Jade Spiders are constructs of the drow. Drow city gates, and the entrances to drow temples, vaults, and the dwellings of rich nobles and powerful wizards, are often guarded by gigantic spider statues, known as jade spiders. They got their name because of the sharp-tipped mandibles and saw-edged legs which are made of a paricular sort of magically-treated jade.[1]
Umber hulks are nauseated and repelled by the presence of this substance, which is corrosive to their scaly hides, and do not willingly approach jade spiders within 60 feet, or try to win past them. The hulks almost always retreat to hunt elsewhere.[2]
Abilities
Such constructs are fearless and unthinking. Therefore they will carry out their assigned orders even in the face of certain destruction.
Supernatural Abilities
- Forcecage Web-Similar to the spell forcecage but having the appearance of a glowing green web and effecting a single target.[1]
- Peterfication-The glowing green venom of the jade spider turns living creatures to stone.[1]
- Wounding-A wound caused by a jade spider bite continues to bleed and harm the creature.[1]
- See Invisibily-A jade spider uses the spell see invisibility at will.[3]
Construction
Many drow know the secrets of jade spider construction, but drow communities take care to keep this and other magical secrets well-hidden. Only the most aged, infirm wizards are taught all the details; they and their written records typically stay inside their wizardly academies and inner House chambers until death or lichdom comes. The jade spider is chiseled from multiple blocks of stone together weighing at least 50,000 pounds.[3]It is known that the spells animate object, enchant an item, geas, permanency, stone shape, wish[2], Polymorph Any Object, Flesh to stone, Bestow curse and forcecage[3] are involved, as well as certain types of stone.[2]
Most jade spiders are given set commands to follow, but it is rumored that spells and devices exist that allow individuals direct control over certain jade spiders in battle.[2]
Sources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 James Wyatt (September 2002). City of the Spider Queen. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 121. ISBN 0-7869-1212-X.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ed Greenwood (July 1991). The Drow of the Underdark. (TSR, Inc), p. 78. ISBN 1-56076-132-6.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 James Wyatt (September 2002). City of the Spider Queen. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 122. ISBN 0-7869-1212-X.