Zalmadon (zahl mae dohn)

The Eldritch Armament of Undeath, Fungi, and Hunger, Zalmadon is the antithesis to the Faerie Blade of Undeath and Remembrance, Ulkenari. Unlike the more contemporary weapons or equipment like Thelothorus or Tnomek, Zalmadon is a symbiotic fungus-like growth that starts out as an infection that later turns out to be quite sentient.

Unlike the Faerie Blades, the Eldritch Armaments are made of Entropial, a corrupted form of Ainumitium. This means that if one goes against the will of the Eldritch blade, it can and probably will curse its wielder. Each time that a person goes against the will of Zalmadon, they gain the Fungal Curse (each time the wielder takes a short or long rest, the curse deals 1d4 poison damage that cannot be restored until the curse is removed; if this kills the host, it turns them into a myconid with the wielder's abilities).

Starting when the wielder gains Zalmadon, the wielder gains one level in the Druid class (DM and Player choice. This is meant as a curse, you can either replace a level in one class that the player possesses or they gain an additional level). Once they gain three levels in Druid, the wielder must take the Circle of Spores. Any spell attack that is dealt by Zalmadon while the wielder has their symbiotic entity up deals an additional 1d6 + damage attunement (# of spells or abilities that deal necrotic damage) necrotic damage. 

Additionally, if you kill a creature with a CR less than half your druid level, you can use a bonus action to puppeteer its corpse and cause it to do one of the following things:

1. move half of its movement speed
2. use one of its actions

Each Session the Wielder uses the symbiotic entity feature, they must make a Wisdom saving throw equal to their Save DC. Each time, the line between weapon and wielder becomes more and more narrow, and an Eldritch presence makes itself known. This is called the Eldritch Curse, and cannot be undone while the wielder possesses Zalmadon. Each level of the curse causes the wielder to become more aberrant, eventually causing the wielder to become one with Zalmadon and ultimately become an Eldritch Titan. If you reach level 6, you cannot reverse the curse and Zalmadon begins his ascent as an Eldritch Titan. See the Eldritch Curse Table below:

level	Effect
1	Your alignment shifts towards Lawful Neutral and must roll on the Eldritch Manifestation Table
2	You are able to speak telepathically with Zalmadon. Roll an additional eldritch manifestation. Reroll if you rolled the same one.
3	You begin to feel the line between weapon and wielder wane and you refer to yourself as 'we'. Roll an additional eldritch manifestation.
4	You all are able to command fungal aberrations, fungi, certain plants, and fungal undead to do your bidding, but are also bound to follow fungal aberrations of a higher CR than your level. Roll for an eldritch manifestation.
5	You and Zalmadon have become one, and you no longer go by your previous name. Roll an additional eldritch manifestation.
6	Your creature type is no longer human, and the original you no longer exists. You are Zalmadon, your creature type is Aberration (Fungal tag), and you have begun your ascent to Titan-hood.

