The aranea are the degenerate descendants of planar spiders who interbred with lesser giant spiders. “Lesser giant spiders” is not a single category. It is a family. Each pairing produced something different.
Design Framework #
All aranea variants share the baseline from BECMI_Aranea.md:
- Descended from planar spider × giant spider interbreeding
- Brain-lump on the back (the planar spider intelligence partially expressed)
- Front limb digits (from the planar spider line)
- Chaotic alignment
- Core web-spinning capability
- MU spellcasting (level varies by variant)
- Ancient enmity with phanaton
What varies: the giant spider species in the lineage, the resulting physical form, the social structure the variant developed, and which planar spider abilities survived the hybridization.
All variants use the same AC/AV calculation framework and skill slot system as the base aranea.
I. Black Widow Aranea (Aranea Latrodecta) #
The upper body is a woman. The lower body is a giant black widow spider. The red hourglass on the abdomen is real — the venom is real — and she knows exactly what both mean to the males of her species.
What a Black Widow Aranea Is #
The Black Widow Aranea is the product of planar spider × Giant Black Widow interbreeding. The hybridization pulled strongly toward the planar spider’s humanoid-adjacent intelligence, producing the most physically human-looking aranea variant — from the waist up. From the waist down, the giant black widow’s form is fully expressed: glossy black spider abdomen with the characteristic red hourglass marking on the underside, eight legs, and spinnerets.
Female only. The Black Widow Aranea variant produces no male offspring of its own type. Males of this lineage are Tarantella Aranea (see Entry II). The female-specific nature of this form is a direct expression of the black widow spider’s biology — the dominant expression goes to the female line.
The human upper body is not decorative. These aranea use it deliberately. They are capable of passing as upper-torso-only in conditions of low light, behind barriers, or at distance — a concealability that standard spider-form aranea lack entirely. Their spellcasting gestures are refined, their voices are capable of nuanced speech, and their humanoid expressions allow social manipulation unavailable to their spider-form cousins.
Core Statistics #
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 5d8** (avg 22 HP) |
| AC | 15 |
| AV | 2 |
| HR | +5 |
| FR | +4 |
| FD | 14 |
| Move | 90 ft (30 ft encounter) ground / 150 ft (50 ft encounter) in web |
| Attacks | 1 bite (1d6 + neurotoxin) OR 1 weapon (by type, uses human hands) OR spell |
| No. Appearing | 1d3 (1d6) |
| Save As | Magic-User 5 |
| Morale | 8 |
| Treasure | Type E |
| Alignment | Chaotic |
| Intelligence | High (INT 13) |
Skill Slots (5 total — 5** HD = 4 base + 2 asterisks; High INT 13) #
| Slot | Skill / Ability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HR Investment (Basic) | HR +5 |
| 2 | Black Widow Neurotoxin (innate, special) | Bite: 1d6 + staged neurotoxin (see below). First asterisk |
| 3 | MU5 Spellcasting (innate, special) | 2×1st / 2×2nd / 1×3rd. Second asterisk |
| 4 | Humanoid Deception (innate) | Upper-body human appearance; can impersonate a human woman behind concealment; +2 to social manipulation rolls involving voice or expression |
| 5 | Web Mastery (innate) | Superior web construction from black widow line; web tensile strength doubles; sticky web deals 1 AV damage to non-magical tools used to cut it |
The Black Widow Neurotoxin — Staged Effect #
The black widow’s venom is a neurotoxin, not a kill-or-survive poison. It works in stages, building toward a lethal outcome over time.
Immediate (bite round): Save vs. Poison or Stage 1 begins.
Stage 1 (1d4 rounds after bite): Cramping, pain. –2 HR and –2 to all saves. Victim must Save vs. Paralysis each round or be unable to take actions other than movement.
Stage 2 (if not treated within 1 turn): Systemic effects. –4 HR and –4 to all saves (replaces Stage 1 penalty). Save vs. Death Ray at –2 each turn or take 2d6 damage.
Stage 3 (if not treated within 1 hour): Save vs. Death Ray each turn at –4 or die.
