Innate Spellcasting. The scorpion’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: chill touch, conjure animals (spiders only), darkness, dominate beast (as a 6th-level spell, spiders only), infestation, jump, poison spray, silence, snare
3/day each: giant insect, giant insect (no concentration, spiders only), hold person, hunger of hadar
1/day each: cloudkill, contagion, hold monster, insect plague, summon shadowspawn
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the spider fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Spider Climb. The spider can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The spider takes 10 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the spider knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
Web Trap. The spider can cast glyph of warding at-will, but it always creates a spell glyph and it always stores the web spell. The spider can only have 3 of these active at a time, but it can create multiple of the glyphs in one casting of the spell. It also doesn't require the material component.
Web Walker. The spider ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.
Multiattack. The spider uses its web, then makes a bite attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 27 (6d8) poison damage and is poisoned for 1 minute. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is also paralyzed while poisoned in this way. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't poisoned.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the spider's choice that is within 60 feet of the spider and aware of it must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, if it is not within 30 feet of the spider, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the spider's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Web. The spider launches webbing at a point it can see within 60 feet of it. A mass of thick sticky webbing fills a 20-foot cube from that point, for 1 minute. The webs are difficult terrain and lightly obscure the area. Each creature in the area when the webs first appear, and each creature that starts its turn in the area or that enters the area on its turn must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is restrained by the webs. As an action, a creature restrained by the webs can make a DC 18 Strength check, breaking free from the webs on a success.
The webs can also be attacked and destroyed. Each 5-foot-cube of webs has an AC of 10; 10 hit points; vulnerability to fire damage; and immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage. If a 5-foot cube is reduced to 0 hp it is destroyed. If one of the 5-foot cubes of webs takes fire damage, each creature in that 5-foot cube of webs takes 5 (2d4) fire damage.
The spider can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The spider regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
At-Will Spell. The spider casts one of its at-will spells.
Bite. The spider makes a bite attack
Frightful Presence. The spider uses its Frightful Presence
Move. The spider moves up to its speed
Web. The spider uses its web
Spell (Costs 3 Actions). The spider casts one of its spells.
Description
Colossal spiders have long legs which they use to keep their body well off the ground — typically putting their body fifteen feet off the ground. The body of these spiders are typically fifty feet long, seven feet tall, and fifteen feet wide. When standing directly above a humanoid the humanoid typically can't reach its legs. However, the spider will typically immobilize a creature with its webs and webbing before moving in to this range, at which point it would inject the creature with the venom that its bite delivers.
There are two different varieties of these spiders, one which lives in deep dense forests and one that lives in dark caves. The ones that live in forests tend to be brown and their legs look almost bark like. They will typically hide their massive bodies in amongst tree branches and will place their legs against trees, in order for them to blend into their surroundings. The variety that lives in caves is typically dark gray with black markings, though some will be entirely black. These spiders' primary way to remain hidden is through hiding in magical darkness or just in normal darkness. Many of these spiders (of both varieties) will create web traps, using special glyphs.
While they are typically ambush predators a colossal spider that hasn't fed in a while will actively hunt creatures. Unlike with normal spiders, colossal spiders kill for more than just food, and it is not uncommon for them to not eat all that they kill, if food is in abundance. When a colossal spider kills a creature it does so very slowly. These spiders seem to, at the very least, delight in other creatures fear and suffering, if they don't actually gain some amount of sustenance from it. If it has been too long since a colossal spider has killed a creature it will even inflict injuries on itself in order to get the pain it so craves. It is likely that many colossal spiders would opt to chase down their prey, due to the fear it would cause, however sunlight burns them, as such they are forced to lay in wait. This susceptibility to sunlight makes colossal panthers extremely dangerous for forest dwelling colossal spiders, as a colossal panthers magic can cause the shadows that trees cast to have the same effect on these spiders (and any other creature vulnerable to sunlight) that sunlight does.
Lair and Lair Actions
A Colossal Spider's Lair
A colossal spider's lair tends to be either a cave or a dark, shadowy corner of a forest.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the spider takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the spider can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- The spider casts the darkness spell, at its lowest level. The spider doesn't need to concentrate on the spell, which ends on initiative count 20 of the next round.
- The spider conjures slimy sludge-like moss that briefly covers surfaces in the lair. The ceiling, floor, and walls of the lair become difficult terrain until initiative count 20 on the next round.
- The spider casts the infestation spell on a creature in its lair.
- The spider conjures a swarm of insects (spiders), which disperse on initiative count 20 of the next round. The swarm of spiders takes its turn on initiative count 10 (loosing ties). On its turn the spiders attack the closest creature that the colossal spider isn't friendly to (prioritizing good creatures). If the spider has taken this lair action since the last time it took a long rest, it conjures the same swarm of spiders, which keeps the number of hit points it had when it dispersed. If the swarm is killed the spider cannot take this lair action again until it finishes a long rest.
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