Homebrew Arachnidian Species Details

Driders are high ranking drow fused with arachnid power, making them even more powerful than any normal drow. So much so that others (usually drow) look for ways to replicate this power, usually through rituals. The majority of individuals with these ambitions usually lack the materials or strength to cast the ritual. As a substitute, they instead perform an ancient ritual similar to the likes of what transforms people into yuan-ti. This ritual transforms the individual into an arachnidian.

Arachnidians keep a similar physical appearance to who they were before the ritual, but with a few changes. They have arachnid limbs attached to their back, which can be used as makeshift arms or make climbing a much more trivial task. They also have a few insectoid traits like retractable mandibles, an extra set of eyes, and acidic fangs. Their voice sounds around the same, but with an insectoid touch to it (feks crackling, slimyness, and hoarseness). Though the mind mostly stays intact after the transformation, though some individuals lose their sense of self as a result of their changed voice, appearance, or sometimes rejection.

Creating Your Character

At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.

Ability Score Increases

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Languages

Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character.

Creature Type

Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. A race tells you what your character’s creature type is.

Here’s a list of the game’s creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead.

Life Span

The typical life span of a player character in the D&D multiverse is about a century, assuming the character doesn’t meet a violent end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for centuries. If typical members of a race can live longer than a century, that fact is mentioned in the race’s description.

Height and Weight

Player characters, regardless of race, typically fall into the same ranges of height and weight that humans have in our world.

Arachnidian Traits

As an arachnidian, you have the following racial traits.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid.

Size

You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 ft, and you have a climbing speed equal to you movement speed.

Arachnid Sense

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 discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray. You also have tremorsense with a range of 10 feet. You also have advantage on perception checks as long as you're not blinded.

Magic Resistance

You have advantage on saving throws against spells.

Acidic Resilience

You have resistance to acid damage.

Arachnid Spellcasting

You know the acid splash cantrip. You can cast animal friendship an unlimited number of times with this trait, but you can target only spiders with it. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast web with this trait. Once you cast it, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast it using any spell slots you have of 2nd level or higher.

Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).

Acidic Bite

You have retractable mandibles that you can use to make unarmed strikes with using your Dexterity. When you hit with it, the strike deals 1d4 + your Dexterity modifier piercing damage plus 1d6 acid damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Arachnid Limbs

You have arachnid limbs you can use your bonus action to make and unarmed strike using your Dexterity modifier as long as you're not climbing. When you hit with it, the strike deals 1d6 + your Dexterity modifier piercing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.