Spider Dragon
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 195 (17d12+85)
Speed 40 ft. fly 60 ft. climb 40 ft.
Saving Throws Dex +7, Con +10, Wis +6, Cha +8
Skills Stealth +6, Perception +7
Damage Immunities acid, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +5
Actions
Legendary Actions
The dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
📷 Export as Image
Share your monster as a beautiful PNG image styled like classic D&D sourcebooks.
Includes: Full stat block, monster image (if selected), CR badge, and QuickMonster branding.
Resolution: High-quality PNG at 2x scale for crisp display on any device.
"First comes the shadow overhead. Then the sound of a thousand little feet." — Bellmire ferryman's warning
Lore & Description
Appearance
A huge black dragon whose long, low body is carried on eight jointed legs, each ending in hooked claws that grip bark and stone. Its scales resemble wet, overlapping plates of charcoal, while two enormous, serrated pincers frame its narrow, horned head. Viscous green venom threads from the pincer tips, and tiny pale spiders crawl between its teeth and disappear into the folds of its throat.
Behavior & Origins
Spider dragons haunt drowned forests and cavernous swamps, weaving vast webs between trees, ruins, and cliffs. They hoard not only treasure but living prey, cocooning captives for later amusement or feeding. The black dragon Vyrakth, called the Widow Below, has claimed the sunken village of Bellmire and seeks a stolen bronze idol said to command every spider in the marsh.
Running Spider Dragon
Tactics
The dragon opens from a perch or ceiling with Spider Brood Breath, then uses its flight and climbing speed to keep enemies scattered and off-balance. It grapples a dangerous target with a pincer while snapping at nearby foes, and uses Web-Burst to pin down anyone trying to escape. When badly wounded, it retreats through narrow passages or into its webbed lair; it fights to the death only to defend its hoard or brood.
DM Tips
- Foreshadow its presence with unnaturally silent stretches of swamp, venom-drained animal carcasses, and webs strung high across a trail.
- Play it as patient and possessive: it speaks in a low, rasping voice and taps its pincers together when considering a bargain.
- For a weaker party, reduce its hit points to 150 and Spider Brood Breath to 8d8; for a stronger party, increase its hit points to 220 and add a second use of Web-Burst between rests.
- Make the web terrain and its vertical routes visible before combat so players can plan around its climbing and ambush tactics.
Loot
- Widow's Venom Gland — A stoppered sac of potent venom harvested from a pincer; an alchemist can refine it into a few doses of poison, but mishandling it is dangerous.
- Bellmire Bronze Idol — A small, spider-legged bronze idol stolen from the drowned village. Its markings may be a key to an old marsh shrine or the focus of a local spider cult.
- Silk-Wrapped Journal — A waterlogged journal preserved in webbing, containing the final records of a Bellmire resident and a rough map of the village's submerged streets.
