Sniders
S
niders are parasitic creatures that feed
on fear. Sniders come in a variety of
shapes and sizes over the course of their
life cycle, but most have many legs, many
eyes, a snake-like neck and tail, and
venomous fangs. They come in swarms,
often going from birth to adulthood to
death in a single battle. Avatars of fear, they live to cause
terror, and thrive where there is horror.
Fear Elementals. Sniders literally feed on fear, and
everything from their appearance to their parasitic lifestyle
is intended to strike terror into their prey. When the terror
of a community reaches a critical mass, sniders may being
to spontaneously appear. They will then attack nearby
creatures, injecting them with a fear-inducing neurotoxin.
Once their victims are sufficiently subdued, sniders will
begin to build a nest around them, feeding off of their fear
and growing in number.
Parasitic Nightmares. Similar to how eggs and seeds
contain nutrients for the developing organism inside,
sniders use their victim's fear as nutrients for their young.
Eggs are laid inside poisoned victims, which then hatch as
swarmers. Swarmers will then burrow into a new host to
emerge as one of the many drone types: constrictors,
leapers, web weavers, screamers, buzzers, devourers, and
pseudo queens.
Creatures of the Swarm. Sniders are weak
individually, but can quickly overwhelm opponents as their
numbers increase. Sniders find safety in numbers, and will
therefore try to create as much fear (and more sniders) as
quickly as possible.
Snider tactics
They just keep coming. Sniders are easy to hit, die
quickly, and the Constitution saving throw for the Fear
toxin is fairly low. However, once eggs are being laid,
swarmers are surrounding the players (and maybe
innocents), and players start to permanently lose hit
points, sniders can prove fairly deadly. As additions to a
pre-existing encounter or by themselves, here are some
suggestions on how to make sniders scary.
Swarmers: Swarmers are fairly weak by design so that
you can have a lot of them, one or several per PC
depending on their level. Get them into position so that
they can give other sniders advantage through Swarm
Tactics. They might not be able to hit high AC players by
themselves, but with enough of them using Swarm
Frenzy to make two attacks per round, even tankier
characters might start to fail their CON saves. Once a
player is poisoned, use Burrow for instant fear factor and
to increase the snider's CR. I would recommend at least
two swarmers for every adult snider.
Constrictors: Constrictors mainly serve to distract the
players from other more pressing problems. Use
Constrict to protect squishier targets and to give
swarmers a chance to use Swarm Frenzy.
Web Weavers: Web weavers don't do very much
damage, but can act as controllers who create difficult
terrain, restrain players, and pull them out of position. Use
Web Weaver to keep them out of harm's way.
Devourers: Devourers are pretty straightforward: for
every head, they get to make a Bite attack, and for every
hit they deal 5d10 + 2 damage. That can be devastating for
even a mid-level party considering they're almost always
going to get advantage on attacks thanks to Pack Tactics.
However, unlike hydras, devourers do not regain hit points
when their heads grow back, and they aren't susceptible to
fire.
Leapers: Leapers want to use Nimble Leaper to lay as
many eggs as possible, jumping back and forth between
players. Their low AC will make them susceptible to
opportunity attacks, but that's okay. Even a leaper who
only laid two eggs has lived a good life; remember that
swarmers can hatch into more leapers.
Fear
Sniders inject their prey with a fear-inducing neurotoxin.
Each time a creature fails the snider's Constitution save DC
after being bitten, they gain one level of Fear. At the end of
a creature's turn they can make a Wisdom saving throw to
rid themselves of Fear as shown in the table below. Effects
from Fear do not stack.
Condition Wis DC
Disturbed 10
Shaken 12
Panicked 14
Frightened 16
Petrified 18
Terrified 20
Disturbed
Deeply troubled by what they’ve seen, a disturbed
creature deals half damage (damage roll divided by
two) when making an Attack or casting a Spell while the
source of its fear is within Line of Sight.
Shaken
As fear sets in, shaken creatures begin to lose control of
their bodies and have disadvantage on Attack Rolls
while the source of its fear is within Line of Sight.
Panicked
Giving in to their flight instincts, panicked creatures
automatically move half their movement speed away
from the target making an Attack or casting a Spell
while the source of its fear is within Line of Sight.
Panicked creatures flee regardless of whether they
have already used their full movement speed or not.
This movement provokes Attacks of Opportunity.
1

Frightened
Shaken to the bone, a frightened creature has
disadvantage on Ability Checks and Attack Rolls while
the source of its fear is within Line of Sight.
The creature can’t willingly move closer to the source of
its fear.
Petrified
Paralyzed by fear, a petrified creature cannot take
Actions or Reactions, and can’t move or speak.
The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity
Saving Throws.
Attack Rolls against the creature have Advantage.
Any Attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the
attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.
Terrified
Truly horrified by what they’ve seen, terrified creatures
permanently lose Hit Points when they take Damage.

