Shade
Monster Junkie
I slightly favor the higher Dex, too. If it throws the AC out of whack, though, I'd rather stick to 17.
Converting monsters from Dragon magazine
I slightly favor the higher Dex, too. If it throws the AC out of whack, though, I'd rather stick to 17.
Cleon
Legend
I still consider it unnecessary, but am prepared to be magnanimous about it since you seem to really want a higher Dex.
How about averaging the Medium Phase Spider 19 Dexterity and the Medium Monstrous Spider's 17 for Dex 18?
Hmm, what about averaging some of its other stats...
Med. Phase: Str 9, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 10
Med. Monstrous: Str 11, Dex 17, Con 12, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2
Dropspider: Str 10, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 7?
That would be OK by me.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Ditto here.
Cleon
Legend
Cleon
Legend
Spider, Xakhun, Drop Spider
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 2d10+2 (13 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+4 Dex, +1 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+2
Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d6 plus poison)
Full Attack: 1 bite +6 melee (1d6 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, web
Special Qualities: Controlled drop, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, safety line, tremorsense 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +1
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: Climb +12, Hide +8, Jump +14, Spot +9, Tumble +12
Feats: Weapon Finesse (B), Skill Focus (Tumble)
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary, colony (2-5), or platoon (6-10)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 3 HD (Medium); 4-6 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —
An enormous spider, about as big as a human. A thin membrane stretches between its legs.
The drop spider is an acrobatic variety of giant spider able to fall from any height without injuring itself. They prefer to live as high off the ground as possible, so are usually encountered atop cliffs, amid the stalagtites on a cave's ceiling, or on the highest levels of a city or forest.
The Xakhun drow sail the skies in windships in groups known as Xan Krabans. Lolth created the various Xakhun spiders to bolster the fighting capability of the Xan Krabans, although some can be found in traditional subterranean drow cities, serving priestesses of the Spider Queen. Xakhun spiders normally hide in the crew compartment of the windship until called upon to attack nearby ships and enemies. Drop spiders and the Xakhun's leaping sword spider instinctively attack each other, so they are never kept in the same ship or building.
A typical drop spider has a body 5 feet long and weighs about 180 pounds.
COMBAT
As befits their name, drop spiders prefer to drop upon their victims' heads. Their controlled drop ability allows them to safely and accurately land on opponents from any height, but if they fall more than 100 feet they risk being stunned by the landing and unable to attack.
Controlled Drop (Ex): A drop spider never takes damage from falls, but if the spider falls 100 ft. or more it must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC = 1 per 10 ft. fallen) or be stunned for 1 round. A falling drop spider can deploy a mesh between its legs which allows it to slow and precisely guide its fall. A drop spider can move 5 feet sideways for every 5 feet it falls. A drop spider can only direct its fall if it is carrying a light load and is not entangled or immobilized.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 12, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Safety Line (Ex): If a drop spider falls, it can throw out a web strand as an immediate action to secure itself to any support within 30 feet (such as a tree, cliff, or ship).
Web (Ex): Drop spiders often wait in their ship's rigging or in trees, then lower themselves silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the spider and one creature of the same size. Drop spiders can throw a web eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider. An entangled creature can escape with a successful DC 12 Escape Artist check or burst it with a DC 16 Strength check; such escape attempts are standard actions. The check DCs are Constitution-based, and the Strength check DC includes a +4 racial bonus.
Skills: Drop spiders have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks, a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks and Climb checks, and a +10 racial bonus on Jump checks. A drop spider can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. Drop spiders use either their Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher.
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 2d10+2 (13 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+4 Dex, +1 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+2
Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d6 plus poison)
Full Attack: 1 bite +6 melee (1d6 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, web
Special Qualities: Controlled drop, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, safety line, tremorsense 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +1
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: Climb +12, Hide +8, Jump +14, Spot +9, Tumble +12
Feats: Weapon Finesse (B), Skill Focus (Tumble)
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary, colony (2-5), or platoon (6-10)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 3 HD (Medium); 4-6 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —
An enormous spider, about as big as a human. A thin membrane stretches between its legs.
