Spiderfolk
Mandibles quivering, the small creature runs forward along the ceiling, stopping twenty feet away from me and staring quizzically, its eight beady eyes blinking in unison. It steps forward, then back - its spear in a ready stance, but not an aggressive one. It rubs its mouth-parts together and makes a long series of chitters and hisses. I step two paces forward, then two more. And suddenly it darts backward, giving a great screech - and a storm of chitters erupts from behind me. I turn, and there are hundreds of eyes blinking out of the darkness.
- The Last Memory of Cophos Firecrest, Renowned Explorer
Deep in the mines of Ironmount, the Moranti spiderfolk nest in secret. They live simple, communal lives, sharing most of their possessions with their clanmates and hiding from the outside world. Only recently has the world learned of their existence; and as such, all spiderfolk must now come to terms with outsiders and find their place in the Godseye. The spiderfolk have, as a practical matter, allied themselves with the Ebon Legion who share their home, and so often work in concert.
Furtive and Quiet
A spiderfolk's natural tendency is to shy away from the spotlight, staying quiet on the sidelines until there's a clear opportunity to make an impact. They are 3-4 feet tall, and weigh anywhere between 40 and 60 pounds. Their bodies are shaped a bit like a centaur's, with a long abdomen and an upright torso. But a spiderfolk's body is short compared to a centaur's, and their torsos have a slight S-shape, giving them a mildly lumpy look.
Spiderfolk's bodies are covered in soft hair, mostly black or brown. Their undersides have less, and their belly chitin is typically paler. Their feet and hands all end in three-pronged appendages, and their faces have a massive pair of pedipalps wrapped around a surprisingly dainty mouth. Above the jaws, eight shiny black eyes look forward.
Spiderfolk can be difficult for outsiders to tell apart, and are mostly distinguished by markings or patterns in their fur. Geometric shapes are common, as are stripes, swirls, or splotches of color. They wear little clothing, though, typically just armor made of bone, chitin, or leather.
Cautious Study
Spiderfolk are careful to a fault, with a culture born of isolation and a desire to maintain it. They are watchful observers, patient predators, and disciplined hunters. They apply this same care to their interactions with other creatures - spiderfolk rarely act without thinking, and prefer to collect data before coming to conclusions. They are clear-eyed about their limitations, though occasionally this caution may come across as cowardice.
Uncertain Origins
The genesis of the spiderfolk is unclear, even to themselves. Their founding myths say that they came up from the darkness, and were protected by their goddess - Cothys, the Mother in the Darkness. Their language uses the Dwarven script.
Spiderfolk Names
Spiderfolk generally only have a single name - their solitary community is small enough that last names are unnecessary. Their language has lots of hisses, clicks, and chitters, which results in names that sound alien to surface-dwellers' ears. Spiderfolk of any gender have similar names.
Names: Qhek'sa, Szichornah, Yechos'ta, Iarnil, Khachok'saiq, Chaqol, Yechis, Kholru, Ciakos, Qhertaqe , Szera, Zhik'soval
Spiderfolk Traits
All spiderfolk possess the same distinctive features.
Type
You are a Humanoid.
Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and either your Constitution or Wisdom increases by 1.
Age
Spiderfolk are short-lived, reaching adulthood by age 10. They are considered elders after age 30, and rarely live more than 40 years.
Alignment
Spiderfolk are generally neutral, and tend to be lawful. Their societies are less governed by explicit rules than engrained customs, however, and there is room for variation. Evil spiderfolk tend to be warriors or hunters, while good spiderfolk are more likely to be shamans, scholars, or stewards of the community
Size
Spiderfolk are between 3 and 4 feet tall and average about 50 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Superior Darkvision
Accustomed to life underground, 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.
Spider Climb
You have a climb speed equal to your walking speed, and can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. While doing so, you cannot use your extra arms for any purpose but to aid in climbing.
Venomous Bite
Your spider mandibles are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
Additionally, when you hit an enemy with a bite attack, you may use your bonus action to latch on and inject deadly venom into your target. They must make a Constitution saving throw, with a DC of 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. They take 4d6 poison damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. This damage increases to 6d6 at level 5, 8d6 at level 11, and 10d6 at level 16. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you take a short or long rest.
Lurker
You have proficiency in the Stealth skill.
Extra Arms
You have a second set of arms that can grasp and manipulate objects. You can still only wield one weapon or carry one large object per side (shields, for instance), but you can use your extra arms to carry out simple tasks. You can use your extra arms to initiate or maintain grapples. You can use your secondary arms to use tools, such as musical instruments, gaming sets, thieves' tools, and artisan's tools. If you are not holding anything in your secondary arms, you can use them to perform any task that does not require a specific action. This includes interacting with features of the environment, reloading ranged weapons, and performing the somatic components of spells. They also allow you to perform one extra free object interaction per turn. If you are not carrying or wielding any items, you may use all four of your arms as part of a grapple attempt to gain advantage on the attempt.
Languages
You can speak Common and Spiderfolk, which is a language full of chitters and hisses, and very difficult for other species to speak. You can read Common, Spiderfolk (which uses the dwarvish script) and Dwarvish.
Changelog
v1.0
- Added art!
- Added Common to languages
- Changed Venomous Bite to Con base rather than Str
v0.1
- Initial Release
Credits
Spiderfolk species created by somanyrobots Discord | Patreon
Art
License
Copyright 2023 somanyrobots. Rules material & game content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available here.
5E SRD Content
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available here.
The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available here.