What fictional monsters commonly trigger arachnophobia?

[Libertad]

So this was something that crossed my mind when I was doing a review last month, and how mindful to be with using non-spoilered images. Arachnophobia is perhaps the most common animal phobia, and in various RPGs arachnid monsters are rather common. Or arachnid-adjacent, such as ettercaps and driders. I've heard of some video game designers making alterations to spider-like monsters to avoid triggering arachnophobia in players, so it got me thinking.

For anyone experienced with arachnophobia, are there any common thresholds or lines for what fictional creatures can trigger arachnophobia beyond standard spiders and giant versions?

Goes without saying, but spoiler block any spidery images and giving warnings before linking to them.

 

[MGibster]

The facehugger from the alien franchise triggers the arachnophobia in many people.

 

[Voadam]

Interesting question.

I have one guy in my group with pretty severe arachnophobia (just saying the word spider is enough to make his skin crawl and be uncomfortable) and we have avoided using giant spiders since this came up and we knew, either reskinning (giant . . . cave bunnies) or just avoiding things with them (I did not suggest drow stuff when we were discussing new campaign ideas).

From D&D/Pathfinder giant spiders, retrievers (demonic spider construct), and bebiliths (demonic spider) have been right out since we found out. Same with White Wolf Anansi or weaver spider spirits.

I don't know if driders, ettercaps, spellweavers, aranea, or even Llolth would trigger the phobia reaction. I would generally avoid or reskin them if they came up though in adventure materials.

 

[Richards]

I found out my nephew was a bit arachnophobic when I used black pipe cleaners to add spider legs to a handful of sharks in a Gamma World crossover event in my last D&D 3.5 campaign. He was...not at all impressed with my spider-sharks.

Johnathan

 

[Davies]

The facehugger from the alien franchise triggers the arachnophobia in many people.

I can see how it might, but not in y. obt. svt. I suspect I have only a mild form of the phobia, though.

Driders, ettercaps, spellweavers and Lolth (as usually depicted) don't do it. Aranea are a sometimes, depending on the depiction.

The giant spider in the 5e Monster Manual is the first one in that line that didn't. This is not the case with critters depicted in the current version of Pathfinder's Bestiary. In their humanoid forms, the anadi only make me slightly uncomfortable instead of triggering the 'turn the page NOW' reaction that their spider forms do.

In as much as I can think about it, it's eyes and "fur" that set me off, more than anything else.

 

[Turgenev]

There is a beneficial alien spider race in the old (and largely forgotten) FASA RPG Legionnaire (set in the Renegade Legion universe) called the Baufrin that might set off someone's arachnophobia. Images are behind the spoiler tags.

Spoiler

Cheers,
Tim

 

[Pedantic]

Goes without saying, but spoiler block any spidery images and giving warnings before linking to them.

You say that, but it's amazing how many articles about arachnophobia accessibility features in video games have completely missed the point.

 

[Teo Twawki]

My brain: dontsaycharlotte•dontsaycharlotte•dontsaycharlotte

My mouth: Charlotte?

 

[Tonguez]

The spider cave level in Spyro the dragon really freaked me out

Various giant spiders
anything with multiple spindly legs and a scuttling gait
Spider eater
cave fishers
Ettercaps
Neogi
Rast
Rust Monster
Shivhad (Frostburn)
Spellgaunts

I’m not too bad with individual creatures, but get creeped out by spidery swarms