TEXT: The Pod-Caverns
  of the Sinister Shroom
  ADVANCED ADVENTURES MODULE #1
  by Matthew Finch
  AN ADVENTURE FOR CHARACTER LEVELS 2-4
  Author: Matthew Finch
  Cover Artist: Stefan Poag
  Interior Artist: Matthew Finch
  Editors: Joseph Browning and Suzi Yee
  Layout: Joseph Browning
  ADVANCED ADVENTURES are designed for the OSRIC 
  roleplaying system. You can download the free player’s 
  manual from: http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric.
  Background ............................................................................... 2
  Notes for the Game Master................................................. 2
  Key to the First Level .............................................................. 2
  Map to the First Level............................................................ 3
  Key to the Second Level ........................................................5
  Map to the Second Level ......................................................6
  Key to the Third Level............................................................11
  Map to the Third Level..........................................................11
  Concluding the Adventure..................................................14
  New Monsters ........................................................................14
  Table of Contents
  Credits
  
  2
  Background: Strange doings are underfoot in the wild 
  hills bordering the realm of decent and civilized folks. 
  Villagers and cattle have gone missing; woodcutters have 
  disappeared; misshapen beings have been seen shuffling 
  through the forests. Some brave villagers have tracked a 
  group of stolen oxen as far as the rocky banks of a small 
  river in the hills. The trail disappeared down into a fissure 
  in the limestone rock, where a fast-running stream plunges 
  down to the dark caverns below. The villagers do not have 
  much money, but they do have three potions of healing, 
  bestowed upon them a year ago by a traveling cleric. They 
  will happily give these to any adventurers willing to rid them 
  of the threat to their village. One potion will be given at 
  the outset, and the other two upon the party’s successful 
  return. 
  START (from the surface)
  You are standing near a cold mountain brook, about five 
  feet across and fast-running, which tumbles from the rocks 
  above and thence down into a cave-like crevice in the 
  earth. The crevice is almost ten feet wide, with a ceiling of 
  eight feet. The sound of the water echoes from the cave 
  mouth.
  START (from the river)
  If the party is starting the adventure from the Shadowvein 
  River on the third level, they would simply begin in area 47, 
  with whatever description the game master chooses to 
  provide.
  Notes for the Game Master
  This two-directional adventure can be played either 
  upward or downward through the Pod-Caverns. The 
  traditional approach to the dungeon is, of course, to 
  explore downward from the surface. The dungeon follows 
  the course of a small tributary river as it wends its way 
  deeper and deeper through a series of limestone caverns 
  to a large subterranean river below. These caverns house 
  the laboratory and lair of the Shroom, a sorcerous creature 
  that resembles a tall, ambulatory toadstool. The Shroom is 
  preparing to attack the villages near his lair, and has been 
  working to build an army of pod-men (see “New Monsters”) 
  for this purpose. His minions have been stealing oxen and 
  occasionally kidnapping villagers to provide nutrients for his 
  pods; the Shroom uses red meat to supplement fish caught 
  in the streams and waterways running through his lair. 
  The adventure is also designed to be run in reverse. As 
  previously noted, there is a large underground river, the 
  Shadowvein, flowing through the dungeon’s deepest 
  level; if the party is already 
  traveling on such a river, this 
  adventure may be used by 
  the GM to provide the players 
  an interesting avenue back 
  to the surface. If the party is 
  adventuring upwards from the 
  river, of course, the Shroom’s 
  plans and motivations are 
  irrelevant; his lair is simply 
  a 
  treasure-laden 
  obstacle 
  blocking the party’s pathway 
  to the surface. However, if the 
  party is exploring downward, 
  it is likely that their mission is to 
  find and destroy the Shroom.
  KEY TO THE FIRST LEVEL
  Wandering Monsters:
  A check for wandering monsters should be made once 
  every three turns. The chance of encountering a wandering 
  monster is fairly small (1 in 10 chance).
  1. 1d4 pod men patrolling.
  2. 1d6 giant rats scavenging.
  3. 1d3 huge spiders hunting for rats.
  4. 1 giant centipede hunting for rats.
  Rooms and Areas
  1. ENTRY TUNNEL: The tunnel down into the caverns winds 
  along a narrow and uneven path, following the river’s 
  natural course. Stalactites hang low from the ceiling, 
  and the rock floor is treacherously slippery from the 
  splashing water. The subterranean air has a placid, 
  piercing chill, all too familiar to veteran adventurers. 
  Suddenly, the river-carven tunnel slopes abruptly 
  downward, and just ahead there is the unmistakable 
  sound of a waterfall dashing down to rocks below (see 
  area 2 for a description of the waterfall).
  2. ENTRY CAVERN: The stream running down the tunnel 
  plunges thirty feet down into a large cavern below. The 
  descent to the cave floor may present a challenge, for 
  the rocks at the edge of the waterfall are extremely 
  slippery. Anyone venturing to the very edge has a 2 in 
  6 chance of falling to the rocky pool below. The cavern 
  wall directly to the south of the waterfall is crusted with 
  fungus growth that has a durability and tensile strength 
  almost as great as the stone from which it grows, and 
  can be used to climb up or down as easily as by a 
  ladder – provided that one does not slip on the rocks 
  getting to it. It is via this fungus ladder, created by the 
  Shroom’s magic, that the pod-men venture in and 
  out of the cavern. Note: if the party retreats from the 
  caverns and then returns, the Shroom will have removed 
  the fungus ladder.
  About five feet below the waterfall, a bamboo-like 
  wooden pipe is fed by the flow of water, channeling it 
  around the cavern wall at a height of 25 feet, to irrigate 
  the snagwort plants hanging by the chamber’s southern 
  exit (see below). Only a small amount of water from 
  the waterfall is actually channeled into the pipe; the 
  waterfall continues unchecked over the pipe, down to 
  the cavern floor. The pipe is not stable enough to support 
  a person’s weight, and this is obvious at a glance. 
  At the bottom of the waterfall a vast chamber extends 
  into the darkness, echoing with the sound of the 
  waterfall plunging down to the streambed. Drops of 
  water fall occasionally from the stalactites above, 
  glittering in whatever light the party carries.
  The southern exit from the cavern is flanked on either side 
  by an extraordinarily ugly plant, each hanging from the 
  cave ceiling as if growing directly from the stone. These 
  are hanging snagwort plants (see “New Monsters”). If 
  anyone comes within ten feet of the snagworts, they will 
  lash out and attack.
  SNAGWORTS (2): SZ M, MV 5 ft., AC 6, HD 3, Hps 15, 12. 
  Att 1 (1d6 automatic per round after first round), AL N.
  A small casket of wood, about six inches across, has 
  been hidden in the bottom of the pool where it is not 
  visible to casual inspection. The little casket has an 
  The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom
  
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  elaborate wooden latch, which is not trapped. Inside 
  the box there is a wooden key that may be used to 
  divert the waterfall at location 3 for a period of 6 turns.
  3. WATERFALL: The tunnel drops precipitously down to a 
  lower elevation, falling about thirty feet through a very 
  narrow channel. There is no gap on either side of the 
  water, and only about two feet of clearance in the 
  channel that is not filled with rushing, gurgling water. 
  On one side of the tunnel there is a round wooden 
  indentation, like a door, and on the other side there is 
  a small keyhole (the key from the pool in location 2 fits 
  the keyhole). If the key is used, the round door will open, 
  diverting the waterfall through a side channel. The door 
  re-closes itself automatically after 1 hour, forcing the 
  waterfall back into its normal channel.
  Concealed by the waterfall’s flow, there is a wooden-
  runged ladder, apparently formed by natural growth of 
  roots, leading down the cliff face where the waterfall 
  normally flows. It is easy to descend this ladder with 
  no risk (provided the waterfall has been diverted, of 
  course).
  If the party does not divert the waterfall, it may pose 
  a difficult obstacle. There is not enough clearance to 
  climb down without being pushed by the force of the 
  falling water, and the best a climber can hope for is to 
  merely get drenched in almost-freezing water. At worst, 
  the water can pull the climber off a rope or handholds, 
  plunging him down the full length of the thirty-foot drop. 
  Any character attempting to descend by means of a 
  rope or other such handhold must roll lower than his 
  strength on 3d6 or be swept away — this check must 
  be made for each round of the descent (which will 
  ordinarily take 3 rounds, one for each ten feet). A thief 
  character attempting to climb down without the benefit 
  of a rope or other handhold must roll below his strength 
  on 5d6, or be swept downward.
  There is another small keyhole at the bottom of the 
  waterfall, and the same key may be used to divert 
  the waterfall in and out of its normal channel from the 
  bottom. Leaving the caverns by this route is almost 
  impossible if the waterfall cannot be shifted to the side 
  channel. There is only the one wooden key, located in 
  area 2, but the index finger of any pod man grown by 
  the Shroom will act as a key to the lock.
  4, IRRIGATION DIVIDER: There is a four-way intersection 
  here. In the middle of the intersection a large growth of 
  wood, apparently of natural origin (though it is actually 
  shaped by the Shroom’s magic) divides the flow of the 
  river into three parts, diverting it so that a channel of 
  water runs down the center of the other tunnels, all of 
  which slope gradually downward from this point.
  5. GOO CHAMBER: The ceiling of this cavern chamber is 
  ragged with the spiky points of innumerable stalactites, 
  and the floor is uneven and slippery. In the middle of 
  the room, away from the river’s path, a pool in the cave 
  floor glows with an eerie bluish light.
  The First Level of the Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom
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  The pool is filled with a phosphorescent goo from a slow 
  drip in the cave ceiling. The goo has no unusual qualities 
  other than phosporescence, but the Shroom has trained 
  the mad trees in location 6 not to attack anyone or 
  anything that has been smeared even slightly with the 
  strange substance.
