Editing Aranea (section)

==PC Stats==
===BECMI===
Aranea first appeared as monsters in BECMI's Creature Catalogue. But they also received a PC writeup in [[Dragon Magazine]] #183, whose entry in [[The Voyage of the Princess Ark]] brought the protagonists to the realm of Herath, an aranea-dominated [[magocracy]].

::Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength, -2 Constitution
::Mandatory Alignment: Neutral or Chaotic
::Mandatory Skills: Aranea PCs must prioritize using skill slots to acquire Spiderspeech (1 slot, grants the ability to communicate with both normal and giant spiders) and to raise Acting to 18.
::Spider Shifter: Aranea in their natural form are giant spiders, with an alternate Humanoid Form (see below), and can change between forms over the course of a full game turn.
:::Spider Form: In spider form, aranea have an Armor Class of 9 (minus Dexterity bonus) and a movement value of 180'(60') - or 120'(40') on webbing, whether generated by aranea or any giant arachnid. They can make 1 attack per round, and can make a bite attack that does 1d6 damage. They also have infravision, secret-door detection, and can only be surprised on a 1d10 roll of a 1 due to their wide-angle vision. Finally, they possess the Climb Walls ability of a [[Thief]] of equivalent level, save for not suffering a -40% penalty to climb checks made to move along ceilings. In spider form, aranea use their generated Charisma score when dealing with other aranea, but are treated as having Charisma 3 when dealing with other races.
:::Humanoid Form: An aranea selects a single "humanoid" race ([[human]], [[demihuman]], [[goblinoid]], [[rakasta]], [[lupin]], [[gnoll]] or [[tortle]]). In humanoid form, an aranea gains all of the special racial abilities associated with that race (enhanced senses, extra attacks, etc). In humanoid form, aranea have a default Charisma of 8 (or less, if the aranea's intiial Charisma is 7 or lower), but make an Acting check each time they gain an experience level; if successful, the aranea's Charisma in humanoid form permanently increases by +1, to a maximum of 18.
::Racial Class: Regardless of form, aranea use the experience, hit points, saves and spell-casting abilities of a [[human]] [[wizard]].
::Racial Abilities: Aranea gain a number of special abilities as they gain levels:
:::Level 2: Aranea can generate silk, using it either to spin webs (1 square foot per round) or silken strands (20' per round). Silk strands can be used like rope, with half the encumbrance value. Webbing functions like a web spell, although it needs to be big enough to cover the creature it's trying to hold, and a small web (3'*3') can be tossed at creatures like a net.
:::Level 3: Creatures bitten by an aranea must pass a save vs. poison or be paralyzed for 1 turn per level of the aranea.
:::Level 5: Aranea can sense the presence of all normal spiders within 30', and can control up to 4HD worth of them at will.
:::Level 7: Once per day, an aranea can summon a swarm of spiders, which arrives within 1d4 rounds and obeys its commands.
:::Level 9: A creature bitten by an aranea whose hit dice are equal to or lower than the aranea's must make a second save vs. poison if it succumbs to the paralysis. If this second roll is failed, the creature dies within 1d4 turns.
:::Level 12: Once per day, an aranea can summon giant spiders to its side and command them. This power summons Hit Dice of giant spiders equal to or less than 1/3rd of the aranea's experience level.

===AD&D===
The first playable depiction of the Aranea in [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] was in 2e's [[Red Steel]] campaign setting book, where they shared the "new races" entry with their fellow [[beastfolk]]; the [[Lupin]]s, the [[Rakasta]] and the [[Tortle]]s. They would later be reprinted in Odyssey's "Characters of the Savage Coast".

