Notes |
An aranea is an intelligent, shapechanging spider with sorcerous powers. In its natural form, an aranea resembles a humpbacked spider a little bigger than a human, and weighs about 150 pounds. The hump on its back houses the aranea’s brain. All araneas have a single alternate form as well—this alternate form is that of a Small or Medium humanoid. Although an aranea can assume a spider-hybrid variant of this form, it cannot use its change shape ability to assume multiple humanoid forms—this additional shape is locked into one unique appearance.
Araneas typically gather in small colonies of two to six individuals, making webbed nests high in trees. These colonies work together to research magic, and may change membership many times over as individuals leave to pursue their own studies and are replaced by newer members. A single aranea may take on humanoid form and live for years in a humanoid community, never revealing its true nature. Though araneas generally prefer to be left alone, they often prove quite knowledgeable about the ways of magic, and if approached peacefully may be willing to share their expertise for the right price (typically a magic item or some service).
Skilled spellcasters, araneas try to avoid physical combat and use their webs and spells when they can. Rather than kill their enemies, araneas often subdue opponents and hold them for ransom.
Web
Creatures with the web ability can use webs to support themselves and up to one additional creature of the same size. In addition, such creatures can throw a web up to eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has the following ranges 5/10/20, and is effective against targets up to 1.5x the size larger than the web spinner. An entangled creature can escape with a successful opposed Brawn roll. This costs an action.
Web spinners can create sheets of sticky webbing up to three times their size. They usually position these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a opposed Perception roll vs conceal to notice a web; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape the webbing gain a +1 shift bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot-square section of web has a number of hit points equal to the info under webbing.
A creature can move across its own web at its climb speed and can pinpoint the location of any creature touching its web.
Spells Known
2nd (5/day)—invisibility, mirror image or Misdirection
1st (7/day)—charm person, mage armour +4 AP (already cast), silent image, sleep
0th (at will)—daze, detect magic, ghost sound, light, mage hand, resistance
Aranea Venom:
Application: injected
Potency: as END of creature
Resistance: Endurance
Onset time: instant
Duration: 6 rounds (30 seconds)
Conditions: Victim loses 1d3 STR per round. These losses does not recover until the poison has been treated. They then return at rate of 1d3 per day.
Antidote/Cure: Can be cured with magic. Another cure is to take the venom from the Aranea and boil it to render it down. this is then drunk with a mixture of herbs. Each dose of the cure grants a new resistance roll vs the poison effects. The total amount of venom that can be harvested is equal to the aranea's endurance divided by 10. This does have the unfortunate side effect of making the drinker feel Nausea for 1d4 hours. Luckily this effect is not cumulative.
Daze
Range close POW in Metres
Target one humanoid creature
Cost: 1
Duration: 1 turn
Saving: Opposed Willpower negates
DESCRIPTION
This spell clouds the mind of a humanoid creature so that it takes no action. The creature is unable to act normally. A dazed subject is not stunned, so attackers get no special advantage against it. After a creature has been dazed by this spell, it is immune to the effects of this spell for 1 minute.
Resistance
Range touch
Target creature touched
Cost: 1
Duration 1 minute
Saving Throw Willpower negates
DESCRIPTION
Imbue the subject with magical energy that protects it from harm, granting it a +5 resistance bonus on saving rolls (brawn, Evade, Endurance and willpower).
Misdirection
Range 10m+5m/I
Cost: 1 MP +1 per intensity
Target one creature
Duration 1 hour/I.
Saving see below
DESCRIPTION
By means of this spell, you misdirect the information from divination spells that reveal auras (detect evil, detect magic, discern lies, and the like). On casting the spell, you choose another object within range. For the duration of the spell, the subject of misdirection is detected as if it were the other object. Neither the subject nor the other object gets a saving throw against this effect. Detection spells provide information based on the second object rather than on the actual target of the detection unless the caster of the detection succeeds on a Will save. For instance, you could make yourself detect as a tree if one were within range at casting: not evil, not lying, not magical, neutral in alignment, and so forth. This spell does not affect other types of divination magic (augury, detect thoughts, clairaudience/clairvoyance, and the like). |