[RPG] Can an imp that has shapechanged into a spider be transformed by the spell Giant Insect

dnd-5efamiliarsspellstargetingwarlock

I'm planning to play a drow warlock in D&D 5e, and since there's no official entomancer (Insect-themed spellcaster) class (it exists just as homebrew), I'm trying to make my own version.

My character is taking the Pact of the Chain warlock option, and chose the imp familiar because it has the best stats. I intend to use the imp shapechanged, and I took the Golgari Agent background, which expands my spell list to also have the giant insect spell.

This same background gives me a pet spider, so I was wondering if I could target my shapechanged imp with the giant insect spell once I was able to cast it?

Best Answer

The Shapechanged imp is not actually a spider, so is not an eligible target for giant insect.

The imp’s Shapechanger trait says (emphasis mine):

Shapechanger. The imp can use its action to polymorph into a beast form that resembles a rat (speed 20 ft.), a raven (20 ft., fly 60 ft.), or a spider (20 ft., climb 20 ft.), or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form, except for the speed changes noted.

The form only resembles a spider, it is not actually a spider. Further, its statistics other than speed are not changed, so it is definitely not actually a spider; it is an imp that looks like one.

Since the giant insect spell requires you to target an actual spider, the imp cannot be transformed using giant insect.