Spores
Spore druids find beauty in decay. They see within mold and other fungi the ability to transform lifeless material into abundant, albeit somewhat strange, life.
These druids believe that life and death are parts of a grand cycle, with one leading to the other and then back again. Death isn’t the end of life, but instead a change of state that sees life shift into a new form.
Spore Druids have a complex relationship with the undead. Unlike most other druids, they see nothing inherently wrong with undeath, which they consider to be a companion to life and death. But these druids believe that the natural cycle is healthiest when each segment of it is vibrant and changing. Undead that seek to replace all life with undeath, or that try to avoid passing to a final rest, violate the cycle and must be thwarted.
Branch Features
Branch Spells
Once you can cast spells of the corresponding level, you may spend character points equal to twice the spell’s level to have that spell always prepared. Spells bought in this manner don’t count against the number of spells that you can prepare.
If you have a branch spell that doesn’t appear on the Divine Spell List, that spell is nevertheless a divine spell for you.
| Spell Level | Spells | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cantrip | Lich Slap | 2 Character Points |
| 1st | Detect Poison and Disease, Ray of Sickness | 2 Character Points per Spell |
| 2nd | Gentle Repose, Wither and Bloom | 4 Character Points per Spell |
| 3rd | Animate Dead, Gaseous Form | 6 Character Points per Spell |
| 4th | Blight, Confusion | 8 Character Points per Spell |
| 5th | Cloudkill, Contagion | 10 Character Points per Spell |
Talents
| Talent | CP | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| Halo of Spores I | 5 | - |
| Symbiotic Entity | 5 | Halo of Spores I |
| Fungal Infestation | 10 | 3rd Level Spells and Symbiotic Entity |
| Halo of Spores II | 5 | 3rd Level Spells and Halo of Spores I |
| Spreading Spores | 25 | 5th Level Spells and Fungal Infestation |
| Halo of Spores III | 5 | 5th Level Spells and Halo of Spores II |
| Fungal Body | 45 | 7th Level Spells and Spreading Spores |
| Halo of Spores IV | 5 | 7th Level Spells and Halo of Spores III |
Halo of Spores I
Cost: 5 Character Points
Action: Free
Trigger: A hostile creature that you can see moves within 10 feet of you.
You are surrounded by invisible, necrotic spores that are harmless until you unleash them on a creature nearby.
At the beginning of your turn, you can make a necromancy attack vs the Constitution defense of a creature that has moved within 10 feet of you since the end of your last turn. On a hit, the creature takes 1d4 decay damaage. This ability can only be used once per round.
Symbiotic Entity
Cost: 5 Character Points
Prerequisite: Halo of Spores
Action: 2
You gain the ability to channel magic into your spores, making them more deadly and offering you protection.
You can expend an amount of mana to awaken the spores. You gain 1d4 + 4 temporary stamina for the 1st mana spent and 5 additional temporary stamina for each mana spent beyond the 1st; the maximum amount of mana that you may spend on a single casting is equal to the maximum level of spells that you can cast. While this ability is active, you gain the following benefits:
- Your melee weapon attacks deal an extra 1d6 decay damage to any target they hit.
- When you deal your Halo of Spores damage, roll the damage die a second time and add it to the total.
These benefits last for 10 minutes, until you lose all these temporary hit points, or until you use your Wild Shape.
Fungal Infestation
Cost: 10 Character Points
Prerequisite: 3rd Level Spells and Symbiotic Entity
Action: Free
Trigger: A small or medium beast or humoid dies within 10 feet of you.
Your spores can infest a corpse and animate it.
If a beast or a humanoid that is small or medium has died within 10 feet of you, you can use a free action at the beginning of your turn to animate it. The creature immediately rieses to its feet with 1 hit point and uses the Zombie stat block from the Bestiary. It remains animate for 1 hour, after which it collapses and dies. In combat, the zombie’s turn comes immediately after yours. It obeys your mental commands, and the only action it can take is the Strike action, making one melee attack.
This ability can trigger only once per round. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your spellcasting attribute modifier, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.
Halo of Spores II
Cost: 5 Character Points
Prerequisite: 3rd Level Spells and Halo of Spores I
Your Halo of Spores damage die increases to 1d6.
Spreading Spores
Cost: 25 Character Points
Prerequisite: 5th Level Spells and Fungal Infestation
Actions: 1, Free
Trigger A creature moves into the area of your Spreading Spores.
You gain the ability to seed an area with deadly spores.
Using 1 action, while your Symbiotic Entity is active, you can hurl spores up to 30 feet away, where they swirl in a 10-foot cube centered on a point that you can see for 1 minute. The spores disappear early if you use this ability again, if you dismiss them using 1 action, or if your Symbiotic Entity is no longer active.
If a creature has moved through or started its turn in the cube of spores since the end of your last turn, as a free action at the beginning of your turn you can make a necromancy attack vs its Constitution defense. If it hits, then the creature takes damage equal to your Halo of Spores damage. While the cube of spores persists, creatures do not take damage from your Halo of Spores. This ability can only be used once per round.
Halo of Spores III
Cost: 5 Character Points
Prerequisite: 5th Level Spells and Halo of Spores II
Your Halo of Spores damage die increases to 1d8.
Fungal Body
Cost: 50 Character Points
Prerequisite: 7th Level Spells and Spreading Spores
The fungal spores in your body alter you.
You can’t be blinded, deafened, frightened, or poisoned, and any critical hit against you is reduced by one hit, unless you’re incapacitated.
Halo of Spores IV
Cost: 5 Character Points
Prerequisite: 7th Level Spells and Halo of Spores IV
Your Halo of Spores damage die increases to 1d10.