Predatory Fungus - Dungeons and Dragons Lore

In my most recent video on the predatory fungus species called the Ascomoid, I had some interest in other giant and predatory fungus species one can find in the Forgotten Realms; well, there are quite a few, including varieties that tend to be found on all kinds of fantasy worlds, spontaneously evolving the same form and function to suit a particular environment and prey type.

I have been greatly assisted in this task by a single remarkable tome of invaluable knowledge, and the good news is that it is currently available to you on Earth (of all places). If you head to the DM'S Guild online, type 'Frendi Frokthu's Big Book of Fungus' and look for this cover image.

Is it the complete and perfect guide to fungi and the realms? Not entirely, but it's a damn site better than 'Grot's Guide to Rot Plants' or 'Fuller's Manuscript of Subterranean Flora', neither of which can be found in the DM's Guild anyway.

Frendi packs a lot into the book that is not much of concern to me, such as new player character options, new spells and such. But I am far more interested in the fungal creatures and their ecological information without further preamble.

First up, the Basidirond, some call them stilt caps or swamp chokers, love to hide among the swamp trees that grow many long roots close to the surface, where the Basidirond can blend in almost perfectly. They can also be found in very humid jungles, dark subtropical forests, and wet underground environments, where they continuously adapt to hide in plain sight, remaining completely motionless until it is time to strike.

Basidironds are multi-stemmed fungoid monsters with woody, leathery bodies of orange color and upper portions looking much like reversed umbrellas whose interior is sooty black. In combat, the fungoid monsters lash forward with their cone-shaped caps. A successful hit inflicts a bludgeoning hit and starts to choke a victim who can't avoid inhaling, resulting in spores clogging the respiratory tract. A victim will smother from these growths eventually unless a cure disease spell or effect is applied to them. When standing around doing nothing, the Basidironds fill a 30-foot (9 m) area with their hallucinatory spores. These spores form an invisible cloud 30 feet around the fungus and can inflict hallucinations.  If a character fails to avoid the spores, roll an eight-sided die. If you roll a One, they will believe they are in a swamp and will strip off their armor to avoid sinking. On a two they believe spiders are attacking them and will flail at imaginary spiders on the floor all around them; on a three, they believe they have shrunk down in size to tiny proportions and they will scream at their allies to help them, on a four they believe objects they are holding are randomly turning into deadly vipers, on a five they will firmly believe they are suffocating, causing them to run around and panic, on a six they will believe everyone else is horribly diseased and will try to run away from them, on a seven they will feel like their body is melting and will simply clutch at themselves and scream, trying to hold it together and on a roll of eight, they will believe they have a giant, bloated leech attached to their back, draining their blood unless they get it off. All of these were part of the original monster description of the Basidirond, written by Gary Gygax for Dragon Magazine number 68. The Fungus has a simple follow-up move if it detects that any creature around it has succumbed to the hallucinatory spores; it moves adjacent to the victim and beats the bloody hell out of them with its heavy, woody leg stalks until the victim stops twitching entirely and becomes another pile of nutrients adding to the general stench of a Fungus grotto.

As a plant-like creature type, the majority of fungus creatures can never be mind controlled, frightened, poisoned, knocked unconscious, or blinded; it's rare that they have a true sense of sight; they typically sense their environment through vibrations; we call this Blindsight in Dungeons and Dragons.

Basidironds are also joined by the Phycomid, These creatures, with their alga-like appearance, present a stark contrast to the more familiar fungal forms one might expect in the dark corners of the Forgotten Realms. Imagine coming across what appears to be a mere pile of decomposing, milky-colored matter. It seems harmless, perhaps even pitiable, in its inert state. But within this seemingly innocuous mass lies a deadly predator.

The Phycomids are not your typical fungoid monsters. They possess an unusual method of attack that involves the extrusion of a tube, through which they discharge a highly alkaline fluid. This substance is not merely corrosive; it is a harbinger of a much more gruesome fate. The globules of alkaline fluid, capable of being projected to distances of 7-12 feet, are not only dangerous due to their caustic nature but also because they can infect a victim, turning them into a breeding ground for new Phycomids.

These creatures are equipped with specialized sensory organs clustered around their form, allowing them to detect heat, sound, and vibrations. This sensory adaptation makes them formidable hunters, capable of sensing and attacking prey even in the absence of conventional sight.

When a Phycomid's attack connects, the immediate danger is the alkaline damage, which is formidable in its own right. However, the true horror begins if the victim fails to resist the poison. Within mere moments, the site of the attack sprouts mushroom-like growths, a chilling visual marker of the impending doom. These growths are not slow in their proliferation; within 5-8 rounds, they inflict significant damage, and the process of transformation accelerates. The victim's body becomes a fertile ground for these growths, which rapidly spread, consuming the host from within. In less than an hour, what was once a living creature becomes a new Phycomid, a stark reminder of the circle of life and death that governs the fungal kingdom.

In terms of defenses, Phycomids share some characteristics with their fungal kin. They are impervious to mental control, and they are also resistant to fire and save against all fire-based attacks with advantage, which can mean that they are one of the few fungal creatures that remain in cases where Underground groves or rotted out forests have been deliberately immolated by other races. It's a desperate measure, though, as fungal forests are so rich in resources in so many other ways.

There are species, such as barrelstalk and ripplebark that can be used as wood or food, some are good for writing materials and some better suited for making clothing or rope, fungus provides the bulk of Underground medicines and let's not forget, the mushrooms and such are basically their flowers, they can be very decorative, exotic things of beauty to be kept for their artistic value alone.