  6. MAD TREE ROOM: This chamber is lit by glowing moss 
  that hangs from the ceiling in long, frilled strands. Nine 
  trees are growing here, their roots constrained in large 
  earthenware pots. Each tree stands about nine feet 
  tall, and the pots are arranged in three neat rows of 
  three. The floor is grooved, causing channels of water 
  to flow beneath each tree pot, obviously an irrigation 
  system. A low, angry muttering sound fills the room, but 
  the adventurers will be unable to tell if it is the trees, the 
  moss, or an echo of some other sound originating in the 
  corridors beyond.
  These trees are the warped and insane offspring of the 
  treant held captive in location 19. They cannot speak, 
  and have only a chaotic and rudimentary intelligence, 
  suffused with hatred for all warm-blooded creatures. The 
  trees spend most of their time in a state of quiescence, 
  and unless the adventurers have made an absolutely 
  staggering quantity of noise in making their approach, 
  the trees will be asleep when the party reaches this 
  cavern. At the moment anyone enters the chamber, 
  the trees will quietly begin to awaken, a process not 
  apparent to anyone but a druid. Each tree will become 
  fully awake within 1d4+2 rounds, and step from its pot 
  to attack. 
  MAD TREES (9): SZ M; MV 10 ft.; AC 6; HD 3, HPS 20, 20, 18, 
  17, 17, 16, 16, 10, 9; ATT 2 (1d8); AL N. 
  7. UPPER POD CHAMBER: Several large objects hang from 
  the fifteen-foot high ceiling of this chamber. For a 
  moment they will be mistaken for human bodies, but 
  it will soon become clear that they are some sort of 
  pod-like plant growth hanging by short, thick stems from 
  the ceiling. There are 20 of these man-sized pods, each 
  measuring about six feet from top to bottom and about 
  four feet in circumference. All but two of them seem 
  to have split open from top to bottom along a seam, 
  revealing a slime-coated interior. The entire room smells 
  unpleasantly of rotting fish.
  These are the Shroom’s pods, used to grow his mindless 
  servants, the pod-men. Two of the pods are in use. One 
  of these has only recently been seeded, and contains 
  a disgusting mass of unformed vegetable tissue, slime, 
  and rotting fish (a nutrient formula). The other contains 
  a fully-grown pod-man. If any of the other pods in the 
  room are disturbed in any way, the pod man will split 
  open its pod and move to attack.
  POD MAN (1): SZ M, MV 60 ft. AC 9, HD 3+1, HPS 13; ATK: 2 
  (1d6/1d6), Special: grab and hold with first hit, AL N.
  There is a secret compartment in the southern wall 
  of this chamber, used by the Shroom as a cache of 
  emergency items in case of need. The concealing 
  panel of the compartment is held in place by a 
  counterweight system behind the rock face, anchored 
  by one of the pods. If the pod is cut down, the panel 
  will spring open. Without cutting down the pod, it will 
  be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to force open 
  the panel, even if the adventurers have detected its 
  presence by normal means. The secret compartment 
  contains a potion of healing and a potion of invisibility.
  8. SIDE CHAMBER: The floor of this chamber is covered 
  thickly with small, bulb-headed mushrooms. If any 
  of these are crushed (by walking through them, for 
  example), they will ooze a sticky paste of spores that 
  instantly begins to glow with a cheerful yellow color. 
  The spores are harmless, but any person walking 
  through the mushrooms will end up with a pair of softly-
  glowing boots. The spore-stain has one odd property; it 
  is unaffected by invisibility spells and will not disappear 
  with the rest of a character’s equipment. The glow 
  wears off after 24 hours. 
  A carven stone head, about the size of a clenched fist, 
  floats in midair in the center of the room. This strange 
  magical object drifts through the air, following any 
  light source it detects, at a distance of about ten feet. 
  Unless the adventurers experiment with it, it will likely 
  appear that the head is following a person. The head 
  does nothing and has no other magical properties: it 
  simply follows light. If the head eventually follows the 
  adventurers out of the dungeon, it will shoot upward 
  toward the sun and never be seen again.
  9. STONE MOUTH: A huge stone face is carved into the 
  wall where the tunnel widens out. The carving’s mouth 
  is a hole that opens to a narrow tunnel beyond. It is not 
  difficult to climb through the mouth, for the bottom lip 
  is only three feet up the wall. On the other side, the 
  passageway is a mere four feet wide, just enough for 
  the adventurers to file through one at a time.
  10. LODESTONE MOSS CHAMBER:. The walls of this chamber 
  are lightly crusted with small patches of a strange blue-
  green lichen. If the party enters, they will likely feel the 
  effects of the lichen, which is a rare plant known as 
  lodestone moss. The moss attracts metal, and anyone 
  carrying a sword or other metal object will feel a slight 
  tug from the “magnetic” field. The moss does not grow 
  in large enough quantities (in this room) to cause any 
  difficulties: it will merely be a curiosity. The magnetic 
  properties persist for only 24 hours if the moss is torn from 
  the walls.
  11. SHAMBLING MOUND LAIR: Ropy pillars of fungus grow 
  from ceiling to floor here, ranging from one to four 
  feet in diameter. A young shambling mound grown by 
  the Shroom makes its lair in the back of the chamber, 
  hidden from sight by the many fungus pillars. In addition 
  to guarding the passage, the shambling mound guards 
  a treasure casket, trapped with a poison dart trap (3 
  darts, 1d3 damage, poison +3 saving throw, attacks as 
  2HD monster). The casket contains 1,200 gp, 10 pps, 1 
  potion of healing, and a fungus staff. The staff is made of 
  a spongy fungus material that can be looped or folded 
  (it is coiled in the casket). Whenever combat threatens 
  (e.g., a surprise roll is called for) the staff snaps straight 
  for battle and becomes a +1 quarterstaff in all respects. 
  This ability acts as a warning, granting anyone with the 
  staff in hand to be surprised only on a roll of 1. If it is 
  stored in a backpack or other container, it may very well 
  damage the container when it straightens. 
  YOUNG SHAMBLING MOUND: SZ M, AC 1, HD 6, HPS 27, 
  ATT: 2 (2d6/2d6), suffocates enemies in 2d4+4 rounds. 
  12. FISH MINCER: At this point the river’s flow turns a small 
  wooden waterwheel. The wheel is attached by a 
  couple of direction-changing gears to a large wooden 
  box at the river’s edge. At the top of the box, there is a 
  funnel, and at the bottom there is a spout positioned to 
  allow a container to be placed underneath. A clicking 
  and creaking noise comes from inside the box. This 
  
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  machine is a fish mincer, used to render river trout into a 
  nutrient paste for the cultivation of pod men. The sound 
  in the box is the mincing apparatus, a moving bristle 
  of extremely sharp blades, like a garbage disposal. 
  An entire halfling thief will not fit into the funnel, but a 
  person’s hand could be badly damaged.
  13. GIANT LEECH WATERFALL: The tunnel drops suddenly 
  down to a deep pool fifty feet below, the river pouring 
  over the edge in a fast-moving torrent. A few jagged 
  rocks jut out from the stream just before the water tips 
  over the edge. The pool below contains 5 giant leeches 
  of 1 hit dice, and 2 giant leeches of 2 hit dice. 
  GIANT LEECHES (5): SZ S, MV 30 ft., AC 9, HD 1, HPS 
  8,6,5,4,2; ATT 1 (1-4, drain blood for 1 hp/round) Special: 
  only 1% chance of detection per round. 50% chance to 
  cause disease.
  BIG GIANT LEECHES (2): SZ S, MV 30 ft., AC 9, HD 2, HPS 
  12, 7; ATT 1 (1-4, drain blood for 2 hp/round) Special: 
  only 2% chance of detection per round. 50% chance to 
  cause disease.
  Beyond the leech pool, the tunnel begins to slope down 
  more and more toward area 20 in Level Two. The tunnel 
  is choked with stalagmites and stalactites, and in places 
  becomes so narrow that the adventurers will need to 
  move in single file.
  14. STEEP TUNNEL DOWN TO LEVEL TWO: This tunnel continues 
  downward at a fairly steep slope to area 15 on Level 
  Two. Stalagmites rise from the tunnel’s uneven floor, and 
  the party will often need to duck beneath stalactite 
  growths. In some places it is necessary to squeeze past 
  areas where the stalagmites and stalactites have grown 
  together into pillars.
  KEY TO THE SECOND LEVEL
  Wandering Monsters:
  A group of 6 pod men constantly patrols this level, and 
  there is a 1 in 6 chance of encountering the patrol for 
  every 3 turns spent exploring. If the patrol is wiped out by 
  the party it will not be replaced until the Shroom figures out 
  that his patrol is dead, which could take as long as a day.
  If the patrol is destroyed, other wandering monsters will 
  begin to emerge from the crevices and hidden crannies 
  of the limestone caverns. A check for wandering monsters 
  should be made once every three turns. The chance of 
  encountering a wandering monster is 1 in 10.
  1. 1 Ochre jelly (3 HD)
  2. 1d6 Stirges
  3. 1d4 huge spiders
  4. 1d4 giant centipedes
  15. CONNECTION TO LEVEL ONE: This tunnel connects 
  upward to area 14 on the first level. See area 14 for a 
  description of the tunnel itself.
  16. PRISON AND PERSON-MINCER: The tunnel opens up into 
  a large cavern with strange contents. Four cages of a 
  strange, fleshy substance seem to grown from the stone 
  floor along the southern wall, and roughly in the center 
  of the room stands a large wooden box with a funnel on 
  top and a spout at the bottom. The box is connected to 
  a small water wheel that turns with the river’s flow.
  CAGES: the cages are made of a weirdly elastic fungus-
  substance, virtually impossible to break or cut, 
  which snaps naturally back into shape after being 
  stretched or pulled. The cages are affixed to the 
  floor by a vine that (unlike the cages themselves) 
  can easily be severed with a knife. The cage-fungus 
  is impervious to anything less than a +2 blade or acid, 
  if the command word is not known. The command 
  word (“Fahoorth”) is to be found in room 29.
