Of all the widely-known summon creatures, spiders have the greatest stigma attached to them. Of course, that’s in part because as a species even ordinary spiders are much maligned. While normal spiders are entirely undeserving of their reputation, being helpful by killing off all manner of verminous insects.
It’s hard to say whether summoned spiders actually are as malevolent as they’re made out to be. They’re certainly not friendly, and seem to be utterly devoid of ethics or morals (amoral, not immoral)–they’ll just as gladly protect a village of innocent civilians and eat them all. Even shinobi who can summon them are incapable of giving any meaningful characterizations of the creatures they call on; more than any other summoned animal, the minds of the spiders are alien to humans.
That, really, is what makes them so frightening. Though the poison plays a role too, to be fair.
You summon a supernaturally resilient, sticky, and large spider web. In the case of (relatively) smaller ones, the user actually spits these out as projectiles towards the targets. Larger ones appear above, and fall down onto, the area being covered in webs.
Effects: This technique does not affect you or any of your spider summons. Anyone hit suffers a -4 immobilization penalty, which increases by 1 every 10 IC, to a maximum of -10, so long as they remain in the affected area. Anyone who dodges, or enters the area after it’s been created, starts with a -2 immobilization penalty (as they are still inside the webbed area) which then increases normally. Every 10 IC spent outside the web, its immobilization penalty decreases by 1. Alternately, you can remove the Area from this technique and target a single person who is already suffering from this technique’s immobilization penalty. If they’re hit, they’re pulled X yards towards you and their immobilization penalty is increased by 1.
Unlike normal techniques, this may be used more than once per week (OOC day). The total X values of all uses of Spider Web in a given week cannot exceed CHA/2; thus, with 40 CHA, you could use X = 10, X = 2, and then two X = 4, in the same OOC day. After each use, it cannot be used again for X*4 IC.
X has a minimum of 1.
You summon a number of giant burrowing spiders beneath the battlefield, which lie in wait for an enemy to pass over them. When someone does, the ground collapses and they fall onto the waiting, more-than-man-sized spider, which delivers a bite of potent venom before disappearing.
Effects: When you use this technique you make a Stealth check with a -5 penalty; anyone watching, or who approaches the area, makes an Awareness roll against that. If they succeed, they’ll notice that something is wrong with the area (and could reasonably surmise that avoiding it would be a good idea). If they fail, they don’t know that there’s anything unusual.
While in the area, any time anyone other than you moves as part of an attack, or spends 5 IC or more moving (total, in the latter case; 2 IC of movement, followed by 3 IC of movement, would trigger it), they must roll 1d3. On a roll of 1 they’ve walked over one of the traps, and immediately make an Athletics roll as their ‘dodge’ against your Accuracy (this does receive any bonuses and penalties to defensive rolls), with a penalty to their roll equal to their current Immobilization penalty (if any). If they succeed, they can continue normally. If they fail, they fall in and are attacked by the spider.
Falling in does interrupt whatever action they were taking (unless they were just moving), in which case no costs are paid, the trap leaves them stuck at their original location, and their IC is not advanced based on the attack’s Speed. The spider bites them before being unsummoned, afflicting them with a Stun X, where X is the amount they failed their Athletics roll by. You then make a Toxicology roll, using the higher of 3+XP/200 or your normal Toxicology skill ranks, against their Resistance. If they fail, they’re poisoned; the venom of these spiders is Poison X/2 (maximum 8), Paralysis X/4 (maximum 4), and Duration X*5 (with no maximum).
If used on an area where a web of Area 10 or greater has already been created, the trap field has a +10 bonus to its Stealth instead of a -5 penalty, and its Area is changed to that of the web. A single use of this jutsu has Y traps in it, where Y is the number of spider summons you have access to (up to a maximum of, normally, 4). You can perform this technique from stealth without revealing your location.
This technique temporarily transforms your canines (teeth, not pet dogs) into a pair of large fangs and briefly ‘summons’ the venom glands of a giant spider inside them. Then, in a rather unorthodox combat move you bite down on your victim and inject them with the toxin; this lasts only long enough for a single attempt, before the venom glands disappear and your teeth revert.
