The aranea were already an accident — planar spiders debased by interbreeding with lesser stock. These are something worse. These are what happens when someone looked at the aranea and thought: what if we tried again, but on purpose?
Origins #
The five Monstrous Aranea variants documented here are not the product of natural interbreeding. The natural aranea lineage (planar spider × giant spider, various strains) produced the variants catalogued in the Aranea Variants supplement. These entries represent something categorically different: deliberate magical hybridization conducted either by Nithian researchers during the late Imperial period, or through Immortal intervention of uncertain motivation.
The Nithian attribution is documented by fragmentary research notes in the sesh-ushabti archive at Edairo. The Immortal attribution is inferred from two of the five variants, whose complexity exceeds what Nithian binding magic alone could produce.
All five share one characteristic beyond their aranea lineage: they should not exist. The planar spider’s dimensional nature was not designed to merge with the biological or spiritual systems involved. That it sometimes works is either a testament to Nithian ingenuity, Immortal power, or the peculiar resilience of the planar spider genome under extreme magical pressure.
I. Phase-Rhagodessa Aranea (Aranea Phasodessa) #
The rhagodessa grabs. The planar spider phases. Something with a yellow head and sucker-pedipalps is appearing from the Ethereal Plane, grabbing you, and phasing back with you before you can respond. It is unclear where you are going. It is very clear what happens when you get there.
What It Is #
The Phase-Rhagodessa Aranea is the most immediately lethal of the five Monstrous Aranea. It combines the rhagodessa’s grab-and-eat predatory sequence with the planar spider’s dimensional phase capability — producing a predator that can appear from the Ethereal Plane, secure a target with sucker-pedipalps, and phase back to the Ethereal with the grabbed victim before the party can respond.
The brain-lumps of its aranea heritage are present but subdued — this creature is not intelligent in the way the sesh-ushabti are intelligent. It is intelligent enough to have a preferred hunting strategy, to recognize dangerous prey, and to choose targets. That is sufficient.
The nightmare scenario: Standard planar spider phase attacks allow the party to potentially respond (25% of the time). The Phase-Rhagodessa phases in, grabs (if the grab hits), and phases back — carrying the grabbed character into the Ethereal Plane. The party is now fighting a creature they cannot follow, for a companion they cannot reach.
Core Statistics #
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 8d8*** (avg 36 HP) |
| AC | 17 |
| AV | 3 |
| HR | +8 |
| FR | +9 |
| FD | 19 |
| Move | 150 ft (50 ft) ground / 150 ft (50 ft) wall-climb / Ethereal at will |
| Attacks | 1 sucker-grab (no damage; phases victim to Ethereal on success) + automatic bite (2d8) on grabbed target |
| No. Appearing | 1 (1d2) |
| Save As | Fighter 8 |
| Morale | 9 |
| Treasure | Special (see below) |
| Intelligence | Low (INT 6) |
| Alignment | Chaotic |
| XP | 1,750 |
Skill Slots (8 total — 8*** HD = 4 base + 4 at 7–8 HD + 3 asterisks; Low INT 6) #
| Slot | Skill | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HR Investment (Skilled) | HR +8 |
| 2 | FR Investment (Expert) | FR +9 |
| 3 | Phase Grab — Ethereal Capture (innate, special) | Phases in (auto-initiative); grab attempt HR +8 vs. AC; on hit: both phase to Ethereal. First asterisk |
| 4 | Auto-Bite on Grabbed Target (innate, special) | 2d8 automatic per round while grabbed; no attack roll; works in Ethereal. Second asterisk |
| 5 | Phase Escape (innate, special) | 75% chance to phase to Ethereal before party can respond; if grab succeeded, takes victim. Third asterisk |
| 6 | Wall Carry — Ethereal Drag (innate) | Can move through Ethereal at 150 ft while carrying grabbed victim; victim cannot escape without Ethereal-capable magic |
| 7 | Sucker Pedipalp Severing (innate) | Edged weapon 10+ damage to pedipalp severs it; releases victim; usable from Ethereal only by characters with Ethereal access |
| 8 | Predatory Intelligence (innate) | Selects targets: prioritizes spellcasters, small-sized characters, isolated party members |
Phase Grab — Complete Mechanics #
Round 1: The Phase-Rhagodessa arrives from the Ethereal (auto-initiative — acts before the party). It makes one sucker-grab attack (HR +8 vs. target AC).
