MÖRKY MYCOLOGY

Words and layout: I. McClung (2020)

Cover art: Ink Mushrooms by Julie de Graag (1915)

This document is a pre-release version and is not fully representative of

the the final text or presentation. A few bits of text and layout may
change between now and the final layout version, but this version will be
updated to become the final free/printer friendly version.

Thank you for your support!

Disclaimer: This is a work of fantasy. I am not a mycologist. None of

the mushrooms in this book are real and any similarities to real
mushrooms are purely coincidental.

MÖRKY MYCOLOGY is an independent production by I. McClung

and is not affiliated with Ockult Örtmästare Games or Stockholm
Kartell. It is published under the MÖRK BORG Third Party License.
MÖRK BORG is copyright Ockult Örtmästare Games and
Stockholm Kartell.
MÖRKY MYCOLOGY
By I. McClung

Contents
Fungus in the Dying Land 1
Fungal Caverns 2
Fungal Wastes 3
Foraging for Mushrooms 4
Trinkets and Toxins 12
Class: Mycelial Symbiont 14
Creatures 16
Violent Fungus 16
Wailer 16
Spore Sac 17
Entropic Mold 17
Caustic Slime 18
Sporelings 19
Spitzenkorpse 19
Mycolony 20
Toxic Stone Lichen 21
Fungal Cultist 21
 Fungus in the Dying Land
⸸⸸⸸

Where death and rot reign, so to do fungal spores. An

extant form of decay, a world in decline is a veritable
paradise for fungi of all kind.
Dark caverns, corpse pits, decaying flesh on living bodies,
warped trees, crumbling rocks, unwashed clothes, wilting
fields, insect plagues, untouched dishes, untold carrion,
stinking lakes, stagnant rivers, silent forests, thick bogs
and decrepit dwellings all feed the myconic tide.
Where there is entropy, there are fungi.
When the last light of the last star winks out of existence,
and those weak lifeforms that subsist on light and warmth
despair, the fungi shall rejoice and inherit the universe.

1
 Fungal Caverns
Interspersed throughout the underworld, and stretching
into convoluted webs, lie the fungal caverns.
Ecosystems of fungi feeding off of the corpse of the world
itself, inhabited by strange life forms of varying levels of
sentience. Creatures here feed on the mushrooms, but so to
do the mushrooms prey on them. Thus the cycle is
maintained, until its inevitable end.

d6 Encounters and Hazards

1. Bad Air. Every 10 minutes, test Toughness

or become infected.
2. Damp, dark. The light is weak. Presence
Tests are base DR 14.

3. 2d4 Sporelings

4. d4 Violent Fungus

5. A lone Mycolony sitting at a fire. What is

it doing? What does it want?
6. It’s dark. Too dark - you’ve walked into
Entropic Mold! .

2
 Fungal Wastes
At times, blooms and conditions align to grant the fungi a
foothold on the surface, beyond their everyday existence as
a minor detail in the greater web of organisms.
These areas are fungal wastes - woods overrun with rust
and lichen and rot. Blighted fields and infected ponds.
These places are often connected to the caverns by means
of tunnel, vent, or sinkhole.

d6 Encounters and Hazards

1. The fauna are changing into something…

different.
2. An unfortunate group of people, still
alive, feeding the fungus.
3. Fungal Cultists performing profane rituals.
Are they to blame?

4. d4 Spitzenkorpsen, fresh.

5. Rotten Wood. Campfires are out of the

question.
6. A pit covered by false moss. DR 16 Presence
or fall, taking 2d6 damage.

3
 Foraging for Mushrooms
⸸⸸⸸

The many fungi of the dying land. Some are mundane,

others deadly poison, others still are magical in nature, and
a few are even useful. The mushrooms grow all throughout
the land. Pick what your players encounter, or roll
randomly when foraging or in need of atmosphere or
diversion.

