Spiderbear, Young

Small monstrosity, neutral evil

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 16 (3d6 + 6)
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 4 (-3)

Skills Stealth +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Spiderbear
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Special Traits

  • Pack Tactics. The young spiderbear gains advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the spiderbear’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. Spiders are always considered a spiderbear’s ally.
  • Spider Climb. The young spiderbear can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
  • Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the young spiderbear knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
  • Web Walker. The young spiderbear ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.

Actions

  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.; one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 3 (1d6) poison damage.

About

If you cannot abide the thought of a spider with all its hairy legs crawling across your floor, imagine one large enough to bite off your head and smart enough to counter your attacks. That is the danger of the spiderbear.

Combining the raw strength of a bear with the swiftness and deadly poison of a spider, a spiderbear is a ferocious predator and perhaps one of the creepiest because of its cunning intellect, eight legs, and nasty claws.

The name a spiderbear has for its kind in its own language literally translates as “Cave King.” Its ability to walk on cave walls and ceilings or up tree trunks makes it an inventive hunter. Combined with its exceptional ability to hide, its prey seldom know the spiderbear has attacked, even after the poison takes hold.

A spiderbear’s home is its web. Like a monstrous spider, the silk a spiderbear spins is as thick as rope and far stronger.

The silk’s natural adhesive makes it difficult for all but the spiderbear or its lesser spider kin to traverse without being stuck fast. Unlike a spider, a spiderbear decorates its web with the femur bones of its most recent kills. A spiderbear considers skulls with brains intact to be a fine delicacy and will take the time to savor its meal. Its web is also hung with metallic treasures found upon its victims. A spiderbear’s web frequently bears a wealth of gold coins and magical gear.

Each of these glittery items is woven tightly into the web’s structure and it typically takes looters a half hour to dig out the full wealth from it.

A colony of spiderbears organizes themselves from oldest to youngest. The younger ones occupy the mouth of a cave or the edge of a forest. The eldest spiderbear is found in the heart of the forest or the darkest recesses of the cave. When a creature comes into a spiderbear cave or forest, the young ones decide together if they will challenge it or leave it for their elders. If they decide to attack, only a single young spiderbear tries to vanquish the newcomer. If the brave arachnid dies quickly, the rest of the young ones stay hidden.

If the interloper does not succumb easily but the first few seconds of battle fall to the attacking spiderbear, its brethren join in swarming the foe. This process is characteristic of each age cluster. Should the spiderbears allow the trespasser to approach the eldest spiderbear, then all ages of spiderbears will surround the formidable creature and join the foray if the eldest signals to attack. Younger spiderbears, of course, leave the spoils to the eldest.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Forgotten Woods (5e). © 2016, Jon Brazer Enterprises.