Fungal Mutt

Fungal Mutt Characteristics
Exp Rating: 2.25
Minimum Level: 8
Base Hitpoints: CON/3 + CON/3
Level Hitpoints: 4 per level
Size: Medium
Attributes: +4 STR, +8 DEX, +4 CON, -6 INT, -6 CHA
Languages: None
Stamina: 3
Resolve: 1
Philosophy Ranks: Rank 1 Mental, Rank 4 Physical
Senses: Tracking Scent, Superior Hearing, Low-Light Vision
Habitat: Caves, damp environments, forests
Skills
Points per Level: Gain 5 Skill Points per level.
Favored Skills:
Starting Skill Points:
  • 16 points to be spent in the above Racial Skills. These points cannot be used to raise a skill above Rank 3.
Movement
Shift: 5ft/2seg
Skirmish: 30ft/3seg
Sprint: 70ft/3seg
Overland: 30 mi/day
Racial Features
  • Light Sensitivity: Fungal Mutts are extremely sensitive to bright light, suffering ongoing 5 damage every 10 segments while exposed to it. Additionally, the mutt suffers a -4 penalty to skills checks involving sight (such as Spot and Awareness), and a -2 penalty to attack rolls.
  • Tracking Scent: +2 racial bonus to Scent, Awareness, and Hunting checks made for Tracking. (inc.)
  • Animal Instincts: Animals do not suffer penalties to their Initiative Score, Awareness, or Sensory Skills due to their low intelligence. (inc)
  • Superior Hearing: +2 racial bonus to Listen. (inc)
  • Fungal Hide: Fungal Mutt gets a +2/+2 Racial Bonus to Natural Armor.
Cultural Features
  • Innate Grappler: Gain a +2 Racial bonus to Grapple and never grants an opportunity for initiating a grab.

Fungal Mutt Types


Fungal Mutt Characteristics

The Fungal Mutt resembles an ordinary dog, except it has been infected with a parasitic spore that controls its actions. Over half of the body is covered in a coat of green to yellow-brown bubbling spores that grow from underneath its skin, along with a set of whipping, grabbing fungal tendrils that constantly move of their own accord, searching for prey. The fungus keeps the host alive as a source of transportation and attack, being unable to fight on its own without organic material to grow from. This parasitic creature needs meat to survive and therefore adapted a means of acquiring it. The dog itself, however, has a very short life span under these conditions, and is often traded off for another host, after the original has been consumed of course.

Culture

The Fungal Mutt is a victim of a deadly parasitic spore with a predatory will that has no culture. In fact, when an infected animal approaches another of its kind, it is immediately recognized as alien, provoking most other dogs to attack on sight. If this happens, it is extremely easy for the parasite to spread its spores into the biting creatures, infecting a new carrier when consumed.

History

Not much is known about how these beasts came to exist and why the fungus specifically seems to favor canines. Rangers and Barbarians suspect that it is due to their loyal and tireless nature that these dogs make good hosts. Such an animal could easily respond favorably to the impulses of such a creature, generally being unable to recognize a bad master from a good one. Particularly insidious Fungal Mutts have been known to find their way into civilized societies, with kennels. Once infiltrated, the animal will simply limp into a pen of puppies before the parasite kills it off. After that, the volatile vegetation chooses a new host and gains further opportunities to easily spread its infection.