Editing Ettercap

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'''Ettercaps''' are a species of spidery humanoid monsters from the various worlds of [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. Whilst they share this niche with at least two other races - the [[chitine]] and the [[aranea]] - the ettercap has surpassed them by actually managing to stick into the general public awareness. They are considered an [[Aberration]] race, but despite this have an almost - but not quite - [[druid]]ic outlook. They seek to protect and foster spiders, herding them and breeding them, and whilst they do warp the forests and ruins they dwell in until they become twisted, creepy mockeries of their former selves, it's all to give their beloved spiders more places to feel at home.

In general, ettercaps are basically somewhat bigger, smarter, creepier spiders, with no culture or society outside of herding spiders and hunting like a giant spider.

The ettercap goes all the way back to the [[Fiend Folio]] of [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1e]]. Here, they were presented more like hairy [[goblinoid]]s with vaguely spider-like claws and an affinity for taming giant spiders. They were then upgraded to 2nd edition in the Monstrous Compendium Volume 2, before hitting the big leagues by getting into the famous 1993 Monstrous Manual; this change made them more spidery and less goblin-like, with distorted features that were humanoid, but also somewhat spider-like.

They fully morphed into their now-iconic humanoid spider format in 3rd edition, and have appeared in every [[Monster Manual]] from that edition onwards. They received an "Ecology of the Ettercap" article in [[Dragon Magazine]] #343, which presented the theory that they are the mutated descendants of a deranged cabal of spider-worshipping druids, corrupted by generations of [[fleshcrafting]] and unholy interbreeding with spiders that came about after they were taken over by some spidery [[Demon Prince]]. Surprisingly, no, it wasn't [[Lolth]].

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Monsters]]