Mu Spore

Mu Spore (Legend; CR 21)

Neutral - Colossal - Plant

Lore:	Know (Nature)
43		56
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

38

Perception:
48	+38
Passive	Active

Ambush:

13+

on a d20

• Lore Notes: Mu Spores are usually Legends, but they are also commonly seen as Threats and even Villains. They almost always have a Role of some sort. They are never seen as Minions, Skirmishers, or Swarms, unless you are very unfortunate.
• Ambush Notes: Mu Spores are usually either glowing, or enraged. They are terrible at ambushes, and will rarely even try.

Senses:

• Standard Senses
• Low-Light Vision
• Airsense 30 ft.
• Due to their Light Emission power, Mu Spores have effectively unlimited range with their Low Light Vision

Movement Types:

• Walk 40 ft.
• Greater Flight 60 ft.

Defense

AC

50

Man Def

49

Monster Health
4,616	2,308	40
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+23
Refl:	+18
Will:	+23

Strong Against:

• (Legend Role) Immunity (partial 7): Legends are immune to the first seven conditions applied to them during an encounter. If an eighth condition is applied to a legend, it is resolved normally. A 'condition' is defined as any non-instantaneous harmful effect applied to the monster, other than damage, but is most commonly one of the defined Status Conditions (but it doesn't have to be). Statuses related to damage (such as injured, bloodied, staggered, dying, or dead) are not 'conditions', and cannot be negated or avoided with this ability.
• (Plant 1) Immune (no effect): poisons (tainted, poisoned, blighted), magical sleep (drowsy, sluggish, asleep), paralyzed, stunned, polymorph
• (Plant 2) Immune (no effect): Forced movement (including Drag, Reposition), Prone (quelled, prone, splayed)

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Colossal
25 ft.		30 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+32

Man Off

+37

Action

7

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Shattered Gnash +32 (6d10+62/x2)
  as Gnashing (physical, uncommon)
• 1x Tentacle Smash +32 (6d6+26/x2)
  as Bludgeoning (physical, common)

Full Attack (Melee):

• 2x Shattered Gnash +32 (6d10+62/x2)
  as Gnashing (physical, uncommon)
• 4x Tentacle Smash +32 (6d6+26/x2)
  as Bludgeoning (physical, common)

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 2x Spore Blast +31 (6d10+62/x2)
  as Abrasion (physical, uncommon)
  (Increment: 60 ft.; Max Range: 300 ft.)
  Roll to-hit against enemy targets. If up to one enemy is adjacent to an attacked enemy, that enemy also takes half damage, whether the main target is hit or missed, GM's choice of who takes it.

Plus: Zombie Fungus

Full Attack (Ranged):

• 4x Spore Blast +31 (6d10+62/x2)
  as Abrasion (physical, uncommon)
  (Increment: 60 ft.; Max Range: 300 ft.)
  Roll to-hit against enemy targets. If up to one enemy is adjacent to an attacked enemy, that enemy also takes half damage, whether the main target is hit or missed, GM's choice of who takes it.

Plus: Zombie Fungus

Siege Damage:

• 1x Boring Spores +37 (2d6)
  (Increment: 60 ft.; Max Range: 300 ft.)
  See other uses of Boring Spores, below.

Plus: Zombie Fungus

Statistics

44

STR

20

DEX

36

CON

14

INT

18

WIS

14

CHA

Skills:

• Knowledge (Deep History): 37
• Knowledge (Dungeoneering): 37
• Knowledge (Local): 37
• Knowledge (Planes): 37
• Perception: 38
• Sense Motive: 37
• All other skills: 30 (no ranks)

Languages: Common, Terran, Sylvan, Undercommon, Aklo, Celestial, F'thaghu'fhalma, Jakrakt, Phlethegor, Tenebri, Yastermine, Druidic

Feats:

Special Abilities

Light Emission (Su) Always On, unless using Walk or deliberately turned off.

For eldritch, unknowable, reasons, Mu have a mysterious connection to Fundamental Light. This manifests as a pale glow, very similar to moonlight, which permeates the area around them. For purposes of most combats, this pale light is effectively everywhere, as Mu Spores can and do illuminate vast areas with their light to the far horizons, many miles at the least. Light Emission fills all spaces within several miles of a flying Mu with dim light. This light is sourceless and omnipresent, and provides the equivalent of Dim Light to all beings within it. The GM determines where this light fades, but it is quite expansive. Out of combat, when the Mu is assumed to be in torpor, this light is completely harmless. In combat, Light Emission is far more potent. Any creature within the area of Light Emission (which in most combats, will be everyone), can be designated by the Mu as an enemy as a free action. In most cases, a hostile Mu will immediately declare this upon all players as soon as they are able. All enemies within the area of Light Emission suffer the Weakened condition, without benefit of save. This is terribly unfair, but fortunately, this weakness can be instantly removed by moving into an area of either Bright Light or Darkness. Only in Dim Light does Light Emission cause weakness in those the Mu despises. Unfortunately, Bright Light will trigger the Mu's terrible Glow. See below.

