Phantom Fungus

Monte At Home · Apr 29, 2004

Other than in the initial playtests, I can't remember ever seeing a phantom fungus in play. I can't remember ever seeing it in a product. I know as a designer and as a DM, I have never used it.

It's not that it's a bad monster. The illustration doesn't thrill me, but that's just personal taste--it's a fine illo. But something about it just says "don't use me, keep on looking..." whenever I'm looking through the MM for a monster to use. I don't know why for sure.

Do you feel this way too? Or have you used the monster? If so, how did you use it and did it work well?

I can tell you why the monster exists. We felt the game needed certain monsters in certain roles and niches. Specifically, we wanted a low-power monster that was invisible in its standard state, so that low level characters would get used to fighting invisible things now and again, and new players would see the value (and shortcomings) of invisibility early on. It also serves a role as a low-CR plant monster so druids have something to use their plant spells against.

I'm just curious, because that and the ethereal filcher may be the only two monsters (not counting animals) in the 3E Monster Manual that I've never used outside the initial 3E playtests.

Darkness · Apr 29, 2004

Monte,

(Almost) to the day, three years ago, a wise man wrote an article about making minor changes to monsters to get more use out of them:

Here.

Grazzt · Apr 29, 2004

I'm with ya....I have never used the phantom fungus at all, and never really had the desire to do so. Same with the ethereal filcher (and marauder too).

Something about 'em just doesn't strike me as "Hey! I gotta use that in my next session."

MerricB · Apr 29, 2004

G'day, Monte!

I've used a couple in dungeons I've randomly stocked.

It's never really been that memorable, though. It could well be my style of DMing, but it feels more like a "nuisance" monster rather than an actual threat.

CR 3 implies more than what the Phantom Fungus actually delivers. It dies in one or two hits - once you hit it - and 1d6+3 damage isn't really that much. Add to that the fact that it has an intelligence of 2, and you've got a creature that won't be smart enough to "attack the wizard", which is about the only character it can threaten.

Oh, and it's solitary. Hmm.

Cheers!

Darkness · Apr 29, 2004

Heh.

To directly address the point at hand, I must say I don't even know what a phantom fungus looks like, what its approximate stats and CR are, and so on, without looking it up. That is to say, I can't recall ever really reading its writeup in detail, much less using one.

I know the ethereal marauder illustration and like it quite a bit. Nonetheless, I don't think I've ever used on in my game and am not likely to do so in the future either.

Dirigible · Apr 29, 2004

But it's so awesome.

It looks like a biomechanical BattleMech!

Mustrum_Ridcully · Apr 29, 2004

I used a Phantom Fungus, but not in its original state.

For a Dragonstarbased (homebrew setting called Space Experiences) game I used it twice.
Once I used in an old bunker that was used by an evil druid for some experiments to create a dangerous virus attack inhabitants of space installations, and two Phantom Fungus (and also a Shrieker) was part of the security in an more or less abandoned part of the old bunker.

In a later game, I used an awakened Phantom Fungus as an ally/animal companion for a Druid Circle.
It was awakened and had some barbarian levels and used Spring Attack and Boots of Striding and Springing (or an equivalent item suitable for a plant), so it was specifically designed to use its invisiblity. (it needed more speed to be able to get out of the see-invisiblity spells). The concept worked, though once the player characters were able to hit it, it didn`t last very long.

Mustrum Ridcully

Abisashi · Apr 29, 2004

I'm now going to use a(n improved) phantom fungus in my next adventure - but I've never used one before.

FungiMuncher · Apr 29, 2004

I've actually used it. The party found an abandoned dwarven mine complex. One of the levels was the dwarves' farming area. I can recall trying to figure out a way to make the area more interesting, then I stumbled upon the Phantom Fungus - mutant food!

In contrast to their listed organization, I placed two of them in the area. That actually seemed to help add to the confusion when both of them attacked. Kind of neat seeing the party members running around trying to figure out what was going on! They definitely need to keep moving, though.

I allowed listen checks whenever the fungus moved. The players eventually developed a strategy of trying to surround the space when one of them heard it move - it was cool watching them develop their teamwork. The party was at 3rd level. No, the monsters weren't terrible threats, but their invisibility was really annoying. The players were really relieved when the last one finally dropped.

Bauglir · Apr 29, 2004

I actually made good use of a Phantom Fungus quite recently, as a player (druid).

We were under siege from a fairly sizable army backed up by a some ballistae and trebuchets, which were manned by 'normal' people (ie not armoured warriors - experts perhaps).

I used SNAIV to put a phantom fungus behind the enemy ranks, in order to quietly take out the siege operators.

It worked out pretty well, even up to the point where an enemy mage (I guess he was having a bad day or something) decided to deal with the problem using a fireball, which of course took the nearby trebuchet out in the blast..