Spider-Monk (3.5e Class)
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Low - Amalgamation of Monk, Rogue, and Spider-Man 20 1 Moderate Good Good Good Martial Maneuvers Class Ability Progression: Other
Spider-Monk
There is a secret book of arcane magic, an unnamed tome known by academics as the "labyrinthine cypher." It has been studied for centuries, with a myriad of alternate translations resulting from its exposure to varying, fallible minds. With no known practical use, the book was relegated to the safe keeping of a remote monastery. While there, a brilliant young acolyte decoded a single page, revealing that certain esoteric rituals could grant amazing spider-powers to a person of pure heart and mind. Thus is the Spider-Monk created!
Making a Spider-Monk
The Spider-Monk hones his skills and other attributes for the betterment of those around him, often because of a deep sense of responsibility. This may include researching and developing new methods such as making webbing. Despite having excellent hand-to-hand fighting ability, the webs are the Spider-Monk's most valuable tool.
Abilities: Most of the Spider-Monk's abilities are based on Strength and Dexterity, although some Intelligence will be needed for producing webs.
Races: All races can be a Spider-Monk, but the Elf might be the easiest.
Alignment: Any Good.
Starting Gold: 2d4 ×10 gp
Starting Age: "Moderate" or "As fighter"
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus |
Unarmed Damage |
AC Bonus | Unarmored Speed Bonus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | Flurry of Blows, Unarmed Strike, Spider Climb | -1/-1 | 1d6 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Evasion, Dodge | +0/+0 | 1d6 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Produce Webs, Shoot Webs | +1/+1 | 1d6 | 0 | +10ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Trap Sense +1 | +2/+2 | 1d8 | 0 | +10ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Uncanny Dodge | +3/+3 | 1d8 | +1 | +10ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Spider Skill Bonus | +4/+4/-1 | 1d8 | +1 | +20ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Trap Sense +2 | +5/+5/+0 | 1d8 | +1 | +20ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +7/+2 | +6 | +6 | +6 | Improved Evasion | +6/+6/+1 | 1d10 | +1 | +20ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +6 | Spider Ability Bonus (+2) | +7/+7/+2 | 1d10 | +1 | +30ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +9/+4 | +7 | +7 | +7 | Trap Sense +3, Improved Uncanny Dodge | +8/+8/+3 | 1d10 | +2 | +30ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11th | +10/+5 | +7 | +7 | +7 | Paralyzing Strike | +9/+9/+4 | 1d10 | +2 | +30ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12th | +11/+6/+1 | +8 | +8 | +8 | Tremorsense, Blindsense | +10/+10/+5/+0 | 2d6 | +2 | +40ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13th | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +8 | +8 | Trap Sense +4 | +11/+11/+6/+1 | 2d6 | +2 | +40ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14th | +12/+7/+2 | +9 | +9 | +9 | Extra Arms (+2) | +12/+12/+7/+2 | 2d6 | +3 | +40ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th | +13/+8/+3 | +9 | +9 | +9 | Blind-Fight | +13/+13/+8/+3 | 2d6 | +3 | +50ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th | +14/+9/+4 | +10 | +10 | +10 | Trap Sense +5, True Spider Climb | +14/+14/+9/+4 | 2d8 | +3 | +50ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17th | +15/+10/+5 | +10 | +10 | +10 | Hide in Plain Sight | +15/+15/+10/+5 | 2d8 | +3 | +50ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +11 | +11 | +11 | Spider Ability Bonus (+4) | +16/+16/+11/+6/+1 | 2d8 | +3 | +60ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +11 | +11 | +11 | Trap Sense +6, Extra Arms (+4) | +17/+17/+12/+7/+2 | 2d8 | +3 | +60ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +12 | +12 | +12 | Web of Life | +18/+18/+13/+8/+3 | 2d10 | +4 | +60ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Spider-Monks may be proficient with all simple weapons plus handaxe, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, and siangham. After a Spider-Monk gains web shooters, he would be proficient in that too. Spider-Monks need the greatest range of movement possible and so can't use any armor or shields. When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a Spider-Monk loses AC bonus, as well as fast movement and flurry of blows abilities.
