Choldrith (CR 4)
Large Aberration
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Initiative: +3 (Dex); Senses: darkvision 60 ft.
Languages: Undercommon and Abyssal
AC: 19 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +7 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 16
Hit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp)
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +7
Speed: 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Space: 10 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +3; Grapple +11
Attack: Bite +6 melee
Full Attack: Bite +6 melee
Damage: Bite 2d4+6 plus poison
Special Attacks: Poison, spell-casting, web
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 14
Special Qualities: Spell-like abilities, SR 13
Feats: Combat Casting; Lightning Reflexes
Skills: Balance +8, Climb +16, Concentration +8, Jump +9, Knowledge (religion) +9, and Spellcraft +6
Advancement: By character class
Climate/Terrain: Underground
Organization: Tribe (2-5 plus 10-60 chitines)
Treasure/Possessions: Standard
Source:
Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn
Choldriths are the priest race of the chitines, viewed in their society as blessings from the spider-goddess, Lolth.
Choldriths are bloated white spiders, about 9 feet in diameter, with the humanlike head of a chitine. They have two large, faceted eyes and large mandibles dripping with poison. Their ears are long and pointed, resembling horns. They have the eight legs of a normal spider, but the front two are more slender and end in functional hands. Choldriths use these hands primarily for spellcasting and holding food near their mouths.
Choldriths speak Undercommon and Abyssal.
Combat
Choldriths prefer to remain behind a living shield of chitine warriors, using their cleric spells to aid their allies and destroy their enemies. Opponents who break through the line of chitines face choldrith's poisonous bite.
Poison (Ex): Those hit by a choldrith's bite attack must succeed Fortitude save (DC 13) or be injected with poison. The initial damage is paralysis, and the secondary damage is 2d4 points of temporary Constitution damage.
Spellcasting: Choldriths have the spellcasting ability of 4th-level clerics, with access to the Chaos, Evil, and Protection domains.
Web (Su): Choldriths spin webs as monstrous spiders. They can cast a web eight times a day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of so feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets of Medium-size or smaller (see Chapter 7 of the Player's Handbook for details on net attacks). The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement.
An entangled creature can escape with a successful Escape Artist check (DC 26) or burst it with a Strength check (DC 32). Both are standard actions. The web has 12 hit points. See the Monstrous Spider entry in the Monster Manual for more information about webs.
Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): Lolth bestows two innate abilities on her choldrith children: darkness and bless. A choldrith can use each power twice per day.
CHOLDRITH CHARACTERS
Choldriths can only advance in level as clerics. Each level of cleric a choldrith gains adds one level to its spellcasting ability. For instance, a choldrith with two levels as a cleric casts spells as a 6th-level cleric.
IN THE REALMS
If the chitines are magical creations of the drow, choldriths can only be the direct work of Lolth herself. Their similarity to driders has not gone unnoticed by scholars, who suspect that transformation into a choldrith is Lolth's reward for passing (rather than punishment for failing) some test of loyalty or devotion.