Mother of Spiders [Archive] - Wizards Community

Mother of Spiders [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kesuk2k5
05-24-07, 05:17 PM The Mother of Spiders's awakening is presented as an epic adventure idea. In the name of all that's broken I present to you the Mother of Spiders and her statistics block.

Mother of Spiders
Colossal Vermin
Hit Dice: 60d8+540 plus 720 (1,740 hp)
Initiative: +13 (+13 Dex)
Speed: 90 ft. (18 squares), climb 60 ft.
Armor Class: 57 (–8 size, +13 Dex, +12 insight, +12 luck, +18 natural), touch 39, flat-footed 54
Base Attack/Grapple: +45/+86
Attack: Bite +80 melee (4d6+47 plus poison)
Full Attack: Bite +80 melee (4d6+47 plus poison)
Special Attacks: Poison, spell-like abilities, web
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/epic, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 20, resistance to cold 10 and fire 10, SR 43, tremorsense 60 ft., vermin traits
Saves: Fort +51, Ref +39, Will +33
Abilities: Str 46, Dex 37, Con 29, Int —, Wis 25, Cha 17
Skills: Climb +33, Hide +7*, Jump +27*, Spot +24*
Feats: Blinding Speed
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 33
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

The Mother of Spiders only rouses from her cocoon once every few hundred years to find a mate, staying awake for 2d4 months. During this time all lesser monstrous spiders in a 1,000 mile radius of her lair become unnaturally aggressive, attacking wildlife and towns to capture and deliver food to her. After she mates, she returns to her three-century slumber (during which she spawns hundreds of thousands of monstrous spiders).
The Mother of Spiders' natural weapons are considered epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
COMBAT
The Mother of Spiders is a web-spinner.
Poison (Ex): The Mother of Spiders has a poisonous bite. The poison's Fortitude DC is 62. The initial and secondary damage is 2d8 Str.
Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day - greater dispel magic, haste, see invisibility. The caster level for these abilities is 15th.
Web (Ex): The Mother of Spiders often waits in her web, then lowers herself silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the Mother of Spiders and one creature of the same size. The Mother of Spiders can throw a web eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider. An entangled creature can use a standard action to escape with a successful Escape Artist check (DC 66) or with a Strength check (DC 66). The check DCs are Constitution-based, and include a +4 racial bonus. The Mother of Spiders often creates sheets of sticky webbing 60 feet square. She usually positions these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice a web; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing gain a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot section has 18 hit points, and sheet webs have damage reduction 5/—. The Mother of Spiders can move across her own web at her climb speed and can pinpoint the location of any creature touching her web.
Tremorsense (Ex): The Mother of Spiders can detect and pinpoint any creature or object within 60 feet in contact with the ground, or within any range in contact with her webs.
Skills: The Mother of Spiders has a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. She can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. The Mother of Spiders uses either her Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher. The Mother of Spiders has a +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks when using her webs.

Notes on Creation: Advance Colossal monstrous spider to 60 HD, adding HD ability bonuses to Dexterity. Apply paragon template. Normally, the +4 racial bonus mentioned in the Web special attack only applies to the Strength check to burst the web, not the Escape Artist DC, but this has been changed to apply to both for the Mother of Spiders. As with many epic creatures and custom creations, the CR may not be 100% accurate, but it is the CR I arrived at after my best judgement.
NightBreeze
05-24-07, 07:04 PM Hmm...the AC seems somewhat low, so a 33rd level fighter-tipe would be able to dish out a lot of damage.I suppose that the web balances this, but there's always freedom of movement.

Anyway, nice monster :P
bluemage55
05-24-07, 08:43 PM Perfectly done. :D
rob_douglas
05-24-07, 10:55 PM SR seems to be a bit high. You should probably list the templates used, I assume this is a fully advanced Paragon Colossal Monstrous Spider. CR adds up to 33, that is correct, but SR should be 43. It is supposed to be base creature CR+25, not new CR+25. The rest looks about right. Still not quite a Devastation Spider, but probably a lot more useful and intelligent.

