Aranea

• Go back to the Epic Path page.
• Go back to the Bestiary page.

Aranea (CR 12)

Ages ago, Aranea's were a species of intelligent shapeshifting spiders, raised up by a group of deities as worshipers. Over aeons of time, many such races came to be, until the God's decreed a Great Contest, to see which races would be Civilized, and which would not.

The Aranea were one of the many, many losers of that contest.

Bereft of their Gods, the Aranea have slowly degenerated over the passing millenia, until they are little more than beasts in the wilderness, with an uncanny intelligence and supernatural ability to take the shape of a humanoid. Every aranea has a humanoid form, each one as unique as a human's face.

Sadly, aranea's have lost much of their limpid, soulful selves in the process of devolution, and aranea's today are little more than monsters, practicing robbery, mayhem, slavery, extortion, and even casual murder. Aranea's can be a plague to a small settlement, and once a nest of aranea's have begun their depradations upon a settlement, the only way to solve it is to burn them out, root and branch, before they can kill or enslave every member of a local community.

GENERAL

CR 12 Hit Dice 17

XP 19,200

N to NE, Medium, Magical Beast

Init +9; Senses Low Light 120', Perception +18

DEFENSE

AC 32, touch 20, flat-footed 27 (+7 armor, +5 dex, +5 natural, +5 deflection)

hp 249

Fort +12, Ref +15, Will +12

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: Second Self

Immunities: Immune to Aranea Poison

Weaknesses: -

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., Climb 40 ft

Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.

Single Melee Bite +18 (2d8+13/x2) + Aranea Poison

Full Melee Bite +18 (2d8+13/x2)+ Aranea Poison, 2x Claws +18 (2d6+4/x2)

Ranged None, but see 'Throw Web' +10 ranged touch, range increment 10, max range 50 feet

Special Attacks Aranea poison, Throw Web, Illusory Image

Action Points 0

STATISTICS

Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 16

Base Atk +12; CMB +19; CMD 28

Feats

Skills Stealth +20

Languages Common

SPECIAL ABILITIES

<special abilities should have a save DC 21>

<special attack damage (standard action): 6d6+1>

<special attack damage (aoe’s, swift actions or inflicting status effects): 3d6+1>

Throw Web (Ex)

Once per encounter, as a standard action, Aranea's may throw a specially prepared web. This is resolved as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of ten feet. Creatures struck by the web take 3d6+1 subdual damage from the exotic soporific herbs soaking it. (This is a poison effect and is negated by immunity to poisons.) In addition, Affected targets must make a reflex saving throw against a DC of 21. Those who fail the saving throw gain the Pinned condition. Those who make the saving throw gain the Grappled condition. Either condition may be removed by expending a standard action to carefully unwrap the narcotic webbing. Note that adjacent allies may spend a standard action to free a pinned or grappled victim, but doing so means they will take the subdual damage from the webbing.

Aranea Poison (Su)

Bite—injury; save Fort DC 21; frequency 1/round for 1 round; effect 2d6 subdual hit points of damage that bypasses DR and 1d4 Wis damage; cure 1 save.

Note that Aranea poison is a special type of subdual poison: When a victim's Wisdom reaches zero they do not fall unconscious, instead they lose all ability to express their own will and will become obedient to any commands they are given.

Illusory Image (Sp)

Up to three times per day, as a full round action, an Aranea may cast Illusory Image. This acts in all ways as [Project Image|http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/p/project-image]. Illusory Image lasts for 12 rounds or one minute out of combat, and has a maximum range of 220 feet. Aranea's will typically begin combats when they are not surprised by using illusory image to draw in foes while they hide close by. Out of combat, an Aranea will use Illusory Image to initiate tense negotiations or spring suspected ambushes.

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 8,000 gp

COMBAT TACTICS

<describe typical actions taken during combat here>