Subterranean

Other Creatures in the Area

MM II

Jermlaine                           1/2

Myconid, Circle Leader         6

MM III

Mindshredder, Larva              1

Mindshredder, Warrior           4

Seryulin                               7

MM IV

Tomb Spider Broodswarm      2

Tomb Spider                         6     

MM V

Rylkar, Madclaw                    3     

FF

Varrangoin, Lesser                6     

Abyssal Ghoul                      10     

Lords of Madness

Neogi, Great Old Master         6

CAMPESTRI

Tiny Plant

Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)

Initiative: +0 (Dex)

Speed: 30 ft

AC: 12 (+2 size), touch 12, flat-footed 12

Attacks: Butt +0 melee

Damage: Butt 1d2-3

Face/Reach: 2 1/2 ft by 2 1/2 ft/0 ft

Special Attacks: Spores

Special Qualities: Sound imitation, tremorsense, plant traits

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +0, Will -1

Abilities: Str 4, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 4, Wis 8, Cha 9

Skills: Listen +5

Feats: Weapon Finesse (butt) (B)

Climate/Terrain: Any marsh

Organization: Herd (4-24)

Challenge Rating: 1/6

Treasure: None

Alignment: Always neutral

Advancement: 2-3 HD (Tiny)

Campestri are a tiny mushroom people, perhaps vaguely related to myconids. They look like little toadstools with faces, and have no limbs. They seem to have no concerns, and are carefree and oblivious to just about everything. They come in many colors, from white to tan to dark brown, but all have reddish or purple caps with speckles. Campestris move by expanding and contracting their roots to form a simple walking motion. Campestris sleep during the day, and only move around at night.

These fungi are just smart enough to have very simple reasoning capacities, and have developed a rather warped sense of humor. A campestri herd forms a sort of collective intellect, by which they seem to double their intelligence. Druids or bards may be vaguely aware of the existence of campestris through old legends.

Campestri are a musical people, and will flock to anyone singing or playing instruments, even if they music is extremely bad. They sing and dance along with the music, and are capable of imitating both words and instrumentation. They tend not to repeat the words very well, as they lack understanding of any language. A bard that can teach campestris to sing on key has accomplished an awesome task.

Campestri absorb salty soil, filter out the salt, and expel an oily paste of purified soil. This makes campestri taste salty, which does keep many swamp predators away, although bullywugs consider them a delicacy.

COMBAT

Campestris are very weak in combat, and only attack creatures as a distraction. They can make a sort of sprinting action to butt opponents, and can use this tactic to swarm spellcasters and break their concentration. They will usually release their spores in the first round of combat, as this is their only real defense.

Spores (Sp): Once per day, a campestri can release a spore cloud in a radius of 10 feet. These spores affect all breathing creatures as a slow spell if they fail a Will save (DC 10), for 1d4+4 rounds.

Sound Imitation (Ex): Campestris remember every sound they have ever heard, and are able to repeat it in their obnoxious, nasal falsetto. They do not remember words very well though, and tend to mispronounce everything they try to speak or sing.

Plant Traits: A campestri is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. It is not subject to critical hits or mind-affecting effects. The creature also has low-light vision.

Skills: Campestri receive a +6 racial bonus to Listen checks.

The campestri first appeared in Dungeon #41 ("Old Man Katan and the Incredible, Edible Mushroom Band," Ted James Thomas Zuvich, 1993?), and Monstrous Compendium Annual One (1994).