1d20	Eldritch Manifestation
1	A masque of bone surrounds your face. You lose the ability to see from your face eyes but gain blindsight equivalent to your normal sight.
2	You gain the False Appearance trait. While you remain motionless, you are indistinguishable from an ordinary growth of fungus.  Also, you learn the Alarm spell, and when you cast it, you create shriekers around its perimeter.
3	Creatures attacked by your spores must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become infected with the Gas Spore Disease, as described below. Spores invade an infected creature’s system, killing the creature in a number of hours equal to 1d12 + the creature’s Constitution score, unless the disease is removed. In half that time, the creature becomes poisoned for the rest of the duration. After the creature dies, it sprouts 2d4 Tiny gas spores that grow to full size in 7 days.
4	You gain the Rapport Spores Ability of the Myconid Sprout, but also gain its sun sickness ability. Rapport Spores (3/Day). A 10-foot radius of spores extends from you. These spores can go around corners and affect only creatures with an Intelligence of 2 or higher that aren’t undead, constructs, or elementals. Affected creatures can communicate telepathically with one another while they are within 30 feet of each other. The effect lasts for 1 hour. Sun Sickness. While in sunlight, the myconid has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. You take 1d4 radiant damage each hour spent in direct sunlight.
5	You gain the Vegepygmy's Regeneration ability. Regeneration. You regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn. If it takes cold, fire, or necrotic damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of your next turn. You die only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and don't regenerate.
6	You gain the Distress Spores and Pacifying Spores of the Myconid Adult. Distress Spores. When you take damage, all other fungal creatures within 240 feet of it can sense its pain. Pacifying Spores (3/Day). You ejects spores at one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
7	You gain the Thorny Body trait of the Thorny Vegepygmy. Thorny Body. At the start of your turn, you deal 2 (1d4) piercing damage to any creature grappling you.
8	You gain the Hallucination Spores of the Myconid Sovereign. Hallucination Spores. You eject spores at one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The poisoned target is incapacitated while it hallucinates. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
9	You gain the Lightning Absorption and Engulf traits of the Shambling Mound. Lightning Absorption. Whenever you are subjected to lightning damage, you take no damage and regains a number of hit points equal to the lightning damage dealt. Engulf. You engulf a Medium or smaller creature grappled by yourself. The engulfed target is blinded, restrained, and unable to breathe, and it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the start of each of the mound’s turns or take 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If you move, the engulfed target moves with it. You can have only one creature engulfed at a time.
10	You gain the Infestation and Mind Control Spores of Zuggtmoy. Infestation Spores (3/Day). You release spores that burst out in a cloud that fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on her, and it lingers for 1 minute. Any creature in the cloud when it appears, or that enters it later, must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, the creature can’t be infected by these spores for 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature is infected with a disease called the spores of Zalmadon, which lasts until the creature is cured of the disease or dies. While infected in this way, the creature can’t be reinfected, and it must repeat the saving throw at the end of every 24 hours, ending the infection on a success. On a failure, the infected creature’s body is slowly taken over by fungal growth, and after three such failed saves, the creature dies and is reanimated as a spore servant if it’s a type of creature that can be (see the “Myconids” section in the Monster Manual). Mind Control Spores (Recharge 5–6). You release spores that burst out in a cloud that fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on you, and it lingers for 1 minute. Humanoids and Beasts in the cloud when it appears, or that enter it later, must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, a creature can’t be infected by these spores for 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature is infected with a disease called the influence of Zalmadon for 24 hours. While infected in this way, the creature is charmed by you and can’t be reinfected by these spores.
11	1d10 Shards of dimensional doorways connected to the Far Realm surround your head or body. You cast Summon Aberration once per long rest. You can also command the shards to slice your opponents, dealing 1d10 + your Intelligence modifier absolute damage (this damage cannot be blocked by magical means).
12	1d4 of your limbs become bifurcated (DM's choice which it is). If one or both arms become this way, you are able to hold more and have advantage on strength checks with your arms. If one or both legs become this way, you have an increased climbing speed of 30 ft and a decrease of 10 ft with normal walking. This decrease goes away at the end of 1 session.
13	You gain one ability from an aberration, fungal plant, or undead you have slain in the past.
14	You gain a second head. It possesses all the manifestations that pertain to your head. You gain a +1 to Intelligence and Wisdom, but also possess a split will. You have the Dual Consciousness feature of the Dolgrim.
15	You gain 1d4 psuedopods and one more action due to their presence. You gain the ability to use these psuedopods as an attack. (1d4+STG, target is restrained if large or smaller, and you can't use the psuedopods on another target. If this attack is a critical hit, the target also can’t breathe or speak until the grapple ends.)
16	Your skin becomes covered in slime and you have advantage when trying to get into and out of narrow spaces, and you gross out anyone who tries to grapple you.
17	You gain 1d100 inches in height, which causes your proportions to become spindly and twisted.
18	Your skin becomes chitinous and increases your natural AC by +2.
19	Your eldritch manifestations begin to change your mind. As such, if your intelligence is 14 or lower, you gain the Gibbering ability of the Gibbering mouther. If your intelligence is 15 or above, you gain the Devour Intellect ability of the Intellect Devourer
20	You can no longer gain sustenance from food or rations, and you gain the Life Drain action of the Wraith. When you use it, you receive sustenance from the being and gain temporary hit points equal to its hit point reduction. Whenever you use this ability, if you kill the target with it, it creates an Eldritch Scion that is friendly to you and a 15 ft area around the creature becomes warped (your choice) and devoid of normal life (any living entities become warped if they are rooted into the ground). You can kill the scion to gain sustenance for 1 week.

Item type

Unique Artifact