Drider Prototype

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Drider Prototype (Heavy Role) (CR 11)

For many, many years, the Drow Great Houses felt the need for more strength in their armies. Many houses felt a more physically powerful male line could be developed, and as a result, the Drow Aggressor was created. The Aggressors were certainly strong, but in combat they seemed to lack a certain...shock value.

Other, more radical, Houses felt a more drastic solution was required. The Great Cocoons that the Drow have used for untold eons to break their elven restrictions on births were dramatically re-purposed, not to merely create yet more male Drow, obedient and brave, but instead create true abominations, monsters who exist only to serve the glory of the Great Houses.

These spider-elf abominations are everything that the Houses could have dreamed for in a warrior. They are tough and deadly, able to cast mighty spells and yet go toe-to-toe with any foes the Drow might find themselves facing. As a nice side benefit, Driders have no weakness to cold iron, an unexpected but very welcome turn of events. Even better, they are...usually...as loyal as any Drow male created in the Cocoons. Usually.

The worst downside was their expense: The precious fluids and materials used to create a Drider could create two males. The Houses bear this expense gladly, considering the power of their creations. If only they weren't quite so...difficult to look at.

Unfortunately for the world, most Drow Houses are more than willing to put up with a Drider's ugliness.

GENERAL

CR 11 Hit Dice 16

XP 25,600 (Heavy Role Included)

LE Large Aberration

Init +5; Senses Darkvision 60 ft, Low-Light Vision 120 ft, Perception +17

DEFENSE

AC 31, touch 20, flat-footed 26 (+7 armor, +5 dex, +5 natural, +4 deflection)

hp 458 (Heavy Role included)

Fort +11, Ref +14, Will +11

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: -

Immunities: Immune to the first instance of all conditions applied during an encounter (Heavy role included)

Weaknesses: -

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft. , Climb 40 ft

Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft.

Single Melee 2 x Drider's Claws +19 (2d8+11/x2) + Drider Poison (first attack each)

Full Melee 4 x Drider's Claws +19 (2d8+11/x2) + Drider Poison (first attack each)

Ranged none, but see Throw Web, Drider Shimmer, and Drider's Bolt

Special Attacks Drider's Bolt, Drider Poison, Drider Shimmer, Throw Web

Action Points 1 (Heavy role included)

STATISTICS

Str 22, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 8

Base Atk +11; CMB +17; Maneuver Defense: 27

Feats Mobility (EFFECT: +4 AC vs Attacks of Opportunity caused by own movement)

Skills Sense Motive +19, Intimidate +23

Languages Undercommon

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Throw Web (Ex)

Once per round, as a standard action, Driders may throw a specially prepared web. This is resolved as a ranged touch attack (+14 to-hit, ranged touch, range increment 10, max range 50 feet). Creatures struck by the web take 6d6+2 poison damage from the Drider Poison soaking it. There is no saving throw against this poison damage. (This is a poison effect and is negated by immunity to poisons, and can be reduced by ER /-.) In addition, affected targets must make a reflex saving throw against a DC of 20. Those who fail the saving throw gain the Pinned condition. Those who make the saving throw gain the Hindered condition. Either condition may be removed by expending a standard action to carefully unwrap the poisoned webbing. Note that adjacent allies may spend a standard action to free a pinned or hindered victim.

Drider Poison (Ex)

poison (injury); Save Fortitude DC 20; Onset 1/round for 2 rounds; Effect 1d3 Str damage and 2d6+1 points of non-lethal physical damage; Cure 1 save.

Venom Cup (Ex)

As a swift action, a Drider Prototype can reapply poison to one of his claws. This is done with a practiced economy, as the vicious appendage is dipped into a cup-like device on his belt, right above his bloated thorax. The cup-like device contains 10 doses of Drider Poison, and can be refilled outside of combat. Driders produce their own poison within their wretched bodies, but the way they produce it means they cannot use it in combat without a Venom Cup. The details are quite unpleasant, and best not discussed.

