Stats
Deadweb
Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 1d12+2
Initiative: +4 (improved Int)
Speed: 40ft
AC: 15 (+2 natural +3 dex)
Attacks: Grab +4, Bite +1 or Spit +4
Damage: Bite 1d10, Spit 1d3 (Grab does no damage)
Face/Reach: 5ft x 5ft / 5ft
Special Attacks: Poison, Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Spider Climb, Undead Immunities
Saves: Fort: +0, Ref +3, Will +2
Abilities: Str 10 (16), Dex 16, Con -, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills: Move Silently +15
Feats: Improved Initiative, Toughness
Climate/Terrain: Any non Arctic
Organization: Solitary or Pack (2-8)
Challenge Rating: 1?
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
Advancement: Large 2-3HD, Huge 4-10HD
The Deadweb is half undead and half construct. It was originally conceived by the Lich Nordfaust as a way of enhancing his undead legions. He taught the secret to his henchmen who fled to the four winds when the lich was slain by the Great Khan Temüjin.
A Deadweb is an undead skeleton infused with the spirit of a venomous spider. It appears as a skeleton shrouded in webs. Its face is covered by a veil of cobweb obscuring the features except for the glow of the skeleton’s eye sockets. It obeys orders like a skeleton but its tiny intellect allows it some autonomy. It has a spider’s hunting instinct and will seek out and kill prey unless explicitly told not to by its master.
The Deadweb has two attacks it can grab and bite or it can spit teeth. A Deadweb always grabs before it bites though the grab on its own does no damage. Although it is only strength 10 it counts as strength 16 for all grappling attacks where it is the aggressor as it is coated in sticky spider’s web which tends to stick it to its victim. Once the victim is snared, the Deadweb will not voluntarily leave let them go, under any circumstances, until they expire. However if sorely pressed from another quarter the Deadweb may spit teeth at its new aggressor.
Before they close to grab the Deadweb often soften up the opposition by spitting teeth at them. As the Deadweb is almost silent and can spider climb on roofs and ceilings the first strike is often an ambush from the roof. The spit attack propels one of the Deadweb’s teeth at high velocity towards the target. The range increment of the spit attack is 20ft. Each Deadweb has 2d10 teeth in its mouth
The bite and the spit attack are both poisoned (DC12 save). Failure to save results in 1d3 Con points damage. The poison lasts in the system for 12 hours.
The Deadweb’s are often short of teeth, so they take them from their victims. They are not clever enough to take expended teeth from the floor. Once a victim has reached -1 or lower hit points the Deadweb will administer a coup-de-grace. This attack involves biting the face off the victim. If successful the victim almost certainly dies and the Deadweb gains 2d6 teeth. A Deadweb can never have more than 20 teeth at one time.
The ritual to create Deadwebs takes 1 hour. Before the ritual starts you require some animated skeletons (up to one per caster level) and a number of venomous spiders equal the number of skeletons. The skeletons must be animated with Onyx gems worth 200gp rather than 50gp (see PHB pg 174). During the ritual the caster must cast Web, Spider Climb and Protection from Elements. If the ritual is interrupted it fails. As the spiders are killed at the start of the ritual, new spiders will have to be procured, however the skeletons remain unharmed.
Deadwebs may be created without the Protection from Elements spell, however this results in a highly inflammable creature. If such a creature is attacked with fire it burns inflicting 2d4 hp of damage on itself, this leaves an unshrouded blackened skeleton. The webs grow back slowly over a period of 1d6 days.
This one is designed to challenge a bunch of 1st Level PC's, so comments are welcome on the monster's suitability.
