Chapter Eight: I Found it in the Crater
Fungus Fall The slowly decaying light of distant suns provides nourishment enough for simple life forms in airless voids between worlds. By necessity, this life is hardy, scrabbling for any bit of nutrition and energy available. If by chance a piece of such ravenous life were to find an area where harsh conditions did not hold it constantly in check . . . Following a meteorite impact, investigation of the cooling crater reveals a fibrous mass of red growth, scorched and mostly disintegrated. Brushing off the outer layers uncovers a small spore sac, successfully protected from the meteorite impact. If immediately disintegrated or otherwise destroyed, a great threat is averted (the spore has AC 5, hardness 20, fire, cold, and electricity resistance 20, and has 10 hit points). Once the spore is jostled by any living or formerly living material (such as cotton, wood, or even undead flesh), it begins to awaken, sensing potential nutrition. The spore splits wide to reveal a mass of snakelike rhizoids, each a couple feet long and a few inches thick, like malignant, animate mushrooms. The fungus has fruited. From now on, the fungus lives through its mobile rhizoids. It has a collective awareness, allowing it to respond to threats by massing its rhizoids to neutralize or quickly counter incursions against it. It has the ability to selfassemble individual rhizoids into one or more far larger creatures capable of feats impossible for individual rhizoids— but it only attempts self-assembly under the most dire threat. It prefers to eat. A rhizoid eats, then divides into two identical rhizoids. Those eat, divide, and so on, to perpetuity. Given sufficient food (any plant, animal, or otherwise organic material serves as food), a rhizoid splits once every hour. In a matter of days, these creatures could wipe out an area miles wide, eating it barren. The only thing rhizoids seem particularly vulnerable to is fire. They are crafty enough to burrow unseen through forest undergrowth, fleeing threats. The best way to contain or destroy fungus fall is to encounter it in an area where it cannot eat (such as a lifeless desert) or where it cannot spread far (such as an island). On worlds unlucky enough to be overrun by rhizoids, some
societies have mounted teams of “burners” who fight a constant action against the rhizomes. The League of Astronomers sends an agent who safely investigates a site of fungus fall, and comes away with a single rhizoid, safely ensconced in a smoky glass jar. Unfortunately, a spectacular series of misfortunes soon separates the agent from his sample—the PCs come across it in the loot of some NPC bandit or other thief. The words “Sample: Rhizoid” and “Deliver to League of Astronomers” are inked on the side of the jar. So far, it remains unopened. Individual Rhizoid: CR 1/2; Tiny plant; HD 1d8; hp 4; Init +0; Speed 10 feet, burrow 10 feet; AC 12 (+2 size); Attack +1 melee (1d4, bite); SA Eat anything, subdivide, group mind, self assemble; SQ Susceptible to fire (takes 50% more damage from fire), plant; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 11, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 9 Skills: Move Silently +5 Eat Anything (Ex): Anything living or formerly living is food to a rhizoid. Thus, it bites as easily into flesh as wood, ignoring hardness for items such as hide, leather, or wood, and ignoring the AC provided by hide or leather. Subdivide (Ex): After an hour in which a rhizoid has dealt at least 20 points of damage with its bite to any appropriate material, it divides into two identical rhizoids, each with all the abilities of the original. Group Intelligence (Su): Whenever five or more rhizoids come within 10 feet of each other, a node of the fungus’ mind comes alive. The overall mind has Intelligence 7, and can sense its surroundings through each individual rhizoid in range. The overall mind may exist as several nodes able to communicate telepathically—they coordinate activities(of the constituent rhizoids with the goal of bridging the gaps between them, if possible. Self Assemble (Ex): If the group mind brings together 200 rhizoids, various creatures can be formed through selfassembly. The most common self-assembled form, called the “body fungus,” resembles a vaguely humanoid shape composed of writhing rhizoids. Several creatures could form if sufficient rhizoids were available. It is possible that multiple body fungoids could selfassemble into an even greater entity. The Body Fungus: CR 8; Large plant; HD 8d8+48; hp 84; Init +0; Speed 30 feet; AC 25 (–1 size, +16 natural); Attack +12 melee (2d6+7 plus implanted rhizoid, slam); SA Implant rhizoid; SQ Fast healing 5, SR 18, susceptible to fire (takes
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