Giant spiders, also known as monstrous spiders, were quite simply enormous versions of regular spiders. Existing in various types, there was no way to singularly describe their appearance; with various types ranging in size from that of a dog to a house. Giant versions of tarantulas existed, as did black widows, spitters, spinners, and all manner of others. Their appearances, habits, and environments all varied greatly. Goblins were known to employ them as mounts.[6]
Description[]
Due to the different types of such spiders, they varied largely in all ways, such as having different colors and behavior. Lolth, the Queen of Spiders, was bound to have giant spiders serving her.[6]
Combat[]
Giant spiders could attack in a variety of ways, typically whatever way their normal counterparts could. Some spun huge webs that prey easily stumbled into, while others spat a deadly poison. Some were capable of walking on ceilings, while others were not. Despite the differences between the types of giant spiders, all were formidable opponents and certainly not foes for any arachnophobes to face.[6]
Ability[]
Prey of giant spiders, cocooned in giant spider silk.
Giant spiders' viscera was iridescent gold and purple in color. If it came in contact with a humanoid's skin, it had a burning and irritating effect, leaving skin enflamed with red splotches, however, it was mostly harmless.[7]
Species[]
- Flying
- Categorized as a type of subterranean spider, this species were much larger cousins of flying spiders.[8]
- Gaze
- A magical species of giant spiders that had the power to attack with a paralyzing gaze.[9]
- Ice
- A species of giant spider that were adapted to living in arctic and freezing cold environments. They had a natural resistance to cold-based attacks and weaved liquid webs that quickly solidified due to their environment.[10]
- Marine
- A species of giant spiders that were adapted to surviving in saltwater environments.[11]
- Spiderform
- An artificial species that was created whenever the spell spiderform was cast on either a mundane arachnid or any other species of small animal. Unlike natural giant spiders, the ones created by this spell carried a nonfatal venom that only stunned its victims, even if the spider it was created from had a poisonous bite. They were also unable to produce webs, but had great ease in navigating the artificial ones created by the spells web and spellweb.[12] By 1372 DR, the spiderform spell had changed so as to allow these creatures access to these standard spider abilities.[13]
- Swarmhorde
- A relatively small species of giant spiders that lived in the Underdark beneath King's Forest.[14]
- Water
- A common species of giant spiders that were adapted to surviving in aquatic environments.[11]
Notable Giant Spiders[]
- Demons of the Samarlogh - A band of massive and fiercely intelligent fiendish giant spiders of the Samarlogh jungles.[15]
- Pet of Kalistes - A very intelligent and exceptionally powerful giant spider created by the marilith Kalistes.[9]
Appendix[]
Gallery[]
A giant spider from 2nd edition.
An illusory giant spider creeping up on Onyx the Invincible, from the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons comic.
A giant spider with a horse caught in its web.
Video Games[]
A giant spider residing in the jungles of Chult, from the game Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone.
A baby giant spider residing in the jungles of Chult, from Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone.
One of the giant spiders encountered during the descent to Undermountain.'
Giant spiders from Neverwinter Nights 2.
A particularly large giant spider from Baldur's Gate III.