Treatment: Neutralize Poison (Cleric 4th) at any stage ends the effect entirely. Cure Disease (Cleric 3rd) slows progression (keeps victim at current stage for 1d6 hours, buying time). Standard antitoxin (if available) halts Stage 1 progression.
The staging is intentional — the Black Widow Aranea does not bite to kill instantly. She bites to incapacitate. A Stage 1 victim is a captive; a Stage 3 victim is a mistake. She prefers prisoners to corpses.
The Red Hourglass #
The red hourglass on the abdomen is visible to anyone who sees her from below or at certain angles. It is a genuine biological warning — anyone with Nature Lore who sees it recognizes the black widow marking on a successful Alertness roll (DM determines difficulty based on lighting and angle). This recognition grants +2 to saves against her bite if they know to watch for it, but −2 to social interaction with her (the recognition changes the dynamic).
Society and Role #
Black Widow Aranea occupy a matriarchal role in aranea society — they are the dominant social class in communities where they appear. Their combination of human communication capability, superior spellcasting (MU5 vs. MU3 for common aranea), and the neurotoxin-capture ability make them natural leaders and interrogators.
Relationship with Tarantella Aranea: The males of this lineage (Tarantella Aranea, Entry II) are subordinate. A Black Widow Aranea will mate with a Tarantella Aranea and will not necessarily kill her mate afterward — unlike the mundane black widow, she has the intelligence to recognize long-term value in living consorts. However, a Tarantella Aranea who becomes useless or annoying may reconsider his continued utility.
Preferred environment: Web structures in elevated positions — cliff overhangs, ruined towers, the upper reaches of old forest. Their webs are architecturally more sophisticated than common aranea webs.
II. Tarantella Aranea (Aranea Theraphosa) #
There is no hybrid form. It is simply a very large, very intelligent tarantula with brain lumps on its back and manipulative digits on its front limbs. It dances when struck. Everything nearby dances with it. This is not a metaphor.
What a Tarantella Aranea Is #
The male lineage of the Black Widow Aranea cross produced a different outcome — a planar spider × tarantella hybrid that retained full spider form without humanoid expression. The Tarantella Aranea is the size of a large horse, covered in dense urticating hair, with the characteristic planar spider brain lumps and digit-fingers, and the tarantella’s notorious magical dance compulsion.
No hybrid form. Unlike the female Black Widow Aranea, the Tarantella Aranea has no human-adjacent appearance. It is visibly, unambiguously a very large intelligent spider. This limits its social roles but makes it a more direct physical threat.
The dance. The tarantella’s defining characteristic survived hybridization and is, if anything, more powerful in the aranea form — the planar spider intelligence gives the Tarantella Aranea conscious control over when and how the dance is triggered.
Core Statistics #
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 4d8** (avg 18 HP) |
| AC | 14 |
| AV | 2 |
| HR | +4 |
| FR | +5 |
| FD | 15 |
| Move | 120 ft (40 ft encounter) ground / 150 ft (50 ft encounter) in web |
| Attacks | 1 bite (1d8 + poison + dance) OR spell |
| No. Appearing | 1d4 (1d8) |
| Save As | Magic-User 3 |
| Morale | 9 |
| Treasure | Type D |
| Alignment | Chaotic |
| Intelligence | Average (INT 10) |
Skill Slots (5 total — 4** HD = 3 base + 2 asterisks; Average INT 10) #
| Slot | Skill / Ability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HR Investment (Basic) | HR +4 |
| 2 | Dance Compulsion — Enhanced (innate, special) | Conscious control; area effect; see below. First asterisk |
| 3 | MU3 Spellcasting (innate, special) | 2×1st / 1×2nd. Second asterisk |
| 4 | Urticating Hair (innate) | Any creature striking in melee: Save vs. Poison or –2 HR from irritant contact for 1d6 rounds |
| 5 | Dense Physique (innate) | FR +5 — the tarantella’s mass makes it resistant to Shove and Wrestling; +2 FR over HD baseline |
The Dance Compulsion — Enhanced Mechanics #
The standard tarantella (RC) causes creatures that touch it or are bitten to dance uncontrollably for 2d6 turns. The Tarantella Aranea’s version is more controlled:
Bite trigger: A bitten creature saves vs. Poison or begins dancing (2d6 turns, as standard tarantella). Additionally takes 1d8 bite damage regardless of save.
