3rd Ed Spider dude [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Monarch Dodora

2014-10-11, 08:15 AM

Play an Aranea. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/aranea.htm) They're like spider-lycanthropes without the lycanthrope part. Savage Species has a monster class advancement for them if you need to start at level 1, along with a bunch of feats to increase its web abilities. Sorcerer levels stack with its innate sorcerer powers, too, so you could advance in sorcerer and choose spider-ish spells like web, summon swarm etc.

Snowbluff

2014-10-11, 08:26 AM

I've considered it. However, the LA hurts really bad.

Red Fel

2014-10-11, 08:34 AM

Okay. Let's do this.

Play a Lolth-Touched Drow, because spider queen. Druid, because wild shape. Take the Child of Winter, Vermin Shape, and Vermin Companion feats. Master of Flies PrC. Arachne PrC up to 5.

You're now a spider-touched spider-worshipper who turns into a spider or a swarm of spiders, is accompanied by a spider and can summon more spiders, while riding a spider.

Snowbluff

2014-10-11, 09:41 AM

Why would I take vermin shape then ditch my wildshape for another class? :smallconfused:

Venger

2014-10-11, 09:44 AM

Ooh. That's pretty damn spidery.

Vermin Wildshape is a feat, right? And there is a vest that does likewise. Any good spider forms of note?

Vermin wild shape is epic. what you want is eberron campaign setting's "vermin shape." beware, it stops you from wild shaping into animals.

I don't know what spider vest you're referring to. the MiC spider items don't let you turn into spiders, neither do the dotu items.

as far as shapes go, there are almost no vermin that are not swarms aside from monstrous scorpion/spider/centipede.

that said, there are a few standouts:

mm2: leechwalker (not spidery, but close)
fiend folio: bonespear
mm3: chelicera (this is a spider), knell beetle (close enough), siege crab
stormwrack: monstrous crab (useful for doing water stuff, and you can just fluff it as japanese spider crabs, which look like spiders)

ShurikVch

2014-10-11, 09:46 AM

Drider Template (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20011118a)
Entomanothrope (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20040621a) LA as Lycanthrope
Insectile Creature (Savage Species) LA +2
Arachnoid (Underdark)

Hairy Spider - as familiar, but also have LA +0

{Scrubbed links to copyright infringing sites}

Troacctid

2014-10-11, 11:26 AM

Warlocks get spider climb and summon swarm at will in their first two levels, and they can morph into a spider at 6th level and take a monstrous spider (imp) familiar at 7th.

Snowbluff

2014-10-11, 11:38 AM

Vermin wild shape is epic. what you want is eberron campaign setting's "vermin shape." beware, it stops you from wild shaping into animals.

I don't know what spider vest you're referring to. the MiC spider items don't let you turn into spiders, neither do the dotu items.

Vestment of Verminshape.

Extra Anchovies

2014-10-11, 12:01 PM

Warlocks get spider climb and summon swarm at will in their first two levels, and they can morph into a spider at 6th level and take a monstrous spider (imp) familiar at 7th.

For bonus points, they also have the Crawling Eye invocation, which lets one of their eyes act like a spider and scout ahead for them!

What invocation of theirs lets them turn into a spider?

Troacctid

2014-10-11, 12:04 PM

For bonus points, they also have the Crawling Eye invocation, which lets one of their eyes act like a spider and scout ahead for them!

What invocation of theirs lets them turn into a spider?

It's the one from Drow of the Underdark. I forget the name. You can turn into different sized monstrous spiders based on your Warlock level, eventually all the way up to gargantuan IIRC.

Sartharina

2014-10-11, 12:07 PM

How do you give up your ability to escape bathtubs?

ShurikVch

2014-10-11, 12:08 PM

Warlocks get spider climb and summon swarm at will in their first two levels, and they can morph into a spider at 6th level and take a monstrous spider (imp) familiar at 7th.
Summon Swarm is meh :smalltongue: "duration of concentration..."
Sudden Swarm. on the other hand, is cool, but only from 6th level...

What invocation of theirs lets them turn into a spider? Spider-Shape, Lesser invocation, Drow of the Underdark

Extra Anchovies

2014-10-11, 12:34 PM

How do you give up your ability to escape bathtubs?

I think there's a flaw for that.

Also, IIRC, spiders can't rhyme on purpose or dress themselves. So trade them away for feats! There's plenty of room for flaws without breaking fluff.

Venger

2014-10-11, 12:36 PM

I think there's a flaw for that.

Also, IIRC, spiders can't rhyme on purpose or dress themselves. So trade them away for feats! There's plenty of room for flaws without breaking fluff.

trade away the ability to speak for +6 to hit.

