Spider Climb. The aranea can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, while leaving its hands free and without needing to make an ability check.
Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the aranea knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
Web Walker. The aranea ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.
Change Shape. An aranea’s natural form is that of a medium sized monstrous spider. It can assume two other forms. The first is a unique small or medium humanoid. An aranea in its humanoid form always assumes the same appearance and traits, much as a lycanthrope would. The second form is a medium spider-humanoid hybrid. In hybrid form, an aranea looks like a medium humanoid at first glance, but a DC 13 Perception check reveals the creature’s fangs, spinnerets and extra eyes. The aranea can wield weapons and also wear armor in this form.
Innate Spellcasting. The aranea’s innate spell casting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13)
At will: detect magic, minor illusion, silent image
3/day: mage armor, sleep
Bite. (Spider or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 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.
Web (Recharge 5–6). (Spider or Hybrid Form Only). Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 17 Strength check, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 9; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage).
Description
An aranea is an intelligent, shapechanging spider with sorcerous powers. In its natural form, an aranea resembles a humpbacked spider a little bigger than a human, and weighs about 150 pounds.Two small arms, each about 2 feet long, lie below the mandibles. Each arm has a hand with four many-jointed fingers and a double-jointed thumb.The hump on its back houses the aranea’s brain. All araneas have a single alternate form as well—this alternate form is that of a Small or Medium humanoid. Although an aranea can assume a spider-hybrid variant of this form, it cannot use its change shape ability to assume multiple humanoid forms—this additional shape is locked into one unique appearance.
Araneas typically gather in small colonies of two to six individuals, making webbed nests high in trees. These colonies work together to research magic, and may change membership many times over as individuals leave to pursue their own studies and are replaced by newer members.
Disguised in their human forms, they might sometimes trade silk, herbs, and poisons with nearby humanoid settlements. A single aranea may take on humanoid form and live for years in a humanoid community, never revealing its true nature. Though araneas generally prefer to be left alone, they often prove quite knowledgeable about the ways of magic, and if approached peacefully may be willing to share their expertise for the right price (typically a magic item or some service).
Skilled spellcasters, araneas try to avoid physical combat and use their webs and spells when they can. Rather than kill their enemies, araneas often subdue opponents and hold them for ransom.
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