Homebrew Myconid Species Details

Myconids are intelligent, ambulatory fungi that live in the Underdark, seek enlightenment, and deplore violence. If approached peacefully, myconids gladly provide shelter or allow safe passage through their colonies.

Circles and Melds

The largest myconid in a colony is its sovereign, which presides over one or more social groups called circles. A circle consists of twenty or more myconids that work, live, and meld together. A meld is a form of communal meditation that allows myconids to transcend their dull subterranean existence. The myconids' rapport spores bind the participants into a group consciousness. Hallucination spores then induce a shared dream that provides entertainment and social interaction. Myconids consider melding to be the purpose of their existence. They use it in the pursuit of higher consciousness, collective union, and spiritual apotheosis. Myconids also use their rapport spores to communicate telepathically with other sentient creatures.

Cultural Pacifism

From a very early age, myconids are taught the virtues of empathy and pacifism. Material and worldly possessions are not chiefly important to myconids, so there is very little motivation for violence.

Myconid Reproduction

Like other fungi, myconids reproduce by sporing. They carefully control their spores' release to avoid overpopulation. Unlike most other humanoids, myconids take no pleasure from reproduction and feel very little connection to their offspring. Child rearing is a responsibility shared by the entire circle, and it is rare if young myconids can even identify their parents.

Myconid Names

Within a circle, myconids are known by their scent and spores rather than names. When speaking with other races, myconids refer to each other via their position in the circle's hierarchy and distinctive physical characteristics. Adventuring myconids select names dependent on the adventuring party they find themeselves in.

Myconid Traits

The following traits are shared by player characters who are myconids

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Like other fungi, myconids reproduce by sporing. They carefully control their spores' release to avoid overpopulation. Individual myconids can live several centuries; however, an individual myconid's lifespan shortens considerably the longer it is away from its circle. Adventuring myconids mature quickly and have a lifespan of only a few decades. Regular melds with a myconid circle can extend this duration. 

Alignment

Most myconids tend towards lawful and neutral alignments. Myconid circles have a rigid hierarchical structure. Adventuring myconids are often those who do not conform to the myconid circle's structure and may lean more towards chaos. 

Size

Beginning life as small sprouts, myconids continue to grow throughout their entire lifespan with the average myconid ranging anywhere from 4 to 7 feet tall. If a myconid survives to become the sovereign of its circle, it typically stands anywhere from 9 to 12 feet tall. Being a fungus, a myconid's body is predominately comprised of a soft texture like a mushroom, but they do have organ systems and an rigid endoskeleton that allows for movement. Myconids typically weigh around 10 pounds per foot of height. Sprouts are small, adults are medium, and sovereigns are large.

Speed

Myconids speed change as they grow. A sprout has a base walking speed of 10 feet, an adult a base walking speed of 20 feet, and a sovereign a base walking speed of 30 feet.

Superior Darkvision

Native to the underdark, myconids have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. They can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.

Sun Sickness

While in sunlight, the myconid has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws.

Natural Armor

Myconids have a tough, rubbery outer layer of skin. When they aren’t wearing armor, their AC is 13 + Dexterity modifier. A shield’s benefits apply as normal. 

Distress Spores

When a myconid takes damage, all other myconids within 240 feet of it can sense its pain.

Rapport Spores

A 20-foot radius of spores extends from the myconid. These spores can go around corners and affect only creatures with an Intelligence of 2 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.

Pacifying Spores

Once per short rest, an adult or sovereign myconid can eject spores at one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 11 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 effect on itself on a success.

Animating Spores

A myconid sovereign can target one corpse of a humanoid or a Large or smaller beast within 5 feet of it and releases spores at the corpse. Within 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

Myconid sovereigns can eject spores at one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a 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.

Languages

Myconids can speak Common and Undercommon. TMyconids prefer to communicate telepathically through their Rapport Spores, and they have no use for written language as they pass down the history of their circles via spores.

 

Myconid Traits

Racal Traits

Mushroom Traits

Myconid Traits

The following traits are shared by player characters who are myconids

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Like other fungi, myconids reproduce by sporing. They carefully control their spores' release to avoid overpopulation. Individual myconids can live several centuries; however, an individual myconid's lifespan shortens considerably the longer it is away from its circle. Adventuring myconids mature quickly and have a lifespan of only a few decades. Regular melds with a myconid circle can extend this duration. 

Alignment

Most myconids tend towards lawful and neutral alignments. Myconid circles have a rigid hierarchical structure. Adventuring myconids are often those who do not conform to the myconid circle's structure and may lean more towards chaos. 

Size

Beginning life as small sprouts, myconids continue to grow throughout their entire lifespan with the average myconid ranging anywhere from 4 to 7 feet tall. If a myconid survives to become the sovereign of its circle, it typically stands anywhere from 9 to 12 feet tall. Being a fungus, a myconid's body is predominately comprised of a soft texture like a mushroom, but they do have organ systems and an rigid endoskeleton that allows for movement. Myconids typically weigh around 10 pounds per foot of height. Sprouts are small, adults are medium, and sovereigns are large.

Speed

Myconids speed change as they grow. A sprout has a base walking speed of 10 feet, an adult a base walking speed of 20 feet, and a sovereign a base walking speed of 30 feet.

Superior Darkvision

Native to the underdark, myconids have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. They can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.

Sun Sickness

While in sunlight, the myconid has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws.

Natural Armor

Myconids have a tough, rubbery outer layer of skin. When they aren’t wearing armor, their AC is 13 + Dexterity modifier. A shield’s benefits apply as normal. 

Distress Spores

When a myconid takes damage, all other myconids within 240 feet of it can sense its pain.

Rapport Spores

A 20-foot radius of spores extends from the myconid. These spores can go around corners and affect only creatures with an Intelligence of 2 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.

Pacifying Spores

Once per short rest, an adult or sovereign myconid can eject spores at one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 11 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 effect on itself on a success.

Animating Spores

A myconid sovereign can target one corpse of a humanoid or a Large or smaller beast within 5 feet of it and releases spores at the corpse. Within 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

Myconid sovereigns can eject spores at one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a 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.

Languages

Myconids can speak Common and Undercommon. TMyconids prefer to communicate telepathically through their Rapport Spores, and they have no use for written language as they pass down the history of their circles via spores.