Purple Goo

PURPLE GOO by Reagren Wright

Nobody knows or wants to claim responsible for being the inventor of Purple Goo. It was perhaps invented by accident or by an alchemist under the influence because no mage in his or her right mind would want this stuff around. Purple Goo comes from a small unicellular supernatural mass of cytoplasm without a definite shape. Purple Goo is not a naturally existing creature and can only be found living in magic potions or in empty glass vials or jars that use to contain such liquids. How Purple Goo ends up in a magic potion goes back to its origin. Whoever created the amoeboid must have kept samples of it in an unknown number of jars. At some point, the jars containing the creature were emptied and washed, but microscopic bits of the creature remained. Later these jars were reused, filled with other fluids, most notable magic potions. The amoeboid only 700-800 micrometers (.027-031 inches) in length is invisible to the naked eye and undetectable via mystical or psychic means. It can survive up to 150-200 years in a non-magical liquid or empty jar, and for most part is nearly impervious to all harm. However, once a mystical liquid is poured into the contaminated jar, the creature immediately starts to grow and changes the liquid’s magical properties. After 24 hours have passed, it reaches its maximum size of 3 mm (.11 inches) and become visible to the naked eye. The surrounding liquid in the jar/vial turns purple and takes on the consistency of warm syrup. At this point, the magical properties of the potion are negated, but the contents are still magical. The amoeboid within the jar will now double its normal life span and for the most part will remain indestructible. The liquid in the jar cannot be boiled or frozen (the glass has its normal temperature limits), nor can it be magical transformed. Negate poison/toxin and magic is useless.
Anyone who opens the jar/vial will smell a strong, sweet fragrance, like those of mixed tropical fruit. If the glass contained Purple Goo is left open, the amoeboid will ooze out of it within 3-4 minutes. Any living organism within 50 feet (15.24 m) that has more than 50 P.P.E. starts to attract the amoeboid as it begins to grow. Each 50 P.P.E. points within 50 foot (15.24 m) radius cause the amoeboid to grow 1 inch per melee. Each additional inch (2.54 cm) in size allows the amoeboid to move 1 foot (.3048 m) per minute. At this point, the amoeboid is imperious to all physical harm, even by magic weapons. They harmlessly pass right through. The amoeboid is impervious to heat, cold, fire, and energy (even magical). It will surround living things with its pseudopodia, but the only harm it can cause is by suffocation. However, if it touches anything magical, it will be drained as if it where within the effects of an anti- magic cloud. The only difference the effect is permanent (rune and millennium weapons become inactive for 1 hour). Magic users and those with high amounts of P.P.E. will have theirs drained away and will take 1/3 the normal duration to recover. Using any form of magic against the creature is useless. So what stops this amoeboid from simply grow indefinitely, the presence of magic. It will start to reduce it size 1 foot per melee if nothing magical appears within a 50 foot (15.24 m) radius for one hour after its initial growth spurt. It will eventually return to its normal size, and if it cannot return to the Purple Goo vial/glass before then it will die in the open air. Furthermore, salt or salt water destroys it, as will any form of acid.
The Purple Goo in the vial/glass remains a magical liquid. Anyone who drinks it will receive 25 additional P.P.E. permanently to their normal total and an additional 4D6 S.D.C., regardless if they are wounded or not for 48 hours. However, one must not be fooled into thinking this is a good thing. Twenty-four hours later, the person will become horribly ill (same as the Sickness spell). This sickness remains incurable until the victim drinks any magical liquid. At this point, a new amoeboid will slip from the victim’s mouth and into the vial/jar undetected. Cleaning the vial/glass with salt water or acid is the only way to purify the vial/jar and kill the amoeboid. If a magical potion is not given to the person within a one week time, the victim will suffer 4D6 points of damage direct to their hit points every 24 hours until the victim dies. No form of magical/psychic healing can restore the victim (until he or she dies), however drinking a magic potion will immediately cure the person and all lost hit points will be restored.
For the longest time during the Elf/Dwarf War, potions of Purple Goo where handed out to warriors and mages just before battle (a maximum of 4 can be drank in a single lifetime, drinking a 5th causes instant death and the victim melts into a purple puddle of slime with no possibility of being resurrected). Those who survived got sick, drank magic potions, and made more Purple Goo. The problem was making sure people where responsible enough to keep the vials sealed. Most sensible alchemists don’t sell it or even want it on their shelves; the risk of something bad happening is too great. Although ones with strong evil alignment in the Western Empire and Land of the South Winds have been known to sell it as a Potion of Valor, but they never tell the consumer what he or she is actually getting. Afterward, the person comes back needing a healing potion, which of course restocks their supply of Purple Goo.

Type.: Supernatural Creature

Alignment: None

Hit Points/S.D.C.: Combine: 1 in its natural microscopic form. Once it starts to grow in the presence of magic its 1D6 per foot of length.

P.P.E.: 1D4x10 within vial/jar. Outside of the jar/vial 2D6.

Natural Abilities: In microscopic form, impervious to natural and magical heat, cold, fire, energy, poison, toxins, drugs, and psychic/mental attacks and influences (it doesn’t have a brain, nervous system, or even a true consciousness). In growth form, it retains its immunities and becomes impervious to all physical harm (even by magic weapons). It also begins to feeds on magic, draining away all supernatural and mystical properties of magic items, weapons, circles, wards, etc. Magic practitioners, priests (3rd level and higher), supernatural beings, creatures of magic, and any living being with an unusually high P.P.E. will see all of their P.P.E. drained away completely by the slightest touch of the organism. Recovery time takes 1/3 the normal duration. Rune and Millennium Weapons are only drained of magical properties for 1 hour. Note: The creature cannot draw P.P.E. from ley lines, nexus points, etc. It can only draw from living things and magical inorganic objects.

Vulnerability: In microscopic form it is instantly killed by 1 tablespoon of salt, salt water, or acid. In growth form, 1 vial of salt water or acid causes 1D4 points of damage, 1 cup full (8 fl oz) does 6D6 points of damage, while 1 pint does 1D6x10 points of damage.

Speed: 0 in vial/jar. Each additional foot of growth allows it to travel 1 foot per minute.

Attacks Per Melee: One or two non-combat actions.

Damage: The amoeboid cannot inflict physical harm on living things, except by suffocation if it covers a victim (person/animal will be rendered unconscious in two minutes and dies within five).

Magic: None

Psionics: None

Value: Western and Southern Alchemists who sell Potions of Valor do so for 2500-3000 gold per vial.

Average Life Span: 300-400 years in magic potions, half when in empty or normal liquids.

Habitat: Vials and glass jars only.

Range: The entire Palladium world. It might possibly find itself in other dimensions (Rifts Earth is a possibility)

Language: None

Enemies: None

Allies: None

Size: Naturally microscopic, grows 1 inch per melee when per 50 P.P.E. points within a 50 foot (15.24 m) range.

Weight: Almost none in microscopic form, 5 lbs per 1 foot in size in growth form.

Note: Eating or consuming any part of the amoeboid will have the same results as drinking the purple liquid only there is no benefit of P.P.E. or S.D.C.