Realms of Chaos
2013-03-22, 12:08 AM
I suffer from arachnophobia. I can not abide the presence of spiders, scorpions, or similar creatures and even thinking about them kind of makes me bug out. For this reason, I was quite surprised when I was going through old files and I found notes on... the below. From what I remember, my two goals with this monster was A) to create a convincing recurring and potentially apocalyptic verminous foe (even if I kind of cheated by giving it a hive mind) and B) to give myself nightmares. So... yeah. Here you go.
Dread Spider Swarm CR 10
XP 9,600
CE Fine Vermin (Swarm)
Init +12; Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Tremorsense 60 ft.
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DEFENSE
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AC 27, Touch 27, Flat-Footed 18 (+8 Dex, +8 size, +1 dodge)
hp: 105 ( 14d8+42); fast healing 2
Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +4
Defensive Abilities swarm traits, growing threat; Immune mind-affecting effects, weapon damage; Resist Fire 10
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OFFENSE
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Speed 40 ft., Climb 30 ft., Swim 20 ft.
Melee swarm (5d6 plus distraction and poison and implant eggs)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks Clinging Menace, Devour, Distraction (DC 22), Dispatch, Disperse, Implant Eggs
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STATISTICS
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Str 1, Dex 26, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6
Base Atk +10; CMB +10; CMD 5 (can’t be tripped)
Feats: Ability Focus (Poison), Ability Focus (Distraction), Improved Initiative, Dodge, Darkstalker, Skill Focus (Stealth), Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Climb +16, Perception +24, Stealth +30, Swim +16; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception; uses Dexterity for Climb and Swim checks
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Ecology
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Environment Urban or Underground
Organization Solitary, Flood (2-4 swarms), or Ocean (5-8 swarms)
Treasure none
A single dread spider looks like a newborn spider of most other species, though it scurries about the ground with far more speed and purpose than other spiders. In large groups, dread spiders can wash across the ground in gigantic hordes like waves of some horrible crawling sea, moving as if with some dark intellect behind their glassy eyes.
Horrible creatures with unknown origins, dread spiders are known for the speed at which they multiply, the towns they’ve empties of all other life, and a dark hivemind that seems to guide them in groups. Though some families have claimed to have created the menace, they appear to all investigation to be completely natural creatures, if unusually canny in large groups. Individually, dread spiders are about as dangerous as black widows, though they have proven themselves to be faster, fire resistant, capable of jumping and swimming, and small enough to fit into all but the most sealed of spaces. Tales of swarms spontaneously congregating for singular kills before dispersing or detaching singular spiders to act as spies abound in communities where dread spiders have been seen, stories all the scarier for they may well be correct. Dread spiders, for all of their apparent intellect, don’t seem to know any languages.
Combat: Dread spider swarms are often smart enough to time their attacks when targets are especially vulnerable and frequently dispatch parts of themselves to either test enemies or distract them from the rest as it gathers behind their prey. Though they don’t think far enough ahead to bargain with foes or to willingly let them go if it can eat them instead, dread spider swarms will disperse if in danger. With their fast pace of their reproduction, only a few dread spiders need to escape to their nest in order for the swarm to recover completely in time. A dread spider swarm deals 5d6 damage to any creature whose space it occupies at the end of its move.
Burrowing Menace: In the midst of a fight against a swarm dread spiders, it is almost impossible to escape from them. Whenever a creature sharing at least one square with the swarm uses a teleportation effect, the swarm may choose to have any or all of the overlapping squares of the swarm teleport with the target (as the dispatch ability, below) as the spiders cling tightly to the target’s skin and clothing. If using this ability would split the remaining swarm into two or more non-continuous group, their current and maximum hit points are divided as if by its dispatch ability.
Far more disturbing, dread spiders sometimes choose to catch a ride on unwary creatures to help them pass obstacles or magical wards, subtly biting and burrowing their way into the skin of their target and remaining motionless until it is time to strike. A singular dread spider may burrow into a tiny or larger corporeal target, as may a full square of a swarm instead of harming the target with its swarm ability. This ability provides no saving throw to resist, though it may only be performed on flat-footed opponents and others may notice the infestation with an opposed Spot check made against the hide check of the Dread spiders. Similarly, magical effects only detect them if the caster succeeds on a caster level check against the hide check of the spiders. Any attempt to harm burrowed spiders deals half damage to the host, though the spiders break free the next time they deal swarm damage or move and they cannot use their regroup ability while burrowing.
