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Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)
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<blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 8700471" data-attributes="member: 6915329"><p>Gygax continued his evil fungi monsters in the following issue, so here’s one more: the <strong>ustilagor</strong>, also known as the larval intellect devourer.</p><p></p><p>Gygax started this column saying that eventually there will be an end to the monsters one could create. And for a while, he was sort of right: after this, there’s a pretty long dry spell of monsters, and the few monsters that are included aren’t particularly interesting to me. The next monsters I want to convert don’t show up until #86. But it’s interesting that he thought that eventually nobody would be able/willing to come up with new monsters. Did he think they weren’t necessary, or was his own well of monsters drying up and he assumed the same for everyone else as well?</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]254642[/ATTACH]</p><p><span style="font-size: 15px">Artist: Jeff Easly</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 22px"><strong><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)">Intellect Devourer, Ustilagor</span></strong></span></p><p>Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #69</p><p>Created by Gary Gygax</p><p></p><p>Ustilagors appear to be fist-sized, brain-like lumps of mold with stubby, limb-like protrusions.</p><p></p><p><strong><em>Larvae. </em></strong>Intellect devourers take over the bodies of the creatures whose brains they consume, but they don’t keep those bodies forever. Inevitably, the body gets too damaged or too rotten to be useful, at which point its abandoned. But the intellect devourer leaves behind almost microscopic eggs, which develop into fungi-like larvae known as ustilagors.</p><p></p><p>Most intellect devourers care nothing for these larvae, and produce so many eggs that only a handful will grow to adulthood. On rare occasions, though, an intellect devourer will shepherd their young—not out of any sense of parental affection, but because they feel a need to increase their numbers.</p><p></p><p><strong><em>Aura of Hate and Fear.</em></strong> Ustilagor produce a psionic effect that causes those who are close by to become hateful and fearful of their allies and surroundings. The effect can cause even close friends to begin bickering with each other, or even to out-right attack each other.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Legends and Lore</span></strong></p><p>With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:</p><p></p><p><strong>DC 10.</strong> The ustilagor is the larval form of the intellect devourer.</p><p></p><p><strong>DC 15.</strong> Although unintelligent by most standards, ustilagor have psionic abilities that negatively affect the minds of those who are close by.</p><p></p><p><strong>DC 20.</strong> Ustilagor are considered a delicacy by many telepathic aberrations. Others find they taste like tangy mushrooms, and so they are a popular, if very dangerous, food for many creatures.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Monster Encounters</span></strong></p><p><strong><em>Terrain:</em></strong> caverns.</p><p></p><p><strong>CR 0-2</strong> 2d4 ustilagors.</p><p></p><p><strong>CR 3-4</strong> Intellect devourer controlling a commoner and 2-3 ustilagors.</p><p></p><p><strong>Signs</strong></p><p>1-2. A member of the adventuring party is suddenly inexplicably angry at and distrusting of their allies.</p><p>3. A half-eaten humanoid corpse, which is covered in burned and melted skin.</p><p>4. Unusually-shaped lumps of mold covers the ground, walls, and ceiling.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Behavior</span></strong></p><p>1. Tracking prey.</p><p>2. Devouring a corpse.</p><p>3. Watching a group of mind-affected humanoids slaughter each other.</p><p>4. On the run from some aboleth thralls, who are gathering them as a treat for their master.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)"><span style="font-size: 26px">Ustilagor</span></span></strong></p><p><strong>Tiny plant (aberration)</strong></p><p>Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)</p><p><strong>AC</strong> 12</p><p><strong>HP</strong> 10 (4d4; bloodied 5)</p><p><strong>Speed</strong> 20 ft.</p><p></p><p><strong>STR</strong> 7 (-2) <strong>DEX</strong> 15 (+2) <strong>CON</strong> 10 (+0)</p><p><strong>INT</strong> 2 (-4) <strong>WIS</strong> 11 (+0) <strong>CHA</strong> 15 (+2)</p><p></p><p><strong>Proficiency</strong> +2</p><p><strong>Maneuver DC</strong> 12</p><p><strong>Skills</strong> Stealth +4 (<em>+1d4</em>)</p><p><strong>Condition Immunities</strong> blinded, charmed, deafened, fatigue, frightened, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned</p><p><strong>Senses</strong> blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10</p><p><strong>Languages</strong> —</p><p><strong><em>Limited Telepathy.</em></strong> The ustilagor can share basic emotions with each other and with creatures that can communicate telepathically that are within 30 feet.</p><p><strong><em>Pack Tactics.</em></strong> The ustilagor has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the ustilagor’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and is not incapacitated.</p><p><strong><em>Pliable.</em></strong> The ustilagor can move through an area as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.</p><p><strong><em>Telempathic Projections.</em></strong> The ustilagor radiates an aura of phobic emotions in a 15-foot radius sphere. A creature that starts its turn in that area or enters the area for the first time on its turn must make a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw or be rattled and confused until the end of its next turn. Aberrations and creatures that are immune to being charmed are immune to this effect. The ustilagor can use a bonus action to suppress this ability.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Actions</u></strong></p><p><strong><em>Tentacle Whip. </em></strong><em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. <em>Hit: </em>4 (1d4+2) acid damage, and the target must make a DC 10 Constitution save or take 1d4 ongoing acid damage. A creature can use an action to wipe off the acid on itself or a creature within 5 feet.