Basidirond (CR 5)
Medium Plant
Alignment: Always neutral
Initiative: +1 (Dex); Senses: low-light vision
AC: 18 (+1 Dex, +7 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17
Hit Dice: 8d8+24 (60 hp)
Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +2
Speed: 20 ft.
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +6; Grapple +11
Attack: Slam +11 melee
Full Attack: Slam +11 melee
Damage: Slam 1d8+7
Special Attacks/Actions: Hallucinatory spores, smothering
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 13, Con 17, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 10
Special Qualities: partial cold immunity, plant traits
Feats: -
Skills: -
Advancement: -
Climate/Terrain: Temperate forest and underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, grove (3-8)
Treasure/Possessions: None
Source:
Dragon #337
Hallucinatory Spores (Ex): A basidirond constantly emits an invisible cloud of spores in a 60-foot spread around itself Any breathing creature within this odorless cloud of spores must make a DC 17 Fortitude save each round. Failure indicates the victim immediately begins to hallucinate. Hallucinations last for as long as the victim remains within the basidirond's spore cloud plus 1d4 rounds. While hallucinating, a victim takes one specific random action each round, as detailed on the following table. Hallucinating victims are considered flat-footed and do not gain their Dexterity bonus to their Armor Class. As long as the victim isn't fully incapacitated (d% roll of 91-100 on the table below) he is not helpless and may still use any remaining move action or standard action each round as he wishes.
Remove disease or any similar effect ends the hallucinations. Creatures that are immune to disease are immune to this special attack. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Smothering (Ex): A creature hit by a basidirond's slam attack must make a DC 17 Fortitude save to avoid becoming infested with the black spores that constantly spew from its cap. Failure indicates the spores rapidly infest the creature's airways, causing the victim to start suffocating. The victim must make a DC 10 Constitution check each round, with the DC increasing by +1 for each previous round. When a character fails one of these Constitution checks, he begins to suffocate. In the first round, he fulls unconscious (0 hit points). In the following round, he drops to -1 hit points and is dying. In the third round, he suffocates. A DC 15 Heal check clears the victim's mouth and throat of these spores, as does remove disease or any other similar magical effect.
Partial Cold Immunity (Ex): A basidirond never takes damage from cold attacks. However, if exposed to a cold attack, the basidirond becomes slowed (as per the slow spell) for 1d4 rounds. During this time, it cannot use its smothering special attack.
| d% Roll | Hallucination |
| 01-10 | Victim believes he has shrunk (victim shouts for help to return to normal size; this costs no actions but prevents Move Silently checks, casting spells with verbal components, or triggering magic items with command words). |
| 11-20 | Victim believes he's sinking in quicksand (spend one move action each round to "stay afloat" by waving arms and kicking legs; this does not provoke attacks of opportunity). |
| 21-30 | Victim thinks the ground is splitting apart in an earthquake (spend one move action each round "balancing;" victim can only move by taking 5-foot steps). |
| 31-40 | Victim believes his allies are festering with contagious disease (spend a move action to move out of reach of any allies, allies must make touch attacks to administer aid to the affected character). |
| 41-50 | Victim is suffocating (spend one move action each round clawing at throat; victim must make a foot step each round if he can in an attempt to stagger into an area with "better air;" the victim may choose the direction of his 5-foot step as he wishes). |
| 51-60 | Victim believes he is surrounded by spiders, scorpions, and other vermin (spend one standard action to forcefully stomp and attack the imaginary swarm). |
| 61-70 | Victim believes that objects around him have transformed into snakes (drop any items held, spend one move action each round to take a full move to avoid the "snakes;" the victim may choose his route as he wishes to avoid attacks of opportunity or hazards, but must take his full movement allowance). |
| 71-80 | Victim thinks an ally is bleeding to death (move to ally and make a Heal check to stabilize the victim; this check will never be perceived to be successful and provokes attacks of opportunity as normal). |
| 81-90 | Victim believes one of his worn items is a hungry leech (remove random worn item and drop it as a move action and attack it to sunder it as a standard action; in following rounds, the victim need only make standard action to attack the "leech" until it is destroyed, at which point he must remove and drop another worn item). |
| 91-100 | Victim believes he is melting (victim can do nothing but stand in place, howl in terror and pain, and try to hold himself together). |
A basidirond remains motionless when it is approached, allowing its spores to act on the minds of potential prey. Only when a creature attacks it or comes within reach does the predatory fungus lurch into action. The basidirond attacks by slamming creatures with its inverted cup-shaped cap.