Rolando
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Posts: 47
Joined: Tue 14 Feb 2023, 03:26

Where are the spiders?

Sun 03 Dec 2023, 20:01

Good day!

One of my players made a hunter with Enemy Lore (Spider) and I realized that those are not anywhere to be found as basic foes in the core book.
For our first adventure/campaign I'm making a nameless thing a spider creature and added some spiders to one final encounter, but used wolf stats with poison and fear of light (described as dog sized spiders of evil darkness and malevolent eyes).

But I'm intrigued if there are some spiders, official or otherwise, somewhere.
 
Otaku-sempai
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Location: Western New York

Re: Where are the spiders?

Sun 03 Dec 2023, 21:30

Giant spiders aren't much found west of the Misty Mountains. There is Dolomedia, the Monstrous Water Spider near the landmark Fort Arlas (Ruins of the Lost Realm).
#FideltyToTolkien
 
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Harlath
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Joined: Sun 19 Jul 2020, 10:40

Re: Where are the spiders?

Sun 03 Dec 2023, 21:36

Ruins of the lost realm has stats for merely giant spiders, plus the enormous spider mentioned above. :)

Happy spider slaying!
 
Standforth
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Joined: Mon 13 Nov 2023, 04:06

Re: Where are the spiders?

Sun 03 Dec 2023, 22:05

don't forget that the pdf has correct stats for both (the boss spider and the minion spiders), the physical book was printed with the boss having minion stats, in case that matters
 
Rolando
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Joined: Tue 14 Feb 2023, 03:26

Re: Where are the spiders?

Mon 04 Dec 2023, 19:30

Thanks!
 
Sebastian
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Joined: Thu 01 Oct 2020, 04:58

Re: Where are the spiders?

Tue 05 Dec 2023, 19:14

Does your player hero with enemy lore: spiders come from Wilderland? Cause let’s face it, spiders are like the archetypal adversary for Mirkwood, but not for Eriador. So it‘s probably safe to say, that we get new adversaries while the product line is widened to other regions of Middle-earth.
 
Rolando
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Posts: 47
Joined: Tue 14 Feb 2023, 03:26

Re: Where are the spiders?

Tue 05 Dec 2023, 20:29

She is an elf from Lorien.

None in our table are Tolkien hardcore fans nor anything like that, the book says spiders is a valid enemy lore and I imagine she disliked spiders enough in real life so she chose that.

As I'm not constrained by Tolkien lore I didn't mind introducing spiders to the west, also she may have her reasons to know about them, maybe an old tutor was from Mirkwood, maybe she traveled to Mirkwood and learned about the shadow there and returned to make a difference.

What I'm planing is to make this particular nameless spider thing very discrete, basically treading a web of darkness and corruption in Eriador like the mafia or a drug cartel, corrupting people in all places and staying hidden, when the campaign is over the spider menace in the west may be over and people will probably know nothing about it, because it will be like fighting a shadow war against the mafia.

That is the campaign concept, many smaller enemies and conspiracies like a spider web, linking some merchant from the Dalelands to some official in Bree, and then with some road muggers and hidden orcs in the hills, and so on, at the center of it all is the nameless thing pulling the strings. Each adventure will take them closer to the web center. Or at least that is the general plan...
 
Standforth
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Joined: Mon 13 Nov 2023, 04:06

Re: Where are the spiders?

Wed 06 Dec 2023, 04:18

Earlier in this post, you said "official or otherwise", so I'll chime in some otherwise:
Lord of the Rings Online, a video MMO game that has been around for many years has giant spiders in multiple places all over Eriador. So since you are not constrained by the books/movies, maybe knowing this will interest you. As I recall, some of the first beasts you can fight at level 1 or 2 are giant spiders outside of Archet near Bree (depends on your character's race where you start). Up in Angmar when characters reach a much higher level, there is a giant spider boss that fills up the screen trying to protect smaller spider babies from the free people characters ... hmm can't remember her name.
 
Sebastian
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Joined: Thu 01 Oct 2020, 04:58

Re: Where are the spiders?

Thu 07 Dec 2023, 16:52

Of course you can place spiders where ever you like! It's just a matter of tone. If I know, that my campaign will first take place in Eriador and then move to Wilderland, I would include spiders there.

But if I'd stay in Eriador and one of my players had Enemy-lore "Spiders", naturally I'd have to include spiders in some way.

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