The Demon Queen of Spiders is a cruel, capricious deity who delights in pitting her worshipers against one another. Arachnes are priestesses of Lolth who have risen to the pinnacle of drow society, worshiping Lolth only for the power she grants.
Clerics or cleric/fighters are the most likely characters to adopt the arachne prestige class, although other class combinations, particularly those including sorcerer, ranger, and wizard, are not unknown. Arachnes are only very rarely non-drow.
Arachnes are commonly found in drow cities of the Underdark in which priestesses of Lolth reign supreme, such as Menzoberranzan or Ched Nasad. Many Arachnes are matriarchs of drow noble houses or the daughters of such matron mothers. Arachnes encountered outside of drow cities are often young and less powerful, seeking to make a name for themselves in hopes of establishing or seizing control of their own noble houses some day.
©2006 commissoned art by Molly Nemecek
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Special
Familiar, Spider Affinity
Spidereyes
Webspinner
Spider Mount
Dominate Male Drow
Zin-carla
Transcendence, Yochlol Form
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Hit Die: d8
Requirements:
- Race: Aranea, choldrith, deep dragon, drow, half-drow, or draegloth.
- Gender: Female.
- Alignment: Chaotic Evil.
- Skills: Handle Animal 3+, Knowledge (Arcana) 4+, Speak Language (Abyssal), Spellcraft 4+.
- Feats: Great Fortitude, Still Spell, Survivor, plus either Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Hand Crossbow) or Weapon Finesse.
- Must be able to cast 3rd level Divine spells.
- Domain: Spider.
- Patron: Lolth.
- Special: Must have passed the Test of Lolth (given to above-average followers of Lolth upon reaching 6th level).
Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion), Ride, Scry, Sense Motive, Spellcraft.
Skill Points/Level: 2 + INT Modifier
Class Features
- Spellcasting
At each Arachne level, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a previous divine spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class.
- Familiar [Su]
All arachnes can obtain a hairy spider familiar. For purposes of this ability, the arachne's caster level is considered to be her highest divine caster level.
- Spider Affinity [Ex]
All arachnes are immune to the venom of spiders and spider-like creatures. Moreover, arachnes can communicate with arachnids and spider-like creatures of all kinds as long as the creature has an intelligence score of at least one. Normal spiders never attack or harm arachnes unless magically controlled.
- Spidereyes [Su]
At 2nd level, an arachne can see through the eyes of any spider within 400 feet + 40 feet per divine caster level.
In addition, this ability strengthens the link with her familiar. As long as the arachne and her familiar remain on the same plane, she can see and hear as if she were standing where it is, no matter the distance, and during her turn she can switch her perception from its location to her own or back again as a free action.
- Webspinner [Sp]
At 3rd level, an arachne can ignore Web spells and spider webbing as if affected by a Freedom of Movement spell. She can walk along webs as if on solid ground (no Balance check required). The Web spell becomes part of her spell list as a 2nd level cleric spell.
- Spider Mount [Sp]
At 5th level, an arachne can call an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal spider to serve her as a steed. Such mounts are always monstrous spiders, with medium size (for Small creatures) or large (for a Medium size arachne) being most common. In all other respects, such spider mounts are identical to a paladin's mount as discussed in Chapter 3 in the Player's Handbook.
Should the arachne's spider mount die, she may call for another one after a year and a day. The new mount has all the accumulated abilities due a mount of the prestige class level of the arachne.
- Dominate Male Drow [Sp]
At 7th level, an arachne can cast Dominate Person once per day, affecting only male drow.
- Zin-Carla [Su]
At 9th level, an arachne can create a special form of undead called a zin-carla; see sidebar at bottom of page. A zin-carla, or spirit-wraith, cannot be made to cast spells without the arachne losing control over its mind entirely, but can fully use its combat abilities and any skills possessed in life.
The arachne maintains a telepathic link to the spirit-wraith over any distance (as long as both remain on the same plane) that allows her to communicate with and control it. The arachne must make a successful Concentration check opposed by the spirit-wraith's Will saving throw once per day and whenever the spirit-wraith enters combat in order to continue to maintain control. Control is also severed if the arachne and the zin-carla are on different planes or if the arachne dies.
If control is ever lost for any reason, the telepathic link between arachne and spirit-wraith ends immediately and cannot be restored. The zin-carla then becomes a free-willed undead, seeking only vengeance against its creator, and against the supernatural ability to know the direction and distance to the arachne that animated it. If it manages to slay the arachne, the zin-carla crumbles to dust. In the rare circumstance when the arachne dies without the zin-carla killing her, the zin-carla becomes a free-willed undead.
The zin-carla ritual requires 8 hours and the intact corpse of the creature to be animated. The arachne must expend 50 xp per hit die of the creature to be animated.
- Transcendence
At 10th level, an arachne becomes a creature blessed of Lolth, transcending her mortal body and becoming a divine creature (a native outsider). Her type changes to Outsider (chaotic, evil), which means she is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than a humanoid. For instance, Charm Person doesn't affect her, but Banishment and similar spells can affect her.
- Yochlol Form [Su]
Once per day the arachne may take the form of a yolchlol, a large monstrous black spider, or a cloud of noxious gas (as a yolchlol does), as if using a Shapechange spell. She may change form among these shapes or her own shape for a period of 1 minute per caster level.
Page Last Updated May 8th, 2006
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