All About Spiderkind[edit]

This chapter presents a definitive outlook on spiderkind in the Dungeons & Dragons game, from their distant origins to the way they hunt their prey.

What are the Spiderkind?[edit]

“	I made them, and they are mine. Mine!	”
—Lolth, the Spider Queen

The spiderkind are beings in spider form, whether they are true spiders or those demons of Lolth that take on the countenance of spiders.
The spiderkind hail from a web of power called the Arachania that is woven throughout existence. The Arachania is the very power source from which the spider queens draw their power.

Manifestations of the Arachania[edit]

Spiders are a manifestation of the Arachania, but they are not the only way the Arachania can manifest itself into beings.

When most people (those unaware of the web of power called the Arachania) think of spiderkind, they probably think of mundane (or even monstrous) spiders. Most people believe the only forms of spiderkind to be mundane and monstrous spiders. They could not be more wrong!
Spiderkind can take many different (though spider-shaped) forms. Although spiders and their larger “cousins” are the most common manifestations of the Arachania, there are, of course, many different forms, as Arachania is (in a way) chaos unbound, and no less so than the abyss.
A spiderkind creature is any creature that was created or altered by the power of the Arachania. In game terms a spiderkind creature is any creature with the spiderkind origin. The spiderkind orgin is different from other origins in in a single respect; a spiderkind creature can also have another origin in addition to the spiderkind origin. Creatures with two origins suffer all of the benefits and penalties of both origins. If there are any contadictions, the spiderkind origin takes precidence.
The introduction of the spiderkind origin means that several changes need to be made to the origins of various creatures in the monster manual. These changes are summarised below. The following creatures replace their current origin with the spiderkind origin:

The following creatures gain the spiderkind origin in addition to their current origin;

Driders
Drow

In the case of creatures from supplements, the dungeon master should determine whether or not a creature has the spiderkind origin or not. Generally, a spiderkind creature has either spider form or enough spider-like traits to possibly have hailed from the Arachania. Any creature with vaguely spiderish form should be considered spiderkind for simplicities’ sake.

The Origins of the Arachania and the Spiderkind[edit]

The origins of the spiderkind are in the distant past. Indeed, there is evidence of their existence long before we awoke into the world.
At the beginning of existence, just before the elves awoke, Arachne accidentally created the spiderkind. Originally, all spiderkind were ordinary spiders, though the Arachania (spiderkind) spawned many other forms.
As the spiderkind were created, a web of power grew around them and spread throughout existence. Arachne, the serendipitous creator of this power was bound to it. She named this power the Arachania, after herself.
Lolth, Arachne’s sister (though none know how the goddess had a demon-sister) grew jealous; lusting after Arachne’s power and her creations.
Over time, Lolth plotted. Just a few years after the elves’ awakening, she had managed to seduce many to evil. She had them (as their new mistress) perform a hideous ritual to bind her to the Arachania.

[[]]


The drow as Lolth made them,by Jackoilrain

Having gained this new power she transformed them to be of her image; elves dark of skin and white of hair (just as she would be), and lead them into the underdark, preparing them to make war on Arachne.
Now, with the few drow who turned away from Lolth, Arachne fights back to save her creations from corruption at the hands of Lolth.

Spiderkind Physiology[edit]

“	Look upon the perfect form of the spider!	”
—Lolth, the Spider Queen

Most spiderkind creatures are spider-formed, though some may have a form that hybrids spiders with some other creature (see the arachnoid creature template). Others share little or no similarity with spiders in physical form, instead having a link with the Arachania in some other (usually supernatural) way. This section is about the spiderkind that take spider-like form.
Most spiderkind (but not all) are ectothermic (cold-blooded) and rely upon their surroundings to control body temperature. However, many spiderkind are not of the material planes, being demons and celestials, and so are not actually ectothermic.

Digestion System[edit]

Many spiderkind have a strange method of food consumption; after subduing prey, they inject a chemical into the prey’s blood, liquefying their insides, and then drink the mushy soup.
There are, of course, exceptions; one particular variety of demon-spider drinks its prey’s blood, in a similar manner to a vampire, while the prey is still alive.

