Aranea

This bloated spider has a hunchbacked body and a gleam of intelligence in its multiple eyes.

Aranea CR 4

XP 1,200
N Medium magical beast (shapechanger)
hp 37 (5d10+10)
Melee bite +8 (1d6 plus poison)
Special Attacks web (+8 ranged, DC 14, hp 5)
Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +8)

2nd (5/day)—invisibility, mirror image
1st (7/day)—charm person (DC 14), mage armor (1 already cast), silent image (DC 14), sleep (DC 14)
Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 18
Feats Eschew Materials^B, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +9 (+17 jump), Climb +14, Escape Artist +8, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Perception +9, Stealth +9; Racial Modifiers +2 Acrobatics, +8 Climb, +2 Perception
Languages Common, Sylvan

Environment tropical forests
Organization solitary or colony (2–6)
Treasure standard

An aranea is an intelligent, shapechanging spider with sorcerous powers. In its natural form, an aranea resembles a humpbacked spider a little bigger than a human, and weighs about 150 pounds. The hump on its back houses the aranea’s brain. All araneas have a single alternate form as well—this alternate form is that of a Small or Medium humanoid. Although an aranea can assume a spider-hybrid variant of this form, it cannot use its change shape ability to assume multiple humanoid forms—this additional shape is locked into one unique appearance.

Skilled spellcasters, araneas try to avoid physical combat and use their webs and spells when they can. Rather than kill their enemies, araneas often subdue opponents and hold them for ransom.

Alternative Tactics

Web-Slinging: A favored tactic of araneas involves creating a web and then using that web as a swinging rope to fight from. Generally speaking, the aranea is considered to be on higher ground for these attacks (+1 on melee attacks). To use this tactic, an aranea must first throw a web to a nearby fixed point (usually a ceiling or beam, both of which are generally Large, with an AC of 9). Araneas make one of three attacks using their webs in this way.

Angry Falling Leaves: In this attack, an aranea uses its web to break its fall as it suddenly drops up to 30 feet downward into combat, treating itself as a falling object that crashes into an opponent from above. This attack requires a melee touch attack, and deals 3d6 points of damage. The aranea itself takes 1d6 points of damage if this attack is successful.

Attack of the Lotus Whirlwind: In this attack, an aranea puts itself into a spin as it descends from its web. If the aranea descends 20 feet or more using this attack, its descent counts as a charge.

Graceful Descent of the Flying Blade: An aranea can swing up to the web’s length (moving up to the aranea’s speed) and make a single melee attack action without provoking an attack of opportunity, similar to the Spring Attack Feat. Doing so requires an Acrobatics check with a DC equal to the opponent’s CMD. The aranea then releases the web and drops to the ground.

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2, © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3, © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Jesse Benner, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, Chris Sims, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.