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kumo

The Japanese doppelgänger.  Residents of the gutted pagoda. The kumo are at war with the oni and okami. Built off the 3e aranea.


Kumo

Large monstrosity (shadowlands, shapechanger), lawful evil

Armor Class 14 (natural armour, 17 with mage armour)

Hit Points 39 (6d10 + 6)

Speed 50 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 6 (–2)

Saving Throws Int +5

Skills Deception +3, Stealth +5

Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11

Languages Common, Deep Speech

Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Spider Climb. Kumo can climb any surface without making ability checks.

Kumo Poison. When exposed to kumo poison a target must make a successful DC 11 Con saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute, while poisoned the creature is paralysed.

Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the Kumo knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.

Web Walker. The Kumo ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.

Spellcasting. All kumo are 3rd-level wizards. They use Intelligence as their casting ability (DC 13, attack +5) and require no material components for their spells. Typical known spells are listed below, but individual kumo can know different spells.

  • Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, poison cloud, shocking grasp
  • 1st level (4 slots): grease, mage armour, magic missile
  • 2nd level (2 slots): invisibility, mirror image

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit (reach 5 ft.; one creature).  Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target is exposed to kumo poison.

Spit Poison. Range Weapon Attack: +5 to hti, range 30/60 ft.; one creature).  Hit: Target is exposed to kumo poison.

Spit Web. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit (range 30 ft./60 ft.; one creature). Hit: The target is restrained by webs (Escape DC 12). The web can also be destroyed by 5 points of slashing or fire damage against AC 10. This web has the additional effect of forcing spellcasters to make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on spells.

Shapechange. An kumo can use its action to polymorph into a Medium beast or humanoid of CR 2 or lower, or from another form back into its own form. The kumo retains its Int, Wis, and Cha scores and its current hit points while polymorphed but always appears as an attractive specimen of the species and gender; otherwise, it takes on all the attributes of the adopted form. It can cast spells if the adopted form can provide the spell’s verbal and somatic components, and it retains its paralytic poison trait if the adopted form has a bite attack. A shapechanged kumo reverts to its natural form when slain.

Appearance

As the monstrosity approaches across its web, you notice that unlike other giant spiders, this one has a pair of diminutive arms and hands, and an oddly brain-shaped hump on its back.

Tactics

Web-Slinging: A favored tactic of the araneas involves creating a web and then using that web as a swinging rope to fight from. Generally speaking, the aranea is considered to be on higher ground for these attacks (+1 on melee attacks). To use this tactic, an aranea must first throw a web to a nearby fixed point (usually a ceiling or beam, both of which are generally Large, with an AC of 9). The araneas make one of three attacks using their webs in this way.

Angry Falling Leaves: In this attack, an kumo uses its web to break its fall as it suddenly drops up to 30 feet downward into combat, treating itself as a falling object that crashes into an opponent from above. This attack requires a melee touch attack, and deals 3d6 points of damage. The aranea itself takes 1d6 points of damage if this attack is successful.

Attack of the Lotus Whirlwind: In this attack, an kumo puts itself into a spin as it descends from its web. If the aranea descends 20 feet or more using this attack, its descent counts as a charge.

Graceful Descent of the Flying Blade: An kumo can swing up to the web’s length (moving up to the aranea’s speed) and make a single melee attack action without provoking an attack of opportunity, similar to the Spring Attack Feat. Doing so requires an Acrobatics check with a DC equal to the opponent’s CMD. The aranea then releases the web and drops to the ground.

 

Posted in 5e, Dungeons & Dragons, Monstrous Compendium, Oriental Adventures, The Divine Heir and the Jade Regent, The Forest of Spirits

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