Fungus as a template can be added to other monstrous plant and animal species, where the fungus has completely taken over the original organism, for example, you can have Shambling mounds that are now infested with Brown, Russet, or Yellow Mold, gaining the special qualities of those types of mold. To make it even more confusing, myconids, the Underdark's most common Fungus people, can also be infested with another type of predatory fungus and start wandering around without a brain, just a mobile spore factory. Then you have the Vegepygmies and the Thornies, which are fungus, plant hybrid creatures with a life cycle built around Russet Mold.

Fetid Fungus is a particularly gross critter, its festering blob of lichen growing over a mound of decomposition that uses the chemical breakdown to produce gas and it directs jets of the gas to fling itself onto victims to engulf them and start to break them down with potent acid. Just slashing or beating the thing will splash acid all over the place and shooting them with arrows seems to do nothing, but they do burn pretty quickly and can't move very fast or very far, the stench of them travels further than the fetid fungus ever will.

Some fungus uses gas not just to flop around and hopefully grab somebody, the Gas Spore fills a round cavity and floats through the air, looking to most wary dungeon delvers like the infamous Beholder monster, with its many eye stalks capable of firing beams of magical energy. Gas Spores are harmless unless they burst, spreading diseased spores over a 20 foot area.

I have talked about Myconids before, just be warned that some colonies of the ordinarily peaceful fungus people can turn into very dangerous cults of the Queen of Rot and a sure sign is erratic and agitated movements in the myconids, particularly the huge sovereign who will seem to be jiggling and dancing a twisted, kind of freaky belly dance, while it's giant cap is tilted sideways like its listening to something singing an irresistible song... they are spooky, stay away from them or you will end up as fertilizer for it's thousands of babies.

At least the myconids and all the other fungus I have mentioned so far are more or less normal, terrestrial kind of forms of life, well except the vegepygmies, which came from a crash landed spaceship, but they came from some other world in a normal universe, the following few fungus predators do not.

First, the Rukarazyll. This entity, hailing from the enigmatic and chaotic depths of the Elemental Plane of Earth, is a specialist in deception and subterfuge. A master of masquerade and manipulation, the Rukarazyll utilizes its uncanny ability to adopt the forms of charismatic individuals, weaving complex webs of deceit among the unsuspecting denizens of the Material Plane. It excels in the insidious craft of cult formation, luring individuals into the worship of fabricated deities, only to twist these nascent beliefs towards the veneration of malevolent forces.

Already you can see how this habit alone would be massively alluring to fiendish creatures, having a cult all set up, ready made, just waiting for them to step in, take control and use for their schemes? It's perfect.

But the Rukarazyll's guile is not limited to the beliefs of the gullible. It peddles cursed artifacts, cloaked in the guise of beneficence, and poses as a healer only to inflict grievous maladies upon those who seek its aid. Through these underhanded tactics, the Rukarazyll sows discord and despair at various levels at whatever society it finds itself in, delighting in the downfall of those it deceives. It is a creature of Rot, after all, it just has a much more refined and evolved appreciation for the rot of culture, society, personal conduct, as well as a nice meal of decaying flesh.

The smiling leader, the esteemed hero, the wise and charismatic figure, under it all lurks a monster in plain sight.

In its true visage, the Rukarazyll is a creature of nightmares, a grotesque amalgamation of fungal horror and malevolent intelligence. Its form is a bulbous, fungoid mass, from which sprout numerous tendrils studded with cruel hooks. These tendrils serve the dual purpose of locomotion and manipulation, allowing the Rukarazyll to interact with its environment in a disturbing parody of humanoid functionality. Atop this monstrous body sits a head, reminiscent of a ram's skull, complete with horns and a maw filled with fangs dripping with acidic saliva. The creature's eyes, filled with writhing fungal filaments, and the random growths that adorn its form, only add to its eldritch appearance. This thing is a fungus demon of some kind, an alien and predatory form of life that is driven by an unholy energy. In combat, the monster will reveal itself to unleash a frenzy of claws and fanged bites, taking maximum advantage of how horrific it appears and the stunning effect that can have on those unprepared for it. It gets as many attacks as it can land in the first rounds of combat and will back off, going into a defensive posture or seeking out other victims as the secondary threat of its attacks sprout in the body and take hold of the victims, a spreading fungal growth will course through their body and swell the flesh, bursting into plumes of fungal growth that slows down, eventually immobilizes the victim and then slowly devours them alive.

The Rukarazyll's arsenal of abilities is further augmented by its spell-like capabilities, allowing it to manipulate its environment and adversaries with a sinister finesse. From altering its form to casting shadows of darkness, entangling roots, or mirroring images, the Rukarazyll wields these powers with the intent to disorient and dominate.

But wait, there's more! 

Often monsters like the Rukarazyll suffer from being solitary, making them easier for groups of adventurers to take down, but the Rukarazyll has the ability to expel oozes, using them as living weapons that adhere to and consume its foes. This, coupled with its powers of evasion and slowly building threat of its fungus infection makes any fight with it a harrowing experience. As with all intelligent predators, expect the unexpected and never doubt that they are a threat, no matter how much they smile and reassure you.

You can find the original listing for the Rukarazyll in the core monster manual for 3.5 edition D&D.

Finally, another alien fungus for you today, the Phantom fungus.