Spiderkind Propagation[edit]

The mundane spiders that surface dwellers see every day and the monstrous varieties that make their lairs in the underdark propagate sexually, however many forms of spiderkind are demons and celestials, and thus propagate differently.
Such spiderkind often simply spawn almost randomly from the Arachania at unpredictable times, ending up both in the demonweb and the twilight web. Such creature usually cannot reproduce in themselves, although there is a variety of demon-spider that injects its eggs into the living via its fangs.

Spiderkind Development[edit]

Spiderkind are usually either spawned from the Arachania fully-formed or born at a “hatchling” stage and grow to adulthood.
Spiderkind of the less-mundane varieties (including monstrous spiders) are capable of growing stronger as their bond with the Arachania grows. This may be from a gift from their spider queen, or merely by age. Either way, sometimes it is not always wise to judge an individual spiderkind’s strength based on previous experiences.

Generic Spider Biology[edit]


Taken from the australian museum

In order to truly understand spiderkind and the many variations they show, it is necessary to understand the basics of spider biology. The diagram shown is a simplistic diagram of a spider (araneomorphae genus).
Cephalothorax: Anterior body section, containing the head and thorax.
Abdomen: The posterior body section.
Jaw: These are used to inject poison to paralyse prey. These are a commonly recurring feature of many spiderkind.
Book Lungs: These are the spider’s equivalent to our lungs.
Spinnerets: These spin the spider’s silk into various different types of silk.

Spiderkind Outlook and Psychology[edit]

“	She knows only this; she is the hunter, and you are the prey!	”
—Aëlinár, Spiderborn Arachnomancer

While it is true that most spiderkind have the same mental ability as their smaller cousins, there are many spiderkind capable of free thought and action rather than simple instinct. This section is a study on how these “free thinkers” think and behave.

Monstrous Spiders[edit]

While monstrous spiders are not (as commonly believed) simply bigger spiders, they are gifted with the same mental ability as their smaller cousins.
This essentially means that they cannot decide how to behave for themselves; they are “pre-programmed” by nature.
This behavioral pattern is not as predictable as it sounds. The behavior patterns of most spiders (even the most common and well known species) are not completely understood, so there are many behavioral patterns the most knowledgeable arachnologists and arachnomancers do not fully understand. Therefore, the average adventurer does not stand a chance at predicting the behavioral patterns of monstrous spiders.

It seems likely that many adventurers are indeed caught unawares by such behavioral patterns and killed, although there are no accounts of such things to prove this true…

Demon Spiders[edit]

“Demon spider” is the generic name given to the fiendishly horrific creations of Lolth that take spider form.
Some of these creatures are merely fiendish monstrous spiders- spiders with demon-taint about them, but many more are completely different creatures altogether (such as the yochlol).
The problem with demon spiders is that they have so many different forms- while it is true that most of them take forms deeply reminiscent of spiders, they have many strange and unpredictable powers and abilities; and such is the nature of Lolth that many may be disguised as other creatures, or even other types of spider demon. Therefore, adventurers combating spider demons best be wary; anything could happen.


(picture taken from wikipedia)

An adventurer facing a spider demon should be wary; some demons have abilities that change as the battle flows, or have abilities based on the seasons or even change their tactics and powers based on Lolth’s whim alone!

The best way to combat such creatures is to try to sense its plan and be mindful of its actions; adventurers should be careful not to act as it wants them to. A spider demon that looks like the most powerful enemy in the battle may instead be a diversion for the real foe.

Celestial Spiders[edit]

Spiders of the opposite side to demon spiders, celestial spiders are Arachne’s angels given spider form.
Unlike other angels, but much like spider demons, celestial spiders are created from the Arachania at Arachne’s whim.

Celestial Spiders are rarely a foe for adventurers; mostly they are too busy fighting Lolth’s army of demon spiders to trouble the material plane.
Even when they are on the material plane they have no reason to attack adventurers (unlike demon spiders, who see it as an excellent sport), and are actually likely to aid them.
Celestial spiders are not, however, complete opposites of demon spiders; celestial spiders are known for their unpredictability.

Drow[edit]

The drow that follow Lolth are driven towards power and perfection. The drow have no sense of “wrong” other than blasphemy towards Lolth. The drow measure each other by power alone; a drow only has a worth if they have power and a drow without power is nothing.
The drow try to emulate spiders, the children of lolth, as much as they can. As a result of this, drow see females as superior to males.
The drow feel three emotions to a much grater extent than any other; pride, anger and (though it would be death to suggest this to a drow) fear.
The drow that follow Arachne, however, have turned away from the drow psyche. They have a very strong sense of justice, and believe in equality and freedom. In one way only do they mirror the followers’ of lolth psyche; they revere spiders and are chaotic in alignment.