Spider-Monk Abilities - Instead of listing common abilities individually and enumerating their uses and effects, they will be listed here, succinctly, by the level at which they're gained.
1. At first level, Spider-Monks gain Flurry of Blows and Unarmed Strike. In this class, the penalty for Flurry of Blows reduces by one at level 7 and again at level 14.
2. At 2nd level, they gain Evasion and Dodge.
4. At 4th level, they gain Trap Sense +1. This grows by another +1 at level 7, 10, 13, 16, and 19.
5. At 5th level, they gain Uncanny Dodge.
8. At 8th level, they gain Improved Evasion.
10. At 10th level, they gain Improved Uncanny Dodge.
12. At 12th level, they gain Tremorsense of 60 feet in contact with the ground, and any distance in contact with a Spider-Monk's web. They also gain Blindsense out to 20 feet.
15. At 15th level, they gain Blind-Fight.
18. At 18th level, they gain Hide in Plain Sight
Spider Climb (Sp) - At level 1, the Spider-Monk's powers begin to manifest. Instead of making a Climb check, he may use the spell-like ability Spider Climb, but with the following modifications: The duration is only one round per use, but uses can be chained together for continuous effect. The climb speed is equal to (2 x Climb skill) + Spider-Monk level + 10 (total rounded to the nearest 5), limited to normal unarmed movement speed (with bonuses). Example: A Dwarfish lv-8 Spider-Monk with a Climb of 10 would get a spider climbing speed of 38, which rounds up to 40ft (the maximum allowable speed for this race at this level).
- This ability may be used as a standard action or as an immediate action, as the situation dictates.
- The Spider-Monk may use this ability up to 1/2 class level + 3 times per day (Ex: A lv-8 Spider-Monk could use this 7 times per day).
- Starting at level 9, if spider climbing speed meets or exceeds unarmed movement speed, Spider-Monk attains True Spider Climb (see below).
Produce Webs (Ex) - At 3rd level, the Spider-Monk can produce an amount of webbing once each day equal to (Craft(webs) + Spider-Monk level) x2. The resulting number is the feet of usable webbing gained. Unused webbing may accumulate indefinitely. Any length of webbing used dissolves into nothing after one hour, but remains strong as rope until then.
- Webbing can be used for any number of purposes - rope for climbing, binding enemies, or crafting traps, just to name a few. Spider-Monks are encouraged to be creative with their usages, but should be aware of the limit of their web length. Appropriate checks (Craft, Use Rope, etc.) should also be done, depending on the situation. Dungeon Masters get final say on whether a certain use is allowable in any given context.
- If an enemy is bound in webbing, it can make an Escape Artist check against the Spider-Monk's Use Rope skill check to free itself; or the subject could try a Strength check of DC 16 + Spider-Monk level
- The webbing, when in use, is only sticky in places where the Spider-Monk wants it to be (e.g. one end only, for sticking to a ceiling). Webs cannot stick to wet, oily, or extremely hot (fiery) surfaces.
- Webbing is vulnerable to sharp objects and fire, against which it has a breaking DC of 13 + Spider-Monk level.
Shoot Webs (Ex) - At 3rd level, Spider-Monks can shoot webs a distance of 10 feet per Spider-Monk level, as a standard action. This can be used to affix one end of a web to an object some distance away, or it can be used as a ranged attack resulting in binding or grappling an enemy, but it does no damage upon impact, unless on a natural 20. In the case of a Critical hit, damage is equal to 1d4 + Str mod.
- Damage on a critical hit is increased to 1d6 at level 8, 1d8 at level 13, and 1d10 at level 18.
- When binding a foe, medium creature limbs require 3 feet of webbing to immobilize and another 3 feet to cover the head. Double this for every size category above medium, and halve it for every size category smaller, or modify it for differing purposes.
