D&D 5E How would you do Yellow Mold in 5e?

[Zoetrope]

Newbie D&D 5e DM, so please be kind.....

I've just started running 5e for my group, and have started with the Forge of Fury adventure from 3.5e, updating the creature statistics as best I can. I've noticed that there appears to be no attribute damage any more, from any creatures (e.g. wraith, succubus), it's all about reducing max HP...

So I guess that's how Yellow Mold would work, but for what level of damage? See the included stat block for my interpretation. Yellow Mold was always designed to be lethal, so I have set a relatively low DC but made the potential damage significant at 1d10/2d10 if the saves are failed. Players should be level 3 or 4 by the time they encounter it, by the way.



I guess this kind of thing will be covered in the DMG, but wondered what people thought?

Cheers,
Z

 

[treebear]

The Shadow does 1d4 strength damage, recovered after a short or long rest.

 

[Zoetrope]

Ah, thanks for spotting what I missed!

So we could revert Yellow Mold back to doing 1d6/2d6 constitution damage, recoverable after a short/long rest as per the 3/5e rules.

 

[ExploderWizard]

I do yellow mold exactly as I have done it since B/X. The mold releases spores. Those caught in the cloud roll a saving throw or die.

Simple no muss no fuss.

 

[Uder]

The playtest bestiary for Barrier Peaks has yellow mold. It gives the mold a 50% chance to puff spores. They do 7d6 damage, CON save DC13 for half. Kill it with fire, radiant or necrotic damage only; AC0 & 10 hit points per 5 foot patch. DC12 Investigation or Perception to identify.

 

[Nebulous]

I do yellow mold exactly as I have done it since B/X. The mold releases spores. Those caught in the cloud roll a saving throw or die.

Simple no muss no fuss.

Yikes.

 

[jadrax]

Yikes.

That's the weaksause version, proper Yellow Mold psychically compels you to enter its spore cloud, rots your brain and then kills you when you fail the save...

 

[Nebulous]

That's the weaksause version, proper Yellow Mold psychically compels you to enter its spore cloud, rots your brain and then kills you when you fail the save...

Maybe there's a reason i've never used yellow mold. My players usually like their characters!

Although I have to admit, i just had a mental image of a lich packed with yellow mold sifting through his ribcage...

 

[Zoetrope]

The playtest bestiary for Barrier Peaks has yellow mold. It gives the mold a 50% chance to puff spores. They do 7d6 damage, CON save DC13 for half. Kill it with fire, radiant or necrotic damage only; AC0 & 10 hit points per 5 foot patch. DC12 Investigation or Perception to identify.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that playtest example. It still seems a bit weak, instead of targetting Constitution directly, it just hits for normal damage. I much prefer it to have a long-lasting impact, such as targetting Con directly or at least reducing maximum hit points.

I'm not quite "old school" enough to go for a straight "Save or Die" roll though, but I can imagine the sense of fear it creates!!

Cheers,
Z

 

[Zoetrope]

Although I have to admit, i just had a mental image of a lich packed with yellow mold sifting through his ribcage...

That actually makes for an interesting, and potentially quite lethal, encounter idea! Skeletons, zombies and the like which are dormant, covered in yellow mold, which then animate when the PC's start poking around. I think I'll use that.....