Picture by Vince Locke

Spydric-Ones[edit]

As spydric-ones are humans “tainted” by the arachania (at least in their origins), their psychology is much varied. They are united in thought by their connection to the arachania. Many spydric-ones feel at home among spiderkind, almost as if they are their kin; indeed, many become arachnomancers and make their homes among monstrous spiders and in spider-colonies.

Driders[edit]

Driders are essentially drow, but even more tainted by the arachania, and so have similar thoughts and feelings to them. If anything they have an even closer bond to spiders than the drow.

Shunned[edit]

Shunned are, like driders, essentially drow. The main exception to this is that their form is changed by Lolth as punishment.
Shunned are bitter. They hate and are hated by drow utterly. They are malicious and will quickly take out their anger on anyone that gets near to them.

Spiderkind Society[edit]


"Drider" by cyzra

“	My home is here now, amongst my new ‘friends’. Don’t let their bite stop you from visiting; they’re not all that poisonous. Really!	”
—Aëlan, Spiderkind Arachnomancer

It is a well known fact that spiders are solitary and do not tolerate each other. It is even rumored that female spiders kill and eat males after mating (a rumor that actually has some truth). However some spiders do form colonies of a kind. Monstrous spiders are often gathered together into one lair to form a colony by some greater spiderkind being, and arachnomancers are known for the practice of taking up permanent residence in a spider colony.

In addition to this some of the more intelligent spiderkind creatures live and work together for mutual benefit. This section deals with spider-colonies and other social groupings of spiderkind that take spydric form.

Monstrous Spider Colonies: Monstrous spiders are, like mundane spiders, intolerant of each other; two spiders that come across each other are more than likely to kill each other.
There are some exceptions to this rule, of course; several species are known to have evolved to be social (or, more accurately “quasi-social”), and greater spiderkind are able to gather monstrous spiders together to one cause.
These “social” spiders have not developed the hierarchy that other arthropods (such as ants and bees) are known for, although females and larger spiders are dominant, and resources are invested in females rather than in “unnecessary” males.<br

Social spiders work together almost flawlessly; when a “prey item” proves too big for one spider to subdue, other spiders rush over to help, and “brood-care” is known to have developed.
Demon-Spiders and Celestial Spiders: Demon and celestial spiders do not share the intolerance of each other that spiders have.
Both beings have the same social patterns as demons and angels respectively.
Demon spiders have a strong hierarchy based on strength and female superiority. Beyond this (and loyalty to Lolth), there is no legal structure or order.
Celestial spiders, on the other hand, do not form a hierarchal society based on strength.
Drow: The drow have an extremely strong hierarchal society based entirely on power (and, of course, gender). The drow have no true laws; only the word of Lolth or threat of death will stop a drow’s schemes.


A social Spider Web (from wikipedia)

Spiderkind Religion[edit]

“	You lie! Lolth is the true spider queen! Lolth! Do you hear me? Lolth!	”
—Priestess Xan’quos

Those of the spiderkind that are conscious (such as spydric-ones, but not monstrous spiders) are in a constant war due to belief; the spiderkind mostly worship one of two deities, Lolth and Arachne, and the followers of these two deities are at constant war over the truth.
Both deities claim that they are the “true spider queen” and creator of spiders (the first of the spiderkind) and the arachania.
This war reaches epic proportions; unknown to the surface races the armies of the spiderkind wage war throughout the planes and the underdark.
The reason why the surface races are oblivious to this war is subterfuge- the spydric war is more about subterfuge than open combat, and that is just the way Lolth wants it!

The Religion of Lolth[edit]

The drow are known for their one central ideal; a strong worship of Lolth- the spider queen. The fact that there are an increasingly large number of drow that have ceased to follow Lolth and turned to Arachne is often overlooked.
The worship of lolth is beyond all else; followers of lolth (no-matter what race) always do so out of fear and with little real choice in the matter.
Even if an individual follows other deities as well as Lolth, the worship of these deities is a secondary (or even tertiary) concern. Followers of Lolth do not worship other deities to an even remotely similar degree; nor do they fear them even half as much.

