Ettercap

Created by Danny DiSantis

Pozu had never been alone this deep in the forest. She knew she shouldn't have anything to worry about as long as she stuck to the path. But there it was - an entire patch of Smugglers Root. She would fetch a small fortune if she could get it back to Guthram in before daybreak.
Little did the poor gnome realize the that she would be the one who was to be harvested this night. So slowly did the Ettercap climb down its thread...

Basic Information

Anatomy

The ettercap is a tall humanoid with arachnid facial features and semi-vestigial secondary and tertiary arms. The Ettercap is covered with fur ranging from dark brown to grey to beige and has a thick leathery skin, not entirely unlike their arachnid relatives' exoskeleton. The skeletal structure of an Ettercap is light and hollow allowing them to quickly and easily move and climb. Ettercaps also have venom sacs and spinnerets and can use them to a limited degree.

Growth Rate & Stages

Baby Ettercaps are able to crawl at birth and are generally hostile to other young Ettercap. This can extend even to the point of cannibalism or even fratricide. Some Ettercap mothers even perform filial cannibalism when food sources are low and children are many.
Adolescent Ettercaps will generally be able to hunt on their own at age 3 and fully self sufficient around age 6. They will shed their final skin around age 9 and make their own way as quickly as they can. It is not common to find more than one Ettercap in a nest.

Ecology and Habitats

Ettercaps generally live solitary lives in either forests or caves. They prefer to be close to their food source, however the generally do not do a good job keeping their lair a secret. Forest Ettercap will generally find or create a spot where there will be no foliage of any kind as it feels unnatural to them. They prefer to hide under rocks and in the earth.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Ettercap will most likely be spending most of its time laying in wait for animals or sentient life to fall upon one of their traps. They are hunters, but even as such, they are quite cowardly.
Ettercaps will consume the meat and blood of any large animal they can get their hands on. The Ettercap's favorite food is Fay, specifically gnomes. Civilized Ettercaps can contain their desire to consume sentient life.

Biological Cycle

Ettercaps will shed their skin a few times in their lives, once every few years or so until they are fully grown. This is not quite as traumatic as their arachnid cousins, but it can leave an Ettercap in a compromised state. With each shedding, the Ettercap grows and matures until it becomes an adult around age 9.
Ettercaps have a very short lifespan of only about 30 - 50 years, with old age setting in around age 40.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The vast majority of Ettercaps live solitary lives, only encountering other members of its species a few times a year. They are often wary of other sentient and non-sentient creatures alike, due to the lack of trust they often have in their own kind. When food is scare, most wild Ettercaps see other Ettercaps at best as competition, but at worst as their next meal.
There are few Ettercaps that build small communities - some as few as a family of 2 or 3, but others as many as 6 or 12 Ettercaps. They generally find ways to make trade with the neighboring sentient races, though they find it best if they keep themselves secluded. The strongest female Ettercap usually takes up the role as the matriarch of the clan, and all will answer to command no matter how drastic it could be. Most Ettercap tend to be lawful and adhere to their own code of rules.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Civilized Ettercap either farm animals for consumption or trade silken goods with neighbors for food. They are experts at weaving, especially with their silk. Some take up crafting traps and even poisons for sale - however the vast majority of Ettercap tradesmen use a middleman human or half-elf to do their trading.

Facial characteristics

Most Ettercaps have 8 eyes, though mutations of as many as 12 and as few as 6 occur. Lacking in a traditional nose, scent receptors lie below the head in the neck. two powerful fangs grace the mouth of the Ettercap, allowing for the piercing of skin and placement of meat into the mouth. Some civilized Ettercap allow their fur to grow long on their heads to mimic other races hair.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Most solitary Ettercaps find their homes in deep forests, caves, mountains and occasionally even in the desert.

Average Intelligence

Ettercap do not generally value intelligence beyond survival instincts.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Ettercap generally don't find much of a reason to name each other, as often their interactions are few. Children are often refereed to as such, and most mates do not stay for very long. Some Ettercap who decide to engage with other society generally take a name for themselves of what is customary for the people of that lifestyle.

Major Organizations

The vast majority of Ettercap do not follow any particular deities, however some underground Ettercaps do worship a form of Lolth that they have taken from neighboring Drow.

Beauty Ideals

Ettercap almost exclusively consider general size to be attractive, along with limb count and even how well their suitor can hide.

Gender Ideals

In the few instances where Ettercap do form small settlements, the smaller and weaker Males are generally responsible for making clothes and preventing the loss of their numbers from friend and foe alike. Females are mostly responsible for fighting and hunting, as they are far better suited for the task being larger and generally stronger.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Most Ettercap only speak Ettercap - which is a very limited language based on the types of sounds an arachnid is naturally inclined to make. They have vocal chords and generally speak in low, short grunts when speaking other languages.

Common Dress Code

Wild Ettercaps will vary in dress from either the fur on their backs, woven silk cloth or even adventurers gear that was taken from some wayward explorers. More civilized Ettercaps will generally either make or procure their own clothing to match the society they are trying to blend in with.

Ettercap

Medium Monstrous Abberation

Attributes

• +2 Dexterity
• +2 Wisdom
• -4 Charisma

Abilities

• Darkvision (60)
• 30ft Speed
• Climb speed of 20 ft and +8 Racial Bonus to climb checks
• Ettercap can converse with spiders as if subject to a continual speak with animal spell
• Toxic Bite: An Ettercap also gains a natural bite attack, dealing 1d3 damage. The bite is a primary attack, or a secondary attack if the creature is wielding manufactured weapons. The bite also is always considered envenomed with Ettercap Venom.
  Ettercap Venom: Injury; save Fort DC 10 + the 1/2 user’s Hit Dice + the user’s Constitution modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Dex; cure 1 save.

Languages

• Ettercap
• Common
• Can at first level learn: Undercommon, Abyssal, Necrid, and Aklo

Roleplay Features:

Alien Mind & Bizarre Anatomy

Favored Class Bonuses

• Druid
• Ranger
• Rogue

Scientific Name

Arachnida Aranea Venandi

Lifespan

50 years

Average Height

Males: 6' 4" Females: 7' 2"

Average Physique

The Ettercap is a tall, lean humanoid who does not require large amounts of sustenance to fuel its body. Their slow metabolism allows them to keep energy storage for significant amounts of time in their lower abdomen. This causes the Ettercap to be somewhat lean, even though it could be holding on to a large portion of its bodyweight in fat storage.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Ettercap come in a variety of neutral colors, from deep gray, to light brown. Often, the fur of an Ettercap will have patterns based on the location they live in order to better blend into their surroundings.