Spider Kin

Spider kin are humanoids with certain spider-like features. They vary noticeably among them, with some having bodies are covered in short, bristly hair of various colors.

Others have eight limbs, or eight eyes, or mandibles around their mouths, or some combination. For those with eight limbs, they resemble something like a spidery centaur, with their four lower limbs function as legs and their four upper limbs as arms. Some can even spin silk from a gland in the tailbone.

Ancestral Traits

Sages disagree whether spider kin descend from a spider deity such as Anansi or Arachne, or if they are magical creations of some long-forgotten wizard. The variety of their appearance has even led a few scholars to argue that there is in fact a mixture of more than one ancestral origin for the group of beings known as spider kin. Regardless, all spider kin share certain traits in virtue of their arachnidan ancestry.

Age. Spider kin reach adulthood at the age of 20 and generally live a century.

Size. Spider kin are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base speed is 30 feet.

Spider Form. Spider kin have several features indicative of their spider heritage. Choose three of the below.

  • Climbing. Thanks to hook-like fingers and tiny, stiff hairs on your hands and feet, you have a climbing speed equal to your speed.
  • Eight Eyed. You have two large eyes where humans normally do and six more small black eyes across your forehead. You have advantage and Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.
  • Many Limbed. Like a spider, you have eight limbs. Like a human, however, you stand erect, which means you have four legs and four arms, like a four-armed, spidery centaur. In addition to being able to wield multiple weapons while also have a hand free for casting spells, you can take the Use An Object action as a bonus action.
  • Venomous Bite. Your mandibles can inject venom when you bite a foe, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. On a hit, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier of piercing damage, plus 1d4 poison damage.
  • Web Spinner. You have a gland at the base of your back that can extrude silk. If you take one minute of time, you can extrude a 10-foot-long strand of silk. You can elect to have this rope be smooth, in which case it functions as a silk rope, or sticky and interconnected, in which case it functions as a net. Once you have done so, you cannot extrude web again until you complete a long rest.

Cultural Traits

Spider kin communities tend to settle in out of the way places. Some build communities in tree tops, while others settle along the walls and ceilings of in caverns.

Regardless, these communities are usually built on strong, thick webs that those of spider kin ancestry have produced and woven together into impressively strong and supportive structures. Those of other ancestries can be found in these communities as well, though they must quickly learn to walk the webs of their settlements lest they fall. In general, most who grow up in a spider kin community gain the following features.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity increases by 2 and your Wisdom by 1.

Alignment. Spider kin communities literally hang on their webs being well-ordered and reliable. As such, their communities value reliability and order as well. Spider kin culture tends toward law.

Weavers. Those raised in spider kin communities learn the fine art of weaving, often specializing in silk. You have proficiency with weaver’s tools.

Web Sense. While in contact with a web, you know the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.

Web Walker. You ignore movement restrictions caused by webbing.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice.

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