The Phantom Fungus is another sneaky master of stealth and subterfuge, its presence often betrayed only by the soft, squelching sounds of its movement and an unmistakable, musty odor. Should one manage to render this creature visible, they would behold a sight most peculiar: a mass of fungal matter, colored in shades of brown or greenish-brown, perched atop four stumpy legs. Atop its body sits a cluster of nodules, and its gaping maw, lined with rows of serrated teeth, very ready to prepare your flesh for some rapid decomposition.

What sets the Phantom Fungus apart from its kin is its innate and perpetual cloak of invisibility, akin to the effects of a greater invisibility spell. This trait allows it to stalk its prey unseen, attacking with the element of surprise firmly on its side. These fungi are creatures of solitude, roaming the subterranean depths in search of sustenance. 

Despite their simplicity, Phantom Fungi possess a low-light vision, with their sensory nodules enabling them to navigate the Underdark. They are opportunistic hunters, preferring to ambush solitary travelers or, when facing groups, to engage in more open spaces where they can utilize their mobility and invisibility to confound and wear down their prey.

Variants of the Phantom Fungus exist in the Lowerdark, serving the druidic Circle of the Depths in the Underdark city of Fluvenilstra. Also known as the Garden City of Great Bhaerynden, quite a remarkable place with the greatest abundance of Underdark Flora, its like a massive tropical rainforest of fungus with a city built into it. Moreover, the Plane of Shadow hosts its own version, the Shadow Phantom Fungi, while the demonic realms, particularly Shedaklah—the domain of Zuggtmoy, the Demon Queen of Fungi—harbor fiendish and half-fiend variants. In these infernal planes, Phantom Fungi serve as favored minions, thriving in the warm, damp conditions and partaking in the eternal struggle against the oozes of Juiblex's realm.

There are many more predatory fungi, the Violet fungus, the Shrieker, the Hedgehog shriekers of the Storm Horn Caverns, to name a couple, these are just a few notable varieties from my journals and explorations, my name is AJ Pickett, thanks for listening and as always, I will be back with more for you, very soon.

Ascomoid

I was just preparing to go down into the catacombs, perhaps have a word with the dragon ghost, when I recalled this highly melodramatic entry from one of the many journals of visiting scholars that had been collected.

From Journal of Thalion Underleaf, Sage and Adventurer

An Entry Dated: The 17th of Eleint, or the 21st of the Fading, the 264th day in the Year of the Wandering Wyvern, in the reckoning of the Calendar of Harptos.

"Today's foray into the hidden depths beneath the venerable library of Candlekeep has etched an indelible mark upon my soul, an adventure teeming with peril and wonder that shall linger in my memory like the haunting echoes of an ancient chant.

My journey began with the descent into the catacombs, a labyrinthine network of forgotten passages where the air is thick with the scent of musty tomes and the weight of bygone eras. Guided by the flickering light of my trusty lantern, I navigated through corridors lined with the silent sentinels of knowledge; their stone faces veiled in shadows.

Yet, not the lure of lost lore that tested my mettle that day but the crossing of an ancient rope bridge, a precarious span over a yawning chasm so deep, its bottom lay cloaked in impenetrable darkness. The distant roar of the Sword Coast's tumultuous waves and the tang of salt air rising from the abyss served as my only companions as I approached the bridge, its timeworn ropes and weathered planks a testament to the countless souls who had dared its passage before me.

With a heart both heavily cautious and buoyant that I was further into the depths than I had ever been before, I set foot upon the bridge, each step a whispered prayer to the traveler. Midway, a plank gave way; my heart may have stopped there for a moment, yet I pressed on, driven by the unquenchable thirst for discovery that had drawn me to Candlekeep's incredible collections.

Having conquered the bridge with limbs trembling yet spirit unbroken, I was scarcely granted a moment's respite before the shadow of a new adversary loomed large. From the depths of the catacombs, a creature most foul and wondrous emerged: the Ascomoid, a behemoth of fungal origin, its leathery hide a tapestry of pocks and spores.

Rolling with deceptive grace, this puffball monstrosity confronted me with the full measure of its alien might. Its first approach was a slow, deliberate advance, gaining speed like a storm gathering fury on the horizon. The air grew thick with a steamy mist that puffed from the pores. The inside of this ten-foot ball of fungus was actually fairly warm, and I could feel the waft of toxic spores in that dank air. 

I readied myself for the onslaught with no recourse but to stand my ground. The Ascomoid attacked, not with the brute force I had anticipated, but with a cunning use of its spore jets, targeting me as if it understood my intentions. The jet, a narrow stream of death, barely missed me, its spores exploding into a cloud of poison.

I leaped aside, drawing upon every ounce of my agility, and countered with a barrage of spells, though I knew its mindless nature rendered it immune to charms that would sway creatures of intellect. My arcane and physical attacks seemed to scratch its formidable hide barely, or perhaps they did, but without blood spilling out of it, there is often little sign it has been badly injured.

With a combination of wit, will, and desperation, I managed to outmaneuver the creature, using its momentum against it and leaping out of the way of the spore attacks.

As I pen these words, the echoes of my encounter with the Ascomoid and the memory of the bridge's treacherous span mingle in my thoughts, a reminder of the fine line between folly and bravery. Yet, it is in the heart of danger that we often find our truest selves, in the shadow of death, that we grasp the fleeting beauty of life.

Thus, I close this entry with a heart both weary and exultant, for today, I have danced with the dark and emerged into the light, my spirit enriched by the trials endured and the mysteries unveiled. Let this account serve as a beacon to those who would follow in my footsteps, a testament to the enduring allure of the unknown and the unquenchable flame of curiosity that burns within us all."

