Next up is this interesting monster. I feel like the araneas get too little attention. Come on, they are intelligent man-sized shapeshifting spiders with sorcerous powers! Personally, I like this monster, but I have never had a chance to use it and have never seen it used. It appeared first in
Monster Manual and has never been expanded upon. One thing I had doubts about is the aranea's anatomical oddity - its brain is contained in the hump on its back, and I wasn't sure how to stat it. After thinking for a bit, I just decided to make it a feature.
Aranea [Monster Manual, page 15]
182 points
Attribute Modifiers: DX+1 [20]; IQ+1 [20]; HT+1 [10].
Secondary
Characteristic Modifiers: Basic Speed +0.5 [10]; Basic Move +1 [5].
Advantages: Clinging [20]; DR 1 [5]; Extra Legs
(Eight Legs) [15]; Infravision [10]; Peripheral Vision [15]; Sharp Teeth [1]; Subsonic Hearing (Biological (Passive), -5%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%) [4].
Alter Perception: Illusion (Costs
Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Magical, -10%; Mental, +100%; Short-Range 2, -20%; Visual
Only, -30%) [34].
Change Shape
[40]: Alternate Form (Humanoid; Active Change, +20%; Magical, -10%; Reduced
Time 1, +20%) [20] + Alternate Form (Hybrid; Active Change, +20%; Magical,
-10%; Reduced Time 1, +20%) [20].
Poison:
Toxic Attack 1d-1 (Cyclic, 1 hour, 3 cycles, Resistible, +20%; Follow-Up, Sharp
Teeth, +0%; Resistible, HT-3, -15%; Symptoms, 2/3 HP, -3 ST, +15%) [4].
Web: Binding
10 (Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Biological, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Persistent,
+40%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%) [29].
Perks: Climbing Line [1].
Disadvantages: Cold-Blooded (50°) [-5]; Hideous
[-16]; Phobia (Fire) (12) [-5]; Restricted Diet (Carnivore) [-10]; Short Arms
[-10]; Social Stigma (Monster) [-15].
Features: Brain is in the hump on the back (requires
a Physiology or other appropriate skill roll to target, but lacks DR 2).
Notes: Weight 150 lbs.
Creature Type: Magical Beast (Shapechanger).
Humanoid form [59]
Attribute Modifiers: DX+1 [20]; IQ+1 [20]; HT+1 [10].
Secondary
Characteristic Modifiers: Basic Speed +0.5 [10].
Advantages:
Alter Perception: Illusion (Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Magical, -10%; Mental, +100%; Short-Range
2, -20%; Visual Only, -30%) [34].
Disadvantages: Cold-Blooded (50°) [-5]; Phobia
(Fire) (12) [-5]; Restricted Diet (Carnivore) [-10]; Social Stigma (Monster)
[-15].
Hybrid form [83]
Attribute Modifiers: DX+1 [20]; IQ+1 [20]; HT+1 [10].
Secondary
Characteristic Modifiers: Basic Speed +0.5 [10].
Advantages: Fangs [2].
Alter Perception: Illusion (Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Magical, -10%; Mental, +100%; Short-Range
2, -20%; Visual Only, -30%) [34].
Web: Binding
10 (Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Biological, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Persistent,
+40%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%) [29].
Disadvantages: Cold-Blooded (50°) [-5]; Phobia
(Fire) (12) [-5]; Restricted Diet (Carnivore) [-10]; Social Stigma (Monster)
[-15]. Ugly [-8].
Perks: Climbing Line [1].
Features: Four Eyes.
Typical Stats – Native
Form
|
ST:
|
10
|
HP:
|
10
|
Speed:
|
6
|
|
DX:
|
11
|
Will:
|
11
|
Move:
|
7
|
|
IQ:
|
11
|
Per:
|
11
|
|
|
|
HT:
|
11
|
FP:
|
11
|
SM:
|
+0
|
|
Dodge:
|
9
|
Parry:
|
8 (unarmed)
|
DR:
|
1
|
Poisonous Bite (11): thrust 1d-3 cutting + follow-up 1d-1 toxic (3 1-hour cycles, HT-3 to
resist, Symptoms -3 ST at 2/3 HP), Reach C.
Punch (11): thrust
1d-3 crushing, Reach C.
Web (11):
Binding 10, Area of effect – 2 yards, stays for 10 seconds, range 10 yards,
costs 2 FP.
Alter Perception (11): An aranea can concentrate and make a Quick Contest of IQ versus Will
(at -1 per person already affected) to override visual perception of a victim,
if it can touch or see the victim. Apply normal range penalties. If tha aranea
wins, it can alter the mental visual feed of the victim in any way it wishes,
but it does not control the victim’s thoughts. This ability requires constant
concentration. The victim still may choose to act on what he believes were his last
correct sensory impressions (at -10 to any actions if he can’t see the real
world). Usually, the aranes uses this ability to lure the victim into its web.
