Spider-Monk (5e Class)

Author: Nolanf (talk) Date Created: 10-21-2014 Status: in progress Editing: clarity edits only, please

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Spider-Monk

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Creating a Spider-Monk

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Quick Build

The most important ability for any spider-monk is Constitution. Dexterity and Wisdom would come in as close seconds. Strength should round this character out, especially if you ever plan to become a grappler.

Class Features

As a Spider-Monk, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 18 per Spider-Monk level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 18 + your Constitution modifier

Proficiencies

Armor: None
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: Choose one type of artisan's tools or one musical instrument.
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Constitution
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Stealth.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

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The Spider-Monk

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Martial Arts, Spider Origin
2nd	+2	Webs, Unarmored Movement
3rd	+2	Spider Climb (half speed)
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Extra Attack, Origin Feature
6th	+3
7th	+3	Origin Feature
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Origin Feature
10th	+4	Athlete (bonus feat)
11th	+4	Origin Feature
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Origin Feature
14th	+5
15th	+5	Origin Feature
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Origin Feature
18th	+6
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Origin Feature

Martial Arts

You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and spider-monk weapons.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike. This die changes as you gain spider-monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Spider-Monk table.
When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a spider-monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.

Spider Origin

At first level, you must choose the origin of your amazing spider powers.
Chymic Mutation: Through some perversion of natural philosophy, you were imbued with the essence of the spider. You gain augmented senses and, at the higher levels, you grow extra arms.
Parasitic Bond: On your travels, you came across an arachnid aberration, heretofore unknown by mankind. This creature attached itself to you, bestowing upon you terrifying powers to enhance both your offensive and defensive capabilities.
Weaver Mystic: Whether by choice or by fate, you gained the favor of Anansi, the Weaver of the Great Web. Through your connection with the ethereal web of life, you gain limited access to several spectacular powers.
The features of each spider origin are detailed at the end of the class description.

Webs

At second level, you gain the use of webbing. It can be used for any number of purposes including rope for climbing, ensnaring enemies, or crafting traps, just to name a few. You are encouraged to be creative with your use of webbing, but you should be aware of the limit of its length.

• You get a number of uses of webbing equal to your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. This total may be renewed after a long rest. Each use of webbing takes up to 20 feet of length. For example, if you want to make a line of 20 feet, that only takes one use, but if you need a length of 25 feet, that takes 2 uses.
  
• You may make an attack action to ensnare a single enemy (ranged, if the enemy is not adjacent to you). You may ensnare a medium-sized creature with only one use, a large creature takes 2 uses, and so on (multiplying by 2 again for every size greater). Conversely, you may ensnare up to 2 small-sized creatures with one use, or up to 4 tiny-sized creatures with one use (given that all creatures are adjacent to each other at the time).
• The target may use its reaction to make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target is restrained until either it or another creature breaks it free. The target may attempt another Strength save on each of its subsequent turns.
  
• If you’re targeting a specific body part or piece of equipment with your webs, you would have disadvantage on your attack action. You may choose to make such an attack in order to trip, disarm, blind, or silence your enemy with your webs. Each attempt within 20 feet takes one use of webbing.
  
• The webbing is only sticky in places where you want it to be (e.g. one end only for sticking to a ceiling). Webs cannot stick to wet, oily, or extremely hot (fiery) surfaces.
  
• Webs are vulnerable to sharp or fiery objects. An attack from those sources would have advantage against your webs.
  
• Web break DC and AC = 10 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. Your webs also have 2 HP per inch thickness.

Unarmored Movement

Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain spider-monk levels, as shown in the Spider-Monk table.

Spider Climb

Starting at level 3, instead of making a Strength (Athletics) check for climbing, you may use the extraordinary ability Spider Climb at will. At spider-monk level 3, your climbing speed is only ½ of your normal movement speed. This increases at spider-monk level 10 to your full movement speed.

• This ability may be used as a Move action or a reaction to stop a tumble down a steep incline and it requires at least one free hand.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Origin Feature

You gain features specific to your spider origin. These new abilities are attained at levels 1, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 20. See below for descriptions of the origin features of the...
Chymic Mutation
Parasitic Bond
Weaver Mystic.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Athlete

At level 10, you gain the benefits of the feat “Athlete.” Increase either your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20. When you are prone, standing up uses only 5 feet of your movement. Climbing (including spider climb) is at your normal movement rate. You can make a running long jump or a running high jump after moving only 5 feet on foot, rather than 10 feet.

Spider Origins

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Chymic Mutation

Through some perversion of natural philosophy, you were imbued with the essence of the spider. Your senses augment over time, eventually to the point where you become fully aware of everything around you, even when others are blinded. Your appearance also changes gradually as you gain extra arms, making you a formidable grappling opponent.

Unarmored Defense (Intelligence)

Beginning at first level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier.