Observation trigger (enhanced): Any creature within 60 ft that watches the Tarantella Aranea dance for 1 round must save vs. Spells or join the dance (2d6 turns). The Tarantella Aranea can deliberately dance to trigger this — it uses its action for the round but creates an area compulsion.
The conscious control: Unlike the RC tarantella (which dances compulsively when struck), the Tarantella Aranea chooses when to use this ability. It will deliberately begin dancing as an action to spread the compulsion to observers, then resume normal attacks while victims dance helplessly.
Dancing creatures:
- Cannot attack, cast spells, or take purposeful actions
- Move randomly each round (d8 for direction, half movement)
- May accidentally move into hazards, off edges, or into other combatants
- Other creatures who see a dancing victim must save vs. Spells at –1 (the sympathy effect) or also begin dancing
Duration: 2d6 turns. Cure Disease or Remove Curse ends it immediately.
Interaction with Black Widow Aranea: A Tarantella Aranea and Black Widow Aranea operating together is a specifically dangerous combination — the Black Widow neurotoxin-captures victims while the Tarantella keeps the rest of the party dancing helplessly.
III. Crab Aranea (Aranea Carcinos) #
It moves sideways. It has the clicking digits and lateral gait of a crab spider but the brain lumps and the eyes that think. Somewhere in its lineage it found the Guild. The Guild found it useful. That was a long time ago and the arrangement has continued.
What a Crab Aranea Is #
The Crab Aranea descends from planar spider × Giant Crab Spider interbreeding. The crab spider’s lateral movement, gripping forelimbs, and ambush-predator instincts merged with planar spider intelligence to produce a variant that discovered the Guildsman tradition — and has maintained an institutional relationship with assassin and thief organizations for generations.
Physical form: Full spider, no humanoid hybrid. The crab spider’s distinctive lateral body plan is expressed — wide, flat, sideways-moving. The brain lumps are present but lower-profile than standard aranea, helping the Crab Aranea maintain its ambush concealment. The digit-fingers on the front limbs are more developed than any other aranea variant, reflecting the crab spider’s precision grip — these function at near-human dexterity.
The Guild history: At some point in the post-Aran period, Crab Aranea made contact with a mortal Guildsman organization. The exact arrangement is lost to history, but the institutional relationship persisted: Crab Aranea provide services (assassination, theft, intelligence extraction, lockpicking) to mortal clients through intermediary Guild contacts. They are paid in access — to specific locations, to phanaton slave networks they need disrupted, to magical research they cannot conduct alone.
Core Statistics #
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 4d8*** (avg 18 HP) |
| AC | 15 |
| AV | 2 |
| HR | +4 |
| FR | +3 |
| FD | 13 |
| Move | 120 ft (40 ft encounter) in any direction; cannot be flanked |
| Attacks | 1 bite (1d6 + paralytic venom) OR weapon OR Guild Arts |
| No. Appearing | 1 (1d3) |
| Save As | Guildsman 4 |
| Morale | 8 |
| Treasure | Type F (accumulated payment) |
| Alignment | Chaotic |
| Intelligence | High (INT 12) |
Save As Guildsman 4: The Crab Aranea’s save progression follows the Guildsman table — its training in the Guild tradition extended to its fundamental approach to survival and threat-response.
Skill Slots (6 total — 4*** HD = 3 base + 3 asterisks; High INT 12) #
| Slot | Skill / Ability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HR Investment (Basic) | HR +4 |
| 2 | Paralytic Venom (innate, special) | Bite: 1d6 + Save vs. Paralysis or paralyzed 1d6 turns. First asterisk |
| 3 | Guild Arts Suite (innate, special) | Backstab ×3 (4 HD equivalent); Move Silently 70%; Hide in Shadows 65%; Open Locks 55%; Find/Remove Traps 50%. Second asterisk |
| 4 | MU3 Spellcasting (innate, special) | 2×1st / 1×2nd; focused on infiltration spells. Third asterisk |
| 5 | Lateral Movement (innate) | Cannot be flanked; moves equally well in all horizontal directions; no facing requirement |
| 6 | Precision Digits (innate) | Near-human dexterity; can operate locks, mechanisms, and tools requiring fine manipulation; +10% to all Guild Art skill checks |
Paralytic Venom #
The crab spider’s venom is not lethal by design — it is a paralytic. Standard crab spider venom immobilizes prey for feeding; the Crab Aranea’s version serves a similar function but is calibrated to duration rather than lethality.
