Small Plant

Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)

Initiative: +0 (Dex)

Speed: 20 ft

AC: 12 (+1 size, +1 natural)

Attacks: 2 slams +1 melee

Damage: 1d4-1

Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft

Special Attacks: Spore cloud, acid skin

Special Qualities: Plant, sunlight vulnerability, low-light vision

Saves: Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0

Abilities: Str 9, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 8

Climate/Terrain: Any underground

Organization: Patch (2-5) or cluster (7-12)

Challenge Rating: 1/2

Treasure: Standard

Alignment: Always lawful neutral

Advancement: 2 HD (Small); 3-4 HD (Medium-size); 5-6 HD (Large)

Myconids, or fungus men, are a race of intelligent fungi that live in remote reaches underground, far away from others. They are cautious creatures that deplore violence.
   Myconids resemble humanoid toadstools. Small myconids stand 3 feet tall, Medium-sized myconids about 7 feet tall, and Large myconids about 10 feet tall. Their flesh is bloated and spongy and varies in color from purple to gray. Their wide feet have vestigial toes and their pudgy hands have two stubby fingers and a thumb on either side.

   There is only ever one 6 HD per colony; he is the king and the leader of that myconid colony.

   They have no spoken language and have a lifespan of 24 years.

COMBAT

Fungus men fight by clubbing with their hands.

   Spore Cloud (Ex): Each spore cloud’s effect resembles a spell cast by an 8th-level sorcerer. All spore clouds have a save DC of 14 (where applicable). A myconid can use any spore cloud effect it has access to based on Hit Dice (so, a 3 HD myconid has access to the first three types of spore clouds). Each may be used once per day per HD of the myconid. So, a 3 HD myconid could use its distress cone, reproducer cone, and rapport cloud, each three times per day.

   Distress: Cone, 120 feet, alerts all myconids in the area to danger or communicates a need for aid.

   Reproducer: (2 HD myconids)—Cone, 30 feet, only emitted at the proper time for growing new myconids. Automatically ejected by a dying myconid. New myconids spring from the spores in 3d4 days.

   Rapport: (3 HD myconids)—Line, 30 feet, target can communicate telepathically with the myconid that ejected the spores; Will save negates. The duration of this telepathy is 10 minutes per HD or the myconid.

   Pacifier: (4 HD myconids)—Line, 40 feet, target is affected as if by a calm animals spell (even if the target is not one of the types the spell actually affects).

   Unlike the actual spell effects, a creature affected, will not defend himself if attacked; Fortitude save negates.

   Hallucinator: (5 HD myconids)—Line, 40 feet, causes confusion as the spell of the same name; Will save negates.

   Animator: (6 HD myconids)—Line, 40 feet, only affects a dead creature; the affected creature will rise in 1d4 days as a 1 HD zombie, though it is not undead and cannot be turned. The corpse remains animated for 1d4+1 weeks before decaying and rotting away; Fortitude negates.

   Acid Skin (Ex): Creatures attacking a myconid unarmed or with natural weapons take 1d4 points of acid damage each time their attacks hit. A myconid’s fists are not covered in this acid, therefore it does not deal acid damage when it hits with its slam attack.

   Plant: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. Not subject to critical hits.

   Sunlight Vulnerability (Ex): Exposure to sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) robs the myconid of one-third of its hit points each round until it is destroyed at the end of the third round.

   Skills: Myconids receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks. *They receive a +5 racial bonus to hide checks when in forested or fungi covered surroundings.

MYCONID SOCIETY

Myconid society is based on "circles," extremely tight social groups that are linked by group work and melding sessions.

Each circle's day is rigidly structured: eight hours of rest, followed by eight hours of farming the fungus crops, followed by eight hours of melding. For the myconids, melding is entertainment, worship, and social interaction combined.

   The fungus men gather in a tight circle and the elder myconid release rapport and hallucinatory spores. The entire group then merges into a collective telepathic hallucination for eight hours. Myconids consider this melding to be the reason for their existence. Only distress spores will bring a circle out of its meld before the eight hours have elapsed.

   The myconid king is always the largest member of the colony and is the only member at the 6 Hit Dice level. It is also the only myconid that is not the member of a circle. The other myconids regard separation from the circles with horror and pity the lonely king. The leadership role is thought of as an unpleasant duty, almost a condemnation. However, when the old king dies, the strongest 5-Hit Dice myconid always assumes the role of the new king. The king must remain outside of circles to retain objectivity and to pay close attention to the duties of leadership. The king animates guardians for the colony so the myconids need not commit violence. It coordinates the work schedule and pays attention to affairs outside the colony that could affect the fungus men. The king also practices fungal alchemy, brewing special potions that may be useful in times of trouble.
   In general, myconids are a peaceful race, desiring only to work and meld in peace. There are no recorded instances of disharmony, or any sort of violence or disagreement between myconids. If forced into combat, they avoid killing if at all possible; violence adversely affects their melding.

   Alchemists have found a number of uses for myconid spores, typically in poisons and potions of delusion. Other than their potions, myconids produce little of value to humanoid creatures.

The Myconid first appeared in the 1e MM II (Gary Gygax, 1983).