The drop spider is an acrobatic variety of giant spider able to fall from any height without injuring itself. They prefer to live as high off the ground as possible, so are usually encountered atop cliffs, amid the stalagtites on a cave's ceiling, or on the highest levels of a city or forest.
The Xakhun drow sail the skies in windships in groups known as Xan Krabans. Lolth created the various Xakhun spiders to bolster the fighting capability of the Xan Krabans, although some can be found in traditional subterranean drow cities, serving priestesses of the Spider Queen. Xakhun spiders normally hide in the crew compartment of the windship until called upon to attack nearby ships and enemies. Drop spiders and the Xakhun's leaping sword spider instinctively attack each other, so they are never kept in the same ship or building.
A typical drop spider has a body 5 feet long and weighs about 180 pounds.
COMBAT
As befits their name, drop spiders prefer to drop upon their victims' heads. Their controlled drop ability allows them to safely and accurately land on opponents from any height, but if they fall more than 100 feet they risk being stunned by the landing and unable to attack.
Controlled Drop (Ex): A drop spider never takes damage from falls, but if the spider falls 100 ft. or more it must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC = 1 per 10 ft. fallen) or be stunned for 1 round. A falling drop spider can deploy a mesh between its legs which allows it to slow and precisely guide its fall. A drop spider can move 5 feet sideways for every 5 feet it falls. A drop spider can only direct its fall if it is carrying a light load and is not entangled or immobilized.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 12, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Safety Line (Ex): If a drop spider falls, it can throw out a web strand as an immediate action to secure itself to any support within 30 feet (such as a tree, cliff, or ship).
Web (Ex): Drop spiders often wait in their ship's rigging or in trees, then lower themselves silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the spider and one creature of the same size. Drop spiders can throw a web eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider. An entangled creature can escape with a successful DC 12 Escape Artist check or burst it with a DC 16 Strength check; such escape attempts are standard actions. The check DCs are Constitution-based, and the Strength check DC includes a +4 racial bonus.
Skills: Drop spiders have a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks, a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks and Climb checks, and a +10 racial bonus on Jump checks. A drop spider can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. Drop spiders use either their Strength or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is higher.
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freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
The way I read it, parascending and the immunity to falling damage should be combined. Something like:
Controlled Falls (Ex): A falling drop spider (which is not entangled or immobilized) can deploy a mesh between its legs to guide its descent. A parascending drop spider can move 5ft sideways for every 10 feet it falls. Further, due to unique leg structure, a drop spider never takes damage from falls. However, a drop spider is rendered stunned for one round per 100 ft that it falls.
Controlled Falls (Ex): A falling drop spider (which is not entangled or immobilized) can deploy a mesh between its legs to guide its descent. A parascending drop spider can move 5ft sideways for every 10 feet it falls. Further, due to unique leg structure, a drop spider never takes damage from falls. However, a drop spider is rendered stunned for one round per 100 ft that it falls.
Cleon
Legend
Yes, I was wondering about combining the two.
I don't like the "auto-stun" for 100+ ft. falls, since it makes them too easy to kill as they land on an opposing vessel. Also, if it's at a terminal velocity fall any further falling distance wouldn't make any difference to the impact it suffers on landing, so it makes little sense to me to have the stun duration vary with height of fall. (Of course, the original text explains the stunning at it being disorientated - but that makes even less sense to me, if it falls a longer distance, a Drop Spider would have more time to orient itself for landing. Like a cat is more likely to survive a many storey fall than a 3-5 storey fall because it's got itself in "falling position").
That's why I proposed a single round of stun with a Fortitude save to resist it (DC = 1 per 10 ft. of fall).
Cleon
Legend
I'm OK with that if we can "fix" the stun.
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