Save vs. Paralysis on any successful bite. Failure: paralyzed for 1d6 turns. Success: 1d6 bite damage only.
The Guild application: A paralyzed target can be searched, questioned (by the Crab Aranea’s client), or relocated. The Crab Aranea’s professional contracts often specify “alive and capable of answering questions” — the paralytic venom is the primary tool for delivering on this specification.
Guild Arts — Operational Profile #
The Crab Aranea is equivalent to a 4th-level Guildsman (Senior Journeyman approaching Master) in the Guild framework. Its operational specialization is infiltration and acquisition rather than open combat.
Backstab: ×3 multiplier (4 HD Guildsman). A paralyzed target — already incapacitated by the venom — counts as a Backstab target. A Crab Aranea that bites a victim into paralysis (Stage 1), then backstabs the paralyzed victim (Stage 2) deals 1d6 × 3 on the backstab plus the initial bite. This is its preferred two-action sequence against single high-value targets.
Move Silently (70%): Eight legs move with lateral weight distribution that minimizes sound. The Crab Aranea can traverse most surfaces in silence on a 70% success roll.
Hide in Shadows (65%): The flat body profile and lateral orientation allow the Crab Aranea to press against walls, floors, or ceilings in a manner that normal spider-form creatures cannot. It blends into corners and architectural features at 65%.
Open Locks (55%): The precision digits — the primary reason Guild organizations valued this variant — can manipulate lock mechanisms. Not as capable as a trained human Guildsman, but sufficient for standard tumbler locks and most dungeon mechanisms.
Find/Remove Traps (50%): Vibration sensitivity through eight legs allows detection of pressure plates, trip mechanisms, and spring traps. Removing them uses the precision digits.
Infiltration spells (MU3): The Crab Aranea selects its three spells from an infiltration-focused list: Invisibility (2nd), Knock (2nd), Charm Person (1st), Sleep (1st), Spider Climb (1st — natural but also magically extended to others).
Guild Relationship #
The Crab Aranea does not work for free. Payment is accepted in:
- Access to locations containing magical research relevant to the aranea lineage
- Intelligence on aranea-enslaved phanaton networks (they want to know where their ancient enemies are holding slaves — this information is used to disrupt aranea rivals, not to free the phanaton altruistically)
- Magical items, components, or knowledge
- Coin (they have accumulated Type F treasure from generations of contract work)
Moral ambiguity: A Crab Aranea is Chaotic and a spider — not a trustworthy ally. But it honors contracts for professional reasons. A party that hires a Crab Aranea through proper Guild channels gets what was contracted. A party that crosses a Crab Aranea or fails to pay gets the full Guild Arts toolkit turned against them.
IV. Scarab Aranea (Aranea Scarabaeus) #
The body scintillates. Not metaphorically — in full sunlight, the carapace cycles through golds and greens and blues like a living scarab. In the desert ruins of eastern Thothia, they have been worshipping the same goddess for longer than anyone who currently worships that goddess has been alive. Their webs hold hieroglyphs.
What a Scarab Aranea Is #
The Scarab Aranea is a unique Nithian-themed variant found primarily in the desert ruins of eastern Thothia, particularly in the older pre-dynastic ruins that predate even the current planar spider civilization on the Isle of Dawn. Its lineage incorporates scarab beetle biology — not a spider-beetle hybrid in the standard sense, but an aranea line that, through magical exposure to the Thothian divine sphere and proximity to scarab-sacred sites, developed scarab-beetle carapace coloration and sacred significance.
The scintillating carapace: In direct sunlight, the Scarab Aranea’s body cycles through golds, metallic greens, and iridescent blues — the color spectrum of the sacred scarab beetle in Thothian iconography. This is not camouflage; it is the opposite. The Scarab Aranea is a visible, ceremonially significant presence in its environment.
