Ettercap

An ettercap is one of a race of bestial spider-men aberrations located throughout Faerûn.

Ettercaps are primitive, hunting Aberrations that have an affinity with spiders. Like spiders, they use webs as traps to capture prey, which is then injected with paralytic venom from the ettercap’s bite. Much like spiders, ettercaps tend to be solitary creatures, only gathering to mate. When ettercaps do socialize, it's with monstrous spiders, which they keep as pets and guards. An adult ettercap stands 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds.

Physical description
Ettercaps resemble hunched, grey-purplish humanoids with distended white underbellies, spider-like faces (fangs and eyes and such), and two sharp, black chitinous claws instead of hands and feet. They are not particularly intelligent. Ettercaps possess the capability to shoot sticky webs and have an affinity for spiders. They are cowardly and vicious, and prefer to set traps to ensnare their enemies.

Society
Ettercaps are very fond of spiders and other arachnids and often keep them as others keep bees. From time to time, however, an ettercap has a number of monstrous spiders as pets, which are as loyal to it as a dog to a human master.

It has been suggested that ettercaps are the descendants of a group of mad druids, tainted and transmogrified by their association with a powerful demon into a form resembling the predatory arachnids their cult once revered. While the vast majority have completely reverted to pure animal instinct, a rare few are claimed to demonstrate the intellect and capacities of an insane human.

Appearances

 * Adventures:
 * Hoard of the Dragon Queen
 * Storm King's Thunder
 * The Rise of Tiamat
 * Computer Games:
 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
 * Neverwinter Nights
 * Novels:
 * Baldur's Gate