Extra Anchovies

2014-10-11, 12:46 PM

trade away the ability to speak for +6 to hit.

+6? We can do better. Play as a Hairy Spider (LA +0, as per the Monsters of Faerûn update), for that wonderful, wonderful +8 size modifier. Works pretty darn well with a ranged Warlock.

Troacctid

2014-10-11, 12:50 PM

Summon Swarm is meh :smalltongue: "duration of concentration..."

Means the swarms never turn around and attack your allies. It's a feature, not a bug! Well, it's four contiguous 5'x5' squares' worth of bugs, but you get the point.

Extra Anchovies

2014-10-11, 12:53 PM

Means the swarms never turn around and attack your allies. It's a feature, not a bug! Well, it's four contiguous 5'x5' squares' worth of bugs, but you get the point.

It's also four contiguous 5'x5' squares of juicy battlefield control. Rather good for slowing pursuers; you can still move while concentrating, and the pursuers might have second thoughts about chasing you through a swarm of bats, plus it blocks line of sight (since they're flying).

Also, your pun made me smile. Thank you.

Venger

2014-10-11, 01:21 PM

+6? We can do better. Play as a Hairy Spider (LA +0, as per the Monsters of Faerûn update), for that wonderful, wonderful +8 size modifier. Works pretty darn well with a ranged Warlock.

you were referencing stuff minmax had in the now-derelict "goblins!," so I thought I'd follow up by mentioning the bit during the magic teapot dungeon thing, one of the other minmaxes, the one accompanied by zombie-face forgath, had traded away his ability to speak for +6 to hit, because he is horrible at optimization.

hairy spider, of course, beats him hands (or legs) down

Extra Anchovies

2014-10-11, 01:52 PM

you were referencing stuff minmax had in the now-derelict "goblins!," so I thought I'd follow up by mentioning the bit during the magic teapot dungeon thing, one of the other minmaxes, the one accompanied by zombie-face forgath, had traded away his ability to speak for +6 to hit, because he is horrible at optimization.

hairy spider, of course, beats him hands (or legs) down

I'll admit, I haven't actually read much of that comic; I just knew of the various flaws Minmax had taken because they're referenced here fairly often. Trading away speech for bonuses to hit is basically what the Hairy Spider is; after all, Intelligence is a non-ability for them.

Inevitability

2014-10-11, 01:57 PM

you were referencing stuff minmax had in the now-derelict "goblins"!

Minor nitpick: Goblins is back. Thunt posted a new comic (or at least, a rough sketch) a few days ago.

And on-topic, add Symbiotic Spider swarm. You are gaining immunity to weapon damage and a lot of spells, although you'll be forced to have low mental stats (then again, how many spiders got famous for their incredible brains?).

Venger

2014-10-11, 01:57 PM

I'll admit, I haven't actually read much of that comic; I just knew of the various flaws Minmax had taken because they're referenced here fairly often. Trading away speech for bonuses to hit is basically what the Hairy Spider is; after all, Intelligence is a non-ability for them.

ah.

no big deal, just use a pearl of speech like normal people.

KillianHawkeye

2014-10-11, 05:52 PM

A psychoactive Skin of the Spider gets you a skin-tight red and blue suit with +10 to Climb checks and the ability to shoot an entangling blast of web-like ectoplasm three times per day. Add in a Rod of Ropes for a 300-foot grappling shot and you've got yourself a pretty good starting point for your friendly neighborhood spider dude.

Manly Man

2014-10-11, 06:16 PM

KingSmitty

2014-10-11, 09:20 PM

I want to build a spider dude. A dude with a heavy spider theme. What kind of cool spider stuff can we do?

This is all you need. (http://eberron.wikia.com/wiki/Arachnid_Chassis)

Snowbluff

2014-10-11, 10:21 PM

If you don't mind Pathfinder races and/or some shameless self-promotion from myself, I made a race of spider people with two other variants. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?315333-Arachne-(homebrew-Pathfinder-race))
Charisma penalty? I have met a spider that wasn't adorable or my cat hadn't killed. :smalltongue:

This is all you need. (http://eberron.wikia.com/wiki/Arachnid_Chassis)

What? The idea is alright, but how was making Warforged Scouts cost 30kgp make them better against elves? Movement speed versus their mounts? Wouldn't horses be cheaper?

Sartharina

2014-10-11, 10:24 PM

What? The idea is alright, but how was making Warforged Scouts cost 30kgp make them better against elves? Movement speed versus their mounts? Wouldn't horses be cheaper?Have you seen a horse try to climb a tree? Also - Valenar horses are better than your horses.

