Spiders in Drow of the Underdark

[JustKim]

I have this book and with it the answer to the question burning on everyone's mind: Are the spiders anatomically correct? The answer is no.

Page 13: Diagram of a spider with three distinct body segments. Spiders do not have a thorax. Theme is repeated ad infinitum in the desk's spider motif, complete with mandibles. Spiders do not have mandibles.

Page 21: Matron Mother's staff and broach. Even though these are objet d'art, drow artisans would very well know that a spider's legs do not sprout from its abdomen, and that spiders do not have mandibles.

Page 31: Spider decor with legs sprouting from abdomens. Spiders' legs only sprout from the cephalothorax.

Page 51: Patella and metatarsus are missing. Also spider is wearing shoes, spiders don't wear shoes, that is silly.

Page 52: Patella is in the wrong place on spider's legs. Patella should come between femur and tibia to enable circulation and prevent death. Spider's legs end in one claw- all spiders' legs end in two or three claws, else manipulation of webbing is impossible. Possibly spider is an octuple amputee.

Page 66: Spiders seem to have a distinct head and thorax. Spiders have a fused cephalothorax.

Page 91: Dissected spider has a distinct head and thorax. Patella is missing. Spider has long spinnerets characteristic only of funnelweb spiders, but lack any other funnelweb spider trait. Spider's legs end in a single claw.

Page 104: Spider has a distinct head and thorax. Spider has mandibles.

Page 105: Spider has a distinct head and thorax. Patella and metatarsus are missing.

Page 109: Spider's legs all end in a single claw.

Page 143: Patella and metatarsus are missing in all spiders. Pedipalps of widowmaker incorrectly resemble fangs.

I'm sure everyone will agree that this is a travesty. Stop it, fantasy artists. Stop it.

 

[Asmor]

I, for one, am shocked. Don't they know that children read these books?

Won't somebody think of the children?

 

[Pants]

Well, gee willickers, I sure am not buying the book because of this.

I mean, I can understand having dozens of different sentient humanoids inhabiting the same world, but anatomically incorrect spiders? Well, they just went too far!

 

[Jdvn1]

Also spider is wearing shoes, spiders don't wear shoes, that is silly.

We'll certainly have none of that here!

 

[Sound of Azure]

Page 51: Patella and metatarsus are missing. Also spider is wearing shoes, spiders don't wear shoes, that is silly.

They must be Slippers of Spider Climbing.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Oh my god! How could they! I could excuse them drawing dragons that should not be able to fly with that kind of body, but anatomically incorrectly drawn spiders? I'll never buy a D&D book again!

They must be Slippers of Spider Climbing.

Or shoes of non-spider walking. Must be annoying for your average giant spider to walk through some poorer part of a drow city and pick up lots of trash with its sticky feet. You know how annoying it is to step onto bubble gum and then onto a piece of paper? Imagine that x8, and without the need of the gum!

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, it's DnD; its fantasy, not reality.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

I have this book and with it the answer to the question burning on everyone's mind: Are the spiders anatomically correct?

Burning question indeed

 

[Klaus]

Stop it, fantasy artists. Stop it.

Emphasis mine.

 

[Asmor]

it's DnD; its fantasy, not reality.

Frukathka turned me into a newt!