Small plant (myconid), lawful neutral
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 60 (8d10 + 16)
Speed 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +4 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 (+1) | 10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 13 (+1) | 15 (+2) | 10 (+0) |
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages –
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Distress Spores. When the myconid takes damage, all other myconids within 240 feet of it can sense its pain.
Sun Sickness. While in sunlight, the myconid has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. The myconid dies if it spends more than 1 hour in direct sunlight.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The myconid uses either its Hallucination Spores or its Pacifying Spores, then makes a fist attack.
- Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (3d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (3d4) poison damage.
- Animating Spores (3/Day). The myconid targets one corpse of a humanoid or a Large or smaller beast within 5 feet of it and releases spores at the corpse. In 24 hours, the corpse rises as a spore servant. The corpse stays animated for 1d4 + 1 weeks or until destroyed, and it can’t be animated again in this way.
- Hallucination Spores. The myconid ejects spores at one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The poisoned target is incapacitated while it hallucinates. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- Pacifying Spores. The myconid ejects spores at one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the condition on itself on a success.
- Rapport Spores. A 30-foot radius of spores extends from the myconid. These spores can go around corners and affect only creatures with an Intelligence of2 or higher that aren’t undead, constructs, or elementals. Affected creatures can communicate telepathically with one another while they are within 30 feet of each other. The effect lasts for 1 hour.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
A Myconid Sovereign is a large, intelligent, and ambulatory fungus that lives in the Underdark. It has a bioluminescent cap that sheds light in a radius around it, and a humanoid body with two arms and two legs. Its skin is covered with pores that can eject various types of spores for communication, defense, or reproduction. A Myconid Sovereign is the leader of a myconid community, and has the ability to animate corpses as spore servants, create telepathic links with other creatures, and induce hallucinations or pacification in its enemies.
COMBAT
A Myconid Sovereign prefers to avoid violence and seek enlightenment, but it will defend itself and its community if threatened. It can use its fist to deliver a powerful blow that also injects poison into the target. It can also use its spores to create various effects, such as:
- Distress Spores: When the Myconid Sovereign takes damage, it alerts all other myconids within 240 feet of its pain.
- Animating Spores: The Myconid Sovereign can target a corpse of a humanoid or a beast and turn it into a spore servant that obeys its commands.
- Hallucination Spores: The Myconid Sovereign can cause a creature to see vivid and disturbing visions that incapacitate it for a minute.
- Pacifying Spores: The Myconid Sovereign can stun a creature for a minute and make it unable to act or react.
- Rapport Spores: The Myconid Sovereign can create a telepathic bond with one or more creatures that have an Intelligence of 2 or higher, allowing them to communicate and share thoughts.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
A Myconid Sovereign lives in the Underdark, usually in a large cavern filled with various types of fungi. It is the center of a myconid community, which consists of several circles of myconids that have different roles and functions. A circle is a group of myconids that share a common interest or purpose, such as exploration, cultivation, or meditation. A circle can have up to twelve members, and each member has a unique name given by the sovereign. A myconid can belong to more than one circle, but it must always obey the sovereign’s authority.
A Myconid Sovereign is responsible for overseeing the well-being and harmony of the community, as well as maintaining contact with other myconid colonies or friendly races. It also guides the spiritual growth and enlightenment of its subjects, by teaching them the secrets of the cycle of life and death. A Myconid Sovereign is revered by its followers, but it also suffers from loneliness and isolation, as it cannot join any circle or meld with any other myconid. To be a sovereign is seen as a punishment by some myconids, who pity their leader’s fate.
ECOLOGY
A Myconid Sovereign is part of the natural cycle of life and death in the Underdark. It feeds on organic matter, such as dead plants or animals, and converts it into nutrients for itself and its community. It also produces spores that can create new myconids or spore servants, or spread its influence to other creatures. A Myconid Sovereign has a lifespan of about 100 years, after which it dies and returns its body to the soil. When a sovereign dies, a new one is chosen from among the most enlightened members of the community.
A Myconid Sovereign has a symbiotic relationship with other fungi, especially ripplebark, which is a fungus that grows on walls and ceilings and produces light and heat. A Myconid Sovereign can control ripplebark with its spores, creating patterns or messages that can be seen by other myconids or allies. A Myconid Sovereign also respects and protects other forms of life in the Underdark, unless they pose a threat to its community or its ideals.