Help With Spiderfolk Race

[WizardofOwls]

I am interested in creating a new race for my homebrew setting. I want them to be based on spiders. However I have never created a race for 3e or 3.5 e, so I could use some help in this. There is only one unchangable rule: I need them to be LA 0, so that I can use them as a base race.

I've been thinking about racial traits, and here are some ideas I have come up with, but as I said these are only ideas. Nothing is written in stone yet.

Spider Climb as spell (possibly either constant or limited uses per day)
Paralytic poison bite
4 arms (2nd set half strength)
Possible visual bonuses because of multiple eyes (bonuses spotting secret doors like elves or spotting illusions like gnomes)
Web as spell (limited uses per day)

I'd love to hear your thoughts/ideas on this.

[Dryad]

Ehm...
How about:
Monstrous Humanoid (vermin)
Small
Speed: 20 ft. (climb 15 ft.)
+2 dex, -2 con, -2 int
Spiderfolk are fast and agile, but their chitinous construction is brittle, and their central nervous system isn't as well developed as a brain.
Four hands: A Spiderfolk has four usable hands. However, her second pair of hands are too weak to effectively wield a weapon. It does, however, allow her to cast spells with a somatic component. A Spiderfolk may attack and cast a spell in the same standard action. However, she may not use a full attack, and must make a concentration check to complete a spell when attacking. (DC 10 plus spell level.) If the concentration check fails, the spell is lost. A spiderfolk still provokes an attack of opportunity when casting a spell while attacking. Spiderfolk can't attack and cast defensively simultaneously.

+2 move silently
+4 climb
+4 balance
+4 use rope
Spiderfolk may always take ten on a climb, balance or use rope check.
Spiderfolk may treat nets as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.

Favored Class: Sorceror.

Tell me what you think!

[GimliFett]

Check this out: the Chitine (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20031012a), nearly half-way down the page. They're LA+2 and have 2 racial hit dice, but it's a good starting point, I think. Easy enough to dump the racial HD, if desired. Though Dryad's spiderfolk are nice, I think Chitine is closer to your parameters. :smallbiggrin:

Dryad, consider yer spiderfolk yoinked to be amended... :smallwink: Usually a climb speed gives a racial +8 bonus and the take 10 option. Your spiderfolk seem kinda spellweaver-light to me.

[Dryad]

Yeah, well, spiders seem to remind me a lot of spells and nasty ways to catch your opponent. Clinging to a ceiling, throwing nets, and casting spells on your opponents seems crafty and nasty enough, to me. :D

I know about the usual +8, but for a creature without an ECL, it seemed a bit much to give her an extra partial action, and a +8 to climb checks.. I wanted to put a web and venom in, too, but that was, again, too much. I always try to make something nice you can hop into at first level, see. :D

Edit: As a spiderfolk gets a con penalty, and Combat Casting only applies to casting defensively, I'm going to put the concentration DC down to 10+spell lvl.

[GimliFett]

Fair 'nuff. I happen to be a bit biased towards Chitine. They were the opponents/allies in one of my favorite dungeons: The Shattered Circle. I think it was one of the last 2nd Ed adventures. I actually tied it into my Forgotten Realms campaign with a Fugitive-like setup. It was greatness! :smallbiggrin: That campaign started at 1st level and ran through 14th, covering five and a half years, covering 2nd edition through 3.5.

Sorry, back on-topic. :smallsmile:

I understand your balancing concerns, and I like your concept. I like the slight reduction for the Concentration DC.

Another spider-race of casters: aranea. They're neato, as well.

[starwoof]

Maybe give them something like this:

Web Weaving - As a full round action a Spiderfolk may spin and throw a web from their spinarets. This works exactly like a net (see PHB). A spiderfolk may use this ability a number of times a day equal to their Con modifier. In addition, Spiderfolk always have Craft (Weaving) as a class skill.


EDIT: Yeah Aranea are sweet, I was playing one in an evil campaign until recently.

[JackMage666]

Giving it a Climb speed (or, Spiderclimb), a natural poison (which would also include a natural attack of Bite), and a Web spell-like ability, makes it at least a +1 LA. Even the suggested example is really pushing +1 LA, since it doesn't say that you can't use Unarmed Strikes, and then an Unarmed Strike Rogue suddenly gets massive sneak attack.

Multiple arms just cannot be done for +0 LA. They allow more attacks, better ways to cast spells, or whatever.

Climb speed, or Spiderclimb, is a pretty strong ability. You basically get to climb around the room all day, without any problems. At low levels, when enemies rarely have reach/ranged attacks, you can just perch and do whatever. Even at higher levels, you could perch up, cast spells, attack with a ranged weapon, whatever, so long as you take out any ranged fighters first. It's not as strong as Fly speed, but it's still a really nice ability - Especially in a dungeon environment. And, think of it this way, if they get Spiderclimb 24/7, they basically get a better version of what a Warlock 1 can get, for free. And, it can't be dispelled.