  CAGE A: This cage imprisons a female human prisoner 
  named Merithina. Merithina is the daughter of a 
  wealthy merchant, and an accomplished trader 
  in her own right. She leads small caravans of her 
  family’s merchandise from place to place in search 
  of profit, and on her last journey she was captured by 
  a roving group of pod men. The pod men brought 
  her and five of her guards to the Shroom for mincing 
  or pod-conversion. Merithina knows that all of her 
  bodyguards save for Ulster (cage D) are dead, with 
  one possible exception. A guard named Thuskar was 
  never imprisoned here, and Merithina hopes he is still 
  alive somewhere in the depths of the caverns. Her 
  father will pay a reward of 500gp for Merithina’s safe 
  return. 
  CAGE B: This cage is enchanted, making anything within 
  it seem to be a grumpy, uncommunicative dwarf. It 
  actually contains a troll.
  TROLL: SZ L, MV 120 ft. AC 4, HD 6+6, HPS 25; ATK: 
  3 (1d4+4/1d4+4/2d6), Special: regenerates 3 hps/ 
  round.
  CAGE C: This cage is empty, its inhabitant having 
  recently been minced for pod-nutrients. Merithena 
  and Ulster (see cage D below) both witnessed the 
  mincing, and are consequently nervous about their 
  own futures.
  CAGE D: This cage contains the only survivor of 
  Merithina’s caravan, a second level fighter named 
  Ulster (FT 2, HPS 13). He is distraught after the 
  experience of seeing his comrades minced one after 
  another, but will happily assist a party of adventurers 
  if they arm and equip him. 
  PERSON-MINCER (E): The river runs into the chamber 
  and pours away into a deep shaft in the floor next 
  to the person-mincer, turning a small water wheel. 
  The wheel is attached by a small driveshaft to the 
  mincer’s box, which creaks ominously from the inside. 
  The funnel at the top of the mechanism is six feet in 
  diameter, and the hole leading into the box is about 
  four feet in diameter. The interior contains a slowly 
  turning apparatus of sharp blades: sticking a hand 
  or a halfling thief down the funnel will have disastrous 
  consequences. A human can also fit into the box, 
  and this is, regrettably, the mincer’s primary use.
  17. POD CHAMBER: This chamber contains 10 pods hanging 
  from the ceiling, two of which contain resting pod men. 
  The other 8 pods are empty, with only a disgusting fishy 
  slime at the bottom. Eight pod men guard and cultivate 
  the pods.
  ACTIVE POD MEN (8): SZ M, MV 60 ft., AC 9, HD 3+1, HPS 
  13; ATK: 2 (1d6/1d6), Special: grab and hold with first 
  hit.
  RESTING POD MEN (2): SZ M, MV 60 ft., AC 9, HD 3+1, 
  HPS 13; ATK: 2 (1d6/1d6), Special: grab and hold with 
  first hit.
  
  6
  18. PORTCULLUS TRAP: The eastward-leading passage from 
  this junction contains a portcullis trap that will fall shortly 
  after any party passes through. At the river junction itself, 
  a net stretches through the fast-flowing water to snare 
  trout for pod nutrient.
  19. CAPTURED TREANT: In this chamber there is a medium-
  sized tree, about twelve feet tall but very broad, 
  mortared into place and secured with chains. This is 
  a treant named Leafloam, a prisoner of the Shroom. 
  The Shroom harvests Leafloam’s seeds and insinuates 
  noxious chemicals into them to make them into mad 
  trees (see room 6). Leafloam is almost insane himself, 
  under the circumstances, but will aid the party in any 
  way he can, especially if the party frees him from the 
  mortar and chains. Even before being freed, he will 
  warn the party about the snagworts in the room, but 
  does not know that the moss on the ceiling is vampiric 
  moss.
  Leafloam’s prison is guarded, and before the party 
  can interact with him they will likely be involved in 
  combat. Two snagwort plants flank each entrance to 
  the chamber, and there is a large growth of vampiric 
  moss on the ceiling.
  HANGING SNAGWORTS (2): SZ M, MV 5ft, AC 6, HD 3, 
  Hps 20, 15. Att 1 (0 at hit; 1d6 automatic per round 
  thereafter).
  VAMPIRIC MOSS: SZ L, MV 20ft, AC 4, HD 3, Hps: 15, Att 1 
  (1d4 automatic after first round).
  LEAFLOAM: SZ L, MV 120ft, AC 0, HD 7, Hps 30, Att: 2 
  (2d8/2d8)
  20. PIRANHA WATERFALL: This waterfall is not steep at all, 
  but it leads into a pool that covers the entire floor of the 
  passage below. The pool is ten feet deep, and teems 
  with cave piranhas.
  CAVE PIRANHAS (10): SZ S, MV 120ft (swim), AC 6, HD 1-4 
  hps, Hps: 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, Att 1 (1d2 bite).
  21. GAUNTLET CAVERN: The river flows through this large 
  cavern, wending its way between tall formations of 
  stalagmites. The southern wall is a steep upward slope 
  leading to a higher level within the same cavern. The 
  interior of this higher level cannot be seen from the 
  cave bottom. The upper cavern area contains a nest of 
  4 stirges and a guard post manned by 5 pod men 
  The Second Level of the Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom
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  Each pod man is equipped with three thin glass bulbs 
  and a sling with which to throw them. The corked bulbs 
  contain fungus spores that explode in a 20ft radius if the 
  bottles are broken. If a bottle should be uncorked, the 
  spores will escape into only a five-foot radius, but if a 
  player specifically states that a character is opening the 
  bulb with great care, it is possible for the character to 
  uncork one without releasing any spores at all. Anyone 
  inhaling the spores must make a saving throw vs. poison 
  at +3 or be affected as follows: the spores grow rapidly 
  in the respiratory system, causing immediate discomfort 
  (no spell casting is possible, all attacks, damage and 
  saving throws are at –1). After 3d12 rounds, if the effects 
  are not stopped, the victim becomes so breathless that 
  all actions are slowed as if under the influence of a 
  slow spell. After 3d12 days, the character will die from 
  asphyxiation and the corpse will begin releasing spores 
  into the air as it rots away (1d4 days). The spore effects 
  can, of course, be removed by means of a cure disease 
  spell.
  POD MEN (5): SZ M, MV 60ft, AC 9, HD 3+1, HPS 18, 13, 
  13, 13, 5, ATK: 2 (1d6/1d6), Special: grab and hold with 
  first hit, AL N.
  STIRGES (4): SZ S, MV 30ft (fly 180ft), AC 8, HD 1+1, HPS 
  3,3,3,3, ATK: 1 (1d3), Special: drain blood 1d4 damage 
  after hit until 12 points are drained, AL N. (the stirges do 
  not, of course, molest the bloodless pod-men). 
  In the top level of the cavern there is a large pile of 
  bones and scraps, remnants of victims carried up from 
  the lower part of the cavern. If the party sifts through the 
  mess, they will find 120 gp, 200 sp, 5 pp, 3 longswords 
  (not magical), 20 arrows (one of which is a +1 arrow), 
  three pairs of boots, a cloak, and some magic thieves’ 
  tools (+5% to open locks).
  22. IRRIGATION DIVIDER: A wooden divider splits the river 
  into channels here.
  23. LARGE POD HALL: This pod hall was originally used for 
  excess pods, but the Shroom’s expanding army has 
  grown to the point where he needs to use all available 
  space. At the moment, the Shroom is growing over a 
  hundred very young pods in this chamber. Although 
  the pods are full sized, most of the unformed pod-men 
  within are no larger than a house cat, and their contents 
  are not remotely formed into a humanoid shape. All 
  the pods contain a foul glop that smells of fish (the 
  shroom uses minced trout in his nutrient formula). Five 
  full-sized pod men are tending the cavern, and they 
  are supervised by one very large pod man the size of 
  an ogre.
  POD MEN (5): SZ M, MV 60ft, AC 9, HD 3+1, HPS 18, 13, 13, 
  13, 5, ATK: 2 (1d6/1d6), Special: grab and hold with first 
  hit, AL N.
  LARGE POD MAN: SZ L, MV 60ft, AC 9, HD 4+1, HPS 20, 
  ATK: 2 (1d6+1/1d6+1), Special: grab and hold with first 
  hit.
  24. GRATE ROOM: In this room, the river runs down through 
  a massive grate in the floor, disappearing from sight in a 
  splashing torrent (draining to irrigation pipes over areas 
  25-28). The southern passageway from this cut-stone 
  chamber descends and turns in a very steep slope.
  25 – 28. POD CULTIVATION CHAMBERS: Each of these rooms 
  is hung with 15 large pods containing mature pod men 
  kept in a state of hibernation until the Shroom needs 
  them. The stones of the ceiling are pierced with many 
  holes, and water drips slowly from these to irrigate the 
  pods hanging beneath. If a flesh creature enters one of 
  these rooms, five pods per round will split open in that 
  room (the pod men being able to move and act after 
  one round). Moreover, pod men will begin to emerge in 
  the other chambers, (one per round in each chamber). 
  In area 28, there is a boss pod man, the caretaker of 
  the four-room complex. This massive pod man is as large 
  as an ogre and has four arms. If there is combat in any 
  of the four pod rooms, he will show up fairly soon to 
  investigate what is happening.
  NORMAL POD MEN (15 per room): SZ M, MV 60ft, AC 9, 
  HD 3+1, HPS 13 each, ATK: 2 (1d6/1d6), Special: grab 
  and hold with first hit.
  LARGE POD MAN: SZ L, MV 60ft, AC 9, HD 4+1, HPS 20, 
  ATK: 2 (1d6+1/1d6+1), Special: grab and hold with first 
  hit.
  29. LIBRARY: The Shroom’s library is obviously the workplace 
  of an insane or truly alien mind. The stone walls bulge and 
  warp into melted-wax like shapes, a phantasmagorical 
  nightmare of bulbous growths and abstract traceries. 
  The river winds its way through a cut-stone channel 
  
  8
  in the floor and empties through a grate in the floor, 
  crashing noisily against rocks below. The river runs down 
  through a narrow channel to area 34.
