Revenant Spiders

Revenant Spiders are created by powerful necromancers to punish or torment their foes. The creatures are created by a necromantic ritual, whose rites are a tightly held secret. Simply discovering the ritual exists is a Superb test of magical research unless one stumbles upon a source that outlines the rite. Once discovered, comprehending and learning the ritual is a Great test of necromancy and a Great test of ritual magic. Once learned performing the ritual is a Good test of ritual magic and necromancy and requires a Good expenditure of wealth for material components. Typical components include the remains of a dozen preserved spiders impaled upon pure silver pins and mounted upon the lid of a coffin from an ancient grave, which has been inscribed with the name of the caster's chosen victim. The entire construct is then sprinkled with the ground bones of someone slain by violence. If the ritual is successful it summons forth six to twelve Revenant Spiders which immediately begin pursuit of the caster's victim.

Revenant Spiders take the form of hideous and hairy undead spiders with a leg-span of about three inches. The creatures are partially insubstantial, and seem to blend into the shadows as they scuttle forth in their never-ending search for their prey. A faint aroma of decay surrounds the creatures and a chill hangs in the air when they pass by.

Revenant Spiders have the following characteristics:

• Immunity to mundane weapons - Only magical or silver weapons can harm these insubstantial magical creatures.
• Fair regeneration - Slain spiders regenerate fully one day after they are slain unless their remains are blessed (Great test of dispel evil/necromancy).
• Legendary tracking - The creatures have a near perfect ability to locate their victim.
• Fair movement - The creatures require no rest or food, being undead. They can travel five miles per day, and have an innate ability to find transportation over or around obstacles that stand between their victim and themselves.
• Superb stealth - The spider's small size and ability to blend into shadows, makes them difficult to spot.
• Necrotic bite - Once the spiders locate their victim, they attack with a Good bite and inject a potent magical venom (Superb resistance to avoid). Once their bite is delivered, the spider collapses to dust, its mission complete.
• The Revenant Spider's bite afflicts the victim with a necrotic poison that begins to slowly consume their flesh, leaving behind rotting, stinking wounds. Each week the poison inflicts the equivalent of Good damage upon the victim, and creates another rotting wound somewhere on their person. The poison can be completely removed only with a Legendary test of dispel evil/necromancy. A Great test of healing will temporarily halt the poison. Each wound left by the poison requires a Superb test of healing to cure once the poison has been removed.