Arthrobotryd
by Cab DavidsonArmour Class: 7
Hit Dice: 5**
Move: 240(80’)
Attacks: 1 weapon or special
Damage: By weapon+2 or special
Number Appearing: 1d8 (5d10)
Save As: Fighter 8
Morale: 8 (12)
Treasure Type: Zero (M)
Intelligence: 9
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 425
Now rare outside the Krugel Orc territories in the Hollow World, the Arthrobotryds are a fascinating people. They produce the largest of all Myconoids, which begin existence as amorphous, orange coloured blobs that only slowly raise above the sandy earth of their homelands. They slowly take the form of a sandy covered copy of whichever local humanoid is most numerous (and which has been observed by previous Myconids from the same Myconoid) upon the local mount of choice – in the Krugel lands they appear very like a Krugel orc on either a horse or lizard. Note that this is only an appearance, and no creature within 10’ of the Myconid would be convinced by the charade. The Myconid could not, for example, dismount; the humanoid and the mount are part of the same creature.
Arthrobotryds hunt in packs, using the most extraordinary tools to do so. They may form a sort of lance, extending almost instantly from their own bodies, and it can be used as a lance with a +2 bonus to damage, and they can charge into combat on the first round for double damage. They may likewise fashion swords and clubs from their own body mass. But their most feared attack is their myco-lasso. They form a looping, contractile filament that can be thrown at any target within 20’. That target, if it is the size of a bugbear or smaller, must make a save vs. paralysis or be trapped by the lasso. Once captured, the lasso starts releasing paralysing venom, and unless the victim can escape or be freed they must make a saving throw vs. paralysis each round or be paralysed. To free themselves from the lasso, a character must make an open doors roll (1d6+strength bonus, with a success only obtained with a 6 or more) to break the strands – it is not possible to wriggle free of the strands. Each round that the character struggles, the Arthrobotryd will continue to move, inflicting 1d4 damage to the victim as they are dragged along.
Once the victim stops struggling, the Arthrobotryd will absorb it into its own mycelium and return do the ground in which its own Mycronoid is growing, to re-fuse with the Myconoid, which will, over the course of many days, absorb the memories and whole body of said victim. The victim may be rescued at any point in the first 3 days – during that time they remain conscious and aware, as the Myconoid slowly probes its mind. Afterwards the Myconid re-emerges from the Myconoid, and awaits other Arthrobotryd Myconids to gather for the next great hunt.
Like all Myconids, the Arthrobotryds will defend their home myconoids to the death. The Myconoids of this species are more interested in knowledge than treasure, but from their numerous victims they grow to learn the value of treasure and will guard their treasures well, in the earth beneath them.
The science bit: Lasso using fungus? Yep. For real.