Sharn Shadow Spider (3.5e Creature)
This creature resembles a small monstrous spider, except with longer legs, a larger head and stark black markings with gray high lights over the legs and back. Its eight eyes are golden-white.
| Sharn Shadow Spider | Sharn Shadow Spider, Ancient | |
|---|---|---|
| Size/Type: | Small Magical Beast | Medium Magical Beast |
| Hit Dice: | 6d10+24 (57 hp) | 18d10+108 (207 hp) |
| Initiative: | +9 (+5 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) | +9 (+5 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) |
| Speed: | 30 ft., climb 20 ft. | 30 ft., climb 20 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 18 (+5 Dex, +1 size, +2 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 13 | 19 (+5 Dex, +4 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 14 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +6/+2 | +18/+20 |
| Attack: | Bite +12 (1d4 plus paralysis plus poison) | Bite +24 (1d8+2 plus paralysis plus poison) |
| Full Attack: | Bite +12 (1d4 plus paralysis plus poison) | Bite +24 (1d8+2 plus paralysis plus poison) |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Paralysis, Poison | Paralysis, Poison |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/magic, low-light vision, Shadow Blend, Shadow Walk, SR 17 | Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/magic, low-light vision, Shadow Blend, Shadow Walk, SR 22 |
| Saves: | Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +4 | Fort +17, Ref +16, Will +8 |
| Abilities: | Str 11, Dex 21, Con 18, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 10 | Str 15, Dex 20, Con 22, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 10 |
| Skills: | Climb +5, Hide +13* | Climb +20, Hide +26* |
| Feats: | Ability Focus (Paralysis), Ability Focus (Poison), Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (B) | Ability Focus (Paralysis), Ability Focus (Poison), Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Armor (x2), Improved Natural Attack (Bite), Weapon Finesse (B), Weapon Focus (Bite) |
| Environment: | City of Sharn | City of Sharn |
| Organization: | Solitary | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating: | 6 | 11 |
| Treasure: | Standard | Standard |
| Alignment: | Usually neutral | Usually neutral |
| Advancement: | 7-12 HD (Small), 13-18 HD (Medium) | — |
| Level Adjustment: | — | — |
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Sharn shadow spiders have always been in the city of sharn as far as people know. The fact that they only live in this one city kind of sets them as a spider that lives in such a place. Its not known when they came to be, but scalars have recordings of these spiders from the time when humans started building up the city of sharn into its current form.
The sharn shadow spider is a cunning ambush hunter using the large amount of shadows that are in the lower parts of the city of sharn to hide. They don’t commonly live in the higher parts of the city from lack of large shadows, so many of the people don’t even know that these spiders live in there city as they move from level to level. Little do they know that they could be the next meal for this small dog-sized spider.
Every now and then, someone will go missing usually in the lower city so no one notices that one person is no longer there. Every now and then, someone with a big name goes down to the lower city and falls victim to the spider. When such a thing happens the city guard offers a good amount of money to people that are willing to hunt the spiders (if the city guard know it was a sharn shadow spider that killed the person).
Sharn shadow spiders can understand Common and Goblin.
Combat
Sharn shadow spiders attack with their bite attack. Commonly attacking one target at a time in hopes of killing it then running up the walls or jumping to the plane of shadow for the meal it earned before it is killed.
Paralysis (Ex): A sharn shadow spider’s teeth are coated with a clear paralyzing fluid. Any creature hit by its bite attack must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 19) or be paralyzed for 3 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes the +2 bonus from the Ability Focus feat.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 19, initial damage and secondary damage 1d3 Dex. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes the +2 bonus from the Ability Focus feat.
Shadow Blend (Su): In any condition of illumination other than full daylight, a sharn shadow spider can disappear into the shadows, giving it total concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability. A daylight spell, however, will.
Shadow Walk (Sp): At will, a sharn shadow spider can use shadow walk (caster level 5th; Will save DC 17, the save DC is Charisma based).
Skills: *A sharn shadow spider gets a +20 circumstance bonus on Hide checks when in shadows.
