OSR Experiments #23: Freaky Fungus Eaters

Recently I saw a freakish photo from an obscure Japanese horror movie. And I couldn't help but think how the creatures depicted could fit in my fantasy world. Freakish mushrooms... With some stats DD and OSR side to side. Enjoy.

Fungus Eater

The name of this species is rather confusing. It suggests that they eat fungi. But in fact, they are fungi. Ten foot high, carniverous, man eating fungi.

The Manango or "Fungus Eaters" have been reported at least twice by both Nipponese and Sung expeditions in the Southern ocean, infecting lost isles in the Emerald Archipello. A survivor of the disastrous Kobyashi shipwreck was the first. He was so stark raving mad that he wasn't taken seriously by the authorities. But a later expedition to recover the Kobyashi gold proved his report true. Only three of the eightyseven sailors and warriors came back to tell the tale. The gold was never found.

Manango are between four and twelve feet tall, and can hide as if they are mossy and fungus heaps of stones. They seem to lie dormant in groups for an unlimited time, until prey wanders into their vicinity. They seem to communicate with shrieks, but can also emit waves of "thought madness", so they might organize telepathically. Corpses left by the Manango eventually seem to grow into new Manango.

Dark Dungeon Stats:

STR 5
Armour Class 2 (tough leather)
claw 6 (weapon class 2)
telepathic communication 3
telepathic assault (cause madness) 3

OSR Stats:

HD 3 + 3
AC 6
claws 1d6
surprise 4 in 6
psionic assault 1/day
feeblemind 1/day