Mold II

These molds look like harmless fuzz on rotting matter, but are deadly when disturbed and hard to eradicate. A typical patch covers 30 to 60 square feet of floor, wall or ceiling, and many underground creatures graze on them. Dryness or sunlight withers them, and sunray or sunburst destroys a patch at once.

The most common of the three, deep mold grows in pleasing shades of blue and green and gives off a sweet smell that draws curious cave animals to their doom. Any touch, from a finger or a blade, sets off a spore burst 20 feet wide, 20 feet high and 30 feet deep around the point of contact, up to three times a day. Those caught must save vs. paralyzation or take 1d10 damage and lose 1 Strength for 1d10 rounds; a successful save halves the damage and spares the Strength.

Victims who failed the save are infected and lose another 1d10 hit points each day until they die. Cure disease clears the infection. Otherwise, a full day of bed rest under continuous bright sunlight prevents that day's damage and allows normal healing.

Weapons cannot harm deep mold, and it has natural magic resistance. Cold spells that get through stun it for 3d6 rounds and heat spells for 4d4, during which it cannot release spores. Each vial of acid (2d4 damage), or an acid arrow, kills 10 square feet, and cure disease kills a whole patch without triggering a burst.

Gray mold mostly carpets floors in light to dark gray fuzz that is easily overlooked. Stepping on or attacking it triggers a spore cloud 30 feet deep, 15 feet wide and 15 feet high, once every 6 rounds. Living things inside take 1d6 damage and must save vs. poison; on a failure they breathe in 1d6 spores, each dealing 1 damage every round until cure disease kills them or the victim dies. A creature slain this way becomes part of the colony, adding 10 square feet per man-sized body. The spores do not harm objects.

Weapons and fire do nothing to it, and it resists magic. Cold spells that penetrate send it dormant for 1d8 turns, and ice storm, wall of ice or similar cold magic of 4th level or higher kills it outright.

Death mold is a large blotchy patch of brown, gray and green swirls, easy to mistake for a milder mold. It moves, slowly creeping across cave floors and walls looking for prey, and often waits on a ceiling. Being semi-intelligent, it can release spores at will as well as when touched, once per turn, six times daily, filling an area 60 feet long, 60 feet wide and 40 feet deep. Everyone inside takes 2d8 damage and must save vs. poison or collapse, choking and helpless, for 1d4 rounds. The mold then crawls onto or drops on its fallen prey, dealing 1d8 poison damage each round it stays in contact.

No wizard spell affects it. A priest's cure wounds spell stuns it for as many rounds as the hit points it would have healed, slow poison makes it dormant for a full turn, and heal or neutralize poison kills it instantly.