Dungeons & Dragons Just Introduced a Singing Mushroom as a Monster

Dungeons & Dragons will soon encounter their most terrifying monster yet – a singing mushroom. Later this month, Wizards of the Coast is set to release The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, a new full-length Dungeons & Dragons campaign set in the Feywild. Several websites are releasing previews of The Wild Beyond the Witchlight ahead of its release, one of which has revealed the return of a “classic” monster. Kotaku revealed that the campestri, an actual singing mushroom, is returning to D&D for the first time since Second Edition. The updated version of the campestris are described as “happy-go-lucky mushroom-like creatures with few cares and worries.” The campestris are captivated by music and will actually sing along with anyone who plays music in their vicinity, albeit in an “obnoxiously nasal falsetto.” In fact, a campestri can memorize any music it has heard after only a few rounds of practicing it. Campestris also provide some usefulness to their biome, as they consume salty soil and purify it as they move around. 

To be fair, the campestri has not changed much from their original appearance in the Monstrous Manual back in 1993. In there, they were described as having a collective degree of semi-intelligence, and were able to release a cloud of spores that affected victims similar to the slow spell. It’s unclear whether the 5E campestri share this ability, or what challenge rating a hostile campestri might have. 

For the record, campestris are named for the Agaricus campestris, better known as the meadow mushroom. It’s a common mushroom found in the British isles.

The campestri will be just one of the many new creatures and threats explored in The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, which is the first D&D 5E product set in the Feywild. The upcoming campaign will introduce the concept of “Domains of Delight,” to D&D lore, presenting them as a whimsical mirror to the Domains of Dread seen in Ravenloft. 

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight is one of three D&D products coming out over the next three months. Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons will add a plethora of new dragon-themed lore and monsters to Fifth Edition, while Strixhaven – A Cirriculum of Chaos will introduce the Magic: The Gathering setting of Strixhaven as a playable D&D setting. 

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight will be released on September 21st.