Web-Spectre

Some evil wizards, 6th level and up, ready themselves in life to come back as web-spectres. The groundwork lasts a year for each level, and the wizard must arrange burial in a chamber below ground, posed sitting or standing as if alive, with its treasure beside it. The result is a humanoid shape of grimy spider silk caked with dust and grit and home to a colony of 3d4 x 10 (30-120) spiders. Unlike many undead it can walk about in daylight, and a bold one in full clothing, gloves and headgear can even pass for human.

It punches with lumpy fists for 1-4, or uses an attack to grab instead, dealing no damage but spilling 3-18 of its spiders onto the victim. Each spider is tiny (1 hp, AC 10, THAC0 20, bite for 1 hp), but numbers can swamp a character. Silent and stealthy, it gives opponents -3 to surprise, so they are caught unawares on 1-8 on 1d10. It casts wizard spells at its former level and can teleport without error twice a day, popping up in unlikely spots such as stairs, cupboards and attics.

Sleep, charm, hold, cold, poison and paralysis do not affect it. It is turned as a spectre, a splash of holy water deals 2-8, normal weapons can hit it, and fire does double damage. It can draw in any spider silk within a hundred yards to mend itself at 2 hp per round. Almost nowhere on the Prime Material Plane is free of cobwebs, since even a meadow teems with tiny spiders, but an area runs dry in 2d6 rounds, longer in heavily webbed crypts and dungeons, so the spectre tries to end fights fast or move them elsewhere.

At 0 hit points its life force has a 75% chance to flee its tattered body and build a new one somewhere else, unless remove curse, abjure or a similar spell is cast on the remains.

The web-spectre is in effect a minor lich, a half-immortality chosen by mages too weak to become true liches. Usually solitary, they reach out to wizards, liches and others in search of new spells and knowledge. They do not hunt the living as many undead do, but they anger easily and pursue revenge on anyone they believe has wronged them.

Like all undead they have no natural place. They share a bond with arachnids and sometimes keep monstrous spiders as guards.