On a miss: 75% chance it phases back to Ethereal without consequence. 25% chance it remains in the material plane (exposed to party attacks for the rest of the round).
On a hit: The target is grabbed. Both the Phase-Rhagodessa and the grabbed character immediately phase to the Ethereal Plane. This happens before the party can act.
In the Ethereal:
- The grabbed character takes 2d8 automatic bite damage per round
- The Ethereal is accessible to the Phase-Rhagodessa normally; it can move, feed, and eventually return
- The grabbed character cannot escape by mundane means — the grab mechanics are the same (FR check vs. FD 19) but there is nothing for the party to assist with unless they also have Ethereal access
- Spells cast from the material plane do not affect the Ethereal unless they specifically state they do
Getting the character back:
- Oil of Etherealness allows a character to enter the Ethereal and attempt rescue
- Dispel Magic (6th level or higher) cast at the point the victim vanished: 50% chance of disrupting the phase, returning both to the material plane
- Killing the Phase-Rhagodessa from the material plane (25% window each round it appears) releases the grabbed victim, who returns to material plane
- If the grabbed character kills the Phase-Rhagodessa while Ethereal, they are stranded in the Ethereal until they find their own way back
The victim’s experience: The Ethereal is grey, featureless, and cold. The grabbed character can see the material plane as through cloudy glass but cannot interact with it. The automatic bite damage continues each round. They have a dagger.
Treasure: Anything the Phase-Rhagodessa has carried to the Ethereal and not yet consumed — equipment of previous victims, potentially including magical items, scattered in a nest-area in the Ethereal near its lair.
II. Phase-Scorpion Aranea (Aranea Phasarion) #
A giant scorpion appears from nothing, stings, and is gone before the poison takes hold. The claw it left behind is not attached to anything on this plane. You are holding a Ethereal scorpion claw that has gripped your arm from the other side. The sting track is in you. It’s counting down.
What It Is #
The Phase-Scorpion Aranea combines the Giant Scorpion’s claw-and-sting predatory sequence with the planar spider’s phase mechanics. Where the Phase-Rhagodessa takes victims to the Ethereal, the Phase-Scorpion Aranea attacks through the Ethereal boundary — reaching claws into the material plane while maintaining its body in the Ethereal, or phasing fully in to deliver the sting and immediately phasing back.
The brain-lumps are more prominent in this variant — the scorpion-aranea’s planar spider heritage expressed more fully. INT 8 gives it genuine tactical awareness: it knows which targets are most dangerous, it uses the claw-grip to secure a target before committing to the sting, and it will not engage a party that has demonstrated Haste or Ethereal-access capability.
Core Statistics #
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 6d8** (avg 27 HP) |
| AC | 22 |
| AV | 4 |
| HR | +6 |
| FR | +7 |
| FD | 17 |
| Move | 150 ft (50 ft) ground / Ethereal at will |
| Attacks | 2 phase-claws (1d10/1d10 + grip; reach through Ethereal boundary) + 1 phase-sting (1d4 + save-or-die poison; +2 HR if either claw grips) |
| No. Appearing | 1d2 (1d4) |
| Save As | Fighter 6 |
| Morale | 10 |
| Treasure | Type V (accumulated in Ethereal) |
| Intelligence | Low-Average (INT 8) |
| Alignment | Chaotic |
| XP | 875 |
AC 22 / AV 4: The scorpion exoskeleton combined with partial Ethereal phasing. While partially phased, physical attacks against it have a 25% chance of passing through the Ethereal-boundary portion of its body. When fully material: AC 22, AV 4 as normal.