Effects: Every point of Immobilization penalty that your target is suffering from reduces this technique’s Accuracy penalty by 2, to a minimum of -0 (if they’re at -5 immobilization or higher), and its damage for the purposes of inflicting wounds is increased by 10% per point of Immobilization (to a maximum of +100%). They still suffer all the normal penalties for being immobilized.
This is a taijutsu attack which inflicts Piercing wounds and ignores DR and armor.
If this hits, it poisons the enemy with either Black Widow or Brown Recluse poison (chosen when you declare the attack). For your Toxicology roll, use the higher of 3+XP/200 or your own Toxicology skill ranks. If Brown Recluse poison is used, it’s raised to Poison 3, and its Duration is lowered to 500. If Black Widow poison is used, it’s raised to Poison 4 and the penalty to Stamina and Chakra Exhaustion rolls is raised to -6. Antidotes for those poisons still work normally.
You ‘shed’ your skin and in a blur of motion escape from your ‘shell’, which is left infused with chakra and capable of acting independently, as if nothing happened. This technique is best used to beat a hasty retreat when in danger, as it leaves you vulnerable and also buys time until your opponents realize what happened.
Effects: You are moved up to (CHA * 0.6) yards away in any direction, and immediately make a Stealth roll with a +15 bonus; enemies who fail their Awareness roll do not realize anything happened. You are then immediately raised to Stealth 2. When you use this technique you lose half (rounded up) your remaining Willpower, have your current AP set to 0, and automatically advance an additional Fatigue level (though not if doing so would render you unconscious) after the Chakra Exhaustion roll has been resolved. At the same time, all ongoing Immobilization, Ignite, and Burn effects you are suffering from are removed.
Your ‘old’ body is left behind to fight. It functions exactly as you do, but you have no mental link with it. It retains all your equipment, but cannot benefit from any consumable items (such as soldier pills). This technique can be used from stealth, without breaking your stealth (though it will remove you from level 3 stealth). If an enemy finds you while you’re still hiding after using this technique, roll 1d2. On a roll of 1, they found you; on a roll of 2, they found your shell and believe it to be you. Your shell has all your traits along with Vitality equal to how much Vitality or HP you had remaining when you used this technique (whichever was higher), and is at the same Fatigue level you were at before performing this technique. It can use any jutsu you knew, but cannot spend Willpower and is considered to be Holding Back (as per the ability) at all times (even if you normally lack the ability to do so).
It does not receive a bonus to Stamina or Chakra Exhaustion rolls based on its Fatigue. On the other hand, it’s immune to poison, bleeding, and suffocation. When its Vitality reaches 0, or it reaches the point of passing out from Fatigue, it breaks apart and crumbles into a pile of brittle chitin.
This technique’s Speed cannot be reduced. So long as the shell survives, neither you nor it gain any AP.
While still terrifyingly large, these spiders aren’t “giant” by the standards of most summoned creatures–a person could fit three or four of them on the palm of their hand without too much difficulty. However, also unlike most summons, these calls forth dozens of the creatures. Rather than appearing in a puff of smoke, they will, if the terrain allows for it, come crawling out from under rocks, down from the branches in trees, burrowing up from under soft soil, and so on.
This calls 20+CHA/10 spiders; this is your Swarm size (see Attributes, below). You may use this technique multiple times in the same day, with subsequent uses adding 2d20+CHA/20 spiders to your existing Swarm. You cannot create multiple spider swarms. The X in the Chakra cost is (your current Swarm size)/4.
This technique can be used multiple times in the same day, unlike normal summons. However, once the swarm departs or is wiped out you cannot call another one for 3 OOC days (3 IC weeks).
Despite being far more intelligent than they should be for something of their size, these creatures are still mostly animalistic, and are incapable of conversation or meaningful independent action. They can understand and follow orders, and execute them rather cleverly, but not much else.
