Homebrew Myconid Species Details

I do not know what I had expected when my party was beset by these fungal creatures, but it was certainly not what we received. Our resident Cleric spoke in Undercommon with the apparent leader and they ushered us into a passage lined with bright purple and green glowing mushrooms. They walked with purpose, as if of one mind, but we were quick to learn each had their own personality; their own flaws and strengths. They were of varying colours, shapes and sizes: the young ones, known by them as 'Sprouts', walked no larger than 2 feet in height, but the leader was well over 12 feet in height, with a proportionately powerful physique to match. Some had long stalks on their arms and backs, while others had coral-like protrusions that were smooth to the touch, but firm. I wondered at these creatures as we walked off to what I had assumed to be our eventual demise, until we reached the Sovereign's dwelling, and to our surprise we found tea served for six, sleeping arrangements, and a tray of biscuits shaped like Tabaxi Bards. Truly a gracious people.

— Zephyr Martorin, On the Underdark

Myconids are fairly unique amongst the Underdark races for their complete aversion to violent behavior. They can be thoughtful and considerate, but treat strangers with a careful suspicion. Their abject fear of the many other races cause them to hide away and maintain their colony's distance from other creatures.

Spread Spore and Grow

The Myconid life revolves around the propagation of their species and a feeling of community with others of their kind. While they are often peaceful and fair, they can savagely defend their colony and can feel the agony of their brethren as they are struck.

A Myconid Colony works by splitting their time between sleep, work and Melding, a form of collective, transcendental, hallucinogenic meditation involving releasing a great deal of Rapport and Hallucination Spores. A colony is usually headed by a single Sovereign, who typically is the eldest of them, and so, the most experienced. A society is comprised of 1-10 'circles' (minimum 3), a term used for the social groups they split into. Circles contain four members from each of the myconid age groups, and were presided over by four circle leaders. The bonds between those in these groups are highly intimate. Known circle duties included agriculture, exploration, construction, child rearers and hunters who sought out and scavenged bodies and dead matter for fertilizer or reanimation.

Dedicated by Age

Every myconid community was organized by age category and had its population under careful control. New tasks were given to the fungus ones as they grew older.

Sprouts worked as hands for their respective elders, assisting with daily chores, and responsible for releasing distress spores if hostiles approached.

Normal Adults, of age 8-12, did most of the basic work and would fight along side their superiors if danger approached. Unlike the fleeing of the juniors, adults only fled in order to conduct an ambush later on or to locate an elder.

*Elders, myconids of age 12-16, were responsible for supervising the work of other myconids and attempted to prompt conversation when faced with hostility. Typically they would start from the strongest opponent and work their way down to subdue all aggressors.

*Senior Elders of 16-20 served as guards, protecting other members of the circle from harm.

All older members of a circle were its leaders who administrated them and advised the myconid King or Sovereign, the only entity above them.

The Burden of Leading

To be a sovereign was the most dreadful position within the myconid community, seen among others as practically a punishment. Because the myconid sovereign was tasked with being objective to the circles and administrating their duties, he could not become part of a circle himself, and could never again meld with those of his tribe.

The duties of the king included the creation of spore servants so that the myconids could remain pacifistic, the coordination of work schedules, vigilance against potential threats and the production of fungal brews. Most attempted to remain in frequent communication with other tribes and held occasional meetings to discuss mutual problems, with every sovereign being familiar with the spores of most others throughout the Underdark.

Normal myconids were buried in the gardens, while sovereigns were laid to rest underneath the mounds of mossy rock

The Philosophy of Psilofyr

Melding served as a form of worship for the myconids, but they did possess an actual patron deity. Psilofyr was the wise philosopher god who first taught the myconid kings how to perform alchemy, and guided the selection process for new kings as well as anointing every 20 or so kings his priests. He regularly shared his thoughts with the myconid sovereigns and thus had no need for omens. In times of great peril he would send an avatar to commune with a priest king and thus grant them his powers in order to resolve the current crisis.

Myconids are not possessive, and find little to no value in material possession beyond its available use.

