Homebrew Zuggtmoy's Spawn (Tiefling Subrace) Species Details

“The Demon Queen of Fungi, Lady of Rot and Decay, Zuggtmoy is an alien creature whose only desire is to infect the living with spores, transforming them into her mindless servants...”

~Taken From Rage of Demons: Out of The Abyss

The first of these Tieflings...or at least Tiefling-like creatures began appearing in the World above just under 200 years ago. Babies with horns and tails, and glowing mushrooms growing from their skin were found in feilds, in rivers, in forests and on doorsteps without seemingly anyone around. Many were killed by superstitious and cautious people, who thought the horned children to be a bad omen, or thinking the fungi growing upon them to be some form of sickness, but a few survived, and reached adulthood. Upon doing so, many found themselves driven by the need to travel, to explore, to go from place to place mingle with those around them, and to father or birth many offspring.  It has not been long, but the Tiefling Spawn of Zuggtmoy already are fair in number, and still their numbers ever grow.

No one knows how or why this race came to be, why the Demon Queen would take captured human and elven men into her bed, or if this is, infact, another plot to spread her spores throughout the land, or it was simply by accident that that this new and emerging race has come to be. But still, the Spawn continue their lives, all carrying with them the Demon Queen of Fungi's ability to manipulate and control others with the spores their bodies can naturally create and release, some care not for these powers and never put them to use. Others use them as a means of defense, and still others find great joy in controlling others, succumbing to the demonic hunger for power that Zuggtmoy has so cursed her bloodline with.

Zuggtmoy's Bloodline

Zuggtmoy's Spawn, being fiendish in heritage, are often considered a type of Tiefling, although there are those who debate this, and infact those who wish to debate whether the fungus-like humanoid beings should even qualify as people at all. Still,  like most recognized Teiflings, Zuggtmoy's Spawn are derived from mostly human bloodlines, although a decent sum do hail from elven, (particularly drow), bloodlines as well. Careful watch over these fungal fiend-bloods has shown that the Fiend within them tends to dominate over all else. Any children born to members of this race will be Zuggtmoy's Spawn, regardless of the race of the other parent, although they may carry some physical traits from their non-Spawn parent. 

The Spawn can have large or small horns that take rounded, curled, spiraling shapes, or can drape down their heads, and even reach their bodies in a shape resembling clusters of bracket or shelf fungi growing on the sides of trees and stumps. Others have no horns at all, and only have their foreheads growing into something of a crest infront of their hairlines, with shapes resembling the petals of a flower. They have slender tails, three to five feet long, which end in tuffs of fur. Some even have fur growing down their tails, akin to that of a horse's mane, before ending in a tuft. Others still have tails that end in some almost decorative fungal growth, or even have tails that are some combination of the Three.

Their canine teeth are sharply pointed, and their eyes are solid, unwavering pools of color that can be black, white, pearlescent silver, fiery orange, blood red, or luminescent gold, with no visible sclera or pupil. Their skin tones tend to be pale, and desaturated in color with a pearlescent, almost iridescent sheen, encompassing all shades of white, silver, blue, aqua, green or lavender, and being softer to the touch then a human's, and often has growths of fungi that naturally grow upon it. These fungi are often bioluminescent, and can be removed painlessly, left to grow wild, or carefully selected and trimmed in order to grow around a Spawn Tiefling like a natural, decorative adornment. Their hair, cascading down from behind their crests or horns, or around their horns entirely, typically in curls or waves, can be any color but black...from the range of human colors to bright and vivid tones, and sometimes can have various fungi, lichens and mushrooms growing in or on it. They are unable to grow body hair, but can have freckles, spots, long waving markings similar to wood grain, or any other pattern found on fungi on their skin.

Strangely Friendly, But Untrusting

Unlike other Tieflings, Spawn are typically rather amiable. They enjoy crowds, getting to know people, and living in cities. They are often found to be charming by those who can see past their appearance and demonic heritage...but for some Spawn, that is purely on the surface. All an act to lore people in... but for others, it is genuine, as they want nothing more then to escape the shadow their heritage as cast over them, and live ordinary lives.