Change Shape:
By taking a Ready maneuver, the aranea can transform into a humanoid or hybrid
form. As a rule, the humanoid form resembles a human, or a drow. The form and
gender an aranea can take is fixed at birth. Transformation takes 5 seconds,
but aside from initiating the sequence, the aranea may act normally during it,
using statstics of the form it is changing from. It may stay in an altereed
shape for as long as it wishes.
Traits:
Brain is in the hump on the back (requires a Physiology or other appropriate
skill roll to target, but lacks DR 2); Climbing Line; Clinging; Cold-Blooded
(50°); Extra Legs (Eight Legs); Hideous; Infravision; Peripheral Vision; Phobia
(Fire) (12); Restricted Diet (Carnivore); Short Arms; Social Stigma (Monster); Subsonic Hearing (Biological (Passive); Melee Attack, Reach C).
Skills: Innate
Attack (Projectile)-11.
Creature Type: Magical
Beast (Shapechanger).
Notes: Weight 150
lbs.
Typical Stats – Humanoid
Form
|
ST:
|
10
|
HP:
|
10
|
Speed:
|
6
|
|
DX:
|
11
|
Will:
|
11
|
Move:
|
6
|
|
IQ:
|
11
|
Per:
|
11
|
|
|
|
HT:
|
11
|
FP:
|
11
|
SM:
|
+0
|
|
Dodge:
|
9
|
Parry:
|
8 (unarmed)
|
DR:
|
1
|
Punch (11): thrust
1d-3 crushing, Reach C.
Alter Perception (11): An aranea can concentrate and make a Quick Contest of IQ versus Will
(at -1 per person already affected) to override visual perception of a victim,
if it can touch or see the victim. Apply normal range penalties. If tha aranea
wins, it can alter the mental visual feed of the victim in any way it wishes,
but it does not control the victim’s thoughts. This ability requires constant
concentration. The victim still may choose to act on what he believes were his last
correct sensory impressions (at -10 to any actions if he can’t see the real
world). Usually, the aranes uses this ability to lure the victim into its web.
Change Shape:
By taking a Ready maneuver, the aranea can transform into a humanoid or hybrid
form. As a rule, the humanoid form resembles a human, or a drow. The form and
gender an aranea can take is fixed at birth. Transformation takes 5 seconds,
but aside from initiating the sequence, the aranea may act normally during it,
using statstics of the form it is changing from. It may stay in an altereed
shape for as long as it wishes.
Traits:
Cold-Blooded (50°); Phobia (Fire) (12); Restricted Diet (Carnivore); Social
Stigma (Monster).
Skills: Innate
Attack (Projectile)-11.
Creature Type: Magical
Beast (Shapechanger).
Notes: Weight 150
lbs.
Typical Stats – Hybrid
Form
|
ST:
|
10
|
HP:
|
10
|
Speed:
|
6
|
|
DX:
|
11
|
Will:
|
11
|
Move:
|
6
|
|
IQ:
|
11
|
Per:
|
11
|
|
|
|
HT:
|
11
|
FP:
|
11
|
SM:
|
+0
|
|
Dodge:
|
9
|
Parry:
|
8 (unarmed)
|
DR:
|
1
|
Fangs (11): thrust
1d-3 impaling, Reach C.
Punch (11): thrust
1d-3 crushing, Reach C.
Web (11):
Binding 10, Area of effect – 2 yards, stays for 10 seconds, range 10 yards,
costs 2 FP.
Alter Perception (11): An aranea can concentrate and make a Quick Contest of IQ versus Will
(at -1 per person already affected) to override visual perception of a victim,
if it can touch or see the victim. Apply normal range penalties. If tha aranea
wins, it can alter the mental visual feed of the victim in any way it wishes,
but it does not control the victim’s thoughts. This ability requires constant
concentration. The victim still may choose to act on what he believes were his last
correct sensory impressions (at -10 to any actions if he can’t see the real
world). Usually, the aranes uses this ability to lure the victim into its web.
Change Shape:
By taking a Ready maneuver, the aranea can transform into a humanoid or hybrid
form. As a rule, the humanoid form resembles a human, or a drow. The form and
gender an aranea can take is fixed at birth. Transformation takes 5 seconds,
but aside from initiating the sequence, the aranea may act normally during it,
using statstics of the form it is changing from. It may stay in an altereed
shape for as long as it wishes.
Traits:
Climbing Line; Cold-Blooded (50°); Four Eyes; Phobia (Fire) (12); Restricted Diet
(Carnivore); Social Stigma (Monster); Ugly.
Skills: Innate
Attack (Projectile)-11.
Creature Type: Magical
Beast (Shapechanger).
Notes: Weight 150
lbs.
Next up is this interesting monster. I feel like the araneas get too little attention. Come on, they are intelligent man-sized shapeshifting spiders with sorcerous powers! Personally, I like this monster, but I have never had a chance to use it and have never seen it used. It appeared first in Monster Manual and has never been expanded upon. One thing I had doubts about is the aranea's anatomical oddity - its brain is contained in the hump on its back, and I wasn't sure how to stat it. After thinking for a bit, I just decided to make it a feature.
Love to see a fully fleshed out example of one of these with all its magical powers!
ReplyDeleteHey, mate, no spells?
ReplyDelete