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Help with naming a spider themed character.


Ragdoll

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Well maybe not 'themed' so much as a spider hero.

 

Literally a mystic themed hero with powers granted by Grandmother-Spider from native american tales?

 

I had the idea the hero would have an alternate form. That of a man sized spider. The fear implications alone this would have are pretty daunting for a hero to overcome. After all, it's kinda hard to climb up a burning building, break into a room and rescue people from it when they're screaming at the top of their lungs about the giant man sized spider in the room with them. XD

 

I have other ideas on how to expand his powers.. he could figure out how to shrink down to a normal sized spider, or become even bigger! :o For starters anyways.

 

What would be a good name for this hero? Any ideas? =)

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

I would suggest "Unktomi".

http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/lore125.html

Or maybe not . . . :eek:

 

In any case, it appears that, much as Spider-Man has always found, a spider based hero is always going to be a tough sell to the public.

You may want to call him Happy Shiny Rescue Man, or something equally upbeat, if you don't want everyone to run screaming when you show up.

 

I don't really know a way around the instinctive negative reaction to giant spiders.

 

Perhaps, if the hero is mystical in origin, it could have some kind of Mind Control power. One command: "Don't be afraid of the Big Spider!"

 

That would make for some cool stuff.

 

"Did that giant spider thing just rescue you?!"

"Yeah."

"Weren't you scared of it?!"

"No, of course not."

As the effect begins to wane . . .

"Aaaahhhhhh! A giant spider grabbed me!"

 

KA.

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

There is a tarantula commonly referred to as the “goliath bird-eating spider”. Even though, like most tarantulas, it is pretty much harmless, and even though I live in Wisconsin (a continent away from it) and have a friend with a pet tarantula that I have held with no problem, this thing still creeps the crap out of me.

My point? Good luck with the man-sized spider thing, ‘cause except for a few really weird individuals, most people are going to freak. Just imagine either of these things coming at you. Now imagine if they were about 10 times that size!

 

tarantula.gif

:eek:

charon2.jpg

 

As far as a name, I’m not sure it matters what you choose. More often than not all you’re going to be called “Holy *bleep*! It’s a giant *bleeping* spider! Run for your life!!” :P

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

Hm, yes, I can see from the above pictures (that I only briefly glanced at, as I'm terrified of spiders. :o) would cause a negative reaction on those he (or she) came to save. Though I think it'd be an interesting character trait to work with. How he works to try and overcome his power's inherent fearful look each day. And likely room for lots of comedy as well.

 

I suppose that

 

Distinctive Feature: Man Sized Spider - Not Concealable, Causes Extreme Reaction (fear)

 

would not be uncalled for as a disadvantage?

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

Well maybe not 'themed' so much as a spider hero.

 

Literally a mystic themed hero with powers granted by Grandmother-Spider from native american tales?

 

I had the idea the hero would have an alternate form. That of a man sized spider. The fear implications alone this would have are pretty daunting for a hero to overcome. After all, it's kinda hard to climb up a burning building, break into a room and rescue people from it when they're screaming at the top of their lungs about the giant man sized spider in the room with them. XD

 

I have other ideas on how to expand his powers.. he could figure out how to shrink down to a normal sized spider, or become even bigger! :o For starters anyways.

 

What would be a good name for this hero? Any ideas? =)

 

Some Native American term for "Grandchild Spider" or "Grandchild Weaver."

 

Hey I just found another use for Megascale Growth.

 

Make him big enough and he's World Wide Web Weaver.

 

I seem to recall that there was a legendary Chinese bandit named "Heaven Spanning Spider" although he didn't change form or anything.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary suggests calling him "Boris the Spider"

 

"Who?"

 

"Exactly"

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

I'd just try to stomp him' date=' if it was me. Hey, you should see the size of a couple of spiders at work the women have made me go kill. I expect to see Shelob herself anyday. ;)[/quote']

 

Just be thankful it won't be Ungoliant. :eek::no::shock::angst:

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

The first one in the pictures submitted by Wolfe looks to be a good model for the kind of spider I had in mine. The second picture looks a bit too.. I dunno .. crab like to me for some reason. =)

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

How about ananzi? Could be a caribian orig...or african....Africa has a coupla "freakin huge" spiders for art inspiration....I suspect that the public will name a giant spider "Shoot it! Shooot iiiit!" ;)

 

"Crime feeds on the innocent, I feed on crime" "Dude! major bonus to Pres roll"

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

Yeah, I don't even know what the hell that second one is, some kind of cave dwelling thing. I'd actually suggest looking up some different spider types to see what you want him to look like. Tarantulas are cool and all, but they’re kind of the “brick” of the spider world. If you want something more agile, that can leap great distances or swing on webs or whatever you might want to choose a species that looks more agile/elegant. It might also help give you (or us, if you post pictures) some ideas for names.

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

Two suggestions. Both have actually been said before.

Weaver: it definitely fits the theme of the Goddess gives me powers, thing. It has a sort of tone of the God Of Spiders or something, while playing up the whole 'makes a safety net' aspect, which is good for a superhero.

 

Anasazi: it similarly ties you to the idea of the Goddess giving you powers. And it sounds cool, and it isn't already a common word like Weaver. Plus it has that mysterious feel that the names of all pulp heroes and super heroes should have if they have any real link to the supernatural.

 

OR!