  A round desk carved in the same bizarre patterns as the 
  walls stands near the floor grate, covered with papers 
  and scrolls. The desk chair is a massive piece of carved 
  wood, obviously not intended for a human. A scroll 
  cabinet stands near the desk, and there is a bookcase 
  with smoked-glass doors standing against the wall. 
  THE DESTK: The documents on the desk are written 
  in a spidery script (the language is goblin and the 
  alphabet used is goblin). Most of them are long 
  and involved mathematical calculations involved in 
  cultivating pod-men; nutrient requirements, growth-
  cycles, and the like. The adventurers will likely find 
  clues to the meaning of the calculations in the 
  occasional notation such as “nutrients,” but the 
  documents are of no practical use to the adventurers 
  or anyone else. Amid the sheaves of parchment 
  there is one containing the single word “Fahoorth.” 
  “Fahoorth” is the command word to make the cages 
  in area 16 release their prisoners.
  THE SCROLL CABINET: The scroll cabinet is not 
  trapped. It contains a scroll of flesh to stone, a scroll 
  of fireball, and a cursed scroll (reading it causes an 
  intense fear of plants for 1d6 days if the subject fails 
  a saving throw). 
  THE BOOKSHELF: The bookshelf’s glass doors are 
  magically trapped; if any substance other than a 
  fungus opens them, they will begin shrieking loudly 
  enough to warn the Shroom in room 32. The bookshelf 
  contains a spell book with the following spells: Level 
  1, charm person, enlarge, magic missile, protection 
  from good; Level 2, mirror image, web; Level 3, feign 
  death, fly. The other books are about horticulture, 
  and would likely be worth 500 gp to a sage interested 
  in such matters.
  Unusual noises from this room may alert the Shroom to 
  the party’s presence. See the description of room 32 for 
  the Shroom’s likely responses to intruders.
  30. VAT ROOM: This room contains three forty-gallon vats 
  standing on low stone tripods. A slow fire burns beneath 
  one of the great cauldrons, which is giving off wisps of 
  greenish steam from the liquid within. Near the vats, 
  a single six-foot pod hangs from the ceiling; unlike all 
  the other pods found in the cavern complex, this one 
  is a fleshy reddish pink, and has pulsing green veins 
  running across its surface. The room also contains a 
  long worktable, its surface covered with untidy piles of 
  parchment notes.
  VAT A (HEATING OVER FIRE): The solution in this vat 
  is a pale green in color, with the consistency of 
  milk (and a sugary taste). If a full pint is consumed 
  (takes 2 rounds) the solution will heal 1d4 hit points 
  of damage. The vat contains 20 gallons (160 pints), 
  but the solution will only last for 6 days if it is not kept 
  heated and stirred occasionally. The solution will only 
  heal 1d4 hit points total over the course of a 24 hour 
  period; taking additional doses of it before 24 hours 
  have elapsed confers no benefit.
  VAT B: The stuff in this vat is extremely gummy and 
  sticky, like an adhesive stew. It tastes bad, and if 
  ingested it cannot be kept down. At the bottom 
  of the vat there are several cat bones and a small, 
  jeweled collar worth 200 gp.
  VAT C: This vat contains a blue fluid used in converting 
  humans into special pod men; this particular 
  ingredient helps make the pod-creatures loyal. The 
  skin of anyone drinking it will turn slightly green (for 
  1d6 days). Moreover, if the drinker fails a saving throw 
  vs. poison he or she will find it very difficult to engage 
  in violence against the Shroom (this effect persists for 
  as many days as the green skin). When fighting the 
  Shroom, the character must make a saving throw vs. 
  petrifaction in any round he/she tries to attack the 
  Shroom; if the saving throw fails in any given round, 
  the character’s will power fails, and a different target 
  must be selected.
  THE POD: The pod contains a human who is being 
  converted into a pod man by the Shroom. Converted 
  pod men are more powerful than normal pod men, 
  retaining most of the abilities they had as humans. 
  The person being converted is one of Merithena’s 
  bodyguards (Merethina is a prisoner, described 
  in area 16). His name is Thuskar, and he is a level 
  3 fighter. However, he is half converted into plant 
  matter; not a pleasant sight. He cannot talk and is 
  half insane. Armor will not fit on him. However, if he 
  sees the Shroom he will attack it with any weapon 
  to hand. Thuskar-plant will doggedly follow whoever 
  released him from the pod, trying to help when 
  possible. He will slowly revert to human form over the 
  course of months.
  THE WORKTABLE: The worktable is covered in sheaves 
  of parchment written in a strange, spidery hand. The 
  language is goblin, and the alphabet is elvish. Three 
  of the documents may be of great interest to the 
  adventurers, but it takes 3d6 rounds to find each one. 
  The order in which the documents are found is up to 
  the Game Master.
  DOCUMENT 1: This large pile of vellum pages 
  discusses the research the Shroom has conducted 
  upon snagworts. It describes that the command 
  word “Shothuar” will cause any of the Shroom’s 
  snagworts to become passive and allow people 
  to come near without attacking.
  DOCUMENT 2: This set of loose pages contains 
  most of the details for the process of converting 
  a human into a pod man. The process cannot 
  be attempted by a magic user of lower than 8th 
  level (or by a Shroom). It is also possible to use the 
  clues in this document to duplicate the process 
  of making a plant pod man, but the Shroom is so 
  familiar with this process that he has never written 
  it down. Only an eleventh or higher level magic 
  user could actually create pod men from scratch. 
  The document would be worth at least 2,000 gp 
  in a city.
  DOCUMENT 3: This stack of pages describes the 
  mistaken experiment that created the funghemoth 
  (area 34). All it says is that “the unexpected result 
  of the experiment has been forced into a larger 
  cavern, where it has, so far, remained peaceful. I 
  can keep it back with its discipline stick, but it has 
  become a very irritating obstacle.”
  The other scrolls and pages on the workbench 
  are of no particular interest to adventurers, but as 
  scholarly notes they could be worth up to 250 gp 
  to a sage.
  
  9
  Noises from this room may alert the Shroom, resulting in 
  a counterattack. The Shroom’s powers and likely tactics 
  are outlined in the description of room 32.
  31. POTION AND DEVICE ROOM: This room contains a 
  wooden rack with twenty bottles of liquid, and a strange 
  and ominous piece of equipment. The device looks like 
  a long wooden chair, with many wooden needles on 
  articulated stalks bristling around it, curving up and out 
  from the beneath of the chair, where they are attached 
  to the bottom. There is a funnel near the chair’s headrest 
  that seems to pour liquid into the chair. The attachments 
  do not appear to be mechanical, not does the chair 
  radiate magic. The wood of the chair is still alive (and 
  must be watered periodically). If anyone should sit in the 
  chair, the spikes will all stab in at once, causing a total 
  of 1d4 hit points of damage, and if any sort of liquid has 
  been poured into the funnel, it will be injected via the 
  spikes. This chair is used to inject human subjects with the 
  fluids that convert a person into a pod man. 
  THE POTIONS RACK:
  Bottle # 1: Fish oil
  Bottle # 2: A sulphurous smelling liquid with unpleasant 
  green specks suspended in it (poison)
  Bottle # 3: Blue liquid with a consistency like water (no 
  effects)
  Bottle # 4: Grey liquid with white cloudiness (potion of 
  animal control)
  Bottle # 5: Brown liquid with consistency like tea 
  (poison)
  Bottle # 6: Dark red liquid with consistency like milk 
  (bat blood)
  Bottle # 7: Dark red liquid with consistency like milk 
  (potion of polymorph self)
  Bottle # 8: Empty (the emptiness is an illusion; contents 
  are a potion of healing)
  Bottle # 9: Blue-black liquid with the consistency of 
  water (ink)
  Bottle # 10: Chunky liquid. If this bottle is opened, 
  it releases a gas. The gas necessitates a saving 
  throw vs poison or anyone breathing it will begin 
  screaming and running in circles for 2d6 turns.
  Bottle # 11: Blue liquid, highly viscous, almost a gel 
  (poison)
  Bottle # 12: This bottle contains an eye suspended 
  in a clear liquid. The eyeball is bigger than the 
  mouth of the bottle. The liquid is vinegar, and the 
  eye is glass.
  Bottle # 13: The contents of this bottle cannot be seen, 
  for the outside is painted with a scene of galloping 
  horses. The liquid in the bottle is beer. If the flask is 
  smashed, two riding horses will magically appear.
  Bottle # 14: Holy water
  Bottle # 15: Unholy water. Underneath this bottle is 
  a scrap of parchment, apparently some sort of 
  note. Stains render most of the note illegible; the 
  few words that can be deciphered read “the 
  finger is the key.”
  Bottle # 16: The contents of this bottle cannot be 
  seen, for the bottle is painted black. It contains 
  200 glass beads and a ring worth 200 gp.
  Bottle # 17: This bottle contains liquid wood. When the 
  earthy-smelling brown liquid is poured out, it will 
  freeze in ten seconds into solid wood, in whatever 
  shape the liquid has assumed before it froze.
  Bottle # 18: Labeled as goblin urine (the label is 
  correct).
  Bottle # 19: Labeled as poison (the label is correct)
  Bottle # 20: Liquid wood. As with bottle 17, when the 
  earthy-smelling brown liquid is poured out, it will 
  freeze in ten seconds into solid wood, in whatever 
  shape the liquid has assumed before it froze.
  Note: If the Shroom should manage to capture one of 
  the party members, it will use the injection chair in this 
  room to begin the process of converting the character 
  into a pod man, as it has been doing to Thuskar (see 
  location 30).
  Keep in mind that noises from this room may alert the 
  Shroom (see room 32) and invite a counterattack.
  32. SHROOM ROOM: This chamber is the Shroom’s 
  residence and bedroom. It is lavishly furnished with 
  tapestries, a massive, reclined couch with bedclothes 
  on it, a water pipe on a low table in the middle of the 
  room, an enormous brazier (five feet across) full of unlit 
  coal beside which is a filigreed watering can, and a 
  cabinet containing three cut-glass decanters and a 
  silver goblet.
