Jorogumo

Medium monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 287 (25d8+175)
Speed 30 ft., climb 50 ft., swim 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
24 (+7)	19 (+4)	24 (+7)	15 (+2)	17 (+3)	26 (+8)

Saving Throws Str +12, Con +12, Wis +8
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Skills Deception +13, Perception +8
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Aklo, Common, Sylvan
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Innate Spellcasting. The jorogumo’s spell casting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 21). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • At will: charm person, detect thoughts
  • 3/day each: bestow curse, suggestion
  • 1/day each: hold monster
• Bewitching Weaves. Any creature restrained by the jorogumo’s web attack must succeed a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the jorogumo and not take any actions to attempt to free itself from the web. A charmed creature can attempt another saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end this condition.
• Flaming Allies. Any spider within 60 feet of the jorogumo can spit fire, functioning as burning hands, with a spell save DC of 21. Each individual spider or insect swarm (made of spiders) can do this once per day.
• Spider Empathy. The jorogumo can speak with any species of spider and control them as her guardians.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The jorogumo makes one bite attack and two claw attacks.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 34 (5d10 + 7) piercing damage, and the target must succeed a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 14 (4d6) poison damage, or half as much on a successful save. If the target is a creature it must succeed a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be implanted with a clump of spider eggs. That clump of spider eggs opens up and in insect swarm crawls out of the creature 1d4 rounds later, completely loyal to the jorogumo.
• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (4d8 + 7) slashing damage.
• Web (Recharge 5-6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 18 Strength check, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 5; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage).
• Shapechanger. The jorogumo can turn into a Tiny spider or a Medium human with a generic appearance. It retains its stats and abilities in either form, but it cannot use its bite, claw, or web attacks if not in its natural form.

ABOUT

Jorogumos are seductive schemers who secret themselves away in isolated mountain valleys where they lure travelers, especially men, to their dooms. Exclusively female, jorogumos must mate with humanoids to produce fertile eggs. After copulation, a jorogumo paralyzes her partner by poisoning him into a coma. She lays a single egg within the father’s body, then cocoons the corpse and hides the victim. Periodic visits to re-poison the victim ensure his coma lasts for the 2d4 days required for the young jorogumo to hatch and feed.

Jorogumos are enthusiastic enemies of kenkus and attack them on sight-they never take kenkus as “mates.”