“Slime Pot: The Corrupting Cauldron Of Living Rot”

Slime Pot – A sinister black cauldron that breeds deadly green slime from rot and water, turning any battlefield or dungeon into a writhing, uncontrollable hazard.

The Slime Pot is a black clay vessel bound with iron, infamous for its ability to breed patches of virulent green slime when water and carrion are sealed inside. Originating in shadowy apothecaries and siegecraft traditions, these vessels blur the line between alchemy and curse, spreading corruption wherever they are opened. Feared in folklore as weapons of war, tools of vermin-control, and harbingers of plague, Slime Pots remain shunned by guilds and condemned by priests—yet whispered about in chronicles as instruments of both ruin and desperate salvation.

Appearance

The Slime Pot is a squat vessel of soot-dark clay, thick-walled and faintly warm to the touch. A riveted iron handle arches above, its lid sealed tight with a leather ring. Stains bloom around the seam in green and brown, like lichen that never dries. Open it, and a chill breath rises—coppery, damp, and sweet with rot.

Origins

Some say its form began as a charcoal-burner’s kettle, later borrowed by apothecaries who prized the clay’s knack for hastening decay. Siege engineers learned to lower such pots into wells to sour a garrison, while monastic scribes blamed hedge-wives for “gardens of corruption.” Though guilds deny making them, old inventories list “rot-kettles” beside glue and quicklime, costly and wrapped in waxed linen.

Stories and Folklore

The Fall of Hatherleigh: Chroniclers write that during a summer siege, a single pot tipped into the castle cistern spread such foulness that garrison and cattle alike sickened within days. No arrows loosed, no gates broken—the keep simply yielded to thirst.
The Miller’s Bride: In one border village, a miller’s daughter was promised to a man who swore he could rid the mill of its grain-mice. He brought a Slime Pot filled with drowned cats. The vermin vanished, but the flour spoiled green, and the marriage was abandoned.
The Pilgrim’s Grave: A tale told by roadside shrines speaks of a pious pilgrim who, unknowingly carrying such a pot in his pack, sickened the hostels where he lodged. When he died, they buried him with the vessel still tied to his back, and the earth above remains bare to this day.
The Guild Prohibition: In the city of Brackenport, potters’ guild records list a decree forbidding members to fashion vessels with “the black clay and the sealing lid.” It is said offenders had their kilns torn down, and the ground salted to prevent further work.

Mysterious Qualities

The pot seems less a maker of rot than a summoner of it. Water and carrion inside thicken overnight into mats of green slime that cling to wood, stone, and flesh alike. Sunlight and lime destroy it, but it leaves stains that no rain can wash away. Animals shy from its open mouth, and midwives swear the pot “remembers” what it was fed—fish yielding a thin slick, pig flesh a heavy clot. Scholars argue whether it is alchemy or covenant, but all agree on the customs: never keep one near a well, never set it on a church step, and bind the lid with salt if you value your life.

Slime Pot 5e 2024
Slime Pot, Pathfinder
Slime Pot 3.5

Slime Pot

Wondrous Item, very rare

This squat black clay vessel, banded with iron, is said to breed rot itself. Alchemists, hedge-witches, and siege engineers once used it to unleash living corruption on their enemies.

Properties

Breeding Decay. If the pot is filled with at least 1 gallon of water and a piece of organic matter (such as a Small beast’s corpse or severed limb) and sealed, a patch of green slime forms inside after 24 hours.
Releasing the Slime. You can take an action to unseal the pot and pour out the contents, placing the patch of green slime in a space within 5 feet. The slime immediately clings to the surface and behaves as described under Green Slime .
Unstable Vessel. The pot offers no protection to its wielder. If the pot is destroyed while containing slime (AC 15, 10 hit points, vulnerability to bludgeoning), the slime spills into the nearest unoccupied spaces.

Rarity & Attunement

Rarity: Very Rare
Attunement: None

In Play

The Slime Pot is a weapon of desperation and terror, capable of poisoning wells, corrupting dungeons, or turning a battlefield into chaos. Dungeon Masters can seed it as cursed treasure, a villain’s tool, or a moral dilemma: wield dangerous power, or risk being consumed by it.

Slime Pot

Price: 11,200 gp
Aura: Moderate necromancy; CL 7th
Slot: —
Weight: 5 lb.
Description: This squat black clay pot, bound with iron, breeds green slime when water and carrion are sealed inside. Once used by hedge-witches, alchemists, and siege engineers, it turns ordinary substances into a living hazard, feared for its indiscriminate danger.

Construction Requirements

Feats: Craft Wondrous Item
Spells: Summon Monster IV
Caster Level: 7th

Effect

Breeding Decay (Su): Fill with ≥1 gallon of water and a piece of organic matter (Small creature corpse, severed limb, etc.). Within 24 hours, a patch of green slime forms.
Releasing the Slime (Su): As a standard action, tip the pot to pour the slime into a space within 5 ft. The slime behaves as standard green slime (Bestiary).
No Immunity: The wielder gains no protection; contact with slime affects all creatures equally.
Fragile Vessel: AC 15; 10 hp; hardness 5. Destruction spills slime into adjacent spaces.

Lore & Roleplay

Slime Pots appear in chronicles as instruments of siege, plague, and dread. Priests and guilds shun them, but adventurers may wield them to poison wells, create dungeon hazards, or challenge foes with unpredictable terrain. Their use carries tactical advantage—and moral risk: careless handling can spread corruption to allies or innocents.

Adventure Hooks

Dungeon Hazard: A hidden Slime Pot can surprise intruders or create environmental puzzles.
Siege Tool: Poison a garrison’s water source or weaken fortifications without open battle.
Villain Weapon: Cultists or mercenaries use it to sow fear and chaos.
Moral Dilemma: Players must weigh the benefits of unleashing a dangerous substance against the risk of collateral damage.

Slime Pot

This small black pot has a removable lid and an iron handle. If the pot is filled with water and some decaying organic matter (a dead rat, a severed hand, or something of similar size) within 24 hours a patch of Green slime grows there.

Book of Vile Darkness 3.5
By Monte Cook

By carefully dumping out the contents of the pot (a standard action), the slime pot’s owner can place the patch of slime where she wants it. She has no special control over or immunity to the slime, however.

Caster Level: 7th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, summon monster IV; Market Price: 11,200 gp; Weight: 5 lb.