Skill Slots (6 total — 6** HD = 4 base + 1 at 5–6 HD + 2 asterisks; Low INT 8) #
| Slot | Skill | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HR Investment (Skilled) | HR +6 |
| 2 | FR Investment (Skilled) | FR +7 |
| 3 | Phase-Boundary Claw Reach (innate, special) | Claws reach through Ethereal boundary up to 10 ft; gripped targets cannot phase away. First asterisk |
| 4 | Phase-Sting Delivery (innate, special) | Phases in to deliver sting; 75% phases back before party can respond; +2 HR on sting if claw grips. Second asterisk |
| 5 | Partial Phase Defense (innate) | While claws are extended through boundary: 25% of physical attacks pass through the Ethereal-boundary body portion and miss entirely |
| 6 | Poison Amplification (innate) | Save-or-die poison inherited from Giant Scorpion line, enhanced by planar spider biology — save at –2 vs. standard Giant Scorpion poison |
Phase-Boundary Claw Reach #
The Phase-Scorpion Aranea’s defining ability: it can extend its claws through the Ethereal-material boundary without fully entering the material plane.
Mechanics: From the Ethereal, the scorpion extends claws into the material plane up to 10 ft. These claws are visible as slightly translucent versions of scorpion claws — they interact with material-plane creatures normally (attack, grip, damage) while the body remains in the Ethereal.
Gripped target restriction: A material-plane character gripped by phase-boundary claws cannot phase to the Ethereal — the claw’s dimensional anchor effect prevents it. This specifically counters Oil of Etherealness escape attempts.
Attacking the claws: The claws can be attacked normally in the material plane. Severing a claw (edged weapon, 8+ damage single hit, called shot at –2 HR) releases the grip and removes that claw from the scorpion’s attack pool. The claw damage is applied to the scorpion’s HP.
The sting delivery: After establishing claw-grip, the scorpion fully phases into the material plane for 1 round to deliver the sting (auto-initiative on phase-in). The sting at HR +6 (+2 for grip = +8 effective) vs. target AC. Then 75% phases back.
III. Lich-Aranea (Aranea Mortificans) #
It has the lower body of a great spider and the upper body of a skeleton in ancient Nithian funeral garments. The jeweled phylactery is somewhere in the web. Good luck finding it while the spider is actively trying to kill you with ten thousand years of accumulated spells.
What It Is #
The Lich-Aranea is the most ancient of the Monstrous Aranea — a planar spider that underwent the Lich transformation, likely during the late Nithian period when the binding magic tradition was sophisticated enough to adapt the standard Lich-creation ritual to non-humanoid physiology. The result: an undead planar spider with the Lich’s spell arsenal, phylactery, and permanent undead nature, combined with the planar spider’s phase attack capability and dimensional range.
The Lich-Aranea is not a Nithian experiment. It is a Nithian colleague — a planar spider who chose undeath for the same reasons Nithian Magic-Users did, and pursued it through the same channels. It has been undead for approximately three thousand years. Its motivations are personal, ancient, and not immediately legible.
The brain-lumps on its skeletal arachnid body have calcified — they are visible as bone-white protrusions along the thorax, containing a mind that has had millennia to develop.
