b0rsuk
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Black Fat Spiders would be visible on all tiles. They might be considered "allies" by some, but I wouldn't.

They're big. Fat. Ugly. And very, very hungry !
A BF Spider moves like a goblin, but:

1) If there's a Roach or Wraithwing next to it, the BF spider attacks and eats it ! Goblins (and others) are too dangerous and not tasty enough.

2) All pit squares adjacent to wall/floor squares work as floor squares for BF spider ! This means they can climb walls ! (but I assume the pits are either too deep, or to lava'ish)

*At this point we get fairly interesting creature. A handicaped goblin, but can hide in pits and prove more annoying than goblin ! A nearby "tasty" roach can lure BF spider out of its hideout. Of all monsters (excluding mimics), the spiders move first. If there are multiple meals to choose from, it will always go for Beethro if possible. If none of the meals looks like Beethro, it will eat the one above it (and then - clockwise).
A BF Spider could be used as wraithwing hunter (if they don't fly too far from pit's edge), which kinda reminds old goblin-serpent combo, but allows for more variety... or so I believe.
------------------------------
Brained BF spiders:

3) ...will never eat a roach/wraithwing if it would mean danger from Beethro.



[Edited by b0rsuk on 08-12-2004 at 09:35 PM GMT]

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RoboBob3000
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I rated you negatively in order to comply with your signature.

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masonjason
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Seriously, this request is fine, but you might want to consider a) a name change (superficial) and b) allowing them to go two squares into a pit; else, Beethro can just stand on the edge and smite them.

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b0rsuk
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Thank you!

It may be called Black Spider, then.
2 squares away - I think it might look too silly - floating spider ? But seriously, I don't think extended mobility does any harm to this monster. It may still crawl along wall somewhere where you can't reach it. There are plenty of such places... and besides, the monster would be able to cross 1 square wide pits without effort.

Another kind of puzzle with usage of the Black Spider would be:
place few such spiders next to roach "deposit". The spider would then eat some/most of them before starting to hunt you. You'd have to find some kind of hideout quickly, so the spiders can't surround you in open ground.
I think that Black Spiders shouldn't eat Roack Queens - it might have too big impact. The domino effect has to end somewhere.

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wackhead_uk
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Could they wait by a roach queen and eat spawning babies?

b0rsuk
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Not really, because there's no movement rule I posted could cause that I think. They:

1. Check if there's any meal adjacent, if so they eat it.
2. Then they move like goblins, not counting the special wallclimbing ability.

BUT the situation you described would happen if a Black Spider was stuck near Roach Queen. If it spawned close enough or happened to come by...

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wackhead_uk
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(In bad scottish accent) "I ate a baby! The other other white meat!"

It could be a puzzle! The spider would be there for three turns eating the babies, and you would have to get past it in some weird way seeing as I don't fully understand how the spider would move but it would be good. You have to guide the spider to the roach queen in a certain amount of turns then get past it, or else the spider would get you or the roaches would get you first.