Fang of Lolth

Many bards and rogues study ways to "trick" magic items into working without their usual requirements. Sometimes, though, the curious get more than they bargained for.

Worshipers of Lolth occasionally create a magic item called a fang scarab that gives spiders an attack bonus. Such an item is ordinary enough -- until a bard or rogue makes a successful Use Magic Device check to trick it into working for her. Though she does gain the benefit of the fang scarab, it also fuses to her neck, beginning a metamorphosis that could eventually turn her into a half-spider abomination.

Some fight this transformation, continuing their adventuring careers normally with only a few outward manifestations of spiderlike qualities. Others embrace the metamorphosis and earn levels in the fang of Lolth prestige class, giving over their bodies to the image of the Demon Queen of Spiders. Regardless of their attitudes toward this new legacy, those who have fused with fang scarabs eventually learn that death is the only way to separate the items from their bodies.

Clerics and other agents of Lolth know about this aspect of fang scarabs, so they spare no effort to bring anyone who has fused with one into Lolth's service. Most NPC fangs of Lolth work for clerics of the Spider Queen, but a few renegades exist who want the power of the spider but aren't willing to bow to Lolth. Agents of the Spider Queen constantly hound such characters, intent on either bringing them into Lolth's service or killing them to recover the fang scarabs.

Because fangs of Lolth begin their careers by unlocking the secrets of the fang scarab, they must be able to trick the item into treating them as spiders. That limitation leaves this class open only to characters with ranks in the Use Magic Device skill. Even the most powerful wizards and sorcerers try in vain to get fang scarabs to work in this manner; it takes the intuitive guesswork (and luck) of one who knows how to trick magic items.

Hit Die: d6.

Requirements

To qualify as a fang of Lolth, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Alignment: Any nonlawful and nongood.

Base Attack Bonus: +5.

Skills: Use Magic Device 10 ranks.

Special: The character must acquire a fang scarab and get it to function with a successful Use Magic Device check (DC 25). This grants her the benefits of the item (see sidebar) and fuses it permanently to her neck.

Class Skills

The class skills for the fang of Lolth (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disable Device (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Table 1-3: The Fang of Lolth

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Physical Changes
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Skill bonuses	Skin darkens
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Sneak attack +1d6	Limbs lengthen
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Spider bite	Jaw unhinges to allow bite attack
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Climb speed 20 ft.	Eyes enlarge and become multifaceted
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Sneak attack +2d6	Fingers and toes lengthen
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	Natural armor +2,	Tufts of coarse, black hair cover
					spider vision	body, eyes develop spider vision
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Summon swarm	Back hunches
8th	+6	+2	+6	+2	Sneak attack +3d6	Smallest finger or toe on each
						limb atrophies away harmlessly
9th	+6	+3	+6	+3	Spider limbs	Grows extra spiderlike limbs
10th	+7	+3	+7	+3	Natural armor +4,	Insect chitin covers skin
					vermin type

Class Features

All the following are class features of the fang of Lolth prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Fangs of Lolth gain no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Skill Bonuses: As an extraordinary ability, a fang of Lolth gains a +2 competence bonus on Climb and Jump checks. In addition, the whispers of Lolth provide her with subconscious hints about how magic works, giving her a +4 insight bonus on Use Magic Device checks. This bonus is a supernatural ability.

Sneak Attack: The fang of Lolth gains the sneak attack ability (see the Rogue section in Chapter 3 of the Player's Handbook) at 2nd level if she does not already have it. She gains +1d6 damage with this attack initially, but this rises to +2d6 at 5th level and to +3d6 at 8th level. If she already has the sneak attack ability from a previous class, the damage bonuses stack.

Spider Bite: The fang of Lolth can unhinge her jaw and bite with her razor-sharp teeth as an attack action. Her bite is a natural attack that deals 1d6 points of damage if she is Medium-size, or 1d4 points of damage if she is Small. This attack does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the fang of Lolth's foe. If she uses a full attack action, she can make normal weapon attacks and use her bite as a secondary natural attack at the standard -5 penalty.

Climb Speed 20 Feet (Ex): At 4th level, the fang of Lolth can climb walls and ceilings at a speed of 20 feet, just like the monstrous spider she's slowly becoming. This ability grants her a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks.

Natural Armor: At 6th level, the character's skin toughens, granting her a +2 natural armor bonus. At 10th level, her skin hardens into a chitinous carapace, increasing her natural armor bonus to +4.

Spider Vision (Ex): At 6th level, the fang of Lolth gains increased visual acuity in the form of a +4 competence bonus on both Spot and Search checks. She also gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet. If she already has darkvision as a class feature or racial ability, the ranges do not stack.

Summon Swarm (Sp): Three times a day, a fang of Lolth of 7th level or higher can summon and direct an army of normal spiders to do her bidding. This ability works exactly like a summon swarm spell cast by a druid of a level equal to the character's fang of Lolth level, except that the swarm is always composed of spiders. The fang of Lolth can spend a move-equivalent action to direct the swarm, which moves at a speed of 30 feet.

Spider Limbs (Ex): At 9th level, the fang of Lolth actually grows two more pairs of limbs, which emerge from her back or the sides of her torso when needed and are fully retractable. Extending or retracting the spider limbs is a move-equivalent action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The fang of Lolth's spider legs are tipped with simple claws that can hold weapons and other items normally, though they are incapable of the fine manipulation required for spellcasting or using Dexterity-based skills such as Open Lock and Pick Pocket. Despite her extra limbs, the fang of Lolth is still limited to one standard action per round. She can, however, make a secondary natural attack with each clawed spider leg at the standard -5 penalty as part of a full attack action. Her claws deal 1d4 points of damage if she is Medium-size or 1d3 points of damage if she is Small. The fang of Lolth can acquire the Multiattack, Multidexterity, and Multiweapon Fighting feats if she wishes to use her claws more effectively or wield weapons in multiple limbs.

At 10th level, the fang of Lolth's spider limbs grow long and sturdy enough to propel her forward. If she devotes two of her spider legs entirely to locomotion, her land and climb speeds each increase by 20 feet.

Vermin Type (Ex): At 10th level, the fang of Lolth's creature type changes to vermin, though she retains her previous Intelligence score, Hit Die type, and abilities. As a vermin, she becomes immune to mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).

Physical Changes: With each fang of Lolth level she attains, the character's body undergoes a metamorphosis. With the exception of the unhinged jaw and the extra spider limbs (both of which allow special attacks as detailed above), all these changes are merely cosmetic, but they are permanent. These spiderlike features do not alter the fang of Lolth's Charisma score or interpersonal skills, but the DM may choose to impose a circumstance penalty on any checks involving interaction with creatures that find such changes frightening. A clever fang of Lolth may avoid this issue by wearing a hat of disguise or employing some other magic that alters her appearance.