Attacking gray ooze with natural weapons

[Alexaig]

Hi,
I have a question. According to the SRD

" A gray ooze secretes a digestive acid that quickly dissolves organic material and metal, but not stone. Any melee hit or constrict attack deals acid damage. Armor or clothing dissolves and becomes useless immediately unless it succeeds on a DC 16 Reflex save. A metal or wooden weapon that strikes a gray ooze also dissolves immediately unless it succeeds on a DC 16 Reflex save. The save DCs are Constitution-based.",

so I guess it dissolves flesh too (otherwise it shouldn't add acid dmg when he hits a target). If someone tries to attack the ooze with natural weapons (claws), what might happen to them? I was thinking that he gets 1d6 acid dmg and a saving throw , as weapons do, for another 16 (or maybe 10 since the pc already suffered some acid dmg) , implying that acid from the attack remained on his hands after the attack. Do you agree?

 

[Herzog]

No.

I would treat the same rules as for the weapon: DC16 reflex saving throw. No damage if you make this save.

Then, if that save is failed, treat as if hit by a slam attack from the creature without 'normal' damage, so 1d6 acid damage.

Getting damage from every attack you do yourself is bad enough. No need to make it worse.

 

[Voadam]

Strict RAW natural attacks are not metal or wood weapons and nothing is specified for effects on non-metal or wood weapons.

Based on the excretions you could reasonably have them do a reflex save or take d6 acid damage. Alternately if you use a crippling critical hits system you could have it do the reflex save and have failure equal the natural weapon dissolving. This of course adds in extra rollings into combat.

 

[Dross]

I'd treat the natural attacks as any other weapon attacks and just add acid damage as Herzog wrote.

Although, if using claws, hands, feet (head buts for monks ), what do you do with the rings, boots, headbands, horseshoes, etc?

I'm disinclined to be overly tough on this so maybe something like:
a number* of failed reflex saves would require the worn items to start making saves as well.

But I'd also let the player know that by punching said creature they are placing those items into the item destroying ooze.

*: haven't decided on what would be a reasonable number but 3-4 failed saves in a row might do it.

 

[pawsplay]

There's already a rule that a failed save on a 1 might mean an item is damaged, so I would just assume that on a 1, gloves/rings etc. would be in danger.

 

[Alexaig]

Thank you for your answers ! I'll take them into consideration, I still have time until Saturday!

 

[Voadam]

Note also that there are monsters where it is explicit that you take damage if you hit them with a natural weapon and not simply logically implied.

Creatures hitting a fire elemental with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the elemental’s attack, and also catch on fire unless they succeed on a Reflex save.

RAW the gray ooze's acids don't harm natural weapon attacks upon it.

 

[Alexaig]

Well I guess it is implied that its acid affects flesh, otherwise you wouldn't add acid damage when it hits.

 

[Jhaelen]

RAW the gray ooze's acids don't harm natural weapon attacks upon it.

Exactly. Neither do vampires or similar undead drain levels when attacked with natural weapons. I'd guess, monks are quite grateful for that.

 

[Alexaig]

Well I used the gray ooze encounter, but I did damage natural weapons (1d6 at a time) because as I see it , the ooze is made of acid, so if you plunge your ..claws in it , you are subject to its body fluids, just like a weapon is. After all they have a Ghaele with unlimited cure light wounds The good thing is that they did not lost any weapons.