Template courtesy of the Brothers Grimm

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I watched the Brother's Grimm not too long ago, and though alot of it stunk, it had some of the most interesting creatures and supernatural villains I've ever seen. One of the more disturbing scenes though was the horse that spat spiderwebs and swallowed a small child.

-=-=-=-=-

Spiderbelly
Spiderbellies are creatures transformed by horrible magic for use in terrorizing and kidnapping. This transformation is caused by tiny magical spiders that the poor beast is induced or forced to invibe. Crawling within gut and nasal passages they quickly go to their gruesome work. Those who near infected creatures notice how they seem to be in a permanent state of bewildered alarm, crying out and chomping. Within but a single day the transformation is complete. The infected often appear normal from a distance, but as one nears they see that thick webbing droops from their mouth, dripping with saliva. The tiny arachnids continue to crawl all about these webs as well as the creature's body.

These creatures called spiderbellies are under direct control by the one who introduced the spiders and are often instructed into towns to seek out specific individuals for capture. One can always tell when a spiderbelly has collected a victim from the gross bloating of their stomach. Other animals sense the change in the spiderbelly and will not willingly venture near one.

This spell is most often cast by evil druids with a twisted version of the summon swarm spell.


Sample Spiderbelly

This large, stately horse seems to be caught in the throes of nervous agitation, stamping and knickering in a way painful to hear. Its eyes are wide and wild and long, sticky strands of saliva hang from its wet muzzle...

Spiderbelly Horse, Heavy

Large Aberration (augmented animal)
Hit Dice: 3d8+9 (22 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +3 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+9
Attack: Hoof –1 melee (1d6+1*) or web +2 ranged
Full Attack: 2 hooves –1 melee (1d6+1*) or web +2 ranged
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Swallow whole, web
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, spell-like abilities
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +0
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 8, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2
Feats: Endurance, Run
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Domesticated
Challenge Rating: 2
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

Carrying Capacity: A light load for a heavy spiderbelly horse is up to 200 pounds; a medium load, 201–400 pounds; and a heavy load, 401–600 pounds. A heavy horse can drag 3,000 pounds.

Combat:
A spiderbelly horse usually trots in at night and stands before the house of its victim, neighing and whinnying, awaiting for them to venture out. It allows them to approach and then spits forth its web to capture them. With a powerful swing of its head it spins its entangled victim into the air and swallows them as they come down. It then proceeds to gallop away at full speed to deposit its catch.

*A heavy horse’s hoof is treated as a secondary attack and adds only half the horse’s Strength bonus to the damage roll.

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day Whispering Wind. Caster level 3rd.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A spiderbelly horse can swallow a tangled opponent of small size or smaller as a full round action which allows an attack of opportunity. The swallowed creature takes 1 point of nonlethal damage a minute once within. This holding sack produces a gas that causes paralysis unless the swallowed creature succeeds on a DC 14 fortitude save. A new save must be made every minute to resist the paralysis. This paralysis lasts for as long as the victim is exposed to the gas and for 1d6 minutes afterwards. Those within may continue to make strength or escape artist checks to free themselves from the web, but only if they are unaffected by the gas. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 15 points of damage (AC 13).

Web (Ex): As a full round action a spiderbelly horse can spit forth a great sticky web as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet. If successful the spiderbelly and victim must make an opposed strength check. Success means the victim pulls free of the web. Failure means the victim is bound but can break loose by spending 1 round and making a DC 20 Strength check or a DC 30 Escape Artist check. If unsuccessful, in the next round the spiderbelly can pull the web and its victim into its space and swallow it whole. This is alike to the web spell of the same name for purposes of destroying the web.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Creating a Spiderbelly
Spiderbelly is an aquired template that can be added to any medium or larger animal(referred to hereafter as the "base creature").
A spdierbelly uses all the base creature's statistics amd special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: Spiderbellies become aberrations (augmented animal). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Speed: The spiderbelly's land speed increases by 10 feet.
Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day Whispering Wind. Caster level equals its Hit Dice.
Special Attacks: A spiderbelly retains all the special attacks of the base creature. It also gains the following attacks.
Web (Ex): As a full round action a spiderbelly can spit forth a great sticky web as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet. If successful the spiderbelly and victim must make an opposed strength check. Success means the victim pulls free of the web. Failure means the victim is bound but can break loose by spending 1 round and making a DC 20 Strength check or a DC 30 Escape Artist check. If unsuccessful, in the next round the spiderbelly can pull the web and its victim into its space and swallow it whole. This web is alike to the spell of the same name for purposes of destroying the web.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A spiderbelly can swallow a tangled opponent of up to two sizes smaller as a full round action. The swallowed creature takes 1 point of nonlethal damage a minute once within. This holding sack produces a gas that causes paralysis. The save DC to resist the paralysis equals half the base creature's HD + its con modifier. A new save must be made every minute to resist the paralysis. This paralysis lasts for as long as the victim is exposed to the gas and for 1d6 minutes afterwards. Those within may continue to make strength or escape artist checks to free themselves from the web, but only if they are unaffected by the gas. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal damage which varies on the size of the base creature.