  If the adventurers have stopped to play with the 
  items in room 29 or 30 (or if someone was affected 
  by screaming gas in room 31), the Shroom is likely to 
  know that intruders are present, and will likely choose 
  to leave this room and counterattack with the help of 
  his two pod-men bodyguards. If the Shroom has time to 
  get ready for the battle, he will cast enlarge on one of 
  his two bodyguards, and mirror image and protection 
  from good on himself before entering combat (unless 
  conditions dictate otherwise, he will leave this room 
  and attack with all his spells in effect). If the battle goes 
  badly, he will either cast feign death or attempt to flee 
  through the eastern door of this room toward the river.
  THE SINISTER SHROOM: AC 6, HD 6+1, HPS 40, ATK: 1 for 
  1d8/1d12 (longsword), spells (4/2/1):
  First Level: charm person, enlarge, magic missile, 
  protection from good
  Second Level: mirror image, web
  Third Level: feign death
  POD MAN BODYGUARDS (2): AC 9, HD 4, HPS 32, 30, ATK: 
  2 (1d6/1d6), Special: grab and hold with first hit.
  
  10
  The tapestries are worth a total of 2,000 gp (4 tapestries 
  weigh 40 pounds each). The three cut-glass decanters 
  are each worth 100 gp, and the silver goblet is worth 200 
  gp. The water pipe has no particular value, but might 
  fetch 20 gp. The Shroom’s book of spells is hidden under 
  a loose stone in the floor together with 3 gems worth 150 
  gp each. The spellbook contains the following spells: 
  First Level: charm person, enlarge, jump, magic 
  missile, protection from good
  Second Level: flame arrow, mirror image, web
  Third Level: feign death
  The brazier and watering can are simply a means of 
  heating the room and humidifying it for the Shroom’s 
  comfort; neither has any value.
  Just beside the eastern door of this room there are two 
  holes carved into the stone, each just large enough to fit 
  a human head into. Just above these holes, a wooden 
  peg holds a strangely carved wand (the wand is not 
  connected with the holes, but the players will not know 
  this). The two holes appear to be filled with a stringy, 
  mold-like substance. These holes contain the controls 
  for the portcullis traps in area 33. At the back of each 
  hole, concealed by the elastic, stringy mold, there is a 
  wooden mushroom. Each mushroom, if pulled upward 
  and twisted, will remain locked in the upward position. 
  From the upward position, they can be twisted and 
  pushed back into the “down” position. If the mushroom 
  is lifted but not locked by twisting it, it will simply drop 
  back into the down position. Whenever one of the 
  mushrooms is set in a new position, there is an audible 
  sound of water rushing through a pipe in the wall, but 
  the raising and falling of portcullises is not audible from 
  this location (an advance scout would be able to see 
  what is happening in area 33, of course). The mold can 
  be pushed aside with a tool of any kind, but it will spring 
  back into place if it is not held. The portcullis traps in room 
  33 are set to operate in different ways by combinations 
  of the “up” and “down” positions of the mushrooms.
  Both mushrooms in the “down” position: Locks (and 
  raises if necessary) the southern portcullis in the “up” 
  position and sets the northern portcullis to fall when 
  someone passes through. This is the “escape south” 
  position.
  Left mushroom up, right mushroom down: Sets both 
  portcullis traps to fall when someone passes through 
  one of them. This is the “guard south” position.
  Left mushroom down, right mushroom up: Raises and 
  locks both portcullis traps.
  Both mushrooms up: Locks (and raises if necessary) 
  the northern portcullis in the “up” position and sets 
  the southern portcullis to fall when someone passes 
  through. This is the “escape north” position.
  The wand hanging above the portcullis controls is used 
  to frighten the funghemoth in area 34; it has nothing to 
  do with controlling the portcullises. If the Shroom retreats 
  toward the lower level, it will grab the wand and take it 
  with him, to keep the funghemoth at bay.
  33. PORTCULLIS TRAPS: There is a portcullis trap in both 
  entries to this room, their settings controlled by a water-
  driven system of counterweights deep in the walls. The 
  waterflow into the counterweight system is controlled by 
  two stopcocks in room 32. Unless the party has changed 
  the settings, the northern portcullis will fall shortly after 
  anyone passes beneath it, and the southern portcullis 
  will be locked in the “up” position. This setting is designed 
  to allow the Shroom to flee from his room to the river, 
  with a portcullis falling between himself and his pursuers, 
  but if the Shroom is not retreating in front of the party 
  (or if the party approaches from the south) the portcullis 
  may operate to cut off the party’s retreat. If a portcullis 
  is set to fall, it is triggered by a pressure plate just inside 
  the room. If anyone steps on the pressure plate, there 
  is a faint sound of running water (possibly enough for 
  a split-second reaction) and then the portcullis will fall 
  and lock.
  34. CAVERN OF THE FUNGHEMOTH: The river runs from the 
  western to the eastern end of this long cavern, pouring 
  in a waterfall from a point high on the west wall. The 
  southern half of the great cavern is lush with tall growths 
  of pale fungi, mainly mushrooms. The fungi do not seem 
  to grow near the river banks, and in some places tunnels 
  appear to have been cut into the jungle of mushrooms. 
  This cavern is the funghemoth’s lair; the massive creature 
  lives concealed in the tangles of fungus in the southern 
  half of the cavern. The pathways through the fungus 
  jungle were made when the funghemoth crushed its 
  way through.
  If the funghemoth senses prey in the cavern, it will move 
  to attack; it can flop to the river and sink beneath the 
  water over the course of a single round. Emerging from 
  the river takes a full round. If the party prominently 
  displays the wooden wand found in area 32, the 
  funghemoth will not attack. Although it failed to take 
  much of the Shroom’s training, it learned that when 
  the Shroom brandished the wand it meant painful 
  punishment. When it sees the wand, it will retreat to its 
  lair in the undergrowth.
  FUNGHEMOTH: AC 7, HD 8 (attacks as HD 5), HPS 40, ATK: 
  3 (1d4/1d4/2d6), Special: randomly determines effects 
  (see monster description).
  In the tangle of fungi in the southern half of the cavern, 
  the funghemoth’s feeding area contains the indigestible 
  bits of several pod men and some small humanoid 
  bones (goblin). Scattered around the area there are 
  900 gp, 3,000 sp, 8,000 cp, a gem worth 300 gp, a 
  noxious and ruptured suit of small-sized leather armor 
  (which has been through the entire gastric system of 
  the funghemoth), a candle, and a rusted +1 longsword. 
  The longsword (despite the rust) is still a +1 weapon. 
  Indeed, if the rust should be completely cleaned from 
  the blade, the sword will lose its magical properties until 
  it is permitted to rust again (taking only a few days).
  35. RIVERBEND AND CONNECTION TO LEVEL THREE: At 
  this point in the tunnel, the river bends slightly, and 
  at the point of the bend a pile of bones sits in a small 
  puddle beside the river. These are the bones of three 
  goblins killed and eaten by the funghemoth (location 
  34), washed up to the riverbank. From this point, the 
  tunnel descends rather sharply toward the third level 
  (location 36). The slope is steep enough that if the 
  party does not take precautions each party member 
  has a 1 in 6 chance of falling and sliding for 1d4 points 
  of damage (presumably after the first fall, the party 
  will tie themselves together or use some other method 
  to prevent a repeat occurrence). The descent to the 
  third level entails underground travel over a distance of 
  approximately 300ft, and the slopes and uneven floor 
  will reduce all movement rates to 60ft/ turn.
  
  11
  KEY TO THE THIRD LEVEL
  Wandering Monsters:
  Check for wandering monsters once every three turns spent 
  on this level. There is a 1 in 10 chance of an encounter.
  1. 1d2 killer frogs
  2. 1 ochre jelly (3 HD)
  3. 1 water snake (SZ S, MV 90ft (swim 90ft), AC 7, HD 1-6 
  hps, ATK: 1 (1d4), Special: venom causes convulsions 
  for 3d6 rounds if saving throw fails.)
  4. 1d8 giant rats
  36. FOYER CORRIDOR: The two doors here are both locked 
  from the northern side, but can be battered down 
  if the party approaches from the south. If the party 
  approaches from the north, the latches to unlock the 
  doors will be clearly visible and easy to use. The stream 
  rushes through a small aperture in the stone between 
  the doors. The aperture is a one-foot high arch of cut 
  stone, and is too small to enter. From the sound of the 
  rushing water within, it is apparent that anyone trying to 
  follow the stream through this entrance would soon be 
  dashed to death against the rock walls of the channel.
  37. ABANDONED POD CHAMBER: This mortared stone 
  chamber contains several large husks hanging from the 
  ceiling (adventuring parties coming from the surface 
  will recognize these as dried-out pods). The room is 
  dusty and clearly abandoned. Inside some of the pods, 
  there are the remains of partially grown pod-men, 
  recognizable as having a vaguely humanoid shape 
  but with no bones. They are simply rotted shapes of 
  vegetable matter held loosely together with filaments 
  like the veins of leaves.
  38. OCCUPIED POD CHAMBER: This chamber is mortared 
  stone, and contains several large, dried, husk-like plants 
  hanging from the ceiling. These are abandoned pods, 
  like the ones in room 37. Five rogue pod men inhabit 
  this room, mutants in whom the Shroom’s control failed 
  to establish itself. They will attack any flesh-being that 
  enters the room. Four belt pouches have been stacked 
  neatly in one corner by the pod men, containing 200 gp 
  in the first pouch, 300 cp and a gem worth 50 gp in the 
  second pouch, 75 gp in the third pouch, and 25 pps in 
  the fourth pouch.
  ROGUE POD MEN (5): SZ M, MV 60ft, AC 9, HD 3+1, HPS 
  20, 19, 17, 15, 10, ATK: 2 (1d6/1d6), Special: grab and 
  hold with first hit.