Core Statistics #
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 21d4** (avg 55 HP — retains MU d4 HD die in undeath) |
| AC | 24 |
| AV | 3 |
| HR | +10 |
| FR | +10 |
| FD | 20 |
| Move | 180 ft (60 ft) ground / Ethereal at will |
| Attacks | 1 phase-bite (2d6 + save vs. poison –4) + spells as Lich MU 21+ |
| No. Appearing | 1 (unique or 1) |
| Save As | Magic-User 21 (Lich improvement — whichever is better per category) |
| Morale | 12 |
| Treasure | Type A + Type E (phylactery chamber) |
| Intelligence | Exceptional (INT 17) |
| Alignment | Chaotic |
| XP | 8,500 |
Skill Slots (12 total — 21 HD + 6 asterisks; Exceptional INT 17) #
| Slot | Skill | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HR Investment (Expert) | HR +10 |
| 2 | FR Investment (Expert) | FR +10 |
| 3 | Phase Attack (innate, special) | Auto-initiative; bite 2d6 + poison –4; 75% phase escape. First asterisk |
| 4 | MU21+ Spellcasting (innate, special) | Full Lich spell progression; 11th-level spells; three millennia of research. Second asterisk |
| 5 | Lich Touch — Paralysis (innate, special) | Any physical contact: Save vs. Paralysis or frozen until Remove Curse or Dispel Magic. Third asterisk |
| 6 | Undead Immunities (innate, special) | Immune: sleep, charm, hold, cold, electricity, insanity, death spells, energy drain. Fourth asterisk |
| 7 | Phylactery Anchor (innate, special) | Cannot be permanently destroyed without destroying the phylactery; body reforms in 1d4 days. Fifth asterisk |
| 8 | Ancient Nithian Spell Access (innate, special) | Access to pre-dynastic Nithian spells lost to modern practice (same as Lich entry — see BECMI_Lich.md). Sixth asterisk |
| 9 | Planar Spider Poison (innate) | Can suppress venom (choose not to poison on a bite) |
| 10 | Web Construction — Undead Grade (innate) | Webs are permanent, magically reinforced, and trigger alarm effects when crossed |
| 11 | Aranea Spellcasting Heritage (innate) | In addition to Lich spells, retains access to exclusive aranea spell tradition |
| 12 | Dimensional Sense (innate) | Senses all planar boundaries within 1 mile; aware of all Ethereal-material transitions in its territory |
The Phylactery #
The Lich-Aranea’s phylactery is woven into its web — a gem or amulet suspended at a specific node point of the web structure that the Lich-Aranea returns to between occupancies. It is not hidden in the conventional sense — it is simply located at a point in an enormous spider web that the party must navigate to reach while the Lich-Aranea is actively defending it.
Finding it: The phylactery gives off a faint Nithian binding-magic aura detectable by Detect Magic at 30 ft. A sesh-ushabti or Kha Sahu-wer examining the web can identify the phylactery node by its web-pattern significance within 1 turn of examination. Without this knowledge: random search of the web takes 1d6 turns during which the Lich-Aranea is attacking the searchers.
Destroying it: Standard Lich phylactery destruction — the specific method the Lich-Aranea chose in life determines what is required. The sesh-ushabti archive may have records.
Spell Approach #
The Lich-Aranea has had three thousand years to develop a combat spell list. It combines the Lich’s standard offensive arsenal (see BECMI_Lich.md) with the phase mechanic and the web environment:
Standard opening (if not surprised): The Lich-Aranea phases in from the Ethereal (auto-initiative), casts one spell, and phases back (note: casting prevents phasing back the same round — it must stay). The party has one round to respond before it phases again.
Web terrain advantage: The Lich-Aranea’s web is alarm-equipped — it knows when the party enters its territory and has one round of preparation per 100 ft of approach. Its opening spells are selected with knowledge of party composition.
The paralysis touch: Any character the Lich-Aranea can physically touch (after grab or in sustained melee) must Save vs. Paralysis or be frozen indefinitely. Standard Lich paralysis rules apply — only Remove Curse or Dispel Magic ends it.
IV. Druj-Aranea (Aranea Drujacola) — The Colony Possessor #
There is a normal spider on the wall. There is another one. There are forty of them. Then you notice that they are all moving in the same direction at the same speed. Then you notice that they are all looking at you with the same expression. Then they all open their mouths.
What It Is #
The Druj-Aranea is not a single creature. It is a Spirit Druj that has adapted to possess colonies of ordinary spiders rather than a single host, using the collective web-connected body of an entire spider colony as its distributed physical presence.
The mechanics of how this occurred are unclear. The Druj are already spirits that can occupy and control organic hosts. The aranea connection may be a matter of the colony’s web-network resembling, in magical structural terms, the phase-network that planar spiders navigate — a Druj that stumbled into the resonance between spirit-paths and web-architecture and found it could hold a colony rather than a single body.
