blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8
Languages
—
Traits
Amorphous. The pudding can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the pudding or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the pudding corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the pudding is destroyed after dealing damage. The pudding can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or metal in 1 round.
Spider Climb. The pudding can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Actions
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) acid damage. In addition, nonmagical armor worn by the target is partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.
Reactions
Split. When a pudding that is Medium or larger is subjected to lightning or slashing damage, it splits into two new puddings if it has at least 10 hit points. Each new pudding has hit points equal to half the original pudding's, rounded down. New puddings are one size smaller than the original pudding.
How many black puddings for a fight?
A black pudding is worth 1,100 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many black puddings fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.
Party level
Low
Moderate
High
3rd
—
—
1
4th
—
1
1
5th
1
2
4
6th
2
3
5
7th
2
4
6
8th
3
6
7
9th
4
7
9
10th
5
8
11
11th
6
10
12+
12th
8
12+
12+
13th
9
12+
12+
14th
10
12+
12+
15th
12
12+
12+
Budgets add up every monster’s XP, so you can swap some for other creatures of the same total. Try other party sizes and mixes in the encounter calculator.
How the black pudding compares at CR 4
Against the 14 other challenge 4 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the black pudding has more hit points than 7 of them, which makes it tougher than most at its CR. See every CR 4 monster.
Statistic
Black Pudding
CR 4 average
Armor Class
7
13.1
Hit points
85
88
Best attack bonus
+5
+6
Black Pudding 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the black pudding, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
Amorphous. The pudding can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without expending extra movement to do so.
Corrosive Form. A creature that hits the pudding with a melee attack roll takes 4 (1d8) Acid damage. Nonmagical ammunition is destroyed immediately after hitting the pudding and dealing any damage. Any nonmagical weapon takes a cumulative −1 penalty to attack rolls immediately after dealing damage to the pudding and coming into contact with it. The weapon is destroyed if the penalty reaches −5. The penalty can be removed by casting the Mending spell on the weapon. In 1 minute, the pudding can eat through 2 feet of nonmagical wood or metal.
Spider Climb. The pudding can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Actions
Dissolving Pseudopod. Melee Attack Roll: +5, reach 10 ft. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) Acid damage. Nonmagical armor worn by the target takes a −1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10. The penalty can be removed by casting the Mending spell on the armor.
Reactions
Split. Trigger: While the pudding is Large or Medium and has 10+ Hit Points, it becomes Bloodied or is subjected to Lightning or Slashing damage. Response: The pudding splits into two new Black Puddings. Each new pudding is one size smaller than the original pudding and acts on its Initiative. The original pudding’s Hit Points are divided evenly between the new puddings (round down).