  39. OLD STORAGE ROOM: This room has wooden shelves 
  around the walls. The shelves are almost rotted through, 
  and are very shaky looking. There are many jars and 
  bottles on the shelves, but most of them have been 
  broken. Ten intact containers remain.
  Container 1: An earthenware jar containing a foul 
  paste. (no value)
  Container 2: Corked bottle containing golden liquid. (no 
  value)
  Container 3: Corked bottle containing blue liquid. This is 
  a potion of water breathing.
  Container 4: Large earthenware pot with lid (empty)
  Container 5: Wax-sealed brass lamp. Contains one 
  flask’s worth of oil.
  Container 6: Wooden box with iron lid. Contains a glass 
  bottle, which in turn contains fluids used in making 
  pod men.
  Container 7: Earthenware mug shaped like a gargoyle 
  head with a wax-sealed lid. Contains a smaller 
  The Third Level of the Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom
  36
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  12
  earthenware mug shaped like a gargoyle head, 
  which contains another earthenware mug shaped 
  like a gargoyle’s head. The process continues down 
  to the point where the mug is the size of a speck 
  of dust. This last mug contains a microscopic bag 
  of holding. If enlarge or dispel magic is cast upon 
  the dust-speck mug, the bag of holding may be 
  taken out and used. If it is enlarged, even by the 
  mere application of an enlarge spell, the bag will 
  permanently remain at a normal size.
  Container 8: Metal sphere with a small corked hole. 
  The sphere contains a single die with six sides. If 
  anyone rolls the die out of the container, the resulting 
  number will cause a magical effect. The sphere and 
  the die will both disappear after the die has been 
  rolled twice (reappearing at some random location 
  in the world such as on an abandoned shelf in an 
  underground cavern).
  1= lose 1 hit point permanently.
  2= gain 1 hit point permanently.
  3= all diseases cured and all hit points restored.
  4= hit points reduced to 1 (not permanently)
  5= entire party is teleported to a random location 
  in the complex (roll d% and ignore results higher 
  than the room numbers).
  6=transformation for 1d6 turns into a small blue frog 
  capable of levitation and long jumps, but not 
  speech. The frog’s player should privately be 
  informed that he is coated with a contact poison 
  (+4 on saving throw vs. death). 
  Container 9: Wooden box with a metal lock and hinges. 
  The box contains 4 cp and one gold piece. The gold 
  piece is magical and will return to its owner three 
  times before staying with a new owner.
  Container 10: Mushroom-shaped wooden statue (lid 
  screws off). Contains a rolled up slip of paper that 
  reads: “Too bad, flesh-man, I got here before you.”
  40. ABANDONED STORAGE ROOM: This dusty chamber 
  contains a large (empty) vat with a capacity of 20 
  gallons, some rusted pruning shears, a broken bill hook, 
  and a sheaf of 20 blank pages of parchment. If charcoal 
  is rubbed lightly over the top sheet of parchment, 
  the indentations will reveal an accurate map of the 
  dungeon’s first (top) level. Note: this should be a reward 
  for excellent thinking; the GM should NOT make any 
  suggestions about indentations in the parchment. In any 
  case, the map will be of little use if the party has already 
  adventured through the first level.
  41. SHRIEKING SKELETONS: There are six skeletons in this 
  room, all impaled on wooden stakes that seem to rise 
  naturally and seamlessly from the stone floor.
  Over the western arch leading from the room, the same 
  message is carved into the stone in common, orcish, 
  and kobold: “Beyond this corridor lies the realm of the 
  dreaded Shroom. Turn back, intruder, or die.”
  If any flesh creature enters the room, the skeletons will 
  begin screaming, “Turn back, turn back! Aaaagh! Turn 
  back!” Their heads turn to follow anyone walking past, 
  and their arms and legs jerk spasmodically as they 
  shriek. Other than this, however, they are not animated 
  and pose no threat to a party of adventurers. It is quite 
  unnerving to walk through the room while the skeletons 
  are screaming, of course. They will cease to scream if 
  they are removed from their spikes.
  42. GHAST’S CAVERN: This is a huge cavern, approximately 
  100 feet from north to south. There are some large 
  pillars in the eastern end of the chamber, one of them 
  quite colossal, where stalactites and stalagmites have 
  grown to meet each other and fused over the course 
  of centuries. A faint dripping of water can be heard, 
  as droplets fall into the two pools in this room, a smaller 
  one in the northeast corner about ten feet across and 
  a larger one in the southern part of the chamber. 
  The southern pool will immediately draw the party’s 
  attention, for there is a very fat female goblin taking 
  a bath in it (the pool is unnaturally warm and used for 
  bathing by the goblins of area 43). The female goblin is 
  named Guzutch, and she is the shaman for the goblins 
  in area 43. She has been predicting the arrival of “slug 
  men” for quite some time, and the party, with their soft 
  human skins, fit the description perfectly as far as she 
  is concerned. She will waddle toward the party, still 
  dripping with water, with arms outstretched – clearly not 
  hostile, and clearly planning to deliver a big hug to the 
  first party member she reaches.
  Guzutch will, provided the adventurers don’t kill her, 
  welcome the party with – literally – open arms, trying 
  to hug each and every one of them. She is convinced 
  that they will be friendly, for whispers in the cave have 
  told her that “slug men” will be sent to her by the god of 
  the goblins. She has been told by these whispers that if 
  she can get a human to place his hand, smeared with 
  goblin blood, upon the large pillar in the eastern edge 
  of the chamber, a great treasure will be revealed. 
  Guzutch is, in fact, deceived by the whisperings of a 
  ghast who has been trapped in the pillar for centuries. 
  Note that Guzutch will not mention the whispering unless 
  she is closely questioned – as far as she is concerned, 
  she has simply been hearing the voice of the goblin-
  god speaking to her. There is indeed an impression in 
  the side of the pillar, shaped like a human hand, and 
  if a human places his hand, smeared with some goblin 
  blood, into this space, the pillar will crack apart and the 
  ghast will be freed from its captivity to feed. The undead 
  creature wears a necklace worth 150 gp, but has no 
  other treasure.
  The ghast’s conniving in his name has – quite naturally 
  – annoyed the god of goblins, and there is a 5% chance 
  that he will destroy the ghast when the pillar opens, 
  appearing himself before the adventurers. In this case, 
  the goblins had better all be alive or things will go badly 
  for the party; even the best and most extravagant 
  groveling will only win their survival in exchange for the 
  performance of a quest on the goblin god’s behalf. If 
  the goblins are all alive, on the other hand, the goblin 
  god will be pleased. He will give each party member a 
  rock conjured from the thin air, and grant one wish for 
  the entire group. The shortest party member will be the 
  one selected to speak the wish. The rocks do nothing, 
  but if one is lost the character who lost or discarded it 
  will contract dysentery for 2d6 weeks, with a 5% chance 
  of dying at the end of this period. The bowel-curse of 
  the goblin god can be cured with spells or other normal 
  means, and may also be removed with a Remove Curse 
  spell.
  GUZUTCH, goblin shamaness: SZ S, MV 60ft, AC 10 (6 
  when dressed), HD 2, HPS 10, ATK: 1 (mace 1d6); AL LE, 
  Spells:
  First Level: cause light wounds, sanctuary, cure light 
  wounds
  GHAST: SZ M, MV 150ft, AC 4, HD 4, HPS 30, ATK: 3 (1d4/
  1d4/1d8), Special: odor causes retching, successful hit 
  causes paralysis.
  
  13
  43. GOBLIN LAIR: This cavern is the home of 15 goblins (in 
  addition to their shaman Guzutch, detailed in area 42 
  above). The goblins have little treasure (75 gp, 1,000 sp, 
  2,500 cp), but they also own two canoes, each capable 
  of carrying as many as four persons.
  GOBLINS (15): SZ S, MV 60ft, AC 6, HD 1d8-1, HPS 7, 6, 6, 5, 
  5, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, ATK: 1 (1d6), AL LE.
  44. CAVERN OF THE THREE POOLS: This cavern contains 
  three natural pools, glimmering beneath the stalactites 
  growing thickly from the ceiling. The northern and 
  southern pools are small, about ten feet across. The 
  middle pool is larger, with a diameter of about twenty 
  feet.
  NORTH POOL: There is a stone sarcophagus visible at 
  the bottom of this pool’s 20 feet deep crystal-clear 
  water. The sarcophagus contains a mighty treasure 
  (and a guardian), hidden away many decades ago. 
  It is locked and bolted to the pool’s stone bottom, 
  and it is virtually impossible to unbolt and bring to 
  the surface – unless the players are quite creative, 
  they will have to open the sarcophagus down at the 
  bottom of the pool. 
  The sarcophagus is locked, and the lid is trapped. A 
  PC attempting to open the sarcophagus can hold 
  his breath underwater for 4d6 segments + 1 segment 
  per point of con bonus to hp (e.g., a character with 
  15 constitution would be able to hold his/her breath 
  for 4d6+1 segments). Attempts at picking the lock will 
  suffer a penalty of –5%. It is also possible to pry the lid 
  open, breaking the lock (requires two people unless a 
  crowbar is used). When the lock is broken or opened, 
  or if the trap is sprung by an unsuccessful attempt to 
  disarm it, two things will happen. The lock will jet out 
  a quantity of squid ink, darkening the entire pool and 
  rendering it impossible to see. Also, a spring-loaded 
  bear trap will snap closed, automatically catching 
  one person near the sarcophagus unless the prying 
  or unlocking has been done somehow with no one 
  closer than ten feet to the bottom of the pool. 
  Breaking free from the bear trap requires a successful 
  bend bars type check, which may be attempted 
  once per segment. If additional characters wish to 
  help break a companion free, a maximum of three 
  characters can assist. Each helper may add half 
  his/her bend bars percentage to the roll, and one roll 
  can be made per segment for the joint attempt. 
  The sarcophagus contains a ghoul, who will 
  immediately attack, and a significant treasure. 
  The treasure includes: 25pp, 400gp, a crown worth 
  1,200gp, ten 50gp gems, and a carefully wrapped 
  shield +1.