::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Minimum of 8 [[Dexterity]], Minimum of 12 [[Intelligence]], Maximum of 16 [[Constitution]], all others are standard 3/18 value.
::Ability Score Modifiers: -2 [[Strength]], -2 [[Constitution]], +2 [[Dexterity]], +2 [[Intelligence]]
::Racial Class & Level Limits: [[Fighter]] 6, [[Wizard]] (Any) Unlimited, [[Cleric]] 9, [[Druid]] 12, [[Rogue|Thief]] 12, [[Psion]]icist 10
::Classing: Aranea can choose to either [[Multiclassing|dual-class or to become multiclassed]] Mage/Fighters, Mage/Clerics, Mage/Psionicists or Mage/Thieves. They can multiclass as generalist or specialist mages.
::Racial Thieving Skill Adjustments: +10% to Move Silently and Read Languages, +5% to Hide in Shadows and Climb Walls
::Base Armor Class: 7 in spider form, 10 in humanoid/demi-spider forms
::Spider's Ambush: Aranea have the option to ambush victims by assuming spider form and waiting in a high, concealed spot, such as amongst the branches of a tree, before dropping down on a silken tether behind the victim. When attacking in such a fashion, the victim suffers a -1 penalty to their surprise roll.
::Spider's Bite: When in spider or demi-spider form, an aranea can deliver a deadly toxin with their fangs, inflicting 1d4 damage per round for 1d4 rounds upon successfully biting a victim who then fails their save vs. poison. Aranea venom quickly becomes harmless when exposed to air, so they can only deliver this venom with their own fangs. An aranea produces enough venom to deliver three toxic bites per day.
::Spider's Silk: In spider or demi-spider forms, an aranea can spin up to 10 feet of webbing per level each day. In their arachnid forms, aranea can climb webbing with movement value 12, although this grants them no protection against a Web spell. Webbing can be used to entangle a foe with a weapon attack; this webbing has only 2 hit points and can be broken with a successful Open Doors roll.
::Shapechanging: Aranea treat both their humanoid and their spider forms as "true forms", so neither true seeing nor dispel magic will force them to change shape from either of these forms. In demi-spider form, a dispel magic will force an aranea to randomly assume either humanoid or spider form. It takes one round to progress one stage along the spider-demispider-humanoid axis, so it takes two rounds to go completely from one "true form" to the other. If forced to shapechange from humanoid to spider whilst wearing armor, an aranea takes (10 - armor's AC) damage and the armor is ruined in the process. Aranea have the same partial immunity to polymorph spells as any other shapechanger, and are likewise vulnerable to shapechanger's bane weapons. An aranea in its humanoid form has all of the racial traits of that form - for example, an aranea that transforms into a [[lupin]] would gain the lupin's enhanced sense of smell.
::Infravision 60 feet
::Evil Reputation: An aranea whose race is revealed will suffer from the "common knowledge" of its ancestral "legacy of evil". This cultural demonization inflicts a +10 penalty to reaction rolls from anyone who is familiar with the stories and legends of the ancient aranea.

===3.5===
The 3rd edition version of the Aranea appeared for the first time in Savage Species, but received an updated PC writeup in Dragon #351. Ironically, they were probably worse than their 2e versions, given the scourge of [[Level Adjustment]].

::Ability Score Modifiers: +4 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, +4 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, +4 Charisma
::Racial Type: Magical Beast (Shapechanger)
::Size: Medium
::Hit Dice: 3 Monstrous HD
::Movement: 50 feet, Climb 25 feet
::Special Attack: Poisonous Bite; inflicts d6 damage and injects a venom that requires a Constitution-based Fortitude save against DC 13. Inflicts d6 initial Strength damage and 2d6 secondary Strength damage.
::Special Attack: Web; When in spider or hybrid form, an aranea may throw a web as a ranged attack. This is treated as making a thrown net attack, except that it has a maximum range of 50 feet, a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets of Large size or smaller. A creature hit by the web is entangled and cannot move unless they succeed at either a DC 13 Escape Artist check or a DC 17 Strength check. Aranea webbing has 6 hit points, 0 hardness, and takes double damage from fire. An aranea only produces enough webbing to make six Web Attacks each day.
::Special Attack: Spells; An aranea has the spell-casting ability of a 3rd level sorcerer. They traditionally prefer illusions and enchantments, but avoid fire spells.
::Supernatural Ability: Change Shape; An aranea's natural form is of a Medium-sized monstrous spider, but it may assume two other forms. The first is of a Small or Medium Humanoid creature; this form is unique to the aranea, as with a lycanthrope. In this form, it cannot use its poisonous bite or web attacks, and its movement values change to that of the humanoid. The second form is a "demi-spider"; although it can pass as a Medium Humanoid at first glance, a DC 18 Spot check will reveal subtle spidery flaws in the aranea's form, such as fangs or extra eyes. In hybrid form, it can use weapons and armor like a humanoid, but still use its poisonous bite and web attacks. An aranea cannot be forced into its true form by any Dispel Magic type effect, but a True Seeing will show the aranea for its true form when shapeshifted.
::Darkvision 60 feet, Lowlight Vision
::Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 to Spot, +2 to Listen, +2 to Jump, +8 to Climb, can always Take 10 on Climb checks.
::[[Level Adjustment]]: +4

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