Homebrew Werespider Species Details

One of the most ancient and feared of all curses, lycanthropy can transform the most civilized humanoid into a ravening beast. In its natural humanoid form, a creature cursed by lycanthropy appears as its normal self. Over time, however, many lycanthropes acquire features suggestive of their animal form. In that animal form, a lycanthrope resembles a powerful version of a normal animal. On close inspection, its eyes show a faint spark of unnatural intelligence and might glow red in the dark.

Evil lycanthropes hide among normal folk, emerging in animal form at night to spread terror and bloodshed, especially under a full moon. Good lycanthropes are reclusive and uncomfortable around other civilized creatures, often living alone in wilderness areas far from villages and towns.

Curse of Lycanthropy. A humanoid creature can be afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy after being wounded by a lycanthrope, or if one or both of its parents are lycanthropes. A remove curse spell can rid an afflicted lycanthrope of the curse, but a natural born lycanthrope can be freed of the curse only with a wish.

A lycanthrope can either resist its curse or embrace it. By resisting the curse, a lycanthrope retains its normal alignment and personality while in humanoid form. It lives its life as it always has, burying deep the bestial urges raging inside it. However, when the full moon rises, the curse becomes too strong to resist, transforming the individual into its beast form — or into a horrible hybrid form that combines animal and humanoid traits. When the moon wanes, the beast within can be controlled once again. Especially if the cursed creature is unaware of its condition, it might not remember the events of its transformation, though those memories often haunt a lycanthrope as bloody dreams.

Some individuals see little point in fighting the curse and accept what they are. With time and experience, they learn to master their shapechanging ability and can assume beast form or hybrid form at will. Most lycanthropes that embrace their bestial natures succumb to bloodlust, becoming evil, opportunistic creatures that prey on the weak.

Werespider Traits

Werespider Traits

Speed

When in humanoid or hybrid form, your walking speed is 30. When in spider form, your walking speed is 20. In hybrid or spider form, you gain a climbing speed of 30.

Languages

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

Age

Werespiders age the same as the race they were before they got turned, though they are usually killed before age 50.

Size

A werespider in humanoid and hybrid form is the same size as the base race they originated from. The spider form of a werespider is 5' by 5', your size in spider form is medium.

Alignment

Werespiders are typically chaotic, though some tend toward neutrality. It really depends on the alignment of the host of the disease.

Ability Score Increase

Your dexterity increases by 2, and your constitution increases by 1.

Shapechanger

The werespider can use its action to polymorph into a spider-humanoid hybrid or into a spider, or back into its true form, which is humanoid. Its statistics, other than its AC, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Darkvision

You have 30 ft. of darkvision in any form.

Spider Climb

In humanoid or hybrid form you have advantage on all ability checks to climb. In spider form, you can climb on difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Web Sense

While in contact with a web, you know the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.

Web Walker

You ignore movement restrictions caused by webbing.

Bite

When in hybrid or spider form you can bite a creature within 5 ft. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 piercing damage. The target makes a CON saving throw, the DC of which is damage dealt + your proficiency modifier. On a failed save the piercing damage is poison damage instead.

Natural Armor

In hybrid or spider form you have a powerful exoskeleton. When in either of these forms you get a +1 bonus to AC.