Nithian theming: The Scarab Aranea has developed a religious tradition around the Thothian divine sphere. They maintain hieroglyphic web-script — a writing system that uses web geometry and thread tension to encode sacred text. Their webs are simultaneously functional structures and religious documents. Scholars who can read web-script (a skill requiring years of study) can access Thothian religious lore that predates the current dynasty.
Relationship to Aketheti: The Scarab Aranea are aware of Aketheti’s existence and role. Some treat her as a divine intermediary between the Night Spider’s legacy and the Thothian divine sphere. Others view her as an abomination — a planar spider construct playing at godhood in human form. This internal theological dispute shapes Scarab Aranea politics.
Core Statistics #
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 6d8*** (avg 27 HP) |
| AC | 17 |
| AV | 4 |
| HR | +6 |
| FR | +5 |
| FD | 15 |
| Move | 90 ft (30 ft encounter) ground / 150 ft (50 ft encounter) in web |
| Attacks | 1 bite (1d6 + sacred venom) OR spell OR sacred web ritual |
| No. Appearing | 1d2 (1d4) |
| Save As | Magic-User 6 |
| Morale | 9 |
| Treasure | Type H (accumulated sacred objects) |
| Alignment | Chaotic |
| Intelligence | High (INT 14) |
AC 17 / AV 4: The scarab carapace is structurally denser than standard aranea chitin — approaching the hardness of beetle elytra. This provides genuine armoring beyond the standard aranea’s web-hardened hide.
Type H treasure: The Scarab Aranea’s sacred cache includes ancient Thothian artifacts, pre-dynastic religious objects, scarab amulets with genuine magical properties, and possibly fragments of web-script recording lost divine knowledge.
Skill Slots (7 total — 6*** HD = 4 base + 2 at 5–6 HD + 3 asterisks; High INT 14) #
| Slot | Skill / Ability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HR Investment (Basic) | HR +6 |
| 2 | FR Investment (Basic) | FR +5 |
| 3 | Sacred Venom — Curse Bite (innate, special) | 1d6 + divine curse effect (see below). First asterisk |
| 4 | MU6 Spellcasting (innate, special) | 2×1st / 2×2nd / 2×3rd / 1×4th. Second asterisk |
| 5 | Scarab Carapace — Sunlight Scintillation (innate, special) | Dazzle effect in direct sunlight; sacred intimidation; acts as divine focus for ritual magic. Third asterisk |
| 6 | Web-Script Hieroglyphics (innate) | Can encode and read Thothian sacred knowledge in web structure; web contains magical properties beyond entanglement |
| 7 | Sacred Cache Mastery (innate) | Identifies magical religious artifacts automatically; can activate Thothian sacred objects at will |
The Sacred Venom — Curse Bite #
The Scarab Aranea’s venom is not primarily lethal — it is a divine curse delivery mechanism. The scarab beetle in Thothian religion is associated with transformation, rebirth, and the judgment of souls. The venom reflects this.
On a successful bite: 1d6 damage. Save vs. Spells (the curse component uses the Spells save, not Poison save, reflecting its divine rather than chemical nature).
On a failed save: The victim is marked with a scarab curse:
- Roll 1d6 to determine curse type:
- Transformation mark: Victim’s skin shows a scarab mark visible to all; they cannot hide from intelligent undead for 1 week
- Judgment burden: Victim suffers –2 to all saves for 1d6 days as the “weight of sin” presses on them
- Rebirth compulsion: Victim must Save vs. Spells each morning or spend the day performing a random charitable act (DM determines)
- Sacred blindness: Victim cannot perceive the Scarab Aranea directly for 1d4 rounds (it becomes invisible to them specifically)
- Divine debt: Victim owes a “spiritual debt” — the next significant treasure they find belongs to the Scarab Aranea’s cache (magical compulsion to deliver it)
- Scarab blessing (reversed): The curse is positive — victim gains +2 to all saves for 1d6 days (rare; the scarab judged them worthy)
Remove Curse (Cleric 3rd) or Dispel Magic (MU 3rd) ends any of the above effects.
The Scintillating Carapace #
In direct sunlight, the Scarab Aranea’s body produces a cycling display of golds, greens, and blues.