Medium   10 
Large   15
Huge    20
Gargantuan 30
Colossal  50

The AC of the spiderbelly's holding sack equals the base creature's natural armor or 10, whichever is highest. A spider can only hold one creature at a time and can regurgitate the swallowed creature as a standard action.
Special Qualities: A spiderbelly retains all the special qualities of the base creature. It gains darkvision out to 60 feet and the augmented subtype.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Con +2, Wis -4
Challenge Rating: +1

[Maryring]

And here is my response. UGH. That's ugh. I sense nightmares approaching. Still very good, though how on earth does a HORSE manage to swallow a fullgrown halfling?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

though how on earth does a HORSE manage to swallow a fullgrown halfling?

Same as an anaconda can swallow a crocodile ;)

[Phasm]

You're right, that is incredibly disturbing. >_< ::shudder:: So wrong on so many levels.

Can you imagine this template on a dire toad?

[Sophistemon]

Very... interesting, Tribble. Did you draw the horses?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Very... interesting, Tribble. Did you draw the horses?

Nope, they are sketches from the movie website. I unfortunately cannot draw flip despite how much I'd like to.

[Maryring]

Still won't work. I'd say that a horses jaws are... erm... to firmly tied together... to be able to do... that.

[Sophistemon]

Ah, I see. I suffer the same confliction.
@Maryring: They're Augmented Animals. A normal horse (in this case) couldn't, but a Spiderbelly horse can.

EDIT
Oh, you were referring to the mouth being webbed shut, weren't you? Ehrm... I have no reasoning for that. A wizard did it?

[Maryring]

Well, yeah. Doesn't everything nonexplainable in DnD get explained with either "balance reasons" or "a wizard did it"? ;)

[Sophistemon]

I think so, yeah. Maybe whatever turns the animal into a Spiderbelly gives it a mouth strong enough to break the webs, as well as contort-able enough to swallow the prey. I dunno.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Part of the transformation is merely its jaws becoming unhinged. Its mouth is not webbed shut, its just got alot of webbing hanging off.

[Taliesin]

We love this.
We can't wait till using it.
The party We are DM ing to is 6-7 th level, but since we like a good syrrealistic horrory thing, we'll think of a way how to involve it.

[Yuki Akuma]

Ah, once again, you post a message which proves that this is the only thing you do ever.

I love it, like all your monsters. Imagine a Spiderbellied dinosaur...

Off topic: I've been wondering this for a while. Why is Mickle sideways?

[bosssmiley]

That's just *nasty*

Vorpal Tribble, you're a man after my own heart & deserve a statue or something. ;D

I have one player who hates (and I mean hates) spiders, and another who wants to be an entomologist, but is scared of big animals. This will freak them both out. 8)

Time to send the party off to the Shadowlands/Mournland area in my game (picture the continental US, it's roughly Tennessee). Where's the Kentucky Derby run? I might use that town as the location...

Maryring: Didn't you see the second "Blade" movie? I little physiological tinkering and these beasties would (kinda) work. Although I prefer the sheer horror of their being inexplicable. ;)

[Sophistemon]

Part of the transformation is merely its jaws becoming unhinged. Its mouth is not webbed shut, its just got alot of webbing hanging off.

Ah, so I was almost right in a roundabout, nonsensical, not-at-all right way.

[Maryring]

Still, this template is just NASTY. Being eaten alive is horrible enough, but when the creature that swallows you has a gut filled with crawling spiders and lots of web... YUCK.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Off topic: I've been wondering this for a while. Why is Mickle sideways?

Cuz its funny ;)

Actually, its from a game I used him in in which to save himself he had to leap off a great height. He manifested Immovability right before he hit and decided to just stay that way as he meditated and rested.

I have one player who hates (and I mean hates) spiders, and another who wants to be an entomologist, but is scared of big animals. This will freak them both out.

Yeah, one trick as a DM I've found is to find what the player fears, and have his character face it. The character may not have the same fears but the players is cringing through the whole thing.

Ah, so I was almost right in a roundabout, nonsensical, not-at-all right way.

;)

[Brickwall]

Two things I'd like to note:

1. Check for typos. Imbibe, not invibe, for one.

2. You've deviated quite a bit from the movie version. There was no spell cast, they were special evil spiders, applied to the horse's mouth. And the way I see it, this is just my opinion, the horse actually became an intelligent creature capable of receiving and obeying orders. And it did that weird calling thing. Very scary thing. So, I'd add intelligence and sending where the receiver knows who the sender is.

[Tilian]

Ick ick ick. But brilliant.

Does anyone else kind of want to see this applied to a giraffe? Or a gorilla?

[Maryring]

A giraffe? How on earth... that's just even MORE disturbing than a horse. And beside, the creature swallowed would most likely be killed by the fall damage when released.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

There was no spell cast, they were special evil spiders, applied to the horse's mouth.

And where do you get special evil spiders aside from perhaps a spell of calling?

And the way I see it, this is just my opinion, the horse actually became an intelligent creature capable of receiving and obeying orders. And it did that weird calling thing. Very scary thing. So, I'd add intelligence and sending where the receiver knows who the sender is.

