Homebrew Drider Half-Elf Species Details

 

History

Driders are drow servants of Lolth who undergo a painful process after failing one Lolth's test. Failure in the procedure usually results in death. Most are evil, but rarely, a drider may break this role. A drider appears much like a centaur, except exclusively for drow and with a spider's body rather than a horse's. Because of this, driders have a poisonous bite and can shoot webbing at their foes, as well as ignoring any movement restrictions.

While one might think this form might elevate a drow's status, this is actually a great shame, because the drow see driders as beings so absolutely weak and pathetic that Loth herself had to step down to make them better, and are usually shamed and exiled from drow society, if not killed. Driders can be found scattered across the hostile wilderness of the Underdark, surviving off what meager prey that can manage to kill. Driders can grow to despise their drow brethren for making them outcasts and try forgetting their pasts, although trusting them is still unwise since they are as likely to help you as they are to turn you in to the drow in hopes of redeeming themselves, though usually, this hope will only lead them to disappoint. Driders are rarely found outside of the Underdark, but desperation can lead to some driders living on the surface, though usually as hermits, pirates, or other nefarious professions. Like the drow most driders have evil and hatred pounded into their being, although their transformation can bestow them with humility, and in some cases, even a different perspective. Driders are a complicated and dangerous lot to be sure, but no matter what happened to them and what they've experienced, they are still drow, and one who would mess with the drow surely has a death wish.

Society

Driders mostly live independently or with others of their kind in order to be more in touch with the spiders they worship. They are rejected by the majority of drow society and either move to the outskirts of the city to act as the lowest of the drow caste system and as the first wave of defense, or take their chances as group hunters in the harsh terrain of the Underdark.

Drider Names

Though driders are sexless, their upper half gives away the kinds of names they once had. Before becoming a drider they will often have drow names and may keep them after their fall from Lolth's grace. Some change their names, taking on titles in their rejection of their past.

Titles: Doomweaver, Foeslayer, Dazzlebees, Liferenderer, Moonlust

Drider Half-Elf Traits

Your half-elf character has some qualities in common with elves and some that are unique to half-elves.

Ability Score Increase

 Your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores each increase by 1.

Age

Half-elves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 180 years.

Alignment

Half-elves share the chaotic bent of their elven heritage. They value both personal freedom and creative expression, demonstrating neither love of leaders nor desire for followers. They chafe at rules, resent others’ demands, and sometimes prove unreliable, or at least unpredictable.

Size

Driders can be 7 to almost 9 feet tall and half as wide. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Arachnid Build

You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push or drag.

Superior Darkvision

Thanks to your elf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 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.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Poisonous Bite

As a bonus action, you can bite a creature within 5 feet of you forcing them to make a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of your next turn. The DC for this saving throw is equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus, and you can't use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest.

Spider Climb

You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed and you can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Your speed is not reduced by webbing.

Sunlight Sensitivity

You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Webber

You can cast the web spell a number of times equal to your constitution modifier with this trait, requiring no material components, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Languages

You can speak, read and write, Common, Elvish, and one language of your choice.