I've always liked the myconids (MM pgs. 230-232) both because I'm an aging hippy and because they are so cool and different. I'm going to start working on a new short-form scenario (more of a major boss battle) to post and I was thinking of a myconid PC for one of the pre-gens. Let's call that character "Toad" for now. (Why? No reason...)
While designing scenarios and running games are my strengths, designing the fiddly bits of mechanics for races and the like is not. So I'd like to crowdsource the effort and see what the community can come up with for a myconid PC race.
I definitely want to include this:
Rapport Spores. A 20-foot radius of spores extends from the myconid. These spores can go around corners and affect only creatures with an Intelligence of 2 or higher that aren't undead, constructs, or elementals. Affected creatures can communicate telepathically with one another while they are within 30 feet of each other. The effect lasts for 1 hour.
But I don't want to include this (because it's impractical for a PC):
Sun Sickness. While in sunlight, the myconid has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. The myconid dies if it spends more than 1 hour in direct sunlight.
It looks like they will be Medium-sized and have darkvision, perhaps a reduced speed like a dwarf, and maybe they get pacifying spores (but reduced in strength or frequency of use). Con and Wis might be the racial ability score bonuses. As for the rest of this shiitake, I leave it to the community.
How would you stat up a myconid PC race?
Well with the whole death by sunlight thing you have a few options, 1.) Develop a unique light resistant sub-race, 2.) Develop a process that they can use to become sunlight resistant, or 3.) develop a tool they can use to operate in sunlight. I mean that's the big thing you gotta work first and foremost. Depending on how that works then we can worry about other stuff.
"They don't have Sun Sickness like others of their kind because [fictional reasons]." That's out of the way then. What's next? 
iserith wrote:
MechaPilot wrote:
This is my write-up so far. I'm going to use it in my next offering unless anyone has any good ideas for modifying it:
Myconid Traits
Your myconid has been specially grown to survive in the light of the surface world and has a number of interesting abilities.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution and Wisdom score increases by 1.
- Age. Myconid mature very rapidly, becoming adults within a couple years, but don't live as long as other races except as they regrow themselves from sprouts. On average, myconids live to 40 years of age.
- Alignment. Most myconid are lawful, predisposed to living in orderly colonies presided over by a sovereign. They also tend toward neutrality, trying to stay in balance and harmony with their environment and their social groups called circles. Myconids are generally peaceful creatures that deplore violence.
- Size. Myconid stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average 100 lbs. Your size is Medium.
- Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
- Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, youhave superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
- Rapport Spores. A 20-foot radius of spores extends from the myconid. These spores can go around corners and affect only creatures with an Intelligence of 2 or higher that aren't undead, constructs, or elementals. Affected creatures can communicate telepathically with one another while they are within 30 feet of each other. The effect lasts for 1 hour.
- Natural Armor. You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class due to your tough skin and odd physiology.
- Cultivate Sprout. Like other fungi, myconids reproduce by mundane sporing. You can use your spores to create a myconid sprout (see Monster Manual, page 230) which acts as you direct it. You can only cultivate one sprout at a time. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
- Circle of Life. Your sprout can sense your death. If you die, the sprout begins to grow into a copy of yourself over a week's time, ready to continue adventuring. You are otherwise how you were prior to your character's death, fully healed and rested. (Your equipment is not copied in this process.)
- Sunlight Sickness. You cannot regain hit points when in direct sunlight.
- Languages. You can understand Common and Undercommon (and other languages you might gain due to background features or feats) but lack the organs necessary to speak, primarily relying on rapport spores to communicate. Myconid can use their spore-based telepathy to manipulate the Weave and can ignore the Verbal component requirement of spells.
Other races find you delicious as a component in gravy and also atop their pizzas.
This race looks interesting, but, if they're not killed by sunlight like in their Monster Manual entry, they will become virtually immortal. Unless you're looking for them to be something like the Bard from The Gamers: Dorkness Rising. Then, by all means, let the hilarity ensue.
transcendantviewer wrote:
iserith wrote:
transcendantviewer wrote:
iserith wrote:
transcendantviewer wrote:
iserith wrote:
transcendantviewer wrote:
Characters are meant to be strong, but not immortal. Able to fend for themselves or diffuse most situations, but the threat of death should never be completely gone. I'm all for having fun, but I don't like having the players feel invincible. It turns them into sociopaths very quickly.
I really like the "cannot regain hit points while in direct sunlight' trait.
Fungi prefer warm, wet and dark places to grow and this plays straight into that. Very flavourful, and only situationally a pain.
Also, they shouldn't be able to wear helmets... Just cause of their natural caps. :P
DenDoomzDay wrote:
iserith wrote:
iserith wrote:
Azzy1974 wrote:
iserith wrote:
iserith wrote:
You could make this a variety of Myconid that hails from dark, overworld swamps, instead of the deep underdark fungal cities they are described as occupying in the MM. Give them sunlight sensitivity instead of sunlight sickness. Just say they are nocturnal as the reasoning for this sensitivity.
If there is ever an undesired trait in the MM for a monster stat-block that you want to turn into a race, just look at what Wizards did with Minotaur. They just made a very distinct sub-breed version (medium sized, with an afinity for sea travel).
Here's the most literal summarized racial stat block for you to help you get started:
Myconid
- Size: Medium
- Speed: 20 Feet
- Languages: They can read and understand Common, as well as any language they would otherwise be able to speak (from class, background, etc.), however they are incapable of audible speach.
- Ability Scores: +2 Wis, +1 Con
- Darkvision 120 ft.
- Natural Armor: When not wearing any armor, their AC is equal to 12 + Dexterity Modifier.
- Natural Weapon (Fist): 1d4 + Strength Modifier bludgeoning damage and 1d4 poison damage on hit.
- Sun Sensitivity: Disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws while in direct sunlight.
- Rapport Spores: As an action, send out spores that affects all creatures that are not undead, elementals, or constructs. Affected creatures can now communicate telepathically with you, regardless of language barriers.
- Pacifying Spores. As an action, send spores out to 1 creature within 5 feet. Target must succeed on a Constitution save equal to 10 + your constitution modifier, else be stunned for 1 minute or until a successful save is made. After 3 uses, this cannot be done again until after a long rest.
- Distress Spores. When you take damage, all other myconids with the Distress Spores ability can sense your pain within 240 feet.
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iserith wrote:
ShinQuickMan wrote:
Actually, I was comparing it to Clone, an 8th level spell that's even more situational than this before and after those conditions I've pitched. I mean, sure, it's probably not a top pick by any margin, but even ignoring that.. I really think you're undervaluing contingent revivals, and thus can't agree with your assessment.