The Glow (Su) Always On

Any creature in the area of a Mu's Light Emission power will be weakened. The fastest way to remove this is to create an area of either Bright Light or Darkness. Unfortunately, Any enemy subject to the Mu's Light Emission power (which will be all of them) who negates the Weakened condition by standing in either Bright Light or Darkness will trigger the Mu's terrible Glow. Up to once per round per enemy, designated by a Mu, who fights a Mu, while in either Bright Light or Darkness so that they do not suffer the Weakened condition suffers 6d8+44 points of light (energy, uncommon) damage at the end of their turn. Note that this Glow will affect a character even if they somehow leave the area of Light or Darkness after making any non-weakened attack, or break line of sight or even travel to other planes of existence. The terrible Glow is infused into their very fabric by the attack, and cannot be avoided.

Boring Spores (Ex) Swift

As a swift action, a Mu can emit a blast of special, extremely deadly, spores, instead of or in addition to their normal spore blast. Boring Spores does no immediate damage, but instead inflicts the Burned condition if used against a creature, except that it does both dissolving (physical, rare) damage AND siege damage. It is extremely important to remove this condition before the end of the round if possible. Once each round, at the bottom of the round, the condition inflicts both the Dissolving damage against their hit points, and the Siege damage. These damage amounts are rolled and applied to their hit-points and their magic items as an Untargeted Sunder. Note that most items will receive the Broken condition from a single point of siege damage delivered this way, but some forms of Armor or Shield may take more. Any item with the Broken condition is ignored, and any excess siege damage is lost to no effect. If you are subject to an un-aimed Sunder attempt, then your items are sorted for damage in the following order: Shield Armor Weapon/Item held in main hand Weapon/Item held in off-hand Gloves Bracers Boots Helmet Belt If none of the above items are present, or all of them are broken, such an untargeted Sunder maneuver has no effect. As if all of these effects are not bad enough, any living creature struck by Boring Spores is also subject to the effects of Zombie Fungus, without the benefit of a saving throw.

Fungal Slough (Sp) Standard

Concentration: 1d20 + 26 vs. a DC of 37 (11 needed on the die) Once per round as a standard action, a Mu may contort and shake themselves as if they suffer a terrible ague, their forms writhing awfully. They shake loose a veritable torrent of fungal gore, pallid flesh, vile fluids, and irritant spores, in vast numbers. This Fungal Slough affects a 5x5x5 space adjacent to the Mu, which must share a corner or an edge with the Mu's space. All enemy creatures caught within a Fungal Slough suffer 6d8+44 points of rot (physical, rare) damage. Making a Fort save against a DC of 31 will reduce this damage by half.

Zombie Fungus (Ex) Automatic after successful attack

A creature struck by a Mu Spore's spores may also be affected by a poison which quickly rots the flesh, liquefying both muscle and bone: Zombie Poison    (Injury vector; Poisoned intensity) Save: Fort DC 31;     Frequency: 1/round for 3 rounds Effect: 1d4+2 CON damage and 6d8+44 points of poison (physical, uncommon) damage per interval, and target is Impaired Fruition: Victim becomes Crippled; this cannot be cured as described in the condition, and requires the application of a Neutralize Poison spell. Fruition Duration: 1 day (full-night's rest).

Lash Out (Ex; Legend Role) Free Action 1/Rnd

During each of their turns, Legends gain one bonus Attack Action at their full attack value, but this bonus attack can only be made against a creature they have not already performed an attack or maneuver against since the start of their current turn, and by using this attack, the Legend can no longer target this creature with any of their other attacks or maneuvers until the end of their current turn. If no valid target is within their melee reach, the Legend can use a ranged attack to perform this bonus attack instead. If the Legend performs a double move during their turn, they gain two bonus attack actions, but each of these attacks must be against creatures they have not yet, and will not this turn, target with any other attacks or maneuvers.

Invigorating Bloodthirst (Ex; Legend Role) Auto At Start of Encounter

At the start of any encounter, even during an encounter with a surprise round, Legends gain a number of temporary hit points equal to their Bloodied Hit Points value (2,308 hit points). This ability can never be used more than once per encounter.

Juggernaut's Path (Ex; Legend Role) Free Action

Legends can force-move any non-Legend creature out of the path of their movement as a free action during their movement. This does not provoke attacks of opportunity. There is no strict limit to how far a creature can be pushed with this ability, but it is always the least number of squares required to move the creature out of the Legend's path (in the event that there are multiple paths of the same number of squares, the Legend chooses which path the pushed creature takes). This ability cannot be reduced by forced movement resistance in any way. The legend can decide the final space of the creature pushed, but that space must be unblocked and unoccupied (though it can be hazardous). As all forced movement, creatures can elect to fall prone to end it.

Mu Spore

This creature possesses the Legend role, and therefore counts as 5 monsters for purposes of encounter size, XP award, and treasure.

Mu Spores are strange vegetal behemoths, eerie and terrible, known as much for their horrible rampages as they are for their eldritch wisdom. Mu Spores are truly huge, the size of a large house, at least, a vaguely spherical bulk of knotted roots, trunks, seething plasms of greens and yellows, all covered with knots, lumps, scars, eyes, and tentacles. So, so, many tentacles.

