The Nature GM

Beware of owl spiders, the innkeeper says as you head out for the road through the old forest. Keep your wits about you, because if one of those beasties gets you, you’re a goner. Your skull will be crushed before you can blink.

The raspy hoot of the owlspider strikes fear into the hearts of all who hear it. Precious little is known about owlspiders, because few who have seen them have lived to tell about it.

Here is everything you need to bring this monster to life.

Appearance & Origin

An adult owlspider is easily 8 ft across, and some are larger. The body is that of a hairy spider, with mottling and stripes allowing it to lurk undetected in dim forests. The head is that of a great horned owl*, its eyes fierce and its powerful beak ready to rip the flesh off its prey.

The owlspider, needless to say, did not arise naturally. It was the creation of a mad wizard, who saw the owlbear and thought, I can do better. The owlspiders, once released into the wild, created their own niche as apex predator in certain fell woods.

*I think the owl head pictured is actually a burrowing owl. A great horned owl would be far more ferocious looking.

Hunting Behavior & Habitat

Owlspiders do not produce webs. They hunt by concealing themselves on tree trunks and jumping down on prey that passes beneath them, knocking their prey flat. From here owlspiders can easily tear out the vital organs with their sharp beak. They hunt at dusk, primarily feeding on large mammals such as deer.

Their hunting technique makes owlspiders most suited to pine forests, where there is little underbrush to disrupt their long jumps.

Stat Block

An owlspider, alone or in a cluster, never attacks outright. It only attacks when it is hidden and has a chance of felling a creature that is weak or at the edge of a group.

Owlspiders have a strong sense of self-preservation and will retreat when they are badly injured. They may return to finish a hunt when they are least expected.

Closing Thoughts

Welcome to the new blog! It is the same as the old blog, except for some minor tidying up and the fact that I have much more control over the site.

Thank you Sarah Richter for this delightful owlspider image. I came across it when looking for a representative “monster” image for the home page. The one I chose of the starry bull is from KELLEPICS, whose works have shown up in several posts.

When I first purchased a Fifth Edition Monster Manual, I was entranced by the owlbear. It seemed both wonderfully bizarre and perfectly understandable, and I was excited to use one in my game. Unfortunately, like so many of the 5e beasts, the owlbear was found wanting. Bite and tackle are simply uninteresting moves.

For those who have played other editions, has there ever been an owlbear that lived up to expectations?

Regardless, may this owlspider serve as a humble alternative. And remember to place a watchful eye on the trees as you keep exploring.