Hazards: Extra Fungi and Flux Slime

Hazards: Extra Fungi and Flux Slime

This post will detail two fungi that are somehow illithid-related and do not have any statblocks, and the flux slime from the Epic Level Handbook. Just because. The descriptions are taken straight from the d20 SRD and ENWorld's Creature Catalog (when it still existed; I am lucky to have saved everything that was there on my hard drive years ago) and tweaked to fit the GURPS ruleset.

Flux Slime: Flux slime appears as a clear, viscous liquid that seeps from some unseen origin point. This origin point is extradimensional, so the slime may even appear in midair. As the slime flows, it settles and fills the area around the origin point.

Flux slime seems to be an inert substance, devoid of sentience. It is not caustic or toxic, but it radiates an antimagic field within a radius of 4 yards (as per Static (GURPS Powers, p. 98)). Any quantity of slime that is removed from the main mass yellows and hardens in a matter of minutes, turning into a flaky material that will not adhere to anything.

In reality, flux slime is a growth with a ravenous appetite for magical forces. It is a natural draining phenomenon: Magical energy drains through the origin point in one direction in exchange for the residue on the far side. The antimagic field a flux slime generates is actually the byproduct of the consumption of magical energy.

In addition to the antimagic field’s effects, magic items that come into contact with flux slime permanently lose their magical abilities; creatures with magical abilities that come into contact with it take 1d-1 points injury per second while it devours flesh; creatures without such abilities are immune to this effect.

During the first five seconds of contact, the slime can be scraped off a creature, but after that it must be frozen, burned, or cut away (dealing damage to the victim as well). Extreme cold, heat, or sunlight destroys a patch of flux slime.

When destroyed, a patch of slime releases the byproducts of its magical digestion in a dangerous burst that radiates out 16 yards. All creatures caught in this burst are subject to some random and permanent transmutation effect, as generated on the table below. Each burst generates one of these effects. Creatures may resist this effect with HT-5. After the burst, the extradimensional origin point is sealed.

1d, 1d	Result
1-2, 1-2	The subject gains Blindness
1-2, 3-4	The subject gains Cursed
1-2, 5-6	The subject gains Deafness
3-4, 1-2	The subject takes 10d injury
3-4, 3-4	The subject becomes ethereal, gaining Insubstantiality (Affect Substantial, +100%; Always On, -50%) [120]
3-4, 5-6	The subject becomes gaseous, gaining Injury Tolerance (Diffuse; Misty, -20%) [80]
5, 1-3	The subject gains the Body of Metal meta-trait (p. B262)
5, 4-6	The subject is petrified
6, 1	The subject is transported to a random plane of existence
6, 2	The subject is polymorphed into a random other creature
6, 3	Gravity is reversed within 8 yards of the flux slime
6, 4	The subject is teleported to a different, random location
6, 5	The subject enters temporal stasis
6, 6	The subject begins to get younger each year, disappearing at moment of “birth”

Obliviax (Memory Moss): Obliviax is a black moss with the magical ability to steal memories from intelligent creatures. It is called "memory moss" and is a bane to wizards everywhere. Pitch colored and thick, like a luxuriant black carpet, obliviax grows in small patches and spreads through spores. Its leaves and flowers are all glossy black. When it lacks stolen memories it quivers, as if in anticipation. It smells like damp, loamy dirt, a very unappetizing odor. Although it requires no sunlight to grow, it does require daylight to trigger spore production and so it does not naturally occur in subterranean realms. It can be inadvertently or purposefully carried into a cavern, where it will grow but is unable to reproduce. Fire and cold will kill a patch of obliviax.

Memory moss can sense the approach of sentient beings. Once a creature is within 20 yards, the moss attempts to steal its memories. It is selective, first attempting to steal memories of arcane spellcasters, then those of psis, then memories of any other characters. A targeted creature is allowed to resist with Will to avoid losing all memories from the last 24 hours, including all spells, psionic powers, or other mental supernatural abilities that were used by the creatures during that time period. The memory moss attempts to steal from one creature per 5 seconds. Once a creature fails its resistance roll, the memory moss is sated, and will not attack again for one day.

Lost memories can be recovered only by eating the living obliviax. Doing so requires a HT roll. Success indicates the creature eating the moss has gained the stolen memories it contained (those taken by the obliviax within the last 24 hours). Anyone who gains mental supernatural abilities by eating the obliviax can use them, but the memories fade after 24 hours, unless the creature who lost its memory and abilities is the one that actually eats the memory moss. If the save fails, the eater becomes very ill, taking 1d toxic damage.

If an obliviax with stolen memories is attacked it forms a part of itself into a tiny (SM-4) moss imitation of the creature whose memories it stole. This mossling remains attached to the parent moss and defends the plant by casting any stolen spells or using any stolen mental abilities. The mossling uses these abilities as if it had a relevant attribute of 10.

When first encountered, there is a 1-in-6 chance that the memory moss has eaten within the last day, and will not attack. In such a case, the moss and mossling will contain 1d spells or other abilities determined randomly (or chosen by the GM).

Obliviax grows in tropical to temperate climates, but cannot abide too much water or cold. It does not grow in desert terrain. It is not uncommon to find patches on tree trunks, fallen logs, or sprouting on rotting leaves. While it does have intelligence, and is aware of other mosses nearby, it does not act in concert with those of its kind, preferring to grab for the best memories possible. Small colonies of this moss are sometimes found in tunnels or caverns, either grown from sprigs of moss tracked in by some unaware creature, or sprouted from spores blown in by the wind.

Evil creatures sometimes transplant obliviax near their lairs so it acts as a guardian. Obliviax powers cannot penetrate lead, so the moss can be carried to a new location in a lead box. Spies use this lead box trick be carried to a new location in a lead box. Spies use this lead box trick to snare secrets from unsuspecting victims.

A potion of forgetfulness can be distilled from obliviax, and its spores can be distilled into a potion of memory.

Zygom: The zygom is a bizarre, alien type of fungoid growth that can possess and feed off of living creatures. This creature consists of a 12-24 short, thin stems with ovoid caps that are joined by a rhizome structure to form a singular creature of communal mind. This creature is functionally mindless and does not have the ability to attack. They feed off of other creatures by sticking to them and then infesting their body with fungal matter.

The caps of a zygom contain a pale blue "milk" which is about as strongly adhesive as sovereign glue. If one or more of the caps are broken, this substance spills out on anything coming into contact with the zygom. This milk can be transferred from weapons to targets, and creatures to creatures, and will glue touching materials together. This adhesion lasts 1d days, until the glue dries and crumbles into powder. Hunting zygoms have no offensive capabilities, but will often wait until a creature goes to sleep, slip under the creature, and wait for the creature to roll over onto it to crush the caps.

Contact with living creatures allows the zygom to infest it with spores, which begin to grow before the glue turns to powder, unless the infected creature resists with a HT-5 roll. The growth occurs along the brain stem, particularly in the head, neck, and back and through to the spine. This infestation allows the new zygom control the host through nerve impulses. The zygom will usually cause the host to find a place to hide, where it will slowly die and be consumed by the fungus. The host will attack and defend itself from all creatures who try to stop this process from happening. Death and consumption usually occurs in about 1-8 weeks.

Although zygoms can live in the ground like other fungi, they get more nutrients from living flesh and blood. They like to infest vermin and animals of large size, beasts, and humanoids when possible. It is rare for a creature of SM+0 or greater to become a victim of zygom, but it does happen. The Healing advantage is at -5 when removing the zygom infestation.