Danger Sense

At 5th level, you gain an uncanny sense of when things nearby aren’t as they should be, giving you an edge when you dodge away from danger. You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, you can’t be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Evasion

At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Alert

At level 9, you gain the benefits of the feat “Alert.” You gain a +5 bonus to initiative, you can’t be surprised while you are conscious, and other creatures don’t gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden from you.

Blind Sense and Web Sense

Starting at level 11, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 30 feet of you. Furthermore, while in contact with a web, you may know the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.

Extra Arms (2nd set)

At 13th level, your mutations become more grotesque as you grow two more arms! This allows you to hold more objects and you get 1 more extra attack (including web attack), at disadvantage. However, you gain advantage on all grapple checks made when grappling only one medium-sized opponent, or up to two small-sized opponents. Against two medium grappling opponents, you would be evenly matched.

Blindsight

Starting at level 15, you can perceive your surroundings without relying on sight, within a radius of 30 feet.

Elusive

Beginning at 17th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren’t incapacitated.

Extra Arms (3rd set)

At level 20, you grow a third set of arms. As before, these arms allow you to hold more objects and grant you one more extra attack (including web attack). The previously grown set of arms now attacks normally, without disadvantage. However, the new arms are still raw and do make attacks with disadvantage. Furthermore, you gain advantage on all grapple checks made against up to two simultaneous medium-sized (or four small-sized) opponents. Three medium opponents would give an even match.

Parasitic Bond

On your travels, you came across an arachnid aberration, heretofore unknown by mankind. This creature attached itself to you, bestowing upon you terrifying powers to enhance both your offensive and defensive capabilities. This symbiote acts as an otherworldly being to offer council and knowledge as it has it. Work with your DM to decide how your parisite interacts.

Unarmored Defense (Constitution)

Beginning at first level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier.

Bond Powers

At level 3, you gain the use of certain special powers through your bonded parasite. These powers are limited in their use by their power point costs (detailed in each power). The table Spider-Monk Bond Power Points (below) shows how many power points you have at each level. At levels 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 20, you gain access to one new power. You may choose any power for which you meet the requirements and that choice is permanent. You regain all spent power points at the end of a long or short rest.

• Power save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.
  
• Some powers specify that they may be activated as part of an attack or a reaction. If there is no specification on the time of activation, then the power takes one standard action to activate.

Spider-Monk Bond Power Points

Level	Power Points
3	5
4	7
5	9
6	10
7	11
8	12
9	13
10	15
11	16
12	17
13	19
14	20
15	22
16	24
17	25
18	26
19	28
20	30

Adrenaline Rush

(Prerequisite: level 7) You may spend 2 power points to gain a temporary boost in speed. Until the end of your next turn, your movement speed is doubled, you gain +2 to AC, you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and you gain an additional action. That action must take the form of a single Attack, Activate a Power, Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action.

Camouflage

You may spend 1 power point to change the color pattern of your skin. This does not change the color of your clothing or equipment, so you may need to find other ways to hide your various accoutrements. While camouflaged and without moving, you gain a +10 bonus to your Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Once you move, or take an action or reaction, you must camouflage yourself again to gain this benefit.

Deflect Missiles

For the cost of 1 power point, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your spider-monk level. If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one free hand.

• If you catch a missile in this way, you may spend 1 additional power point (making this power cost 2 in total) to make a ranged attack with this object as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, no matter what type of object it is.

Draining Strike

(Prerequisite: level 7) When you make an unarmed attack, you may spend 3 power points to drain the life from your victim to replenish your own. When you do so, the target takes necrotic damage instead of bludgeoning damage and half (rounded down) the damage dealt is gained as temporary hit points. You may only drain the same creature once per round.

Enhance Venom

(Prerequisite: level 15) You may spend 2 power points to prepare an enhancement to your venom for a single attack. The next time you attempt a poison strike, stunning strike, or venom of death, if you have activated this power, your target must roll their save with disadvantage. This power must be activated separately for each individual attempt.

Poison Strike

When you hit another creature with an unarmed attack, you can spend 1 power point to attempt to pass necrotic toxin into that creature. In addition to normal damage, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 Constitution damage. You may only poison the same creature once per round.

Projectile

As a ranged attack, you may loose sharp projectiles from your skin with proficiency. The cost of each attack is 1 power point. Each projectile deals 1d6 piercing damage per hit. The range on this attack is 30/120. There is no reload time for this weapon.

Razor Webs

When using webs, you may choose to cover the web lines in razor-sharp barbs. The barbs only exist where you want them (such as in the middle, for a simple trap). When you hit a target with a web attack, that target takes damage with a damage modifier. If a creature comes in contact with it later or a bound enemy attempts to break or escape from the webs, that creature would take the same damage, but without a damage modifier. This damage repeats for every attempt to escape from the webs, whether that attempt is successful or not.

