Functional Template - Drider

[MaximumHavoc]

(long time lurker, first time poster, here. cheers.)

Drider
A drider was a powerful drow priest of Lolth whose devotion was satisfactorily tested by Lolth and who was gifted with a semblance of her god’s spider form. Most, although not all, matron mothers are driders. Drow believe that a drow house that does not have a drider for a matron mother is experiencing the displeasure and punishment of Lolth. Such houses face stigma and some prejudice from the greater drow community. A drow house with two or more driders is regarded as blessed by Lolth. As the favored of Lolth, all driders, whether matron mother or not, enjoy considerable power and authority in drow society. Since all drow priests are female, a male drider is a rare and socially complicated circumstance for drow society. Driders often dispense with weapons, instead relying upon their two blade-like front claws and their bite for melee.

Drider is a template you can apply to any drow priest and, rarely, other drow who have dedicated their lives to the service of Lolth. If you are modifying a nonplayer character, this template works best with the cleric.

Prerequisite: Level 11, Drow Priest or drow worshiper of Lolth
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Drider
Elite Soldier
Large fey humanoid (spider)
XP Elite
Defenses +2 AC; +4 Fortitude, +2 Reflex
Resist 5 + 1/2 level poison
Saving Throws +2
Speed 8, climb 8 (spider climb)
Size Large
Action Point 1
Hit Points +8 per level + Constitution score
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POWERS

M-B Claw (standard; at-will) Poison
Level +4 vs. AC; 1d8 + 7 damage, and the drider makes a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary Attack: Level +2 vs. Fortitude; target takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is also weakened (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target falls unconscious until the end of the encounter.

M Double Attack (standard; at-will) Poison
The drider makes two claw attacks.

M Quick Bite (minor; at-will) Poison
Requires combat advantage; Level +2 vs. Fortitude; 1d4 damage, and ongoing Constitution modifier + 1/2 level poison damage (save ends). If applicable, REPLACES Drow Priest Bite of the Spider.

R Web (standard; recharge 4 5 6 )
Ranged 5; Level +2 vs. Reflex; the target is restrained (until escape). Escaping from the web requires a successful DC Level +12 Acrobatics check or Level +12 Athletics check.

Spider Link (minor; at-will) Healing
The drider can transfer up to its healing surge value of points of damage she has taken to a spider or a drow within 5 squares of her. She cannot transfer more hit points than the creature has remaining. If applicable, REPLACES Drow Priest Spider Link.

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please provide your constructive comments

 

[MaximumHavoc]

modifications #1

made a few modifications:

(1) changed role of drider template from controller to soldier;
(2) changed attack bonuses from static numbers to level adjusted numbers, consistent with the templates appearing in the dungeon masters guide; and
(3) added "If applicable," before each appearance of the word "REPLACES".

 

[MaximumHavoc]

modification #2

just caught another modification:

although drow priests, as they appear in the monster manual, are over level 11, i must ensure that all drow worshiper candidates are at least level 11.

 

[MaximumHavoc]

i was hoping for some savvy suggestions regarding my drider template idea. tough crowd here.

anyway, i am toying with the idea of adding the following line item:

Resist 5 + 1/2 level poison

i know that the driders in the monster manual do not have poison resistance, nor do most of the spiders in the monster manual, but it seems fitting to me.

thoughts?

 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Perhaps if you moved it to the houserules section rather than the rules discussion section?

I'm not a real fan of Drow, so I can't really comment on it from that perspective. That said:

- if it is a template, the poison damage really shouldn't be fixed - perhaps make it con mod. + 1/2 level?

- additionally, the transfer hit points ability doesn't seem like a drider thing, but a priest thing.

- finally, the abilities don't seem to be drider abilities, generally. Yes, the quick bite works, but the claw makes no sense. First, neither of the MM driders have anything similar. Second, spiders don't have claws, let alone poisonous claws.

Personally, I would work on distilling the essential elements of a drider. Asides from the attacks portion of the profile, you seem to have done so. Might I suggest some sort of web ability? Both the MM driders appear to have one.