Vitality: N/A
Accuracy: 23
Dodge: +12
Damage Bonus: 4.0
Movement: N/A
Athletics: +10
Awareness: +10
Resistance: +5
Survival: +15
Horde
The spider swarm takes only 1/4 damage from single-target attacks, and is immune to genjutsu. Area-of-effect techniques have their damage reduced by (Swarm size)%, to a maximum of 50%. They cannot be grappled and are immune to status effects other than area-affecting immobilization and visibility penalties. They are also immune to any single-target non-damaging effects (such as Trip and Feint).
Might of the Meek
Spiders are, more than any other creature, unknowable–which goes doubly so when they are called forth enmasse, skittering around in a manner that tends to make even their own summoners question whether they are truly working together, or simply conveniences to the spider’s own mysterious desires. Whatever the case may be, whenever you summon a Spider Swarm, subtract the minimum XP required to summon it (1500 XP) from your Earned XP: that is the X value to determine what bonuses, if any, it gets from the following modifiers. X has a maximum of 3500.
In all cases, you round down. The bonus to skill rolls only applies to skills the summon has listed.
Swarm
For combat purposes the swarm is treated as a single entity. It has a bonus to Accuracy and d20 rolls of (Swarm sze)/8. Swarm size is determined when the spiders are summoned, and raised by repeated use of this summoning technique. Rather than having Vitality like a normal summon, every 10 points of damage reduces the Swarm size by 1. A single target attack may not remove more than half (rounded up) the Swarm’s size in a single attack.
Unnerving Presence
The spiders are constantly creeping around, sneaking up on unsuspecting foes–and have some eerie way of never being too far from their summoner. Rather than moving, the swarm can attack (and be attacked) from anywhere within (DEX /2) yards of their summoner.
Web Body
Despite being spiders, they’re also ninja spiders! When these creatures ‘die’, they explode into a burst of extremely sticky webbing. Any melee attack which reduces the Swarm size causes a -2 Immobilization penalty on the attacker which fades at the rate of 1 point per 10 IC. Any area-of-effect technique which reduces the swarm size instead inflicts this penalty on everyone within (number the Swarm was reduced by) yards, centered at the same spot the area of effect was (if it was within the Swarm’s area, if not then it’s centered on the closest edge to the Swarm’s area, as listed in Unnerving Presence, above). Anyone who has the Spider contract is immune to this immobilization penalty. The penalty from Web Body spiders stacks additively with any other Immobilization effect caused by some portion of the Spider contract. If someone already suffering from Web Body’s immobilization is afflicted by it again, their existing penalty is instead increased by 1, to a maximum of -6.
Standard Actions
The spider swarm may use the Dodge and Hide actions as described in the Combat chapter of the PHB without spending any of the summoner’s AP; however, since it cannot actually move on its own, it is likely to suffer massive dodge penalties against area-of-effect techniques.
Detonate (Speed 4, X AP)
Spiders explode into a mess of sticky webbing! This reduces your Swarm size by X, and has an Area of X; it can be centered on any location in your Swarm’s range. If the swarm’s last action was to use Poisonous Bite on someone, and that person is the target of their Detonate, they will be automatically hit. Detonate causes no damage, but inflicts the Web Body immobilization penalty on anyone who fails to defend themselves.
Gnaw (Speed 12, 4 * X AP)
The spiders swarm over the user and gnaw off anything that may be hindering them. Their super chakra-enhanced mandibles can break through chains, vines, or even webs. This lowers an existing Immobilization penalty on the user or someone within the swarm’s range by X. This cannot remove Immobilization penalties based on the terrain (such as Yomi Numa) or caused by wounds. “X” has a maximum of the Swarm size.
Poisonous Bite (Speed 6, 6 + X/5 AP)
The spiders swarm a victim and bite them, injecting venom and causing a surprising level of immediate physical harm (they are, after all, ninja spiders). This deals (X/4)d20 damage, ignores armor, inflicts Piercing wounds, and causes a Poison (X/5) effect which lasts for 25 IC. X has a maximum of the Swarm’s Size, or 100, whichever is lower.
Unlike most summoned creatures, Spider Swarms will not ‘care’ if you catch them in your own area-of-effect techniques.
