Homebrew Growth Myconid Species Details

Also called 'mushroom people' or 'fungus ones', Myconids are intelligent an peaceful creatures that take residence in the underdark and the deepest crevasses of forests, seeking enlightenment in their being through the practice of melding;

Circles and Melds

The largest myconid in a colony is its sovereign, which presides over one or more social groups called circles, which live in quiet groves bereft of speech but exploding with the colour of the diverse plants, fungi, and compost within. A circle of myconids that work, live, and meld together with the sovereign, which settles disputes and makes decisions to benefit the entire group.

A meld is a form of communal meditation that allows myconids to transcend their damp, pastoral existence. The myconids' rapport spores bind the participants into a group consciousness. Hallucination spores then induce a shared dream that provides comfort and social interaction. Myconids consider melding to be an enlightening act and 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 "softies" who come seeking shelter or conflict.

The Power of Spores

In addition to the versatile rapport spores and sublime hallucination spores, myconids use spores to reproduce. The new young are cultivated in gardens to become myconid sprouts, precocious young raised communally by the circle. Pacifying spores stun hostile intruders so the group might flee or wield a spore servant against them. Spore servants represent a terrifying aspect of the fungal race—the corpse of a once-living creature raised to serve as soldiers, guards, and scouts. Creatures controlled by these Animating Spores serve the myconids for weeks on end, until finally collapsing or another enemy destroys them.

Anatomy of a Fungus

Myconids are bipedal, with strong, squat bodies supported by strong, trunk like legs with vestigial toes. Each myconid has two arms that end with a pair of fingers and a single thumb, more than sufficient for their simple agriculture. While their mycelial bodies provide notable durability, myconids are not typically skilled fighters. Myconids grow drastically over their lives, with sprouts barely reaching two feet and sovereigns towering to almost twelve.

Myconid adventurers

It is rare that a myconid voluntarily leaves their circles for long. Their love of melding and community, and the risk of the sun restricts nearly all myconids to their subterranean or arboreal homes. What few myconids dare venture out into the world have distinct reasons for leaving their comfortable, insular homes and traveling out into the wider world.

Myconid Names

Myconid names often sound nonsensical to outside ears but are in fact derived from "softy" vocabulary. Myconids rarely use names within their circles, preferring rapport spores and the connections of melding to refer to each other in concept rather than word. They often take names from sounds that each myconid finds pleasing to the ear, borrowing from the world around them or from a wandering traveller offered hospitality in their groves. Others adopt mushroom-related vocabulary that they find pleasant.

Myconid Names: Basidia, Breberil, Brelup, Gasbide, Hebopbe, Loobamub, Phylo, Posbara, Rasharoo, Rumpadump, Stool, Yestabrod.

 

Growth Myconid Traits

While myconids have an extreme variety of physical features dependent on their colony occupation and geographic location, they all share a few core features.

Size

Towering over most other myconids and other humanoids in bulk and height, your height ranges from 8 to 10 feet tall. Your size is Large. 

Sun Sickness

Myconids cannot survive in the sun. Direct light sickens them severely, and an hour of exposure kills them outright. Even the most durable of the adventuring myconids are not immune to the power of the sun. Wandering on the surface is a constant risk for most myconids, who instead flock to the Underdark or shelters of moist darkness in the oldest of forests where canopies of trees create a perpetual twilight. There they find shelter in damp marshes and springs, surrounded by moss and lesser mushrooms which they cultivate for food and grow for use as building materials.

Fungal Form

Your fungal form grants you an extra strength when dealing with poison.

Rapport Spores

Myconids do not use language naturally. You may communicate telepathically with all creatures within twenty feet using spores, provided that creature knows at least one language and has an Intelligence of 2 or higher. You can still speak telepathically if you are silenced.

Distress Spores

When a myconid takes damage, all other myconids within 120 feet of it can sense its pain.

Echo Spores

Myconids release echo spores around them to see. You can see clearly for 120 feet, regardless of light conditions. You cannot be affected by magical darkness, but can be blinded magically.

Mycelial Restoration

Whenever dice are rolled to restore your HP, you may reroll a number of 1s on those dice equal to your level. You must use the new roll. You also have 5(+1 per level) charges of this feature which you may apply to one hit die per charge to allied creatures during a short rest, spreading the great vitality of your mycelium to other creatures. You regain all spent charges after completing a long rest.

Powerful Build

You count as one size larger (Huge) when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Languages

You can read, understand, and write Undercommon and Common.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution Score increases by 2 and your Wisdom Score increases by 1.