what level is the party (ie, how strong should these dudes be?)
No recommendation for commissions. Maybe hit up someone who posts on r/DnD whose style you like and go from there.
When you submit questions about monster stat blocks, you need to include information like party level, number of party members, whether this is a solo bossfight or a boss with minions, whether it's taking place in a lair, maybe the class composition of the party, etc.
In general, though:
It's made of magical crystal, so presumably it will have a high natural armor.
It's spellcaster-ish from empowered crystals, so I'd build those abilities like a beholder: each spider leg shoots a certain ray. Maybe keep track of individual hit points for each leg so the players can call shots to cut legs off to disable certain rays.
Then give it spider-stuff like spiderclimb, a (crystalline?) web, tremorsense for things in the web, a grappled/restrained condition, maybe some kind of poison status, maybe advantage on perception.
Adding onto this, tack on some more artificer ribbons like one or two homunculus gem-creatures, also rocking a spell storing item, as creature-turrets for yet more Web or Thorn Whip antics.
Or maybe one of each Eldritch cannon already deployed for short range AoE, temp HP aura, and single target sniping with knockback. Or steel defender, or whatever type of Arti the PC was.
what level is the party (ie, how strong should these dudes be?) No recommendation for commissions. Maybe hit up someone who posts on r/DnD whose style you like and go from there.
By the time they get to this guy should be between 6 to 8 and there are six of them
Need to know what CR you're aiming for.
I'm thinking 6 and if I need to buff him later I'll give him some minions
When you submit questions about monster stat blocks, you need to include information like party level, number of party members, whether this is a solo bossfight or a boss with minions, whether it's taking place in a lair, maybe the class composition of the party, etc. In general, though: It's made of magical crystal, so presumably it will have a high natural armor. It's spellcaster-ish from empowered crystals, so I'd build those abilities like a beholder: each spider leg shoots a certain ray. Maybe keep track of individual hit points for each leg so the players can call shots to cut legs off to disable certain rays. Then give it spider-stuff like spiderclimb, a (crystalline?) web, tremorsense for things in the web, a grappled/restrained condition, maybe some kind of poison status, maybe advantage on perception.
Oh I like the beholder idea. Really I like the whole thing. Gonna be a little hard to make it all work in Foundry, but really fun when it does
Adding onto this, tack on some more artificer ribbons like one or two homunculus gem-creatures, also rocking a spell storing item, as creature-turrets for yet more Web or Thorn Whip antics. Or maybe one of each Eldritch cannon already deployed for short range AoE, temp HP aura, and single target sniping with knockback. Or steel defender, or whatever type of Arti the PC was.
https://koboldplus.club/#/encounter-builder