Seed of Moander

This spell was developed by priests of Moander centuries ago as a method of enslaving sentient beings to the will of Moander. The spell itself results in the creation of a seed of Moander, which can then transform a victim into a servant of Moander.

To create a seed of Moander, a priest wraps an emerald fragment in a ball of rotting plant material. The resulting spherical proto-seed is soaked in unholy water for 24 hours and then cursed (the reverse of the bless spell) in the name of Moander. The priest then casts seed of Moander while touching the proto-seed, transforming the sphere into a green, spine-covered burr about the size and shape of a horse chestnut burr. The seed is sticky, and the spines end in tiny hooks.

A seed of Moander attaches itself to the skin of any living, sentient creature it comes into contact with who is not already a Minion of Moander. The seed bursts on the round following its attachment and releases a 3-foot-diameter cloud of spores. Seeds may be thrown (range is 10/20/30); however, they do not break open unless they strike living beings. (Treat such seeds that miss their targets as grenadelike missiles and consult the Scatter Diagram in the DMG for where they land.) Any living, sentient creature within the area of effect of the spores (who is not already a Minion of Moander) must make a saving throw vs. spell. If it fails the saving throw, the spores are inhaled and begin transforming the host. If it succeeds, the spores are not inhaled, and the transformational effects of the seed of Moander are negated. Unburst seeds of Moander burst when they contact living flesh. They are destroyed by being drenched in holy water and blessed (as the spell).

If a victim is not treated, the spores grow, making the creature into a puppet of Moander (one of Moander's mind-controlled servants) in 4d4 days and also turning his or her entrails into a festering mass of rotting, mold-encrusted tendrils that eventually (in 5d6+30 days, unless delayed by the application of slow rot spells) reduce their host to a dried-out husk, killing him or her. Externally the host appears unchanged until death except for the faint odor of pollen and a small flowered vine wrapped around one ear. A victim who shares body fluids with another creature—as little as a kiss is sufficient—can transfer the spores of a seed of Moander to that creature, spreading the Darkbringer's influence. (The potential new host receive a saving throw vs. spell at a +2 bonus for each instance of exposure to avoid infestation.)

Only if Moander is completely absent from the Realms (in other words, all of the god's avatars and manifestations in the Realms have been destroyed) is the original host able to express its free will after it would have normally become a mind-controlled being. However, without the stabilizing effect of Moander's power, the body decays at an accelerated rate once the initial 4d4-day period is passed and becomes a rotting mass of plant material in a tenday.

If a victim infested with the spores of a seed of Moander drinks holy water within 1 hour of the spores affecting it, the spores dissolve and the victim is cured. If holy water is drunk within 2 days of the spores' entry, their growth is slowed to half rate (in other words, the possession and rotting take twice as long). A cure disease or heal spell used within 30 days of initial corruption by the spores stops the possession and the corruption process, allowing the victim to live and slowly heal inwardly. Cold magic that deals the infested body more than 20 points of damage also slays the spores' growth, allowing the victim to slowly recover. Typically, victims cured by cure disease, heal, or cold damage who do not receive a (second) heal, a restoration, or a regeneration spell have their Strength and Constitution reduced to half for 20+1d12 days. At the end of that time, they slip into a coma, lose 4d4 hit points, and a day later, if they survived the damage, awaken fully cured.

A newly created puppet of Moander retains all of its previous abilities and skills, but all of its thoughts are known to Moander, and it is under the complete control of the Rotting God. In addition, the newly created minion can sprout one or two 10-foot-long tentacles at will from any orifice or directly through its skin. Each tendril (AC 2; 12 hp each; 2d8 points of bludgeoning/ constricting damage per successful attack) can attack once per round until destroyed. If a tendril is destroyed, the minion can sprout another tentacle the following round. If both tendrils hit a small or man-size creature in the same round, the victim is entangled (as the spell of that name) until she or he is released or escapes.

The material components of this spell are an emerald fragment (base value 100 gp) and Moander's holy symbol.