I thought of making it intelligent, but I don't know thats how it was in the movie. It was brought home and the child that the sorceress wanted was attracted to the horse. The sending sounds right, but still not sure about the intelligence bit. Seemed more like it was just being controlled from a distance.


Edit: There, gave it a 3/day Whispering Wind. This way the spiderbelly doesn't have to know the child, just where its to be found.

[Brickwall]

And where do you get special evil spiders aside from perhaps a spell of calling?

Probably nowhere, but that's not the point. A spell was not cast on the horse. I am just noting on your flavor text. I'm trying to make it true-to-movie, and you go ahead and pick at my exact wording? Sheesh. Sorry for trying to be a bit helpful.

Seriously, though, a ritual/spell that requires somatic/verbal components makes it less creepy. Would it have been as scary if the guy had started chanting? Don't think so.

[Tilian]

A giraffe? How on earth... that's just even MORE disturbing than a horse. And beside, the creature swallowed would most likely be killed by the fall damage when released.

Just imagine the head bursting through a window, lunging at you as you try to run out of the room; its purple, webby tongue lashing at your ankles.

...

I want to grow up. I don't want to be a Toys'R'Us kid.... :-[

[Yuki Akuma]

Probably nowhere, but that's not the point. A spell was not cast on the horse. I am just noting on your flavor text. I'm trying to make it true-to-movie, and you go ahead and pick at my exact wording? Sheesh. Sorry for trying to be a bit helpful.

Seriously, though, a ritual/spell that requires somatic/verbal components makes it less creepy. Would it have been as scary if the guy had started chanting? Don't think so.

That was a movie. This is D&D. Deal with it.

[Maryring]

Just imagine the head bursting through a window, lunging at you as you try to run out of the room; its purple, webby tongue lashing at your ankles.

...

I want to grow up. I don't want to be a Toys'R'Us kid.... :-[

It's still that part about fitting inside the creature. Yeah, you'd fit inside the stomach, but what about the way down?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Probably nowhere, but that's not the point. A spell was not cast on the horse. I am just noting on your flavor text.

Well, was basically meaning that the horse, by way of magically called spiders, was transformed. So spiderbellies basically come from the result of a spell. I can adjust it to say something like changed by horrible 'magics' perhaps.

I'm trying to make it true-to-movie, and you go ahead and pick at my exact wording? Sheesh. Sorry for trying to be a bit helpful.

But I wasnt'... what are you... how was I... oh never mind. I wasn't complaining or making an attempt to pick anything. Thank you for your help, but get a grip ::)

[Sophistemon]

... SERVED!

[Everyman]

Ahem...

Create Spiderbelly
Transmutation [Evil]
Level: Drd 4, Ranger 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 round
Targets: 1 animal touched
Effect: One handful of spiders
Duration: 1 day/two levels
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: No

You call from the darker aspects of nature a small collection of pale spiders. Any animal that consumes these spiders (requiring the caster to reach out his hand and feed the animal) is transformed into a spiderbelly over the course of twenty-four hours (see template).

During the period of infestation, the animal is under the direct control of the caster. If you can speak Sylvan or Druidic, you may direct the animal to capture individuals as you see fit.

The effects caused by this spell can not be dispelled, but it can be removed by a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell.

How 'bout that? That might explain how these suckers come into play in a D&D campaign. I'm a little unsure which class should have this. On one hand, the spell has a very druidic/ranger feel to it (since it only effects animals). On the other hand, it turns the animal into an aberration...and that quality seems contrary to the druid mentality.

[Zeful]

Ahem...

Create Spiderbelly
Transmutation [Evil]
Level: Drd 4, Ranger 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 round
Targets: 1 animal touched
Effect: One handful of spiders
Duration: 1 day/two levels
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: No

You call from the darker aspects of nature a small collection of pale spiders. Any animal that consumes these spiders (requiring the caster to reach out his hand and feed the animal) is transformed into a spiderbelly over the course of twenty-four hours (see template).

During the period of infestation, the animal is under the direct control of the caster. If you can speak Sylvan or Druidic, you may direct the animal to capture individuals as you see fit.

The effects caused by this spell can not be dispelled, but it can be removed by a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell.

Is the saving throw for the spiders or the animal that is to be... er... um... mutated?

How 'bout that? That might explain how these suckers come into play in a D&D campaign. I'm a little unsure which class should have this. On one hand, the spell has a very druidic/ranger feel to it (since it only effects animals). On the other hand, it turns the animal into an aberration...and that quality seems contrary to the druid mentality.

Well it should be maybe a 5th level spell. Druid Ranger makes sence as it effects animals
I would like to point out that I am Arachnaphobic and that create didn't scare me.

[Dalcassius]

That is absolutely amazing. Great work VT. I can quickly see this put to play in a Raveloft campaign. A cavelry unit of these would be a hoot! Take that party off to where ever I wanted. All though the one issue I did have was that its a template. I agree with (and wish I'd beaten him to it) Tarkahn about making it a spell. Definitely put it on the list of spells available to the permenant spell. I man I can't wait to give my players nightmares. OH! Nightmares under the effect of Create Spiderbelly!! I'm really REALLY going to enjoy this spell. Thanks all.