fnork de sporg
First Post
Kobold Avenger said:
Not too mention how sonics cut right through an outsider's resistances. They would great foe hunting lower-powered fiends and celestials.
Phantom Fungus
Not too mention how sonics cut right through an outsider's resistances. They would great foe hunting lower-powered fiends and celestials.
John Q. Mayhem
Explorer
[OT] Fnork de sporg, I'm curious as to your sig. I've been wondering for a while what it's from, or if it's just randem. Could you enlighten me?[/OT]
Whoa! I just looked though the SRD, and I'd never quite realized just how vulnerable demons/devils/celestials are to sonics. For some reason, the Ythrak illustration always reminds me of the Dark Tower, when they're going over the weird valley on Blaine the Mono.
Whoa! I just looked though the SRD, and I'd never quite realized just how vulnerable demons/devils/celestials are to sonics. For some reason, the Ythrak illustration always reminds me of the Dark Tower, when they're going over the weird valley on Blaine the Mono.
Goobermunch
Explorer
Well Monte--
In my campaign, goofy and odd creatures are a little more likely to see some play. Of course, I'm running a Ghostwalk campaign featuring an assault on the realms around Manifest by creatures from the Far Realm, so those little used bizare creatures will get some action as by products of the Realm's chaotic nature.
In addition to the Phantom Fungus, I'm also using it's evil Ghostwalk specific cousin: the Ghosteater.
However, in a run of the mill, D&D adventure, I can't see using the PF except in an appropriately themed adventure. Which is not to say that it is a waste of space. I think the more outlandish, less common monsters serve as a useful tool of telling the players that they've reached "the edge of the map," as it were. A phantom fungus may serve to tell a party that's become bored with killing dire rats that "There be dragons here."
--G
In my campaign, goofy and odd creatures are a little more likely to see some play. Of course, I'm running a Ghostwalk campaign featuring an assault on the realms around Manifest by creatures from the Far Realm, so those little used bizare creatures will get some action as by products of the Realm's chaotic nature.
In addition to the Phantom Fungus, I'm also using it's evil Ghostwalk specific cousin: the Ghosteater.
However, in a run of the mill, D&D adventure, I can't see using the PF except in an appropriately themed adventure. Which is not to say that it is a waste of space. I think the more outlandish, less common monsters serve as a useful tool of telling the players that they've reached "the edge of the map," as it were. A phantom fungus may serve to tell a party that's become bored with killing dire rats that "There be dragons here."
--G
For one thing, the Phantom Fungus seems to have fallen out of the worst 50s B-Movie ever made--this can be fun, but it doesn't quite lend itself to the broadest range of games.
As others have remarked, the fact that it seems to be filling a space in a grid also detracts from its appeal. Who needs a monster designed by Linnaeus?
Just for the heck of it: Daemons have always bugged me for this reason, both in their role (filling the Neutral Evil Outsider slot) and their name (finding a monster for the archaic spelling of 'demon').
So, yeah, obvious contrivances start with a mark against them, but, as you've mentioned, some of them have attained to popularity. I think that the succesful metas have responded to situations of setting, rather than rules abstractions. A rust monster could have been invented by any writer working within a context that includes metal-equipped characters; a creature meant to serve as an instructive tool in a game of progressively more difficult tactical challenges cleaves too close to the gears--it has difficulty serving any other purpose.
But what about this plant business?
I'll admit that the task of getting a plant monster right doesn't come easy, but I don't think that's the reason for the phantom fungus's unattractiveness: this rose, by any other name (or type), still stinks. It's a bundle of qualities, not a creature; no new moniker will change that.
Plus, plants rule!
As others have remarked, the fact that it seems to be filling a space in a grid also detracts from its appeal. Who needs a monster designed by Linnaeus?
Just for the heck of it: Daemons have always bugged me for this reason, both in their role (filling the Neutral Evil Outsider slot) and their name (finding a monster for the archaic spelling of 'demon').
So, yeah, obvious contrivances start with a mark against them, but, as you've mentioned, some of them have attained to popularity. I think that the succesful metas have responded to situations of setting, rather than rules abstractions. A rust monster could have been invented by any writer working within a context that includes metal-equipped characters; a creature meant to serve as an instructive tool in a game of progressively more difficult tactical challenges cleaves too close to the gears--it has difficulty serving any other purpose.
But what about this plant business?
I'll admit that the task of getting a plant monster right doesn't come easy, but I don't think that's the reason for the phantom fungus's unattractiveness: this rose, by any other name (or type), still stinks. It's a bundle of qualities, not a creature; no new moniker will change that.
Plus, plants rule!
Altamont Ravenard
Explorer
There was a big big thread, that was archived as a site (don't have the bookmark) where every creature in the MMI was put in an adventuring scenario. I'd be curious to see what was suggested for the Phantom Fungus...