Devour: With 10 minutes of work, a swarm of dread spiders can completely clear out a dead body, leaving only a cracked and dry fleshy husk that shatters with pressure with a clean skeleton within. Such a target can only be restored from the dead with a resurrection, true resurrection, miracle, or wish spell or effect.
Dispatch: As part of a move action, a swarm of dread spiders may separate any number of 5 foot squares of its own space from the mass, essentially splitting into multiple groups that continue sharing the same hive mind. When a group detaches, its current and maximum hit points each decrease by one-fourth for each square that detaches, with the newly detached group gaining these values. Alternately, the swarm may detach a single spider from its mass to act as a spy linked to the rest of the swarm, costing no hit points and remaining part of the same hivemind, though no more than one spy per HD may be out at any given time. The stats for the spies are listed below:
Lone Dread Spider
Dread Spider: Fine vermin, 1 hp, always acts last in initiative, speed 40 ft., Climb 30 ft, Swim 10 ft., AC 26 (+8 size, +8 Dex), Touch 26, Flat-footed 18; BAB --/Grp --; Attack --; Space/Reach: 0 ft./0 ft.; Special Atk: Clinging Menace; Special Qual: Darkvision 60 ft., Growing Threat, Hivemind, Immunity to Fire, Tremorsense 30 ft., Vermin Traits; Fort +0, Ref +8, Will +0, Ab Str 1, Dex 26, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6; Skills: Climb +3, Hide +40*, Listen +16*, Move Silently +30*, Spot +16*, Swim +3, Feats Darkstalker; CR –
*Individual dread spiders, free from the swarm, gain a +16 bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks.
Disperse: Beyond simply separating itself into multiple groups, a dread spider swarm knows how to purposefully conceal itself or make the swarm look smaller, having most of its numbers hidden while those that remain scatter out. As a standard action, any number of squares in a dread spider swarm can either disperse or surge forth once more. Spot and Listen checks made to find spiders in squares where they have dispersed take a -16 penalty. Furthermore, against any form of attack only targeting squares of dispersed swarm, the spiders gain a +6 bonus to AC and Reflex saves along with improved evasion. In exchange for these benefits, however, dispersed squares lose all special attacks other than clinging menace as well as their swarm attack.
Growing Threat: A dispersed or incomplete swarm of dread spiders rarely remain so for long as the spiders breed at simply horrific speeds in nearly anything they can reach. Each week that a dread spider swarm possesses fewer than four squares of spiders, a single square of the swarm is restored and it regains one fourth of its maximum hit points. Similarly, whenever a swarm of dread spiders is slain, 1d20 Lone Dread Spiders (as detailed above) per 5-foot square survive and unless they are all slain, a 5-foot square of dread spider swarm is established 1 week later. Finally, if a dread spider swarm remains at full size, it may creature a one-square swarm (with one fourth of its maximum hit points) every month, each of which grows into a full-sized swarm in its own right.
Implant Eggs: Whenever a creature takes swarm damage from a dread spider swarm, some of them manage to plant their eggs deep in the tissue of their target, causing them to crack out later, possibly multiplying into an entirely new swarm. 1d6+1 days after taking damage in this way, the spiders break out of the target (when sleeping if possible), dealing 1d6 points of damage and producing an equal amount lone dread spiders, capable of establishing a new swarm within 1d4 weeks through growing threat unless they are all slain. A Remove Disease effect slays all dread spider eggs in a target.
Poison (Ex): Swarm—injury; save Fort DC 22; frequency 1/round for 10 rounds; effect 1d2 Strength damage and 1d2 Wisdom damage; cure 2 saves. The save DC is Constitution-based. The poisons inflicted in this way causes hallucinations and doublevision, often making the spiders seem to rapidly multiply in numbers even further to take up most of a victim’s vision. Until the poison is cured, all attacks against the swarm take a 20% miss chance.
