Myconid Advancement

[Dauerschlaf]

Jump down to the bolded asterisks of you want to skip to the point.

As an obvious preface - I'm playing a myconid right now. These will be self-serving to some degree, but my goal is honestly to improve the race as a whole. I don't plan on playing a myconid forever.

Having played Sylfbrrrn for just a few days short of five months now, watching other myconid come and go - I think I've gathered enough of an idea about how the race could be further improved and encourage players to at least try it.

First and foremost, it has to be said - The need to absorb other PCs is a huge turn-off for many, many players. I like the concept, but I think it's a bad system when we have a relatively small player base compared to other games in the first place. The amount of people who are interested in playing a race like Myconid is even smaller. The people that are interested don't often want to give up characters they've applied for and worked a solid concept around.

This being the case, I offer a more difficult alternative alongside the PC absorption already in place.

*** I would suggest that gathering a large number of lair points towards the myconid grove could count as the necessary "life force" to advance stages.

For example, 10k points could be the equivalent of absorbing one PC myconid. A sprouting could gather 20k points, 10k points and absorb another PC, or absorb two PCs to become an adult.

Either having Psilofyr or the Ley grant you the life nutrient for your service, or one of the NPC myconid (with randomly generated traits to "gain" as has been tradition with PC absorption) will give themselves to you for the good you have done for the Grove. This would encourage gathering beyond reaching level six/nine (which I've noticed drop significantly as benefits are nearly zero with an established grove) for not only mechanical advancement on a player level, but advancement of character goals and grove goals.

Dedicated players could reach adulthood from sprout with significant gathering and aid to the grove, but it would not be an easy task by far. Reaching Elder through this method would require 80k points gathered by a single PC without absorbing others, making that a very improbable goal without absorbing a fair amount of PCs alongside heavy gathering efforts.

I understand the mechanical reasoning behind limiting Myconid growth by something as heavy as termination of another PC. They're a powerful race even as a sprouting. But I think an equally difficult alternative is a good way to encourage people to try out the race if they are interested, without pushing the already powerful race over the top.

Thoughts? Further suggestions?

[Havoc6]

Sounds reasonable.

[Spiffy Has]

Providing some scripted method of growth that doesn't require effectively killing two other characters would be ideal.

[Letsplayforfun]

Make that other pcs and it'll spice up Myconid life.

[Spiffy Has]

Being able to eat dying PCs that are subdued would be hilarious and very fun.

[liquidsonic]

Tbh why not let it just be DM spice myconid absorbs. Npcs etc.

[Spiffy Has]

Mainly because I can honestly say that very few DMs are interested in Myconids or even their existence. Those that are are seldom around.

It's not like it's their fault, really- Myconids are frankly catered toward a very small subsection of the EFU playerbase (those who don't mind being alone for hours at a time, wandering around the server, etc...). If I was a DM, I wouldn't want to watch a Myconid go about puffing and harvesting stuff, and to the groups and exciting politics that are going on in Sanctuary atm.

To a degree, they are an even more lonely race than druids, and they got a DM faction.

[Falgrim]

Make that other pcs and it'll spice up Myconid life.

This. Would make the cute cuddly factor, into something much more EFUish.  Course would probably get them KOS, but ..every other monster race is..

[Spiffy Has]

We could also sacrifice lair advancement points for a life stage advancement. 10,000 lair points = one myconid pc.

[Vlaid]

I think this kind of goes against the entire point of the race's unusual advancement. It is what it is.

[OuterSanctum]

Tbh why not let it just be DM spice myconid absorbs. Npcs etc.                   

This makes a fair bit of sense to me.  The race is lonely enough, why make advancement contingent upon perming the few other characters you get to interact with?

[Kotenku]

Let them be capable of absorbing non-myconids but still forbidden by myconid society to do so

[Breakyacheybones]

The reason you have to perma other myconids to advance is to make it impactful, also to make it so hordes of high level myconids can't exist without great sacrifice.
They are an obscenely powerful subrace and their advancement is one of the mitigating factors of such. If you wish to advance so passionately, then try to make bonds with your fellow mushrooms or go awol and just start eating them.

[Talir]

How are you guys completely missing the important part of advancement is the myconids joining together to become something more than the separate parts? One is sacrificing himself and his ambitions to another, entrusting his goals to the second to carry out as a larger individual.

The impact this has on a concept and how other players influence your own is what makes this race unique and interesting. Instead of embracing it, you seem terrified about the prospect because it ends a character. There are very few better ways for a character to end than entrusting someone to carry on their will at death.

As this is a core aspect of the myconid race as we have it, it will not go away. Taking other corpses for advancement also diminishes this aspect.

I put in some additions to the race and the myconid lair to help you out a while ago. If you have suggestions for more that fits with the race, feel free to let us know. For myconid players I would recommend not being afraid of making enemies. Your race is not evil but it is not good either, it is self-centered around the idea of expansion and growth. You want to make the whole Underdark fungal paradise for your colony. This pursuit alone will bring you into conflict with everyone and the style of the race is usually not an aggressive one in engagements. There's lots of potential and I'm happy to reward the good myconid characters who go beyond the norm. We have ways to help you advance in growth as well.

Thanks for the feedback, Dauerschlaf.