Now, for those unfamiliar with how the Monks of Candlekeep operate, this is a fluffed-up personal journal handed over to the Monks to gain access to the Library; the scholar obviously failed to bring back any books from the catacombs. The scholar went into the forbidden passages below the library, perhaps on the way to the old smuggler's cove connected to the sea caves; you can find a lot of old cargo crates down there, and some books I suppose, but the sea caves are too damp to keep books in good condition, no wonder they all got riddled with fungus and produced an Ascomoid eventually. It could have been some of the more illegal and unethical cargo that smugglers trade in, spices, narcotics and toxins. I know of one the Drow manufacture, perhaps the second most dangerous poison they make, and not just for the victims. 

You see, two hundred and eighteen years ago, deep below the land of Vaasa, V'elddrinnsshar was a drow city located on a mile-wide island in the center of the Moondeep Sea, actually a lake some 250 miles wide, one of a few in that region of the Underdark. V'elddrinnsshar translates roughly into the city of Secret Thoughts or something similar, it was a center of Lolth worship, as one might expect, and it was also a dystopian nightmare of plots, feuds, sabotage and assassination where the Dark elves used any means they could find to inflict pain, suffering and either swift or lingering death on their enemies. One infamous and as it turns out, highly dangerous toxin was a serum containing the active spores of a type of predatory fungus called the Ascomoid. I don't know exactly how it happened, but I suspect it started out as an attack on a rival House of Drow nobility in the city, which transformed suddenly into a virulently contagious Ascomoid Plague.

Victims of this plague developed large blisters across their bodies that would rupture at the slightest touch, releasing a cloud of fungal spores into the vicinity that would potentially infect more people. In the end, Lolth was no protection from the rampant fungus spread, and the entire city population either fled or died so suddenly that it was ten years before the city was investigated by the local Grey Dwarves and word spread to the surface realms.

The sparse details of these events can be found in the pages 'Storm of the Dead' a novel by Lisa Smedman published in 2007.

In its alchemically suspended serum containing the hibernating spores, the Ascomoid toxin can be delivered into the body via food, drink or coating a bladed weapon or dart; only a tiny amount of spores entering the bloodstream will see them spread through the victim's circulatory system, quickly sprouting and starting to devour them from the inside, eventually producing spore fruiting blisters that burst on contact to spread the deadly organism further. Blistering in the lungs is among the final symptoms, and I suspect this is how the invasive fungus managed to wipe out the whole city; in fact, two of the four most deadly fungi to humans on Earth both attack the lung tissue of the victim, leading to death.

Ascomoids grow quickly from a carpet of fungus that has devoured some sort of corpse, taking only a few weeks to grow from spores if water, warmth, and flesh are available. After which, they will break off from their stem and begin to roll around their environment, actively hunting after carrion or opportunities to infect a living creature.

The numerous pore holes lead to more complex structures in the spongy flesh of the Ascomoid; they serve as some sort of sensory organ that is highly sensitive to vibrations so that they can hear and feel the movement around them through the ground, any object floating silently in the air is invisible to them. They grow to between five and ten feet wide; the big ones weigh 500 pounds. The leather outer skin is thick and resistant to bludgeoning damage, they move by rolling along the ground and can keep going for quite some distance as they wander around.

Ascomoids attack by roiling into their opponents, but they can likewise use their spore jets to attack dangerous enemies. Large opponents, or those who have inflicted damage upon ascomoids, will always be attacked by spore jets.

The stream of spores is about 1 foot in diameter and 30 feet long. Upon striking, the spore jet puffs into a cloud of about 6-foot diameter. The subject creature must save versus poison or die from infection and severe system shock. Even those victims who make saving throws are blinded and choked to such an extent that it will require 1-4 rounds to recover and rejoin melee. Meanwhile, such victims are helpless, and all attacks made upon them have advantage (or +4 to hit in older editions).

It is possible to train an Ascomoid kind of.  if frequently fed either fresh or rotten meat by a creature, they would learn to detect the feeder and regard them as a creature that they shouldn't attack. also, receiving a steady supply of food will cause them to stop wandering around randomly, a fact long exploited by clans of Hobgoblins and other goblin kin, who capture them and keep them as sentinels and guard beasts.

They can be found more frequently in the High Moors area of Faerun, or just about anywhere in the Underdark. Its a fairly common predatory evolution of many fungus species from other planes and dimensions, including the 222nd layer of the Abyss, the Slime Pits, home to the demon queen of fungi.

My name is AJ Pickett, I included a 5th edition stat block for the Ascomoid in the video description, I will be back with a few more nasty fungi found in dragon magazine number 68, thanks for listening and as always, I will be back with more for you, very soon.

Dire Animals - Dungeons and Dragons Lore

One question I get asked is what exactly a Dire version of an animal is in Dungeons and Dragons. The answer is that the term was invented by Monte Cook, according to Monte Cook, when the team at Wizards of the Coast was creating the third edition of D&D over the three years prior to it being published in 2000, and I quote.

"When we were developing 3E, we recognized that we needed animals that could serve as appropriate foes and allies for mid- and high-level characters to help druid and ranger abilities continue to be valuable. It was my idea to create "dire" versions of various animals, based on the dire wolf/wolf dichotomy. (I know, it only makes sense in a D&D sort of way.)" 

In later uses of the term, it was applied to the animal form of the Weremole, which in all other sources is listed as a giant mole; the dire mole is not described anywhere else other than for lycanthropes.

So, things became a bit messy with what a dire animal is.

