Ettercap
The Wild Ettercap; ugly for the sake of being ugly. Yes, I was also surprised they could speak.HD:d8
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Feature 1 +1 +2 +0 +2 Man-Spider Body, Web, +1 Dex
2 +2 +3 +0 +3 Poison, Skill Bonuses, +1 Dex
3 +3 +3 +1 +3 Spider Companion, +1 Dex
Skills:4+int modifier, quadruple at first level. Class skills are Climb, Craft, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Survival.
Proficiencies: Ettercaps are only proficient with their own natural weapons.
Features:Man-Spider Body:An ettercap loses all other racial bonuses, and gain lowlight vision. It is a medium sized humanoid with base speed 30 foot, climb speed 30 feet (thus gaining a racial bonus of +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. It can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.) As well, he gains a natural weapon bite attack dealing 1d8+Str modifier damage, and two secondary claw attacks dealing 1d4+1/2str modifier. Ettercaps possess fine manipulation. Ettercaps speak common, plus any additional languages based on his intelligence modifier.
An ettercap also gains a natural armor bonus to AC equal to his Con modifier.
Web: At first level, the ettercap can throw a number of times per day equal to (HD times Con modifier) +HD. 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 of up to Medium size. The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement.
An entangled creature can escape with a DC (10+1/2HD+Con modifier) Escape Artist check or burst the web with a DC (15+1/2HD+Con modifier) Strength check. The web has 2*HD hit points, hardness 0, and takes double damage from fire.
Ettercaps can also create sheets of sticky webbing from 5 to 60 feet square. They usually position these to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC (18+1/2HD) Spot check to notice a web, or they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing receive a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot-square section has 2*HD hit points, hardness 0, and takes double damage from fire.
A parachute can be fashioned out of web as a move action, using any number of web uses. Fall damage is reduced by 10 feet per use expelled to form the parachute.
By expending a use of web, the Ettercap can lower himself silently on a strand from a tree branch, ceiling, or other location that a strand can be attached to. Doing so allows him to move downwards with a +10 circumstance bonus to Move Silently.
An ettercap can expend a use of web to create a 10 foot length of rope. This is a fullround action that provokes an attack of opportunity. This rope is treated as silk rope for mechanical purposes; however, it has no commercial value. Also, it weighs only 1 lb.
An ettercap can expend a use of web and harden it to create a pole. This is a fullround action that provokes an attack of opportunity. This pole is treated as a 10 foot pole for mechanical purposes; however, like the rope, it has no commercial value. Also, it weighs only 1lb.
The above rope and pole creation abilities become standard actions at 3HD, swift actions at 5HD, and free actions at 7HD.
An ettercap can move across its own sheet web at its climb speed and can determine the exact location of any creature touching the web.
Poison: At second level, ettercaps gain the ability to produce poison and spread it through their bite attacks. The poison has an initial damage of 1d6 Dex and a secondary damage of 2d6 Dex. The save DC is (10+1/2HD + con modifier). The poison damage increases to 2d6/2d6 at 5HD, and an additional die size for every 6 HD after that. At 10 HD, this poison bypasses immunity, but the creature receives a +5 on it's saving throw.
Skill Bonuses:The ettercap gains a racial bonus to Spot, Craft(trapmaking), Move Silently and Hide equal to it's HD/2.
Spider Companion:The Ettercap gains a kinship with spiders, being able to tame spider-like creatures of friendly disposition by chittering at them for an hour, without interruption. At 3HD, this can be a monstrous spider of Medium size or lower. At 4HD, this can be a Large Monstrous Spider. At 7HD, this can be a Phase Spider or a Huge Monstrous Spider. At 10HD, this can be a Gargantuan Monstrous Spider. At 13HD, this can be a Colossal Monstrous Spider. When the Ettercap reaches any of the HD indicated on this list, if his companion at the time is a monstrous spider, will increase one size category, essentially "becoming" the next form of Monstrous Spider (HP, AC, Poison, etc all changing accordingly). At the DMs discretion, the Ettercap may have other spider-like monsters as a Spider Companion, assuming their CR isn't higher than the Ettercap's HD-2. An Ettercap can only have one Spider Companion at a time.
In addition, the ettercap can use diplomacy to alter the attitude of vermin with a bonus to the roll equal to his HD. However, vermin to not respond to charisma; Constitution is used in place of charisma for diplomacy checks of this purpose.
Strong Web:The ettercap's webs gain a hardness equal to HD/2, and this hardness is added to the DC of break attempts (but not Escape Artistry). As well, the amount of web used in a ranged attack can be doubled to effect an enemy one size category higher (2 uses for large, 4 for huge, 8 for gargantuan, 16 for colossal).
Comments
Here it is, the Ettercap, my second monster class. A bit easier than my first, if I do say so myself. With only three levels to fill in there was not much room for fluff, but I did what I could (web parachute, spider companion, skill bonuses, vermin diplomacy, and strong web.
I recommend Rogue for synergy, as it meshes with the ambush fighting style of the Ettercap, and rooting creatures with webbing would be mighty handy for sneak attacks, I reckon. Of course, the bonuses to Hide and Move Silently won't hurt.