- The web shooter is a manufactured tool, as opposed to a magical item or biological growth. It cannot be used with Flurry of Blows, but it is permanently affixed to the forearm, so it never has to be equipped or unequipped.
Spider Jump (Ex) - At level 6, Spider-Monks permanently add +6 to their inherent Jump skill.
Spider Strength (Ex) - At 9th level, a Spider-Monk gains a permanent +2 to Strength.
Paralyzing Strike (Ex) - At level 11, Spider-Monk's strikes gain a paralyzing effect that may stack with other attacks. Usable 1/2 Spider-Monk level/day, the Spider-Monk may call one unarmed strike (but not in Flurry of Blows) or grapple attack to be a Paralyzing Strike! This must be called before the attack roll is made. If it misses, he may not try again until the next round. If it hits, the opponent must make a Fortitude save (10 + 1/2 Spider-Monk level + Str) or be paralyzed for 1 round.
Spider Agility (Ex) - At 12th level, a Spider-Monk gains a permanent +2 to Dexterity.
True Spider Climb (Sp) - At 16th level (if the Spider-Monk hasn't already achieved this ability), he can always perform spider climb without limits on use/day. Spider climbing speed is now the same as normal movement speed (but he still can't sprint while climbing). Because of this, the Climb skill becomes obsolete.
Four Arms (Ex) - At 17th level, the Spider-Monk's mutations become more grotesque as he grows two more arms! This allows him to hold two more one-handed weapons (or one more two-handed weapon).
- Spider-Monk gains a +2 attack bonus to Melee and +4 attack bonus to Grapple.
- Spider-Monk may also use his extra arms to use webbing while fighting as one of his possible attacks (as long as he is not using a Flurry of Blows attack). Webbing can only be used effectively against opponents on whom he is focussed.
Spider Shadow Walk (Sp) - At 19th level, once per day, Spider-Monk and any creature he touches may transport along a path of shadowstuff to the edge of the Material Plane where it borders the Plane of Shadow. They may travel very quickly on this planar border and reappear anywhere in the Material Plane. They may travel even to places they've never been to before, but details of the Material Plane appear blurred while in transit. Because this mode of travel is not entirely precise, an exact target space may or may not be reached when the spell ends. Everyone in the shadow walk is shunted 1d10 x10 feet in any passable direction from the target space.
Web of Life (Sp) - By level 20, the Spider-Monk has attained a sense of responsibility so great that it can be made manifest in the Material Plane during times of extreme need. Once per day, if an enemy makes an attack that would normally force a Reflex save for anyone present, the Spider-Monk may instead cause an indestructible magic shield to form instantaneously around himself and all allies within a 30-foot radius of him. This translucent magic web is simply willed into existence and fades back into the ether after the attack ends. No harm or other evil effects can befall anyone while in this web of life.
- This counts as a free action.
Ex-Spider-Monk
A Spider-Monk must always be good and try to help the people around him. If a Spider-Monk ever does anything evil, and has reached at least level 6, he must change to the prestige class Spider Savage on his next level-up.
If a Spider Savage ever wants to resume levels in Spider-Monk, he must complete a mission of atonement and vow never to be evil again.
A Spider-Monk who takes on another class for other reasons incurs no penalties.
| Article Balance | Moderate + |
| Author | Nolan Fleming + |
| Base Attack Bonus Progression | Moderate + |
| Class Ability | Martial Maneuvers + |
| Fortitude Save Progression | Good + |
| Identifier | 3.5e Class + |
| Length | 20 + |
| Minimum Level | 1 + |
| Rated By | Franken Kesey +, Wildmage +, Foxwarrior + and Planterobloon + |
| Rating | Rated 2.8 / 4 + |
| Reflex Save Progression | Good + |
| Summary | Amalgamation of Monk, Rogue, and Spider-Man + |
| Title | Spider-Monk + |
| Will Save Progression | Good + |