Dr. Ruminahui - shrink with a spear

 

[MaximumHavoc]

thank you for your constructive input.

you are right about moving it to the house rules section. unfortunately, i do not think i am capable of moving an existing thread from one section to another. as i mentioned in the original post, this is my very first thread on en world. i did not notice that more appropriate section until after i created this thread. my apologies for any disruption caused.

i agree with you about the ongoing poison damage for quick bite. changing it to con mod. + 1/2 level seems fitting. judging from the various drow entries in the monster manual, this change likely would result in a smaller amount of ongoing damage. nonetheless, i think your suggestion is spot on.

i think that this template captures all of the essential aspects of being a drider: large size, climb speed, poison, claw and bite attacks. the two blade-like front claws, a la the blade spider, are my own little invention that i included because, imho, a powerful form as the drider should not need to rely upon the manufactured weapons that fangless and clawless humanoids must rely upon. seriously, as great as the driders look in the monster manual, seeing them relying upon a short sword as the primary/basic source of their melee attacks felt wrong. "i am a size large monster. rawr! where did i put my dagger?"

also, i included the transfer hit points ability, which does derive from the drow priest, because i felt that lolth would grant her driders that sort of staying power, regardless of whether the drow candidate were a priest or not. the drider version of this power must replace the drow priest version because the total hit points needed to be adjusted from a fixed amount to a percentage, similar to your suggestion regarding ongoing poison damage.

your suggestion of including a web power is sensible. i struggled with that very question as i created this template. i originally chose to leave it out because (i) both the drow priest and the drow arachnomancer (imo, two of the likeliest sorts of candidates for the drider template) already have web powers, and (ii) i wanted to avoid including too many powers in this template. however, perhaps i should ensure that any and all driders will have a web power, not unlike how i am ensuring that every drider will have a transfer hit point ability.

again, i have taken some creative license with this template. it is my interpretation of a drider, and i think it works.

thank you again for your helpful suggestions, dr. ruminahui.

 

[MaximumHavoc]

adding a web power

 

[balard]

The Drider fluffy changed or you changed it for some reason?

 

[MaximumHavoc]

i changed it.

i prefer the idea that only the very best and most devoted of lolth's drow servants are awarded with this transformation. syncing driders with matrons mothers just made sense to me. so, instead of driders being "subservient to lolth's priests", they represent the elite of lolth's priests. some of whom, naturally, are matron mothers.

i will share with you a post i made on the wizards forums years ago, back when i was first reinventing the driders:

"driders are now favored by lolth, not unfavored (don't ask. she IS chaotic.). ;-)

at first, the drow have a hard time adjusting to this. they have always held disdain for the driders. now, lolth has deemed that driders are favored because to be more "spider" is to be better. the pre-existing driders have returned to their houses, to be treated--begrudgingly--with honor and respect, even above priestesses. the pre-existing driders continue to bear much resentment towards the drow. they repeatedly exploit their newfound power and authority to exact various incidences of revenge upon their family members and other drow. however, they know that an excess of this behavior will be disfavored by lolth. now, a new drider is created only as a reward by lolth to an exceptional priestess, who, upon becoming a drider, assumes the role of matron mother of her house. not all houses are blessed with a drider matron mother. it is a cause for political strife and manipulation among the houses. now, new driders are almost exclusively female. the rare creation of a new male drider is a source of confusion and consternation amoung the drow society ("what does lolth mean by this? a male favored?"). driders have spider reproductive organs and have spider offspring (note to self - create a large spider that has an intelligence score of 10 and, perhaps, special abilities). any remnant sexual urges that drider may still feel towards drow are satiated only through violence. this is an aspect of lolth's blessing that is cruel both to the drider (sexual frustration and adjusting to having sex with spiders) and to the drider's "sexual" victim (obviously)."

i am happy to see wotc implement this change from disfavored to favored.

 

[MaximumHavoc]

i have not yet seen the dmg2, but i am wondering whether a template similar to mine was included. can anyone with the dmg2 tell me if this is so?