4
 Roll d66

12. Hermit’s Brain

11. Silver Chantrelle Looks like a brain
Rare, delicious, 6s a blossoming from the
head. 2d12 are earth. Difficult to
normally found clean, grants +1
together. Presence for a day
after it’s eaten.

14. Pale Death

Deadly Poison. After
13.Breadcap eating, test
The caps of these Toughness DR 16 once
stout mushrooms a day for 3 days.
resemble loaves of Become infected when
bread. Each one is a you make the test.
ration, though bland. Lose 2d10 HP on a
failure.

16. King Fathmu’s Cup

Delicious smelling
liquid that gathers
15. Ghastly One in the cup is poison.
Deadly Poison. After Test Toughness DR 14
eating, test Toughness or immediately suffer
DR 16 or become traumatic bowel
infected, losing d4 hp spasms, losing 2d10
each hour until cured HP. The fruitbody is
or dead. delicious, especially
grilled. Has killed
at least 4 kings.

5
21. Scroll Rot
Exclusively infects
magical scrolls, 22. Eyeblight
increasing the chance Test Toughness DR 12
of a fumble to 1-3. or get a nasty fungal
Only known treatment infection in an eye.
is to leave the -1 to all Presence
scroll in a warm, dry tests until healed.
location for a few
weeks.

23. Woodcutter’s 24. Summer Snow

Ladder White spores that
A sturdy shelf fungus blanket some groves
that can be used to and fields in the
climb the trees it summer months.
grows on. Intense allergen. +2
Superstition says not DR to all tests until
to climb it, lest you you are far away from
never return. it.

25. Anthelia’s Lace 26. Giant’s Stool

Has a cap not unlike 10 foot tall, woody
a lace gown. Saps the mushrooms said to
warmth and color from grow where giants
the areas in which it fell. Excellent
grows. tinder.

6
31. Bone Mold
Found on damp skeletons. Releases spores that
affect living bone. Test Toughness DR 12 or
become infected. While infected in this way,
your Toughness becomes -1, and your max HP is
reduced by the difference for the duration.

32. Corpse Fingers

Small, crooked pillar
mushrooms that appear 33. Ink Nest
in irregular groups of A cup mushroom that
5. Red insides. Mildly serves as a natural
poisonous if consumed inkwell. The fluid
raw (Toughness DR 10 inside is the most
or lose d4 hp). Safe permanent naturally
if cooked. Tastes like occurring black
pork. +1 to all pigment in the world.
reaction rolls vs.
undead for a day.

34. False Moss

Looks like moss, but
is actually an 35. Basilisk Horn
incredibly light Grows in places
lichen. It covers touched by Misery or
holes in the ground, warped by dark
trees, and cliff powers. A warning.
faces, using natural (PCs lose 1 omen upon
airflow to spread its seeing it).
spores. Presence DR 16
to notice it.

7
36. Flying Amanita
Spreads by becoming 41. Goblin Turds
uprooted in storms, 1-in-6 chance of just
flying away. Deadly in being the real thing
large does, (the fungus smells
hallucinogenic in worse).
moderation. Test Appearance should be
Presence DR 14 or self-explanatory.
truly believe you are Said to deter goblin
capable of flight for attacks if carried.
the next d6 hours.

42. Wraithwails 43. Black Rust

Make a long, loud Eats rusty metal.
wailing sound when Poorly maintained
dispersing spores. weapons and armor go
Resting in an area from serviceable to
with them requires a broken much more
successful DR 12 quickly. (Break on a
Toughness test. 1-3)

44. Nechrubel’s Chorus

Prefers carrion, but will infect living flesh
that’s been recently affected by magic. Test
Toughness or become infected, while infected
become completely fascinated by death.
Whenever you roll on the broken table, roll
twice, taking the higher die.

