Monster Monday: Vault Weaver

Vault Weaver

No. Appearing: 1d3 (0)

Armor Class: 18

HD: 3

Move: 120'

Attacks: Special

Morale: 6

Alignment: Neutral

Vault weavers subsist on a diet of decaying flesh, but are also known to attack and devour unfortunate living beings that happen to cross their path.  They appear as luminescent orbs roughly two feet in diameter.  The color of these orbs is difficult for the human eye to comprehend, and when combined with their great speed this makes them incredibly difficult to hit.

When feeding, the vault weaver protrudes thick, goopy strands of phosphorescent ectoplasm of the same color as their unnatural bodies.  These protrude out from the creature 10’ in all directions, and victims must make a Save vs. Breath Weapon or take 1d4 points of damage.  Afterwards, the vault weaver selects one target that it will continue to feed on.  This target is randomly selected, but must have been damaged in the initial burst.  Every round thereafter until the creature takes damage or until the victim is slain, whichever comes first, the victim takes 1d4 points of damage. 

Characters or creatures killed in this manner have all of their organic matter dissolve into a strange dust that then flies into the vault weaver’s body.  Once the creature has thus eaten, it immediately makes a morale check.  If successful, it once again sends out strands to find a new victim.  If it fails, the creature is full and will flee from combat.

Due to the fact that their body is composed of an otherworldly energy, vault weavers are not only immune to energy based attacks but are healed by them.  This includes magical attacks of various sorts.  If the creature is healed in this manner when it has full hit points, it gains extra hit points above its normal maximum.  Strangely, physical attacks do harm vault weavers, but only deal half damage (minimum 1).

The origin of vault weavers is a mystery, and they can be found in tombs and underworlds throughout the Desert of Demons.  They are most often found in the ruins of Old Jerah where the catacombs – along with a constant stream of foolhardy adventurers – provide a nigh inexhaustible food supply.  However, those who believe this is their only haunt are often surprised to find themselves spending the last moments of their life as the victim of one of these blasphemous orbs.