Homebrew Myceteum Species Details

Originating from the deepest recesses of the Underdark as a result of untold millennia of evolution, Myceteum are single celled organisms constituting a larger whole, that which acts as a whole colony. These creatures mature at a rate unfathomable to other races, mere days after sporocarp. While they may refer to themselves in the plural, each Myceteum is unique in their appearance, knowledge and personality. Myceteum, after exposure to the mortal races, tend to want to mimic the ways of these novel creatures, resulting in the formation of a humanoid shape.

Although they may share a common ancestor with their gelatinous cousins, Myceteum are distinctly different in that the diabolical magic set by the demon prince, Juiblex which asserts control over other ooze does not extend to the Myceteum. They are newborn, intelligent lifeforms rather than sentient ooze.

Collectivism and Curiosity

While their individual intelligence may be minute, when formed into a colony they act as any other moral race, with certain exceptions. Myceteum do not have an innate concept of individuality, regardless of their individual ability to think and act outside of a colony. Preliminary research by certain wayward scholars posit that this may be due to how an individual Myceteum in and of themselves acts as a colony.

Myceteum have a natural air of naivety about them as a result of being cloistered their entire existance. Once becoming apparent that other beings exist, many Myceteum chose to leave their caves and groves of origin. In many aspects, Myceteum share and can relate their callowness of the world with Verdans.

Physical Appearance

Myceteum are of semi-translucent nature with colour ranging from cream to aqua, olive, plum or even ink, although their colouring remains consistent throughout the colony. Due to their amorphous physiology, Myceteum have no defined internal structure, and as such are able to alter their physical form at a whim. Some tend to resemble the races they met at first contact, however it is not unusual for other colonies to attempt to duplicate the form and structure of those they talk with in an attempt to better understand such individuals, however eerie it may come off as. While some choose to define themselves for a set of bipedal limbs, many prefer a stance similar to their ooze cousins, such as an undefined singular stalk them moves across the ground like a snake.

Myceteum Names

Though the Myceteum do not naturally address each other by names due to their tactile language, certain colonies may adopt the name given to them on first contact with other races, whether that be as an act of friendship or even slurs given due to their likeness of their gelatinous cousins.

Myceteum Names: Slime, goop, Jelly, Thing, Bile, Trash, Buddy, or Ooze.

Myceteum Traits

Myceteum share certain traits due to their ooze-like form.

Ability Score Increase

Your constitution score increases by 2 and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Age

As Myceteum consist of a protoplastic hive-mind colony, individual members of your colony are born as quickly as they die so long as you satiate. Thus, you have no natural end to your life and effects that cause one to be magically aged do not affect you.

Myceteum colonies mature mere days after forming.

Alignment

Myceteum tend towards no alignment in particular, but are often mistaken as evil due to their nescient understanding of social cues and the mortality of other races.

Size

Myceteum whom possess the intelect to present in a humanoid form are of either small or medium size, as they have begun to mimic the form of other races. They can change their size at will.

Speed

You are without the skeletel structure needed for you to fully capture a humanoids' gait. Your base walking speed is 20 feet.

Darkvision

Although you are without eyes, your colony has perfected the use of magically perceiving the world through their countless cilia. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can see 360 degrees around you, however you are fully colour blind in all light levels.

Amorphous

Your liquid body allows you change shape at will. You can attempt grapple checks without a free hand, and grapple checks made against you have disadvantage. You can also move through gaps and crevices as small as 1 inch in diameter at half your walking speed; equipment otherwise too big for this will be left behind.

Acid Mantle

As Myceteum, you are resistant to acid damage but risk the deterioration of your colony while in direct contact with heavy rain or running water. While under heavy rain, you have disadvantage on attack rolls, and if you start your turn in running water you take 1d4 cold damage.

You are vulnerable to damage caused by spells or effects that drain moisture. 

Engulf

Your body serves as a container; you can hold up to 1 cubic foot of material. While stored this way, the contents cannot be stolen by non-magical means without a contested Strength (Athletics) check by the target, which alerts you regardless of success or failure.

Pseudopods

As a result of your acidic nature, your unarmed strikes deal acid damage instead of the usual bludgeoning damage.

Ooze-like Nature

Your creature type is Ooze rather than humanoid. As such, you do not require sleep, instead you must spend at least 6 hours in an inactive, motionless state in which you engage in cellular regeneration. In this state, you appear inert but are otherwise conscious, allowing you to see and hear as normal.

Languages

You understand Myceteum and can speak, read and write common due to your preliminary exposure of the mortal races.

The term Myceteum refers to both the colony and individual cell, wherein once becoming a colony are able to instantly communicate with eachother. As Myceteum do not naturally speak, they instead communicate through a tactile language by way of their countless magic-enhanced cilia. This is known to scholars as a novel form of sign language.