Rites and Rituals of Lolth[edit]


A sacrifice to Lolth's glory! (by Beth Trott)

As such a greedy and heartless goddess, Lolth demands sacrifice to her glory. Almost all of the various festivals, ceremonies and rites involve some sacrifice or other. The sacrifice of living beings is a central tenet of her many rites.
Lolth has an extremely specific taste in her sacrifice. She prefers sentient sacrifices, humanoids over others, elves over humanoids, and her own drow (especially those that have “betrayed” her and turned to the worship of other deities) over elves. She prefers the sacrifice of her clerics over other drow, and prefers powerful sacrifices over weaker ones.
The appeasement of Lolth is not a ritual undertaken out of love or loyalty, but out of fear; bad things happen to drow who fall out of favor with Lolth. They may be transformed into a shunned, tortured by demon spiders, or simply dead. Those who gain the favor of Lolth, may be given the opportunity to undergo trials of strength, cunning, and dexterity in order to become a fearsome, yet honored drider. Failure in any one of these tests will result in instant falling of grace with Lolth and result in the transformation of a shunned. Only the best and brightest of Drow and other worshippers of Lolth succeed in becoming a drider.

Prayers[edit]

It is blasphemy to pray to Lolth in any languages other than elven. Other languages (like deep speech), is acceptable in normal speech, but besmirching devotions to Lolth with “foul tongues” is completely unacceptable.
The drow pray before entering dangerous situations or endeavors, but also at the start of every day.
Prayers to Lolth never involve asking her for help (that would be a sign of weakness), instead offering her coming triumphs and victories, and even requests to be tested to prove strength.

Minor Rites[edit]

Minor rites to Lolth are often performed when an individual wishes to celebrate a personal victory, and dedicates their triumphs to Lolth.
Minor rites involve symbolic sacrifices; wine, riches or even some of the petitioner’s blood! These rituals are always performed before and icon, holy symbol or idol of Lolth.
These rites are never performed in public, are often performed by a single individual, or (at most) several.

Major Rites[edit]

There are two types of religious ceremony that are dedicated to Lolth, both of which involve many individuals, and (of course), sacrifices to Lolth.
The first of the two types or rite are religious ceremonies similar to many ceremonies humans perform to appease their deities. These ceremonies are performed before a great idol or altar dedicated to Lolth and are always performed before a great number of people (all wishing to pay homage to Lolth), with many sacrifices.


A mighty temple of Lolth dominates the dark streets of Erelhei Cinlu (by Francus Tsai)

The second of the two types of rite is a contest between two individuals who try to prove their worth in the eyes of Lolth. A distinct majority of these rites involve combat or magical duels, but can be a contest in almost any form. The losers of these contests that manage to survive are shamed by Lolth’s anger and their own failure, and are (more often than not), transformed into shunned.
The drow conduct these rituals after achieving great victories (like the destruction of a foe) or simply at regular intervals to venerate Lolth.

Servants of Lolth[edit]

The priesthood of Lolth is unusual compared to the priesthoods of other deities in that the priesthood does not revere Lolth any more than the ordinary citizens of Lolth-worshiping societies.
Lolth’s clergy is often seen as a path to power; clerics of Lolth hold much power in Lolth-worshiping societies and the priesthood is the easiest way of working up to a position of power. The priesthood rarely accepts a cleric of low station into its ranks, although the drow houses do so even more rarely, so for drow of low station the priesthood is the easiest way to power.
The life of a priestess is not an easy one; the easiest method of advancement is through murdering priestesses of higher station and taking their place. This essentially means that a priestess has to constantly watch her back, while constantly scheming to overthrow priestesses of higher station. In addition to this each priestess must consider the church of Lolth as a whole over her own schemes; if a priestess’s schemes threaten the church of Lolth she will find herself severely punished by Lolth herself.

