Homebrew Ettercap Species Details

Ettercaps are humanoid spiders that tend, feed, and watch over spiders the way a shepherd oversees a flock of sheep. They lair deep in remote forests.

Fine strands of silk stream from glands in an ettercap’s abdomen, letting it shoot sticky strands of webbing to bind, entrap, or strangle its victims. It can also use its webbing to fashion elaborate snares and nets, which often festoon its lair.

Quiet Killers. When travelers and explorers venture into an ettercap’s territory, the ettercap stalks them. Some meet their end wandering blindly into traps or sections of forest enclosed by webs. Others, the ettercap garrotes with strands of web or envenoms with its poisonous bite.

Sylvan Despoilers. Though they dwell in the wilds, ettercaps have no desire to live in harmony with nature. A forest infested with ettercaps transforms into a gloomy place, choked with webs and infested with giant spiders, giant insects, and other sinister predators. Creatures that wander too far into such a wood are soon lost in a maze of webs that dangle with the bones and lost treasures of the ettercaps’ victims.

Enemies of the Fey. Ettercaps are natural enemies of fey creatures. The foul creatures set web snares to catch sprites and pixies, which they hungrily devour, and will encase a dryad’s tree in webbing in a vain attempt to trap the dryad. Otherwise timid fey will sometimes approach outsiders for help in dealing with an ettercap infestation, being ill-equipped to deal with the malevolent creatures themselves.

Ettercap Traits

Spiders with a humanoid build, ettercaps watch over packs of giant spiders in locations where very few light gets through.

Ability Score Increase

One ability score increases by 2, and another ability score increases by 1.  

Creature Type

You are a Monstrosity.

Size

You are Medium.  

Spider Climb

You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.  At 3rd-level, you can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, while leaving your hands free.  You have a +5 bonus to all ability checks made to climb.    

Darkvision

You have darkvision to a range of 60 feet.  

Web

As an action, you can shoot out strands of webbing.  Make a ranged weapon attack against a target within 60 feet of yourself.  On a hit, the target is restrained (escape DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + your DEX modifier or your CON modifier).  To escape, the target must use an action to make a Strength check.  If the check total is greater than or equal to the escape DC, the creature is freed.  On a miss, a randomly determined 5-ft. cube is covered in webbing (see the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information on webs).  The webbing has AC 10, 5 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage. 

You can make this special attack a number of times equal to 1 + your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.  

You can use either you Constitution or Dexterity modifier for the attack roll with this special attack (your choice during character creation).       

Bite

Your fangs are a natural weapon.  It counts as a simple melee weapon which you are proficient.  It deals 1d6 damage on a hit.  You can add your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice) to the attack and damage rolls with attacks using this weapon.  On a hit, the attack also deals an extra 1d8 poison damage. 

At 3rd-level, you can also force the target to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier).  On a failure, the target is poisoned for 1 minute.  It can repeat this saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on a success.  You can poison a creature a number of times equal to 2 + your Constitution modifier.  You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.  During a short rest, you regain one use of this feature.  At 6th-level, you regain one use of the poison ability when you roll initiative with no uses remaining.    

At 9th-level, the poison abiity recharges on a short rest instead of a long rest.  At 15th-level, you can use your poison an unlimited number of times.  

Web Walker

You ignore movement restrictions created by webbing.  

Web Sense

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

Sneaky

You have proficiency in the Stealth skill.  

Claws

Your claws are natural weapons.  You can only make a claw attack when you have a free hand.  It counts as a simple melee weapon and deals 1d4 slashing damage on a hit.  You can add your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice) to the attack and damage rolls made with this attack.  
VultureSniper

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