I'm not quite certain why I went with pathfinder formatting for this monster (it's the first time I've ever even tried it) so let me know if I've made any mistakes. Just letting you know that I have no plans on changing it from being a vermin with an intelligence score, however.
Dread Spider Swarm CR 10
XP 9,600
CE Fine Vermin (Swarm)
Init +12; Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Tremorsense 60 ft.
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DEFENSE
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AC 27, Touch 27, Flat-Footed 18 (+8 Dex, +8 size, +1 dodge)
hp: 105 ( 14d8+42); fast healing 2
Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +4
Defensive Abilities swarm traits, growing threat; Immune mind-affecting effects, weapon damage; Resist Fire 10
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OFFENSE
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Speed 40 ft., Climb 30 ft., Swim 20 ft.
Melee swarm (5d6 plus distraction and poison and implant eggs)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks Clinging Menace, Devour, Distraction (DC 22), Dispatch, Disperse, Implant Eggs
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STATISTICS
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Str 1, Dex 26, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6
Base Atk +10; CMB +10; CMD 5 (can’t be tripped)
Feats: Ability Focus (Poison), Ability Focus (Distraction), Improved Initiative, Dodge, Darkstalker, Skill Focus (Stealth), Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Climb +16, Perception +24, Stealth +30, Swim +16; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception; uses Dexterity for Climb and Swim checks
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Ecology
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Environment Urban or Underground
Organization Solitary, Flood (2-4 swarms), or Ocean (5-8 swarms)
Treasure none
A single dread spider looks like a newborn spider of most other species, though it scurries about the ground with far more speed and purpose than other spiders. In large groups, dread spiders can wash across the ground in gigantic hordes like waves of some horrible crawling sea, moving as if with some dark intellect behind their glassy eyes.
Horrible creatures with unknown origins, dread spiders are known for the speed at which they multiply, the towns they’ve empties of all other life, and a dark hivemind that seems to guide them in groups. Though some families have claimed to have created the menace, they appear to all investigation to be completely natural creatures, if unusually canny in large groups. Individually, dread spiders are about as dangerous as black widows, though they have proven themselves to be faster, fire resistant, capable of jumping and swimming, and small enough to fit into all but the most sealed of spaces. Tales of swarms spontaneously congregating for singular kills before dispersing or detaching singular spiders to act as spies abound in communities where dread spiders have been seen, stories all the scarier for they may well be correct. Dread spiders, for all of their apparent intellect, don’t seem to know any languages.
Combat: Dread spider swarms are often smart enough to time their attacks when targets are especially vulnerable and frequently dispatch parts of themselves to either test enemies or distract them from the rest as it gathers behind their prey. Though they don’t think far enough ahead to bargain with foes or to willingly let them go if it can eat them instead, dread spider swarms will disperse if in danger. With their fast pace of their reproduction, only a few dread spiders need to escape to their nest in order for the swarm to recover completely in time. A dread spider swarm deals 5d6 damage to any creature whose space it occupies at the end of its move.
Burrowing Menace: In the midst of a fight against a swarm dread spiders, it is almost impossible to escape from them. Whenever a creature sharing at least one square with the swarm uses a teleportation effect, the swarm may choose to have any or all of the overlapping squares of the swarm teleport with the target (as the dispatch ability, below) as the spiders cling tightly to the target’s skin and clothing. If using this ability would split the remaining swarm into two or more non-continuous group, their current and maximum hit points are divided as if by its dispatch ability.
Far more disturbing, dread spiders sometimes choose to catch a ride on unwary creatures to help them pass obstacles or magical wards, subtly biting and burrowing their way into the skin of their target and remaining motionless until it is time to strike. A singular dread spider may burrow into a tiny or larger corporeal target, as may a full square of a swarm instead of harming the target with its swarm ability. This ability provides no saving throw to resist, though it may only be performed on flat-footed opponents and others may notice the infestation with an opposed Spot check made against the hide check of the Dread spiders. Similarly, magical effects only detect them if the caster succeeds on a caster level check against the hide check of the spiders. Any attempt to harm burrowed spiders deals half damage to the host, though the spiders break free the next time they deal swarm damage or move and they cannot use their regroup ability while burrowing.
