Editing Myconid (section)

==4th Edition==
[[File:Myconid 4e.jpg|right|300px]]
The Wizards Presents: Worlds and Monsters preview book introduces the myconids of 4th Edition as immigrants from the [[Feywild]] of long ago, who are now more numerous in the [[Underdark]] than anywhere else. They are described as "fiercely secretive". Despite this preview, myconids didn't make it into the [[Monster Manual]], and had to wait until the Monster Manual 2.

Although they are still not evil creatures, the 4th Edition myconids are expansionist, constantly striving to expand their territory and numbers. This places them in frequent conflict with other residents of the dark places they dwell in. The myconids' insidious presence has spread from the [[Feywild]] to infect both the [[Underdark]] and the [[Shadowfell]]'s equivalent (the Shadowdark). These myconids have a connection to [[fomorian]]s, and are described as being "touched by the madness" of the twisted [[giant]]s. Later, in Player's Option: Heroes of the Feywild, it is noted that fomorians fight skirmishes against legions of myconids in the Feydark.

In the Monster Manual 2, the traditional six-tier hierarchy is replaced with just three types of myconids. The largest myconid retains the 3rd Edition title of "sovereign". It has commanding spores which it uses to move other myconids into place in front of it, and a spore burst attack which it then uses to poison and daze enemies in combat with its allies. It also has a slam attack which does up to 15 points of damage. The sovereign is the only myconid able to communicate with non-myconids, using a form of telepathy. Unlike in previous editions, this isn't explicitly a spore-related ability, although communication between myconids remains spore-based.

Only slightly less powerful (but much smaller) than the sovereign are the myconid guards. They have the traditional pacification spores which stop enemies from acting, as well as causing poison damage. As shown in the illustration, the guards have spiked arms which they use as their standard form of melee attack.

The third type of myconid is a rotpriest. These have abilities not previously seen in myconids, including a spray which causes the target to decompose (taking necrotic damage), a life burst which it can use to heal other myconids, and the ability to absorb damage dealt to nearby kin. The guard and sovereign have a similar, but less powerful ability to share damage with their allies. A rotpriest typically wields a staff. It has the ability to regenerate itself unless harmed by radiant damage.

[[Underdark]] expands the fungus ones' family to include the myconid gas spore and colony swarm. The gas spore resembles the gas spore from the original AD&D Monster Manual, and has a similar spore burst attack. As a minion, it also has only one hit point. The colony swarm is a collective of smaller carnivorous fungal creatures. They rise up to defend myconid colonies using their poisonous devouring spores and rotting decay attacks.

The Great Cathedral of Psilofyr is also described in Underdark. This is an ancient petrified toadstool towering 600 feet high and spanning over 400 feet in diameter. The myconids believe that the stone fungus holds the slumbering essence of their creator, [[Psilofyr]] (see below). The cathedral is ruled by a powerful myconid lord called Amasutelob. He commands armies of [[otyugh]]s, fey-grove [[choker]]s, [[Shambling Mound|shambling mounds]] and other plant creatures.

In the adventure Den of the Slavetakers in Dungeon #171, myconids are one of the factions vying for control of a meteor shard. At the climax of the adventure, the myconids raise a giant fungal tower they have "glued together with spittle and ooze" to get to the temple which houses the shard.

The idea that myconids spread implacably and continuously is emphasised again in Into the Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook, one of the last 4th Edition supplements. Myconids spores are apparently capable of creating enormous fungal masses that crowd out other plants and animals. The fungus ones do not react well to [[adventurer]]s who hack their way through these fungal constructs and consider such actions as an attack on their colony. Negotiation with the myconid sovereign is recommended as an alternative to facing an angry myconid community, who are said to pour from their lair like a colony of fire ants once attacked.

It is perhaps noteworthy that the 4th Edition myconids are both the only version of the myconids with aggressive, expansionist habits and the only edition which doesn't make any mention of the myconid meld. Could it be that the myconids of other editions are such peaceful creatures only because their meditative practices stem their expansionist tendencies?