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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shade" data-source="post: 3880825" data-attributes="member: 287">TotemsThis group holds a greater potential for DMs to be inventive, dealing with animations in the form of beasts. Transient examples as seen in spells are few, but include: sticks to snakes, live oak; simulacrum is an example that is permanent in effect. As with hylems, there are corresponding magical items, for example, the figurines of wondrous power or Quaal's feather token (bird). Also there exist monsters that possess related powers which can induce temporary theriomorphic animations (see treant and algoid). Permanently animated theriomorphic beings are not particularly numerous in the bestiaries (see homonculus, iron cobra, and necrophidius). Black Widow TotemFreq: Very rare# App: 1AC: 6Move: 24"/15"HD: 7% in lair: NilTreasure Type: Nil# Att: 1Dmg/Att: VariableSA: PoisonSD: See belowMagic Resistance: See belowInt: AverageAlignment: NeutralSize: S (2' diameter)Psionics: NilLevel/xp value: VII/1415Save As: Fighter 5Morale: 12This totem is specifically constructed by noble drow, who honor Lolth as their patron deity.  Its creation is unusual because it requires cooperation between a male drow magic user and a female drow cleric.  The former needs to be of at least 12th level, while the cleric must have attained 11th level.  First a black opal and a ruby, worth at least 5,000 gp each, must be sought.  When obtained, they are then crafted into a black spider with a red cross central on its abdomen.  This is then followed by the casting of the spells from both cleric and mage.  The mage spells required are: web and reincarnation; while the cleric performs bless, prayer, poison, commune and animate object.  It takes 2 months to fabricated and costs 30,000 gp overall.The totem can only be successfully controlled by the female cleric involved in its making.  All others, including the assisting magic user, require a specific trigger word or action detailed by the cleric, to be able to bypass the spider without difficulty.The Black Widow can cast once per round, over a range of 5", a normal strength web spell (not requiring support) at a single opponent; cast at 12th level of ability.  To determine whether the target has been hit by the spider, the totem needs to roll "to hit".  If the black widow attacks a webbed victim, the spider will automatically hit.  The creature's bite does 1-10 damage and contains a virulent poison, resulting in a save at -4.A +2 weapon or better is needed to score a successful hit on this creature and the only spell that affects the black widow is neutralize poison which will deactivate the totem's poison for 1 turn (if it fails its save).Basic: The black widow totem is the creation of chaotic elves.  Other details as above.From Imagine Magazine #19, October 1984.</blockquote>

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