VegepygmyShort, thin, and green, this small humanoid wields a spear. Tendrils of fungus dangle from its arms, midsection, and legs.Vegepygmy CR 1/2Source Pathfinder RPG Bestiary pg. 273
XP 200
N Small plant
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +7DefenseAC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +3 natural, +1 size)
hp 5 (1d8+1)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +0
DR 5/slashing or bludgeoning; Immune electricity, plant traitsOffenseSpeed 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +1 (1d4) or longspear +1 (1d6)StatisticsStr 11, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +0; CMB –1; CMD 11
Feats Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +7, Stealth +10 (+18 in vegetation); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth (+12 in vegetation)
Languages Undercommon, Vegepygmy (cannot speak)EcologyEnvironment any underground
Organization solitary, gang (2–6), or tribe (7–30 plus 1 chieftain)
Treasure standard (longspear, other treasure)DescriptionVegepygmys are created by a dangerous fungus known as russet mold—creatures slain by russet mold serve as incubators for the mold’s spores, and a day later, the dead body bursts to release 1d6 fully grown vegepygmys. A vegepygmy has no real relation to the body from which it emerges, but the creature may yet retain a strange sort of reverence for its “birth corpse” and carry with it a grisly memento from the body, typically a few bones or teeth. Often, a vegepygmy uses such bones to craft a crude spear or some other weapon.
Vegepygmy tribes live in tightly knit communities and fiercely guard their patches of russet mold. Vegepygmies cannot speak—they communicate via a crude language of rhythmic taps, beats, and clicks. Hunting parties echo these exchanges through the caves they travel. Vegepygmies stand 2 to 4 feet tall and weigh between 15 to 45 pounds.
Approximately 1 in 20 vegepymies are chieftains. A vegepygmy chieftain is an advanced vegepygmy (often one with class levels) that carries an infestation of russet mold spores in its flesh. A vegepygmy chieftain infects any creature it hits with its natural weapons with russet mold spores (see below).Russet Mold (CR 6)This hazardous fungus can be found in dark, wet areas, and often grows in great abundance at the heart of a vegepygmy lair. When a creature approaches within 5 feet of a patch of russet mold, the fungus releases a cloud of spores in a 5-foot radius burst. Everyone in the area must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or the spores quickly take root in their victims, inflicting 2 points of Constitution damage per round. A new Fortitude save can be attempted each round to halt the growth. Although immunity to disease won’t protect against russet mold spores, the growth can be halted by remove disease and similar effects. Exposure to sunlight also halts the spores’ growth. Plants are immune to russet mold spores.
After 24 hours, a fully grown vegepygmy bursts from the body of any creature slain by russet mold, provided the creature was Small or larger. For each size category larger than Small, the body produces one additional vegepygmy.
A patch of russet mold is unharmed by all effects save for acid, alcohol, or remove disease (or a similar magical effect, such as heal), all of which can kill a single patch of russet mold on contact. Sunlight doesn’t kill the mold, but does render it dormant and harmless as long as the sunlight persists.Russet Mold VariantsSource Darklands Revisited pg. 61
Vegepygmies would not exist if not for the russet mold that facilitates their horrific means of reproduction. A typical patch of this rust-colored fungus covers a roughly 5-foot-square area, releasing its spores against living creatures that come within 5 feet of it. As the spores are not a disease effect, protection like a paladin’s divine health is ineffective, but the growth of the spores can be halted with a remove disease spell or similar effect. The best tool to overcome the spores of a russet mold patch is exposure to sunlight, which kills both the spores and the mold itself.
In addition to the standard russet mold presented on page 273 of the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, several other varieties of russet mold exist, each with unique properties and passing on racial variations to the vegepygmies they spawn.
Argent Mold (CR 8): A far more insidious type of infection, argent mold is a reflective, gray-hued fungus. Creatures that come within 15 feet of argent mold must succeed at a DC 18 Fortitude saving throw or be infected by the mold’s spores. Twenty-four hours after initial infection, the mold takes root and begins dealing 2 points of Constitution damage per round; success at a new Fortitude save halts the effect. All vegepygmies spawned from a character slain by this infection possess the advanced creature simple template.
Aurus Mold (CR 5): Aurus mold is a golden-tinged fungal matter that can sometimes be found on the surface. This variant mold is unaffected by sunlight, but its spores deal only 1 point of Constitution damage per round. There is a 50% chance that any vegepygmies created by this mold gain the degenerate creature simple template (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 288).
Iron Mold (CR 6): This rare variant of russet mold is susceptible to cold damage instead of acid. Vegepygmies created by this variant mold gain immunity to acid and cold, but also gain light sensitivity.Creatures in "Vegepygmy" Category
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