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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aeolius" data-source="post: 5545079" data-attributes="member: 2072">Earlier today, I was reading about <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/04/110427-fungus-caterpillars-tibet-china-herders-science/" target="_blank">caterpillar fungus</a> :<img src="http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/350/overrides/caterpillar-fungus-traditional-medicine-china_35088_600x450.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />   "The fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis, takes over the bodies of caterpillar larvae then shoots up like finger-size blades of grass out of the dead insects' heads... Known as yartsa gunbu—or "summer grass winter worm"—by Chinese consumers, the nutty-tasting fungus is highly valued for its purported medicinal benefits..."   Granted, I was eating breakfast at the time, so the image made an impression. I was immediately reminded of another fungus, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_smut" target="_blank">huitlacoche (corn smut)</a>, which I have yet to summon the gumption to sample (though I have sampled a few insects, from <a href="http://www.edible.com/" target="_blank">edible.com</a> .    Almost instantly, my brain clicked into DM Mode. Envision an edible fungus grown on "monsters". What if yellow musk creeper was a great delicacy? Would enterprising farmers corral tribes of goblins to infect as yellow musk creepers? What are the ethical ramifications of eating a fungus grown on sentient being held in captivity for that very purpose?   Perhaps vegepygmies were a culinary treat. Would one go do far as to throw a kobold or two into a patch of russet mold, then slay they beastie that emerged? How about hot-buttered myconid on the side, then?    I doubt a PC would go to such dubious depths, to secure their supper, but it would make for a dandy adventure. Perhaps a thieves guild hires the party's rogue to sneak into a hobgoblin lair, to infect them with a fast-growing fungus. Whether the PCs discover what is to become of the hobgoblins, once the fungus begins to grow, is open to debate.   What would the PCs do, if they learned that the local townsfolk, slain by a mysterious "plague", were being exhumed and consumed by an enterprising troll?   I have too much fun, for people.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />  Ever had one of those moments, when you discover something new and immediately begin to plot how such knowledge would work in your games?</blockquote>

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