Arane (3.5e Race)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 7-31-15 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Arane

These giant intelligent spiders mean well, honest. However their appearance is often off-putting to others.

Personality

There are some things one would not associated with a spider: Friendly, curious, polite, and kindly do not mesh well with the concept of these creepy critters that crawl just out of sight. Yet the arane do not bear the violent tenancies of spider goddesses such as Lolth, nor to they have any particular desire unto trickery (at least, no more than your average human). In addition to their affable natures, they are artistic, innovative, and studious builders and crafters more akin to a dwarf or more appropriately a gnome than any drow interpretation.

Of course, the fact their appearance frightens humanoids does not escape them, not any more than finding it strange that others keep their soft meats on the outside, or being limited to only two eyes. As a result, they have also gained the reputation of being shy, though this is more through a self-awareness of their being than anything inherent.

Arane, if given the chance to go out in the world and make friends or at least learn something new often do, so that they can return to their homes and tell the stories for others to listen to and grow from.

Physical Description

Arane are giant spiders slightly larger than a man but only about as tall as a gnome, the majority of their body being long, wide, and flat. They possess 8 eyes and complex mandibles and "hands" which they manipulate the environment with just as easily as any humanoid. They have strong exoskeletons, often with a layer of hair making them closer to tarantulas than anything else, and a surprisingly complex set of vocal chords to make all manner of chittering, whistling, and vocal sounds. Though spider on the outside, they have more mammalian insides with warm blood that clots, and something closer to actual lungs which breathe (though the breathing vents remain upon their underside as normal). Their colors vary often, but in general they are brown or black, with similar toned fur and spots or patches generally on the top of their abdomen. Like most spiders, their jaws are poor and they typically inject their food with digestive fluids before sucking it down to finish the job internally. Subsequently, arane culture excels at soups, stews, and soft foods such as bread and cheese.

Arane are omnivores, though they have a high meat requirement in their diet. They are affected by chemicals differently than humanoids, specifically being tolerant to some drugs humanoids would find dangerous, while being abnormally affected by caffeine which humanoids consume for pleasure.

Reproduction occurs in large clutches, where eggs are laid and wrapped in a special webbing which hardens into a thick shell, around some source of nutrients. As the eggs grow, they consume the nutrient soup left by the parent and burst into a swarm of pale arane, barely sentient, but aware enough to find shelter and bond with arane which smell like them. Like humanoids, they have long periods spent as "children" but generally achieve an adult body by age of 10.

Relations

Arane are shy to interact with humanoid beings as a result of appearance, but once friendly relations are established they prove to be fast friends. They often become trade partners, using the opportunity for both cultural and monetary exchange. Among themselves, they take homes within forests and in caves, forming vast cities of web and material. Where rope and mortar is used in humanoid cities, webbing forms the roads and connections for all manner of places. Their webcraft is legendary.

If the arane have a beef with any culture, it would be the drow. While all beings have the right to be treated with respect or prove their honor, the drow seem almost universally evil and they force the stigma of evil spider-kin upon the arane, an act they do not appreciate.

Alignment

Arane are typically neutral good, with more lax on law and chaos than on good and evil. That's not to say that evil arane do not exist, but their culture reminds them of the glut of evil spiders and spider-related things such as drow, and their terrifying appearance, and so they generally overcompensate through politeness.

Lands

Arane settlements are usually found around forests and caves, with large areas that have many connection points to built upon.

Religion

Arane have the strongest connections to gods of art, craft, knowledge, and nature.

Language

Arane speak Common and Undercommon. The latter is due to a thought in their history that they were once somehow related to the drow, or at least rose to the surface from deep underground.

Names

Arane names vary, but family names tend to be long and flowery affairs detailing family history, such as Drawsflowers or Reachesatmoon.

Racial Traits

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma: Nimble and quick to act, they suffer when it comes to relating to others.
• Magical Beast: Arane are greater than the vermin they resemble, and are closer to magical beasts in nature. 
• Medium: As a Medium creature, an arane has no special bonuses or penalties due to its size.
• Arane base land speed is 30 feet. Climb 20 ft 
• Darkvision: An arane can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and an arane can function just fine with no light at all.
• Low-Light Vision: An arane can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. 
• Skills: Arane have a +2 racial bonus on Craft checks and Knowledge Engineering checks, and may use both untrained. They are always class skills.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Undercommon
• Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages)
• Favored Class: Rogue
• Level Adjustment: +0
• Effective Character Level: 1

Vital Statistics

Table: Arane Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
11 years	+1d3	+1d4	+2d4

Table: Arane Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
40 years	60 years	80 years	+2d10 years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Arane Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	3' 0"	+2d6	150 lb.	× (1d6) lb.
Female	3' 2"	+2d6	160 lb.	× (1d6) lb.

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