The Pallid Piper

A supplemental adventure for 4–5 PCs of 7th–9th level

U mamish are chatty

and manipulative

fungal parasites that slowly take

control of a host’s mind to spread to

fresh victims. You’ve eradicated this

infection before but someone has

taken it upon themselves to help the

mushrooms along— at every turn

you’ve run into fresh infestations and

news is spreading of a Pallid Piper

inflicting the fungi on the unwitting

then disappearing with a song.

WRITING Andrew Engelbrite

COLOR ART Indi Martin
MAPS Dyson Logos
EDITING Mike Myler
LAYOUT Frank Michienzi

The Pallid Piper  |  EN World EN5ider

Background
The Pallid Piper is the creation of an abyssal demon
lord: the Fungus Queen. While it resembles a human,
its flesh is a purely a fungal construct. As of late
many of the fungoid races have parted ways with
the fiendish monarch and she intends to use the
piper to bring them back in line, and to make many
more such pipers if the first proves successful. The
tune of the piper causes spores to quickly take root
and minor molds to overgrow into full blown infes-
tations, all while the unnerving joyful melody of the
Fungus Queen fills the hearts of victims even as
their bodies moulder before their eyes. The Pallid
Piper is now loose, and if his song reaches a
crescendo the world will joyfully fall to his evil
master.
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Supplemental Adventure
This adventure is best played throughout an existing
campaign as a series of side quests, starting with the
PCs first encounter with the Pallid Piper in the Sporecap
A Cappella encounter at 7th level. This encounter is
followed up while the PCs are at 8th level with the
Mycelium Harmonies encounter, and concludes at
9th level with the Fungal Finale encounter. This is a
sequel to Fungal Bums and shares several themes,
mechanics, and characters (including umamish infec-
tion; see Fungal Bums). Each can be used separately or
fused together for one extended adventure to weave
into an existing campaign.
Alternatively, this adventure can be used as a
self-contained quest by running the Sporecap A
Cappella and Mycelium Harmonies encounters while
the party are 9th level, progressing rapidly through
the encounters back-to-back rather than spacing
them throughout other adventures.
Sporecap A Cappella
The adventure starts in any small village or settle-
ment that the PCs are traveling towards — the
Pallid Piper has visited it and chaos has erupted in
his musical wake. Ideally, this should be a village
the party have visited before and had an opportu-
nity to experience before the piper’s visit. It’s also
ideal if the adventurers are returning to this town
after the completion of some quest.
This place is not as you remember it. A seemingly infi-
nite variety of fungi sprouts from every bit of wood in
sight, and slime molds coat the cobblestones, envelop
the carts, and cover wares seemingly dropped and scat-
tered everywhere in haste. Patches of brightly colored
mushrooms sprout out from odd angles, giving the
town a hauntingly festive appearance. You hear singing
up ahead from a chorus of voices each reciting a joyful
tune, though the words themselves are jarring and
unnerving—a trio of figures stalk the town square, each
with a choir of umamish on their backs, and a fungal
mass sits at the center eagerly devouring bodies.
 The adventurers and their umamish are singing
in Abyssal, if any of the PCs can understand it
they’ll hear various refrains about “hark the piper”
and “decorating for the Fungus Queen”. If the party
makes a DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check they’ll
recognize the Fungus Queen as a demon lord,
though the piper should still remain mysterious.
The shambling mound that has arisen here is
happily devouring corpses and fights until slain.
The diseased NPCs are Kurt Roseheart (a NG
human knight), Elanda Leftfoot (a CG halfling
priest), and Yotul the Wise (a LG half-orc mage),
all suffering from the effects of 4th stage umamish
infection (see Fungal Bums) and ultimately under
the Pallid Piper’s control. These afflicted fight until
killed unless they are cured of their umamish
infection through excessive poison damage, at
which point they immediately join alongside the
PCs (though they refuse to kill their companions
and prioritize curing them).
The piper’s song has also sprouted up numerous
clutches of extremely toxic mushrooms. Randomly
place 5 such mushroom clutches around the combat
area, with each patch occupying a 5-foot square.
Any creature that enters one of these squares must
make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or imme-
diately take 25 poison damage. As the encounter
begins any PC with a passive Intelligence (Nature)
of 12 or higher recognizes the toxic mushrooms.
Once the PCs defeat the monstrous plant and
either defeat or cure the diseased NPCs, the fungal
presence seems to fade and many of the large fungi
start rotting away as the song ends. The townsfolk
slowly emerge from their buildings shortly after the
singing stops, celebrating the party’s victory and
treating them as conquering heroes. The adventurers
are rewarded with free amenities such as lodging
and food, along with their choice of local wares.
When questioned about the mushrooms, the
townsfolk speak of a strange old man that strode
through town playing a jaunty tune on a strange
flute — and the monstrous fungal mound that
sprouted up around him as he played. They recount
The Pallid Piper  |  EN World EN5ider
