Homebrew Arachni Race Details
Deep in the farthest reaches of a forlorn forest — that is where you'll find the arachni. These cunning creatures are reminiscent of humanoids, marked by extreme, spider-like characteristics. They are known to take slaves of smaller forest folk, weaving shackles out of the same silk they exude to build their webs. They keep them as fearful servants until they grow hungry and devour them.
Skittering Weavers
An arachni stands just taller than a human, with a human-like head and face framed by long, wild black hair. Beyond their heads they are covered in a chitinous exoskeleton of dark hues. They have four legs and four arms, all of which end in thin, spidery points except the upper two arms — these have hands complete with opposable thumbs.
The tiny, fine hairs that cover their bodies give them the ability to climb walls, and the slits on the sides of their forearms can expel a strong, silky web. It's with this substance they weave their lairs high among the branches, and produce traps to launch at their unsuspecting prey below.
Spider-folk
They are sworn enemies of all ettercaps, and whilst commonly mistaken for driders, they are not related. Rumor has it the original arachni were spiders enchanted by an evil archfey to act as her personal agents. Almost all arachni are arrogant, manipulative and evil.
A group of arachni are called a cluster, and a single broodmother rules a cluster of up to twenty arachni at once. The broodmother alone gives birth to the cluster's young, with all other arachni left relatively equal in their twisted society. Any female arachni may become a broodmother if the prior one dies, transforming with the help of a ritual conducted by a coven of green hags.
Green hags are an arachni's natural allies — both creatures thrive on hunting through deception, and both find bliss in the spreading of pain. Most civilized races of the world despise arachni, and consider them dangerous monsters.
Arachni Names
Arachni name themselves when they come of age by combining words based on their greatest feats of deception, hunting or cruelty — young arachni are not given any names, and are referred to by physical characteristics if at all necessary. Occasionally they use elf-like names when dealing with outsiders who venture far to their ancient woodland lairs.
Arachni Names: Bitterscream, Deathmyth, Silkstrangle, Webwraith, Whisperquick
Arachni Traits
As an arachni, you have certain traits in common with your insidious people.Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age
Arachni are a short-lived race, reaching maturity by age 3 and rarely living longer than 20 years.
Alignment
Most arachni are lawful evil, where the broodmother's word is law. The rare arachni that defies its own, dark nature is cast out in exile.
Size
Arachni are roughly just over 6 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies that weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a climbing speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision
Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Natural Armor
You have a chitinous exoskeleton. Your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier, but due to your body shape you cannot wear armor. A shield’s benefits apply as normal.
Spider Climb
You have the ability to move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving the hands on your upper arms free.
Strand Dancer
You ignore movement restrictions caused by webbing. In addition, while in contact with a web, you know the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
Silk Spinner
You can exude a stream of silken web from either forearm. You have proficiency in nets, and may construct a net made from your silk through four hours of concentrated work, once per long rest. Only you or another arachni can use this net, anyone else who tries gets their hands stuck in the web.
Web Weaver
When you reach 5th level you may cast Web once without components — your spellcasting ability for this is Charisma. This trait may be used again after finishing a long rest.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.
Comments
I like this alot
Nice work.
i follow this notion
I really like this. Nice job.
Bite attack?
good class, however, poorly made, the natural armor feat adds the dex mod twice, the Ability Score Increase, age, alignment, size, speed, languages, and strand dancer are all not showing in the racial traits page.
Despite the description, I can't exactly get an image in my head of what this is? Is like the Arachn*e* and they have a sort of spider like lower half? Or is it spider legs coming off of a human body? And if its a human shaped silhouette does it have just like, a smaller spider abdomen/thorax thing?
An updated version with a picture or just a reply would help alot. One of my players wants to play one of these and we can't exactly understand what they look like.
Google it?
That was part of my issue as well, googling it shows plenty of versions, ones where it’s spider from the waist down, one’s where it’s a human body witty spider-man style legs that sprout from their backs, so on and so forth. There’s also weird half mutated ones that are a cross between the both.
i think "spider-folk" is just spiderman like.