New Race: Mushroomfolk

[starwoof]

Mushroomfolk
In the deep, magical forests of the world, many strange creatures are found. Some of the stranger creatures are the mushroomfolk.

Appearance
Mushroomfolk stand from 3'0" to 3'6" and weigh about 35 Ibs. They have thick bodys, shaped like squat toadstools, and a cap ont heir head, with its color being red, blue, or green, usually with white spots. They have black eyes set high on their body, just under the cap, and wide mouths just below that. They have thick arms set just below the eyes and squat legs.

Mushroomfolk Lands
Mushroomfolk live in many of the forests of the world. In the deepest part of the forest of Keleria they populate the fairy court. In the southern part of the continent they inhabit the forest of light, Illuminoriden alongside the high elves. Far to the north they inhabit the continent Gobbinholm in the southern valleys.

Personality and Relations
The mushroomfolk of Keleria are polite and helpful to those that come from the forest, but rude and occasionaly violent against outsiders. The folk of Illuminoriden tend to be in the employ of the elven lords as border guards, launching clouds of spores at the first sign of invaders, which can be detected by the elven wardens. In Gobbinholm they are violent and unforgiving to any outsider to invade their forest homes. This is due to constant hobgoblin raids.
Mushroomfolk reproduce with spores. Once every year a mushroomfolk cn release a cloud of reproductive spores. It takes 2 years for these spores to grow into full adult mushroomfolk.

Alignment
Mushroomfolk tend towards neutral allignments.

Religion
The mushroomfolk worship Obad-Hai, god of nature. There are few clerics among them, but many druids, and they provide all of the spiritual guidance for the people as a whole.

Language
Mushroomfolk speak sylvan. Their voices can range from very deep to very high pitched, with no way to determine why. Mushroomfolk also have their own language which consists of wails, flapping arms, and and running around in circles. Mushroomfolk looks very silly to those that dont understand it.

-2 dex, +2 con. Mushroomfolk are stout and tough, but are less mobile than other races.
Type: Plant
Small size
Land speed 20 ft
Stability: A mushroomfolk gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
Spores: Mushroomfolk constantly leave behind an invisible cloud of spores. These subtract 5 from the DC to track a mushroomfolk. Other mushroomfolk can detet these spores automatically. A mushroomfolk can launch a special spore cloud, chosen from this list:
Reproductive: The spores from this cloud will grow into new mushroomfolk if the conditions are right. One cloud will produce 1d4-1 mushroomfolk that land in a 20 foot burst centered on the mushroomfolk. The spores must land in a wooded area. Fire will destroy the spores. This is usable 1/year.
Poisonous: These spores are a contact poison that deals 1d3 dex as primary damage, then another 1d3 dex as secondary damage. The save is equal to 10+half the mushroomfolks class level+con modifier. This affet is a 20 foot burst centered on the mushroomfolk. This is usable 2/day.
Alarm: This cloud is thick enough to be visible. It is a 20 ft burst around the mushroomfolk but the spores ride the wind and trvel long distances. Any creature downwind of the mushroomfolk can see the cloud. The cloud travels downwind for up to a mile before dissipating. This is usable 1/day, after which time the mushroomfolk is fatigued.
+10 on disguise checks when imitating giant toadstools.
+2 survival, +2 hide
Fire Vulnerability: mushroomfolk take double damage from fire.
Languages: Automatic: Sylvan, Mushroomfolk. Bonus Languages: Common, Elven, Gnomish, Goblin
Favored class: Druid


So? Thoughts, comments? Should that level adjustment be higher, lower, or stay the same? I was going to give them a few skill bonus but a)couldnt think of anything and b)I think I might have given them too much stuff.

[Leon]

Myconid's from MM2, although they didnt have anything to suggest what a PC Mushroom would be like.

looks intersting though

[Thrune]

I have a problem with the poison. To be precise, with most poisons the DC is based on con. What's the reason for this one being charisma-based?

On the balance front, I'm not sure if they deserve the LA, because I'm not sure how much the spores are worth.

[starwoof]

Wait, did I write cha? I meant con. Ill change it now.

Yeah, this race was partially inspired by myconids, but they dont make great PC races, so I made this. I think I may have to give them a str penalty because of their size and then add some other skills, maybe survival or hide. Oh wait, forgot a couple things...

EDIT: Okay, added str penalty, hide and survival bonus, and +10 disguise when immitating giant mushrooms.