• The damage of the barbs varies depending on the cost of this power. For 1 power point, razor webs deal 1d4 slashing damage. For 2 power points, they deal 2d4 damage. For every power point more, add another d4 to the damage, up to a maximum of 10 points for 10d4.

Spider Form

(Prerequisite: level 15) You may spend 10 power points to transform into a hideous beast – part humanoid, part arachnid. This transformation takes one full round, during which you are considered prone. Once the transformation is complete, it lasts 1 minute (10 rounds) before you revert back to normal (reverting takes another full round).

• While you are transformed, you may use all the spider powers to which you already have access, at -1 the cost of their power points. For example, a power with a cost of 1 point would then cost 0 points. In addition, you gain temporary hit points equal to your total Constitution score.
  
• If you have enough power points in reserve, you may spend another 9 power points (normal cost -1) when the minute is up to stay in spider form for another minute instead of reverting back to normal. Doing so would replenish any lost temporary HP.

Symbiotic Tendrils

(Prerequisite: level 3) You may spend 5 power points to transform your created webs into black tendrils from your symbiote. Once the transformation is complete, it lasts until your next rest.

• While your web is transformed, your webbing health is increased by 2 per half-inch. In addition, they are able to stick to any surface.
• If you have enough power points in reserve, you may spend another 5 power points when the tendrils are activated to allow your tendrils to be launched from any part of your suit, or your spider-monk weapon.

Spiked Armor

You may spend 1 power point to cause short, sharp spikes to emanate from your skin. You may prepare these spikes as a standard action or you may activate them as an Attack action. When you come in bodily contact with another creature, such as when grappling, the spikes automatically deal 1d8 piercing damage ( DEX/STR+prof.) to that creature. The spikes then instantly retract until you activate them again. You can use this as a reaction for double points in order to give you an AC+4 until the end of the round as your suit swells and creates plates to protect you. Activating this gives your Symbiote control of your body for 1d6+level turns.

Stunning Strike

When you hit another creature with an unarmed attack, you can spend 1 power point to attempt to pass neurotoxin into that creature. In addition to normal damage, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Uncanny Dodge

For the cost of 1 power point, when an attacker that you can see hits you, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage. For an additional power point, you can half that damage again.

Venom of Death

(Prerequisite: level 15) When you hit another creature with an unarmed attack, you can spend at least 6 power points to pass deadly poison into that creature. In addition to normal damage, the target must roll a Constitution save. On a failed save, the target takes 5d8 + 20 necrotic damage. On a successful save, the target only takes half of this damage.

• You may amplify the damage done by this attack by spending more power points on it at the outset. For every power point above 6 that you put into this, add one more d8 to its damage, to a maximum of 10 power points for 9d8 + 20 damage.
  
• A humanoid killed by this attack rises at the start of your next turn as a zombie (with the stats of a standard zombie) that is permanently under your command.

Weaver Mystic

Whether by choice or by fate, you gained the favor of Anansi, the Weaver of the Great Web. Through your connection with the ethereal web of life, you gain limited access to several spectacular powers.

Mystic Powers

At level 1, you gain the use of mystic powers. These powers function exactly like spells, except that only the somatic component is required to cast them (if applicable). You may use any power in any slot that is equal to or greater than the level of the power. Each power slot is only usable once before a rest. You may gain back any three used power slots for each hour of rest. Every time you receive a new origin feature, you gain one new power slot and one new power. On each level-up, you may choose to exchange one power that you already know for one power of equal or lesser level than your highest power slot.

• Power save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
  
• Power attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

Level-1 Power

At first level, you gain one level-1 power slot. You may learn one new power from the following: Armor of Agathys, Ensnaring Strike, Expeditious Retreat, or Jump.

Level-2 Power

At level 5, you gain one level-2 power slot. You may learn one new power from any previous level or one of these: Enhance Ability, Find Traps, Invisibility, See Invisibility, Spider Climb, or Webs.

Level-3 Power

At level 7, you gain one level-3 power slot. You may learn one new power from any previous level or one of these: Clairvoyance, Feign Death, Haste, or Vampiric Touch.

Level-4 Power

At level 9, you gain one level-4 power slot. You may learn one new power from any previous level or one of these: Divination, Fabricate, or Greater Invisibility.

Level-5 Power

At level 11, you gain one level-5 power slot. You may learn one new power from any previous level or one of these: Contagion, Hold Monster, or Insect Plague.

Level-6 Power

At level 13, you gain one level-6 power slot. You may learn one new power from any previous level or one of these: Forbiddance or True Seeing.

Level-7 Power

At level 15, you gain one level-7 power slot. You may learn one new power from any previous level or one of these: Finger of Death or Forcecage.

Level-8 Power

At level 17, you gain one level-8 power slot. You may learn one new power from any previous level or one of these: Power Word Stun or Animal Shapes.

Level-9 Power

At level 20, you gain one level-9 power slot. You may choose one power from any previous level or one of these: Foresight or Imprisonment.

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