how the trio of outsiders charged the old man, and
how their backs suddenly sprouted fungus as he
simply disappeared.
If any of the diseased NPCs are cured and survive,
they pledge a life debt to the party. At the GMs
discretion, they can be asked to come along on a
future quest and will obey the PCs orders to the best
of their abilities (though they won’t harm innocents,
each other, or do anything obviously suicidal).
Mycelium Harmonies
This encounter begins while the PCs are 8th level
and traveling through the wilderness.
A jaunty tune pipes up ahead, though what you spot
around the bend is far from jovial. An old man plays
his flute a few paces across from a stout gnome fellow
desperately crawling away while competing fungal
growths surge around them. He reaches out and pleads
in a pained voice, “help me!”
Adventurers that played through Fungal Bums
instantly recognize the gnome as Pendlewine
(NG gnome druid 15), the druid that previously
cured their umamish infections. The Pallid Piper
is attempting to control him and Pendlewine is
having to focus all of his effort into resisting the
Fungus Queen’s insidious song.
The Pallid Piper has already used Flourishing
Rot to conjure violet fungus and relies on them
to distract the PCs while he works on controlling
Pendlewine. If attacked the piper turns his atten-
tion to the party, combining fungal black tentacles
with pseudopod attacks. Pendlewine is incapaci-
tated throughout the combat.
Once the piper is brought to 50 hit points or
below, he cuts his losses and uses transport via plants
to escape through a nearby mushroom. Should the
PCs be inclined to follow him, Pendlewine warns
them off and uses his own powers to block the exit
with thick fungi.
 After the piper departs Pendlewine thanks the
party and explains the creature’s true nature — and
the imminent threat posed by the Fungus Queen.
He then takes his leave, begging the PCs to aid him
once he can find a way to track the fiend down.
PALLID PIPER
MEDIUM PLANT, CHAOTIC EVIL
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 119 (14d8+56)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 18 (+4) 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 19 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +8, Wis +6, Cha +8
Skills Perception +6, Performance +8
Damage Immunities poison
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning,
piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion,
frightened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Abyssal
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)
Fungus Queen’s Herald. Any fungal plant creature or
creature afflicted with umamish infection (see Fungal
Bums) that targets the piper with an attack or a harmful
spell must first make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw.
On a failed save, the creature must choose a new
target or lose the attack or spell. This spell doesn’t
protect the piper from area effects, such as the
explosion of a fireball.
Innate Spellcasting. The piper’s spellcasting ability is
Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks).
He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no
material components:
At will: chill touch, detect magic, locate animals
or plants
3/day each: black tentacles (fungal in appearance),
dispel magic, entangle, plant growth (fungal
plants only)
1/day each: transport via plants (fungal plants only)
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Piper’s Tune. While he is conscious, the piper constantly
plays a magical prayer to the Fungus Queen causing
mushrooms and lichen to flourish around him. A fungal
plant creature or creature afflicted with umamish
infection that starts its turn within 30 feet of the piper
(including the piper) regains 5 (2d4) hit points. In addi-
tion, any creature afflicted with umamish infection that
starts its turn within 30 feet of the piper must make a
DC 14 Constitution saving throw or its umamish infec-
tion progresses to the next stage.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The piper makes two pseudopod attacks.
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft.,
one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage plus 13
(2d8+4) poison damage.
Flourishing Rot (1/Day). The piper magically grows
either a shambling mound or 3d4 violet fungus in
unoccupied spaces that he can see within 50 feet.
Whatever is conjured acts on the piper’s initiative
starting at the beginning of his next turn, obeying his
spoken commands.
Fungus Queen’s Orders. The piper chooses a fungal
plant creature or creature afflicted with umamish
infection he can see within 30 feet. If the target can
hear the piper, it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom
or be charmed by the piper. The charmed target
regards the piper as a trusted friend to be heeded
and protected. Although the target isn’t under the
piper’s control, it protects the piper to the best of its
abilities. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the
end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on
a success.
Fungal Finale
This encounter kicks off as the 9th level PCs are
in a relatively calm area. Pendlewine returns and
announces that he’s located the Pallid Piper with the
help of some unlikely allies —a trio of commoners
he’s brought with him who are obviously suffering
from 4th stage umamish infection, though the
fungus is uncharacteristically subdued and unag-
gressive. The druid explains that the umamish are
wholly against the Fungus Queen’s takeover of
 Boggy Grotto

