Base Class: Warlock
Spiders are often innocuous, mindless animals that only think about their next meal. However, despite their lack of a eusocial community that other insects have, there still exist some spiders that do take on the role that is held by queen bees and other social insects. These spider queens don't are so advanced in their commanding abilities that they don't have to be in the same colony as the lesser spiders. Spider queens have developed powerful magical abilities that allow them to give subconscious commands to their kin that would help the greater good. Although these powerful beings are extremely hidden and not well known, a select few adventurers have come across these before, and some have even agreed to a pact, that would allow the person to use the spider queen's power for the betterment of the environment, for spiders and other animals alike.
Expanded Spell List
The spider queen lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
Level 1: Entangle, Animal Friendship
Level 2: Blindness/Deafness, Web
Level 3: Slow, Nondetection
Level 4: Freedom of Movement, Phantasmal Killer
Level 5: Commune with Nature, Contagion
Eight Legged Companion
Starting at 1st level, your patron grants you a spider that acts as your companion and link between you and the spider queen. The spider can stay in your clothes, your hair, on your shoulder, or anywhere you see fit. You gain the following benefits while the spider is within 50 feet of you:
- You can see through its eyes and hear what it hears.
- You can speak through the spider to communicate with any other spiders that it encounters. The other spiders can't talk back, and will obey any command you give them that doesn't cause obvious harm to it.
- You gain a bonus to stealth checks equal to the spider's Dexterity bonus.
- You roll initiative for the spider and control how it acts
If the spider exists a 50 foot sphere around you, then it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, DC=30-Your Spell save DC, or your link to the spider will end and it will become wild. If you lose your link to the spider, or if it dies, you can be granted a new companion by your patron after a long rest.
Empowered Companion
Starting at 6th level, as an bonus action you can make your spider companion grow in size for a short time. The spider becomes a Giant Spider for 1 minute or until you choose to revert it as a bonus action. The spider has full access to the abilities of the Giant Spider, and the range that it can go to without losing your link is increased to 100 feet. If the spider exists that range, then it reverts immediately, and if it succeeds on its saving throw, it must use the Dash action on each of its turns to return to the 50 foot area. It does not have to redo its saves while it returns to you. The spider reverts to its normal form if it runs out of hp as a Giant Spider.
Once this feature is used, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Fangs of the Arachnid
Starting at 10th level, you gain the ability to use the venom of your spider companion to its fullest extent. As an action on your spider companion's turn, you can choose to make it do a bite attack against an enemy that the spider crawls on. The attack is considered Finesse, and, on a hit, deals 1d4+Str/Dex and the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take 2d6 poison damage. If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way.
This attack can be used an amount of times equal to your Charisma modifier. You regain uses of this ability after a short or long rest.
Spider Lord's Venom
Starting at 14th level, your connection to your patron grows to the point where your spider companion's fangs have to ability to bring about swarms of spiders from the bodies of victims. When using your Fangs of the Arachnid ability, you can expend a spell slot to empower the venom, increasing the poison damage by 2d6 for each level spell slot expended, however the damage of the attack can't exceed 10d6. In addition, if that attack reduces a creature, that is not a construct or elemental, their corpse will turn into a swarm of spiders, using the stats of a swarm of insects, after one round has passed. When the swarm appears, it rolls its own initiative, and you control it during combat, unless it moves more than 50 feet from you, when they will disperse into the surroundings.
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Posted Mar 30, 2024Reasonable critiques. You failed to consider, however, that I made this in high school. Might revamp it anyway though cause why not.
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Posted Mar 29, 2024Alright, let's see if this one can spin a tale worth catching.
Expanded Spell List: Entangle and Animal Friendship for level 1 spells? It's like giving someone a gardening kit instead of a weapon before sending them into battle.
Eight Legged Companion: Having a spider buddy is a neat concept, I'll give you that. But the benefits feel a bit... underwhelming. Seeing through its eyes and controlling it in combat is cool, but the stealth bonus is like trying to hide a boulder behind a twig. Plus, the whole Wisdom saving throw thing feels like unnecessary micromanagement. It's like trying to keep a pet goldfish alive in a tank full of sharks.
Empowered Companion: Making your spider grow into a Giant Spider is a step in the right direction. But it feels like a missed opportunity to not give it more abilities or enhancements in this form. And the range limitation and saving throw mechanics? It's like trying to leash a tiger to a tree and hoping it doesn't tear everything apart.
Fangs of the Arachnid: Using your spider's venom for extra damage is a solid move. But the mechanics are a bit clunky. Finesse attack, Constitution saving throw, paralyzed condition... it's like trying to juggle flaming swords while blindfolded. And the limited uses tied to Charisma modifier? It's like rationing out candy on Halloween night.
Spider Lord's Venom: Now this is more like it! Empowering your spider's venom to summon swarms of spiders from victims' corpses is delightfully twisted. But the spell slot expenditure and damage cap feel a bit restrictive. It's like trying to hold back a flood with a single sandbag.
Overall, the Arachnomatron shows promise, but it's still caught in its own web of missed opportunities and clunky mechanics. With a bit more finesse and focus on delivering that spine-tingling arachnid experience, it could truly ensnare the imagination of players looking to embrace the dark allure of spiderhood.