Jade spiders were constructs of the drow.[1]
Description
The spiders got their name because of the sharp-tipped mandibles and saw-edged legs which were made of a particular sort of magically-treated jade.[2][3]
Umber hulks were nauseated and repelled by the presence of this substance which was corrosive to their scaly hides, and did not willingly approach jade spiders within 60 feet, or try to win past them. The hulks almost always retreated to hunt elsewhere.[4]
Abilities
Such constructs are fearless and unthinking. Therefore they will carry out their assigned orders even in the face of certain destruction.[4]
Supernatural abilities
- Forcecage Web - Similar to the spell forcecage but had the appearance of a glowing green web and effecting a single target.[3]
- Petrification - The glowing green venom of the jade spider turned living creatures to stone.[3]
- Wounding - A wound caused by a jade spider bite continued to bleed and harm the creature.[3]
- See invisibility - A jade spider used the spell see invisibility at will.[3]
Ecology
Drow city gates, and the entrances to drow temples, vaults, and the dwellings of rich nobles and powerful wizards, were often guarded by gigantic spider statues, known as jade spiders.[4]
Construction
Many drow knew the secrets of jade spider construction, but drow communities took care to keep this and other magical secrets well-hidden. Only the most aged, infirm wizards were taught all the details; they and their written records typically stayed inside their wizardly academies and inner House chambers until death or lichdom came.[4] The jade spider was chiseled from multiple blocks of stone together weighing at least 50,000 lb (22.7 tons).[5] It was known that the spells animate object, enchant an item, geas, permanency, stone shape, wish,[4] polymorph any object, flesh to stone, bestow curse and forcecage[5] were involved, as well as certain types of stone.[4]
Most jade spiders were given set commands to follow, but it was rumored that spells and devices existed that allowed individuals direct control over certain jade spiders in battle.[4]
Appendix
Appearances
Novels
Further reading
- Ed Greenwood (July 1991). The Drow of the Underdark. (TSR, Inc), p. 78. ISBN 1-56076-132-6.
- James Wyatt (September 2002). City of the Spider Queen. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 121. ISBN 0-7869-1212-X.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedCotSQ-p121 - ↑ Ed Greenwood (July 1991). The Drow of the Underdark. (TSR, Inc), p. 78. ISBN 1-56076-132-6.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 James Wyatt (September 2002). City of the Spider Queen. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 121. ISBN 0-7869-1212-X.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Ed Greenwood (July 1991). The Drow of the Underdark. (TSR, Inc), p. 78. ISBN 1-56076-132-6.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 James Wyatt (September 2002). City of the Spider Queen. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 122. ISBN 0-7869-1212-X.