Found throughout the wild and abandoned places of the world, giant spiders dwell both above and below ground. They attack any creature disturbing their nests and are aggressive predators. Although essentially unintelligent, they are adept at using their webs and poison to immobilise and kill prey. Some giant spiders can grow to truly monstrous proportions and even the smallest giant spider can spell a neophyte adventurer’s doom.

Use these four lists, to add depth and flavour to a giant spider’s lair:

What’s Going On?

1. Rats—squeaking loudly—scatter at the party’s approach if they are not quiet. This might alert the spider lurking within.

2. A huge spider drags a webbed victim slowly towards its lair. The victim weakly kicks and struggles.

3. Shadows stubbornly cling to the nest’s entrance; a horrible stench issues forth from the opening.

4. Strands of webs seem to float on the air like fishing lines set to lure the spider’s prey to their doom.

Notable Lair Features

1. A large spider’s egg, crawling with hundreds of white fist-sized spiders, hangs from the ceiling.

2. A partially cocooned rat struggles sending ripples through the surrounding webs.

3. The husk of a horse-sized spider lies in the chamber; there is no sign of the spider that shed it.

4. The stench of death and decay pervade the nest; the smell is so intense weak-stomached adventurers may be overcome with nausea.

Spider’s Appearance

1. The spider has red and black chitin armour; one of its broken legs hangs at a strange angle.

2. The spider has thick plates of brown chitin.

3. The spider looks like it is made of glass.

4. The spider is perfectly camouflaged against its webs. The web appears to shimmer and move as it scuttles about.

Treasures

1. Intricate leather armour with red piping that mimics a spider’s web.

2. Several silver arrows in perfect condition pin a huge spider to the wall.

3. The hand guard of this dagger form the grasping legs of a spider; the dagger’s blade is wickedly sharp and lightly stained with some kind of black liquid.

4. A thick cloak of blackened spider silk yet in good condition still adorns a body (which is considerably worse condition).

Want More?

This article is an extract from the Complete Monstrous Lair Collection which is available here for immediate download. Alternatively, check out the 4d4 Archive for more handy, flavoursome and time-saving 4d4 articles ready for immediate use in your campaign.