The 'Softers'

While they could be wonderful hosts when properly approached, Myconids were quick to suspect that flesh and blood humanoids would attempt to use violence against them. They viewed most of them as brutish and insane beings who would conquer and destroy anything in their path before returning to make sure it stayed vanquished. Their fears were only further stimulated when some of their ilk were enslaved by Drow, Fomorians and Shadar-Kai who sought them out for their natural resiliency.

Reproduction, Not Entertainment

Like other fungi, myconids reproduce by mundane 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 Personality

You can use the Myconid Quirks table to determine a personality quirk for a Myconid character or to inspire a unique mannerism.

Myconid Quirks

d8	Quirk
1	You look curiously at those that eat with their mouths instead of absorbing it through their flesh, like you.
2	You have a tendency to use the pejorative term "Softer" when speaking to a humanoid race.
3	As much as you may want to trust, you have heard from Elders how violent Softers are and take it to heart.
4	You cannot understand why people fight for money, power, or position; who would want to live like a Sovereign?
5	You simply cannot understand the strange attachments the Softers have to the dead. Shouldn't they be used as fertilizer or Reanimated for use?
6	You tend to use the wrong words. The Overworld languages are tricky.
7	You miss being able to Meld with other myconids; it is as if a hundred pieces of you are missing.
8	You prefer using your Rapport Spores to communicate telepathically rather than struggle with vocal language.

Myconid Names

While myconids do not name each other and identify each other instead by pattern and colour of their spores, nicknames abound for those that connect with one.

Myconid Names: Basidia, Breberil, Brelup, Gren, Heppa, Loobamub, Phylo, Posbara, Rasharoo, Spore, Stool, Yestabrod

Myconid Traits

Your Myconid character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 3.

Age

A Myconid's conscious life begins at 4 years old (when they become self aware) and ends sometime after they reached 24 years old.

Alignment

Most Myconids tend toward Lawful Neutral. The majority of Myconids see their ultimate purpose in their fungal bloom, the colony for which they seek expansion and development under their Sovereign.

Size

Your base size is Medium. This becomes Large at level 12 as you mature into a Fledgling Sovereign.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Plant

Your creature type is Plant, rather than Humanoid.

Living off the Land

You gain proficiency with the Nature and Survival.

Composting Nature

Your fungus-like form allows you to secrete a biological agent that absorbs dead creatures and plants.

While you can bit, chew and swallow foods, you cannot eat food like most creatures. You gain a day's nutrition from dissolving recently dead plant or animal matter (weighing a minimum of 10 pounds) over a 1-hour Short Rest. Not doing this causes Exhaustion for every day you miss these meals.

In addition, you have advantage against all Constitution Saving Throws for enduring toxic gasses.

Darkvision

Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Natural Armour

You have fibrous, regrowing fungi protecting you from damage. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Undercommon.

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.

Rapport Spores (3/Day)

Gained at Level 1: As a Bonus Action, a 10-foot radius of spores extends from you. 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 (3/Day)

Gained at Level 4: As a Bonus Action, you eject spores at one creature you can see within 5 feet of you. 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 and becoming immune for 24 hours on a success.

If the target is attacked while it is stunned, it gains advantage on the next saving throw.

Hallucination Spores (3/Day)

Gained at Level 8: As a Bonus action, you eject spores at one creature you can see within 5 feet of you. 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 and becoming immune for 24 hours on a success.

If the target is attacked during their incapacitation, they immediately succeed their Saving Throw and may act normally on their next turn.

Animating Spores (3/Day)

Gained at Level 12: You target 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 Quaggoth Spore Servant. The corpse stays animated for 1d4 + 1 weeks or until destroyed, and it can’t be animated again in this way.

Quaggoth Spore Servant

Medium plant, unaligned

Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18)

Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR

17 (+3)

DEX

12 (+1)

CON

16 (+3)

INT

2 (-4)

WIS

6 (-2)

CHA

1 (-5)

Damage Immunities Poison

Condition Immunities Blinded, Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned

Senses Blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 8

Languages --

Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Actions

Multiattack. The spore servant makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.