ROB
Kesuk2k5
05-25-07, 01:57 PM Rob Douglas, thanks for clearing that up. I figured that, like treasure, the SR was based on the new CR. I'll make that edit in the post.
ArochanoX
05-28-07, 03:40 PM You might be intrested in giving the spider some abilities from titanic creature template (MM2). Especially trample and gigantic size modifier to area attacks. Also the web has rather small amount of hit points and hardness for the Mother of All Spiders. Also the tremorsense and spell-like abilities are a little weak abilities compared to CR 33, as are the range of the web too.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kesuk2k5 05-24-07, 05:17 PM	The Mother of Spiders's awakening is presented as an epic adventure idea. In the name of all that's broken I present to you the Mother of Spiders and her statistics block. Mother of Spiders Colossal Vermin Hit Dice: 60d8+540 plus 720 (1,740 hp) Initiative: +13 (+13 Dex) Speed: 90 ft. (18 squares), climb 60 ft. Armor Class: 57 (–8 size, +13 Dex, +12 insight, +12 luck, +18 natural), touch 39, flat-footed 54 Base Attack/Grapple: +45/+86 Attack: Bite +80 melee (4d6+47 plus poison) Full Attack: Bite +80 melee (4d6+47 plus poison) Special Attacks: Poison, spell-like abilities, web Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/epic, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 20, resistance to cold 10 and fire 10, SR 43, tremorsense 60 ft., vermin traits Saves: Fort +51, Ref +39, Will +33 Abilities: Str 46, Dex 37, Con 29, Int —, Wis 25, Cha 17 Skills: Climb +33, Hide +7, Jump +27, Spot +24* Feats: Blinding Speed Environment: Temperate forests Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 33 Treasure: Standard Alignment: Neutral Advancement: — Level Adjustment: — The Mother of Spiders only rouses from her cocoon once every few hundred years to find a mate, staying awake for 2d4 months. During this time all lesser monstrous spiders in a 1,000 mile radius of her lair become unnaturally aggressive, attacking wildlife and towns to capture and deliver food to her. After she mates, she returns to her three-century slumber (during which she spawns hundreds of thousands of monstrous spiders). The Mother of Spiders' natural weapons are considered epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. COMBAT The Mother of Spiders is a web-spinner. Poison (Ex): The Mother of Spiders has a poisonous bite. The poison's Fortitude DC is 62. The initial and secondary damage is 2d8 Str. Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day - greater dispel magic, haste, see invisibility. The caster level for these abilities is 15th. Web (Ex): The Mother of Spiders often waits in her web, then lowers herself silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the Mother of Spiders and one creature of the same size. The Mother of Spiders can throw a web eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider. An entangled creature can use a standard action to escape with a successful Escape Artist check (DC 66) or with a Strength check (DC 66). The check DCs are Constitution-based, and include a +4 racial bonus. The Mother of Spiders often creates sheets of sticky webbing 60 feet square. She usually positions these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice a web; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing gain a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot section has 18 hit points, and sheet webs have damage reduction 5/—. The Mother of Spiders can move across her own web at her climb speed and can pinpoint the location of any creature touching her web. Tremorsense (Ex): The Mother of Spiders can detect and pinpoint any creature or object within 60 feet in contact with the ground, or within any range in contact with her webs. Skills: The Mother of Spiders has a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. She can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. The Mother of Spiders uses either her Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher. The Mother of Spiders has a +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks when using her webs. Notes on Creation: Advance Colossal monstrous spider to 60 HD, adding HD ability bonuses to Dexterity. Apply paragon template. Normally, the +4 racial bonus mentioned in the Web special attack only applies to the Strength check to burst the web, not the Escape Artist DC, but this has been changed to apply to both for the Mother of Spiders. As with many epic creatures and custom creations, the CR may not be 100% accurate, but it is the CR I arrived at after my best judgement.
NightBreeze 05-24-07, 07:04 PM	Hmm...the AC seems somewhat low, so a 33rd level fighter-tipe would be able to dish out a lot of damage.I suppose that the web balances this, but there's always freedom of movement. Anyway, nice monster :P
bluemage55 05-24-07, 08:43 PM	Perfectly done. :D
rob_douglas 05-24-07, 10:55 PM	SR seems to be a bit high. You should probably list the templates used, I assume this is a fully advanced Paragon Colossal Monstrous Spider. CR adds up to 33, that is correct, but SR should be 43. It is supposed to be base creature CR+25, not new CR+25. The rest looks about right. Still not quite a Devastation Spider, but probably a lot more useful and intelligent. ROB
Kesuk2k5 05-25-07, 01:57 PM	Rob Douglas, thanks for clearing that up. I figured that, like treasure, the SR was based on the new CR. I'll make that edit in the post.
ArochanoX 05-28-07, 03:40 PM	You might be intrested in giving the spider some abilities from titanic creature template (MM2). Especially trample and gigantic size modifier to area attacks. Also the web has rather small amount of hit points and hardness for the Mother of All Spiders. Also the tremorsense and spell-like abilities are a little weak abilities compared to CR 33, as are the range of the web too.