Dire spider

Dire spiders were bigger, tougher, and smarter relatives of regular giant spiders that were not considered to be true dire creatures.

Description
Dire spiders varied in size and color. Most commonly they were tan or dark brown in color and could be differentiated from their giant cousins by being bigger. Very seldomly, a dire spider could reach even greater size, much bigger than a usual humanoid creature, these creatures were referred to as bloated dire spiders.

Behavior
They were cunning ambushers and trap makers and were proficient in hiding and waiting for their prey, once the creature was touching their webs, they attacked. Dire spiders hunted in groups.

Abilities
Dire spiders' abilities were similar to most other spiderkind, they possessed darkvision and were immune to mind-affecting abilities and spells. They were also unaffected by any magically created webs.

Combat
When they ambushed their prey, they charged into close combat, confident in their size, strength, and numbers. They dealt slashing damage with their sharp tarsus. Like many other spiders, dire spiders were highly poisonous. When in close combat, dire spiders attempted to inject their victims with their venom upon a bite.

Ecology
Dire spider venom was potent and was of a similar type as other huge spiders'. Their venom affected the injected creature's strength and if remained untreated, dammed it even further, potentially enough to kill physically weaker creatures or humanoids with lower fortitude.

Dire spiders were notoriously next to impossible to train nor domesticate due to their ferocity.

History
Circa 1372 DR, dire spiders could be found in the sewers of Neverwinter, especially in the city's poor quarters, such as the Beggar's Nest and inside the Silver Sails Trading Company storehouse in the Docks District. More of these creatures could be found within Neverwinter Woods, spider-infested areas of Underdark , and sewers under Daggerford and Spindrift Town.

Duskwood and Glowstone Caverns under it, had a significant population of dire spiders circa 1374 DR.

Rumors & Legends
Rumors claimed that a dire spider was kept inside the Neverwinter Academy.

Trivia
One could summon a dire spider via the summon monster IV spell.

Appearances

 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter Nights &bull; Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide &bull; Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark &bull; Neverwinter Nights: Pirates of the Sword Coast &bull; Neverwinter Nights 2 &bull; Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford • Neverwinter Nights: Tyrants of the Moonsea