The Widowcrab is a fearsome and elusive coastal predator that haunts the rocky shorelines and sea caves of the Bifrost Isles. Roughly the size of a large warhound, this hybrid-like creature resembles a monstrous fusion between a mudcrab and a black widow spider.
Its hard, barnacle-speckled carapace is deep black, offering both camouflage among the rocks and a stark warning to would-be predators. Eight long, jointed legs tipped with barbed claws allow it to scuttle silently along slick cave walls and across tidepools.
One of its most distinguishing features is its oversized front pincers, used both for digging into the sand and grasping prey. However, it is the female Widowcrab that truly strikes fear into the hearts of coastal dwellers—highly territorial and aggressively matriarchal, females are known to hunt their smaller mates after spawning, feeding on them to regain strength. This brutal reproductive cycle has earned them their ominous name.
Widowcrabs spin silk-like nets between rock formations to snare smaller sea creatures or unwary travelers. Their venom, injected through sharp fang-like mandibles, can paralyze prey in moments. Fishermen whisper tales of disappearing traps and gutted shoals, blaming the Widowcrabs for their misfortunes.
At the top of their hierarchy is the Widowcrab Queen, a rare and colossal specimen that dwells deep within cavernous coastal hives. Nearly double the size of her kin, the Queen is bloated with eggs and surrounded by a swarm of smaller Widowcrabs that serve and protect her. Her presence in an area is often marked by an unnatural silence and a sharp decline in local wildlife—an ill omen to those who know the signs.
Though terrifying, the Widowcrab is also a source of value. Its chitinous armor is prized by coastal smiths for its strength and water resistance, and rare alchemists seek out its venom for its potent paralytic properties. Still, hunting them is not for the faint of heart—few who venture into Widowcrab territory return with more than scars… if they return at all.
Amphibious. The crab can breathe air and water.
Claw. Melee Attack Roll: +5, reach 10 ft. Hit: 12 (1d12 + 6) Bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it has the Grappled condition (escape DC 14) from one of two claws.
Stomp. Melee Attack Roll: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4)
Multiattack. The crab can Stomp twice an Claw once at the same time.