Guild Wars 2

With Halloween now in full swing, strange and festive monstrosities are reappearing in Tyria for the first time in 250 years. Creatures that only come to visit once a year, often inciting terror into those that would resist their master’s return. Ghosts, ghouls, witches, candy cane golems, to name a few.

But only one creature in the Mad King’s realm has the power to make his foes burst into agonizing hysteria without lifting a leg. The power to force giants to grovel at his feet without moving a muscle. The power to move mountains, split oceans, and raze the hearts and minds of passersby without even so much as a twitch. And that creature is none other than…

The plastic spider.

However, it seems that time has not been too friendly to these eight-legged enigmas. 250 years have passed since the Mad King was rumored to have appeared, and the brood of plastic spiders that serve him are no more powerful than a clutch of juvenile forest spiders. Many have grown quite tame since their master’s resurgence, and citizens all across Tyria have somewhat begun to appreciate these wickedly wondrous webspinners.

So I ask you, on behalf of the Pet Lover’s Association for Silly Things and Interesting Companions, to support the addition of plastic spiders to the ranger’s arsenal of animals.

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A Plastic Spider?! Who would want THAT as a companion?

Ask yourself this: What self-respecting Ranger WOULDN’T want a cute, cuddly Plastic Spider to follow them around and smite their opposition? The ever-cheerful bounce in their stride, the pleasant -click- in their step, the ability to stand perfectly still and fool even the most observant of enemies into thinking it’s just another leftover Halloween decoration, the tiny, plastic fangs that they use to poke out the eyes of those who are even remotely clever enough to see through their marvelous mimicry…

Why. you’d have to be absolutely sane to not want one of these amazing and mysterious creatures!

But… But they’re made of plastic!

Hey, we can charm plant doggies that are cultivated just like Sylvari, and you don’t see me complaining.

…And they’re too small! You expect to me to target something that tiny in PvP?

Ravens, eagles, falcons, and owls are just as small, and oftentimes it can be difficult to target them due to their animations. Even then, many rangers prefer other pets over birds in terms of survivability and support. Spiders aren’t too focused on dealing damage, and, even then, people tend to prioritize on killing the ranger itself, not the pet. Therefore, size should not be a big issue.

However, should it be a problem, it could be remedied by increasing the size of the spider companion in question.

…Well, since you seem to confident in wanting one as a pet, what kind of abilities would this… spider have at its disposure?

As a whole, Spider pets share the same core abilities: Spit, Entangling Web, and Poison Gas. Each species has a unique venom that either poisons, stuns, or weakens their foe.

For the Plastic Spider, I see it as having a venom that would eat away at the mental state of its opponents, forcing them to flee:

• Hallowed Venom: Your next attack sends your foe running in fear.
  • Fear: 2s

As a side note, this spider would be a “special” holiday pet, only obtainable during Halloween if certain requirements are met, whether it be an achievement, proof of a completed task, or otherwise.

…Alright, you’ve convinced me. But I don’t wanna wait a whole year to charm an event-only pet on a ranger character I’ve yet to make!

In Guild Wars 1, there existed two unique, holiday-themed companions only obtainable during Wintersday. However, they could still be accessed all year round in a specific place in Tyria, as long as the player had participated in certain festivities. Those companions were the Wintersday Moa and Jingle Bear. These creatures could even be charmed by those who weren’t so lucky, if there was at least one player in their party who had access to them.

In Guild Wars 2, a similar technique could be employed. The spiders would be found in their own special area within a player’s home instance (Salma District, Hunter’s Hearth, etc.) The spiders would be available to anyone who hadn’t played during the Halloween event, as long as the party leader had completed certain tasks and/or achievements. The leader doesn’t even have to be a Ranger; simply having access to let his or her friends charm one themselves would be great in itself!

Wait… There’s two kinds of plastic spider: Black and Glowing. If you had a choice between the two, which one would you pick?

That’s a very good question. Mr. Hypothetical Arguer Who Speaks in Bolded Text. I’d actually be happy for both varieties to make it in. But in the event of only one making it in, I leave it to you, the community, to decide on which Plastic Spider would be more likely to fight by a ranger’s side.

-=-=-

I hope my suggestion is more than enough to convince many of you to bring these adorable arachnids into the hands of fellow rangers. Feel free to post your opinions on these majestic creatures, and let me know which spider you’d prefer more! And any questions you have about this suggestion will also be answered in a hopefully timely manner.

Until then, see you next tame!
~Slapperfish

I would rather have a pet quaggan.

What about the 7 other professions in the game.

What do we get.

I already have tons of ranger pets I never use from the HoM. I would like an illusionary spider for my mes and a mechanical one for my engi, thanks.

quaggans aren’t ‘animals’ man, they are another race.

I think we should be able to charm every single animal in the environment. Just, the ones that are harmless only can be chosen when we wear town clothes or something.

And to be honest, I just wish I could collect as many pets/animals as possible because I love pets and animals.

I want a plastic spider turret for my engineer. Shooting exploding plastic spiders.