Spore Crown Of My'co-Loth (Patreon)

Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement)

A crown of fungal growths sprouting from the upper half of the wearer's face. An unknowable energy oozes from within, malice so virulent it feels tangible within this item's presence. While attuned to this item you cannot be charmed as the fungal roots both protect and warp your mind. You can cause the growth to withdraw or emerge from your head as a bonus action, but if you use a property of this item the growth automatically bursts from your head.

Mycelium Intrusion. A violent invasion of your quarry's mind and body. Once per long rest as an action you can touch an incapacitated creature and attempt to infest their body with fungal parasites. That target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. If the target is unconscious, it automatically fails this saving throw and becomes stabilized. On a failed save the creature's body is infected with a host of white tendrils and is considered Invaded. The creature repeats their saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success. For each failed saving throw, the save DC for the effect increases by 1 (to a maximum of 30) as the tendrils take further root within the target's mind. A creature that is infected in this way for 24 hours can no longer repeat the saving throw to end the effect. The Invaded condition ends if the infected creature takes 25 fire damage from a single source or dies, both of which cause the tendrils to wither and die. The Invaded condition can only be detected by the Detect Poison and Disease spell and requires a DC 20 Medicine check to properly identify the condition and how to cure it. If you die, the condition ends for all creatures infected by you.

Trigger Mycobiota. As an action, you can activate the tendrils of a number of Invaded creatures up to your proficiency modifier within 5 miles of you to hear and see what they do until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses those creatures have. While doing so, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses. You can take control of any such creatures while doing so, as if the targets were under the effects of the Dominate Monster spell. While under your control the creature is not aware of any actions it performs and awakens afterwards with no memory of the time it was taken control of. You can maintain control over a number of creatures up to 1 total hour a day, all at once or in several shorter instances, each creature costing a minimum of 1 minute from the duration each time you use this ability to take control of them. For example, taking control of 2 creatures would require a minimum of 2 minutes taken from the hour, and each creature could be controlled up to 30 minutes total (if control is not released sooner), while 3 creatures could be controlled up to 20 minutes, and so on.

Curse. Once attuned, this item remains attuned to you until you die. While attuned to this item, you cannot willingly damage or eat any fungi or fungi-type creatures. If you do, you take 10d10 psychic damage as the growths crush your brain in anger.

Fungi are mysterious organisms, almost alien by many accepted standards of life. But those that reside on our world may only be the runts of the litter compared to their mighty cousins from beyond the stars. Through mycelium and mystery they invade and consume entire populations, taking hold of the collective consciousness on a planetary scale before their spores drift through the void in search of another hapless world to colonize. You cannot kill it in a way that matters.