Becoming a Priestess[edit]

There are two very specific requirements for a female (males are forbidden from the clergy of Lolth); the first requirement is the gift of being able to draw power to the arachania, while the second is the ability to pass the tests of Lolth.
Being a cleric or paladin of Lolth is sufficient to be a member of the clergy (divine casters of Lolth draw their power from the arachania), although it is preferred for the applicant to be a spider rider, spider lord, priestess of the spider or arachnomancer (all of these classes and paragon paths are presented in the classes chapter of this book). Warlocks of the dark pact are also accepted into the clergy, with the condition that their pact is with Lolth, as their power is drawn directly from Lolth.
The tests of Lolth, on the other hand, are a harder prerequisite to pass. The tests are fiendishly difficult, and an aspiring priestess must not only pass an “entry test”, but many different tests throughout their career in the clergy. Lolth is not forgiving towards failures; any and all drow who fail a test of Lolth are transformed into shunned. Sometimes a failure may be saved from the humiliation of becoming a shunned; instead of taking away their true form Lolth may take away their life.
It is forbidden to interfere in the tests of Lolth, but despite this, many drow have interfered in order to destroy a dangerous foe or free a position for advancement.


A mighty cleric of Lolth! (by Raven Mimura)

Even those that are already priestesses are not safe from Lolth’s cruel tests, as priestesses are tested almost at random by Lolth at a mere whim. However, it is not the frequent tests of Lolth that a priestess has to endure that is the priestess has to be alert to. Lolth encourages her priestesses to use any means to get to the top, including murder; every priestess has to watch her back lest an ambitious priestess below (or a paranoid superior) decides to attempt to murder her.
One important difference between the clergy and divine casters of Lolth is that not all clerics (etc.) of Lolth are members of the priesthood; no matter how devout a cleric or other divine caster of Lolth may be, they are only one of the priesthood if they have formally joined. One who fulfils the requirements of the priesthood but does not formally join the priesthood may have Lolth’s favor, but she does not have any more authority than she can take for herself, does not speak for the priesthood and cannot rely on being backed up by the priesthood for the authority of her actions.

Priesthood Hierarchy[edit]

The priesthood has no official hierarchy; to have an official hierarchy would be directly against the teachings of Lolth. There are only three official titles within the priesthood, though these vary greatly;
Older, more experienced or more powerful priestesses are usually called “Revered Mother”, priestesses of moderate age or power are entitled “Revered Daughter” and all other priestesses are simply entitled “Revered”.
The hierarchy is not as simple as other ranked organizations (such as most military forces); the hierarchy follows a dominant-submissive pattern based on each individual’s power (and sometimes the power of the individual’s house).

Priestess Duties[edit]

Priestesses of Lolth only have two official duties, both of which are strongly interrelated.
The first duty that priestesses must perform is similar to the main duty of most priests and priestesses of other relations; namely that of leading worshippers of Lolth in prayers, ceremonies and rites. Only priestesses have both the right and the knowledge of how to perform the various ceremonies and major rites.
The second duty that all priestesses of Lolth must perform is enforcing the religious practices of Lolth; in cities where Lolth’s clergy is dominant, worshipping Lolth is compulsory. Failure to worship Lolth is punishable by anything up to death.
Lolth’s priestesses have no other official duties, though many perform marriage ceremonies or funerals (for a price…). In times when battles of the spydric war breaks out priestesses often serve as leaders of the actual battle, alongside arachnomancers, spider-lords, and spider riders. Despite the ever-looming spydric war, most priestesses are actually more concerned about their plotting than anything else.

Lolth[edit]

The Spider Queen, Queen of the Demonweb, Flesh-Carver, Weaver of Webs, Lloth, The Deceiver, Aranae.
Greater
Symbol: A female drow’s head on a black widow spider’s body.
Home Plane: The demonweb.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil.
Worshipers: Drow, Driders, Spydric-Ones, Half-drow, Ettercaps, Chitines and other conscious spiderkind.
Areas of Influence: Spiderkind, the arachania, shadow and lies.
Favored Weapon: Spiderfang (dagger).


A holy symbol of Lolth (by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law)

Lolth is the self-proclaimed queen of both spiderkind and drow. Lolth attempted to steal Arachne’s power at the beginning of time, binding herself to the arachania. Lolth created the drow by tainting a select number of elves with the arachania. Lolth teaches her followers to scheme, cheat and to aspire to greater strength. Lolth pits her own followers against each other in order to cull the weak from the strong.
Lolth has three forms; that of a beautiful female drow, a beautiful female drider or a terrible black widow spider.

Cleric Training[edit]

Lolth’s clerics (and others who hold power within her priesthood) have no actual formal training at all, other than the tests of Lolth.

Quests[edit]

Lolth wishes her followers to be as strong as possible, so the clerics of Lolth may go adventuring to gain power. Other reasons for going on quests include furthering Lolth’s plans and destroying Arachne’s followers.