Circle of the Mycelia

Druids of the Circle of Mycelia are entrusted with life's endless cycle, channeling the power of decomposers to renew what has fallen. You despise undead as perversions of nature's order, stolen food from the web of life that must return to the soil. You oppose necromancy by claiming the dead first, infusing fallen bodies with spores that transform them into living Plant creatures called myconid beasts. These fungal servants are not undead abominations but vibrant expressions of nature's reclaiming power.

The Circle of Mycelia sees undead as theft from the natural cycle. A zombie is a corpse denied its purpose; a myconid beast is that same corpse fulfilling it, feeding the network, spreading spores, and eventually composting back into rich soil. Your mission: ensure every corpse feeds life, not undeath. If you aren’t using a corpse as a myconid beast you must perform last rites to prevent it from being raised as undead.

Level 3: Myconid Animation

You can animate corpses as living myconid beasts. Plant creatures that respond to your command. You create a myconid beast by performing a 10-minute Ritual (permanent) or as a Magic action (lasts 1 minute).

A myconid beast created by the ritual lasts indefinitely, provided you perform a 10-minute maintenance ritual on it at least once every 7 days. Failure to perform this ritual causes the beast to decompose into rich soil over 1 hour.

A myconid beast created by the action collapses into soil after 1 minute, unless you begin the ritual animation on it within that duration (making it permanent).

Myconid Beast Properties

The myconid beast uses the Zombie stat block, but is a Plant creature. It uses your Wisdom modifier for its saves, attack rolls, and damage rolls.

As a Bonus Action, you can issue commands to any or all of your myconid beasts. They act on your turn.

When a myconid beast is destroyed or its duration ends, it collapses into a pile of fresh, fertile soil.

You can control a number of myconid beasts equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). If you create a new myconid beast beyond this limit, the oldest myconid beast immediately crumbles into rich compost and nutrient-dense soil.

Corpse Vitality

When you create a myconid beast from a corpse that has been dead for less than 24 hours, you can expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The myconid beast gains the following benefits for its duration:

Enhanced Defenses. The myconid beast gains a bonus to its AC equal to your Druid level.

Vital Reinforcement. The myconid beast's Hit Point maximum increases by an amount equal to your Druid level.

Level 6: Sacrificial Spores

Your myconid beasts can sacrifice themselves to empower allies with protective fungal growths. As a Bonus Action, you can command a myconid beast you control within 60 feet of you to touch a willing creature (including yourself) and sacrifice itself to protect the target.

The myconid beast is reduced to 0 Hit Points and decomposes. The touched creature gains the following benefits for 1 hour:

Mycellium Vitality. The creature gains temporary Hit Points equal to your Wisdom modifier × your Proficiency Bonus.

Fungal Plates. +2 bonus to AC from the hardened fungal plating.

Level 10: Symbiotic Resilience

You and your myconid beasts are connected through the mycelial network, allowing them to sacrifice themselves to save others from death.

When you or a creature within 30 feet of one of your myconid beasts would be reduced to 0 Hit Points, you can take a Reaction to command that myconid beast to sacrifice itself. The targeted creature is instead reduced to 1 Hit Point. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

When a myconid beast uses this feature, it explodes in a burst of radiant spores and organic matter. Each hostile creature within 5 feet of the sacrificed myconid beast must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking Radiant damage equal to 1d6 per two Druid levels you have + your Wisdom modifier on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.

Level 14: Apex Decomposer

You have achieved mastery over the fungal cycle. Your maximum number of myconid beasts is now twice your Wisdom modifier.

As a Bonus Action, you can merge two of your myconid beasts that are within 30 feet of each other into a single, more powerful apex myconid. The merged myconid has the following properties:

Combined Vitality. The apex myconid has the combined current Hit Points and Hit Point maximum of both myconids that merged.

Enhanced Combat. The apex myconid gains a +2 bonus to AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls.

Resilient Form. The apex myconid has Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Large Size. The apex myconid's size increases to Large and its reach increases by 5 feet.

The apex myconid counts as two myconid beasts toward your control limit. If it originated from a ritual animation, it still requires the weekly maintenance ritual. As a Bonus Action, you can split the apex myconid back into two myconid beasts, dividing its current Hit Points evenly (rounded down).