Are you ready for a fungal feast?

Rise of the Mushroom King is a 72-page system-agnostic adventure by Cawood Publishing, crafted to be used in any fantasy TTRPG with minor adjustments. Originally funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign, it is designed for a party of 4-6 players and features 3 tiers of difficulty (low, medium, and high) for a seamless drop into an ongoing campaign.

Disclaimer: We were provided with a free digital copy of this product.

The scenario

Set in the World of Myrr, the adventure begins in the city of Rogan’s Gate, which is now under a fungal madness. As toxic spores spread through the air and mutate citizens, a monster hunter recruits the party to investigate the source of the infection and stop it before it is too late. The journey continues to the catacombs, a section that feels like a dungeon crawl mixed with fungal aesthetics. The adventurers face an evil guild that took advantage of the situation, and as they dive deeper, they discover something far more dangerous than anyone would imagine. The story escalates to the Underworld, where the Mushroom King rests. A tragic backstory, combined with a powerful aberration, the Undervoid (From the authors’ Monsters of the Underworld series), shaped a mushroomish nightmare that poses an existential threat. Depending on the level, the tasks vary from closing the gate, defeating the Mushroom King, and even confronting the Undervoid, giving off a sense of escalation while managing to test even veteran players. The story is well written, and each act of the adventure is vividly described, making it easy to bring every encounter to life and fully immerse the players in this spore-stricken world.

Encounters

Now let’s move on to the encounters section. Each encounter is designed spore by spore following the scenario’s theme, with enough weirdness and danger to keep everyone entertained. The city feels alive and not cosy at all as you are greeted by mutated townsfolk in the Market District. The blacksmith’s shop is called Nailed It, and a nice surprise awaits inside. Another highlight is the alchemist’s shop, Strange Brew – these clever names serve as an extra touch of charm to the grim setting. And don’t forget about area 21 in the Catacombs of the Endless Night below the surface. Here, a spore cloud awaits to infect anyone who dares to enter the room. One does not simply enter area21. Finally, the Underworld with fungal life blooming freely, covering every surface. Tickling monsters hide in the darkness, testing your perception skills and building towards the final battle, meaning that each encounter will not just challenge your players, but reshape them. Each encounter is presented with its own scalable adaptation, a level of detail you don’t generally see.

Layout & Art

The layout is neatly organised and everything has its place, so running the adventure requires minimal prep. Each area is clearly labelled and described in great detail, with logical encounters. The use of boxed text in every room is a welcome aid for the GM, adding flavour and setting the scene while leaving room for creativity and personal touches. Although this is a 72-page adventure, the navigation is smooth, with each section naturally following the party’s progression. The maps are detailed and clean.
Darkvision means that you don’t see colours, and the art follows that perspective. The black and white illustrations capture the tone of the setting and complement the text, rather than cluttering it. This approach feels truly intentional, enhancing the gloomy atmosphere and giving off an immersive feel.

Extras

After the epilogue, you will discover a generous amount of new monsters, spells and magic items to extend the adventure and sprinkle your personal spores in other adventures too. A rumour table is also present to add more colour to the story, offering extra hooks to satisfy the party’s curiosity. There are also tools for flexible adjustments, like tables for monsters and encounters for each tier of the adventure, and handy tables for conversion to other systems. The dark spores effects table is a standout, adding a humorous tone to the mycotic chaos with serious but also strange effects like the one I’m quoting:

You dream of dancing pink mushrooms for a month.

Final Thoughts

If you are a fan of apocalyptic stories but prefer to adjust to your own ideas in a sandbox way, then Rise of the Mushroom King has shroom for that. Balancing structure with flexibility, the thoughtful design makes it easy to run in any setting, while the campaign grows on the go, shaped by the players’ choices, like in the real world. As you probably guessed by my positive review, it absolutely earns the #NicoleRecommends hashtag, and I can’t wait for the hardcover version. Can your party stop the mycological apocalypse?

Stay crafty and treat that cough before it changes you forever.
Your new favourite author.

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