  GHOUL: SZ M, MV 90 ft., AC 6, HD 2, HPS 9, ATK: 3 (1d3/
  1d3/1d6), Special: successful hit causes paralysis.
  THE MIDDLE POOL: This large pool also has crystal 
  clear water and also contains a sarcophagus bolted 
  to the bottom. This sarcophagus is neither locked nor 
  trapped. It contains five heavy chests. If the party 
  observes the pool for a period of 1 turn or more, they 
  will see one of the water snakes (see below) swim 
  through one of the cracks in the side of the pool. A 
  close examination from the surface can also reveal 
  the existence of the cracks, if a player specifically 
  states that he/she is looking at the sides of the pool.
  Chest #1 (100 lbs): 11 gp, 50 sp, 939 cp.
  Chest #2 (200 lbs): 30 gp, 1 lead ingot, 2,097 cp.
  Chest #3 (300 lbs): 30 lead ingots. 5 of the ingots have 
  a gold core worth 20 gp each.
  Chest #4 (300 lbs): 5 pp, 100 gp, 2,085 cp
  Chest #5 (300 lbs): 5 gems worth 10 gp each, 50 gp, 
  2 lead ingots, 2,075 cp
  The pool also contains numerous cracks leading to 
  an underground stream. Water snakes swim in and 
  out of these cracks, and will be attracted to activity 
  in this pool. Not all the snakes will enter the pool at 
  once, but more and more will investigate if noises 
  continue. During combat, 1d2 snakes will enter the 
  pool each round.
  WATER SNAKES (10): SZ S, MV 90 ft. (swim 90 ft.), AC 
  7, HD 1-6 hps, ATK: 1 (1d4), Special: venom causes 
  convulsions for 3d6 rounds if saving throw fails.
  THE SOUTH POOL: Unlike the other two pools, this 
  one contains no sarcophagus. There is a chest at 
  the bottom, and an obvious opening near the pool 
  bottom. The opening leads to an underground river 
  (the same that holds the snakes in the middle pool). 
  A crocodile lairs in the opening, and will attack 
  anyone entering the pool. It will also grab ropes or 
  other such things, thinking them to be food, and will 
  pull on them. The chest contains 325 gp.
  CROCODILE: SZ L, MV 60 ft., AC 5, HD 3, HPS 22, 
  ATK: 2 (2d4/1d12), Special: 3 in 6 chance to surprise 
  opponents.
  45. PIERCER CORRIDOR: There are 5 piercers (all of the 1 HD 
  variety) living at this intersection.
  PIERCERS (5): SZ S, MV 10 ft., AC 3, HD 1, HPS 8,5,4,4,3, 
  ATK: 1 (1d6), AL N.
  46. POOL: A ten-foot wide pool of clear water blocks the 
  tunnel at this point. The pool is fifteen feet deep, but 
  contains nothing of interest to a party of adventurers.
  47. DOCK CAVERN: A dark, fast-running river splashes 
  violently against its stone banks in the south of this large 
  cavern. The river is 80 ft. across at this point, and it is 
  possible that the party will not be able to see the other 
  side with normal light sources. The river is called the 
  Shadowvein, and it runs through numerous underground 
  caverns downstream before emptying into a larger body 
  of water (on the surface or underground, according to 
  the GM’s campaign needs).
  48. GIANT FROG LAIR: This cavern contains two dark pools, 
  one about twenty feet across and the other about ten 
  feet in diameter. The large pool is the lair of a giant frog.
  GIANT FROG: SZ S, MV 30 ft. (swim 90 ft.), AC 7, HD 2, ATK: 
  1 (1d6), Special: swallow whole on a natural 20.
  49. LONG CAVERN: This cavern is not more than twenty 
  feet wide, with many clusters of stalactites hanging from 
  the low ceiling. There is a pool about twenty feet into 
  the cavern, surrounded by tall stalagmites. The room is 
  empty of any items of interest to adventurers.
  50. CHASM: A 10 ft. wide chasm cuts across this room from 
  the eastern to the western wall, blocking north-south 
  passage unless the adventurers find a way to cross it. The 
  chasm is 100 ft. deep, but contains several shelves from 
  which a falling person will bounce on the way down. 
  The first shelf is thirty feet into the chasm, the second is 
  
  14
  forty feet into the cavern, and the third shelf is eighty 
  feet down. Thus, a fall will be broken into a thirty-foot 
  (6d6 damage), a ten-foot (1d6 damage), a forty-foot 
  (10d6), and a twenty-foot (3d6 damage) drop. Each of 
  the shelves is piled high with refuse and fish bones, and 
  damage caused by each fall will be cut in half by these 
  successive cushions of garbage. Because the chasm 
  is not straight down, having many shelves and lumps 
  in the walls, the bottom is not visible from the top no 
  matter what sort of illumination is used. There is no exit 
  from the bottom of the chasm other than to climb back 
  to the top. At the bottom of the cavern there is a six-foot 
  deep accumulation of fish bones. A wand of lightning 
  bolts with 5 charges is buried among the bones at the 
  bottom, along with a stylishly conical hat. There is a blue 
  robe as well, but it is badly torn in many places.
  51. DEAD END: A rock fall has blocked the tunnel at this 
  point. Messing about with the rocks will cause another 
  collapse, causing 1d10 points of damage to anyone 
  within 20 ft. of the rocks.
  52. GLUE MOSS ROOM: In the southern part of this chamber, 
  a 20 ft. high cliff leads up to a balcony-like hollow. The 
  cliff side is covered with a red moss-like growth. This 
  growth is glue moss, which Is sticky enough to allow a 
  +20% to any attempt to climb the cliff. However, as the 
  moss grows deeper, about 15 ft. from the top, it gets so 
  sticky that it will trap any climbing character who has 
  less than a 16 strength. At the top of the cliff side there 
  is an ancient idol. When any person comes within ten 
  feet, the idol’s facial features will shift to mimic those 
  of the intruder into its shrine. For a period of 1 day, the 
  character will be unable to speak unless the player can 
  think of a way to make the speech rhyme. However, 
  the shrine confers a benefit upon the character as well: 
  while the character is under the rhyming curse, he will 
  gain a +1 on all saving throws.
  CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE
  The adventure’s conclusion obviously depends upon the 
  direction the adventurers took through the dungeon. If the 
  module was used as the exit from a series of adventures on 
  an underground river, the emergence to the surface will be 
  the beginning of the next challenge, a blank slate for the 
  Game Master’s next fiendish plot. 
  If, on the other hand, the party explored downward 
  through the Shroom’s domains, the discovery of the 
  underground river (coupled with the goblins’ canoes) will 
  suggest an interesting course of action. What wonders 
  and perils will they face if they choose to ride the river into 
  deeper depths? Only the Game Master knows…
  NEW MONSTERS
  FUNGHEMOTH
  FREQUENCY: Very Rare
  NO. APPEARING: 1
  SIZE: Large
  MOVE: 90 ft.
  ARMOR CLASS: 7
  HIT DICE: 8 (attacks as 5HD monster)
  ATTACKS: 3
  DAMAGE: 1d4/1d4/2d6
  SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
  SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
  MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
  LAIR PROBABILITY: 50%
  TREASURE: 1-8k cp (50%), 1-6k sp (25%), 1-4k ep (25%), 1-3k 
  gp (25%), 1-8 gems (30%), 1-4 jewelry (20%), 1 weapon 
  or armor (10%).
  INTELLIGENCE: Animal
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral
  LEVEL/X.P.: 6 / 550 + 10/hp
  Funghemoths are a fairly rare occurrence, but when wizards 
  mix alchemy, magic, and fungi, an error of judgment or 
  an ill-supervised experiment can result in the creation of 
  one of these beasts. Funghemoths are enormous masses 
  of fungoid tissue, capable of movement and hungry for 
  whatever food they can find or kill. A funghemoth has one 
  yawning opening in the front, with which it ingests food and 
  attacks prey, along with two subsidiary mouths mounted 
  on short stalks. The subsidiary mouths are quite vulnerable 
  to being severed, and a natural roll of 20 with a bladed 
  weapon will lop off one of these mouths, eliminating one of 
  the funghemoth’s attacks.
  Each round, in addition to its melee attacks, the 
  funghemoth’s agitation causes a random effect:
  1.The funghemoth breathes fire in a cone shape (1 ft. at the 
  origin, 30 ft. range, 15 ft. wide at the end). Saving throw 
  for half damage, damage 3d6.
  2. The funghemoth shoots out a ball of lightning in a 
  randomly determined direction (10 ft. wide, range 60 
  ft.). Saving throw versus aimed magical weapons (such 
  as wands) applies for half damage, damage 3d6.
  3. The funghemoth become electrically charged for one 
  round, causing damage of 1d6 to anyone hitting it 
  with a metal weapon. The electricity is quite visible; the 
  creature is wreathed in a lightning-like crackle of blue 
  electrical discharges.
  4.The funghemoth changes color.
  5.The funghemoth emits spores if it is hit. Anyone within ten 
  feet of the hit location must make a saving throw versus 
  poison or act as if under the effects of a confusion spell 
  for 1d4 rounds.
  6.The funghemoth hacks up a disgusting ball of fungoid 
  tissue from its main mouth. The fungoid ball has no 
  properties other than being disgusting.
  The structure of a funghemoth’s body, generated randomly 
  by the interaction of alchemy and magic, is not well suited 
  to precise movements. In consequence, a funghemoth 
  attacks only as a monster of 5 hit dice, although it has the 
  hit points (and experience point value) of an 8 HD monster.
  HANGING SNAGWORT
  FREQUENCY: Rare
  NO. APPEARING: 1d10
  SIZE: Medium
  MOVE: 5 ft./ round
  ARMOR CLASS: 6
  HIT DICE: 3
  ATTACKS: 1
  DAMAGE: See below
  SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
  SPECIAL DEFENSES: None
  MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard 
  LAIR PROBABILITY: 100%
  TREASURE: None
  INTELLIGENCE: Animal
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral
  LEVEL/X.P.: 2 / 65 + 2/hp
  
  15
  Hanging snagworts are a strange variety of dungeon 
  plant, a cluster of slime-covered tendrils hanging at the 
  end of a thick, rope-like strand. Within a range of ten feet 
  or so, a snagwort can lash out by swinging its ropy strand. 
