The head of this awkward-looking vermin towers above its body. Long mandibles reach almost to the ground amidst a forest of spindly legs.
Giant Assassin Spider CR 4
XP 1,200
N Large vermin
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +8
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +6 natural, â1 size)
hp 39 (6d8+12)
Fort +7; Ref +5; Will +2
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee bite +8 (1d8+5 plus grab and poison)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks impale, suspend
Str 20, Dex 17, Con 15, Int â, Wis 10, Cha 2
Base Atk +4; CMB +10 (+14 grapple); CMD 23 (35 vs. trip)
Skills Acrobatics +11, Climb +21, Perception +8, Stealth +11 (+15 in webs); Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics, +16 Climb, +8 Perception, +8 Stealth (+12 in webs)
A creature grappled by an assassin spider becomes impaled on its long mandible. The impaled creature is stuck in place 10 feet from the assassin spider, and cannot move closer or further way without escaping the grapple.
Biteâinjury; save Fort DC 17; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Strength damage; cure 2 saves.
A successful grapple check to pin an impaled victim allows an assassin spider to lift its prey into the air, holding it aloft. A suspended creature suffers a â4 penalty to Escape Artist or CMB checks to escape the grapple. Assassin spiders can only suspend creatures weighing less than its maximum load (typically 1,200 pounds).
Environment any land
Organization solitary, pair, or colony (3-8)
Treasure incidental
Giant assassin spiders lurk upside down from cave ceilings, overhangs, or tree branches, waiting for prey to approach. Once in range, they plunge their mandibles into their prey, fixing them in place, making them unable to escape or close the distance to attack. Assassin spiders patiently wait for their prey to succumb to their poison, and, once limp, lower their corpses to ground level so as to feed.
Assassin spiders often invade the webs of other giant spiders, plucking at them to cause vibrations that lure arachnid prey to investigate.
Deadly Delves: Along Came a Spider © 2015, Jon Brazer Enterprises.