Ghost Shroom

A patch of black mushrooms that behaves as undead, subsisting on dead flesh

Basic Fantasy Field Guide Omnibus

Armor Class	12
Hit Dice	4 (main stalk), 2 (small stalk)
Number Appearing	1 main stalk + 1d8-1 small stalks
Attacks	1 per patch
Damage	1d4 + special
Movement	0'
Save As	Fighter: 4
Morale	12
XP	240
Treasure Type	U

Ghost Shrooms appear as a patch of black mushrooms growing underground. A conical cap sits upon a main stalk from which mycelia extend to smaller stalks, which might be as far as 20 feet from the main stalk. The largest stalk stands three feet tall.

This fungus is strange, seemingly a natural living group of mushrooms but behaving and being detected as a form of undead. Indeed, ghost shrooms can subsist only on dead flesh, which they collect by entangling and constricting living beings until unconscious and then infiltrating them with strands of mycelia (the fungal equivalent of plant roots).

Though a group of ghost shrooms is technically a single entity, the main stalk and each subordinate stalk are given their own hit dice and hit points. Destroying a small stalk does not affect the rest of the patch, but destroying the main stalk results in the smaller stalks ceasing to attack for 1d4 rounds. Entangled creatures are still held but the per-round damage is not applied for this duration. Then, one of the remaining stalks becomes the main stalk (though its statistics do not change right away) and the patch resumes hostilities. If the ghost shroom patch survives such a confrontation, the new main stalk will gain 1 hit die per week until it reaches 4 hit dice. New small stalks can be spawned at a rate of one per month any time the main stalk has its full 4 hit dice.

Special Abilities

Surprise: The ghost shroom remains motionless until it suddenly attacks, thus surprising on a roll of 1-3 on 1d6.

Entangle: A successful attack effectively entangles the victim in a sticky goo. Every round thereafter, the stem presses downward, doing an additional 1d4 points of damage. A victim may attempt to escape with a save vs. Death Ray (with Strength bonus added).

Spore Release: When the air around the Ghost Shroom is disturbed by living creatures, spores are released in the air that produce a sickly-sweet and dank aroma which attracts lesser undead such as skeletons (1d8 individuals) and zombies (1d6-1 individuals). These monsters are compelled to seek to grapple nearby living creatures and drag or push them into the ghost shroom clumps.

Vulnerable to Undead Effects: A ghost shroom is vulnerable to many things that affect undead, including a scroll of protection from undead for example. They can be Turned by a Cleric, with the following special effects: The main stalk is a 4 hit die creature, and the smaller stalks are 2 hit dice each. A smaller clump is outright destroyed by a successful Turn, while the main stem, if successfully Turned (but not destroyed), becomes dormant for at least 2d4 hours. As usual, apply Turning affects to the lowest hit dice first.