Zuggtmoy

Lady of Fungi Demon, Queen of Fungi, Lady of Rot and Decay

Overview

The Demon Queen of Fungi has many traits similar to those of Juiblex. Some sages believe she is the originator of all fungi and molds, from the mushrooms that grow in the forest to the deadliest forms of yellow mold. Those who study demons argue that Zuggtmoy isn’t merely a patron of fungi, and that her ultimate goal is to meld all living creatures into one great organism, an entity that she will then join with and rule over.

Cultists

Most of Zuggtmoy’s cultists are hapless mortals that have been infested with the demonic spores she cultivates in the fungi she created. The spores slowly devour these creatures’ brains, leaving them with enough functionality to spread malevolent fungi but robbing them of the will to turn against their master.
A few mortals freely enter her service. Most are druids who want to exterminate civilization and replace it with wild plants and fungus, or deluded, power-hungry individuals who believe that they would retain their identities while they bring others under Zuggtmoy’s thrall. Zuggtmoy allows these zealots to retain their existing forms if doing so furthers her aims and helps to spread her children far and wide, but they are destined for the same fate as all the others.

Zuggtmoy's Lair

Zuggtmoy’s principal lair is her palace on Shedaklah. It consists of two dozen mushrooms of pale yellow and rancid brown. These massive fungi are some of the largest in existence. They are surrounded by a field of acidic puffballs and poisonous vapors. The mushrooms are all interconnected by bridges of shelf-fungi, and countless chambers have been hollowed out inside their rubbery, fibrous stalks.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Zuggtmoy can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects; she can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Zuggtmoy causes four gas spores or violet fungi to appear in unoccupied spaces that she chooses within the lair. They vanish after 1 hour.
• Up to four plant creatures that are friendly to Zuggt­moy and that Zuggtmoy can see can use their reactions to move up to their speed and make one weapon attack.
• Zuggtmoy uses either her Infestation Spores or her Mind Control Spores, centered on a mushroom or other fungus within her lair, instead of on herself.

Regional Effects

The region containing Zuggtmoy’s lair is warped by her magic, creating one or more of the following effects:

• Molds and fungi grow on surfaces within 6 miles of the lair, even where they would normally find no purchase.
• Plant life within 1 mile of the lair becomes infested with parasitic fungi, slowly mutating as it is overwhelmed.
• If a humanoid spends at least 1 hour within 1 mile of the lair, that creature must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or descend into a madness determined by the table below. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw can’t be affected by this regional effect again for 24 hours.

If Zuggtmoy dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.

Madness of Zuggtoy

If a creature goes mad in Zuggtmoy’s lair or within line of sight of the demon lord, roll on the table below to determine the nature of the madness, which is a character flaw that lasts until cured.

d100	Flaw (lasts until cured)
1-20	“I see visions in the world around me that others do not.”
21-40	“I periodically slip into a catatonic state, staring off into the distance for long stretches at a time.”
41-60	“I see an altered version of reality, with my mind convincing itself that things are true even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.”
61-80	“My mind is slipping away, and my intelligence seems to wax and wane.”
81-100	“I am constantly scratching at unseen fungal infections.”

Zuggtmoy CR: 23 (50,000 XP)

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

Armor Class: 18

Hit Points: 304 (32d10 + 128)

Speed: 30 ft

STR

22 +6

DEX

15 +2

CON

18 +4

INT

20 +5

WIS

19 +4

CHA

24 +7

Saving Throws: Dex +9, Con +11, Wis +11

Skills: Perception +11

Damage Resistances: Cold, Fire, Lightning

Damage Immunities: Poison, as well as Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhausted, Frightened, Poisoned

Senses: Truesight 120 feet, Passive Perception 21

Languages: All, Telepathy 120 feet

Challenge Rating: 23 (50,000 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. Zuggtmoy’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

• At will: detect magic, locate animals or plants, ray of sickness
• 3/day each: dispel magic, ensnaring strike, entangle, plant growth
• 1/day each: etherealness, teleport

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Zuggtmoy fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Zuggtmoy has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. Zuggtmoy’s weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Multiattack. Zuggtmoy makes four pseudopod attacks.
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 feet, one target. Hit: 2d8 + 6 bludgeoning damage plus 2d8 poison damage.
Infestation Spores (3/Day). Zuggtmoy releases spores that burst out in a cloud that fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on her, and it lingers for 1 minute. Any flesh-and-blood creature in the cloud when it appears, or that enters it later, must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, the creature can’t be infected by these spores for 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature is infected with a disease called the spores of Zuggtmoy that lasts until the creature is cured of the disease or dies. While infected in this way, the creature can’t be reinfected, and it must repeat the saving throw at the end of every 24 hours, ending the infection on a success. On a failure, the infected creature’s body is slowly taken over by fungal growth, and after three such failed saves, the creature dies.
Mind Control Spores (Recharge 5-6). Zuggtmoy releases spores that burst out in a cloud that fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on her, and it lingers for 1 minute. Humanoids and beasts in the cloud when it appears, or that enter it later, must make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the creature can’t be infected by these spores for 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature is infected with a disease called the influence of Zuggtmoy for 24 hours. While infected, the creature is charmed by her and can’t be reinfected by these spores.

Reactions

Protective Thrall. When Zuggtmoy is hit by an attack, one creature within 5 feet of Zuggtmoy that is charmed by her must use its reaction to be hit by the attack instead.

Legendary Actions

Zuggtmoy can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Zuggtmoy regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Attack. Zuggtmoy makes one Pseudopod attack.
Exert Will. One creature charmed by Zuggtmoy that she can see must use its reaction to move up to its speed as she directs or to make a weapon attack against a target that she designates.

Alignment

Chaotic Evil

Gender

Female