While terrifyingly intelligent, the Kyodaigumo isn’t able to make much use of that in battle: it’s much too large to hide itself, and not particularly well-equipped for direct combat. It compensates for that by calling more spiders into battle for it, and seeking to overwhelm enemies through sheer numers.
While it will willingly participate in setting up traps and ambushes for its summoner, and has no objections to patiently laying in wait to attack, the Kyodaigumo is reluctant to use its Brood Mother attribute or Egg Sac abilities outside of combat. It will do so if asked to by its summoner, but 50 IC later if battle has not begun it will unsummon itself.
(As a note from the editor: Do not try to find ways to abuse this by being “technically” in combat. I will not be amused, and the spider’s smarter than that anyway.)
Vitality: 2400
STR: 80
RES: 120
CHA: 60
DEX: 80
AGI: 40
Accuracy: 30
Dodge: +10
Damage Bonus: 7.5
Genjutsu Defense: +37
Movement: 1 yard per IC
Athletics: +25
Awareness: +25
Resistance: +25
Stealth: +5
Survival: +25
Chakra Exhaustion: +15
Bestial
The Kyodaigumo isn’t driven by higher desires, and as a result cannot be negotiated or reasoned with and has a +15 defensive bonus to Genjutsu rolls, which is included in its listed total above. They are, however, fairly intelligent.
Brood Mother
Every Spider Swarm active while Kyodaigumo is present needs to be dealt twice as much damage to reduce its size, and has its Swarm size increased by 1d10 every time the IC reaches a multiple of 10. The first benefit is lost if the Kyodaigumo is unsummoned, but the increased size remains.
Exoskeleton
When blocking, the Kyodaigumo reduces incoming damage by 75% (as opposed to 50%). Blocking is not less effective against weapons (normally, it is 25% less effective).
Web Body
If the Kyodaigumo takes 75% or more of its current Vitality in a single attack, it explodes into massive cloud of spider webbing. The Area is equal to (Kyodaigumo’s remaining Vitality before being hit with that attack)/10 yards. Everyone in this area suffers a -6 Immobilization penalty. Individuals with the Spider contract suffer only a -4 penalty.
Web Walker
If the Kyodaigumo is suffering an Immobilization penalty caused by spider webs, that penalty is instead a bonus to its Accuracy, Dodge, and Athletics rolls. It has a bonus to its Awareness rolls against anyone suffering from such a penalty equal to the severity of that penalty (so, if they had a -6 Immobilization penalty from webs, it would have +6 Awareness against them). Its movement speed is increased by 10% for every point of web-based Immobilization applied to it (rather than reduced).
Standard Actions
The kyodaigumo may use the Dodge, Block, and Move actions as described in the Combat chapter of the PHB without spending any of the summoner’s AP. It may be comm
Egg Sac (Speed X5, X3 AP)
The spider summons an egg sac filled with baby spiders, which immediately bursts and releases the creatures onto the battlefield. This may either create a new Spider Swarm, containing Xd20 spiders, or add to an already-existing swarm. This cannot take a swarm above 100 spiders (any ‘extra’ are simply lost).
Poisonous Bite (Speed 14, 10 AP)
The spider bites someone, and injects them with venom! It’s not strong enough to be lethal to most shinobi, though it’s still far from harmless. This deals 6d20 Piercing damage, ignores Armor and DR, and inflicts a Poison 4 status for 100 IC if it deals damage–there is no Toxicology or Resistance roll involved.
Web Spinning (Speed Variable, 15 AP)
The Kyodaigumo may perform the techniques listed in the Techniques section of the contract, though it uses the listed Speed, has no Seal Speed, and may only use it once per time it’s summoned.
If there are any active Spider Swarms, it is possible to cause a Breach of Contract with the Kyodaigumo. Specifically, if the summoner completely wipes out one of their swarms, or a swarm summoned by another creature called by the Spider contract, it will be considered a Breach of Contract.
