“Ollie grabbed for him, and I saw what was happening. At the same instant I understood
why the head of the man in the doorway was missing. The thin white cable that had
twisted around Buddy’s leg like a silk rope was sinking into his flesh. That leg of his jeans
had been neatly cut off and was sliding down his leg. A neat, circular incision in his flesh
was brimming blood as the cable went deeper.”
— Stephen King, Dark Forces (1980)
Note: The following bear a remarkable resemblance from the creatures from the movie (I’d not read the book until after I saw the movie) – but came out of nightmare I had in 1998 – I converted them to GURPS for my Dream Wars campaign. Enjoy.
Meldein Broodmother Spider
Like their smaller kin, the Broodmothers are spider-like beings. One out of every ten thousand meldein spiders born become excessively large for one of its kind (about the size of a minivan) and develop a ovipositor sting. These ‘broodmothers’ are rarely encountered outside of their swampy homes and have thousands of their children at their beck and call.
For Any Game…
ST: 27 HP: 27 Speed: 7.00
DX: 14 Will: 11 Move: 9
IQ: 5 Per: 13 Weight: 1,000 lbs.
HT: 14 FP: 14 SM: +3
Dodge: 11 Parry: 12 DR: 12
Acidic Bite (16): 3d+2 impaling + linked 1d corrosion (10 one-second cycles).
Acidic Blood (-): When attacked Meldein spiders bleed on those who inflict any cutting, impaling, or piercing injury. It bleeds on the weapon that wounded it – or his foe, if attacked with Claws, Teeth, etc. – which immediately begins to corrode inflicting 1d corrosion damage (10 one-second cycles). Until the spider stops bleeding (see Bleeding, p. B420), the acid drips on everything nearby. Anyone grappling the spider automatically takes damage, anything else in the spider’s hex takes damage on a 9 or less. Roll once every second.
Corrosive Silk (16): As Silk entry but has a linked attack of 1d corrosion (10 one-second cycles).
Ovipositor (16): 3d+2 impaling + follow-up 2 points toxic damage. A successful HT-5 roll allows the target to avoid the toxic damage. Failure means the target takes the damage and must roll HT-5 every 10 minutes or suffer another 2 points, this repeats every 5 minutes for the next hour. If the subject dies at any point thereafter while still ‘infected’ 6d immature spiders hatch from the targets corpse and emerge 2d-1 hours later. This attack can only be used against targets underneath or in front of the spider.
Pull (-): As a ready maneuver, the spider can pull a bound subject. Roll a contest of ST. If any side can brace itself, it gains +2 per pair of legs. Should the puller win, the pulled moves a number of yards towards it equal to the margin of victory.
Silk (16): No damage (see Binding, p. B40). Range −/100. Optionally the spider may choose to hold onto a line of silk, see Pull.
Queen Mother (-): The Broodmother may attempt to designate one target for all other meldein spiders within eight yards of her. The target need only be detectable. This requires a Concentrate maneuver and a Quick Contest of HT vs. the Will of each spider (which is effectively 2, so don’t bother rolling). Victory means the spider attacks the marked subject, without further guidance, for minutes equal to margin of victory – or until this ability is triggered again to change targets. A tie or a loss means that particular spider can’t be controlled for 24 hours.
Traits: 360° Vision; Ambidexterity; Appearance (Hideous); Binding 15 (Engulfing; Extended Duration, x300; Link; Retractable; Sticky); Clinging (Move 4); Combat Reflexes; Corrosion Attack 1d-2 (Always On; Aura; Blood Agent, Reversed; Cyclic, 1 second, 10 cycles; Melee Attack, C); Extra Legs (Eight Legs; Cannot Kick; Long, Can walk over SM 0 or smaller subjects without needing to evade); Mind Control (Accessibility, Only to designate target; Area Effect, 8 yards; Based on HT; Emanation; Independent; Suggestion,; Spider Command); No Physical Attack (Arms)*; Semi-Upright; Super Jump 1 (15-yard jump†); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-16; Innate Attack (Projectile)-16; Jumping-14; Stealth-16; Survival (Swampland)-12.
Notes: Four front legs count as a single pair of arms for manipulation purposes. If the GM is using Intrinsic Fright Check GURPS Horror, (p. 139) Broodmothers have a modifier of -3.
* See Modifying Beings With One or Two Arms under Extra Arms (p. B53).
† This is for a combat jump, outside of combat double this value.
For Dungeon Fantasy…
ST: 27 HP: 27 Speed: 7.00
DX: 14 Will: 11 Move: 9
IQ: 5 Per: 13 Weight: 1,000 lbs.
HT: 14 FP: 14 SM: +3
Dodge: 11 Parry: 12 DR: 12
Acidic Bite (16): 3d+2 impaling + linked 1d corrosion (10 one-second cycles).
Acidic Blood (-): When attacked Meldein spiders bleed on those who inflict any cutting, impaling, or piercing injury. It bleeds on the weapon that wounded it – or his foe, if attacked with Claws, Teeth, etc. – which immediately begins to corrode inflicting 1d corrosion damage (10 one-second cycles). Until the spider stops bleeding (see Bleeding, p. B420), the acid drips on everything nearby. Anyone grappling the spider automatically takes damage, anything else in the spider’s hex takes damage on a 9 or less. Roll once every second.
Corrosive Silk (16): As Silk entry but has a linked attack of 1d corrosion (10 one-second cycles).
Ovipositor (16): 3d+2 impaling + follow-up 2 points toxic damage. A successful HT-5 roll allows the target to avoid the toxic damage. Failure means the target takes the damage and must roll HT-5 every 10 minutes or suffer another 2 points, this repeats every 5 minutes for the next hour. If the subject dies at any point thereafter while still ‘infected’ 6d immature spiders hatch from the targets corpse and emerge 2d-1 hours later. This attack can only be used against targets underneath or in front of the spider.
