And the winner of the Real Steel Death Bug Contest is… Sam Hing and his spider dagger. We had many great entries but only one could be winner. Todd Gdula, Wolfgang Baur, and myself had a tough choice, but the final decision was unanimous: the spider dagger won the day. Congratulations, Sam! —Scott Gable

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This dagger bears a gleaming blade and a multitude of metallic legs. A single multifaceted gem is inset into the blade, gleaming like an eye. It scuttles toward you with disturbing speed.

Spider daggers are frequently created to act as assassins for thieves’ guilds and mages. Swift and silent, they leap on their targets and slice them apart. In some dark cities, fear of spider dagger attacks keep the populace passive and the “gifts” of the merchants high. A brace of spider daggers can reduce even hardened adventures to sliced and bleeding corpses with shocking speed…

Spider Dagger (CR 3)

XP 800
N Diminutive construct
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; Perception +0

DEFENSE
AC 23; touch 19, flat-footed 18 (+5 Dex, +4 natural, +4 size)
hp 11 (2d10)
Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +0
Defensive Abilities construct traits; DR 5/adamantine; Immune magic

OFFENSE
Speed 50 ft., climb 50 ft.
Melee slash +8 (1d4+2 plus 1d6 sneak attack)
Special Attacks cling, leap
Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 20, Con –, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 1
Base Atk +2; CMB −2; CMD 15

ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or brace (3–15)
Treasure +2 dagger (the dagger that makes up the spider dagger is broken until repaired after the construct’s defeat)

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Cling (Ex) A spider dagger that has leapt onto a target must make a Climb check (DC 20) each round or fall. The creature the construct clings to is flat-footed against its attacks. Creatures immune to precision damage are immune to this additional damage.

Anyone attacking the spider dagger with anything other than a light weapon or a natural weapon has a 50% chance of striking the creature the spider dagger clings to.

Leap (Ex) A spider dagger may make a ranged touch attack (+11 to hit) to leap onto a target of size Small or larger. If it hits, it deals no damage and clings to its prey. If it misses its target, it lands in the square directly behind the target.

Magic Immunity (Ex) A spider dagger is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the construct as noted below.

• Rusting spells and effects affect a spider dagger normally.

• A heat metal spell causes the spider dagger to be hasted for as long as the spell is in effect with no save, and it deals the spell’s damage as fire damage on its attacks.

• A chill metal spell causes the spider dagger to be slowed for as long as the spell is in effect with no save, and it deals the spell’s damage as cold damage on its attacks.

• A keen edge spell effects the spider dagger normally.

Ecology

Attacking spider daggers are never at rest, scurrying across their foes to get at their most vulnerable areas. They drop from ceilings, spring from walls, and creep up from the sewers, searching for their target. The death of the target often comes from the clumsy strikes of his own bodyguards, attempting to knock the construct from its prey.

Spider daggers may be used to guard an area, attacking all who enter without uttering the proper command word, or programmed to seek a specific victim. This requires something belonging to the target, like a scrap of clothing or a strand of hair. The spider dagger attacks the target in preference to all others but lashes out at creatures that interfere with its mission.

Construction

The construction of a spider dagger requires a +2 or better dagger, as well as thick metal wire to serve as its legs. A carefully cut gem, usually black or red, worth at least 2,000 gp, is required to finish the creation.

CL 12th; Price 11,840 gp
Requirements Craft Construct, animate object, haste, creator must be at least 12th level; Skill Craft (weapon) DC 16; Cost 5,920 gp

(This post is Product Identity.)