Monday, December 3, 2018

Monster: The Tumorous Spider

Writing up a selection of '4 Scenarios' for a certain mapper's lair, and I needed to throw in a Tumorous Spider to haunt a cavern.

Wait, what.

I never statted up the damn thing (well, a few showed up briefly in a OPD draft). And after I had my wife sketch one up and send it to me so I could immediately lose it in my email.

So a quick stat and description of this lovely critter, so I can add it to the lair...
Isn't she pretty?
Twisted by local corruptions, whether they be magical, biological, radiological, or illogical, these giant (4-5' diameter) spiders crawl about on twisted limbs, warts and tumors seeping pus and fluids.  Tortured and deformed by the powers that bent and diseased their bodies, the spiders remain formidable predators, even in their foul, degraded state. Some hunt from disordered webs, as deformed as their weavers, while others remain ambush predators, lurching from cover to pounce or bowl over prey.

The deformities slow these beasts, and many will have one or more twisted, ineffective legs.  Too many intruders have thought these pathetic creatures an easy foe, only to find themselves cornered and disabled.  For the spider's venom slows an unlucky victim, thus leveling the playing field... 

Likewise, striking the creature has a chance of rupturing one of the tumors, spraying corruption on a melee attacker.  Woe to those exposed to the fluids, as they may soon fall under the same ailment as the spider...

Tumorous Spider: HD: 3 or 4, AC: 6/13, Attacks at -2 due to deformed limbs, Dmg:1d6 + poison (save or slowed, as per spell, 1d6 turns), Movement: 1/2 rate of healthy spider, Special: When struck by a melee weapon, there is a 20% chance for the attacker to be sprayed by tumor fluids. Save or undergo twisted limbs/painful tumors within one week.  1/2 movement and -2 to attacks and poison/disease saves (cure disease to counteract).

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