Pull (-): As a ready maneuver, the spider can pull a bound subject. Roll a contest of ST. If any side can brace itself, it gains +2 per pair of legs. Should the puller win, the pulled moves a number of yards towards it equal to the margin of victory.
Silk (16): No damage (see Binding, p. B40). Range −/100. Optionally the spider may choose to hold onto a line of silk, see Pull.
Queen Mother (-): The Broodmother may attempt to designate one target for all other meldein spiders within eight yards of her. The target need only be detectable. This requires a Concentrate maneuver and a Quick Contest of HT vs. the Will of each spider (which is effectively 2, so don’t bother rolling). Victory means the spider attacks the marked subject, without further guidance, for minutes equal to margin of victory – or until this ability is triggered again to change targets. A tie or a loss means that particular spider can’t be controlled for 24 hours.
Traits: 360° Vision; Ambidexterity; Appearance (Hideous); Binding 15 (Engulfing; Extended Duration, x300; Link; Retractable; Sticky); Clinging (Move 4); Combat Reflexes; Corrosion Attack 1d-2 (Always On; Aura; Blood Agent, Reversed; Cyclic, 1 second, 10 cycles; Melee Attack, C); Extra Legs (Eight Legs; Cannot Kick; Long, Can walk over SM 0 or smaller subjects without needing to evade); Mind Control (Accessibility, Only to designate target; Area Effect, 8 yards; Based on HT; Emanation; Independent; Suggestion,; Spider Command); No Physical Attack (Arms)*; Semi-Upright; Super Jump 1 (15-yard jump†); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-16; Innate Attack (Projectile)-16; Jumping-14; Stealth-16; Survival (Swampland)-12.
Classification: Dire Animal.
Notes: Four front legs count as a single pair of arms for manipulation purposes.
* See Modifying Beings With One or Two Arms under Extra Arms (p. B53).
† This is for a combat jump, outside of combat double this value.
For Monster Hunters…
ST: 27 HP: 27 Speed: 7.00
DX: 14 Will: 11 Move: 9
IQ: 5 Per: 13 Weight: 1,000 lbs.
HT: 14 FP: 14 SM: +3
Dodge: 11 Parry: 12 DR: 18
Fright Check: -3
Acidic Bite (16): 3d+2 impaling + linked 2d corrosion (10 one-second cycles).
Acidic Blood (-): When attacked Meldein spiders bleed on those who inflict any cutting, impaling, or piercing injury. It bleeds on the weapon that wounded it – or his foe, if attacked with Claws, Teeth, etc. – which immediately begins to corrode inflicting 2d corrosion damage (10 one-second cycles). Until the spider stops bleeding (see Bleeding, p. B420), the acid drips on everything nearby. Anyone grappling the spider automatically takes damage, anything else in the spider’s hex takes damage on a 9 or less. Roll once every second.
Corrosive Silk (16): As Silk entry but has a linked attack of 2d corrosion (10 one-second cycles).
Ovipositor (16): 3d+2 impaling + follow-up 1d toxic damage. A successful HT-5 roll allows the target to avoid the toxic damage. Failure means the target takes the damage and must roll HT-5 every 10 minutes or suffer another 2 points, this repeats every 5 minutes for the next hour. If the subject dies at any point thereafter while still ‘infected’ 6d immature spiders hatch from the targets corpse and emerge 2d-1 hours later. This attack can only be used against targets underneath or in front of the spider.
Pull (-): As a ready maneuver, the spider can pull a bound subject. Roll a contest of ST. If any side can brace itself, it gains +2 per pair of legs. Should the puller win, the pulled moves a number of yards towards it equal to the margin of victory.
Silk (16): No damage (see Binding, p. B40). Range −/100. Optionally the spider may choose to hold onto a line of silk, see Pull.
Queen Mother (-): The Broodmother may attempt to designate one target for all other meldein spiders within eight yards of her. The target need only be detectable. This requires a Concentrate maneuver and a Quick Contest of HT vs. the Will of each spider (which is effectively 2, so don’t bother rolling). Victory means the spider attacks the marked subject, without further guidance, for minutes equal to margin of victory – or until this ability is triggered again to change targets. A tie or a loss means that particular spider can’t be controlled for 24 hours.
Traits: 360° Vision; Ambidexterity; Appearance (Hideous); Binding 15 (Engulfing; Extended Duration, x300; Link; Retractable; Sticky); Clinging (Move 4); Combat Reflexes; Corrosion Attack 1d-2 (Always On; Aura; Blood Agent, Reversed; Cyclic, 1 second, 10 cycles; Melee Attack, C); Extra Legs (Eight Legs; Cannot Kick; Long, Can walk over SM 0 or smaller subjects without needing to evade); Mind Control (Accessibility, Only to designate target; Area Effect, 8 yards; Based on HT; Emanation; Independent; Suggestion,; Spider Command); No Physical Attack (Arms)*; Semi-Upright; Super Jump 1 (15-yard jump†); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-16; Innate Attack (Projectile)-16; Jumping-14; Stealth-16; Survival (Swampland)-12.
Notes: Four front legs count as a single pair of arms for manipulation purposes. Use the skills listed under Cryptids in the Know Thy Enemy box in Monster Hunters 1 (p. 16). A broodmother is a powerful boss monster, and is often surrounded bya small horde of meldein spiders; a team will need serious preparation to take one out.
* See Modifying Beings With One or Two Arms under Extra Arms (p. B53).
† This is for a combat jump, outside of combat double this value.