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Embrace the Slime – Converting the Oozemaster for 5th Edition

The Oozemaster from Masters of the Wild is one of the weirdest prestige classes in Dungeons & Dragons history. Originally designed for 3rd edition, this class represents a druid or nature-focused

character who develops a strange affinity for oozes, slimes, and all things gooey. For players who enjoy eccentric, body-horror-esque transformations, the Oozemaster offers a journey into slime-filled madness.

In 3rd edition, the Oozemaster gains progressively more ooze-like features, culminating in their body becoming nearly indistinguishable from the gelatinous creatures they admire. Here’s a look at the original class and a conversion to bring this quirky concept to 5th edition as a druid subclass.

What Made the Oozemaster Stand Out?

In 3rd edition, the Oozemaster was a strange and fascinating class because it offered both mechanical benefits and serious drawbacks. While it was resistant to acid and immune to critical hits (thanks to the amorphous nature of oozes), its creeping transformation into an ooze-like creature often meant losing humanoid traits. By the later levels, an Oozemaster‘s mind would deteriorate, making them less relatable to other characters—effectively, they were more ooze than person.

The class had unique abilities like Slime Wave, which could engulf enemies in acid, and Garb of Ooze, a literal transformation into an ooze-like form that made the character incredibly resilient, though it might repel other adventurers. It was a wild ride for players who wanted to embrace a less conventional, gooier path to power.

Adapting the Oozemaster for 5th Edition: Druid Circle of the Ooze

In the spirit of 5th edition’s more streamlined design, I’ve converted the Oozemaster into a druid subclass. Here’s what the Circle of the Ooze looks like:

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Druid Circle: Circle of the Ooze

Druids of the Circle of the Ooze follow a peculiar path, seeking to emulate the resilience, adaptability, and slimy strength of oozes. As they progress, these druids begin to take on the physical and magical properties of the creatures they admire, gaining the ability to meld their form and resist physical harm.

Circle Spells

2nd-level Circle of the Ooze feature

Your connection to oozes grants you access to certain spells. At 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, you gain access to circle spells.

Druid Level	Circle Spells
2nd	grease, ray of sickness
3rd	Melf’s acid arrow, spider climb
5th	gaseous form, stinking cloud
7th	freedom of movement, black tentacles
9th	cloudkill, contagion

Slime Resilience

2nd-level Circle of the Ooze feature

Your body begins to take on ooze-like properties, making you resistant to damage. You gain resistance to acid damage, and your body becomes more amorphous, granting you advantage on ability checks and saving throws made to escape grapples or restraints.

Ooze Form

6th-level Circle of the Ooze feature

As an action, you can transform into an ooze-like form for 10 minutes. While in this form, you gain the following benefits:

• You can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing.
• You gain immunity to being grappled, restrained, or paralyzed.
• You can’t be critically hit.

You can use this feature once, and regain the ability to do so after finishing a short or long rest.

Slime Wave

10th-level Circle of the Ooze feature

You can release a wave of corrosive slime. As an action, you can force each creature of your choice within 10 feet of you to make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 5d6 acid damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you. On a successful save, they take half damage and aren’t pushed.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses after finishing a long rest.

Garb of Ooze

14th-level Circle of the Ooze feature

Your body fully adopts the properties of oozes. You can use a bonus action to take on an amorphous form for 1 minute. While in this form, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
• You can use your Slime Wave ability without expending a use.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

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Why Play a Circle of the Ooze Druid?

If you enjoy transforming into strange, gelatinous forms, resisting damage, and controlling the battlefield with slime, the Circle of the Ooze offers a unique playstyle. This subclass mixes utility, defense, and offense, while providing a truly weird flavor that’s sure to make your druid stand out. Whether you’re engulfing enemies in acidic slime or slithering through tiny gaps to outmaneuver opponents, you’ll be tapping into the strange and potent power of oozes.

The book: Masters of the Wild makes a joke that no caster has made the spell: Speak with Ooze, so I decided to do it. Feel free to add this on any list you think appropriate, just get your DMs permission first.

Speak with Ooze

1st-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a drop of slime)
Duration: 10 minutes

You gain the ability to comprehend and verbally communicate with oozes, as well as any slime-based creatures, for the duration. The knowledge and awareness of many oozes is limited to the simple concepts of hunger, environment, and physical sensations, but they can convey information about nearby locations, creatures they’ve encountered, or anything they have consumed.

While under the effects of this spell, you can attempt to persuade an ooze to perform a simple task, such as guiding you through a dungeon or refraining from attacking a specific target. The ooze may comply if it finds the request compatible with its basic instincts, especially if you offer it food or an easy meal.

At the DM’s discretion, more intelligent oozes may be capable of deeper communication and could provide insights into their strange world, including information about magical properties or environmental hazards related to ooze creatures.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the duration increases to 1 hour. When cast with a 5th-level spell slot, you can attempt to dominate the ooze, forcing it to comply with a command of your choice for up to 10 minutes, provided it fails a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC.

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How to Use Speak with Ooze in Play

This spell fits perfectly with the Circle of the Ooze druid’s quirky, ooze-obsessed nature. Imagine using it to negotiate with a gelatinous cube or coaxing a black pudding into avoiding a party member! It also serves as a handy utility spell in dungeons filled with slimes and acidic threats. It opens up roleplay opportunities with creatures that normally wouldn’t have a chance to communicate, making for some memorable interactions and potentially surprising outcomes.

Is this class too gooey for you, or are you geared up to give it a go. I think this is a nice fit for some D&D Dungeon campaigns or for places where you just need something that truly stands out from the usual band of D&D adventurers. However you look at it, the Oozemaster is sure to be memorable at the gaming table.

Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!