agaricus5
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1838
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I was just wondering about an old idea I had for a monster, the "Glue Worm". It was, according to everyone else, too complex and followed odd rules, so after much discussion, Erik and I managed to get a final version of the idea which can be found here:

http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=558541&group_id=10939&atid=360939

However, the new version misses out one of the original features of the monster:
The ability to spread glue onto pits to form a sort of trapdoor, so it can cross areas cut off from the rest of the room.

Does anyone have any ideas for a monster that can do this, or should it be made part of the Glue Worm again?

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Resident Medic/Mycologist

agaricus5
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1838
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Actually, I've just had an idea.

The new monster could be a giant tarantula which is a distant relative of the spiders already present on level 10.

The tarantula is a very hungry predator, catching all living things that accidentally stray into its lair, and Beethro is no exception.

The tarantula's main ability is to spin webs very quickly and will do so in order to make trapdoor like areas over pits to allow it to cross and have more freedom in rooms than other land-based monsters. The tarantula will select a square of pit to spin a web on, and creates one there, However, the web is a little flimsy at first, so the tarantula needs to wait one move to let it dry before stepping onto it and spinning the next web. Because of this, Beethro will also need to wait for the web to dry or he will fall through it to his doom into the pit below.

Tarantulas are like most monsters in the dungeon, being able to step on trapdoors, force arrows, closed and open gates and when far away, will make for Beethro like Roaches would. The main difference is when the tarantula gets closer to Beethro, it will begin to attack unusually. When it steps onto a square two squares from Beethro or his sword, it will either freeze if Beethro is pointing a sword at it, or if not, begin to move round Beethro, always keeping two squares away from Beethro until it is directly behind Beethro. Only then will it lunge for him and kill him if possible because tarantulas are paranoid of swords, and will only attack if they are directly behind Beethro. If Beethro backs up against a wall, then the tarantulas will not be able to attack him because they cannot get behind him. If, however, Beethro is forced to or forces a tarantula against a wall, and he moves next to it, then obviously, he will be eaten.

Tarantulas on their own may be a problem to get rid of, but unfortunately, they like to congregate in groups, and may make a mass attack, encircling a passer-by unwittingly and then going for his back.

It's really late over here in England, and I'm tired, so the quality of this description is probably very poor, so any comments or questions you have would be appreciated very much (I'll look at it in the morning and correct mistakes or add more things)

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Resident Medic/Mycologist

Oneiromancer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2936
Registered: 03-29-2003
IP: Logged

I kind of like the idea of an Acid Worm that makes any square it has passed over a trapdoor. Or Acid Tar that does the same thing (perhaps it doesn't make Acid Tar Babies, because that would just be too hard, or maybe only the Acid Tar Babies make trapdoors when they are first created).

It sounds to me that the puzzle-potential of the giant tarantula would be for Beethro to herd it like a goblin over pits so that he can get places he wouldn't normally be able to go. But I think that if it was done this way then it should be able to create webs and walk on them in the same turn, in order to speed the game up a bit.

Not sure how I feel about the original Glue Worm, I will have to think about it.

Game on,

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"He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder." -- Tad Williams