[Splendor]

MYCONID
d20 System Conversion ©2002 Scott Greene

Small Plant
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +0 (Dex)
Speed: 20 ft
AC: 12 (+1 size, +1 natural)
Attacks: 2 slams +1 melee
Damage: 1d4-1
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spore cloud, acid skin
Special Qualities: Plant, sunlight vulnerability, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +4*, Move Silently +4
Climate/Terrain: Any underground
Organization: Patch (2-5) or cluster (7-12)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always lawful neutral
Advancement: 2 HD (Small); 3-4 HD (Medium-size); 5-6 HD (Large)

Myconids, or fungus men, are a race of intelligent fungi that live in remote reaches underground, far away from others. They are cautious creatures that deplore violence.
Myconids resemble humanoid toadstools. Small myconids stand 3 feet tall, Medium-sized myconids about 7 feet tall, and Large myconids about 10 feet tall. Their flesh is bloated and spongy and varies in color from purple to gray. Their wide feet have vestigial toes and their pudgy hands have two stubby fingers and a thumb on either side.
There is only ever one 6 HD per colony; he is the king and the leader of that myconid colony.
They have no spoken language and have a lifespan of 24 years.

COMBAT
Fungus men fight by clubbing with their hands.
Spore Cloud (Ex): Each spore cloud’s effect resembles a spell cast by an 8th-level sorcerer. All spore clouds have a save DC of 14 (where applicable). A myconid can use any spore cloud effect it has access to based on Hit Dice (so, a 3 HD myconid has access to the first three types of spore clouds). Each may be used once per day per HD of the myconid. So, a 3 HD myconid could use its distress cone, reproducer cone, and rapport cloud, each three times per day.
Distress: Cone, 120 feet, alerts all myconids in the area to danger or communicates a need for aid.
Reproducer: (2 HD myconids)—Cone, 30 feet, only emitted at the proper time for growing new myconids. Automatically ejected by a dying myconid. New myconids spring from the spores in 3d4 days.
Rapport: (3 HD myconids)—Line, 30 feet, target can communicate telepathically with the myconid that ejected the spores; Will save negates. The duration of this telepathy is 10 minutes per HD or the myconid.
Pacifier: (4 HD myconids)—Line, 40 feet, target is affected as if by a calm animals spell (even if the target is not one of the types the spell actually affects).
Unlike the actual spell effects, a creature affected, will not defend himself if attacked; Fortitude save negates.
Hallucinator: (5 HD myconids)—Line, 40 feet, causes confusion as the spell of the same name; Will save negates.
Animator: (6 HD myconids)—Line, 40 feet, only affects a dead creature; the affected creature will rise in 1d4 days as a 1 HD zombie, though it is not undead and cannot be turned. The corpse remains animated for 1d4+1 weeks before decaying and rotting away; Fortitude negates.
Acid Skin (Ex): Creatures attacking a myconid unarmed or with natural weapons take 1d4 points of acid damage each time their attacks hit. A myconid’s fists are not covered in this acid, therefore it does not deal acid damage when it hits with its slam attack.
Plant: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. Not subject to critical hits.
Sunlight Vulnerability (Ex): Exposure to sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) robs the myconid of one-third of its hit points each round until it is destroyed at the end of the third round.
Skills: Myconids receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks. *They receive a +5 racial bonus to hide checks when in forested or fungi covered surroundings.

MYCONID SOCIETY
Myconid society is based on "circles," extremely tight social groups that are linked by group work and melding sessions.
Each circle's day is rigidly structured: eight hours of rest, followed by eight hours of farming the fungus crops, followed by eight hours of melding. For the myconids, melding is entertainment, worship, and social interaction combined.
The fungus men gather in a tight circle and the elder myconid release rapport and hallucinatory spores. The entire group then merges into a collective telepathic hallucination for eight hours. Myconids consider this melding to be the reason for their existence. Only distress spores will bring a circle out of its meld before the eight hours have elapsed.
The myconid king is always the largest member of the colony and is the only member at the 6 Hit Dice level. It is also the only myconid that is not the member of a circle. The other myconids regard separation from the circles with horror and pity the lonely king. The leadership role is thought of as an unpleasant duty, almost a condemnation. However, when the old king dies, the strongest 5-Hit Dice myconid always assumes the role of the new king. The king must remain outside of circles to retain objectivity and to pay close attention to the duties of leadership. The king animates guardians for the colony so the myconids need not commit violence. It coordinates the work schedule and pays attention to affairs outside the colony that could affect the fungus men. The king also practices fungal alchemy, brewing special potions that may be useful in times of trouble.
In general, myconids are a peaceful race, desiring only to work and meld in peace. There are no recorded instances of disharmony, or any sort of violence or disagreement between myconids. If forced into combat, they avoid killing if at all possible; violence adversely affects their melding.
Alchemists have found a number of uses for myconid spores, typically in poisons and potions of delusion. Other than their potions, myconids produce little of value to humanoid creatures.

[Splendor]

How ever I've always like....