Appearances[]
Adventures
Dungeon #14, "Masqueraider" • Curse of the Azure Bonds • Dungeon #17, "The Waiting Room of Yen-Wang-Yeh" • Ronin Challenge • Polyhedron #55, "Easy Money" • Dungeon #27, "Bride For A Fox" • Dungeon #29, "Nymph's Reward" • Dungeon #33, "Mad Gyoji" • Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor • City of the Spider Queen • Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land • Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle • Hoard of the Dragon Queen • The Rise of Tiamat • Curse of Strahd • Storm King's Thunder • Tomb of Annihilation • Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage • Acquisitions Incorporated (sourcebook): "The Orrery of the Wanderer" • Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk • Vecna: Eve of Ruin
Referenced only
Dungeon #20, "The Ship of Night" • The Ruins of Undermountain II: The Deep Levels: "Survival of the Fittest" • Dungeon #48, "Honor Lost, Honor Regained" • Dungeon #67, "Training Ground"
Dungeon #20, "The Ship of Night" • The Ruins of Undermountain II: The Deep Levels: "Survival of the Fittest" • Dungeon #48, "Honor Lost, Honor Regained" • Dungeon #67, "Training Ground"
Novels & Short Stories
Shadowdale • The Ring of Winter • Daughter of the Drow • The Glass Prison • Baldur's Gate • The Shattered Mask • The Jewel of Turmish • Darkvision • Swords of Eveningstar • Honor Among Thieves: The Road to Neverwinter
Referenced only
Finder's Bane
Finder's Bane
Comics
Video Games
Pool of Radiance series (Curse of the Azure Bonds • Secret of the Silver Blades • Pools of Darkness) • Neverwinter Nights (AOL) • Treasures of the Savage Frontier • Gateway to the Savage Frontier • Forgotten Realms: Unlimited Adventures • Descent to Undermountain • Baldur's Gate series (Baldur's Gate • II: Shadows of Amn • II: Throne of Bhaal • The Black Pits • II: Enhanced Edition • Siege of Dragonspear • Baldur's Gate III) • Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance • Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II • Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone • Neverwinter Nights series (Neverwinter Nights 2 • 2: Storm of Zehir • 2: Mysteries of Westgate • Darkness over Daggerford) • Neverwinter (Ravenloft) • Sword Coast Legends • Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms • Warriors of Waterdeep
Board Games
Card Games
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
External Links[]
Giant Spider article at the Baldur's Gate Wiki, a wiki for the Baldur's Gate games.- Giant spider article at the NWNWiki, a wiki for the Neverwinter Nights games.
- Giant spider article at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 328. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 246–247. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 284, 288–289. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 326. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 90. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (August 2006). Swords of Eveningstar. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 14, p. 167. ISBN 978-0-7869-4022-6.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (July 1991). The Drow of the Underdark. (TSR, Inc), p. 124. ISBN 1-56076-132-6.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Strategic Simulations, Inc. (1991). Designed by Ken Humphries, David Shelley. Pools of Darkness. Strategic Simulations, Inc.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, et al. (September 2016). Storm King's Thunder. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 127. ISBN 978-0-7869-6600-4.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 90. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 32. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 74–75. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Standing Stone Games (February 2006). Dungeons & Dragons Online. Daybreak Game Company.
- ↑ Obsidian Entertainment (November 2008). Designed by Tony Evans. Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir. Atari.
Connections[]
True Spiders
Natural spiders: Blade • Bloodweb • Bristle • Budback • Daughter of Lolth • Dire • Doomspinner • Gargantuan • Gee'aantu • Giant (Flying • Water) • Huge (Deathjump • Wolf spider • Watchspider) • Ice • Leaf • Roave • Spitting • Subterranean (Flying • Hairy • Sword) • Swarmhorde • Tarantula • Velsharess Orbb
Magical spiders: Bloodsilk • Electric • Glass • Gaze • Goblin • Halruaan (Glass • Scaled) • Pet of Kalistes • Spellgaunt • Steeder • Woodspider
Planar spiders: Demonweb terror • Fire • Myrlochar • Phase • Shadow • Tomb • Vortex
Magical spiders: Bloodsilk • Electric • Glass • Gaze • Goblin • Halruaan (Glass • Scaled) • Pet of Kalistes • Spellgaunt • Steeder • Woodspider
Planar spiders: Demonweb terror • Fire • Myrlochar • Phase • Shadow • Tomb • Vortex
Related Creatures
Spider-like Beasts: Arraccat • Brain spider • Cildabrin • Kalin • Snow spider • Space spider • Wall-walker • Webbird • Zygraat
Constructs: Arachnar • Bone spider • Jade spider • Retriever • Spiderwalker • Stone spider
Outsiders: Bebilith • Darkweaver • Greelox • Inferno spider • Red widow • Yochlol
Creations of Lolth: Abyssal widow • Chwidencha • Drider (Vampire) • Shunned
Humanoids: Aranea • Chitine • Choldrith • Ettercap • Werespider
Miscellaneous: Kitthix • Neogi • Rhylfang • Susurrus
Undead spiders: Wraith spider
Constructs: Arachnar • Bone spider • Jade spider • Retriever • Spiderwalker • Stone spider
Outsiders: Bebilith • Darkweaver • Greelox • Inferno spider • Red widow • Yochlol
Creations of Lolth: Abyssal widow • Chwidencha • Drider (Vampire) • Shunned
Humanoids: Aranea • Chitine • Choldrith • Ettercap • Werespider
Miscellaneous: Kitthix • Neogi • Rhylfang • Susurrus
Undead spiders: Wraith spider