Venger

2014-10-11, 10:54 PM

Have you seen a horse try to climb a tree? Also - Valenar horses are better than your horses.

with a +3 to their mod, horses are ok at climbing trees, but not as good as elephants

Extra Anchovies

2014-10-11, 11:03 PM

with a +3 to their mod, horses are ok at climbing trees, but not as good as elephants

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6516906115_abef03331b_z.jpg

Manly Man

2014-10-11, 11:09 PM

Charisma penalty? I have met a spider that wasn't adorable or my cat hadn't killed. :smalltongue:

Well, I had to pick one ability to lower, and considering their status as recluses (ha!), Charisma seemed to be the most fitting. There's also a variant based on jumping spiders that has a Charisma bonus.

Venger

2014-10-11, 11:13 PM

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6516906115_abef03331b_z.jpg

http://blog.africageographic.com/safari-blog/files/2012/07/602304_408855352494506_763725945_n1-640x424.jpg

Snowbluff

2014-10-12, 09:30 AM

Well... I've learned more about horses than I ever wanted to know.

Taveena

2014-10-12, 11:36 AM

ShurikVch

2014-10-12, 11:44 AM

Tauric template with a spider

PHASE CLOAK Chakra Bind (Totem)

Lhosk as cohort
http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/mmiii_gallery/83004.jpg

Extra Anchovies

2014-10-12, 12:52 PM

http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/mmiii_gallery/83004.jpg

I guess you could call that...

:smallcool:

A spider monkey.

Snowbluff

2014-10-12, 07:02 PM

The Arachnomancer (UD version) not only gets to Wildshape into a spider, not only adds more spider spells to their class list, not only get a Wall of Webs...

but they get a CONE OF SPIDERS.
SPIDER COOOONE.

I'm not going to lie; The cone of spiders sounds like the scariest cuddliest thing ever.

ShurikVch

2014-10-13, 07:06 AM

ILM

2014-10-13, 07:14 AM

The Vermin Keeper from Underdark, while not specifically spider-ey, could also work as long as you restrict yourself to spiders.

Snowbluff

2014-10-13, 09:43 PM

Beguiler from Shining South have LA +0 (cohort)
http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100824175536/sfery/images/8/89/Zwodnik.jpg
Slap on Arachnoid template, and get something like anthropomorphic variant of this: https://secure.anime-projects.jp/apps.php?app=tp&id=ap72.jpg
I like this. This will be the race... is arachnoid legal for players?

The Vermin Keeper from Underdark, while not specifically spider-ey, could also work as long as you restrict yourself to spiders.

That could work.

How about a beast master with spiders for animal companions via the spidery feats? :smalltongue:

ILM

2014-10-14, 04:00 AM

Well, technically the Arachnomancer lets you command spiders like a cleric does undead, so you could have up to 20 HD of spiders following you around as long as each one has less than 10 HD. Probably not ultra-useful in combat, but fluff-wise it's pretty nice (and 10 spider swarms can really mess up everywhere you go) :).

Inevitability

2014-10-14, 11:22 AM

I like this. This will be the race... is arachnoid legal for players?

It's got no listed LA, so yes.

Taveena

2014-10-14, 11:39 AM

LA - isn't playable. It's only legal if it's LA +0 or more. Nevermind that there are almost no valid playable races to apply it to (Hairy Spider manages, but that's a cluster**** anyway because it has no int score.)

ShurikVch

2014-10-14, 11:42 AM

I already mentioned it, but it was Scrubbed:

Vermin Lord from the Book of Vile Darkness - get vermin servant

Spells:
Inescapable Swarm (Dr#333; Level: Brd 5, Sor/Wiz 4) - it's illusion, but it may be illusion of spiders :smallwink:
Rain of Terror (Dr#348; Clr/Dru/Sor/Wiz 3) - Concentration 20 to select the type of rain, we will take number 7: Spiders; number 8 allow to combine two types, such as Spiders and Dead bats

Snowbluff

2014-10-14, 12:07 PM

It's got no listed LA, so yes.
Where did you learn this? :l

LA - isn't playable. It's only legal if it's LA +0 or more. Nevermind that there are almost no valid playable races to apply it to (Hairy Spider manages, but that's a cluster**** anyway because it has no int score.)

Wasn't updated, huh? Alright.

ShurikVch

2014-10-14, 01:28 PM

Where did you learn this? :l
Not "LA -". LA is not mentioned at all. So, because "arachnoid creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here", LA stays the same.

Wasn't updated, huh? Alright. 3.5 way released at July 2003
Underdark - at October 2003, and numerous creatures and templates in the book have listed LA