Making spiders challenging?

[Braininthejar]

For those who played Baldur's Gate - my campaign is getting close to the Cloakwood section.

For those who didn't - a party (currently about 6 level) needs to get through a spider-infested forest on their way to the next stage of the campaign. They can just take the easiest way through (which will get them some fights but nothing above a typical "random encounter" or they can decide to help an NPC whose idiot brother got himself killed by the spiders. In this case they need to get through to the most dangerous part, finally discovering the source of the infestation - a woman who had been cursed into a bloated monstrocity with the power to control spiders

The problem - with a party that has 2 druids to handle poison, most spiders aren't a big deal (and I don't want them too big - how many large monsters can a forest realistically support?) Besides throwing nets and dropping from the ceiling onto the casters, any other ways of making the fight challenging?

[kurashu]

Phase Spiders and the fiendish templates. Forests have other threats than spiders, too. I know in Dragon Age I got so fucking tired of fighting goddamn spiders for ever. I don't know about Baldur's Gate, though.

Throw some bugbears and assassin vines at them. Find a half spider template. Make zombies but have them be headcrabs (except, spiders, ya know).

[Braininthejar]

I don't know about Baldur's Gate

In the game it had phase spiders, ettecarps and sword spiders ( a spider that doesn't bite but leaps on the enemy and claws with its legs)

Half spider sounds interesting. Where can I find it?

[kitep]

Throw in some drow.  Drow and spiders just naturally go together.  Maybe even a Drider.

Throw in a druid who's leading the spiders.  Maybe even an anthropomorphic spider druid, or an awakened spider.

Throw in that spider from "The Hobbit"

Maybe a creature that's naturally immune to poison who likes to eat what the spiders have trapped.  (Or maybe just enough DR that the spiders can't hurt it to inject the poison)

Or maybe some Treants or nymphs or dryads who use the spiders to keep people out.

Or a necromancer who likes to gather the skeletons of whatever the spiders kill.

Or give the spiders some levels in barbarian.

The Aranea (MM-15) are spider-sorcerers (3rd level) with lycanthrope-like shapechanging ability.


Good luck.

[littha]

Throw in a druid who's leading the spiders.  Maybe even an anthropomorphic spider druid, or an awakened spider.

Druid needs Vermin Wildshape so it can also be a spider.

[kitep]

There's also a cleric domain that allows the cleric to rebuke/control spiders like he does undead.

Spider Domain (SpC-280)

[Braininthejar]

Or give the spiders some levels in barbarian.

Perhaps not the spiders themselves but ettecarps definitely. Monsters with class levels may be the key.

Throw in some drow.  Drow and spiders just naturally go together.  Maybe even a Drider.

Drow themselves don't mix thematically here (as I said, there is already a "creature" controlling the spiders and she would attack drow as readily as humans - she is a vain woman turned into a bloated monstrocity and kills any humanoid creatures for seeing her like that. But since she already controls the spiders, I can give her any number of related powers. If I make her a sorcerer, she won't be easily interrupted with her current constitution score.)

Or maybe some Treants or nymphs or dryads who use the spiders to keep people out.

Two druids in the party. They would just ask nicely 


The idea is shaping up. Thank you all for your contributions.

[kurashu]

Stat this bitch up and have an epic encounter! Make sure you have annoying barbarians, mosquitos, weird spider fire breathing things and a swamp full of poison because "Fuck you, that's why."

(click to show/hide)

...or just stat up Quelaag.

[AfterCrescent]

Make zombies but have them be headcrabs (except, spiders, ya know).

Yellow Musk Creepers turned spiders make for spider head crab zombies that would utterly terrify most people I know. That sounds like a hell of a lot of fun.