Deadmouth Sink
This hazard is a sinkhole of clinging peat, buried roots, and hungry fungus that breathes out choking spores. It does not simply swallow the unwary, it works in stages, first clogging lungs, then tugging feet down, then forcing victims to choose between drowning in mud or fleeing through the spore cloud.
Deadmouth Sink
Defenses
Detection
“A shallow bowl of black water sits hidden beneath reeds and hanging moss. Pale fungus blooms along the banks in a ring like rotten lace, and every now and then a bubble rises with a soft pop that smells faintly of eggs and pennies.”
Standard Engagement
A creature enters the hazard's area, starts its turn there, or disturbs the fungal ring with a heavy impact, fire, or loud digging.
On initiative count 10, if at least one creature is in or adjacent to the hazard's area, the sink exhales spores in a 15-foot radius. Each creature in the area must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. A creature that fails by 5 or more is also slowed by the sucking mud until the end of its next turn, reducing its speed by 10 feet and preventing it from taking the Dash action.
The hazard resets 1 hour after it is not disturbed, as spores settle and the mud slowly heaves back into place. Heavy rain or flooding can reduce the reset time to 10 minutes.
The creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 poison damage and be unable to take reactions until the start of its next turn.
The creature must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone and become restrained by sucking mud. While restrained this way, the creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns.
A creature restrained by the hazard can use an action to make a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to escape. On a success, the creature ends the restrained condition and moves to the nearest safe space adjacent to the hazard.
A creature standing on firm stone, a raised root, or a bridge is not affected by the Sinking Mire effect unless it enters the hazardous ground.
Open flame within the hazard's area is risky. If a creature uses fire to clear the spores, the hazard takes 1d6 fire damage, but any creature within 5 feet of the flames must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 fire damage from the flare-up.
If the hazard is reduced to 0 HP, the sink collapses into inert mud and the spore cloud dissipates for at least 24 hours.
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