8
45. Chef’s Deblight 46. Pale Balm
A rot that affects Antidote to most
oats, wheat, and poisons and
maize, prized for its infections. Almost
taste and nutritional indistinguishable
value. Double check from Pale Death (DR
those rotten rations! 18 Presence)

51. Dream Gate

A morel with a distinct pattern. The creature
that eats it falls unconscious (DR 16 Presence
to resist if unwilling), entering the Waking
Dream. They will awake in the corresponding
real world location of wherever they travel in
the dream world.

DO NOT TAKE LIGHTLY - Death is real in the

waking dream.

52. Troll Snot

A disgusting, 53. Fool’s Gate
primitive slime mold. Looks like Dream Gate
Restores d8 HP when (DR 16 Presence). If
applied to a wound, eaten test Presence
must be used while or be rendered
fresh. If it would completely useless as
restore more HP than
you trip for the next
the creature’s max, d6 hours.
they gain that much
max HP.

9
54. Mourning Bell
Grows on graves,
excretes a strong
alcohol that can be
used as a base for
potions. If eaten
causes the eater to
fall into a coma,
similar to death (DR
18 Presence to tell
the difference) for
d20 hours.
56. Sortabello
Kind of delicious.
Might cause
indigestion. Looks
similar to other
notable mushrooms but
is definitely not them.
Causes general
ambivalence for d4
hours if eaten.
62. Lusi’s Pimple’s
Red buttons commonly
found near ruins.
Secrete a burning
mucus that deals d4
damage if touched.
10
55. Avenging One
Looks like Ghastly
One (DR 18 Presence).
When eaten, for the
next 2d6 rounds,
regain Toughness + 1
HP whenever you take
damage.
61. Verhu’s Breath
Causes divine
delusional visions of
possible futures.
Consumption is
heresy. Test
Toughness to gain an
Omen. Gain a Power on
failure.
63. Fairy Tables
Foot-tall mushrooms
with a wide, flat cap.
Superstitious types
often leave offerings
on them. (Roll corpse
plundering)
64. Fairy Circle
Small, phosphorescent mushrooms that grow in
rings. Other mushrooms might also grow in
rings, but this is the only type that does so
exclusively. Children go missing in areas
where these appear.

66. Berserker Bolete

Looks like Flying
65. Deviltails Amanita (Presence DR
Indicative of 18). Attack twice per
sulfurous soil. The round for 2d6 rounds
pointed cap is stiff after eating one.
enough to be used as a Dodging becomes DR
throwing weapon, once. 16.

11
 Trinkets and Toxins
⸸⸸⸸

Offered, found, or looted.

d20
1. Universal Panacea - A miraculous mold with
fantastical healing properties. 1-in-20 chance
you’re violently allergic, taking d10 damage.
Otherwise clears any infection.

2. Allianz Champagne - Unbearably sweet or dry

varieties. Made in hopes Anthelia could taste it.
The makers weren’t immediately beheaded, so it
must have been acceptable.

3. Grift Cheese - Cheese from the coast, varieties

range from smelling of unwashed laundry to a
month-old corpse.

4. Galgenbeck Stout - Heady, made using a unique

yeast. A single pint is the equivalent to a meal.

5. Schleswig Sourdough - A bread of desperation,

depends on who made it. Do not ask for the recipe.
Tastes fine, which is why it’s so suspicious.

6. Onda Tracker’s Tea - Fermented mushroom tea

that’s slightly alcoholic. Sleep stops coming
easily after drinking for a while. A boon at first.

7. Broken Coast Salami - Moldy meat, but

considered a treat. They say this mold won’t kill
you.
8. Spore Brooch - Grants defensive spores while
worn, dealing d4 damage to creatures that hit you
with a melee attack.