  If this attack scores a successful hit, the tendrils (which 
  are short, about ten inches long) affix themselves to the 
  target with a strong adhesive. This initial attack causes no 
  damage, but the bond caused by the vegetable glue is 
  virtually unbreakable except by magical means. Once the 
  snagwort is dead, the glue will lose its adhesive properties 
  in 1d6 hours. The dead snagwort, in other words, will still 
  be attached to the character for quite a while, possibly 
  causing great inconvenience and weighing 40 pounds. 
  While the snagwort is alive, it can neutralize the glue at will. 
  Once the snagwort is attached to an opponent, the plant 
  can, in following rounds, smash the victim against nearby 
  surfaces for 1d6 points of damage without needing to 
  make further attack rolls.
  If a snagwort is being attacked with missile weapons and 
  has no enemies within range, it will flatten itself against a 
  ceiling or behind cover. This will usually give it enough cover 
  to merit a –4 on attack rolls against it. A lone snagwort can 
  be easily killed with missile weapons, provided that the 
  party keeps a safe distance.
  POD-MAN
  FREQUENCY: Rare
  NO. APPEARING: 2d10
  SIZE: Medium
  MOVE: 60 ft.
  ARMOR CLASS: 9
  HIT DICE: 3+1
  ATTACKS: 2
  DAMAGE: 1d6/1d6
  SPECIAL ATTACKS: Grab and hold (see below)
  SPECIAL DEFENSES: None
  MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
  LAIR PROBABILITY: 25%
  TREASURE: None
  INTELLIGENCE: Semi
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral
  LEVEL/X.P.: 3 / 105 + 3/ hp
  Pod-men are commonly found as servants of a Shroom 
  (q.v.), for the Shrooms cultivate them in far greater numbers 
  than they appear in the wild. They are shambling, human-
  like plants with strange gaps in their bodies and knobby 
  growths of fungus sprouting from their outer surface. 
  Pod men grow in large pods that resemble enormous 
  pea-pods hanging from a ceiling or growing on vines. 
  Cultivated pod men are usually grown hanging from the 
  ceiling, for vine-grown pod men (seen in the wild) are subtly 
  inferior to the cultivated ones (in what way, the GM can 
  decide: perhaps mutations, perhaps lower hp, or whatever 
  seems right). The pods are somewhat protective, and any 
  creature inside one of them gains a +1 saving throw against 
  fire attacks and a bonus of 4 to armor class.
  It takes a full round for a pod man to emerge from a pod. Pod 
  men are slow, always attacking at the end of the round.
  Once a pod man hits successfully for the first time, it grabs 
  and holds onto the victim with that hand. The hold causes 
  the victim a –4 to subsequent attack rolls, but inflicts no 
  damage. The pod man will then attempt to beat the victim 
  to death using its free arm. The hold of multiple pod men is 
  cumulative, each one causing a further –4 penalty to the 
  victim’s attack rolls.
  Some pod men are created by transforming a human 
  being into plant matter in a specially prepared pod, by vile 
  magical and alchemical processes. Such pod men can 
  be considerably tougher than normal pod men (gaining 
  additional hit dice as determined by the GM), and have 
  a pinkish and fleshier appearance than those grown from 
  scratch.
  SHROOM
  FREQUENCY: Very Rare 
  NO. APPEARING: 1-6
  SIZE: Large
  MOVE: 90 ft.
  ARMOR CLASS: 6
  HIT DICE: 6+1
  ATTACKS: 1
  DAMAGE: By weapon
  SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spells
  SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spells
  MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
  LAIR PROBABILITY: 60%
  TREASURE: 300-1,800 pp (30%), 2-20 gems (55%), 1-12 jewelry 
  (50%), any 1 magic or treasure maps (15%)
  INTELLIGENCE: Genius
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
  LEVEL/X.P.: 5 / 425 + 8/hp
  Shrooms are evil geniuses, toadstool creatures with 
  considerable magical powers. They lurk in the deep places 
  of the earth and in dank forests, plotting ruin against surface 
  dwellers and scheming to gain power for themselves by 
  any means possible. They are highly adept with magic that 
  influences plants, and most of them are knowledgeable 
  enough to create lairs where they can manufacture pod-
  men (q.v.) as servants. 
  Shrooms are highly individualistic, and the GM should feel 
  free to invent all kinds of these sinister malefactors. Most 
  will have the spell-casting abilities of at least a fourth level 
  magic user, and all have strange powers to create and 
  shape the plants of their environments. Although these 
  powers take time to employ and will not be relevant in 
  combat, they can be used to create a considerably 
  hazardous lair.
  The flesh of a shroom is delectable, but deadly. Any person 
  eating shroom-flesh must make a saving throw versus poison 
  or be affected as if by a feeblemind spell. The condition 
  may be reversed by a heal or restoration spell. The effects 
  of the toxin can actually turn out to be beneficial in the long 
  run; there is a 5% chance that a feebleminded character 
  who has been healed or restored will permanently gain a 
  point of intelligence from the effects of the shroom-flesh.
  
  16
  VAMPIRIC MOSS
  FREQUENCY: Rare
  NO. APPEARING: 1
  SIZE: Large
  MOVE: 20 ft.
  ARMOR CLASS: 4
  HIT DICE: 3
  ATTACKS: 1
  DAMAGE: 1d4 (see below)
  SPECIAL ATTACKS: Suck blood
  SPECIAL DEFENSES: None
  MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
  LAIR PROBABILITY: 90%
  TREASURE: None
  INTELLIGENCE: None
  ALIGNMENT: Neutral
  LEVEL/X.P.: 3 / 125 + 2/hp
  Vampire moss is a dangerous subterranean hazard, a 
  mass of vegetable substance that feeds upon red blood. 
  Vampire moss usually drops upon unwary explorers, but 
  it is capable of slow normal movement when necessary. 
  When vampire moss attacks, its first attack is merely to 
  attach itself to prey and inflicts no damage. Subsequent 
  attacks inflict 1d4 hit points of damage automatically. In 
  addition to inflicting damage from its blood drain, vampire 
  moss has a chance to make its victim maddened. Every 
  round in which a victim takes damage from vampire moss 
  he or she must also make a saving throw against poison. 
  If the saving throw fails, the victim will use any weapon in 
  hand to attack random enemies (other than the vampire 
  moss) nearby. Once the saving throw has failed, no further 
  saving throws are allowed. If there is no one for the victim to 
  attack (within ten feet), the victim may attack the vampire 
  moss even if he or she is in a maddened state.
  Anyone covered with vampire moss can attack it normally 
  or try to tear the moss away. Tearing the moss away takes 
  1d4 rounds, and the final round of tearing away causes 
  1d6 hit points of damage per round to the person covered 
  with moss. Once the moss is torn away it will need to make 
  another successful attack to latch on to another victim.
  A vampire moss attached to a victim is a fairly large target, 
  but the GM may assign a small chance that the victim’s 
  allies might hit the victim while trying to kill the moss.
  This product uses the OSRICTM System (Oldschool System Reference and 
  Index CompilationTM). The OSRICTMsystem text may be found at http:
  //www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric. The OSRICTM text is copyright of Stuart 
  Marshall. “OSRICTM” and “Old School Reference and Index CompilationTM 
  ,” are trademarks of Matthew Finch and Stuart Marshall and may be used 
  only inaccordance with the OSRICTM license. This product is not affiliated with 
  Wizards of the Coast.”
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  15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; 
  Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original 
  material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  OSRICTM copyright 2006, Stuart Marshall, adapting material prepared 
  by Matthew J. Finch, based upon the System Reference Document, and 
  inspired by the works of E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, and many others.
  Castles & Crusades: Players Handbook, Copyright 2004, Troll Lord Games; 
  Authors Davis Chenault and Mac Golden.
  Castles & Crusades: Monsters & Treasure, Copyright 2005, Troll Lord Games; 
  Authors Robert Doyel and Stephen Chenault.
  Advanced Adventures #1, The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom, 
  Copyright 2006, Expeditious Retreat Press, Author Matthew Finch
  Designation of Product Identity and Open Game 
  Content:
  All text in this work is Open Game Content, excepting 
  the terms, Advanced Aventures, OSRIC, “Old School 
  Reference and Index Compilation”, company names, 
  logos, artwork, and the author and artist names.
  
  AA#1
  A Stand-Alone Adventure
  XRP6100
  Strange doings are underfoot in the wild hills bordering the realm of decent and 
  civilized folks. Villagers and cattle have gone missing; woodcutters have disappeared; 
  misshapen beings have been seen shuffl ing through the forests. Some brave villagers 
  have tracked a group of stolen oxen as far as the rocky banks of a small river in the hills. 
  The trail disappeared down into a fi ssure in the limestone rock, where a fast-running 
  stream plunges down to the dark caverns below. Gird your loins, stand behind the 
  dwarf, and get ready to face The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom!
  This module includes 16 adventure-packed pages, complete with detailed maps and 
  descriptions, forming a ready-made adventure.
  If you enjoy this adventure, look for future releases in the Advanced Adventures
  line from Expeditious Retreat Press.
  WWW.XRPSHOP.CITYMAX.COM
  Advanced Adventures
  The Pod-Caverns
  Of The Sinister Shroom
  The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom
  By Matthew Finch
  An OSRIC
  TM module designed for 6-8
  adventurers of levels 2-4
  This product uses the OSRICTM System 
  (Oldschool System Reference and Index 
  CompilationTM). The OSRICTM system text 
  may be found at http://www.knights-n-
  knaves.com/osric.
  Printed in the USA
  Expeditious Retreat Press
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Osric/OSRIC The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom.pdf