 

Arachne: Awesome! This has the immediate tie with a Goddess, (Athena turned a Greek weaver named Arachne into the first spider for being better at weaving than she was. So not only is it a Goddess, it's a goddess of war and tactics and heroes and stuff.) And it has the immediate name recognition of Arachne=Spider/Arachnid. And that also lets you have a minor bad guy or two who are other kinds of arachnids, like The Crab, who has a tank like suit of power armour shaped like a crab. Or Lobster-Man, a centaur-like brick with four legs, two normal arms and two arms that end in huge claws. Plus he's got armour-plated skin. And it'll help conceal your secret ID. The name Arachne is from Greek myth, not Native American!

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

charon2.jpg

 

As far as a name, I’m not sure it matters what you choose. More often than not all you’re going to be called “Holy *bleep*! It’s a giant *bleeping* spider! Run for your life!!”

 

and they'd be wrong, since that's a Tailless Whip-Scorpion. Very cool animals, and very attentive mothers

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

Ikto is the name given to the spider god by the Dakotas, but the name also belonged to a mythical hero, the Ictinike of the Omahas and Ponkas, and the Ictinike of the Iowas and Otos. Ikto, say the Tetons, was the first being who attained maturity in this world. He is more cunning than human beings. He named all people and animals and he was the first to use human speech. Some call him the "Mocker" or "Trickster".

 

:thumbup:

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

There is a tarantula commonly referred to as the “goliath bird-eating spider”. Even though, like most tarantulas, it is pretty much harmless, and even though I live in Wisconsin (a continent away from it) and have a friend with a pet tarantula that I have held with no problem, this thing still creeps the crap out of me.

My point? Good luck with the man-sized spider thing, ‘cause except for a few really weird individuals, most people are going to freak. Just imagine either of these things coming at you. Now imagine if they were about 10 times that size!

 

tarantula.gif

:eek:

charon2.jpg

 

As far as a name, I’m not sure it matters what you choose. More often than not all you’re going to be called “Holy *bleep*! It’s a giant *bleeping* spider! Run for your life!!” :P

 

Geez, I'm needing to change my underwear after those pics. at the thought of something even double the size is making me VERY paranoid right now.

 

For a spider-themed character, send a message to spidey77 as he's an expert on them. Odds are he'd had plenty of suggestions.

 

Now I'm off to the Walmart, to buy a bat to keep the spiders away. :nonp:

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

Wow this thread is helpful! =) It's having an added bonus of having me work my way through my horrible fear of spiders. Of course if I see one IRL I'm still reduced to a gibbering mass that'd make Lovecraft proud, but at least now I can look at the pictures without getting a screaming fit. :)

 

As to what type of spider, I think I'd rather be a bit more 'generic' since it's a mystical origin and I could get away with that. =) I 'like' the look of the tarantula.. it's got a very classic look that many people think of when they think about spiders.

 

I can give it abilities it might normally not have.. web spinning.. (can they spin webs??) and poison or something.. and great speed and leaping.. I know they're not normally able to do it.. but I like the idea of a tough, strong kind of spider with a whole host of abilities, just basing it off the fact that it represents the 'spider' archetype in a mystical sense. :D

 

I have this image of a trio of bank robbers running to their car and speeding off.. and being chased by this monstrous spider as it scuttles after them by crawling along the buildings and leaping onto trucks and cars and bounding after them, maybe tossing in a web line or something.

 

Another image is of a burgar skulking at night around a technologies building alleyway getting ready for some B & E, and the shadow of a monstrous spider hanging silent above by a line of webbing, ready to drop onto him.

 

Another image is him (or her) climbing on side of a bridge, a tanker truck having crashed into the guardrail, and it's cab is hanging off, the spider leaping onto the side, and sticking to it as it scuttles to the side of the cab and uses it's legs to tear the door off, it (the door goes spinning off to the side and tumbles down into the river below, the horrified driver being quickly saves as the spider wraps him up in a web cocoon, flips him onto it's back and scuttles off onto the bridge, after having secured the truck to the bridge with it's webbing so it won't fall.

 

Another image the inside of a building a hostage situation, viper agents, the squad leader lecturing the hostages, and behind him the wall partially melting away as the spider, outside, sinks it's fangs into the wall and exudes some kind of poison that begins to eat away at it. It busts through the rest of the way and leaps at the Viper Squad leader as he turns in suprise, the hostages all panicking and running every which way! XD

 

Just a few ideas of some of his abilities and how he might use them? =)

 

Thoughts, impressions? :D

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

Okay a lil update. I just posted to this thread http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1832245#post1832245

 

I picked out a theme music for my hero. I dunno why, but this idea really appeals to me. It's the best idea I've had for a hero in a long while. :D I'm growing super attached to it. :D

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Re: Help with naming a spider themed character.

 

I can give it abilities it might normally not have.. web spinning.. (can they spin webs??) and poison or something.. and great speed and leaping.. I know they're not normally able to do it.. but I like the idea of a tough' date=' strong kind of spider with a whole host of abilities, just basing it off the fact that it represents the 'spider' archetype in a mystical sense. :D [/quote']

 

no, mygalomorph spiders don't spin webs, but if you've going for 'archetypal mystic ****' feel free to do what you like :D

 

re: another mygalomorph - the Cobalt-Blue Bird-Eater - that one *isn't* recommended as a pet, due to "unpredictable fits of psychotic aggression"

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