Devour: With 10 minutes of work, a swarm of dread spiders can completely clear out a dead body, leaving only a cracked and dry fleshy husk that shatters with pressure with a clean skeleton within. Such a target can only be restored from the dead with a resurrection, true resurrection, miracle, or wish spell or effect.
Dispatch: As part of a move action, a swarm of dread spiders may separate any number of 5 foot squares of its own space from the mass, essentially splitting into multiple groups that continue sharing the same hive mind. When a group detaches, its current and maximum hit points each decrease by one-fourth for each square that detaches, with the newly detached group gaining these values. Alternately, the swarm may detach a single spider from its mass to act as a spy linked to the rest of the swarm, costing no hit points and remaining part of the same hivemind, though no more than one spy per HD may be out at any given time. The stats for the spies are listed below:
Lone Dread Spider
Dread Spider: Fine vermin, 1 hp, always acts last in initiative, speed 40 ft., Climb 30 ft, Swim 10 ft., AC 26 (+8 size, +8 Dex), Touch 26, Flat-footed 18; BAB --/Grp --; Attack --; Space/Reach: 0 ft./0 ft.; Special Atk: Clinging Menace; Special Qual: Darkvision 60 ft., Growing Threat, Hivemind, Immunity to Fire, Tremorsense 30 ft., Vermin Traits; Fort +0, Ref +8, Will +0, Ab Str 1, Dex 26, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6; Skills: Climb +3, Hide +40*, Listen +16*, Move Silently +30*, Spot +16*, Swim +3, Feats Darkstalker; CR –
*Individual dread spiders, free from the swarm, gain a +16 bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks.
Disperse: Beyond simply separating itself into multiple groups, a dread spider swarm knows how to purposefully conceal itself or make the swarm look smaller, having most of its numbers hidden while those that remain scatter out. As a standard action, any number of squares in a dread spider swarm can either disperse or surge forth once more. Spot and Listen checks made to find spiders in squares where they have dispersed take a -16 penalty. Furthermore, against any form of attack only targeting squares of dispersed swarm, the spiders gain a +6 bonus to AC and Reflex saves along with improved evasion. In exchange for these benefits, however, dispersed squares lose all special attacks other than clinging menace as well as their swarm attack.
Growing Threat: A dispersed or incomplete swarm of dread spiders rarely remain so for long as the spiders breed at simply horrific speeds in nearly anything they can reach. Each week that a dread spider swarm possesses fewer than four squares of spiders, a single square of the swarm is restored and it regains one fourth of its maximum hit points. Similarly, whenever a swarm of dread spiders is slain, 1d20 Lone Dread Spiders (as detailed above) per 5-foot square survive and unless they are all slain, a 5-foot square of dread spider swarm is established 1 week later. Finally, if a dread spider swarm remains at full size, it may creature a one-square swarm (with one fourth of its maximum hit points) every month, each of which grows into a full-sized swarm in its own right.
Implant Eggs: Whenever a creature takes swarm damage from a dread spider swarm, some of them manage to plant their eggs deep in the tissue of their target, causing them to crack out later, possibly multiplying into an entirely new swarm. 1d6+1 days after taking damage in this way, the spiders break out of the target (when sleeping if possible), dealing 1d6 points of damage and producing an equal amount lone dread spiders, capable of establishing a new swarm within 1d4 weeks through growing threat unless they are all slain. A Remove Disease effect slays all dread spider eggs in a target.
Poison (Ex): Swarm—injury; save Fort DC 22; frequency 1/round for 10 rounds; effect 1d2 Strength damage and 1d2 Wisdom damage; cure 2 saves. The save DC is Constitution-based. The poisons inflicted in this way causes hallucinations and doublevision, often making the spiders seem to rapidly multiply in numbers even further to take up most of a victim’s vision. Until the poison is cured, all attacks against the swarm take a 20% miss chance.
I'm not quite certain why I went with pathfinder formatting for this monster (it's the first time I've ever even tried it) so let me know if I've made any mistakes. Just letting you know that I have no plans on changing it from being a vermin with an intelligence score, however.