A Paralyzing Poison makes it really strong, since CR 1 enemies would usually fail, and then you win. In order to even be considered as +0 LA, it'd have to be something like 1d2 Str, or 1d2 Dex. Or, possibly, the effects of Confusion (for only 1 round), but even that may be pushing it. The bite would be weak, 1d3+Str, and always as a secondary attack.

Web isn't all that strong, so it would be reasonable to say that the race could create 1 Web a Day, but must use a Full Round Action to do so. Makes it alot more balancing, since he can't do anything else in the round.

Summary - +0 LA isn't doable. With all these traits, he might be +2 LA, even. Spiders are a strong creature, and can do alot of cool things. Giving any of these traits to a 1st level PC would make them outshine the others (the exception is the Warlock, who can get Spiderclimb all the time, but that's his only ability other than Eldritch Blast at Level 1 if he chooses it). If you really want it, work on designing it as a +1 LA, and buy it off later.

[Dryad]

The unarmed attacks don't count up. You can't use two weapon fighting or multi-weapon fighting with two unarmed attacks. Otherwise, you end up with a monk with multi-attack. Lessee: At first level, I flurry, so I get two strikes with my right hand, one with my left hand, one for each elbow, one for each foot and one for each knee... And a headbutt, followed by a bite. Makes 11 attacks, all at a -4 penalty.
Ehm...
Nah.

As for climb speed: That isn't spider climb. Fail a check, and you fall, with climb speed. Sure, you get the take ten, but failure still is failure. Climbing a flat surface upside down has a DC of what; 35? Yay for a climb speed, but it's till extremely hard. The Spider Climb spell allows you to do it, no problem, but a climb check? Ouch.

In summary: LA +0 is certainly doable. Give her neat tricks that don't have too much influence in the game mechanics, and be happy!

[Poppatomus]

My try:


The Spidaren (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49067)


Man, it's been a long time since I posted. too busy I suppose. Guess I need to get to work on GitP.

[WizardofOwls]

Wow! I know they say that great minds think alike, but.....

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. In my homebrew world, the world is shattered into sky islands called shards. The only way to get from shard to shard is via air ships called windriggers. My thought was that spiderfolk would make excellent windsailors with their natural climbing ability, and an extra set of hands would help them in working the rigging. I would love to use an official race, but right now I have limited resources as far as sourcebooks, and limited funds for buying them. So unless it's in one of the few books I already have, or can be found on the internet, I have to homebrew it.

[Kiren]

Wow! I know they say that great minds think alike, but.....

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. In my homebrew world, the world is shattered into sky islands called shards. The only way to get from shard to shard is via air ships called windriggers. My thought was that spiderfolk would make excellent windsailors with their natural climbing ability, and an extra set of hands would help them in working the rigging. I would love to use an official race, but right now I have limited resources as far as sourcebooks, and limited funds for buying them. So unless it's in one of the few books I already have, or can be found on the internet, I have to homebrew it.

good idea for a campaign

[starwoof]

Wow! I know they say that great minds think alike, but.....

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. In my homebrew world, the world is shattered into sky islands called shards. The only way to get from shard to shard is via air ships called windriggers. My thought was that spiderfolk would make excellent windsailors with their natural climbing ability, and an extra set of hands would help them in working the rigging. I would love to use an official race, but right now I have limited resources as far as sourcebooks, and limited funds for buying them. So unless it's in one of the few books I already have, or can be found on the internet, I have to homebrew it.

Oh, thats so cool! If you ever run a PbP here on the boards, you can just sign me up from the get go. :smallbiggrin:


Ok, heres something:

Arachnifolk
Spiderlings, Spidaren, Weblings
+2 dex, -2 int. Arachnifolk are nimble, but they think on a completely different level as anyone else.
Small Monstrous Humanoid
30 ft move, Climb 15 ft
Low Light Vision
Web Weaving - As a full round action an arachnifolk may spin and throw a web from their spinarets. This works exactly like a net (see PHB). Alternatively a spider folk may shoot out a long strand that works exactly like a 50 ft rope and grappling hook. An arachnifolk may use this ability a number of times a day equal to their Con modifier. In addition, arachnifolk always have Craft (Weaving) as a class skill.
+2 bonus on profession (sailor/rigger/whatever is used). Arachnifolk are quite proficient on windriggers due to their multiple arms and climbing ability.
Extra Limbed: Arachnifolk have an extra set of usable arms, though they are only useful as aids for their other limbs. Arachnifolk gain a +1 bonus to any roll that primarily uses hands. (this is entirely at DM discretion. Examples: Attack rolls, damage rolls, most profession checks, climb, sleight of hand.)
Automatic Languages: Arachnifolk, Common. Bonus Languages: Elven, Dwarven, Draconic, Gnoll, Sylvan.
Favored Class: Rogue
+0

What stands out to me most after making this is the fact that I'm really fond of the name 'Weblings'.:smallcool: Anyway, that should be LA +0. Might even be a bit weak.