Agarican (3.5e Template)



= Name::Agarican =

Summary::Fungal creatures with large mushrooms growing from their bodies, they are the possessed bodies of other races. Odd patches and growth appear on those affected, a fungus which slowly eats away at the brain until the fungus becomes self aware and takes over. The creature's biology shifts, they turn a bit pale, their blood turns blue, and while they look the same (mostly) as their base creature, their personality has shifted to a new person entirely. Often a 'mushroom cap' will grow somewhere on the head of the subject. Creatures who by some means or another are infected by another Agarican creature become Agaricans themselves via the spores they produce. Fortunately it takes some effort to have enough spores to pose a threat.

While it is considered a disease and a danger, Agaricans who have thusly become possessed by their new personalities enjoy the newfound mobility as a half plant half animal creature. They treat themselves as their own separate race of mushroom people, regardless what form their bodies may take.

Creating a Agarican
"Agarican" is an acquired template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

An agarican uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to plant. Do not recalculate the creature’s Hit Dice, base attack bonus, or saves. Size is unchanged.

Special Attacks
Spore: (Ex): While not actually an attack, it is often used as one. The method of reproduction for agarican is by releasing a cloud of spores which act as a poison. A power comes from the headcap of the agracian in a 10 ft cloud around them 2/week. It incurs a Fortitude save DC (10 + 1/2 HD + Con) against catching Agaric Spore disease, which occurs immediately with no incubation time. The spore cloud hangs around for 1d4 rounds or until dispersed.

Those who fall ill with the critical version of the disease slowly begin the transformation into an Agarican creature themselves. See Agaric Spore disease for more details.

Special Qualities
An agarican has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities.


 * Low-light vision.
 * Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
 * Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning.
 * Not subject to critical hits.
 * As plants they breathe and eat, but do not sleep.

In addition they may Speak With Plants 1/day (fungi only) at caster level 1.

Abilities
Change from the base creature as follows: Wis +2, Cha -2. Being fungi they are socially stunted and have weird ways of thinking as they are prone to bouts of mild insanity, but are very aware of themselves, as the actual creature in control covers every nerve in its host's body.

Environment
While an agarican creature generally remains in its normal locale, it tends to seek moist, dark areas in its environment, if available. Staying in a hot open sun, while not harmful, is generally annoying and as a result most desert creatures are not subject to become an Agarican.

Organization
An agarican society exists, gathering the misfits from around the world as they spawn. However, they keep a low profile and stay in the shadows as their kind is typically seen as nothing more than a dangerous, mind altering disease. There is rumor of a particularly aggressive agarican who seeks to unite the rest of his fungi brethren and spread their 'gift' actively.

Challenge Rating
As base creature CR::+1.

Alignment
With the personality shift comes often a change in alignment. While agarican are as varied as humans in terms of alignment, typically an agarican starts off as neutral, with a fresh mind ready to accept input from the world. Its original creature's alignment may sway the starting alignment and behavior of the newly aware fungus as appropriate.

Level Adjustment
Same as base creature +Level Adjustment::1.