12
9. Molded Leather - Breaks on a 1-3, grants -d4
armor while remaining light.
10. Mushroom Picker’s Mask - Filters most spores,
can’t suffer negative effects from breathing them.
11. Handful of Random Mushrooms - Roll d66 and
consult the previous list.
12. Pale Powder - Pale powder with a greenish
tinge. Incredibly toxic, but tricky to
manufacture. Must be ingested. Test DR 16
Toughness or Die in d4 days.
13. Pink Powder - Pink tinged poison powder. Must
be inhaled or ingested. Test Toughness DR 18 or
take d6 damage each round. Repeat until a success
is rolled.
14. Beige Powder - Beige, dry poison. Must be
ingested. Paralyzes the eater for d6 days. They
become infected.

SCROLLS
15. MYCOMORPH - Roll 4d6. Turns creatures with
total HP equal to the number rolled into edible
mushrooms.
16. SPORE CLOUD - For the next d4 rounds each
nearby creature takes d4 damage.

17. RAPID DECOMPOSITION - Mushrooms sprout from

decaying (or living) flesh. Immediately destroys
corpses. Deals 2d4 damage to a living target,
rolling additional dice on the result of 4.
18. FUNGAL SPEECH - Speak with fungi for d20
minutes. Beware, the minds of fungi are difficult
for animals to comprehend.
19. FUNGAL HEALING - Deals d6 damage to d2
targets, each one heals 2d6 hp.
20. CALL FUNGUS - Summons d4 [d6] 1.
Spitzenkorpsen 2-3. Sporelings 4-6. Violent Fungus

13
 Class: Mycelial Symbiont
Neither alive nor dead, you exist in the in-between realm
of fungi. You’ve achieved strange symbiosis with
mushrooms growing on your necrotic flesh, or did your
spreading mycelium claim this body for your own?

Abilities: Spongy, roll 3d6+2 toughness. Not quite there,

roll 3d6-2 presence. Roll d10 on the weapon table and d4
on the armor table. Any scrolls you start with are blighted
(see Scroll Rot, q.v.)

Starts with 2d6x10 silver, d2 omens. HP: Toughness + d10

Origins [d6]
1. You awoke on an altar in a bioluminescent cave, reborn.
2. A bitter rain washed the soil from your shallow grave,
waking you.
3. The whispers started after you ate those strange
mushrooms, desperate.
4. You have fuzzy memories, few of which are your own.
5. You were attempting to become one with nature. You’re
bitter that you’re still here.
6. The infection should have killed you, but that strange
cure worked well. Maybe too well.

14
Fungal Bloom
As an action, you can release spores from the mushrooms
growing in your body. You lose d4 hp as spores eject from
your body, affecting allies and enemies around you.
Roll d8 to determine the effects:
1. Acid Spores - d4 creatures within melee range of you
test Toughness or take d6 damage
2. Poison Spores - d2 other creatures test Toughness DR
14 every round, taking d4 damage until they succeed.
3. Hallucinogenic Spores - d4 other creatures test
Presence or become lost in visions for the next 2d6
rounds. They can still move and will defend themselves.
4. Regenerative Spores - d2 creatures restore d6 hp.
5. Hypnotic Spores - d2 other creatures test Presence or
must act on your next command to the best of their
ability. Wears off after an order is given or d6 rounds.
6. Whispering Spores - d2 creatures gain a temporary
omen. It wears off after d4 rounds.
7. Rage Spores - d4 creatures test Presence or
immediately attack a random target.
8. Paralyzing Spores - d2 creatures test Toughness DR 10
or become paralyzed for d6 rounds.

15
 Creatures
⸸⸸⸸

Violent Fungus
Goblin-sized, purple mushrooms that
slowly creep in subterranean caverns.
Prey on living tissue.
HP 9 Morale – Spongy -d2
Rotting Tentacle d4 + special
Special Attacks up to d4 nearby
creatures, PCs struck must test Toughness
or become infected. Slow defense, DR 10
to hit.

Wailer
Child-sized mushrooms that piteously
whine when light touches them. Normally
used as a natural alarm system.
HP 6 Morale – Spongy -d2 No Attacks
Special Can’t attack, but makes a loud
shrieking sound when exposed to any
light. Slow defense, DR 10 to hit.
Causes d3-1 Violent Fungus to attack from
the shadows OR roll for random encounter.

