Ascomoid

This misshapen sphere of pale yellow-green fungus rolls with an unnerving speed, spewing clouds of foul spores as it advances.

Oversized fungi, ascomoids are frequently mistaken for giant puff balls until they begin to move, rolling toward any living prey that they sense. Once they have crushed the life out of a creature, they quickly move on, leaving spores behind in their victim’s body to grow new ascomoids. Ascomoids can grow to a width of 10 feet, but they rarely weigh more than 400 pounds.

While ascomoids require no light to grow, they do require a moist environment. They do not keep traditional lairs, but often wander the same areas over and over, littering these routes with the bones of past victims.

Although they are typically solitary creatures, ascomoids dwelling in areas of ample moisture with generous sources of food—or frequent unwitting passersby—sometimes form deadly clusters. Such colonies of these giant fungi often lurk in large caverns among other pallid vegetation. Given their ability to detect vibrations, the slightest quake or potential footfall sets them rolling, turning their cavernous lairs into churning meat grinders. Bounding about violently, groups of ascomoids sometimes take hours to settle back down, unable to distinguish between the movements of prey and the tumbling of their own kind. In some cases, ascomoids have been known to lair at the top of steep rises, crushing climbers as they roll in terrible fungal avalanches.

Those crushed by an ascomoid or who fall victim to an ascomoid’s spores face a revolting end, their bodies becoming hosts to quick-growing colonies of rampant fungi. Immature ascomoid mold sprouts quickly, typically appearing within 24 hours. After 48 hours, such victims become so overgrown with this furry, brown-green mold that they can no longer be restored to life by raise dead, as their bodies are too vitally pervaded and thoroughly consumed by the swiftly spreading mold. Within a month, a new ascomoid emerges from the foul mess.

Ascomoid CR 5

XP 1,600
N Large plant
Init +1; Senses tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+1 Dex, +7 natural, -1 size)
hp 52 (7d8+21)
Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +2
DR 10/piercing; Immune plant traits; Resist electricity 10, fire 10

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft.
Melee slam +8 (2d8+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks poison, spores, trample (2d8+6, DC 17)

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 13, Con 17, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +5; CMB +10; CMD 21 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Improved Overrun^B

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Poison (Ex)

Spores—inhaled; save Fort DC 16; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Str damage; cure 2 saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Spores (Ex)

Once per round as a free action, an ascomoid can release a jet of deadly spores to a range of 30 feet. Upon impacting a solid surface, such as a wall or creature, the jet billows out into a cloud of spores that fills a 10-foot-radius spread. This cloud lasts for 1 round before dispersing. Any creature in the cloud must make a DC 16 Fortitude save or become nauseated as long as it remains in the cloud. Any creature that fails to save against this nausea is also exposed to the ascomoid’s poison (see above). The save DC is Constitution-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment underground
Organization solitary or cluster (2-8)
Treasure none

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3, © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Jesse Benner, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, Chris Sims, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.