Using a series of tricks and illusions, the assassin spider is no minor inconvenience. It can make the safest place feel dangerous, or the most dangerous areas appear safe. It is small, smaller than even some of the swarming spiders, only about a foot long, but its bite is not to be trifled with. It has immense front eyes because of the way it hunts, it is a jumping spider! Its favored prey is the sneaky kind… other spiders… or ninja.
It keeps to the shadows, moves to stealth whenever it gets the opportunity. It uses illusions to separate people and then when it has the opportunity to get someone alone, it STRIKES trying to finish them.
Vitality: 2250
STR: 65
RES: 95
CHA: 60
DEX: 80
AGI: 100
Accuracy: 36
Dodge: +40
Parry: +45
Genjutsu: +40
Damage Bonus: 10.5
Movement: 3 yard per IC
Athletics: +45
Awareness: +45
Espionage: +50
Resistance: +45
Stealth: +50
Survival: +45
God of the Shadows
Any attack the Assassin Spider makes from stealth is automatically a sneak attack, and after making any attack the spider can roll a new stealth and re-enter stealth, though at a -5 penalty.
Web Walker
If the Assassin Spider is suffering an Immobilization penalty caused by spider webs, that penalty is instead a bonus to its Accuracy, Dodge, and Athletics rolls. It has a bonus to its Awareness rolls against anyone suffering from such a penalty equal to the severity of that penalty (so, if they had a -6 Immobilization penalty from webs, it would have +6 Awareness against them). Its movement speed is increased by 10% for every point of web-based Immobilization applied to it (rather than reduced).
Standard Actions
The Assassin Spider may use the dodge, block, parry, and hide actions as described in the Combat chapter of the PHB without spending any of the summoner’s AP.
Trap Illusion (Speed 10, 20 AP)
This is a genjutsu that causes the target to ‘want to be alone’ for some unknown reason. They will not disclose the reason to others, they feel compelled to keep it to themselves. Every 30 IC, or 5 Minutes OOC, the target gets another chance to roll against the spider. The target will go as far as to escape their allies as fast as they can to get alone.
Fangs of the End (Speed 5, 8 AP)
This spider has very specialized fangs, they are almost 2/3rds the size of its body so it packs quite the bite. Dealing 12d10, if this is a sneak attack it inflicts a Poison 50 that lasts 20 IC.
This spider is simple, give it a target and it will follow through in finishing them. It will accept as much as a second target, but no more. After defeating two targets it will dismiss.
Tsuchigumo, also known as Yatsukahagi and Ogumo (“Great Spider”), is an individual or a position among the spiders; it’s not clear if there’s only one Tsuchigumo, or if the title is passed from one spider-ruler to the next. In mythology, Tsuchigumo appears as a usually malevolent trickster who is confronted and ultimately defeated by various heroes; sometimes they kill the spider, and in others they demand a boon in exchange for enduring its trials (and usually surviving one or more attempts on their life). Its actions are typically presented less as the result of genuine malice, and more a case of a spider simply doing what spiders do.
Though Tsuchigumo takes the form of an enormous spider broodmother (at least, in the memory of shinobi), it’s said she can also assume human form. She rarely likes to intervene directly in combat, preferring to send her subordinates and children to handle those matters for her. Tsuchigumo likely has strong associations with the earth (the name, after all, literally means “Earth Spider”).
It’s no secret among holders of either the Spider or Monkey contract that Tsuchigumo and Enma have a long-standing enmity. More serious than rivalry, but not quite intense enough to constitute hatred, the two will go out of their way to confront one another when present on the same battlefield, and will refuse to fight on the same side.
While Tsuchigumo would be malefic by human standards, a more accurate understanding of her behavior might be that she is amoral, or at best has a sense of right and wrong incomprehensible to her summoners.
What’s known of Tsuchigumo’s capabilities come from a mixture of hearsay and legends.
It’s said she’s a shapeshifter and illusionist, with some degree of command over the earth. If not wise, she is certainly cunning. She has a reputation for being extremely difficult to reason with, not due to stubbornness, but because her whims or reasons for acting are virtually incomprehensible.
When she does fight, as Queen of the Spiders she is capable of calling upon her progeny in vast numbers.