Spider eater

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the spider eater is an ugly, insect-like magical beast.

Publication history

The spider eater appeared in the third edition Monster Manual (2000),^[1] and in the 3.5 revised Monster Manual (2003).

Description

Spider eaters are large, 10 feet long and 4 feet tall, and somewhat resemble a wasp or a bee, despite only having two legs. The colors of a spider eater are horribly mismatched; the head, legs and stinger are red, the central body yellow, and the wings a bluish-black. Its wings are not gauzy like those of most insects, instead being leathery, like those of a bat or dragon. The head sports 8 eyes and a pair of mandibles. The legs bear pincers, and the stinger a black hook. Growing from the abdomen are short, sharp, thin spikes, and little hairs grow on the rest of the body. As the name suggests, their favorite food is giant spiders.

Characteristics and habits

Spider eaters are pretty similar in habits to some other insects. They attack by landing on prey and driving the stinger into the victim (presumably a giant spider), and then feast on the remains. Though they prefer this prey, they sometimes attack humanoids as well. The female spider eater lays eggs in the paralyzed bodies of prey, to give the newborns something to eat the moment they hatch.

Strangely, spider eaters are sometimes valued as aerial steeds. Their eggs are stolen from the giant spider carcasses they are born in, and the creatures are raised from birth. Riding a spider eater requires an exotic saddle, and 6 weeks of training.

Spider eaters cannot talk, being animals.

They are regarded as neutral in alignment.

References