| Large Magical Beast (Cold) |
| Hit Dice: | 7d10+14 (52 hp) |
| Initiative: | +3 (Dex) |
| Speed: | 30ft., climb 20ft. |
| Armor Class: | 20 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +8 natural) |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | 0 |
| Attack: | 0 |
| Full Attack: | Bite +8 melee |
| Space/Reach: | 5ft. by 10ft./5ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Vitrifying poison, web |
| Special Qualities: | Reflective carapace, cold subtype, SR 15 |
| Saves: | Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +2 |
| Abilities: | Str 15, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 15 |
| Skills: | Climb +12, Hide +8*, Jump +4, Listen +4, Move Silently +6*, Spot +5 |
| Feats: | Alertness, Dodge |
| |
| Environment: | Cold forest |
| Organization: | Cold forest |
| Challenge Rating: | 7 |
| Treasure: | Standard |
| Alignment: | Lawful Neutral |
| Advancement: | 8-10 HD (Large), 11-21 HD (Huge) |
| Level Adjustment: | 0 |
Large spiders of crystalline beauty, the glass spiders or the 'suavé' in the archons tongue are one of the most amazing sights of the Upper Planes, rivaling the Mount Celestia ziggurats. It is found commonly in some of the crystalline, snowy forests of Arcadia, hibernating in summers and weaving its web in spring. Their furless bodies can pass for ice and snow to the distracted traveler.
CombatVitrifying Poison (Su): The victim of a successful bite must make a Fortitude save (DC 19). Failure means the victim is slowed as per the spell (cast by a sorcerer of 7th level). Failing the second save on eminute later causes the victim to start vitrifying (turning into glass). Cold Subtype (Ex): Cold immunity; double damage from fire, except on a successful save.Reflective Carapace (Ex): The glass spider's shiny carapace reflects lightning bolts, and other electrical attacks, 25% of the time back at the caster; otherwise they are merely negated. Check for reflection before rolling to overcome the creature's spell resistance.Web (Su): A spider can attack with its web up to six time per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 75 feet, with a range increment of 15 feet, and is effective against targets of up to Huge size (see page 102 in the Player's Handbook for details on net attacks). The web anchors the target in place allowing no movement.An entangled creature can escape with a successful Escape Artist check (DC 23) or break the crystalline web with a successful Strength check (DC 27). The web has a hardness of 1, 8 hit points and takes half damage from fire.Skills: Glass spiders receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks when in the frozen crystal forests of Arcadia for their transparent bodies and delicate webs.
Habitat/SocietyAlthough intelligent, the glass spiders keep to their role on the plane, having little concept of society or organization. There are theories among some scholars of the Inner Planes that the spider used to live in Mineral or a former glass vein, eating sand and minerals until they found their way to Arcadia and were accepted by the plane's nature. The forests are full of crystalline statues of berks that should have stuck to the roads, as well as webs full of insects and rodents. Only the archons know the magic of returning a vitrified being to normal. Some spiders were snatched two or three decades ago, the inhabitants of the plane tried to discover the perpetuator of this crime to no avail. In fact, they were taken to the Abyss. The balor known only as The Chrysanthemum, well on his way to become an Abyssal Lord, decided to corrupt some of them to become the layer's decor. And he succeeded, being creatures tuned to the harmonious order of Arcadia, they adapted to the Abyss fast enough, when they could not perceive any higher order. Now, there are chaotic evil spiders in the chrysanthemum-filled fields and acid rivers that cover his layer.0
EcologyThey serve as regulators of Arcadia's insect population and enforcers of nature's greater order of things, while still being a symbol of the plane's ultimate perfection of form and purpose. In rare, rare cases glass spiders have helped adventurers in their way to right a terrible wrong done to Arcadia or its inhabitants. On those occasions, the spiders let them pass through the woods unscathed and show them were the disturbance lay.
