Monster Madness: Arachnid

Courtesy Adrian Bourne

The namesake beast from Arachnid is much more than an arachnid. It is an evolutionary virus, capable of overwhelming the environment through a hyper-advanced form of species adaptation. An extraterrestrial, the arachnid is always improving on itself, by adopting traits from other insects. Centipedes, ticks, and scorpions are all possible ingredients for future versions of the arachnid.

Arachnids have a form of predatory intelligence that belies their vermin nature. The size of an elephant, it is a supreme predator, capable of tracking and stalking prey considerable distances. It's smart enough to avoid attacking large groups, picking off the weak with its acid spray and then ducking back into the foliage.

Arachnids are incredibly resistant to blunt force trauma, capable of withstanding gunfire at point-blank range. Its webbing has the strength of steel cable, which it uses to ensnare prey. A common tactic is to ambush a lone victim with a web, then follow up with its acid spray. While the victim writhes in pain it punctures its prey with its poison stinger.

Arachnids have two weaknesses: their need to molt and their vulnerability to poison. If an arachnid is sufficiently damaged it will retreat to molt, a process which takes 1d6 hours. Upon molting, it emerges completely healed of all wounds and, if need be, adding an additional mutation.

Arachnid (CR 5, HD 9d10+18)
N Large Vermin (Mutated)
Init +3 Spd Climb 20 or 30
Senses Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft.; | Listen +0, Spot +4

AC 14 (FF 11, Touch 12)
hp 67 (Disabled -2/Dying -14/Injury 14)
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +3
Immunity: Mind-Affecting Attacks (Ex), Resistance: Radiation (Ex): 2, DR 10/-

Atk +7/+2 base melee, +8/+3 base ranged; Grapple +12; Face 10'x10';
+7 Melee (Bite 1d8+2 plus 1d4 acid plus poison/crit 20/x2) and +2 Melee (Sting 1d8+1 plus poison/crit 20/x2);
SA: Acid Spray (Ex), Poison (Ex) , Web (Ex)
SQ: Racial Traits: Vermin, Mindless (Ex), Molt (Ex), Poison Vulnerability (Ex)

Abilities STR 15, DEX 17, CON 14, INT --, WIS 10, CHA 2
Skills: Climb + 14, Hide + 13*, Move Silently + 4, Spot + 4.

Special Attacks: Web (Ex): Arachnids often wait in their webs or in trees, then lower themselves silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the arachnid and one creature of the same size.
       Arachnids can cast a web eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size smaller that the spider. The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement.
       An entangled creature can escape with a successful Escape Artist check (DC 26) or burst it with a Strength check (DC 32).
       Arachnids often create sheets of sticky webbing up to 60 feet square. They usually position these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed at a Spot check (DC 20) to notice a web; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing gain a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot section has 30 hit points, and sheet webs have damage reduction 10/fire.
       An arachnid can move across its own sheet web at its climb speed and can determine the exact location of any creature touching the web.
       Poison (Ex): Bite, Fortitude save (DC 16), initial and secondary damage 1d6 Strength.

Acid Spray (Ex): An arachnid can spray acid in a 20-foot cone, dealing 4d8 points of damage to everything in the area. Once an arachnid uses this ability, it can’t use it again until 1d4 rounds later. The creature can also produce a concentrated stream of acid that deals 8d8 points of damage to a single target within 5 feet. In either case, a DC 17 Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Special Quality: Poison Vulnerability (Ex): Arachnids suffer double damage from poisons of all types, assuming the attack can penetrate their damage reduction.

Molt (Ex): Arachnids can molt once a week, which heals all hit points and ability damage. For 24 hours after it molts, the creature does not have the benefit of damage reduction.

Skills: Arachnids receive a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks in thick foliage.

For more info: See my review of the movie.