The vast majority of the small population of Zuggtmoy's Spawn call the Underdark home. Constantly fighting to survive among the vicious and cruel races of the world below, becoming just as, if not more so, cruel and vicious as those they fight in the process. Others, however, tire of that life. Of the never ending wars and bloodshed, the ceaseless hunts for even a morsel of food to feed their children or themselves. These tired individuals gather their families, or travel alone to leave the chaos of the Underdark behind them, escaping to the surface. Others still, were born never knowing the chaos and tragedy that fills the caverns deep underground. This alone has a large effect on their view of the world.

Those who spent their lives in those ceaseless battles being often hardened, overly cautious and mistrusting. Those who spent most of their lives about ground, however, are not overly trusting either, given the mistrust, the hatred, and the fear they find directed at them on a constant basis. These experiences shape them in a variety of ways...as while unlike many Teiflings, they do have a place to belong, a place deep underground to call home...but it is a "home" where madness, pain, and torment reign, and one those above ground who remember it never wish to return to.

Overall, the Demon Queen's Spawn are a a hardy people. Much like the fungi that grow upon them, they can adapt and grow with very little aid. While quick to be friendly, they are not quick to trust, but value being trusted and treated kindly with an unshakable gratitude that enables them to open up and form unshakeable bonds with others, despite the hardships their lives often entail. A gift more valuable then gold, as like their Infernal Teifling cousins; Once they give someone their loyalty and trust, they will be there to support and aid that person until their dying breathe.

Abyssal Whispers

Regardless of where they were born, or if they have ever seen her, some Spawn-Tieflings claim to hear Zuggtmoy herself whispering in their minds. Others claim a faint murmuring, others still, claim to hear her openly mocking them for trying to escape their purpose, and yet more claim to not hear anything at all. Yet, whether it stems from or is echoed by the telepathic voice of the Demon Queen or not, all of the Spawn admit to a strange desire to go out, travel, and "spread".

However, whether it comes from a desire to control others, and the Demon Queen's toxic tongue or not, Spawn are often frivolous in their physical relationships. Most having many short lived flings in one place before traveling onwards to the next. It is rare for siblings of this race to both have the same father and mother. It is, however, common place for Spawn to be abandoned on doorsteps, and other such locations, or raised by a non-spawn mother, never knowing the man who fathered them, or even growing in a household raised by a Spawn mother with countless half siblings and not a single one knowing their fathers at all. All of this race know this, and many reflect on this with regret, but still more insist that the whispers and the desire are simply too strong to fight for it to be avoided. Whether this is truth or merely excuse, often depends on the person telling it.

Still, there are those with absent parents of their own who spend their lives fighting both whispers and desires, vowing to be better then those who came before, and that their own offspring shall never know such a life.

Zuggtmoy's Spawn (Tiefling Subrace) Traits

As they are all of Zuggtmoy's blood, Tieflings of this Subrace often share traits they inherited from the Demon Queen of Fungi herself;

Fungal Fortitude

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

Age

Zuggtmoy's Spawn, like most Tieflings, mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer. They reach Maturity by age 20, and typically live to be 120 years old, although older ones have been found.

Alignment

Spawn Tieflings might not have an innate tendency toward evil, but many of them end up there, as the demonic joy found in destruction, chaos, and the enslavement and control of others, can be found in many of them. Evil or not, however, an independent nature inclines many toward a chaotic alignment.

Size

Being from below ground where the tunnels are narrow and nutritious food hard to find, Zuggtmoy's Spawn are slightly shorter then humans on average, their heights ranging from 4,6 to 6 feet. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your Abyssal heritage, and being of Zuggtmoy's bloodline, 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.

Mycelium's Might

Your unique, almost fungus-like biological makeup prevents poison from harming you, and grants you an immunity to poison damage.

Zuggtmoy's "Gift"

As you learn about yourself and grow both in power and in understanding of what and who you are, you learn better ways to utilize the spores your body creates:

 

You know the Poison Spray cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Cloud 'o Spores spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Beguiling Spores spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 9th level, you can cast the Parasitic Fungus spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 13th level, you can cast the Infect with Cordyceps spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Toadstool's Tongue

You can speak, read, and write with the following languages; Abyssal, Common, and Undercommon.