Friday, February 04, 2011

Friday Creature Feature: Piping Spider

Fans of Qalidar will already be familiar with the True20 version of this monster, but hey, we have to consider the poor grubby masses who don't own that book, right? The funny thing about putting this out as a Peryton RPG monster now, is that this is its original form. I created the piping spider for a scenario I ran back in 2008 called "Escape from the Artificer," which included all sorts of hideous patchwork critters. As a matter of fact, even the player characters were hideous patchwork critters. Seems like there was a reason this monster didn't make it into the revised rule book, but I can't remember what it was. Anyway, here's the spider:

PIPING SPIDER
Large Aberration
Hit Dice: 4d10
Speed: 30 ft, Climb 20 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+2 natural, +3 Dex)
Attack Bonus: +7 melee
Damage: bite 1d6 plus Poison
Special Qualities: Darkvision
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 17, Con 12, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2
Environment: ruins, underground

Piping spiders are hideous conglomerate creatures that look mostly like a spider, but also seem to have humanoid limbs and features grafted on alongside bits of scrap metal and naked bones.

Poison: A piping spider has a poisonous bite, Fort save DC 13 or take 1d6 Str damage.

Piping: The piping spider's reaction to prey automatically triggers a chaotic medley of whistles and chirps through its various metal and bone pipes that mesmerizes anyone who listens.  All vertebrate creatures within a 300-foot spread must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or become captivated. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same spider's song for 24 hours. A captivated victim walks toward the piping spider, taking the most direct route available. If the path leads into a dangerous area (through flame, off a cliff, or the like), that creature gets a second saving throw. Captivated creatures can take no actions other than to defend themselves. (Thus, a fighter cannot run away or attack but takes no defensive penalties.) A victim within 5 feet of the spider stands there and offers no resistance to the monster’s attacks. The effect continues for as long as the piping and for 1 round thereafter.

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