Mushroom! Mushroom!
Myconids are a classic creature going back to the early days of D&D. It’s about time some of them got a little adventurous... Whether you favor the dank and creepy or want to lean into cottagecore vibes, these silent fungus folk are ready to step out of the shadows.
Sometimes referred to as “mushroom people” or “fungus folk,” myconids are intelligent, walking fungi who live in the Underdark and other places where they are safe from sunlight. Their appearances vary but are functionally humanoid including a rough facial structure, yet they are fungal in all other visible characteristics. Some might even be perceived as cute, but others can be quite imposing.
Myconids are a peaceful and quiet people who live a collective lifestyle. Each social circle within the colony engages in a form of telepathic group meditation and shared hallucination called a meld which fills their recreational and spiritual needs. This is accomplished through the release of two kinds of specialized spores—one (hallucination spores) provided by their sovereign, while all other members of the circle share rapport spores to establish the telepathic bond.
Given their communal living and aversion to sunlight, myconids who leave the Underdark must be exceptionally hardy individuals with a great deal of curiosity or a history of misfortune. Myconid adventurers are less severely impacted by sunlight than their kin to whom it is deadly but they remain sensitive to it. WARNING: This is a mechanical drawback that gives you disadvantage while in sunlight. Consider discussing with your DM how this will impact play before choosing this race!
- from the publisher's blurb