There is also the added confusion that the term Dire does show up in earlier editions, so I think what Monte was talking about was a sort of Template, a theme outside of any historical accuracy, but I think it could do with some more investigation.

When in doubt, go back to the source, so let's take a good look at the Dire Wolf and its history.

Dire wolves originated around 250,000 Years ago in California and Nebraska, spreading across the open terrain of America before expanding eastward and displacing an ancestral species, eventually spreading across the entire American and South American continent, they were not the ancestors of wolves, they were as distinct from wolves as Coyotes and Dogs, however, could still cross breed with Grey Wolves, according to specimens examined from the La Brea Tar Pits.

Dire wolves are a great example of a Hypermorph, a species that increases in size thanks to an abundance of food,  there were lots of other species of canines around, but the Dire wolves were a bit larger and had the strongest bite force of all existing canines at that time because they preyed on western horses, ground sloths, mastodons, ancient bison, and camels. 

Dire wolves were not the largest canines ever, nor did they have the strongest bite force in any canine ever, that would be the Epicyon Haydeni, which lived in the miocene, so about six million years ago, and it was much more like what you would find in the monster manual for a Dire Wolf. Actual dire wolves would be similar enough to Grey wolves that, really, you could use the same stat block in D&D to represent them both, if you are being historically accurate, maybe give them a higher chance to crit on a bite attack or slip them a few extra hit points.

So, departing from Earth and its ancient mammals, we now know a dire animal is not necessarily the prehistoric ancestor of a current species, it's just a larger, more aggressive and for lack of a better word, more monstrous version of another animal.

The artists took some liberties with the monstrous side of it and gave them a more demonic look, with barbs, spikes or horns also sprouting from their skeleton, usually on the head, back and forelimbs, but quite randomly. Dire animals in D&D represent both a larger and more feral form, and also imply that, if a lone creature of this kind happens to dwell in certain places and interact with humanoids, it's likely to slip into the category of a legendary creature, such as the lion that hercules battled and later wore it's super tough pelt.

3rd edition D&D did not invent dire animals, but it did give us an excellent system that allowed us to just apply a template of fixed adjustments to any animal's stat block to turn it into a Dire version of that creature. Templates take all the guesswork out of it and are very easy to use at the table, no need to worry about calculating it all by yourself. However, some creatures are the actual prehistoric animals, or things that may never have existed on Earth, like the Tundra Yeti, for example... as far as we know.

The Mammoth, Megaloceros (also known as the Irish Elk), Ground Sloth, cave bear, and Zeuglodon (a long, sinuous predatory whale species), are all prehistoric creatures that can still thrive on fantasy worlds that saw such species avoid their extinctions. But being Dire in a Dungeons and Dragons sense now diverges away from just prehistoric, and includes the monstrous, so a dire creature is larger, more feral and their protruding bony ridges and spikes, are simply fanciful inventions for our fantasy worlds, so it is acceptable to call a creature Dire, if it is larger, more savage and a bit mutated, it doesn't have to be just a prehistoric version of any animal.

OK, so lets very quickly cover lots of different Dire critters.

A dire wolf in D&D is a version of a grey wolf that is 8 feet long and weighs 700 pounds. They are encountered individually (which is typical for Dire creatures), or in packs of between 5 and 8 creatures. 

A Dire Bear is a massive creature up to 20 feet long and massing 6000 pounds, easily able to rend opponents to bloody chunks with its huge claws. Dire bears prefer colder climates and only come together to mate and are often kept as pets of the Stone Giants.

A dire ape looks similar to a Gorilla, but is eight feet tall and weighs around 600 to 1000 pounds; they are very aggressive and can tear a human to pieces if they get both hands clamped onto them.

A dire wolverine is only ever found alone or with a mate, they can grow to 12 feet in length and 2000 pounds of terrifying muscle, fangs and claws, completely without fear, a dire wolverine will attack with jaw and claws, if wounded in combat they go into a frenzy just like the Dire Badger.

Dire Badgers grow to 7 feet in length, weighing 500 pounds, if wounded they can go into a frenzy that will not stop until either it or its opponent, is killed.

Dire Weasels have always been a particular terror of mine, they grow to 6 feet long and 400 pounds, sneaky ambush predators that can latch on and drain the blood out of a victim, they are often kept and trained by Kobold tribes.

Dire Rats can be encountered individually, but you can find packs of up to 20 members, and they like to attack together. While each dire rat is only about three feet long and 60 pounds, they do carry the filth fever disease and are very mobile, being good swimmers and climbers

Dire Lions are up to 20 feet long and weigh 3500 pounds and can sneak up on travellers using long elephant grass fields to conceal themselves. Dire lions are quite cunning and are a prized pet of the Cloud giants, they consider the black dire lion to be the best and some storm lords are known to ride them.

Dire Tigers

Dire Boars look like wild boars that have reached sixteen feet long and weighing a ton. Dire Boars are ferocious in a fight and their tusks can rip a person apart very quickly. Do not underestimate how fast and deadly a boar can be, or how tough, as they can remain standing even with fatal wounds, and keep on fighting until they bleed out and die.

Dire Sharks grow to 50 feet long and weigh 20 thousand pounds, so, think Jaws and increase the size a bit more, they are basically Megalodons and like other sharks they have an extremely good sense of smell, tracking blood in the water from miles away and hunting down their prey.

In the Dragon Magic source book there is a listing for a draconic kind of cat-like predator called the Dire Phynxkin, which is spelled the most annoying way possible.

The Fiend Folio has the Dire Rhinoceros.