4
6
5

2
3

their kind and are happy to help cut off her influ-
ence by revealing a secret about their nature: all
of them are grown from the same sporestalk, and
can sense one another across the Material Plane.
Thanks to these umamish Pendlewine knows
exactly where the piper is hiding and can take the
PCs there whenever they’re ready. Unfortunately
he and the umamish can’t help once they arrive, as
their fungal nature makes them far too susceptible
to the piper’s control.
1. Marshy Crag
Once the PCs are ready Pendlewine uses transport
via plants to take them directly outside the piper’s
hidden grotto into a small cave beneath a hot and
humid rainforest canopy. To the north a narrow
crack in the stone leads further in and is framed by
colorful mushrooms (#2).

The Pallid Piper  |  EN World EN5ider

2. Fungal Gallery
A central column is absolutely covered in shelf
fungus, and bizarre fungal growths mark the walls.
A passage to the west curves into a spiraling slope
downwards (#4), the ominous and oddly joyful
song of the piper spills from a further chamber
to the north (#5), and a wide passage choked with
humid fog opens to the east (#3).
3. The Nursery
This chamber is hot with mulch and decay, drenched,
and smells of death. A central mound of soft peat
was once half a dozen locals that unfortunately
inspected the cave. Anyone who attempts digging
into the mound quickly discovers as much, but can
recover numerous cultural artifacts and jewelry
worth 400 gp to museums or researchers, or 800 gp
if returned to the relatives of those lost here. A wide
passage choked with fog opens to the west (#2).
4. The Piper’s Respite
This lower area houses the closest thing to a home
the piper has: a bed of loamy soil he rests in to
recuperate. It also contains 4 explorers (veterans)
suffering from 4th stage umamish infection being
used as servants, a remnant of a failed expedition
to this jungle. The location of each is marked on the
map in this area with a star. They fight until killed
or cured of umamish infection, at which point
they aid the PCs to the best of their abilities in any
attempt to kill the piper. A tunnel curves upward
towards the southern end of this chamber (#2).
5. The Doorman
This broad chamber holds a beast once worshiped
as a jungle god, now diminished to being the
piper’s guard dog. A giant ape suffering from 4th
stage umamish infection sits in the spot marked
with a star, his umamish caps endlessly singing
Abyssal praises to the Fungus Queen. It attacks
any non-fungal intruder and fights until killed. A
narrow passage draped with colorful mushrooms
leads south (#2), and a downward slope heads into
a tunnel to the northwest (#6).
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6. The Audience Chamber
This cavern is decorated in bizarre and exotic fungi
arranged and flourishing like the most elegant of
gardens. Sizable patches on the western and eastern
walls are coated in a particularly noxious shelf
fungus. A creature that enters a square with one of
these toxic patches (marked with the jagged lines)
must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or
immediately take 25 poison damage. The southern
wall is slicked with a slime mold that the Fungus
Queen transmits her visage into to check upon the
piper’s progress. An upward slope leads through a
tunnel to the northwest (#5).
As the PCs arrive the piper is reciting a new song
of his master’s praise and their interruption puts a
scowl on the Fungus Queen’s face. In Abyssal she
says, “prove your worth or wither” then disappears
from the slime mold. The furious Pallid Piper
fights until killed. If the explorers from Area 4
aren’t already killed or cured, they arrive to defend
him in 1d4 rounds and spread umamish infection
as quickly as possible.
Resolving the Adventure
While not treasure in the traditional sense, the
fungus in these caves was genuinely and carefully
nurtured and is worth over 8,000 gp to the right
botanists or poison makers. Pendlewine offers to
safely harvest them for the PCs if he sees them
hack away at the fungus like amateurs, and he’s
also willing to transport the party wherever they’d
like to be dropped off once they’ve finished looting
the area.
In addition, the remaining “allied” umamish
commoners have a somewhat disquieting offer to
make: to infect any of the PCs on a more “symbiotic”
level that attains sentience but never progresses
past 1st stage infection or attempts to take control.
Any adventurer that accepts gains immunity to
poison damage and non-magical diseases, as well
as some chatty stowaways — and whether or not
their offer is genuine or a trick is up to the GM.