I read Paul Edwin Zimmer's Dark Border books over the holiday, and I was struck by the creepy usefulness of Spiders. Assuming it's not too much plagiarism (the idea changed a bit as I went), here's my adaptation:

Concept:
Spiders are the unfortunate creations of depraved sorcerers. They are crafted from a human corpse, which must never have rested in hallowed ground. The ritual is painstaking and prone to failure, but the results can be worth it--spiders have the power to animate recently dead bodies with a good semblance of life. While it lasts, the new body has increased speed, strength, and nearly all of the victim's memories.

Motivation:
Spiders are driven by fear and hunger--fear of their masters, hunger for the temporary power of a real body.

Physical Description:
The Spider is a pale, spindly, multi-legged creature as big as the palm of a man's hand. It is made of sinew and small bones, and has no natural organs or life processes.

Mark:
A Spider lying motionless could be mistaken for a grisly ornament. To control a host, hoever, the Spider must cling physically. Although it usually hides under hair or clothing, it remains on the exterior of the body and can be discovered there.

Powers:
Immunities x4 (Permanent, Self): Spiders suffer no harm from the cold, from poison, from disease, or from old age.

Possession (Limited, Others): This power differs from normal possession in two respects. First, Spiders can only control corpses, although they have access to the memories of the host. Second, the creature physically attaches rather than turning into mist to possess its victim. The duration is measured in days; as the body decays, it will eventually cease to obey the Spider's directions.

Wake:
Animals cannot bear the presence of a Spider or a corpse bearing one. Horses shy away; dogs cringe or attack; small wildlife flees.

True Weakness:
The weakness of a Spider is the name it held when it was a normal human.


Power Rank: 3
Cunning Rank: 6
Vitality Levels: 13

Wow. Way to take a creature that already gives folks the heeby-geebies and make them worse. How much did you change?

Oh and I am splitting these different entries out cause I am getting confused...

Keith

I didn't change a lot--just added a physical description, and details about their origin. I hope to have another entry or two in the next week or so. Should I start a thread for each, or post all of my stuff here?

Edit: Whoops, nevermind. Looks like separate threads for each.