Frostburn, Sandstorm and stormwrack, the environmental sourcebooks contain the Dire Barracuda, Dire Eel, Dire Hippopotamus, Dire Jackal, Dire Puma, Dire Tortoise, Dire Vulture, Dire Eagle, Dire Polar bear, Dire Megaloceros (or Irish Elk), Dire Glyptpdon (which is one of those prehistoric armadillos the size of a wagon with a spiked bludgeoning tail club), plus the Sabretoothed Tiger, Wooly Mammoth and those giant predatory whales, the Zeuglodon, I mentioned earlier.

Masters of the Wild and Monster Manual II include the Dire Elephant, Dire Elk, Dire Horse, Dire Hawk, Dire Snake and Dire Toad.

Libris Mortis the book of Undead contains the Dire Maggot, but its more accurately a Monstrous Maggot, since the Dire title is usually reserved for Animals, not insects and vermin.

So there you have it, its quite a large list, no doubt there will be more published over time and I have probably missed one or two, my name is AJ Pickett, thanks for joining me and as always, I will be back with more for you very soon.

Opinicus: Dungeons and Dragons Lore

Travel across the Ethereal plane is often quite a tranquil experience, if you happen to be an immortal flying at tremendous speed through the endless drifting mists for hours at a time, it gives a lot of time to ponder things, such as why the residents of Toril, a world not that long removed from being home to three major magic, artifice and psychic powered empires, the people there seem to no longer know anything about the beings who live within the Entereal plane, even the planet Earth has got statues of the Lamassu, found in the  Neo-Assyrian Empire around 700 BC, but, not so the Forgotten Realms. I've talked about the Lamassu and Shedu before, but today there is a far more rare and unusual creature you may encounter one day, investigating some dry old ruin in the deep desert of Anuaroch, if you don't happen to run across a Sphinx, Griffon, Jacklewere, Lamia or irate form of well-preserved undead, you may find an Opnincus.

Like most of the Ethereal species, they are not humanoids, not even close, they have an ape-like head, and prehensile forepaws, but, their body and tail is more like a lion, with a camel hump and pelt and they have functional feathered wings.

Opinicus are desert-dwelling creatures of good will that have the innate powers of a 7th-level cleric and also a number of psionic abilities they use to engage in light-hearted pranks and practical jokes. When on the material plane, they prefer to habitat old ruins, such as a deserted city, palace, or temple.  Although well known for their friendly attitude, Opinicus are also staunch enemies of evil, coming to the aid of other creatures in defence against the undead and creatures of the lower planes. Most people sense the innate holy goodness of the Opinicus and wouldn't think of turning down their offers to help. They have very keen senses, never seeming to get ambushed or caught unawares, they move quickly and lash out with their claws. But at close range, they have a sparkling gaze attack that hits undead and creatures native to the lower planes like a ton of bricks, the Opinicus also has a number of magical abilities, such as the use of a potent Holy word once per day, dimension door twice per day and heal three times per day.

On the world of Toril, well away from the Anauroch desert are the lands of Zakhara, the Land of Fate. These far flung arid regions are dense with ancient ruins and isolated oasies where you can find Opinicus a bit more often than to the far north. Opinicus stand about as tall as a human, so you can look them in the eye as they talk to you, they hunch on their back legs to use their forepaws with the opposable thumbs to use tools just like you or I, they are at home on the ethereal plane and don't really need those 12 foot wide wings, but they flap them majestically as they move anyway, out of habit I think.

Their psychic powers include probability travel, teleportation, astral projection, dimension door, dream travel, telekinesis, dimensional anchor, animate objects, control winds, inertial barrier and levitation, so they are easily able to navigate the immatterial realms of Ether, Astral and Dream realms, perhaps one of them turned up in a dream of yours once, you never know.

When in the material realm they like to eat a variety of foods, not very fussy eaters, they still prefer delicious meals and can live for centuries, particularly if they spend a lot of time in the Astral realm.

Opinicus enjoy healing, helping out lost travellers and maintaining watch over key ruins and locations in remote regions, they are known to keep their ruins pretty clean and tidy if they are there for a while and may even restore or decorate the ruins with new stone sculptures they craft with meticulous care and simple tools.

Like all intelligent beings, the Opinicus is capable of good and evil, the vast majority of them are of the Chaotic good alignment, they are clever pranksters who enjoy the company of good hearted beings of all kinds, they loathe the undead and attack these mesmeric winged tricksters called Al-Jahar on sight, which is quite handy but often alarming as stop what they are doing and leap into the air to do battle with whatever horror they can sense a lot better than you can.

You won't find a better guide to the immaterial realms than the Opinicus, they get along great with Barriur whenever they meet in the outer planes, but the Opinicus much prefers to hang out in a nice desert oasis, eating dried dates and drinking wine, right here in the prime material plane, the heroic terrain and daily adventures of Ysgard, home of the goat centaur Barriurs is a bit hectic for the more playful Opinicus.

Oh, I will tell you this in confidence, knowing you won't take advantage of the situation, but Opinicus tend not to use a lot of magic items, even though happen across them quite often as they investigate old ruins, and they will sell them quite cheap, or just give away information on where to find some pretty valuable finds, so, try to compensate them fairly.

You can find the original listing for the Opinicus in the Monster Manual II published for first edition Dungeons and Dragons, way back in 1993, they also get a mention when sourcebooks are talking about the divine and heavenly realms, as the Opinicus serves an important role as a genuinely helpful guide for player characters new to the ethereal realm or lost out in a desert somewhere.