Cocoon (Ex)

As a triggered immediate action, a Drider who is reduced to zero hit points is not slain. Instead, their spinnerets erupt in a flurry of activity and their wretched bodies are instantly wrapped in a massive cocoon of terrible dark silk. While so cocooned, the Driders are immune to all damage, but melee continues. When their next action comes the Cocoon bursts. The Drider is healed to half it's normal maximum hit points, all status conditions are removed, and it may use Throw Web on a single target within range, all as a free action. Once the free Throw Web attack is resolved, the Drider may take its full normal set of actions.

Drider Shimmer (Sp)

• Concentration: d20+13 vs a DC of 23

As a standard action, a Drider may cast Shimmer. This effects all creatures in a 30 foot diameter burst centered within 100 feet of the drider's space. Drider Shimmer causes a pale blue radiance to surround all creatures in the area of effect. This negates invisibility and otherwise removes all effects of concealment (from any source), and inflicts a -20 penalty on all Stealth checks affected creatures may attempt. Drider Shimmer lasts until the end of the combat, or for ten minutes if used out of combat. Creatures who were already invisible or Stealthed who are caught in the radius of Shimmer must re-roll their Stealth as an immediate forced action when the effect hits them, using the modifiers of Shimmer.

Drider's Bolt (Sp)

• Concentration: d20+13 vs a DC of 21

As a standard action, Driders may cast Bolt, a 120 foot line of lightning which erupts from their fingertips. Bolt inflicts 6d6 points of electrical damage to all creatures caught in its area of effect, though a Reflex save, DC 20, will reduce this damage by half. To determine which creatures are struck by a line attack, choose the origin square (any square adjacent to the caster) and any target square within range, and draw a straight line between the center of the two squares. The target square may be closer than the line's maximum range but it may not be further. Note that the line's range is not shortened by choosing a square closer than the maximum range; the effect simply passes through that square to its maximum range. Any square that the line crosses, even partially, is considered to be within the line's area of effect. If there is some doubt that the line has actually passed through a square, rather than just nicking its edge or corner, the GM should generally rule conservatively, (i.e. the line doesn't cross that square), since lines are intended to be somewhat limited in area of effect.

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 13,000 gp (Heavy Role included)

COMBAT TACTICS

Driders are the heavy shock troops of the Drow, and they are truly terrible foes. They will usually open any combat at range if they can, and will lead off with as heavy an 'Alpha strike' as they can muster. One Drider will cast Shimmer in front of the front ranks of any visible enemies, looking to reveal any invisible or hidden scouts. Another drider will cast Drider's Bolt, looking to hit as many foes as possible. If there are three or more Driders, the third and any additional will Throw Web at any spell casters, or at any obviously heavily armored foes. If they are out of range for throw Web, they will instead use Bolt.

They will then spend all of their action points, and do it again! If at all possible, Driders want to smash foes so hard in the first round that they flee, and the Driders can then hunt them down at their leisure. If the range will allow it, at least one Shimmer, Bolt, and Web will be used if there are two or more Driders.

If a group of foes is hardy enough to weather the first round, Driders are perfectly willing to stay at range, and if they are not getting a lot of ranged damage, will use their high Climb speed to go up walls and onto ceilings if possible and will destroy their enemies with Drider's Bolt and Throw Web.

If an enemy, sensibly, closes the range on the Driders, then the Drider prototypes will use their reach to make attacks of opportunity. Driders begin combat with Drider Poison applied to all their claws: They are immune to their own poison, so why not. During combat, as their claws begin to make hits, they will re-apply poison using their Venom Cups.

Once in melee, Driders will usually move around as they wish, trusting their Mobility to protect them. They will use Climb to get up on walls and ceilings, and use their reach to make melee attacks. If there is a heavily armored foe they are having trouble hitting, they will step back with a five foot step and Throw Web at them, to try and lower their armor class. If there is a stealthy foe that Shimmer did not reveal, they will use Shimmer again, or fire Drider's Bolt into clumps of enemies, hoping to hit the hidden foe. Note that Driders are not immune to each others Bolt, but hey, they are evil, so they will rarely hesitate to blast away if they think it's their best action.

Unlike most Drow, once Driders enter combat they will not flee unless ordered to by a female Drow.