The colony appearance: From a distance, or to a casual observer: a large number of ordinary spiders moving in an unusual pattern. From close examination: the spiders are moving with coordinated precision, their eyes are all oriented identically, and the web-network connecting them pulses faintly with the purple-tinged aura of a Druj presence.
The Druj core: One spider in the colony is the Druj’s primary anchor — the equivalent of the single-host possession point. This spider is indistinguishable from the others without Detect Magic or similar. If this spider is killed, the Druj must save vs. Spells or be expelled from the colony. The colony of ordinary spiders continues but is no longer possessed.
Core Statistics #
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 14d8**** (avg 63 HP — Druj HD; the colony spiders add no HP) |
| AC | 24 (Druj spiritual AC — physical colony spiders are AC 9 individually) |
| AV | 0 |
| HR | +14 |
| FR | — (spirit; cannot be Shoved or Wrestled as a unit) |
| FD | — |
| Move | 90 ft (30 ft) as colony swarm / Spirit paths at full Druj speed |
| Colony spiders | 2d6 × 10 ordinary spiders (10–120); each 1 HP, AC 9, no individual threat |
| Attacks | Colony surge (special) + Druj forms (Eye/Hand/Skull if triggered) |
| No. Appearing | 1 (unique behavior) |
| Save As | Fighter 14 |
| Morale | 12 |
| Treasure | Type I, O, V (accumulated in web complex) |
| Intelligence | Exceptional (INT 14) |
| Alignment | Chaotic |
| XP | 5,500 |
Skill Slots (10 total — 14**** HD = 4 base + 5 at 9 HD + 1 at 14 HD + 4 asterisks; Exceptional INT 14) #
| Slot | Skill | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HR Investment (Expert) | HR +14 |
| 2 | Colony Swarm Surge (innate, special) | Colony attacks as a wave; all targets in 20 ft area; see below. First asterisk |
| 3 | Druj Poison Presence (innate, special) | 10 ft radius: any contact with colony = poisonous touch (save vs. Poison or –2 to all rolls 1d6 turns). Second asterisk |
| 4 | Druj Form Split — Colony Expression (innate, special) | Can express Eye/Hand/Skull Druj forms through sub-colonies (see below). Third asterisk |
| 5 | Web-Network Spirit Path (innate, special) | Uses the colony web as a spirit path network; moves through connected web at 240 ft; senses everything touching the web. Fourth asterisk |
| 6 | Colony Reconstitution (innate) | If fewer than 10 spiders survive, Druj goes dormant and reconstitutes colony from nearby spider populations over 1d4 days |
| 7 | Core Spider Anchor (innate) | One spider is the Druj anchor; destroying it forces Save vs. Spells or expulsion |
| 8 | Turning — Colony Disruption (innate) | Turning affects colony as per Druj turning rules (reunites forms, forces core anchor to surface for 1d4+1 rounds) |
| 9 | Web Alarm Network (innate) | Knows everything touching its web within 500 ft; cannot be surprised in web territory |
| 10 | Spellcasting — Distributed (innate) | Can cast spells through any sub-group of 10+ spiders; verbal component delivered as synchronized colony hiss |
Colony Swarm Surge #
Area attack: The colony surges as a wave over all targets in a 20 ft area. Each target in the area makes a Save vs. Paralysis or is covered in 1d6 spiders per round — each spider deals 1 HP bite damage per round (the colony’s ordinary spider venom: Save vs. Poison or –2 to all rolls for 1d6 turns per individual spider bite).
Clearing spiders: A character can clear spiders from themselves (or an adjacent ally) as their action — removes all spiders from one target. Fire or area spells affect the colony spiders (1 HP each, killed immediately).
The swarm vs. AV: The colony spiders deal 1 HP per round each — AV does not reduce this below 1, because there are many separate attacks. A character covered in 10 spiders takes 10 HP per round minimum, reduced by any area-attack clearing.
