Sorcerer - Spider-blooded Origin

by somanyrobots

Search GM Binder Visit User Profile

Sorcerous Origin

Spider-Blooded

There are many dreadful entities beyond the kingdoms of mortals, but few that inspire as much dread as spiders. Not simple household creatures, nor the giant spiders that lair in far-flung forests, but their gods, their demons, and the queens and kings of spider-kind which have lurked in dark places since an earlier age. And some mortals are born with a connection to these fell entities - whether through blasphemous ritual, mystic connection, or simple happenstance.

Spider-Blooded sorcerers may be any alignment, and come from any background. Often they will hide their powers, out of concern that mortals' common fear of spiders will be transferred to themselves. However, in lands that ally themselves with arachnid gods, Spider-Blooded sorcerers may be treated as royalty.

Spider-Blooded Origin Features

Sorcerer Level Feature
1st Origin Spells, Web Spinner, Ensnaring Magic, Spider's Venom
6th Shade Lurker, Spider's Blood
14th Deadly Venom
18th Spider-Blessed

Origin Spells

You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Origin Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.

Sorcerer Level Spells
1st jump, minor drainS
3rd spider climb, web
5th rain of spidersK, spider biteK
7th resilient sphere, summon spiderS
9th enervation, phantom webS

Spells marked with K are by KibblesTasty, and marked with S were created by somanyrobots. All are included at the bottom of this document.

Web Spinner

Your cursed bloodline gives you certain skills commonly associated with spider-kind. You gain proficiency with the Deception skill, weaver's tools, and poisoner's kits.

Ensnaring Magic

At 1st level, you may conjure magical spiderwebs to ensnare your foes. Whenever you cast a leveled spell that targets a single creature, you can summon webs pinning the target. They must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, becoming restrained for 1 minute on a failure or having their movement speed reduced by 10 feet on a success. They can make a Strength saving throw at the end of each of their turns to break free and end the effect.

You can use this ability once per long rest for no cost. Additional uses cost a number of sorcery points equal to 1 + the spell's level.

Spider's Venom

Also at 1st level, you have an unusual skill with poisons and venoms. Anytime you deal poison damage with a spell, you may reroll 1's on the dice roll. You must use the new roll.

Shade Lurker

At 6th level, you develop some of the spider's talent for laying in wait. You gain darkvision out to 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, its range increases by 30 feet.

When you are in dim light or darkness, you gain advantage on initiative rolls, and advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks when you take at least one minute to hide yourself in a stationary spot.

Spider's Blood

Also at 6th level, you gain resistance to poison damage and advantage on all saving throws to avoid the poisoned condition. Additionally, your spells that deal poison damage may ignore poison resistance (but not poison immunity).

Paralytic Poison

At 14th level, your venomous powers reach a terrifying potency. When you cast a spell which inflicts the poisoned condition or deals poison damage, you may incorporate a paralyzing poison. One creature affected by the spell must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be paralyzed for 1 minute. They can attempt the saving throw again at the end of each of their turns.

After you paralyze a foe in this way, you can't do so again until you complete a short rest, unless you spend 3 sorcery points to use it again.

Spider-Blessed

At 18th level, your tainted blood gives rise to a truly monstrous transformation. As a bonus action, you may gain the following benefits for 10 minutes.

  • Four spider legs erupt from your shoulders and back. They grant you a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and can hold objects (though they cannot wield weapons, magic items, or arcane focuses).
  • You immediately conjure an ethereal web, filling a 50-foot radius sphere from a point you can see. You gain truesight over anything within the web.
  • Your darkvision increases to 120 feet, and anytime you have taken less than half your movement on your turn, you can use a bonus action to turn invisible.

You may transform in this way once, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you spend 4 sorcery points to use it again.

Spider-Blooded Origin quirks

The following are some optional quirks for a player of this subclass to choose from.

d6 Quirk
1 You are actually terrified of spiders.
2 You have nightmares of being wrapped in webs and eaten, most nights.
3 You always have a tiny spider or two crawling around on your person.
4 You make very loud slurping noises when you drink.
5 You occasionally chitter when you speak.
6 You never, ever squash a spider unprovoked.

Appendix: Spells

Minor Drain

1st-level necromancy

  • Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 30 feet
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Instantaneous

You send a pulse of necrotic energy towards a target, sucking its life essence away. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 necrotic damage, and you gain half the damage dealt as temporary hit points. These temporary hit points fade at the end of your next turn.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

Phantom Web

5th-level illusion

  • Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 120 feet
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You create a mass of illusory spiderwebs, crawling with illusory spiders, centered on a point of your choice within range. When you cast the spell, you can designate any number of creatures to be immune to the spell. The webs fill a 20-foot cube, and are difficult terrain for all affected creatures.

