Garx

Garx is a phase spider who works with Dorath Kir. He was the first member of the Council of Wrath. Long ago, Dorath was a less evilly-inclined adventurer. When his group of companions fell prey to some drow under the command of a mind flayer, Dorath was captured and tortured for many months. The mind flayer also had captured Garx, a phase spider, and was using its mental powers to control his actions. When Garx saw a chance to escape, he knew he could not simply shift to the Ethereal Plane (the mind flayer could follow him there). So instead, he freed Dorath from his cell and the two together escaped. They have been companions ever since.

Details
Race: Phase Spider

Notable abilities: Ethereal Jaunt and Ethereal Ambush allow Garx to step out of the ethereal plane, attack, and back in, making him a formidable foe.

Character Sheet
Phase Spider

N Large magical beast

Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +6

DEFENSE

AC 17

Defensive Abilities ethereal jaunt

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.

Melee bite +11 (2d6+7 plus poison and grab)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Special Attacks ethereal ambush

STATISTICS

Str 20, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 10

Feats Ability Focus (poison), Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Stealth)

Skills Climb, Perception, Stealth

Languages Aklo SPECIAL ABILITIES

Ethereal Ambush (Ex) A phase spider that attacks foes on the Material Plane in a surprise round can take a full round of actions if it begins the combat by phasing into the Material Plane from the Ethereal Plane. Ethereal Jaunt (Su) A phase spider can shift from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane as a free action, and shift back again as a move action (or as part of a move action). The ability is otherwise identical to ethereal jaunt (CL 15th). Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; On a hit, poisoned. Make a DC 17 CON save or take d4 con damage. ECOLOGY

Environment warm hills

Organization solitary, pair, or cluster (3–6)

Phase spiders are voracious predators from the Ethereal Plane who hunt on the Material Plane. When prey is located, the spider shifts to the Ethereal Plane to prepare an ambush. Against a lone victim, the spider shifts to the Material Plane, bites the victim, then retreats back to the Ethereal Plane to wait for the poison to take effect. Against multiple foes, a phase spider follows these same tactics, and on each round a foe remains in reach at the start of its turn, it repeats this gambit. If no foes are in reach, it moves while ethereal to prepare an attack on an available target, but unless it feels safe in spending an entire round on the Material, it won't phase back to attack unless it can do so while saving a move action for an escape. Phase spiders are the natural enemy of another denizen of the Ethereal Plane—the xill. The two races have long fought a bloody war with no real prospect of a resolution anytime soon. Were phase spiders less horrifying and alien in appearance, they might find the allies they need to defeat the sinister xill among other races, but their monstrous forms and often overwhelming hunger make diplomacy difficult. On the Ethereal Plane, phase spiders can manipulate the raw smoky ether in a manner similar to how a spider manipulates webs. Vast, complex nests of semisolid ether float idly through the eddies of the Ethereal Plane, each supporting numerous phase spiders. The creatures enjoy each other's company, but have no real concept of family—a newborn phase spider is fully capable of fending for itself and is treated no differently by its parents or siblings than any other. The typical phase spider is 8 feet long and weighs about 700 pounds.