Quili'Faerz Melarn, drow arachnomancer

Name: Quili'faerz Melarn
Creature Type: Medium humanoid (elf)
Hit Dice: HD 2d8 plus 4d4 plus 10d6; hp 78
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class: 17, touch 10, flat-footed 8
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+16
Attack: +7 melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, longsword) or +7 ranged (1d4+5/19-20/x2, hand crossbow)
Full Attack: +7 melee (1d8+1/19-20/x2, longsword) or +7 ranged (1d4+5/19-20/x2, hand crossbow)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft.
Special Attacks: Combat style (archery), command spiders, favored enemy +2 (elves), poison touch, spell-like abilities, spells, spider blast, spiderform, spider magic, wall of webs
Special Qualities: Darkvision 120 ft., elf traits, immunity (sleep), light blindness, poison save bonus, speak with spiders, summon familiar (none), webwalking, wild empathy +10
Saves: Fort. +9, Ref. +15, Will +9
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 11
Skills: Climb +10, Concentration +15, Craft (alchemy) +8, Craft (armorsmthing) +12, Craft (weaponsmithing) +11, Hide +11, Jump +8, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Knowledge (geography) +11, Knowledge (nature) +18, Knowledge (Underdark local) +12,  Listen +8*, Move Silently +11, Ride +9, Spellcraft +11, Search +7*, Spot +10*, Survival +7, Use Rope +5
Feats: Blind-Fight, Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Endurance (B), Heighten Spell, Rapid Shot (B), Scribe Scroll (B), Skill Focus (Craft [Alchemy]), Skill Focus (Listen), Skill Focus (Use Rope), Power Attack, Track (B)
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary or with a spider colony
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: amulet of natural armor +1, bracers of armor +2, ring of protection +1, longsword, masterwork hand crossbow with bolts (10), spellbook, 9700 gp
Alignment: CE
Advancement: Class levels
Level Adjustment: -

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This miserable-looking drow male is sitting on a rock in a web-covered cave, muttering softly to himself. As you approach him, he jumps up, and transforms from miserable to insane.

Detailed description

A wizard of the Melarn family, Quili`faerz was always passive-aggressive by drow standards. A very low-ranking wizard in the household, he was forced into joining Matron Yvonnel Baenrae's ill-fated war with the dwarves easily enough, and just as easily he had turned tail and ran when it all went south.

However, instead of going back to Menzaberranzan, Quili'faerz went into the wild Underdark, taking with him his only real trophy - a sword from the surface elves: he sincerely hoped that it would bring him good luck - and it did. Sort of.

Firstly, Quili'faerz got hopelessly lost and had to wander by himself for a while (that is where he picked up his ranger class levels). As he did, he grew more and more insane and introvert, even by drow standards - and became more and more in tune with the underground spiders, such as hairy and sword spiders (MoF). Quili'faerz also didn't know, but he had done his scarifcation ritula during the war, inadvertedly, but it was enough for him to begin his path through arachnomancy.

These days Quili'faerz is usually found alongside a colony of spiders, usually Small or Medium-sized, muttering to himself and wondering what is he to do. He doesn't want to go back to Menzaberranzan and he doesn't want to go to the surface - not yet. As time goes by, and Lolth continues to whisper to one of her wayward children, the arachnomancer's plans may yet change.

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Combat tactics

Quili'faerz prefers to start his battles from afar, firing his hand crossbow and using his spells. If that isn't enough, he also summons monstrous spiders (or swarms of spiders) using his spells, and then transforms into a monstrous spider himself, finally waging into melee and utilizing his arachnomancer special abilities as he sees fit. Unless the PC party had been ordered (or asked to) to capture Quili'faerz alive, the arachnomancer fights to the death.

Command Spiders (Su): Quili'faerz can compel any spider or spiderkind creature in the same way that an evil cleric can rebuke or command undead. He can attempt to command spiders 3 times per day. He is treated as a 15-th level cleric for the purpose of turning checks and turning damage.
Light Blindess (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds Quili'faerz for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, he is dazzled as long as he remains in the afflicted area.
Poison Save Bonus (Ex):  Quili'faerz adds +10 to all saves against poison.
Poison Touch (Ex): Quili'faerz can secrete poison as a free action. His touch deals 1d8 points of Strength damage. A successful Fort DC 20 save halves the damage, to a minimum of 1 point. Quili'faerz's poison cannot be harvested or saved for any purpose. The save DC is Con-based.
Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day - dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire. CL 16th.
Spider Blast (Sp): Once per day, Quili'faerz can produce a 50-foot-long, cone-shaped blast of extremely poisonous, normal-sized spiders. Every creature within the area of the blast takes 5d4 points of damage and must make 1d4 Fort DC 20 saves against poison (1d6 points of Strength damage for both initial and secondary damage). Each creature is also allowed a Reflex save at the same DC for partial effect: Success means the victim takes half damage and need make only one Fort saving throw against poison (though the second saving throw normally required against a poison's secondary effect still applies). The spiders fade away at the end of Quili'faerz's turn. The save DC is Con-based.
Spiderform (Su): Quili'faerz may transform himself into a Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge or Gargantuan monstrous spider three times per day. This ability functions like polymorph, except that the indicated forms are the only ones available and the duration of the change is up to 100 minutes. Resuming normal form requires a standard action but does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Wizard Spells Known (9/5/5/4/3/2; save DC 15 + spell level): 0 - acid splash, daze, detect magic, detect poison, ghost sound, ray of frost, read magic, resistance, stick; 1st - hypnotism, identify, magic missile, protection from good, summon small monstrous spider; 2nd - spider climb, spiderskin, summon medium monstrous spider, summon swarm, web; 3rd - neutralize poison, poison, summon large monstrous spider, tongues; 4th - giant vermon, repel vermin, summon huge monstrous spider; 5th - spider plague, wall of force.
Wall of Webs (Sp): Quili'faerz has the ability to create a wall-like barrier of webs once per day. Unlike the webs produced by the web spell, those in the wall of webs are resistant to fire and as tough as steel. A wall of webs functions like the wall of iron spell (CL 10th), except that Quili'faerz can use his webwalking ability to move through the wall unhindered, and any other creature can use freedom of movement to do the same.
Webwalking (Su): Quili'faerz can ignore webs (magical or nonmagical) as if affected by a freedom of movement spell. He can climb webs at his normal land speed without needing to make a Climb check and walk along webs without needing to make a Balance check.
Saves: Quili'faerz has a +2 racial bonus on Will saves against spells and spell-like abilities. He also has a +2 racial bonus on saves against enchantment spells and effects.
Skills: Quili'faerz has a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search and Spot checks.