Tripod Toadstool

This large, table-like mushroom scuttles about on three trunk-like legs, trailing a whip-like tail.

Tripod Toadstool (CR 2) XP 400 N Large plant Init +2; Senses low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +11 --- AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +5 natural, –1 size) hp 30 (4d8+12) Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +1 Immune plant traits --- Speed 40 ft. Melee tail slap +7 (1d8+7 plus poison and trip) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. --- Str 21, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 5, Wis 10, Cha 9 Base Atk +3; CMB +9; CMD 21 Skills Perception +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception Languages boggard (can't speak) SQ springboard --- Environment temperate or warm swamps or underground Organization solitary, pair, colony (3–6), or patrol (2–6 ridden by boggards) Treasure none --- Poison (Ex) Tail slap—contact; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Dex; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based. Springboard (Ex) The cap of a tripod toadstool is a flat, rubbery surface. A creature riding a tripod toadstool can dismount as part of a move action, but only if the rider jumps at the start of that move action and travels only the distance jumped. While doing so, the rider gets a +2 circumstance bonus on its Acrobatics check made to jump.

An enormous fungus, a tripod toadstool appears to be a table-shaped mushroom with a trio of trunks and a vine-like tendril on one side. Its trunks are actually legs, while the tendril is a poisonous, whip-like tail. The toadstool feeds on fresh meat by stalking warm-blooded prey and standing upon its victim's remains, its legs absorbing nutrients from the carcass over the course of several hours.

Though its beast-like, fungal appearance suggests that a tripod toadstool is a mindless predator, the fungus is surprisingly intelligent. While unable to speak, the toadstool understands the rudiments of the boggard language, boggards being the humanoids to which it is most frequently exposed.

Boggards occasionally breed, rear, and ride tripod toadstools the way other humanoids breed, rear, and ride horses. A specially-designed saddle can be affixed to the thick, rubbery flesh atop a tripod toadstool's cap through the use of barbed hooks. Attaching a saddle to a tripod toadstool in this manner causes no harm to the fungus. A tripod toadstool mount is loyal to its boggard rider, and is able to understand moderately complex instructions issued in the boggard language.