The Demon Queen of Fungi, Lady of Rot and Decay, Zuggtmoy is an alien creature whose only desire is to infect the living with spores, transforming them into her mindless servants and, eventually, into decomposing hosts for the mushrooms, molds, and other fungi that she spawns.
Zuggtmoy is utterly inhuman, but she can mold her fungoid form into an approximation of a bipedal shape, including the skeletal-thin figure depicted in grimoires and ancient art, draped and veiled in mycelia and lichen.
Indeed, much of her appearance and manner, and that of her servants, is a mockery of mortal life and its many facets.
Zuggtmoy’s cultists often follow her unwittingly. Most are fungus-infected to some degree, whether through inhaling her mind-controlling spores or being transformed to the point where flesh and fungus become one.
Such cultists are fungal extensions of the Demon Queen’s will. Their devotion might begin with the seemingly harmless promises offered by exotic spores and mushrooms, but it quickly consumes them, body and soul.
Large Fiend (Demon), Chaotic Evil
Proficiency Bonus: +7
Armor Class: 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 304 (32d10 + 128)
Speed: 30 ft.
STR – 22 (+6)
DEX – 15 (+2)
CON – 18 (+4)
INT – 20 (+5)
WIS – 19 (+4)
CHA – 24 (+7)
Saving Throws: Dex +9, Con + 11, Wis+ 11
Skills: Perception + 11
Damage Resistances: cold, fire, lightning
Damage Immunities: poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing that is nonmagical
Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
Senses: truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 21
Languages: all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge: 23 (50,000 XP)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day).
lf Zuggtmoy fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Zuggtmoy has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
ACTIONS
Multiattack: Zuggtmoy makes three Pseudopod attacks.
Pseudopod: Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) force damage plus 9 (2d8) poison damage.
Spellcasting: Zuggtmoy casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 22):
At will: detect magic, locate animals or plants
3/day each: dispel magic, entangle, plant growth
1/day each: etherealness, teleport
BONUS ACTIONS
Infestation Spores (3/Day): Zuggtmoy releases spores that burst out in a cloud that fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on her, and it lingers for 1 minute.
Any creature in the cloud when it appears, or that enters it later, must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw.
On a successful save, the creature can’t be infected by these spores for 24 hours.
On a failed save, the creature is infected with a disease called the spores of Zuggtmoy, which lasts until the creature is cured of the disease or dies.
While infected in this way, the creature can’t be reinfected, and it must repeat the saving throw at the end of every 24 hours, ending the infection on a success.
On a failure, the infected creature’s body is slowly taken over by fungal growth, and after three such failed saves, the creature dies and is reanimated as a spore servant if it’s a type of creature that can be.
Mind Control Spores (Recharge 5-6): Zuggtmoy releases spores that burst out in a cloud that fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on her, and it lingers for 1 minute.
Humanoids and Beasts in the cloud when it appears, or that enter it later, must make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, a creature can’t be infected by these spores for 24 hours.
On a failed save, the creature is infected with a disease called the influence of Zuggtmoy for 24 hours.
While infected in this way, the creature is charmed by her and can’t be reinfected by these spores.
REACTIONS
Protective Thrall: When Zuggtmoy is hit by an attack roll, one creature within 10 feet of her that is charmed by her is hit by the attack instead.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Zuggtmoy can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below.
Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn.
Zuggtmoy regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Attack. Zuggtmoy makes one Pseudopod attack.
Exert Will: One creature charmed by Zuggtmoy that she can see must use its reaction, if available, to move up to its speed as she directs or to make one weapon attack against a target that she designates.
ZUGGTMOY’S LAIR
Zuggtmoy’s principal lair is her palace on Shedaklah. It consists of two dozen immense mushrooms of pale yellow and rancid brown. These massive fungi are some of the largest in existence.
They are surrounded by a field of acidic puffballs and poisonous vapors.
The mushrooms are interconnected by bridges of shelf fungus, and countless chambers have been hollowed out inside their rubbery stalks.
LAIR ACTIONS
On initiative count 20 (losing initiativeties), Zuggtmoy can take one of the following lair actions; she can’t take the same lair action two rounds in a row:
Rally Plants: Up to four Plant creatures that are friendly to Zuggtmoy and that Zuggtmoy can see can use their reactions to move up to their speed and make one weapon attack.
Summon Fungi: Zuggtmoy causes four gas spores or violet fungi (both appear in the Monster Manual) to appear in unoccupied spaces that she chooses within the lair. They vanish after 1 hour.
Unleash Spores: Zuggtmoy uses either aher Infestation Spores or her Mind Control Spores, centered on a mushroom or other fungus within her lair, instead of on herself.
REGIONAL EFFECTS
The region containing Zuggtmoy’s lair is warped by her magic, creating one or more of the following effects:
Corrupted Nature: Within 6 miles of the lair, all Wisdom (Medicine) and Wisdom (Survival) checks have disadvantage.
Fungal Infestation: Molds and fungi grow on surfaces within 6 miles of the lair, even where they would normally find no purchase.
Mutating Vegetation: Vegetation within 1 mile of the lair becomes infested with parasitic fungi, slowly mutating as it is overwhelmed.
If Zuggtmoy dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
CULTISTS OF ZUGGTMOY
Zuggtmoy’s cultists are primarily mindless victims of her children’s strange spores.
The spores burrow into a victim’s brain, turning it into a fanatic servitor. Each victim gains the Spore Kissed trait.
Spore Kissed: This creature is immune to the charmed and frightened conditions.
In addition, if it is reduced to 0 hit points, each creature within 10 feet of it takes poison damage equal to its number of Hit Dice.