Ecology
Sharn shadow spiders are a mystery to much of the people of sharn and for good reason. For they hide well and hang in the shadows all the time.
History
The sages might think that the sharn shadow spider has always been in the city of sharn. Well they would be right, except that the sharn shadow spiders used to be all over the world. You see when the goblins where building there empire these spiders and the larger Shadow Spider (See MM2) where more closely one species and the sharn shadow spider was just a smaller breed of the large shadow spider. Since both are rare in the world now has something to do with the Goblin Empire.
You see the goblins found both spiders to be a large threat at night and the small shadow spider that would in time become the sharn shadow spider where a lot easier to kill. Therefore, while the shadow spider moved into places where it could get a better advantage the smaller shadow spider only found one place. The Goblin City that would later become the city of sharn.
With the small caves in the area, the smaller spider had many places to hide. Even then goblins tried to kill them off in turn all they did was start the process that would change the spider that would become the modern sharn shadow spider into what it is today. Since as they where carving out their city in the rock they where making the type of places the smaller shadow spider liked. Shadowy streets ended up what kept the smaller spider alive.
When the goblin empire feel into ruins that shadow spider started taking over the plateaus that would later have the city of sharn stand on top of them. When the city was started to be built, they hoped to seal the spider underneath the stone and be done with them. In turn, they gave the spider a place to always stay alive in the depths of the newer city. So in turn as the city rose into the sky the spiders new hunting grounds grew with it. Sharnick d’cannith found them to be nice pets until she got killed by the few she kept in her room. From that time forth they would carry her name, that was about 100 years before the city had its name changed into its current name that matches the spiders. Its not known if the person that renamed the city named it after these spiders.
Physiology
Many sages think the sharn shadow spider is not really a spider at all, from the fact it does not use webs. They are wrong, it is a hunter spider not a web building spider. You see its spinnerets do not work in the standard sense. You see the spiders use the glands that made the webbing for other purposes.
Their main use is to maintain a small pocket of shadow stuff. This pocket is used a battery to power there abilities. The spinnerets are used to allow the sharn shadow spider to planeshift into the plane of shadow. Since its compacted into such a small body, it also bends the shadows around the spider, as well as strengthening the spider’s body. It also give the spider the effect of its body changing with the shadows allowing it to hide better.
While the spiders will commonly eat rats, and other sized animals. It is not uncommon that a sharn shadow spider thinks a person is weak enough for a quick kill it will go after them. Most commonly this person will be a goblin albeit one that is not missed. Since their diet is mostly meat and a lot of it too help maintain its shadow pocket. Its not known how much meat they do need to eat but its estimated that they eat up to 20 times their weight weekly.
Some sages think they also hunt some form of pray on the plan of shadow it is not known what type this is since none of them that went to the plane of shadow has ever come back. What ever it is, it might be what truly helps keep the spiders shadow pocket in good shape.
Sharn shadow spiders when they are born lack they ability to generate the shadow blend ability as well as the ability to planshift to the plane of shadows. Because of this, they are commonly thought of as overly large spiders and not sharn shadow spiders. Since their shadow pocket is only being used to make them tougher, they need to match out and hide even more then the larger sharn shadow spiders. They have a life span of about 200 years it is not known if they really do live longer then that no one can tell. They reach their max size at the very end of their life span gaining the name of Ancient Sharn Shadow Spider. Since they are the strongest of them almost comparing to there relative the Shadow Spider.
Psychology and Society
Sharn shadow spiders are more keen to simple tactics since they might not be as smart as every other creatures out there. Smarter then people give them credit for still. They will commonly do what they are good at and study the area they live in so they can do it the best they can. Ambushing there pray at key places in the shadows of lower sharn so they can run and have their meal in peace.
Living mostly by them selves as a one of they do not have much of a society since they like their freedom almost to a insane extent. Only allies they make are those that like there talents, even these allies like the spider lord of shadow are only to keep such power things off there back so they can live there life as they deem fit.
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