Corpse Spiders are the intrusion of a foul alien mind upon our world, the nightmare of a vast and horrid imagination made manifest. No one knows what is ultimately responsible for the creation of the corpse spiders, what it wants or needs, only that is uses humans as the vessel to enact its will. Why it chooses one human or another is a mystery as well, appearing to be random. Even if a reason could be found it is sure to be incomprehensible to mankind.
Some texts place the blame on Atlach-Nacha, due to the superficial similarity in appearance with the corpse spiders. This is disputed, however, as Atlach-Nacha cares little for the waking world and has even littler interaction with it. Other texts hold Rhan-Tegoth and Nyogtha responsible, though there is no evidence for this.
Overnight, a sleeping human will be transformed into a corpse spider. The body will stretch and expand. The limbs grow to a grotesque length, with new joints. Fingers and toes fuse into three digits on each limb, the bones ripping through the taut skin to form talons. Two ribs on each side of the torso split from the rest, and grow into extra legs. The chest cavity ruptures into a gaping maw, the rest of the ribs serving as teeth. The organs twist into multiple tongue-like tendrils that wiggle and whip the air. The face remains human and unchanged, except for a look of horror frozen upon the features, suggesting that the person’s mind is still somewhere still inside of the monster, and aware of everything happening to it.
Once the change is complete, the monster begins to hunt, stalking the world in a strange backwards crab-walk on all eight legs. An ambush predator, the corpse spiders subdue and draw their victim into his maw. Then they return to their lair – preferring dark, dank enclosed spaces – to consume their still living victim over days. It is thought this is some sort of ritual, the blood and anguish needed for some inexplicable purpose. When the victim is totally drained the corpse spider will hunt again. Once it has consumed enough blood, the monster dies, becoming a dried, crumbling husk like its victims.
Special Powers
Consume: Seizing a victim in it’s tongue tendrils, the corpse grinder will pull them into its maw. There the victim will be trapped as it is drained of 3d10 CON in blood and bodily fluids until dead. Once the corpse spider consumes 500 points of CON, the corpse spider will die.
Corpse Spider, Mysterious Hunters of Blood
char. rolls averages
STR 2d6+8 x5 75
CON 2d6+6 x5 65
SIZ 4d6+4 x5 90
DEX 3d6+6 x5 80
INT 3d6 x5 50
POW 3d6 x5 50
HP: 16
Average Damage Bonus: +1d6
Average Build: 2
Average Magic Points: 10
Move: 10
Attacks
Attacks Per Round: 2
Fighting Attacks: They attack with their talons and whipping tongues, or pounce on a victim to immobilize them.
Consume: Victim is swallowed by the corpse spider, and loses 3d10 CON per day (target must already be seized). Victim may free themselves on an opposed STR roll.
Seize (mnvr): The whipping, lashing tendril tongues of the corpse spider wrap around the target and immobilize them to be consumed.
Fighting 45% (22/9), damage 1d4+damage bonus
Dodge 40% (20/10)
Pounce 45% (22/9), damage 2d4+damage bonus+immobilized
Seize (mnvr) victim is held for further attacks or to be Consumed.
Armor: 4 points of chitinous skin.
Skills: Climb 80%, Stealth 70%
Sanity Loss: 2/2d6 to see a corpse spider; addition loss of two sanity points if one recognizes the vessel.
Bruce is a sociology student and co-host of The Crypt Keepers podcast