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Reactions</u></strong></p><p><strong><em>Energy Control.</em></strong> When targeted by an attack that inflicts cold, fire, or lightning damage, the ustilagor gains resistance to the damage from that attack.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Combat</span></strong></p><p>Ustilagor prefer to remain in hiding and let victims tire themselves out by attacking each other first before moving in for the kill. They retreat upon being injured.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Faolyn, post: 8700471, member: 6915329"] Gygax continued his evil fungi monsters in the following issue, so here’s one more: the [B]ustilagor[/B], also known as the larval intellect devourer. Gygax started this column saying that eventually there will be an end to the monsters one could create. And for a while, he was sort of right: after this, there’s a pretty long dry spell of monsters, and the few monsters that are included aren’t particularly interesting to me. The next monsters I want to convert don’t show up until #86. But it’s interesting that he thought that eventually nobody would be able/willing to come up with new monsters. Did he think they weren’t necessary, or was his own well of monsters drying up and he assumed the same for everyone else as well? [ATTACH type="full" width="484px" alt="1658436291121.png"]254642[/ATTACH] [SIZE=4]Artist: Jeff Easly[/SIZE] [SIZE=6][B][COLOR=rgb(65, 168, 95)]Intellect Devourer, Ustilagor[/COLOR][/B][/SIZE] Featured Creatures, Dragon Magazine #69 Created by Gary Gygax Ustilagors appear to be fist-sized, brain-like lumps of mold with stubby, limb-like protrusions. [B][I]Larvae. [/I][/B]Intellect devourers take over the bodies of the creatures whose brains they consume, but they don’t keep those bodies forever. Inevitably, the body gets too damaged or too rotten to be useful, at which point its abandoned. But the intellect devourer leaves behind almost microscopic eggs, which develop into fungi-like larvae known as ustilagors. Most intellect devourers care nothing for these larvae, and produce so many eggs that only a handful will grow to adulthood. On rare occasions, though, an intellect devourer will shepherd their young—not out of any sense of parental affection, but because they feel a need to increase their numbers. [B][I]Aura of Hate and Fear.[/I][/B] Ustilagor produce a psionic effect that causes those who are close by to become hateful and fearful of their allies and surroundings. The effect can cause even close friends to begin bickering with each other, or even to out-right attack each other. [B][SIZE=5]Legends and Lore[/SIZE][/B] With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following: [B]DC 10.[/B] The ustilagor is the larval form of the intellect devourer. [B]DC 15.[/B] Although unintelligent by most standards, ustilagor have psionic abilities that negatively affect the minds of those who are close by. [B]DC 20.[/B] Ustilagor are considered a delicacy by many telepathic aberrations. Others find they taste like tangy mushrooms, and so they are a popular, if very dangerous, food for many creatures. [B][SIZE=5]Monster Encounters[/SIZE] [I]Terrain:[/I][/B] caverns. [B]CR 0-2[/B] 2d4 ustilagors. [B]CR 3-4[/B] Intellect devourer controlling a commoner and 2-3 ustilagors. [B]Signs[/B] 1-2. A member of the adventuring party is suddenly inexplicably angry at and distrusting of their allies. 3. A half-eaten humanoid corpse, which is covered in burned and melted skin. 4. Unusually-shaped lumps of mold covers the ground, walls, and ceiling. [B][SIZE=5]Behavior[/SIZE][/B] 1. Tracking prey. 2. Devouring a corpse. 3. Watching a group of mind-affected humanoids slaughter each other. 4. On the run from some aboleth thralls, who are gathering them as a treat for their master. [B][COLOR=rgb(65, 168, 95)][SIZE=7]Ustilagor[/SIZE][/COLOR] Tiny plant (aberration)[/B] Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) [B]AC[/B] 12 [B]HP[/B] 10 (4d4; bloodied 5) [B]Speed[/B] 20 ft. [B]STR[/B] 7 (-2) [B]DEX[/B] 15 (+2) [B]CON[/B] 10 (+0) [B]INT[/B] 2 (-4) [B]WIS[/B] 11 (+0) [B]CHA[/B] 15 (+2) [B]Proficiency[/B] +2 [B]Maneuver DC[/B] 12 [B]Skills[/B] Stealth +4 ([I]+1d4[/I]) [B]Condition Immunities[/B] blinded, charmed, deafened, fatigue, frightened, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned [B]Senses[/B] blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10 [B]Languages[/B] — [B][I]Limited Telepathy.[/I][/B] The ustilagor can share basic emotions with each other and with creatures that can communicate telepathically that are within 30 feet. [B][I]Pack Tactics.[/I][/B] The ustilagor has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the ustilagor’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and is not incapacitated. [B][I]Pliable.[/I][/B] The ustilagor can move through an area as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. [B][I]Telempathic Projections.[/I][/B] The ustilagor radiates an aura of phobic emotions in a 15-foot radius sphere. A creature that starts its turn in that area or enters the area for the first time on its turn must make a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw or be rattled and confused until the end of its next turn. Aberrations and creatures that are immune to being charmed are immune to this effect. The ustilagor can use a bonus action to suppress this ability. [B][U]Actions[/U] [I]Tentacle Whip. [/I][/B][I]Melee Weapon Attack:[/I] +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. [I]Hit: [/I]4 (1d4+2) acid damage, and the target must make a DC 10 Constitution save or take 1d4 ongoing acid damage. A creature can use an action to wipe off the acid on itself or a creature within 5 feet. [B][U]Reactions[/U] [I]Energy Control.[/I][/B] When targeted by an attack that inflicts cold, fire, or lightning damage, the ustilagor gains resistance to the damage from that attack. [B][SIZE=5]Combat[/SIZE][/B] Ustilagor prefer to remain in hiding and let victims tire themselves out by attacking each other first before moving in for the kill. They retreat upon being injured. [/QUOTE]
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