Dazzle effect: Any creature that looks directly at a Scarab Aranea in full sunlight must Save vs. Spells or be dazzled for 1 round (–2 to hit rolls). The save is once per encounter, not per round.
Sacred intimidation: Intelligent creatures from Thothian culture who see the scintillation recognize it as a sacred sign. They must Save vs. Spells or be unable to attack the Scarab Aranea for 1 round from religious awe. This affects only creatures with knowledge of Thothian religion.
In darkness or dim light: No scintillation — the carapace appears as dull dark chitin. The visual display requires direct sunlight.
Spells — Sacred-Themed Complement #
The Scarab Aranea’s MU6 spells are selected from a sacred/transformative focus:
- 4th: Polymorph Others (transformation — the scarab’s rebirth magic)
- 3rd: Curse (reversed Remove Curse), Dispel Magic, Protection from Evil 10′ Radius
- 2nd: ESP, Phantasmal Force, Locate Object
- 1st: Charm Person, Detect Magic, Read Languages
V. Trapdoor Aranea (Aranea Phaseolus) #
There is a section of floor. It is not a door. Nothing is there. Then something is there, and then nothing is there again, and something has been taken. The planar spider’s ability to phase between planes survived in this lineage as a door-sized trick. It is enough.
What a Trapdoor Aranea Is #
The Trapdoor Aranea descends from planar spider × Giant Trapdoor Spider interbreeding. The trapdoor spider’s ambush mechanism — the hinged silk door over a prepared burrow — merged with the planar spider’s phasing ability to produce a variant whose “trapdoor” is not physical. Instead of a silk-hinged flap over a burrow, the Trapdoor Aranea can briefly create a phase-doorway — a momentary partial step into an adjacent phase state — and use it for ambush, escape, and prey-capture.
The phase door is not planar travel. The planar spider’s full inter-plane movement was not preserved. The Trapdoor Aranea can phase partially — enough to become briefly intangible, to reach through a surface, or to create a “trap door” that opens into its phase-space burrow — but it cannot travel to other planes. The ability is limited, local, and tactical.
Physical form: Full spider, no humanoid hybrid. The trapdoor spider lineage did not pull toward humanoid expression. The body is compact, heavily built, with the characteristic silk-lined burrow instinct expressed as a preference for constructing phase-anchored lairs rather than elevated webs.
Habitat: Underground, in ruins, under floors, beneath root systems. The Trapdoor Aranea builds its lair as a phase-anchored burrow — a physical excavation with a phase-space extension that effectively doubles the lair’s internal volume while appearing as a shallow hole to any investigator who doesn’t know what to look for.
Core Statistics #
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 4d8*** (avg 18 HP) |
| AC | 15 |
| AV | 3 |
| HR | +4 |
| FR | +6 |
| FD | 16 |
| Move | 90 ft (30 ft encounter) ground / 60 ft (20 ft encounter) underground |
| Phase Door | Instantaneous (see below) |
| Attacks | 1 bite (1d8 + venom) + 2 foreleg grips (1d4 each) OR spell |
| No. Appearing | 1 (1d3) |
| Save As | Magic-User 3 |
| Morale | 9 |
| Treasure | Type D (in phase-lair) |
| Alignment | Chaotic |
| Intelligence | Average (INT 10) |
FR +6 / FD 16: The trapdoor spider’s heavy build and low center of gravity make the Trapdoor Aranea one of the most physically resistant aranea variants. It is very difficult to Shove or dislodge from a prepared position.
Skill Slots (6 total — 4*** HD = 3 base + 3 asterisks; Average INT 10) #
| Slot | Skill / Ability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HR Investment (Basic) | HR +4 |
| 2 | Phase Door — Limited Phasing (innate, special) | Partial phase ability; three applications (see below). First asterisk |
| 3 | Trapdoor Ambush (innate, special) | Broadened surprise (1–5 on d6) from phase-door; see below. Second asterisk |
| 4 | MU3 Spellcasting (innate, special) | 2×1st / 1×2nd. Third asterisk |
| 5 | Phase-Anchored Lair (innate) | Constructs burrow with phase-space extension; lair is effectively invisible to non-magical investigation |
| 6 | Heavy Build (innate) | FR +6; +2 FD above HD baseline; resists displacement from prepared position |
The Phase Door — Three Applications #
The Trapdoor Aranea’s partial phasing is expressed in three specific ways, each usable a limited number of times per day:
Application 1 — Phase Ambush (3/day) #
The Trapdoor Aranea phases out from its burrow as a surprise attack. For the purpose of this ambush only, it is treated as invisible and undetectable by any non-magical means until it emerges.
