Brishind Monster

Avatar of Rot

Each Brishind Monster is unique at any given time since the parent fungus only gives birth to a single monster at once, and each of these creations works a little differently and looks a little different from the last. However, their forms all bear similarities. A twisting mass of creeping vines creates the bulk of a Brishind Monster's body, sculpted into a towering figure that can glide effortlessly across the ground. Mossy growths and trumpeting fungi cover the creature like matted fur, dripping from its back and shoulders in excess. A hood of dampened bark and thick moss covers its face, revealing only a crusty wooden jaw and a pair of gleaming red eyes. An acrid stench of burning manure follows the creature, often serving as the only warning that anyone gets before it attacks.

Despite their fungal nature, Brishind Monsters are undamaged by their own jets of flame and resistant to fires set by others, often surprising hunters who paid too little attention to the legends before encountering the creature. Their terrifying spores also mean that most survivors of their attacks tend to be disoriented and delirious, relating accounts of the monster that are distorted by confusion and fear. This, along with the natural variance between different Brishind Monsters, means that even the most diligent of researchers will come across contradictory evidence. Even if they learn from all the prior information collected over the years, they're still often caught off guard when trying to hunt down and fell the threat since the new Brishind Monster might have an ability never seen before. The canniest researchers, when faced with the seemingly contradictory evidence, speculate that the creature might evolve or change over time, which is closer to the truth but still falls short.

Alternative Abilities

There have been many Brishind Monsters, and there will be many more. No two of the progenitor fungus's spawn are identical. The following are a number of alternate abilities that the Brishind Monster might possess; GMs choosing to use one of these abilities can use it to replace one of the Brishind Monster's abilities in the stat block above.

Smolderstench

60 feet. The Brishind Monster emits the overwhelming stink of burning, rotting matter. A creature that enters or begins its turn in the area inhales spores and must attempt a DC 21 Fortitude save. On a failure, the creature takes 2d4 poison damage and is sickened||sickened 1; on a critical failure, the creature also takes 4 persistent damage||persistent poison damage and is sickened 2. A creature that succeeds at its save is temporarily immune to smolderstench for 1 minute. This ability replaces terrorspores.

Death Throes

The Brishind Monster explodes in a 30-foot burst. Creatures in the area take 3d8 fire and 3d8 poison damage (DC 24 basic Reflex save). This ability replaces Reactive Growth.

Vent Flames

Rifts in the Brishind Monster's body spew burning gas. The triggering creature must succeed at a DC 21 Reflex save or inhale spores which remain in its body for 1 minute, take 2d6 fire damage, and become sickened||sickened 1 (on a critical failure, double damage and sickened 2). This ability replaces Reactive Growth.

Burrowing Grasp

The Brishind Monster burrow||Burrows twice. At any point in this movement, it can shed a temporary fungal limb to grasp a creature within 10 feet. The creature must succeed at a DC 21 Reflex save or be {@condition immobilized for 1 round (on a critical failure, 2 rounds) or until it escape||Escapes (DC 21). This ability grants the Brishind Monster a burrow speed of 15 feet and replaces its fly speed and Envelop.

Corpse Bomb

The Brishind Monster injects a creature's corpse with spores over the course of 10 minutes, priming it to explode. These spores last 1 day, and the Brishind Monster can only have three corpses primed at a time; if it primes another, the oldest corpse bomb deactivates harmlessly. Creatures that succeed at a DC 21 Perception check while seek||Seeking or investigate||Investigating notice a corpse bomb's explosive nature. Creatures can attempt to disarm a corpse bomb with a Nature, Survival, or Thievery check to Disable a Device (DC 21). A corpse bomb explodes in a 10-foot burst if a creature comes within 5 feet or if the Brishind Monster detonates it as a single action, which it can use once per round. This deals 2d8 fire and 2d8 poison damage (DC 21 basic Reflex save) and leaves a lingering, 10-foot-radius spore cloud. A creature that enters or begins its turn within the cloud inhales spores, which remain in its body for 1 minute. This ability replaces Spore Cloud.

False Synapses

The Brishind Monster partially controls a creature within 60 feet that has inhaled its spores. This has the effects of a command spell (DC 24 Will save). This ability replaces sporesight and Spore Cloud.

Flame Lash

The Brishind Monster sprays flaming gas in a 15-foot cone or a 30-foot line. Creatures in the area take 4d6 fire damage (DC 21 basic Reflex save). This ability replaces the firelance ranged Strike.

Mycelial Tomb

Fungal threads burst from the ground. The creature must succeed at a DC 21 Reflex save or inhale Brishind spores that remain in its body for 1 minute, be encased in mycelia, and be slowed||slowed 2. The mycelia have Hardness 8 and 16 HP, and the DC to force open||Force them Open is 21. Breaking the mycelia frees the creature and ends the slowed effect. If someone other than the encased creatures breaks the mycelia from the outside, the creature is stunned||stunned 1 and takes any damage dealt by the breaking effect in excess of the mycelia's Hit Points. This replaces the Envelop ability.

Swell

The Brishind Monster inflates with gas for 1 minute. It grows to Huge size, and its reach increases to 15 feet. It also gains 12 temporary Hit Points, resistance 5 to bludgeoning, and a +2 status bonus to damage rolls, but it's clumsy||clumsy 1. When the Brishind Monster takes damage while swollen, all creatures within 15 feet inhale spores that remain in their body for 1 minute. This ability replaces terrorspores and Spore Cloud.

Torrential Advance

The Brishind Monster dissolves into a mass of fungal threads and surges forward. It trample||Tramples (Medium or smaller, limb, DC 21), leaving a spore cloud in the squares through which it moves that last until the end of its next turn. A creature that enters or begins its turn in the cloud inhales spores and must succeed at a DC 21 Fortitude save or be sickened||sickened 1 (sickened 2 on a critical failure). This ability replaces Envelop and Spore Cloud.