Brain Moss

This bright blue fungus grows inside the brain tissue of a living creature, altering the brain’s chemistry to make the host docile, and eventually consuming the host’s brain while it is still alive. In severe cases of the disease, telltale blue fuzz can often be found growing out of the victim’s ears and nostrils.

Type disease, inhaled; Save Fortitude DC 16, see text; Frequency 1/day; Effect –2 penalty on Will saves and Wisdom-based skill checks and ability checks for 1 day; Cure 2 consecutive saves

STAGES

Carrier

At this stage, the affected creature experiences colors and sounds with more intensity than it normally would, but there are otherwise no effects.

Early

The affected creature’s mind is flooded with calming chemicals, which put the creature in a tranquil, calm state. The affected creature cannot gain any morale bonuses or penalties, and it takes a –2 penalty on attack and damage rolls. Additionally, the creature takes a –4 penalty on Sense Motive checks, as the brain moss interferes with critical thinking.

Moderate

The affected creature becomes placid and incredibly impressionable. It cannot take hostile actions, although whenever another creature takes a hostile action against the affected creature, it can attempt a Will save at the disease’s DC to suppress this effect for 1 minute. Additionally, whenever anyone makes a request of the affected creature, it must succeed at a Will save at the disease’s DC or be compelled to perform the request, similar to a creature that failed a saving throw against the suggestion spell, except this suggestibility is a non-magical disease effect (not a spell, spell-like ability, enchantment, or compulsion).

Severe

The fungus begins to cause intense hallucinations in the affected creature, making it constantly confused. Additionally, once every 1d4 hours, it has a hallucination that causes it to be dazed for 1 minute, after which time it must succeed at a Will save at the disease’s DC or be compelled to perform an act chosen by the GM or determined at random, as a result of the delusions (similar to the effect at the moderate stage).

Terminal

The fungus begins to consume the brain tissue of the affected creature, whose brain can no longer control its body.

The affected creature falls unconscious and remains unconscious for as long as it remains at this stage of the disease. If it fails a saving throw against the disease’s progress at this stage, it dies. Even if it succeeds at a saving throw at this stage, it takes 4 points of Constitution and Intelligence damage.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Horror Adventures © 2016, Paizo Inc.; Authors: John Bennett, Clinton J. Boomer, Logan Bonner, Robert Brookes, Jason Bulmahn, Ross Byers, Jim Groves, Steven Helt, Thurston Hillman, Eric Hindley, Brandon Hodge, Mikko Kallio, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Alistair Rigg, Alex Riggs, David N. Ross, F. Wesley Schneider, David Schwartz, Mark Seifter, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.

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