Druj Form Expression Through Sub-Colonies #
The Druj-Aranea can send portions of the colony to act as the three Druj form-equivalents:
Eye Sub-Colony (10+ spiders): A cluster of spiders positions within 30 ft of a target and focuses collective gaze. Save vs. Paralysis or paralyzed 1d4 turns (standard Druj Eye effect). The cluster is vulnerable — area attacks destroy it, ending the paralysis effect.
Hand Sub-Colony (20+ spiders): A mass of spiders engulfs a limb — grip equivalent. Automatic 1d4 + 1d4 per round (Druj Hand grip effect distributed as colony bite damage). FR check vs. the colony’s HR +14 to break free.
Skull Sub-Colony (30+ spiders): A mass approaches a target. Save vs. Spells or fear-frozen (standard Druj Skull effect). While fear-frozen: automatic 2d4 bite damage per round from the surrounding colony.
The forms can operate simultaneously — three separate sub-colonies acting independently while the main colony swarm continues. Each sub-colony is a separate physical cluster that can be individually targeted.
V. Hivebrood-Aranea (Aranea Hivebroodis) #
The web is not decoration. The web is the hive. The broodmother is in the center. You do not want to go to the center. The broodlings on the walls are what used to be the last adventuring party.
What It Is #
The Hivebrood-Aranea represents the most successful of the five Monstrous Aranea in terms of sheer reproductive and territorial capability. A planar spider’s intelligence and dimensional capability merged with the Hivebrood’s parasitic-colony structure, producing a hive organism that:
- Uses the planar spider’s phase capability to capture hosts for broodling implantation
- Uses the aranea’s web-construction to create a hive architecture with dimensional extensions
- Uses the hivemind’s ability-absorption to accumulate and broadcast the capabilities of consumed creatures
- Uses the planar spider lineage’s intelligence to direct all of the above with genuine tactical awareness
The web is the hive. Structural webs form chambers, nurseries, the broodmother’s central space, and the hivemind’s control nodes — and the dimensional web extensions phase-shift into adjacent Ethereal space, effectively doubling the hive’s physical volume while appearing from the outside as a modest web structure.
Hive Structure #
The Hivebrood-Aranea functions as a hive organism with four distinct castes, each using the Hivebrood system from the source document as the foundation, modified by the planar spider heritage.
Broodling-Aranea #
The freshly implanted host — humanoid body with chitinous skin overlay and filmed eyes.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | As host (minimum 2+1) |
| AC | As host +2 (chitinous skin = –2 AC descending = +2 AC ascending) |
| AV | Host AV +1 |
| Move | 120 ft (40 ft) |
| Attacks | Hardened claws/teeth/weapon: 1d6 / 1d4 / by weapon |
| Save As | Fighter 3 |
| Morale | 12 |
| Intelligence | 4 (broodling overrides host intelligence) |
| XP | 35 or by host |
Broodling implantation: The Phase-capable hive captures hosts via broodlings implanted while the host is paralyzed. The process takes 1 full day. During this time:
- Host develops chitinous skin overlay (visible; horrifying to companions)
- Eyes film over
- Movements become stiff and insectoid
- Host is controlled by broodling — original personality suppressed but not destroyed
Removing the broodling: Cure Disease or Cure All kills the broodling. The host survives but permanently loses 1d6 points from each of: Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Charisma (the broodling’s metabolic modifications). The host permanently gains +1 AC (the chitinous skin remains — partial, but real). These losses and the AC gain are permanent.
Phase ability: Broodling-Aranea hosts retain a dim version of the planar spider phase capability — 25% chance per round to phase to the Ethereal and back (cannot control this; it triggers when the broodling is threatened). Duration: 1 round. The host has no awareness this is happening.
