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 3.5: Spider Man for drow - the Spider Touched
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redking
Learned Scribe

131 Posts

Posted - 16 Sep 2018 :  11:09:48  Show Profile Send redking a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Spider touched template

An extremely small number of drow males mutate after being bitten by a faerzress infused monstrous spider. The drow males that mutate after being bitten gain some of the characteristics and abilities of spiders. This rare mutation generally only occurs once in a generation in a given drow city, so there is usually only one or two spider touched drow living in any given city at any time.

It is unknown why only drow males mutate and become spider touched. The clergy of Lolth teach that being spider touched is a blessing of Lolth given to inferior drow males when Lolth is rarely moved by pity.

Many drow males will deliberately expose themselves to the bites of monstrous spiders in areas of particularly strong faerzress radiation in the hopes that they might become spider touched. Many drow males are killed this way. These drow males seek to follow in the footsteps of the famous ‘Spider Drow’, the dashing spider touched drow male of drow folklore.

Creating a spider touched creature

The spider touched is a template that can be added to any drow male (referred to hereafter as the creature). This template is not inherited.

Abilities: +6 Strength, +6 Dexterity, +6 Constitution.
Web (Sp): The creature may shoot webs at will as if casting the web spell as a standard action. Caster level equals the total character level of the creature.
Spider Climb (Ex): The creature is always affected by a spider climb effect.
Falling damage: The creature ignores the first 30 feet of falling damage.
Skills: +8 racial bonus to hide, balance, spot, jump, move silently, and climb skills.
Spider Senses:
Tremorsense (Ex): The creature can detect and pinpoint any creature or object within 60 feet in contact with the ground.
Quick reactions: The creature gains a +4 bonus to initiative checks.
Uncanny dodge (Ex):The creature can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

Edited by - redking on 17 Sep 2018 05:24:36

The Masked Mage
Great Reader

USA
2420 Posts

Posted - 16 Sep 2018 :  11:33:55  Show Profile Send The Masked Mage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'm not sure how the abilities match up in modern version with 2nd Ed. but if they are still based on 18 or 20 or 25, then three +6 abilities is HUGE. Seems a bit of an overkill; would be better to have it a set number - like what if that drow already had high states there (17s and 18s, and then becomes like 24s... too much). Similarly, the web at will is a bit overpowered too, compared to spiderman's ability. Maybe look to the wand of spider strands (i think that's what it was called) for the ability.

Conversely, spidey sense is way more than feeling nearby tremors. It would be more like constant benifits of an improved haste spell combined with some kind ability to detect motion/scent/etc.
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redking
Learned Scribe

131 Posts

Posted - 16 Sep 2018 :  11:53:34  Show Profile Send redking a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The Elite Stat Array in 3.5e is 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. Assuming the 15 is strength, that brings the strength score to 21, which is an approximation of "super strength", although nowhere near that of a Hill Giant which has 25 strength. The strength is equivalent to an Ogre (21 strength).

Web spell as a standard action at will is nothing. You did remind me that it really should be an (Sp) ability and not an (Ex) ability. Compare to creatures that have numerous at will spells.

I looked into other ways to express the spidey sense but it became very convoluted. Tremorsense is a very powerful ability by itself.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 16 Sep 2018 :  14:51:24  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Spider sense is easy -- a serious initiative bonus, along with never being surprised.

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redking
Learned Scribe

131 Posts

Posted - 17 Sep 2018 :  05:25:08  Show Profile Send redking a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Wooly - good ideas. Immunity to surprise has many implications that I don't want to deal with, so I will go with precedent instead. Uncanny Dodge, the 4th level rogue ability does that well enough. As for initiative, I will give a +4 to initiative, stackable with improved initiative.

I have modified my original post.
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redking
Learned Scribe

131 Posts

Posted - 17 Sep 2018 :  11:06:52  Show Profile Send redking a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Anyone want to take a stab in the dark as to what the LA and CR adjustments would be for this template?
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LordofBones
Master of Realmslore

1477 Posts

Posted - 17 Sep 2018 :  16:06:32  Show Profile Send LordofBones a Private Message  Reply with Quote
CR...+3, at most? What really stands out are the spider-senses, but they're not really gamebreakers, especially at higher levels.
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