Myconid Race by

<div class='cover-header'>The Myconid Package</div>

<div class='cover-footer'>A guide to playable Fungus Ones </div>

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# Peaceable Plants 
Also called "mushroom men" or "fungus ones", myconids are intelligent, ambulatory fungi that live in the Underdark and the deepest, darkest depths of forests, seeking enlightenment and deploring violence. If approached peacefully, myconids gladly provide shelter or allow safe passage through their colonies. Violence taints their melds, so the myconids enter battle only in defense or as a last resort, viewing violence as part of the abhorrent nature of fleshy outsiders.

Instead, the moving plants prefer a peaceable lifestyle, finding joy in pastoral commonality and shared happiness. Living in circles of roughly twenty myconids or settlements of larger groups, myconids cultivate nonsentient mushrooms and myconid sprouts in gardens. The precise 8-hour divisions of leisure, work, and melding creates a satisfying, if regimented, existence for these creatures, which regard such a lifestyle as completely ideal.

## 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 color 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.

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## Anatomy of a Fungus  
Myconids are bipedal, with strong, squat bodies supported by strong, trunklike legs with vestigial toes. Each myconid has two arms that ends 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.

## Flight from the Sun 
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.

## Myconid adventurers 
It is rare that a myconid voluntarily leaves their circles for long. Their love of melding and communite, 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.

| 1d6 | Reason for becoming an adventurer|
|:----:| :-------- | 
| 1 | The regimented structure of myconid life seemed oppressive to you, so you left seeking adventure.  
| 2 | You were sent from your circle as part of a scouting party; when you returned the circle had been destroyed, leaving you homeless. 
| 3 | As one of the oldest myconids in your circle, you were sent to gather experience and knowledge of the outside world to prepare you to lead the circle as a sovereign.
| 4 | Your circle became too large. You are looking for the perfect place to spread your reproduction spores and found a new circle. | 
| 5| You slew a fellow myconid. Whatever your reason, such an act cannot be allowed to taint the meld, so you were banished. 
| 6| You met an outsider taking shelter in your circle's grove who regaled you with tales of the outside world. You decided to leave and see what else the world offers. |

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## 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 traveler offered hospitality in their grvoes. Others adopt mushroom-related vocabulary that they fine pleasant.

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

## Myconid Traits

Myconids possess a diverse variety of physical features, but they all share a few core traits.

**Ability Score Increase.** Your Constitution score increases by 2.

**Age.** Myconids grow quickly, reaching maturity by the age of four and living just under a quarter of a century. A myconid sovereign lives far longer, and their lifespan is unknown.

**Size.** Myconids vary incredibly in size, which is determined by their age and circle.

**Speed.** Your walking speed is 20 feet.

**Darkvision.** Raised in the dimmest of forests and the isolated depths of the Underdark, all myconids have some limited ability to see in the dark. 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.

**Sun Sickness.** You have disadvantage on attack rolls and Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Perception checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

**Fungal Form.** You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and resistance to poison damage.

**Rapport Spores.** Myconids do not use language naturally. You may communicate telepathically with all creatures within twenty feet, provided that creature knows at least one language and has an Intelligence of 2 or higher. You are not, however, nonverbal; myconids still hum, whistle, and grumble, which forms the verbal components for your spells. You can still speak telepathically if you are silenced, but you may not cast spells with a verbal component.

**Reproduction Spores.** If you are an adult, you can produce spores to create more myconids. If planted in a damp, nutrient-rich environment such as compost or a rotting log and kept away from sunlight, these spores may grow into more myconids. It takes four years to mature from immobile sprout to mobile sprout to adult.

**Hybrid Nature.** You have two creature types: humanoid and plant. You can be affected by a game effect if it works on either of your creature types.

**Subrace.** Choose from one of the following circles: Growth, Sporemaster, Animation, or Compost. You gain additional features and traits based on which you chose.

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#### Growth 
The oldest and mightiest of the fungal ones, Growth Myconids labor in gardens of fungi and construct homes of hollowed puffballs or giant zurkhwood. Gentle giants, they are responsible for protecting delicate and precious myconid sprouts, and are the first line of defense when controlled plants and spore servants are exhausted. Preferring great old-growth forests filled with mists and fog, these myconids are quiet sentinels of their homes hidden by the trunks of ancient trees.

***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 medium. Only your slow speed prevents you from controlling the space a large-sized creature does.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Strength score increases by 1.

***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 may also apply this feature to up to ten allied creatures during a short rest, spreading the great vitality of your mycelium to other creatures. Once you use this feature on other creatures, you may not do so again until you complete a long rest.

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***Powerful Build.*** You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

***Language.*** You can read, understand, and write Sylvan. You cannot speak it.

#### Sporemaster
The wielders of the most powerful of the myconids' spores, Sporemasters are responsible for facilitating melds, the most vital part of a myconid's daily life. Intuitive and wise, they serve as some of the most important members of a myconid circle. A sporemaster leaving the circle indicates a great disturbance or terrible tragedy.

***Size.*** Despite their importance, sporemasters are comparatively tiny, sacrificing size for utility in their spores. Your height ranges from 2 to 4 feet, and your size is small.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Wisdom score increases by 2.

