Glog Class: FUNGAL HIVE COLONY v.2

‘Attention: the sealed vessel containing Strain XV-86 has been breached. All personnel are to affix their respirators and locate a secure area to barricade themselves immediately. Do not let anyone in. Do not trust your fellow employees. Help is on the way.’ (click, short pause, voice quieter this time) ‘No. There’s nothing we can do. It’s XV-86. They’re all fucked. We’ve got to seal the place up and bury it.’
-Excerpt from a recording transcribed from a holy relic uncovered by the Silver Stream Tribe, said to be a message from cryptic gods.

...

The tunnels and vaults below the Disreputable Wasteland have become a perfect breeding ground for increasingly eccentric strains of fungi. One of these strains lies in wait, infesting hapless explorers searching for treasure. Then, it gradually unlocks their old neural pathways and learns to turn the body into a puppet. One the integration is complete, the newly formed Colony heads to the surface, ready to explore the wondrous Realms Above for the good of Funguskind. 

 

(Keep this class a secret from your players until one of them has the (mis)fortune of being infested by Fungal Strain XV-86. From now on, whenever they level up, instead of choosing a class template they must gain a template of Fungal Hive Colony. If a character wants to start as a Fungal Hive Colony, then you can have Fungal Hive Colony replace their starting class, and they start with the first template.)

  

  

Grotesque Appearance: each template of Fungal Hive Colony gives you a cumulative -1 (or +1, whichever makes it worse) to disposition rolls.

 

Infestation Stage 1 (A) Speak with Fungi, Spore Cloud, Regrowth

Infestation Stage 2 (B) Communication Spores, Mycelia

Infestation Stage 3 (C) Empathy Spores, Hive Form

Infestation Stage 4 (D) Animation Spores, Apotheosis

 

SPEAK WITH FUNGI: You can communicate with any form of fungi, though their helpfulness is proportional to their intelligence score.

 

SPORE CLOUD: You can jet forth dense clouds of harmless spores that obscure vision, concealing those inside. The clouds smell faintly of lilac and rotting meat. Those affected may become distracted or startled by the sudden cloud. You and other fungi can see though these spores easily.

 

REGROWTH: Your simple structure allows you to heal naturally at twice the normal rate, and a lost limb will naturally regrow after a month.

 

COMMUNICATION SPORES: You can infest a target with tiny, harmless spores that allow you and the target to communicate telepathically. You can only have one target infested with these spores at a time.

 

MYCELIA: You can extend (or retract) tiny but strong mycelial threads from your limbs. You can manipulate them as dextrously as fingers. These can extend up to 15’. They are not strong enough to make effective melee attacks. You can also root yourself to a surface, anchoring yourself but losing all movement while rooted.

 

EMPATHY SPORES: Once per day, you can spray a cloud of spores that causes all affected to make a save, or feel the same emotions that you are feeling. This effect lasts for 10 minutes.

 

HIVE FORM: At this point, you are no longer recognizably human. Your head has become a hive mass that can see in all directions at once can’t be snuck up on. You also no longer need to sleep. Also, you can mentally sense fungi and speak with them psychically.

 

ANIMATION SPORES: Once per day, you can infest a dead body with your spores. Doing so will turn it into a Lesser Colony that is at your command. Lesser Colonies have 2 HD and unarmored AC. They do not feel pain or fear and do not need to sleep. If you die, you can transfer your consciousness to one of your lesser colonies. When you do, place a tally next to Apotheosis.

 

APOTHEOSIS: (The version of this class that you show your players should not have this class feature on it. Only show the player this once they gain their 4^th Fungal Hive Colony template.) Every week, make a save with +1 to the result equal to the amount of Lesser Colonies at your command, and +1 to the result for every time you’ve died and transferred consciousness. If you fail, you and your Lesser Colonies merge to become a massive, disgusting megacolony under the control of the GM, with HD equal to the combined HD of the Lesser Colonies at your command + your level. It is rooted to the area and emits massive clouds of contagious spores that infest the surrounding land. Congratulations, you have achieved your destiny and grown to become a regional disaster!