FREQUENCY: Rare
FREQUENCY:
Rare ([Dungeon Level II])
NO. APPEARING: 1-12 (20-200)
ARMOR CLASS: 10
MOVE: 9"
HIT DICE: 1 to 6
% IN LAIR: 70%
TREASURE TYPE: [S] (x 2)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 to 6-24
(d4 x HD)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spore clouds
(see below)
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Poisonous
skin
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral
SIZE: S to L (2' per hit
die)
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE:
1 HD
= I | 14 + 1
2 HD
= II | 28 + 2
3 HD
= II | 50 + 3
4 HD
= III | 150 + 4
5 HD
= IV | 205 + 5
6 HD
= V | 425 + 6
The myconids,
or fungus men,
resemble walking toadstools
in humanoid form.
Their flesh is bloated and
spongy and varies in color from purple to
gray.
Their skin,
except on their hands, oozes
a substance poisonous to animal flesh.
Personal contact with a
myconid in most places will result in 1-4 points of damage to the creature
doing the touching.
Each of their pudgy hands
has 2 stubby fingers and a thumb on either side. <x: see the art in
A4>
The myconids live deep underground
under conditions suitable to fungi.
They never venture out onto
the surface,
and they have a deathly
fear of direct sunlight.
(The exact effects of sunlight
on a myconid are unknown,
but they must be detrimental
or the fungus men wouldn't fear them so.)
Myconid society is based
on "circles,"
extremely tight social groups
linked by group work and melding sessions.
Each circle's day is rigidly
structured:
8 hours of REST,
followed by 8 hours of farming
the fungus crops or doing other necessary work,
followed by 8 hours of melding.
For the myconids,
melding is entertainment,
worship,
and social interaction combined.
The fungoids gather in a
tight circle,
and the elder members release
rapport and hallucinator spores.
The entire group then merges
into a collective telepathic hallucination for 8 hours.
Myconids consider this melding
to be the reason for their existence.
Only distress spores will
bring a circle out of meld early.
A myconid circle usually
consists of 20 members, 4 of each hit dice size from 1-5,
i.e.,
4 1-hit die myconids,
4 2-hit die myconids,
etc.
As myconids age,
they continue to grow in
height and weight,
gaining 2 feet of height
with each hit die.
A 1-hit die myconid is only
2 feet tall,
but the 6-hit dice king
stands 12 feet tall.
The damage they do in combat
also increases with their size.
Fungus men fight by clubbing
with their clasped hands,
doing 1d4 points of damage
per hit die of size,
i.e.,
1 hit die myconids do 1-4
points of damage,
2-hit die myconids do 2-8
points,
etc.,
up to the 6-hit dice king
who inflicts 6-24 points of damage on a hit.
<note that A4 uses the
diminuative 'mycos' for this paragraph>
| HD | hp | Size | D | Spores |
| 1 | 4 each | 2' | 1-4 | distress |
| 2 | 8 each | 4' | 2-8 | + reproducer |
| 3 | 12 each | 6' | 3-12 | + rapport |
| 4 | 16 each | 8' | 4-16 | + pacifier |
| 5 | 20 each | 10' | 5-20 | + hallucinator |
Spores: The myconids
also have the ability to spew forth clouds of specialized spores.
The number and kind of spores
they can emit increases as they grow.
As each myconid advances
to another size level,
it gains the ability to
spray another type of spores,
and the number of times
per day each type of spore can be emitted also increases.
A myconid can emit each
of its spore types a number of times per day equal to its hit dice.
For example,
at 3 hit dice,
a myconid will be able to
spray 3 different kinds of sporeds,
and each may be sprayed
3 times a day.
The spore types are listed
and explained below,
in the order in which the
abilities are gained:
Distress:
This spore type is used
to alert other myconids to danger or a need for aid.
The cloud,
which expands at a rate
of 40 feet per round,
will gain the attention
of all myconids around the emitter.
It will expand to 120 feet
maximum.