Hivebrood-Aranea #
The molted form — insectoid successor to the broodling host, with antennae, compound eyes, tough chitin exoskeleton.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 3+3** (avg 17 HP) |
| AC | 17 (RC AC 3 equivalent + planar spider heritage) |
| AV | 2 |
| HR | +3 |
| FR | +4 |
| FD | 14 |
| Move | 120 ft (40 ft) ground / 90 ft (30 ft) wall-climbing |
| Attacks | 1 bite (1d8 + paralytic saliva) / 2 claws (1d4/1d4) / 1 weapon |
| Save As | Fighter 4 |
| Morale | 12 |
| Intelligence | 7 |
| XP | 100 |
Paralytic saliva: Any bite hit — Save vs. Poison or paralyzed 2d8 turns. Released only by Neutralize Poison, Cure Serious Wounds, or Haste. The saliva is prized by alchemists (see source).
Fire vulnerability: All Hivebrood-Aranea take double damage from fire-based attacks. No save reduction. The chitin is highly flammable.
Infravision 60 ft: Sense opponents by heat and smell — not affected by Darkness or Continual Darkness alone. Darkness + Silence together “blinds” them (removes both heat-sight and vibration-sense).
Hive ability broadcast: Receives broadcasted abilities from the Hivemind-Aranea (see below). One broadcasted ability active at any time. If a second broadcast arrives before the first expires: confused (cannot attack, only defend) for 1d4 rounds.
Phase flicker (planar heritage): 10% per round of briefly flickering to semi-Ethereal state — makes it slightly harder to hit (–1 to attackers’ HR) for that round. Uncontrolled.
Hiveleader-Aranea #
The jelly-fed commander — capable of storing and relaying hivemind broadcasts, directing sub-units.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 5+1*** (avg 24 HP) |
| AC | 18 |
| AV | 3 |
| HR | +5 |
| FR | +5 |
| FD | 15 |
| Move | 120 ft (40 ft) ground / 90 ft (30 ft) wall / Phase to Ethereal (30% chance per round, controlled) |
| Attacks | 1 bite (1d10 + paralytic saliva) / 2 claws (1d6/1d6) or 1 weapon (1d8+1) |
| Save As | Fighter 7 |
| Morale | 12 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| XP | 400 |
Controlled phase: Unlike the Hivebrood’s flicker, the Hiveleader-Aranea can deliberately phase to the Ethereal (30% success per round attempt — consistent with the hive’s degraded planar capability). While Ethereal: commands hivebrood in the material plane through chemical scent broadcast that crosses the phase boundary.
Ability storage: Can store up to five broadcasted abilities received from the Hivemind-Aranea. These persist until used; stored abilities can be passed to hivebrood within 30 ft range. Unlike hivebrood, the hiveleader does not lose stored abilities if a second broadcast arrives — it queues them.
Command radius: All hivebrood within 30 ft receive hiveleader direction through chemical scent — coordinated attacks, tactical positioning, ability broadcasts.
Broodmother-Aranea #
The hive center — barely mobile, entirely focused on production.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 12+2* (avg 56 HP) |
| AC | 11 (RC AC 8 equivalent — she does not move or defend) |
| AV | 0 |
| HR | +0 |
| Move | 10 ft (3 ft encounter) |
| Attacks | 1 × 30 ft radius gas cloud (3/day): Save vs. Poison –1 or 3d6 damage/round until successful save |
| Save As | Fighter 12 |
| Morale | 12 |
| Intelligence | 0 (instinct only) |
| XP | 1,000 |
Phase-web production: The Broodmother-Aranea produces broodlings that retain the planar spider phase heritage in its degraded form (the 10–25% flicker/phase of the lower castes). She also produces the dimensional web extensions that give the hive its Ethereal-space annexes.
The gas cloud: 30 ft radius, 3/day. Save vs. Poison at –1 or 3d6 damage per round — not a single hit, a continuing damage effect each round until a successful save is made. Characters who fail the initial save continue taking 3d6 per round and must re-save each round until they succeed. Fleeing the 30 ft radius ends the exposure.