16
 Spore Sac
Strange, gaseous fungi that float in the
air, waiting for creatures to burst it
and become infected with its spores.
HP 1 + special No Other Stats
Special Floats slowly, DR 8 to hit, any
contact will destroy it. When destroyed
it explodes, dealing d12 damage to all
creatures nearby. Test Toughness or
become infected. Creatures that die from
the explosion or infection give birth to
d4 more spores.

Entropic Mold
A glimpse into the end of the universe.
Consumes heat energy to fuel its endless
growth. The mold is purest black,
reflecting nothing. Sometimes mistaken as
a portal into the abyss.
HP 11 Morale - No Armor
Heat Drain Special
Special Attacks against it are DR 8.
Every round near heat (torches, lamps)
grants it +d6 hp per heat source.
PCs test Toughness each turn spent near
the mold or lose d6 HP, and the mold
gains HP equal to the amount lost.

17
 Caustic Slime
Near-transparent, cloudy slime molds that
make their home on walls and ceilings,
ambushing unsuspecting prey.
HP 7 Morale - Viscous -d4
Digestive Acid Special
Special Slow, DR 8 attack and dodge.
Initially falls on prey from walls or
ceilings. DR 16 Presence to notice before
it falls on you.
Can be scraped off with a successful
DR 14 Strength test. It attaches itself
again on a failed dodge roll.
On hit and each turn until scraped off,
the slime eats through a tier of armor.
It deals d10 damage against unarmored
victims. If a victim dies this way,
another slime is spawned.

18
 Sporelings
Tiny balls of mycelium and teeth,
sporelings are semi-sentient fungus
creatures that prey on living things and
use their corpses to incubate their
spores.
HP 3 Morale 8 Tough -d2 Razor Teeth d4
Special Sporelings use swarm tactics to
overwhelm their foes. +1 DR to dodge
their attacks for each Sporeling within
melee range.

Spitzenkorpse
The spitzenfungus that grows on these
corpses uses them as a vehicle, and
initially begins as an infection of
living things. Eventually the host dies,
but the fungus keeps driving.
HP 11 Morale - No Armor
Infectious Melee d4+special
Special Test Toughness or become
Infected. While infected this way, you
must succeed a DR 10 Presence test each
turn or attack an uninfected creature. If
there are no uninfected creatures, you
attack the ones that are still living.

19
 Mycolony
Vaguely humanoid masses of sentient
mushrooms, nobody’s certain how they’re
formed. Communicate through gestures and
hallucinogenic spores. Each represents an
individual formed of a hive mind. Feared
by most, there’s little evidence of
hostility. Evidence that’s been found,
anyway.
HP 15 Morale 9 Spongy -d4
Slam d8, 2-in-6 chance to also use
Spores d4 (affects all creatures nearby)
Special Extreme hallucinations. The
mycolony can use its spores to induce an
intense dream-state where mushrooms can
be heard and understood. Test Presence DR
14 to avoid being stunned for d4 rounds
by the sudden onslaught of alien
thoughts.

20
 Toxic Stone Lichen
A common hazard in ancient dungeons and
fungal caverns, toxic stone lichen can be
found in cool, dry places, slowly
spreading through the stone it extracts
nutrients from.
HP 7 Morale - Hardy -d10
Noxious Spores d6+special
Special Attacks against it always hit,
fire ignores armor. PCs dealt damage by
spores test Toughness at the start of
their turn or take an additional d4
damage. Repeat until a successful test is
made.

Fungal Cultist
Believers in the divine superiority of
fungus and the world to come, these
cultists eat all kinds of fungi and
undergo profane rituals in order to
become one with their ideal new world
order.
HP 7 Morale 7 No Armor Knife d4
Special Tests DR 14, summoning d2 Violent
Fungus to aid them. Can only successfully
use this ability once per fight.

21