I will slowly be bringing you monster ecologies and lore for all the creatures found in the Monster Manual II, my name is AJ Pickett, thanks for listening and as always, I will be back with more for you, very soon.

Opinicus

Large celestial, chaotic good

Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 84 (8d10 + 40)

Speed 30 ft., fly 70 ft.

STR 17 (+3) | DEX 14 (+2) | CON 20 (+5) | INT 18 (+4) | WIS 18 (+4) | CHA 19 (+4)

Saving Throws Wis +8, Cha +8

Skills Insight +8, Perception +8, Religion +8

Damage Resistances Radiant; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks

Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned

Senses Truesight 60 Ft., passive Perception 18

Languages Celestial, Common, Telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Innate Spellcasting (Cleric). The Opinicus' spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast cleric spells up to 4th level, with a focus on healing and protection.

Psionic Powers. Reflecting its vast psionic abilities, the Opinicus can use telepathy to communicate, teleport for quick movement, and levitate objects or itself at will. It can also cast dimension door and telekinesis, among other abilities that showcase its control over space and mind.

Actions

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 3) slashing damage.

Healing Touch (3/Day). The Opinicus can heal a creature it touches, reflecting its benevolent nature.

Niflheim, Second Gloom of Hades: D&D Lore

Niflheim, often depicted as a primordial realm of ice and mist in Norse mythology, and Yggdrasil, the World Ash tree that connects the Nine Worlds, are central to many Norse myths and sagas. While these concepts are deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of Norse cosmology, their specific mentions in historical texts can be somewhat fragmented, as much of what we know about Norse mythology comes from a handful of primary sources compiled in the medieval period, long after the pre-Christian Norse religion was practiced.

One of the most authoritative sources on Norse mythology is the "Prose Edda," written by Icelandic historian, poet, and politician Snorri Sturluson around the year 1220. In the "Prose Edda," Niflheim is described as one of the Nine Worlds, a cold and dark place located to the north beneath the third root of Yggdrasil. It is described as the origin of cold, frost, and ice, a place where the well Hvergelmir, the source of many rivers, is located.

Another crucial source is the "Poetic Edda," a collection of Old Norse poems from the Icelandic medieval manuscript Codex Regius, believed to have been compiled in the 13th century but containing much older material. In these poems, Yggdrasil is described in more detail, particularly in the "Völuspá" (Prophecy of the Seeress) and "Grímnismál" (The Ballad of Grímnir), where the tree's significance as the center of the cosmos and its connection to various realms, including Niflheim, is mentioned.

For example, in "Grímnismál," there are stanzas that describe Yggdrasil and the creatures that inhabit it, as well as mentioning Niflheim as a place where certain rivers arise:

"Three roots there are that three ways run

'Neath the ash-tree Yggdrasil;

'Neath the first lives Hel, 'neath the second the frost-giants,

'Neath the last are the lands of men."

Niflheim is also mentioned in the context of the creation story in some texts, depicted as a world of ice and cold that, along with the fiery realm of Muspelheim, plays a crucial role in the creation of the universe, including the formation of the first being, Ymir, from whose body the world was made.

These sources, among others, provide a fragmented yet fascinating glimpse into the ancient Norse worldview, where the cosmos is structured around Yggdrasil, connecting realms like Niflheim to the broader universe. The imagery and themes from these myths continue to inspire a wide range of cultural and creative expressions, from literature and art to modern fantasy and role-playing games.

In Dungeons and Dragons, the Astral Realm spawns the outer planes through the collective thoughts and beliefs of living beings throughout the multiverse; approaching one of the Astral Colour Pools, taking out our iron tuning fork tuned to the key of E Major and striking a cord, we can see that the appearance of one of the portals leading to Niflheim is like a slightly corroded red and grey mist, and within the Ethereal plane, the curtain that parts the veil from the realm of spirits to that of the second gloom of Hades appears to be bright red. As we arrive, we are plunged into a thick mist that prevents clear vision further than 30 meters (or 100 feet); underfoot is the dank loam of Niflheim's seemingly endless, dark, and mist-clogged forest. Like most outer realms, the plane contains other divine and infernal realms, the domains of gods, devils, very powerful hags, and lurking evils, many of which consider Hades to be a home away from home. 

One trick to navigating through Niflheim is to find and follow the rivers which lead from the enormous terraced mountains which are bound by the mighty roots of Yggdrasil, these rivers head through the plane and eventually flow through to the other connected planes. 

It is an awesome sight to behold, the World tree is one of the great wonders of the multiverse. its trunk and roots of such magnitude that they dwarf the surrounding terrain, which includes mist-covered mountains and dense pine forests on terraced hillsides. The roots of Yggdrasil stretch far and wide, seamlessly blending into the natural topography of the land, yet maintaining a clear distinction from the misty environment they inhabit.

Perched upon one of these gargantuan roots, making its formidable presence known, is the fearsome Norse dragon Níðhöggr. This creature is not only distinguished by its size but also by the striking contrast of its burnished red scales against the ancient wood it clings to. The dragon's hide exhibits a unique texture and color palette that starkly sets it apart from the wooden behemoth it coils around, ensuring there's no visual confusion between the two.

The scene is shrouded in a thick, ethereal mist that adds a layer of mystique to the landscape. However, this mist does not obscure the details of the dragon or the tree; rather, it enhances the sense of depth and mystery of the world they inhabit. The overall image should convey a sense of awe and wonder, capturing the viewer's imagination with the grand scale of Yggdrasil and the menacing allure of Níðhöggr, all while maintaining a harmonious balance between the mythical elements and the natural world. 

