Homebrew Drider Species Details

Driders are a cursed group of outcast drow, living in the dark and secluded places of the world.They live in dark and hidden places, in the deep caverns of the Underdark or in ancient and unexplored forests, where deadly creatures reside and other races seldom tread. Driders are distrustful and hardy, often having to survive by any means necessary.

Cursed and Afraid

When a drow shows great skill or promise Lolth summons them to the Demonweb Pits for a test of faith and strength. Those that pass the test rise higher in the Spider Queen’s favor. Those that fail are transformed into driders — a horrid hybrid of a drow and a giant spider. They are larger than horses, ranging from 7 to 8 feet in hight and about 7 feet in length, weighing about 240 to 280 pounds. Females are generally larger, and males are generally thiner and not as heavy as females.

Driders’ coloration encompasses the skin tones of the drow such as bluish-white, pale-grey, charcoal and obsidian, and hair of pale yellow, silver or white, and pale eyes that are often mistaken for white. Driders have no facial and little body hair. They favor hardy and sturdy clothes or none at all due to their monstrous physique.

A Fearful Perspective

While it is unknown exactly how long a drider can live they share the longevity of the drow they are created from. They are more often fearful and distrusting, and more likely to be cautious than intrepid. They tend to remain unfazed by dangerous scenarios. When pursuing a goal, however, whether searching for resources or learning a new skill or technique, driders can be focused and relentless. They are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. They have little care for petty insults and respond to serious ones with distain.

Driders are unfazed in the face of danger. They trust in their hardy nature and survival skills to outlast opponents and survive dangerous environments. They prefer to retreat from fights and disappear into the treacherous environments they call home, confident that they can simply wait the aggressors out. But when the need arises, driders reveal powerful martial and magical ability.

Hidden and Deadly Homes

Most driders dwell in dark and dangerous forests or the outskirts of the Underdark. Driders hunt game, gather food, and create tools, and their skill and magic allows them to support themselves without the need to live their domains. They are talented artisans, crafting weapons and tools to aid them in survival. Their contact with outsiders is extremely limited, as most races are fearful of these half-spider half-drow "monstrosities", however when treated with respect and kindness they return those feelings in kind.

Driders encountered outside their territories are commonly treated with fear, however the assistance of a long lived drider can be invaluable in dangerous environments. Intrepid scholars often recruit driders as sources of insight into drow culture or as guides to help them navigate the Underdark.

 

Untrusting but accepting

Although they can be untrusting, driders have abandoned the prejudice of the drow and will ignore racial stereotypes and prejudice and instead go off of the merits of the person themselves, a side effect of their exile and discrimination.

Dwarves. “Dwarves are sturdy and dependable. Although they can be a bit brash they are skilled and valiant. And I must admit, their tools and weapons are extremely high quality."

Halflings. “Halflings are people of joy and playfulness. They’re good folk, they care for each other and are quick to make friends with others, and they have proven themselves tougher than they seem when the need arises.”

Humans. “Although they can be fearful and destructive a human made friend can be a great ally. Well rounded and skilled they can make incredible allies.”

Drider Names

Driders are almost always over a century old and only on rare occasions are younger, this is due to the fact that they are created from drow, however when drow become a drider they often choose a new name as a way to distance themselves from their previous drow existent.

Driders generally choose new names related to nature or where they live, such as Dove, Cavern, Cave, Cherry, Chasm, Tree, Forest or Wolf.

Drider Traits

Your drider character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of drow refinement and a divine curse.

Drider Magic

You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the faerie fire spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Spider Climb

Due to your lower body being that of a spider you can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. You also gain climbing speed equal to your walking speed.

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.

Monstrous Form

Your cursed nature has made you a monster in the eyes of most. You can't wear armor that isn't especially designed for you, you also have disadvantage on persuasion and deception checks. Your type is monstrosity instead of humanoid.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Driders are generally over 100 years old and mature at the same rate of drow. However it is not known how long they can live, many scholars assume that they live as long as drow and other elves, but this has never been confirmed.

Alignment

Driders are pragmatic and do what is needed to achieve their goals, so they lean strongly toward neutrality. They often help mistreated people as well others who have been exiled as to prevent the horrible mistreatment and conditions that are a staple of drider life. However some driders are twisted and driven mad by their mistreatment and hunt down and kill people found in their domains.

Size

Driders range from 7 to 8 feet tall and have slender build and an arachnoid abdomen. Your size is Large.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and your base climbing speed is 30 feet.

Improved Darkvision

Accustomed to lightless forests and the underdark, 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.

Natural Survivor

You gain proficiency in survival.

Fey Ancestry

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

Trance

Driders don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.