Hivemind-Aranea #
The hive intelligence — nearly immobile, consuming captured creatures to absorb and broadcast their abilities.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 6+6**** (avg 33 HP) |
| AC | 14 (RC AC 6 — somewhat mobile, defended by hive) |
| AV | 2 |
| HR | +6 |
| FR | +6 |
| Move | 30 ft (10 ft encounter) |
| Attacks | 2 claws (1d4/1d4) + 1 bite (1d6 + paralytic saliva) |
| Save As | Fighter 12 or better (improves when it eats better savers) |
| Morale | 12 |
| Intelligence | 16 |
| XP | 1,175 |
Ability absorption: When the Hivemind-Aranea eats a creature, it permanently gains all that creature’s abilities. These include: spells memorized at time of eating, Guildsman Guild Arts (at level eaten), Fighter combat abilities (at level eaten), class special abilities, saving throws (if better than current). One ability = one spell, or one skill, or one Attack Rank, or one combat option.
Broadcast mechanics — complete:
- Hivemind selects one ability from its absorbed pool to broadcast
- Chemical scent spreads at 60 ft per round
- Hivebrood and hiveleaders within range receive the ability
- The ability may be used within 3 rounds of receipt — after that it is lost
- The ability is lost from the Hivemind’s pool once broadcast (it can be permanently lost this way)
- Only one broadcast active per hivemind at a time in a single hive
- Second broadcast before first expires: hivebrood confused, cannot attack (only defend)
- Multiple hiveminds can each broadcast simultaneously — different broadcasts stack, each used independently
Spell-cast cost: Any hivebrood or hivemind that casts a broadcasted spell loses 1 HP in the process. They cast even if this kills them. The hive is more important than the individual.
Phase broadcast: If the Hivemind-Aranea has consumed a planar spider or similar phase-capable creature, it can broadcast phase-attack capability to the entire hive. For 3 rounds: all hivebrood gain 25% phase escape capability per round. This is the most dangerous broadcast and the hivemind uses it only in extreme need — it is permanently lost after one broadcast.
Four asterisks: Ability absorption (first), broadcast mechanics (second), improving saves through consumption (third), phase broadcast capability (fourth).
Hive Combat — Encounter Architecture #
A complete Hivebrood-Aranea hive is not a combat encounter. It is a dungeon.
The web dungeon:
- Outer web: Hivebrood-Aranea workers and soldiers — Morale 12, fire-vulnerable, infravision, paralytic saliva bites
- Middle web: Hiveleader-Aranea commanding sub-units — phase-capable at 30%, ability broadcasts from stored abilities, coordinated tactics
- Broodling-Aranea hosts: scattered throughout — visually horrifying former humanoids that the party may recognize. Their removal requires Cure Disease, which inflicts the permanent stat loss. Some of these broodlings are former adventurers
- Inner chamber: Broodmother-Aranea — almost immobile, three gas clouds per day, hivebrood defending with fanatical Morale 12
- Hivemind-Aranea node(s): 1d4 in a fully developed hive — each with an accumulated ability pool, each broadcasting independently, each defended by hiveleaders
The fire solution and its limits: Fire does double damage to all Hivebrood-Aranea. A Fireball is the most efficient clearing tool. But the web structure is itself flammable — a Fireball in the inner hive may collapse the broodling-host chambers (killing former adventurers inside), destroy the hivemind’s accumulated ability pool, and potentially ignite the dimensional web extensions (consequences in Ethereal space: DM determines).
Summary Table — Monstrous Aranea #
| Variant | Lineage | HD | CR | Key Threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase-Rhagodessa | Planar Spider × Rhagodessa | 8*** | 9 | Phases victims to Ethereal; auto-bite follows |
| Phase-Scorpion | Planar Spider × Giant Scorpion | 6** | 7 | Claw reach through Ethereal boundary; phase-sting delivery |
| Lich-Aranea | Planar Spider Lich | 21** | 22 | MU21+ spells + phase attack + paralysis touch + phylactery |
| Druj-Aranea | Spirit Druj × Spider Colony | 14**** | 16 | Colony swarm + distributed Druj forms + web spirit-path |
| Hivebrood-Aranea | Planar Spider × Hivebrood | Varies | 10–18 | Parasitic host capture; ability absorption and broadcast; fire-vulnerable but defended |