This ability is gained at
the 1 hit die level.
Reproducer:
These spores are emitted
only at the proper time for growing new myconids so that the population
may be properly controlled.
They are also automatically
ejected by a dying myconid.
This ability is gained at
the 2 hit die level.
Rapport:
These spores are used primarily
in the melding process.
However, they can also be
used by the myconids to communicate with other species
(since the fungus men do
not talk).
A small cloud of spores
may be puffed at 1 creature;
if the being fails to save
vs. poison,
it will be able to go into
telepathic rapport with myconids,
speaking mind-to-mind in
a normal manner.
Willing recipients of the
spores may deliberately fail their save.
The duration of the effect
is equal in turns to the hit dice of the myconid originator.
This spore-ability is gained
at the 3 hit dice level.
Pacifier:
This type of spore may be
spewed at a single creature.
If the creature fails to
save vs. Poison,
it will be unable to do
anything,
becoming totally passive.
The affected creature may
only observe;
it may take no action,
even if under attack.
This effect lasts for a
number of rounds equal to the hit dice of the myconid spore spewer.
The pacifier spore ability
is gained at the 4 hit dice level.
Hallucinator:
These spores are also primarily
used in the melding ritual.
However,
they will affect other creatures
as well.
The spore cloud may be shot
at 1 creature,
and if that creature fails
its save vs. Poison,
it will suffer violent hallucinations
for a number of turns equal to the HD of the myconid responsible.
Hallucinating creatures
will react as follows
(using 1d20):
| 1-10 | Cower whimpering |
| 11-15 | Stare into nothingness |
| 16-18 | Flee shrieking in a random direction |
| 19-20 | Attack closest creature to kill |
The ability to emit hallucinator spores is gained at the 5 hit dice level.
Animator:
This spore ability is gained
at the 6 hit dice level,
the level which only the
king may achieve.
The king can use these spores
to infect a dead person or animal.
A [purple] fungus will cover
the corpse,
taking over the dead body
systems and putting them back to work,
animating the corpse so
that it resembles a zombie
(AC10, MV 9", HD 1, hp 4,
#AT 2, D bony claws for 1-3./1-3).
It is not undead,
however,
and cannot be turned by
a cleric.
The animated bodies are
slower than they were in life,
and they always strike last
in a melee round
(another resemblance to
zombies).
The body continues to rot
and the fungus gradually replaces the missing parts,
becoming specialized to
take over their functions.
Eventually,
however,
the decay proceeds too far,
and the body stops functioning,
able to rest at last.
Animation takes place 1-4
days after infection,
and the corpse will be animated
for 2-5 weeks before it decays.
Animated creatures will
follow simple orders
(given by the animator with
rapport spores)
to the best of their ability.
Orders take priority over
self-preservation.
The myconid king is always
the largest member of the fungoid colony and the only member at the 6 hit
dice level.
It is also the only myconid
who is not a member of a circle.
The other myconids regard
separation from their circle with horror and pity the lonely king.
The leadership role is thought
of as a very 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
circle affairs to retain objectivity and pay close attention to the duties
of leadership.
The king animates guardians
for the colony so that 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 alchemy1,
brewing special potions
which may be useful in a time of trouble.
In general,
the myconids are a peaceful
race,
desiring only to work and
meld in peace.
In combat,
they will avoid killing,
if they can,
as violence adversely affects
their meld hallucinations.
However,
accord has never been reached
between fungoid and humanoid;
each views the other as
a disgusting threat,
and population pressures
in the limited underworld inevitably cause conflicts.
<
1
Fungal
alchemy:
Here is an example of "fungal
alchemy", from A4.13
"The small room behind the
king's chamber is where the myconid leader keeps a supply of potions,
used only in emergencies.
All of these potions were
made by the king using fungal alchemy,
but they duplicate the effects
of normal potions.
They are in potion bottles
made from the heads of giant ants.
The potions are:
extra-healing, growth, healing,
invisibility, speed, and water-breathing.