When a creature starts its turn in the webs or enter them during its turn, they must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is restrained. They can spend their action to attempt to break free, attempting another saving throw.

As a bonus action, you can command one of the illusory spiders to attack any creature in the web or within 10 feet of its edge. Make a melee spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target suffers 4d6 psychic damage, and if they are outside the web, a Large or smaller target is dragged up to 10 feet toward the web.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 6th.

Rain of Spiders

3th-level conjuration

  • Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
  • Casting Time: 1 bonus action
  • Range: 60 feet
  • Components: V, S, M (a spider leg)
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

A vertical column of spiders begins to rain down in 20-foot radius, 40-foot high cylinder, centered on a location you specify. A Swarm of Spiders (Monster Manual, pg 334) descends onto each creature within the cylinder when the spell is cast.

This swarm is considered to be climbing on the target creature and moves with it, even if they leave the affected area, and takes its turn immediately after that creature's turn. A creature can make use its action to attempt to remove the spiders, making a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the spell save DC of the caster.

The swarm uses the caster's spell attack modifier when attacking (if it is higher than their attack modifier). A swarm will attack the creature it fell on if it can, or move to chase the creature if it has been knocked off of them. Any spiders that remain when the spell ends disappear.

Spider Bite

3th-level transmutation

  • Classes: Druid, Warlock, Wizard
  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: V, S, M
  • Duration: Instantaneous

You prick a target with a tiny magical fang of venom. Make a melee spell attack against a creature within reach. On a hit, the target takes 4d12 poison damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or becoming poisoned for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make another Constitution saving throw. On a success, the target is no longer poisoned.

If you miss your melee attack roll, you can concentrate (as if concentrating on a spell) to maintain the attack for another attempt until the end of your next turn. (You may make subsequent attempts until you hit or lose concentration)

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d12 for each slot level above 3rd.

Summon Spider

5th-level conjuration

  • Classes: Druid, Warlock
  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 90 feet
  • Components: V, S, M (a jeweled spider figurine worth at least 500gp)
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You call forth a magical spider, manifesting in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. This corporeal form uses the Spider Spirit stat block. When you cast the spell, choose Venomous, Webspinner, or Sword. The creature resembles the creature of your choice, which determines certain traits in its stat block. The creature disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends.

The creature is an ally to you and your companions. In combat, the creature shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don't issue any, it takes the Dodge action and uses its move to avoid danger.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, use the higher level wherever the spell's level appears in the stat block.

Spider Spirit

Medium Monstrosity, unaligned

  • Armor Class 12 + the level of the spell (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 50 + 10 for each spell level above 5th
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
  • Speed (Sword Only) 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 17 (+3) 13 (+1)
  • Damage Resistances poison
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
  • Languages understands the languages you speak

Websense (Webspinner Only). The spider can ignore movement penalties or conditions caused by webs, and has blindsight over the entire area of any web it can touch.

Actions

Multiattack. The spider makes a number of attacks equal to half this spell's level (rounded down).

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 4 + the spell's level piercing damage.

Stabbing Leg (Sword Only). Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 piercing damage.

Web Spray (Webspinner only). The spider can spray webbing on a 20-foot radius sphere within 60 feet. This webbing is difficult terrain.

Bonus Actions

Inject Venom (Venomous only). After the spider hits an enemy with a Bite attack, it can inject a potent poison into its target. The target must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take 4d6 poison damage and be poisoned for 1 minute. They can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of their turns to end the effect.

Stabbing Frenzy (Sword Only). The spider targets a creature within 5 feet with a series of stabs with its knife-sharp legs. It can make one Stabbing Leg attack for each 5 feet of movement it has remaining.

Web Spit (Webspinner only). Ranged Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained target can make a Strength (Athletics) check with a DC equal to your spell save DC, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; 3hp per spell level; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage).

Changelog

v0.3.1

  • Nerfed Phantom Web's area & spider range

v0.3

  • Replaced Deadly Venom with Paralytic Poison

v0.2

  • Added Summon Spider & Phantom Web
  • Buffed Spider's Blood
  • Gave Ensnaring Spells one free use per day, but upped its cost

v0.1

  • Rough Draft
Credits & References:
  • Spider-Blooded Origin created by somanyrobots

Spells

  • Minor Drain, Summon Spider, Phantom Web by somanyrobots
  • Rain of Spiders and Spider Bite by KibblesTasty

Art

  • All art © Wizards of the Coast LLC, listed in order of appearance.
  • Arachnoform by Ilse Gort
  • Hatchery Spider by Livia Prima

Background Image Stains

Fan Content Policy

This work is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.