VEGEPYGMY
Small Plant
Hit Dice: 2d8 (8 hp)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft
AC: 16 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural)
Attacks: Claw +2 melee; or Medium size longspear +2 melee
Damage: Claw 1d4; or Medium-size longspear 1d6
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Special Qualities: Plant, immunity to piercing weapons, electrical immunity, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +0
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills: Hide +5*, Listen +4, Move Silently +5, Spot +4
Climate/Terrain: Warm forest and underground
Organization: Gang (4-9), band (10-100 plus 2-5 bodyguards of 3 HD each, 1 5 HD sub-chief, and 1 6 HD chief per 50 vegepygmies), warband (10-24 with 1-4 thornies), or tribe (30-300
plus 2-5 3 HD bodyguards, 1 5 HD sub-chief, and 1 6 HD chief per 50 vegepygmies, and 10-24 thornies)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-6 HD (Small)
The vegepygmy is the result of a victim slain by russet mold (q.v.). The lesser vegepygmies make up the
workers and guards of the tribe, while the greater vegepygmies are the chiefs and leaders. They appear as 3-foot tall, bipedal creatures with sharp thorny claws.
Their shoulders, abdomens, and limbs are fringed with leaf-like tendrils. Their heads have a topknot of leaves.
Vegepygmies do not speak, but do communicate with each other by tapping on their chests, or on trees or stones.
Combat
The vegepygmy attacks using either its claws or weapons, usually a longspear or club. They prefer a direct
frontal assault as opposed to an ambush or sneak attack.
Immunity to Piercing Weapons (Ex): Vegepygmies take no damage from piercing weapons.
Electrical Immunity (Ex): Vegepygmies take no damage from electricity.
Plant: Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. Not subject to critical hits and is immune to mind influencing attacks.
Skills: Vegepygmies receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks. *They
receive a +12 bonus to Hide checks when in a swampy or forested areas. The Vegepygmy first appeared in module S3 (Gary Gygax, 1980).

[AmoDman]

Wait, did I write cha? I meant con. Ill change it now.

Yeah, this race was partially inspired by myconids, but they dont make great PC races, so I made this. I think I may have to give them a str penalty because of their size and then add some other skills, maybe survival or hide. Oh wait, forgot a couple things...

EDIT: Okay, added str penalty, hide and survival bonus, and +10 disguise when immitating giant mushrooms.

The Spore ability is ok. Definitely would be a fun character/race to play, but from a stat standpoint I'm not really sure if that ability justifies TWO very important -'s (with only one +). Persnally, I'd say A. Knock off a negative or add a postive (couldn't imagine what, though) and B. Decrease the dex dmg to, like, D3 or something. Balances the ability w/only 1 stat - IMO.

[starwoof]

I have this annoying tendency to make races that are way too weak. I think that getting rid of the strength penalty and reducing the dex damage to d3 would work. So Im doing that now. Unless somebody can think of some fungus based ability to give them (good luck).

These are based on more than myconids, by the way.

1 part Myconid
1 part Mario Bros
1 part Maple Story
=
Mushroomfolk!

One of my friends described them as "ewok smurf goombas".

[bosssmiley]

http://www.phoenixthrone.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/cuteshroom.gif

I'd play one! If it was a cannibalistic multiclass barbarian/ranger 'shroom. ;D

Oh, image courtesy of Loserz (http://www.loserz.scribblekid.org/index.php?id=442 - link not worksafe).

[Kaerou]

Surely they would be plant type? Fungi do not have internal organs. I would personally make them plant type and give them maybe fire vulnerability or 15ft movement to balance it. The lack of some slots might also help to balance the plant type, like.. lack of necklace / helm slots.

[Renrik]

I've always held a special place in my heart for the myconid.

Probably because i grew up on a mushroom farm.

Not kidding. Seriously.

Oh, and never work in a shiitake room if you can help it. It's hideous.

[starwoof]

I've always held a special place in my heart for the myconid.

Probably because i grew up on a mushroom farm.

Not kidding. Seriously.

Oh, and never work in a shiitake room if you can help it. It's hideous.

:oYou grew up on a mushroom farm? Awesome!

In response to kobold:
I considered making them the plant type, but I didnt for some reason. I think Ill change it now. Ill give them fire vulnerability to balance it. I think I should point out that their head/cap thing is about the size of their body and they would require a specialy built helm.

[Shyftir]

I'm sorry this post is entirely unconstructive, but it had to be said.

"I'm sorry, Mario, But our princess is in another castle."

/me runs out of room laughing maniacally.

[ghost_warlock]

I've always held a special place in my heart for the myconid.

Probably because i grew up on a mushroom farm.

Not kidding. Seriously.

Oh, and never work in a shiitake room if you can help it. It's hideous.
No kidding, I lived in Colorado for 4 years just a couple miles from a "mushroom farm." The smell would accasionally drift over to where I lived and it was about lethal. What do they use for fertilizer, chum?

"Ah, nothing like the smell of rotting fish in the morning!"