Mu spores have a 'bottom side' which is smoother and has fewer tentacles, but which has the property of producing a dim glow over a vast distance, many miles at the least. Even worse, the vile things float in the air as easily as they roll around on the ground, and possess a horrible mobility for a thing so large and awful. If you can persuade one to talk, they commonly settle on this glowing lower surface, ending the light, and will arrange their protuberances and tentacles into a surprisingly good facsimile of a humanoid face to gossip and bargain.

The Green favors these awful things, but how they arose, or why, is a mystery. Many sages and magicians speculate that Mu Spores are the byproduct of horrendous magical experimentation, like the owlbears. If that is the case, the attention of the Green has grown these things beyond all reckoning.

Mu Spores tend to be found in two ways. Most commonly, the mightiest of adventurers, far, far beneath the Earth, deep in the lowest pits of the Unterwelt, will come across a vast cavern lit by the light of one or several pale moons, casting a lambent glow over a scene of eerie beauty. Of course, so far below the nourishing vault of the heavens, that is no moon, but a vast Mu Spore, drifting in the air, enveloped in a torpor. In this state, it is said to be possible to approach the behemoth, and with care and gifts, sometimes persuade them to part with knowledge, or some of their valuable fruiting bodies, or tentacles, or cast-off eyes.

Usually, however, waking a Mu Spore will prompt it to a terrible rage, and the monster will attack with power unrelenting. Their tentacles crush and throw, they emit awful hails of digging spores, they wounds they inflict often grow awful...infestations, and worst of all, their terrible Glow saps and erodes all things not plant. A raging Mu Spore is dangerous, indeed.

This leads to the second way Mu Spores can be encountered, namely, one that is awake, enraged, and rampaging. Such rampages are mind-boggling in their power, and a rampaging spore that reaches the surface and nears civilization is a deadly threat, one that must be stopped by any means required. All true heroes, if they are mighty enough, will drop whatever they are doing to help stop a Mu Spore.

Combat Tactics

Mu Spores, despite being Plants, are intelligent and cagey combatants, although their tendency to torpors and constant glow means they will rarely if ever attempt an ambush.

They usually leave their Light Emission running at all times (see Out of Combat, below), and as such, will immediately declare all enemies as enemies, inflicting Weakened. Players can eliminate this condition easily by using normal light sources, but doing so triggers the Glow upon them, and that quickly becomes a terrible choice.

Mu can use their Light Emission and Glow to exterminate entire cities if they rampage past them at night. This sobering fact explains why Mu are so feared.

Mu will use their tremendous reach to make melee attacks against those who try to close with them, and will send Spore Blasts and, far worse, Boring Spores against those who attack at range. The Zombie Fungus carried in their spores is just an unpleasant reminder that Mu Spores are not to be trifled with, and if the Mu has an appropriate Role that they have minions, they will usually have Fungal Zombies as their associated monsters.

Mu Spores will fly above most combats, and if they can catch many enemies they will inundate the area around them with Fungal Slough. If they have minions, that Slough will often have zombies in it. As if they aren't terrible enough on their own....

If they are the sort of Mu to possess Diaspora Blast, they will typically use their weaker half as an attack bomb, sort of like a fireball with a monster inside it, while the main body flees, or attacks unrelenting.

There is no good way to fight a Mu Spore, but their terrible Glow means that they must be fought, immediately, and as far from any civilization as can be managed.

Out of Combat

Mu Spores are often integral parts of the ecology of the Unterwelt, and indeed, can be found in an astonishing array of places. Aquatic nations often have Mu Spores as light sources, and many sages and scholars speculate that Mu Spores, using their Light Emission and Boring Spores powers, have created the Unterwelt over the long eons of history.

It cannot be denied that in dark places (the Unterwelt, the Void, the Outer Madness, the Deep Dark, in the bosoms of the oceans, etc, etc, etc) many monsters find the presence of Mu Spores to be the key to their life and existence. These vegetable intelligences are rooted deeply in the Green, and their role in making life, even monstrous life, spread throughout the cosmos cannot be denied. Their ability to inflict Zombie Fungus means they are often associated with Fungal Zombies, but the exact relation between the two monsters is unknown.

Similarly, many Sages, Mages, and savants have speculated upon a link between Infested Treants and Mu Spores, but if such a link exists, it is not common knowledge.

That said, civilizations that use light (or darkness) are anathema to the Mu, and the Spark may be seen as the natural foe of the Mu's very existence.

Rewards

XP: 2,048,000 (Legend role included.)

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 707,500 gp.

Weight: 1050 lbs.     Volume: 42 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	Nothing Found
6 - 10	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
11 - 14	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
15 - 17	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
18 - 20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1	5 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
2 - 5	5 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
6 - 10	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
11 - 14	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
15 - 17	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
18 - 20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1	5 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
2	5 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
3 - 6	5 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
7 - 10	5 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
11 - 14	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
15 - 17	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
18 - 20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)