I who have the tiny chunks of pineapple floating inside me.
I once ran a dungeon with a couple (read: exactly 2) of these in it. The party came upon one, and, rather intelligently, decided not to fight it. They instead tried to coax it into a pit they’d found earlier. However, as they lured the cube along, they failed to notice the other one at the opposite end of a hallway, boxing them in. Good times were had by all. Except the fighter.
Oh man! We had that exact line in a D&D game. We encountered a gelatinous cube in a 5ft hallway. One of the players said, “Wait a minute. Those are large creatures that take up a 10ft space. How does it fit in this 5ft hallway.” He looked really satisfied to catch the DM with a mistake. The DM just looked at him, shook his head a little, and said completely dead pan, “There’s always room for Gelatinous Cubes.”
Oh, Gawwwwd!!! I know no-one will read this cos I’m a week late, BUT; this reminds me of when D&D was first explained to me, with a sample play! The Gelationous Cube is the bane of the classic RPG board gamer!!
So “hilar’!”
Awww… Adorable avatar: Syrn’j & Byron. First time I thought an avatar adorable. I wish this could be my avatar forever, but I am no longer computer-savvy enough to make it so. Sigh.
Gotta love slimes lol. Kill it with ice, or water. xD