Coprids
by Cab Davidson
Armour Class: 9
Hit Dice: 7*
Move: 60(20)
Attacks: 1 weapon or special
Damage: By weapon+1 or poison
Number Appearing: 1d8 (20d10)
Save As: Fighter 1
Morale: 8 (12)
Treasure Type: Zero (M)
Intelligence: 9
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 850
Typically inhabitants of shallow caves, especially numerous in the Broken Lands but found all over Mystara, the Coprids appear to be completely harmless. They are tall (8-9) tall white, shaggy creatures with legs completely covered by tall, almost tubular caps with domed tops. How they perceive their surroundings is unclear, but they have excellent all round vision and can hear noise as if a 15th level thief.
Generally speaking, a Coprid myconid is a friendly fellow, quite willing to sit and talk with any who pass along their way. They dont seek conflict, and rarely fight anything unless provoked. For as long as you do not appear to be helpless, you are safe from a Coprid. However, should you pass out or succumb to any form of paralysis you are in extreme danger if you are anywhere near a Coprid they will, upon finding any helpless creature, perform an coup de grace and carry it back to their home Myconoid for digestion.
And the Coprids are not without involvement in creatures passing through their territories becoming helpless. The Myconoid constantly produces small (1 to 2), sticky, almost invisible jelly like balls that contain poison and powerful digestive enzymes. Coprid myconids are immune to this poison, and hide the balls all over their territories and hunting grounds. Anyone passing through Coprid territory without any protection from poison is likely to come into contact with such balls. The DM must roll 1d6 every turn that characters are passing through Coprid hunting grounds, and on a roll of 1 or 2 the character must make a save vs. poison with a -2 penalty. If they fail, they become paralysed for 1d6 turns, and the digestive enzymes in the ball inflict 1d6 damage to the character per turn. Once two or more members of a party are paralysed, Coprid myconids will try to drive any accompanying characters away so that they can take the fallen back to their myconoid.
Coprids consider themselves the guardians of the subterranean fungal forests in which they reside, and while they dont prevent creatures grazing on the other mushrooms (being predators themselves, they understand this) they will aggressively defend their homes from the ingress of dangerous humanoids. Wise Orcish chieftains know to lay tribute of the bodies of fallen foes to appease the Coprids. The great enemies of the Coprids are dwarves, who hunt Coprids and invariably try to destroy entire myconoids.
Coprids fight to the death to protect their territories, in which their myconoids reside, but when outside this territory their morale is 8. An old Coprid, reaching the end of its life, will plant its toes at the edge of myconoids territory and, over 2-3 days, slowly turn in to an inky, wet mass, turning most of its body in to a wet, spore filled ink. This can be used as a component in magical inks, and is sought after by wizards.
(the science but - the shaggy ink cap, Coprinus comatus, is often a very abundant wild mushroom. And its truly delicious, but has a ridiculously short shelf life once picked. And yes, they really are active and voracious hunters, killing and devouring nematodes. There are various forms of nematophagy in fungi, this isn't even one of the weird ones See: here)