Mechanics:
- Surprise on 1–5 on d6 (broader than standard 1–2; the phase-ambush is nearly impossible to anticipate)
- The ambush emerges from any surface the Trapdoor Aranea has prepared — floor, wall, ceiling, or from its phase-lair
- The phase-emergence is the attack opening; after the first round, the Trapdoor Aranea is fully visible and fights normally
- After attacking, it may use Application 2 (phase-retreat) to return to its lair
Application 2 — Phase Retreat (3/day) #
The Trapdoor Aranea phases partially through an adjacent surface to break engagement. It becomes incorporeal for 1 round, then materializes in its prepared phase-lair (within 60 ft of its current position).
Mechanics:
- Usable as an action in place of an attack
- During the incorporeal round: immune to physical attacks; can move through solid material up to 5 ft thick; spell effects still function normally (the phase is physical, not magical)
- After 1 round: fully materializes in the phase-lair
- Cannot be used consecutively (minimum 2 rounds between uses)
Application 3 — Phase Reach (1/day) #
The Trapdoor Aranea phases a foreleg or bite through a surface up to 6 inches thick to attack a creature on the other side without opening the door.
Mechanics:
- Attack through a wall, floor, or door (up to 6 inches of material)
- HR +4 vs. target’s AC; success: bite (1d8 + venom) with no possibility of parrying
- Target cannot see the attack coming — no AC bonus from shield or active defense on a successful hit
- Uses one of the daily Phase Ambush charges
The Phase-Anchored Lair #
The Trapdoor Aranea’s burrow has a phase-space extension that creates a “pocket” slightly out of phase with normal space. This pocket:
- Appears as an empty burrow ending at a silk-covered back wall to any physical investigation
- Actually extends 10 ft further in phase-space, containing the Trapdoor Aranea’s actual living space, treasure cache, and any captive prey
- Is accessible only to the Trapdoor Aranea and creatures it has brought in while phasing
- Cannot be detected by physical means; Detect Magic reveals a faint phase aura; True Seeing reveals the full extension
The silk door: Over the burrow entrance, the Trapdoor Aranea maintains a hinged silk door — physical, not phase-based — that blends with the surrounding terrain. Detecting it: Alertness check at –3 in the Trapdoor Aranea’s native terrain; –1 in other terrain.
The Venom — Immobilizing #
The Trapdoor Aranea’s venom is calibrated for prey-capture, as befits an ambush predator that brings living prey back to its phase-lair.
Bite: 1d8 damage. Save vs. Paralysis or immobilized (not fully paralyzed — can speak and cast spells with verbal components only, but cannot move or make physical attacks) for 1d6 turns.
Immobilized prey and the phase-lair: An immobilized victim can be dragged into the phase-lair through Application 2 (Phase Retreat). A victim who enters the phase-lair cannot exit without the Trapdoor Aranea’s cooperation or magical means (Dimension Door, Teleport, phase-enabling magic). They are trapped in the pocket space with the spider until rescued or consumed.
Cross-Variant Interaction #
| Variant | Lineage | Key Ability | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Widow Aranea | Planar × Black Widow | Neurotoxin; human upper body; MU5 | Matriarch; social infiltrator |
| Tarantella Aranea | Male line of above | Dance compulsion; dense urticating hair | Subordinate consort; combat disruptor |
| Crab Aranea | Planar × Crab Spider | Guild Arts; paralytic venom; lateral movement | Assassin; contractor; intelligence agent |
| Scarab Aranea | Planar × Scarab exposure | Sacred curse venom; scintillating carapace; MU6 | Priest caste; sacred guardian; Thothian lore keeper |
| Trapdoor Aranea | Planar × Trapdoor Spider | Partial phasing; ambush; phase-lair | Underground guardian; prey-capture specialist |
