Spider Climb. The bakegumo can climb difficult
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings and across
webs, without penalty.
Veiled Reality. The bakegumo can sculpt her packed
webs into the approximate likeness ofa mundane
creature or object such as a satchel, musical
instrument, or swaddled baby.
While in humanoid form, she can magically disguise
such objects within 120 feet of her, making them
appear to all senses as mundane objects.
A creature can determine the illusory nature of such
objects with a successful DC 14 Intelligence
(Investigation) check.
Insatiable Appetite. The bakegumo can swallow any
number of Medium or smaller creatures without
displaying any external change.
Creatures Swallowed by her are restrained, take 9 (2d8)
poison damage at the beginning of each of their turns,
and automatically stabilize if reduced to O hit points.
The bakegumo splits open and releases each creature
swallowed by her if killed.
Multiattack The bakegumo makes three attacks, one of
which can be with her Slow-Venom Kiss.
Slow-Venom Kiss. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 13 (3d8) poison damage
plus one additional effect:
•Spider Form. The target takes an additional 5 (1 dl O)
piercing damage.
• Humanoid Form The target is Cursed. Whenever the
Cursed creature completes a Short or Long Rest, it
takes 4 (ld8) poison damage.
Tanglebraid Locks. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit,
reach 20 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (ld8 + 3)
bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape
DC 19).
A creature hit with this attack two or more times in a
turn is additionally restrained until this grapple ends.
Hidden Net-Web (1/Day). The bakegumo unfurls a
meticulously packed web, flinging it forth in a 20 foot
cone.
The area becomes difficult terrain, and each creature in
the area must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving
throw or be restrained (escape DC 14).
Change Shape. The bakegumo assumes the form of an
ancient, Small humanoid, or returns to her Large spider
form. Her statistics are the same in each form, and she
reverts to its spider form if she dies.
Reclaim Webs. The bakegumo begins to devour her
webs, dragging each creature grappled or restrained by
her up to 10 feet toward her.
A Medium or smaller creature that ends this movement
within 5 feet of her must succeed on a DC 1 5 Strength
saving throw or be Swallowed (escape DC 1 5).
Then, if no creatures are restrained in her Hidden Net-
Web, she regains a use of it.
Description
Bakegumo most Often hunt on lonely roads in the area
surrounding their lairs, using the guise of an old woman to
lure travelers, either with offers Of hospitality or pleas for
help.
They make their tubular, web-spun lairs in dense forests
with poor lines of sight, so prey traveling with them won't be
able to see beyond the range of their Veiled Reality, making
them appear as small cottages or large tents, and their
Hidden Web-Net as a lute, baby, or something similarly
Innocuous.
In combat, they first try to ensnare as many creatures with
their Hidden-Web Net and Tanglebraid Locks as possible,
then devour their webs to drag those creatures in to be
Swal lowed
They take spider form once they have Swallowed at least
two creatures, hoping to scare off their allies, but flee quickly
if their foes persist, shrinking back down into their humanoid
form to avoid provoking opportunity attacks, if possible.
BAKEGUMO LORE
Arcana DC 20: It is held in some folkloric traditions that
spiders who reach their fifth century achieve such a level Of
mastery over webcraft that their creations take on an illusory
veil Of safety and security, one they use to lure large prey such
as humans into the depths Of their lairs.
History DC 20: Despite their use Of traps and tricks in
hunting, bakegumo are generally laconic, timid, asocial
creatures in search Of the largest, easiest meal they can lure.
They simply have no aptitude or ambition for the complex
intrigues so often attributed to them, and such accusations
are far more Often ordinary humanoids hoping to deflect
blame for their own crimes by playing on prejudicial
attitudes.
This is not to say that bakegumo are harmless, however, as
the largest, easiest meal available to them is quite Often a
lone traveler, lost child or stumbling drunk.
Nature DC 15: Though any creature Of great age is liable to
adopt the art Of shapechanging, spiders are among the most
ambitious Of such changed creatures, using their altered form
to actively hunt humanoid creatures and their livestock.
Out Of compulsion or comfort, most seem to exclusively
take the forms Of wizened Old women, perhaps because only
female spiders ever seem to reach the venerable ages where
Such wonders become possible.
Nevertheless, one must imagine that a bakegumo more
flexible in its shapechanging predilections would find easier
prey, and achieve a greater Size and power to match.
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