Monster Monday - Feycap

Verdant growth beyond anything that any of the band had ever imagined filled the forest that they found themselves in. Tree trunks wider than houses rose to challenge mountains in height, topped with leaves with hues that some of the party couldn't even name. Creatures that seemed equal parts familiar and bizarre capered and cavorted among winding branches, most uninterested in the mortals that had stumbled into their plane. The adventurers marveled at the sights before them, momentarily lost in the wonder and splendor of the Glade - at least until a mushroom taller than a man opened its three eyes and thunderously stomped towards them, fists at the ready.

Illustration by Sethmonster

I've said it before elsewhere, but if you're one of the folks that check out my monster posts but not my character build posts, you probably didn't see it. Anyway, I'm back! I've moved into a new house and mostly settled in here. As such, I've returned to posting for the blog. I have some monsters to work through, but moving isn't cheap so after I post the last original monster that I have art for, I might have to step back for a bit on that front until I'm more financially secure. I will still be working on plenty of monsters from various franchises during that time, though!

Anyway, let's get into the discussion of the feycap! Conceptually, this creature began from the myth of the 'fairy ring,' naturally occurring rings of mushrooms that are quite storied in European folklore and legends. I took the idea that they were real in a fantasy setting such as Pathfinder, the instance of fungi becoming infused with the chaotic energies of the realm of the fey, which is called the Glade in my setting. Building out of that idea, I knew they had to be plant creatures, but I wanted to play with the idea of them being linked to travel as they soak up energy from creatures opening portals to and from the Glade. To that extent, I made dimension door an integral part of their design while also incorporating other teleportation-based spells, such as jester's jaunt and spells that felt 'fey-like' such as color spray and hideous laughter. As the feycap grows into more powerful versions, which came from my indecision at what level to set the creature at, it gains spells referencing the halluncinogenic effects of certain mushrooms, such as hallucinogenic smoke and phantasmal killer.

Its more powerful forms, the sprout and goliath, include another important part of its build - the Dimensional Agility feat line, allowing it to bounce around the battlefield while unleashing a flurry of blows. Additionally, it gains its spore burst, which slowly consume hosts unless they get to the Glade. The final evolution of the feycap even potentially sends afflicted foes to the Glade where they might not realize they've been infected with these deadly spores until they leave it. I ensured not to include an ability that can send players to other planes until a point where they can potentially handle such a threat - primarily, when spellcasters would typically gain access to the plane shift spell. This can still be an issue if the casters of the party don't know the spell or don't have access to it, but then it becomes a whole side adventure instead of just a simple delay! With that in mind, GMs should probably think carefully before springing this creature on their players, keeping in mind their capabilities and whether they would enjoy the unique challenges that this beast can present.

Pathfinder 1e:

In building the 2e version of the feycap, one of the first things that I needed to address was its spells. While by no means a complaint, 2e doesn't entirely have the spell list that 1e did, meaning I had to find some stand-ins for the effects that I wanted. The spells I did pick were inspired by the same ideas that motivated my choices for the 1e version.

As I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of the unique reactions in 2e, which led to the design of Flicker, a protective reaction that also plays into the teleportation theme of the feycap. The runt doesn't have much of a choice in the direction it goes when it uses this due to its relative youth and inexperience, but has fully mastered the ability by the time it grows into a goliath. Teleportation Tactics is something of a stand-in for its Dimensional Assault feat from 1e though it seemed reasonable to include it on the runt for this instance. Finally, the goliath gains both Bounding Assault, mimicking Dimensional Dervish, and Dismissive Blow to make positioning a constant struggle throughout the battle.

Pathfinder 2e:

Blue's D&D 5e:

ENCOUNTER HOOK

Fungal Fetch: The heroes are employed to track down a recently disappeared noble who had ventured out on a hunt in a nearby forest. The forest has a history with fey, but they have often been peaceable aside from the occasional prank. While the investigation my take some time, as determined by the GM, the trail ends at a fairy ring where a particularly ornery feycap goliath has taken up residence. The brute attacks intruders initially but may be more willing to negotiate if its loss seems evident. It reveals, or the heroes are able to realize, that it launched the noble to the Glade, where they must proceed and find him before bringing him home.

If you're interested in joining the discussion on what creatures I'm working on or just discussing your own homebrew works, check out our Discord! If you want to get some teasers or help us get to our yet unlisted milestones for extra content, check out the Twitter.

Have a monstrous Monday!