DCC Bestiary - Whitecap

I need a replacement for mind flayers.

The concept of an utterly alien creature with psychic powers than can turn someone into a mindless thrall until their brain is consumed is a powerful staple of D&D .... But in my DCC campaign world where orcs and trolls are replaced with grues and boggards, I really can't plop in mind flayers... It would be jarring to my players and my game where weird is expected over standard Monster Manual fare.

So after thinking about it, what about a fungal hive entity that infects victims, that then suffer the body horror of slow mutation, loss of self as the brain is consumed, and absorbsion into the fungal collective?  Like a mushroom Borg, or a zombie infection?  It's not an alien, tentacled humanoid slurping through holes in the skull, but it's more insidious and terrifying (I hope).

Here's my attempt at my mindflayer replacement -- a terrible fungus infection that creates thralls that can infect others -- and once absorbed, are part of a collective intelligence.  I may come up with fungoid boss monsters but this seems like a good start. Thoughts?  Ideas?  Drop me a note at archadethered@gmail.com. 

Whitecap

    Possessed by a subterranean fungal organism known as the Paracytomite, victims infected by its spores have their brains consumed and slowly become walking fungal thralls that will in turn infect others, growing the collective intelligence and physical reach of the spore creature.  Whitecaps are the physical minions of the Paracytomite, becoming stronger, smarter, and more skilled the more creatures it absorbs.

     Victims still retain all their original memories, and some vestigial skills of their former selves, begging their friends not to harm them.

     Whitecap: Init -1; Atk clublike hands +2 melee (1d6); AC 12; HD 3d6 (11 hp); MV 25’; Act 1d20; SP collective intelligence, death throes, infravision 60’, spore infection; SV Fort +3 Ref +0, Will +1; AL N; Crit U/d10.

     Any Whitecap can silently communicate telepathically with any other Whitecap within 200’.  The overall collective intelligence seeks to infect others, and expand it's sphere of influence.

     Any creature struck by a Whitecap has a chance of becoming infected – make a DC 6 Fortitude save or gain the Paracytomite Infection.

     If slain, a Whitecap explodes in a burst of spores, all creatures adjacent must make a DC 10 Fortitude save or gain the Paracytomite Infection.

 

Paracytomite Infection

    All creatures that have failed their saving throw against the Paracytomite spores is infected and immediately takes 1d3 points of Intelligence damage, as they are affected by a pounding headache as the spores start consuming their brain matter.  At night they are plagued with the whispers of the collective intelligence calling to them.  Each day they after they suffer another 1d3 Intelligence damage, and once reduced to 0 Intelligence, they become Whitecap thralls.  Once infected, a character can only be saved by a Lay on Hands effect of 3 dice or more, or the effects can be fought through a Restore Vitality effect.