Zombie Fungoid

The zombie fungoid is an insidious parasite that spreads through the world by infecting living creatures. These living creatures spend days slowly perishing as their nervous system is attacked until they perish. All that remains is the fungus releasing chemicals that wash their mind, forcing it to continue even in death, seeking new hosts for the fungus to attack and grow within, spreading its horrific spores.

While this fungus rarely makes its way into villages or cities, as the hosts quickly succumb to the parasite and forget how to find their way home, when it does, it is often a catastrophe. It only takes a single person to succumb to the fungus before it begins attacking any living creature it finds, infecting them with either its bite or by explosively releasing spores, infecting any who have any open wounds, even small cuts from a thorn are enough for someone to risk infection.

Whole villages might disappear within a week of one person turning into a fungoid, with any survivors likely carriers of the plague to nearby settlements where the cycle repeats. When other settlements hear reports of this parasite spreading in the nearby area, they often refuse entry to outsiders, or if they allow them in, they check the throat carefully, looking for any blemishes or red spots.

Red Throated. An infected creature is typically easy to spot thanks to the massive, red pustules that cover its throat. This is where the fruit of the fungus resides, as the fungus continues to infect a creature, it produces more and more spores that it packs in these pustules under extreme pressure until its host either dies or the fungus causes the creature's throat to suddenly explode, bursting the pustules and spraying the spores on living creatures. This instantly kills the host, but by that point, the host is typically used up and is no longer a suitable vessel for the fungus.

Zombie Plague. Throughout the jungles where this parasite thrives, zombie animals are the ones most likely to be infected by this plague. Beasts small and huge may be infected by the spores, and then slowly take control of the host. Even powerful dragons have fallen to the spores, creating a flying menace that can sweep across a jungle and attack large settlements. When an especially dangerous creature is taken over by spores, inhabitants have little choice but to summon adventurers to destroy the infected creature before it can spread its awful spores.

Failing to do so results in a large mass of zombie-like beasts, monstrosities, humanoids, and more who must spread further and further out of the jungle in search of living creatures to infect, pushed forward by the single-minded purpose of the parasitic fungus. These fungus hosts stop at nothing to spread their spores, even destroying themselves in a desperate attempt to continue their spread.

Undead Nature. A fungoid doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep. A fungoid typically can survive for several weeks before the body decomposes so much that it can no longer move, at which point its speed is reduced to 0 and it can no longer take any action except its Neck Pustule action. A fungoid can take this action even years after it has decomposed enough to be just a pile of bones and is a horrific, naturally occurring trap that many explorers must contend with in the deep jungle.

Zombie Fungoid

An infected creature can not regain hit points except through magical means like the cure wounds spell. Every 24 hours after infection, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, their hit points and hit point maximum are reduced by a number of d6s equal to the attacker's Proficiency Bonus. This damage can not be reduced in any way. Once a creature's maximum hit points are reduced to 0, the creature dies and in 1 hour, rises as a Fungoid.

The infection can be cured if the creature succeeds on three consecutive saving throws or is the target of a lesser restoration spell or similar effect that removes disease.

Green Dragon Wyrmling Fungoid

Medium Undead, Unaligned

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• Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16)
• Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft., swim 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)	3 (-4)	11 (+0)	13 (+1)

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• Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +4, Wis +2, Cha +3
• Skills Perception +4, Stealth +3
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Blindsight 10 ft., Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
• Languages Understands Draconic but can't speak
• Challenge 3 (700 XP)                 Proficiency Bonus +2

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Amphibious. The fungoid can breathe air and water.

Actions

Multiattack. The dragon makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its slam.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become infested with a disease - zombie fungoid.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

Neck Pustule (1/Life). The fungoid's large red bulge on its throat explodes, instantly killing the fungoid, and spraying spores in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area, that doesn't have all of its hit points, must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 7 (2d6) poison damage and is infected with zombie fungoid, see Bite for more information.

Poison Breath (Recharge 5–6). The fungoid exhales poisonous gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Zombie Fungoid

An infected creature can not regain hit points except through magical means like the cure wounds spell. Every 24 hours after infection, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, their hit points and hit point maximum are reduced by a number of d6s equal to the attacker's Proficiency Bonus. This damage can not be reduced in any way. Once a creature's maximum hit points are reduced to 0, the creature dies and in 1 hour, rises as a Fungoid.

The infection can be cured if the creature succeeds on three consecutive saving throws or is the target of a lesser restoration spell or similar effect that removes disease.

Tyrannosaurus Rex Fungoid

Huge Undead, Unaligned

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• Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 161 (14d12 + 70)
• Speed 50 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
27 (+8)	10 (+0)	21 (+5)	2 (-4)	12 (+1)	9 (-1)

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• Skills Perception +5
• Senses passive Perception 15
• Languages --
• Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)              Proficiency Bonus +4

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Actions

Multiattack. The fungoid makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail. It can't make both attacks against the same target.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 34 (4d12 + 8) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 18). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the fungoid can't bite another target. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or become infested with a disease - zombie fungoid.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage.

Neck Pustule (1/Life). The fungoid's large red bulge on its throat explodes, instantly killing the fungoid, and spraying spores in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area, that doesn't have all of its hit points, must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 14 (4d6) poison damage and is infected with zombie fungoid, see Bite for more information.