Those who wish to leave the more Scandinavian side of Hades and venture into the greek pantheon's underworld will always start off deposited on the bank of the river Styx across from the entrance to the realm of whatever being they are fated to encounter.

There are many realms and powerful beings in the second gloom of Hades but getting to them can be extremely dangerous, in early advanced dungeons and dragons sourcebooks, it was suggested a large party of level 10 characters should be able to survive the dense population of roaming trolls, fiendish dire wolves, night stalkers, dark ones, the Red serpent spawn of Nighogg's children, the pets of the Night hags, Ettercaps and all manner of giant spiders, gnolls, the ever present Hordlings and plenty of Rust monsters, the damp air is perfect for corroding metal and the ground is slick with all sorts of fungus under the twisted canopy of the evergreen trees. You don't want to venture underground in Nifleheim if you can avoid it, even though staying on the surface means attracting the attention of the avian Diaks and the minions of Pazuzu, always looking to strike deals with forelorn and lost travellers.

There are many realms within the Second layer of Hades; you can reach the Paradise of Ratri, a Hindu deity associated with night, by following one of the rivers leading away from the World Ash, or taking a ferry on the River Styx, which twists and winds across the wild landscape.

The truly enormous red dragons are descendants of the Great and mythical red dragon Níðhöggr; They pay little attention to travellers, but their offspring are happy to hunt for a nice meal if a party of adventurers draws too much attention to themselves, most of the offspring are Wyverns, not full dragons, which I have no explanation for. A howling fight with a two-headed death dog will also draw the attention of Hordlings, who gather in packs fairly quickly. Hordlings are like flies; there is always one around somewhere; they scavenge anything not nailed down the moment it is unattended and will slit the throat of anyone they find sleeping around a campfire.

Hades is not a place you drop your guard for a moment, the mist blocks even darkvision and mutes the sound, it carries strange stenches and the path changes gradually over time, making maps unreliable at best. Fomorian giants and Dark fey harvest boulders and erect profane monuments and dungeons temples to evil gods, many summon demons under the greedy eyes of the Yugoloths, who are also found everywhere on the plane.

The goddess Shar used to keep her divine domain in the Palace of Loss, located in the great waste, this place is now abandoned by her but full of fresh terrors who moved into this slowly eroding place. Shar now dwells within her own realm in the Astral Sea, the Shadowfell itself is her creation, but her astral domain is equally impressive in size, consisting of black sand and shadowy natural features, she constructed the new Towers of Night there, a far more ostentious dread palace, looming on top of the domains tallest mountain peak, easily accessible from many different locations in the Shadowfell, there is also easy access there from her old home, now known as the Foundation of Loss. The Towers of Night are a place of isolation and torture for those whom Shar has imprisoned there, there are no obvious doors or windows into the towers, but she allows petitioner souls and visiting travellers to come and go freely, just to torment the prisoners for her own amusement.

Mask has a domain called Shadow Keep on Niflheim, but it is constantly shrouded in the heavy fog of the plane and difficult to find, even though it can be glimpsed from a distance quite often, its like it resided in a place of shadow, only visually connected to the terrain, but unreachable unless the god allows you to find it.

A once more powerful sea god named Panzuriel has a divine domain in the form of a stinking, briny lake called Rezuriel, the god has worshippers among Sea Trolls, Koalinth, aquatic umber hulks, merrow, sahuagin and the great Krakens, so its also not a place you want to go for an exploratory swim if you can avoid it, despite the lake being a prime source of sacrificed magic items that Panzuriels worshippers love to donate to their god. Panzuriel tends to hate humanoids these days, particularly elves and sea elves, but it not difficult to stay clear of if you avoid the lake. If you do run afoul of his forces, you might get some help from the god Umberlee, or if closer to the border with Olympus in Hades, you could possibly call on Poseidon to help, as he was one of the gods who actively brought Panzuriel down to the level he is at now.

If one does travel the rivers and head in the direction of the World Ash towards mountains that seem to rise up beyond the gloom of Niflheim, one will eventually reach the plane of Ysgard and the Gates of the Moon, the domain of the deity Selune, and I should mention this is also a location one can more easily reach by travelling the Infinite Stairway.

You can gods of other pantheons in more remote locations, they only seem that way for non-believers of course, those who believe will find a clear path to those destinations, even in a place so well designed to create a sense of being lost, hopeless and forgotten.

While Niflheim is not the muddy, toxic, death pit battleground like Oinos, it has plenty of it's own kinds of danger, from it's innate evil nature and the foul desires of its fiendish inhabitant to perhaps one of its most powerful resident gods.

Hel, guardian of the dead, the Norse pantheon's version of Hades, according to the Edda, Hel is the Daughter of Loki, appointed by Odin as ruler of her own realm within Niflheim, a place that houses vast mansions filled with the many that serve her in her underworld realm. She is one of the more recent additions to the Norse pantheon in real world history, so I like to think of her as something of a spoiled brat within her own realm, favoring new souls and lavishing them with attention, before becoming bored and fixated on the next new soul to arrive that catches her eye. Her hound Garmr is a truly impressive Fiendish Dire Wolf enhanced by Hel's divine power and a very capable spy who patrols her realm, guarding it, he and Cerubus, the three headed hound of Pluton, do not like each other one bit.

We shall take our leave of the many domains within Niflheim and head to Pluton next, completing out tour of Hades, my name is AJ Pickett, as always, thank you very much for listening, and I will be back with more for you, very soon.