***Spores.*** As you level up, you grow in size and gain access to more powerful spores. If your spore's effects require a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. You may use each spore option once per long rest.

##### Sporemaster Progression
| Level  | Spore | Spore Effect |
|:---:|:----------:| :--- | 
|  1  | Distress | When you take damage, all allied creatures within 240 feet are alerted.| 
|  1  | Hallucination |As an action, target a single creature within 5 feet of you. It must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned and incapacitated for for 1 minute.  The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effects on itself on a success.  |
|  3  | Reproduction | All adult myconids use reproduction spores, but you can also drop these spores when you die, which can be used to regrow you from a sprout. The sprout retains your class features, proficiencies, and mental ability scores, but not your movement, size, or physical ability scores. After 1 week of growth you are restored to your original form. |
|  5  | Pacifying | As an action, target a single creature within 5 feet of you. It must make a 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 on itself on a success. |

***Fungal Alchemy.*** Sporemasters have an innate understanding of alchemy, often using their spores as ingredients. You gain proficiency in Alchemists' Supplies.

#### Animation

The Animation myconids possess the most fearsome aspect of Myconid abilities: animating corpses. Releasing potent spores that take root in the bodies of defeated foes or scavenged cadavers, animation myconids manipulate the bodies in a horrific facsimile of life and wield them as the frontline of defense whenever circles are attacked.

***Size.*** Preferring to avoid the frontline of defense in order to control spore servants, Animation Melds stand slightly smaller than most adults, between 4 and 5 feet tall. Your size is medium.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Charisma score increases by 1.

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***Superior Darkvision.*** Your Darkvision has a radius of 120 feet.

***Animating Spores.*** As an action, you may target the body of a Large or smaller creature that had a CR no higher than 1/4 your level. That creature is raised as a spore servant, acting on your initiative and following your orders. The spore servant exists for 1d4+1 weeks, or until destroyed. Elementals, oozes, undead, constructs, and plants cannot become Spore Servants. You may have up to 2 spore servants under your control at any one time, and cannot create any more until one is destroyed.

***Language.*** You can read, understand, and write Undercommon. You cannot speak it.

<div class='descriptive'>
 
 ##### Spore Servant Template 
 ***Retained characteristics.*** Spore servants retain their AC, hit points, Hit Dice, Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, vulnerabilities, resistances, and immunities. 
 
 ***Lost Characteristics.*** The servant loses their original saving throw and skill bonuses, special sense, and special traits, as well as any actions that aren't Multiattack or a melee weapon attack that deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. If those attack do not deal or deal additional damage of a type not bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing, that damage is lost, unless it originates from a piece of equipment, such as a magical item. 
 
***Type.*** The creature's type becomes Plant and it loses any tags.

***Alignment.*** The servant is unaligned.

***Speed.*** Reduce all the servant's speeds by 10 feet, to a minimum of 5 feet.

***Ability Scores.*** The servant's Intelligence becomes 2 (-4), its Wisdom 6 (-2), and its Charisma 1 (-5).

***Senses.*** The servant has blindsight with a radius of 30 feet and is blind beyond that radius.

***Condition Immunities.*** The servant can't be blinded, charmed, frightened, or paralyzed.

***Languages.*** The servant loses all known languages, but responds to orders given to it via rapport spores. The servants gives the highest priority to orders received from the most powerful mcyonid.

***Attacks*** If the servant has no other means of dealing damage, it can use its fists or limbs to make unarmed strikes. On a hit, the unarmed strike deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + the servant's Strength modifier, or, if the servant is Large, 2d4 + its Strength modifier. 
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#### Compost 
Careful maintainers of life, death, decay, and growth, the compost meld breaks down organic material into a form that other myconids can easily digest. They also excrete a toxic slime over every part of their bodies save their hands, which provides them a with a potent source of defense should they require it. Responsible for the health and nourishment of a circle, they are the most common type of myconid.

***Size.*** Compost myconids are of average adult size, standing between 6 and 8 feet tall. Your size is medium.

***Ability Score Improvement.*** Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

***Toxic Body.*** Your body secrets a poisonous substance that breaks down flesh. Any creature that touches you with bare skin, successfully grapples you, is grappled by you, or damages you with a melee attack using natural weapons takes 1d4 poison damage. A creature that damages you with a bite attack takes 2d4 poison damage, and a creature that  swallows you takes 10 damage every time you begin your turn inside them. Your hands do not secrete this material, and your unarmed strikes do not benefit from this feature.

***Walking Blight.*** You ignore difficult terrain created by plants, which rot and wilt around you. Any plant-based difficult terrain you pass through ceases to be difficult terrain. You also have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks against plants and those who rely heavily upon them.

***Enrich the Land.*** You know the spell *Plant Growth* and may cast it once per long rest, though you may only use its eight-hour casting effect until you reach level five. You may also cast *Speak With Plants* once per long rest upon reaching level five, and *Druid Grove* once per long rest upon reaching level eleven. Plants created by spells granted by this feature are exclusively hearty mushrooms, rather than native plants more suited to the region.

> ##### Artist Credits
> In order of appearance: Michael D. Clarke, Grecia Frangos, HarHolPenRPG, Emma Lazauski, Ean Moody, Artsed

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