Cerebric Fungus

Medium, plant, unaligned

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 176 (16d8 + 48)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	8 (-1)	16 (+3)	15 (+2)	10 (+0)	15 (+2)

Skills Stealth +2
Damage Resistances cold
Damage Vulnerabilities thunder
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, exhaustion
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
Languages Aklo, telepathy 100 ft.
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Special Traits

• Innate Spellcasting. The cerebric fungus�s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
• 3/day: calm emotions
• 1/day: feeblemind
• Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If the cerebric fungus fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
• Magic Weapons. A cerebric fungus�s weapon attacks are magical.
• Detect Sentience. The cerebric fungus can sense the presence and location of any creature within 300 feet of it that has an Intelligence of 3 or higher, regardless of interposing barriers, unless the creature is protected by a mind blank spell.
• Aura of Terrible Visions. Foes in melee with a cerebric fungus experience terrible visions of their past or potential futures, making it difficult for them to distinguish friend from foe or even discern their surroundings. Any creature damaging or damaged by a cerebric fungus in melee (within 5 feet) becomes confused for 1 round (as the spell, DC 15), and its vision becomes blurry and overlaid with phantom visions, resulting in disadvantage on attack rolls. This visual distortion lasts as long as a creature remains within 5 feet of the cerebric fungus and for 1d3 rounds thereafter.
• Otherworldly Mind. Any creature attempting to contact a cerebric fungus�s mind or read its thoughts with a divination spell or similar ability must succeed at a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be overwhelmed by the alien thoughts in the creature�s head. Those who fail take 1d6 psychic damage and are confused for 1d6 rounds (as the spell), and the divination effect immediately ends.
• Seductive Compulsions. Creatures targeted by the cerebric fungus�s enchantment spells have disadvantage on the saving throw.
• Unsettling Appearance. A cerebric fungus constantly scans the minds of those around it, projecting around itself a confusing collage of images gleaned from their thoughts. Creatures within 60 feet that can see the fungus must succeed at a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take a �1d4 penalty on attack rolls.

Actions

• Multiattack. The cerebric fungus makes two tendril of madness attacks. If both attacks hit a Medium or smaller target, the target is grappled (escape DC 15), and the cerebric fungus uses its Engulf on it.
• Tendril of Madness. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage and the target is dazed and has disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws until the end of its next round.
• Engulf. The cerebric fungus engulfs a Medium or smaller creature grappled by it. The engulfed target is blinded, restrained, and unable to breathe, and it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the start of each of the fungus�s turns or take 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the cerebric fungus moves, the engulfed target moves with it. The cerebric fungus can have only one creature engulfed at a time.
• Read Thoughts. The fungi magically reads the surface thoughts of one creature within 60 feet of it. The effect can penetrate barriers, but 3 feet of wood or dirt, 2 feet of stone, 2 inches of metal, or a thin sheet of lead blocks it. While the target is in range, the fungi can continue reading its thoughts, as long as the fungus�s concentration isn�t broken (as if concentrating on a spell). While reading the target�s mind, the fungi has advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion) checks against the target.
• Star-Shriek (1/Day). A cerebric fungus can unleash a shrill scream of madness. All creatures (except other cerebric fungi) within 30 feet must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be nauseated for 1 minute. A nauseated creature spends its turn throwing up. The target may repeat the saving throw at the end of its turn to end this effect.

Legendary Actions

The cerebric fungus can take 1 legendary action, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature�s turn. The cerebric fungus regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Tendril of Madness. The cerebric fungus makes one tendril of madness attack.
• Call of the Void (1/Day). The cerebric fungus uses starshriek, it automatically recharges if already used.

About

Cerebric fungi are a race of carnivorous, intelligent fungi native to a distant planet. Although they are one of the lowliest life forms on their homeworld, the fungi still possess an alien intellect far beyond that of most terrestrial creatures. Cerebric fungi display great curiosity about other races and species when they visit other worlds, asking endless, apparently senseless, questions and engaging in disturbing experiments.

Some eccentric scholars claim to have learned unsettling secrets from these interrogations. Although capable of fine manipulation with their prehensile filaments, cerebric fungi normally forgo the use of weapons in favor of their tendrils and magical powers.