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The Lords of
False Presage, Part 2
At the
end of the Age of Demons, the great alliance between the dragons and the
spider lords was broken, and the Lords of False Presage scattered across the
face of Eberron. The White Spider, named for the color of his skin, fled to
the lonely mountains of Sarlona to the region now
known as Adar. After laying in wait for hundreds of years, the White Spider
crossed paths with the dragons once more. A blue dragon, a servant of the
Prophecy, sought to kill the spider lord, but through superior cunning the
White Spider prevailed, killing the dragon and taking shelter in its lair.
Atop
the great mountain rising above his enemy’s lair, the White Spider found an
artifact of tremendous power, a Siberys
observatory. With the weapon of the enemy in his hands, the White Spider
studied the Ring of Siberys and the planes that
surround Eberron, and after countless years the spider began to unlock the
secrets of the Draconic Prophecy. Then came the kalashtar.
The hermits of the mountains and valleys had never discovered the
White Spider, but sightings in the Ring of Siberys
told the spider lord he would need allies. Rumours of the powerful blue
dragons atop the great peak of Korrandar worried the spider
lord, and so he reached out to the spiritual settlers, albeit subtly.
Whispers of a great seer spread across a small, nearby community,
and soon they sent out an emissary named Kalavakri
who became the White Spider’s eyes and ears among the Adarans.
Using the new found knowledge of the Quori gathered
from its contacts, the White Spider developed the psychic abilities of its
own vast intellect. The White Spider has left his enemy’s tools behind,
choosing instead to use the raw power of his mind to glimpse into the future.
The
White Spider despises the dragons and the vise they clamped around the free
creatures of Eberron when their ancestors created the Prophecy. However, the
spider lord refuses to let this hate cloud his judgment as he works for what
he believes is a noble cause. Thousands of years in solitude has taught the White Spider to value the allies he can
find, and unlike some of the other spider lords, he treats his followers with
respect. Above all, the White Spider enjoys the irony of using the Prophecy
to bring its own downfall.
The
White Spider’s allies are few and far between, and he has few contacts
outside of the kalashtar and the other spider
lords. His kalashtar followers are centered in a
small mountain community approximately one day’s walk from his lair. Only one
kalashtar is permitted to meet with the White
Spider, a respected psion known as the Alakhal Ralath, or Herald of
the Spider Lord. The current herald is Kathalkhad,
an old telepath and priest of the Path of Light.
The White Spider
Spider Lord Diviner 6
/ Seer 3
Huge Magical Beast
Hit Dice:
16d10+48 plus 9d4+27 (185 hp)
Initiative: +4 (+4 Dex)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30
ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (-2 size, +4 Dex, +6 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +20/+37
Attack: Bite +27 melee (2d6+13 plus
poison)
Full Attack: Bite +27 melee (2d6+13 plus
poison)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10
ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, web, minions, hypnosis,
spell-like abilities, spells, psionic powers
Special Qualities: Darkvision
60ft., damage reduction 10/targath, low-light vision, tremorsense,
nondetection, spell resistance 17
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +19, Will +19
Abilities: Str
29, Dex 18, Con 16, Int
24, Wis 22, Cha 22
Skills: Concentration +18, Diplomacy
+25, Hide +15, Knowledge (Arcana) +19, Knowledge
(History) +17, Knowledge (the Planes) +19, Knowledge (Psionics)
+13, Listen +25, Move Silently +23, Psicraft +13,
Sense Motive +25, Spot +25, Spellcraft +16, Speak
Language (Quori)
Feats: Die Hard, Dodge, Endurance,
Extend Spell (B), Improved Counterspell, Lightning
Reflexes, Mobility, Scribe Scroll (B), Spell Focus (Divination), Spring Attack
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 22
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Lawful Good
The
White Spider speaks the language of the Spider Lords as well as Quori, Giant, Infernal and Draconic.
Combat
The
White Spider prefers to fight from the shadows, using his spell-like
abilities to conceal himself, then immobilizing his enemy with his web. He
will then use either his poison or his hypnosis and remove the foe from his
presence alive. The White Spider kills only when absolutely necessary, using
its minions and evocations to be rid of the danger.
Hypnosis (Su): A combination of the Spider Lord’s
unusual language and subtle hypnotic patterns in its eyes allows it to seize
the mind of weaker beings. This hypnosis is a full round action that provokes
an attack of opportunity, and can affect all creatures within 30ft with up to
half the HD of the Spider Lord. Affected creatures must succeed on a DC 23
Will save or be affected as if by a charm
monster spell. In addition, affected creatures with less than 6 HD are
subject to a daze effect. The save
DC is Charisma-based.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 21, initial and secondary
damage 2d6 Str. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Minions (Ex): Tiny spiders are attracted to
the lair of the Spider Lord, and using a hypnotic language the Spider Lord
can call these spiders to swarm against its foes. Three times per day as a
standard action, a Spider Lord can call 2d6 spider swarms to fight for it.
The swarms gather in areas chosen by the Spider Lord on the Spider Lord’s
next turn, but cannot be more than 60 feet from it. The spider swarms fight
to the death unless otherwise instructed by the Spider Lord.
Web (Ex): The Spider Lord often waits in a web suspended above its lair, then
lowers themselves silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing
beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the spider and one
creature of the same size. The Spider Lord can also throw a web eight times
per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of
50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets
up to one size category larger than the Spider Lord. An entangled creature
can escape with a successful Escape Artist check DC 21 or burst it with a Strength
check DC 25. The check DCs are Constitution-based,
and the Strength check DC includes a +4 racial bonus.
The
Spider Lord often creates sheets of sticky webbing from 5 to 50 feet square.
They usually position these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try
to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20
Spot check to notice a web; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped
as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing
gain a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab
while pulling free. Each 5-foot section has 14 hit points, and sheet webs
have damage reduction 5/—.
The
Spider Lord can move across its own web at its climb speed and can pinpoint the
location of any creature touching its web.
Nondetection (Sp):
The Spider Lord is subject to a permanent nondetection effect as the
spell, except that no checks are allowed to bypass the effect.
Spell-like abilities: At will – message; 3/day – invisibility,
darkness; 1/day – prying eyes, sending. Caster level 16th.
The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Spells: The White Spider casts spells
as a 6th-level wizard specializing in divination, with necromancy as a
prohibited school.
Typical
Wizard Spells Prepared (5|6|6|5; save DC = 17 + spell level): 0th - detect magic, prestidigitation, ghost
sound, detect poison (s), mage hand; 1st - identify (s), shield, hypnotism, colour
spray, silent image, mage armour; 2nd - Detect thoughts (s), touch of idiocy,
scorching ray, mirror image, glitterdust, blur;
3rd - clairaundience/clairvoyance (s), hold person, lightning
bolt, dispel magic, suggestion.
Psionic Powers:
The White Spider manifests powers as a psion (seer)
of 3rd level.
Psion
Powers Known (power points 21, save DC 17 + power level): 1st – mind thrust, defensive precognition,
offensive precognition, offensive prescience, sense link; 2nd – object reading, id insinuation.
Continue to Part 3.
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