Snider Swarmer Pack Tactics. The snider has advantage on an

Small elemental, chaotic evil attack roll against a creature if at least one of the
snider's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and
the ally isn't incapacitated.
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 10 (2d8 + 2) Swarm Frenzy. When one of the snider's allies hits
Speed 50 ft a foe with a melee attack, the snider can make a
bite attack as a reaction.
Burrower. As a bonus action, the snider can force
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA a target to make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw.
14 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) On a failed save, the snider burrows into the
target creature. At the end of the creature's next
Skills Perception +3 turn, the snider emerges as a fully-grown adult,
Damage Resistances Acid dealing 9 (2d8) piercing damage.
Damage Immunities Poison Actions
Condition Immunities Frightened
Senses Perception Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft,
Challenge 1 (200 XP) one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and
the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving
throw, taking 9 (2d8) poison damage and gaining
one level of Fear on a failed save, and taking 4
(1d8) damage on a successful one.

Snider Constrictor Pack Tactics. The snider has advantage on an

Medium elemental, chaotic evil attack roll against a creature if at least one of the
snider's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and
the ally isn't incapacitated.
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 60 (4d10 + 4) Actions
Speed 50 ft
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft,
one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage, and
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving
throw, taking 9 (2d8) poison damage and gaining
19 (+4) 14 (+2) 11 (+1) 1 (-5) 12 (+1) 3 (-4)
one level of Fear on a failed save, and taking 4
(1d8) damage on a successful one.
Skills Perception +2
Damage Resistances Acid Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach
Damage Immunities Poison 10 ft, one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning
Condition Immunities Frightened damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC
Senses Perception 16). Until this grapple ends, the creature can only
Challenge 2 (200 XP) target the snider, and the snider can't constrict
another target.

2
Snider Web Weaver Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the
Medium elemental, chaotic evil snider knows the exact location of any other
creature in contact with the same web. When a
creature in contact with the snider's web moves,
Armor Class 15 the snider can make a web attack as a reaction.
Hit Points 44 (4d10 + 4)
Speed 30 ft Actions
Multiattack. The snider makes two web attacks,
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA using the reel action until the target is adjacent to
the snider. Then, the snider makes two bite
14 (+2) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 7 (-2) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) attacks.

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4, Survival +3
Damage Resistances Acid
Damage Immunities Poison
Condition Immunities Frightened
Senses Perception
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Pack Tactics. The snider has advantage on an
attack roll against a creature if at least one of the
snider's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and
the ally isn't incapacitated.
Web Weaver. As a bonus action, the snider can
shoot out webs in a straight line, creating 30 ft of
difficult terrain.
The snider moves at double speed across
webbing: moving across two feet of webbed
terrain only costs the snider one foot of
movement.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft,
one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage, and
the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving
throw, taking 9 (2d8) poison damage and gaining
one level of Fear on a failed save, and taking 4
(1d8) damage on a successful one.
Web. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
range30/60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (4d4 + 3)
bludgeoning damage, and the target is restrained
by webbing. As an action, the restrained creature
can make a DC 11 Strength check, escaping from
the webbing on a success. The effect also ends if
the webbing is destroyed. The webbing has AC 10,
5 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and
immunity to bludgeioning, poison, and psychic
damage.
Reel. The snider pulls each creature grappled by it
up to 15 feet straight toward it.

Snider Devourer Multiple Heads. The snider has three heads.

Large elemental, chaotic evil Whenever the hydra takes 25 or more damage in
a single turn, one of its heads dies. If all its heads
die, the hydra dies.
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 52 (7d10 + 14) At the end of its turn, it grows two heads for each
Speed 40 ft of its heads that died since its last turn.
Reactive Heads. For each head the hydra has
beyond one, it gets an extra reaction that can be
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA used only for opportunity attacks.
15 (+2) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 1 (-5) 9 (-1) 3 (-4)
Actions
Damage Resistances Acid Multiattack. The snider makes as many bite
Damage Immunities Poison attacks as it has heads.
Condition Immunities Frightened
Senses passive Perception 9 Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft,
Challenge 3 (700 XP) one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage, and
the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving
throw, taking 22 (4d10) poison damage and
Pack Tactics. The snider has advantage on an gaining one level of Fear on a failed save, and
attack roll against a creature if at least one of the taking half as much damage and no levels of fear
snider's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and on a successful one.
the ally isn't incapacitated.

3
Snider Leaper Nimble Leaper. The snider can take the
Medium elemental, chaotic evil Disengage action as a bonus action on each of its
turns.
Armor Class 12 Actions
Hit Points 60 (4d10 + 4)
Speed 50 ft Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft,
one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage, and
the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA throw, taking 9 (2d8) poison damage and gaining
one level of Fear on a failed save, and taking 4
18 (+4) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) (1d8) damage on a successful one.

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +6 Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft,
Damage Resistances Acid one target. Hit: 8 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage, and
Damage Immunities Poison the snider lays an egg underneath the target
Condition Immunities Frightened creature's skin. At the end of the creature's next
Senses passive Perception 13 turn, the egg hatches as a snider swarmer, dealing
Challenge 2 (200 XP) 4 (1d8) piercing damage.

Pack Tactics. The snider has advantage on an

attack roll against a creature if at least one of the
snider's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and
the ally isn't incapacitated.
Pounce. If the snider moves at least 20 feet
straight toward a creature and then hits it with a
bite attack on the same turn, that target must
succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be
knocked prone. If the target is prone, the snider
can make one bite attack against it as a bonus
action.