As for the subject at hand, I hadn't really noticed that monster (and I have the MMI since day 1), so can't say I have used it. Someone changed the second level of Sunless Citadel to give it more of a Mad Scientist/Druid lair, and I agree that in that scenario, the Phantom Fungus has its place.
I don't like to use weird* monsters with weird* abilities...
* and by "weird" I mean "dumb" and by "dumb" maybe I also mean that I've yet to invent a situation wherein the Phantom Fungus would be the perfect monster.
AR
As for the subject at hand, I hadn't really noticed that monster (and I have the MMI since day 1), so can't say I have used it. Someone changed the second level of Sunless Citadel to give it more of a Mad Scientist/Druid lair, and I agree that in that scenario, the Phantom Fungus has its place.
I don't like to use weird* monsters with weird* abilities...
* and by "weird" I mean "dumb" and by "dumb" maybe I also mean that I've yet to invent a situation wherein the Phantom Fungus would be the perfect monster.
AR
I am, as I am reading this, plotting how to use a Phantom Fungus. For my campaign, this is actually a great fit. I'm currently running a d20 Modern X-Files-ish game that can be niche-described as "Fantasy, but the PCs never get a chance to PROVE that it's fantasy".
So... an urban development project that begins suffering casualties as construction workers are beaten to death, and the locals begin talking about Bigfoot legends? An ancient mutated plant that used pheremone emissions to become invisible to all living creatures would be a great fit -- and the bioelectric wave pattern it emits to "see" would mess up electronics nearby. Flavorwise, my PCs would know that one was near when their videocameras started fizzing out, but they'd never be able to get a good shot of one -- except from such a long distance (in order to get around the bioelectric wave) that the pictures would get ignored as hoaxes. A simple gas mask, however, would let the PCs see their enemies.
Since my PCs are mid-level now (coming up on 7th), though, I'd make the fungus meaner -- bump its Int up to normal and let it progress through class levels instead of just growing.
Different niche, but now that permanently invisible plant is a good fit in my game.
So... an urban development project that begins suffering casualties as construction workers are beaten to death, and the locals begin talking about Bigfoot legends? An ancient mutated plant that used pheremone emissions to become invisible to all living creatures would be a great fit -- and the bioelectric wave pattern it emits to "see" would mess up electronics nearby. Flavorwise, my PCs would know that one was near when their videocameras started fizzing out, but they'd never be able to get a good shot of one -- except from such a long distance (in order to get around the bioelectric wave) that the pictures would get ignored as hoaxes. A simple gas mask, however, would let the PCs see their enemies.
Since my PCs are mid-level now (coming up on 7th), though, I'd make the fungus meaner -- bump its Int up to normal and let it progress through class levels instead of just growing.
Different niche, but now that permanently invisible plant is a good fit in my game.
nikolai
First Post
S'mon said:
I don't really like the new 3.e monsters. The Chull, the Digester Beast and the rest all seem contrived. This is a shame, I looked at some of the concept art for the 3e MM (see link below) and some of them: the Dropper, the Brawny Claw Monster, the new Gargoyle are interesting. It's a shame they didn't make it in.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ag/20010316d
Henry
Autoexreginated
Piratecat said:
I've used them twice: A Phantom Fungus is a scary monster indeed.
The Players at the time had had little experience with invisible creatures; I used the fungus to vex the heck out of them, because I KNEW that they had no invisibility detection magics, and only one had a spot or listen worth a darn. The first time was in the Dungeon of the Fire Opal (yeah, the classic Gygax dungeon that John Tweet filled out); I put him in the abbey water room, and let the fun fly. The PC's had to literally GUESS where the creatue was, based on who got attacked and who didn't, because I mentally placed the critter on the battlemat, and moved him from round to round, giving them spot & listen checks, and watching them swat shadows. five heavily damaged level 4 PC's later, they vowed to look into the see invisibility spell.
On a related note, a party facing darkmantles and possessing no daylight spells can be hurt severely when they're flailing in the dark wondering where each other is.
I put a party of 7 level 7 characters against seven regular darkmantles, and by the time it was finished, half the party was unconscious. Gotta love 3E total concealment.
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
It's not just a plant.
It's a one-trick plant whose niche is already filled to bursting. It can basically only fill one roll: stealthy predator.
If I design an adventure, and I'm lookin' for a 'stealthy predator,' a lot of things come to mind. An ambulatory invisible mushroom ain't one of 'em.
It's a one-trick plant whose niche is already filled to bursting. It can basically only fill one roll: stealthy predator.
If I design an adventure, and I'm lookin' for a 'stealthy predator,' a lot of things come to mind. An ambulatory invisible mushroom ain't one of 'em.
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