NEW MONSTER: GHOST SPIDER

Ghost Spider

FREQUENCY: Rare

NO. APPEARING: 3-12

ARMOR CLASS: 5

MOVE: 15” + 9” hop

HIT DICE: 3+3

% IN LAIR: 90%

TREASURE TYPE: C

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1

DAMAGE/ ATTACK: 2-5

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Jump, spit acid

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

SAVE: Fighter 4

INTELLIGENCE: Average

ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil

SIZE: M (queen is size L)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

LEVEL/ X.P. VALUE: IV/125 + 4/hp

Queen: VI/ 400 + 8/hp

The ghost spider is a form of ground-dwelling giant spider, pale in color and possessing unusual attributes. They are not undead. They are capable of manufacturing webs, which they use to bind incapacitated victims and to reinforce their burrow-like system of tunnels, for giant ghost spiders are communal, serving a queen. The webbing of these spiders is not useful in combat, but they can spin traps of web which otherwise act as giant spider web.

The bite of a giant ghost spider is not poisonous, but they can spit a stream of acid that does 2-9 hit points of damage. They are capable of doing this twice per hour. Giant ghost spiders are also capable of making a 9” jump. This hop clears up to one-third the linear distance in height and the spider can attack in mid-air at the end of the leap. This requires but a single attack. The spiders are intelligent enough to avoid using this attack against humanoid enemies who have weapons that can brace against the spider, for this is treated as a charge attack. The spiders do not jump when in their tunnels, for the ceilings are much too low.

The ghost spider queen will be the size of a small horse and have 6+3 hit dice. Otherwise her attacks do the same damage as her progeny. In the presence of the queen, ghost spiders attack at +2 to hit and to damage.