Ascomid
At first, an ascomoid’s movement is slow – 3 for the first round, 6 the next, then 9, then finally 12 – but they can keep it up for hours without tiring.
Ascomoids are huge, puffball-like fungi with very thick, leathery skin. They move by rolling.
Charging Roll: Ascomoids attack by rolling into or over opponents. Small- and medium-sized opponents are knocked down and must rise during the next round or remain prone.
Spore Cloud: The creature’s surface is covered with numerous pocks which serve as sensory organs. Each pock can also emit a jet of spores to attack dangerous enemies. Large opponents or those who have inflicted damage upon the ascomoids are always attacked by spore jets. The stream of spores is about one foot in diameter and 30 feet long. Upon striking, the stream puffs into a cloud of variable diameter (five to 20 feet). The creatures under attack must roll a successful saving throw vs. poison or die from infection in their internal systems in 1d4 rounds. Even those who save are blinded and choked to such an extent that they require 1d4 rounds to recover and rejoin melee. Meanwhile, they are nearly helpless, and all attacks upon them gain a +4 bonus to attack rolls with no shield or Dexterity bonuses allowed.
Different types of weapons affect the ascomoid differently. Piercing weapons, such as spears, score double damage. Shorter stabbing weapons do damage as if against a small-sized opponent. Blunt weapons do not harm ascomoids; slashes and cuts from edged weapons cause only 1 point of damage.
An ascomoid saves against magical attacks, such as magic missiles, fireballs, and lightning, with a +4 bonus to the saving throw; damage is only 50% of normal. (Cold-based attacks are at normal probabilities and damage.) As these fungi have no minds by ordinary standards, all spells affecting the brain (charm, ESP, etc.), unless specific to plants, are useless.
Special Advantages
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Special Disadvantages
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