Homebrew Arachne Species Details

Physical Description

Arachne are half-humanoid spider hybrids, with their lower body resembling that of a large eight-legged spider, belonging to their arachne parent, and the upper body resembling their non-Arachne parent, whether they be human, elf, dwarf, orc, or another. Arachne stand on at roughly 7 feet tall on average. Their spider’s half retains the attributes of the species of spider they belong to. Commonly found arachne sub-species includes wolf spiders, jumping spiders, and widow spiders. Arachne are much more likely to be female at birth, giving the impression that all arachne are female when in reality male arachne are simply much rarer.

Society

Most arachne are solitary by nature and prefer living on their own, whether on the fringes of the city or the depths of the wilderness. Most arachne are seen with fear and disgust and have become accustomed to hostile met by strangers and travellers, developing a darker, more cynical world view. On the rare occasion, an arachne will be met with hospitality and will live with other races in small villages serving as wilderness guides, weavers, builders, and alchemists.

Arachnid Mannerisms

The resemblance of arachne to spiders isn’t limited to physical features. Arachne show many similarities to ordinary spiders with their mannerisms. They are meticulous and hardworking on their webs, territorial, and mostly solitary. While undisturbed, they typically wrap up their food in silk for safekeeping and improve their nests constantly, aiming to have the most elegant webs.

An arachne's speech typically has clicks and soft chirps, similar to their smaller vermin brethren. When communicating with other arachne, it isn't uncommon to see them not even use Common in the slightest, opting for their arachnid tongue. An arachne might become impatient with people who struggle to understand them, sometimes using exclusively Common when sufficiently agitated.

Impulsiveness confuses many arachne, who devote their entire livelihoods to calculated and careful planning. In the mind of an arachne, impulsive behavior is unheard of; some of their kind spend hours or even days devising a solution to a problem if the answer doesn't immediately come up. To more hostile members of the race, acting on impulse is a sign of ignorance or even inferiority, depending on how frequent it occurs.

It is very hard for an arachne to resist making a large, expansive web wherever they go to rest if not at home. Over time, some may resist this urge, but many still make at least a small resting place for the day or night.

The greatest fear of the arachne is to lose their home. What could be days, weeks, or even months of work and planning could be destroyed in far less time with fire or an especially persistent enemy. Thus, they are extremely protective of their main nest, typically resorting to violence if it means preserving their living space.

Lurking Predators

The vast majority of arachne spend their time prowling in darkness. With their webs and cunning eyesight, they can see and then trap their prey before a victim can even tell where they are. In battle they are imposing yet elegant, moving with remarkable speed and grace, aiming more to outsmart and outmaneuver their adversary than to fight them head-on.

Their livelihoods tend to make most arachne forget the feeling of sunlight on their skin, due to them residing deep underground. Occasionally, they may become blinded following quick exposure to sunlight, but this varies with their type. Surface-born arachne typically don't know the sadistic feeling of hunting prey underground, instead opting for beasts to walk too close to their nests.

Arachne Names

Arachne claim a wide variety of names, usually pertaining to the non-arachne parent they belonged to, while the pure-bred arachne usually refer to each other in their arachnid tongue, comprised of soft clicks and chirps, with no actual meaning in Common. Pure-bred arachne are thus usually given nicknames by the other races in common.

Arachne Traits

Arachne Traits As an arachne, you have certain traits in common with your people. Your ability to easily climb walls and ceilings may be useful in some situations and dangerous in others. As a result, playing an arachne requires special consideration by your DM.

Spider Walk

Spider Walk

You have a climb speed equal to your walking speed. You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Additionally, you ignore movement restrictions caused by webbing.

Webweaver

Your arachnid nature grants you the following features:

• While in contact with a web, you know the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
• You ignore movement restrictions caused by webbing.
• Using your spinnerets, you are able to weave spider-silk into a web or silk-based garments. Creating a web takes one short rest per 10-foot square or one long rest per 5-foot cube. Creating garments requires proficiency with weaver's tools, but otherwise has no cost for materials (since you make the silk yourself). No matter the length of time it would normally take to make the garment of your choice, 24 hours must be added for making and processing the silk.
• You can cast the spell web twice. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. Once you do so, you can't cast it again until you finish a short or long rest.

language

You can speak, read, and write Common and either Undercommon or Sylvan.

Ability Score Increase

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

Aligment

Alignment

Arachne don't tend toward any particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them.

age

Arachne, much like spiders, mature quickly, becoming adults at the age of 2 or 3 and having lifespans comparable to elves'.

Size

Arachne can be up to 7-8 feet tall and almost as wide. Your size is Large.

a Medium or smaller creature can ride on your abdomen if you allow it. In such a situation, you continue to act independently, not as a controlled mount.

Due to your unusual form, armor is more costly to make for you. Armor crafted for you is at twice the normal price for armor since half of the set is more similar to barding.

Spider Half

Even though your size is Large, your upper, humanoid torso is still of similar scale to that of other humanoid races. You count as Medium for the purposes of wielding weapons. In addition, due to your lower body you cannot make use of mounts.

Darkvision

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.

Monstrous Hybrid

You have two creature types: humanoid and monstrosity. You can be affected by a game effect if it works on either of your creature types.