Homebrew Aranea Species Details

While they were not true lycanthropes, aranea could transform between the appearance of a humanoid and a giant spider. Their humanoid form was that of a human, half-elf, or, elf. The form and gender they could take was fixed at birth. In their natural form, these creatures appeared to be giant humpbacked spiders.

Aranea also could take on a third, hybrid form. This form was humanoid, but the aranea bore sharp fangs, had spinnerets in his or her hands, and had four eyes instead of two. In hybrid or natural forms, aranea had poisonous bites and could throw webs.

Despite their terrifying appearance, the aranea were a peaceful race of beings. They fed on animals and did not prey upon sapient creatures to live. These beings lived far from civilized society, as they are hunted by those who did not understand them.

Lithe and Graceful

With their inhuman grace and pale, haunting features, aranea appear rather comely to humans and elven races. They are generally the same height as humans on average, ranging from 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet. They are more slender than humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.

Aranea coloration encompasses the normal human range, though pale, alabaster skin is most common.  Their hair tends to run to the darker shades of brown to Raven, often with hints of blue or red in the light. Aranea have no facial and little body hair. They favor light, loose or wispy clothing in neutral to dark colors.

A Life's Pursuit of Knowledge

Aranea tend to live twice as long as humans but much shorter than elves, at around 200 years. They do, however, mature at a much faster rate and reach adulthood by the age of 10.  Aranea tend to be curious about the world, their surroundings and it's inhabitants, attempting to collect knowledge like a dragon hoards treasure. 

Aranea tried to avoid combat, but if pressed into it, they would take advantage of their webs and spells, immobilizing or distracting the most powerful opponents first. They would take prisoners and exchange them for ransom rather than killing them.

The Queen's Rule

Aranea society was matriarchal, usually ruled by the queen who gave birth to the community. They would occasionally go into other communities disguised as healers or barbarians to trade or—when the situation warranted doing so—take a new mate to prevent inbreeding. The aranea, in the disguise of human forms, traded silk, herbs, and poisons with nearby settlements. Others would take up a role as a sage sharing their knowledge for one reason or another.

Aranea Names

Aranea names are unpronounceable in the common tongue, being a mix of clicking sounds and delicate motions from their chelicerae. Many aranea, especially the more social or likely to encounter humanoid society, tend to choose another name to go by in their humanoid form. These names are generally picked from that scoiety's normal pool of human, half-elf or elven names.

Aranea do not have last or family names in the traditional sense, but tend to associate themselves to their queen or community.

 

Aranea Traits

Your aranea character has a variety of natural abilities related to both their humanoid and spider forms.

Web Walker

Aranea ignore Movement restrictions caused by webbing, whether natural or spell-based.

Change Form

Aranea are equally comfortable in either their humanoid or giant spider form, able to change from one to the other at will. Each transformation takes an action to complete. While in giant spider form, the aranea assumes all of its stats/characteristics and abilities of its new form, with the exception that it retains its own mental stats (INT, WIS, CHA). Otherwise, the aranea functions as a giant spider until it changes form willingly, is forced to change by a spell affecting shapechangers or it drops to 0 hit points, functioning similarly to a druid's wildshape ability.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Although aranea reach physical maturity at twice the rate as humans, their growth and aging slows down dramatically upon reaching adulthood, with middle age not setting in until they are well over 100. An aranea typically reaches adulthood around the age of 10 and can live to be 200 years old.

Alignment

Aranea tend to be protective and territorial, but also quite curious and inquisitive, enabling them to be found almost anywhere in the alignment spectrum. Most tend to be lawful over chaotic and generally good or neutral over evil, although outliers for both are not all that uncommon. 

Size

Aranea range from 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds in their humanoid form. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a base climbing speed of 30 feet as well.

Resistance to Poison

You have resistance to poison damage.

Darkvision

Accustomed to underground lairs and caves, 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.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Sylvan and Deep Speech.