Vice-spider

Vice-spider
7 HP, 10 STR, 16 DEX, 6 WIL, claws (d6+d6)
  • Large, agile spiders with spiny forelimbs and a pincer abdomen.
  • Often found in small packs, they prefer to ambush from a ceiling or crevasse.
  • Critical Damage: The vice-spider grabs the target in it's pincers and makes a hasty getaway to finish their meal elsewhere.

Silent and swift predators, you'll be lucky if you hear their chittering and skittering before they appear; stalking across walls and ceilings, skittering legs and long feelers clamor hungrily for their next meal. First, they lash out with their ragged spiny forelimbs, then grab prey in massive grasping pincers to carry them away with wicked speed to be devoured.

Often they are encountered in groups of two or three, using limited coordination--through clitcks and chitters--to corner prey. There appears to be some sense of ownership among them, as they never fight over food or steal from each other. Take caution: if they are found alone there is probably a hungry brood nearby just waiting to hatch.

Inspiration

I must confess, I love bugs, and I especially love them as the basis for interesting monsters. Basically I took two of the most unsettling bugs I know of and mashed them together:

Earwigs, and whip spiders.

 

Your mileage may vary, but I find those whip spiders in particular to be delightfully disturbing.

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