Difference between revisions of "Spider's Nest"

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{{Flavour|On the surface a spider could be despatched with the swing of a shoe. Down here it is different. If you don't have arachnophobia already, this place, with its crumbling, web-choked caverns, poisonous arthropods and assorted creepy-crawlies, will give it to you.
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{{Flavour|The crumbling, web-choked caverns of the Spider Nest are packed with poisonous arthropods and assorted creepy-crawlies.
  
The Spider Nest is five levels deep and contains the gossamer rune. A dungeon features only two of the Snake Pit, Swamp, Shoals and Spider Nest branches. If the Spider Nest is present, the entrance is located between Lair:3 and Lair:6.
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A dungeon features only one of the Spider Nest and Snake Pit branches.
}}
 
  
{{Flavour|This is more of a natural sloped shaft than a stairway, but it will do. If you want to die from most potent venoms of this world, that is.
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The entrance to this branch can be found between levels 2 and 3 of the Lair of Beasts.
}}
 
  
[[File:Spider entry.png]] The '''Spider's Nest''' [[branch]] is a crumbling 4-floor [[branch]] filled with all manner of [[poison]]ous [[list of arachnids|arachnids]] and [[list of insects|insects]]. Adventurers willing to brave it are rewarded with the gossamer [[rune of Zot]] on its lowest floor. Stairs to the Spider's Nest can be found somewhere on [[Lair]]: 3-6, assuming your game doesn't generate the [[Snake Pit]] instead.
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This branch is 4 levels deep.
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This branch contains the gossamer rune of Zot.}}
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[[File:Spider entry.png]] The '''Spider's Nest''' [[branch]] is a crumbling 4-floor [[branch]] filled with all manner of [[poison]]ous [[list of arachnids|arachnids]] and [[list of insects|insects]]. Adventurers willing to brave it are rewarded with the gossamer [[rune of Zot]] on its lowest floor.  
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Spider's entrance is located between [[Lair]]:2 and Lair:3. If you find Spider, you will not find [[Snake Pit]] in your current game.  
  
 
==Layout==
 
==Layout==
The Spider's Nest's floor plan is generally very chaotic and haphazard; with the exception of a few [[vault]]s and the large area in which the rune lies, you will mostly be exploring narrow tunnels choked with rock or larger caverns with no real sense of order. Choke points are uncommon, and the swift monsters found here will often have opportunities to surround you. No matter where you go, you will constantly be running into [[web]] [[trap]]s and pools of [[shallow water]], slowing your exploration and making combat much riskier.
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In general, Spider's floor plan is chaotic and haphazard. Like [[the Lair]], but cramped, it's filled with narrow tunnels and large caverns. Choke points are uncommon, giving swift monsters many opportunities to surround you. [[Web]]s and pools of [[shallow water]] are common.
  
==Useful Info==
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Do not underestimate the final vault on Spider:4 — not only is it full of more dangerous creatures, but a [[moth of wrath]] can turn a posse of jumping spiders, wolf spiders, and emperor scorpions into a deadly tide of chitin extremely quickly.
Melee characters shouldn't even think about venturing in without poison resistance; most of the enemies here move quickly and have poisonous bites or stings, and unless you're extremely cautious you'll always be attracting the attention of multiple opponents at once. If you insist on entering anyway, expect to use a lot of [[potions of curing]] or the [[Cure Poison]] spell. Also, you may wish to limit your use of '''[[Tab]]''' to automate combat, as your character will not take web traps into consideration when charging into combat. That being said, with solid physical defenses (30+ AC and double-digits EV or a nice shield should be sufficient) and poison resistance, very little here will be able to really challenge you.
 
  
Although stealthy characters will have a fairly easy time sneaking up on individual spiders, the sheer number of opponents you'll be sneaking around makes it very difficult to maintain secrecy for long. Expect to engage in some actual combat before you finish up here.
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===Monster Description===
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This branch is teeming with 'common' spiders, like [[redback]]s and [[tarantella]]s. Fast, evasive enemies in great numbers, they'll swarm you in no time. Thankfully, these spiders have no resistances, low [[AC]], minimal [[willpower]], and are vulnerable to [[poison]], so many crowd-control options are effective (see below for a list).  
  
Ranged fighters and casters have a fairly easy time of things, as most spiders are fragile, resistance-free, and can be safely taken out from a distance. As almost everything here is vulnerable to poison and contains poison, spells like [[Poisonous Cloud]] and especially [[Ignite Poison]] will clear the Nest with ease. [[Mephitic Cloud]] will also be effective, but expect the noise to awaken many off-screen opponents. Just beware of [[trapdoor spider]]s, as they won't become visible until you're standing next to them. Be aware that most enemies in the Spider's Nest hit about as hard as [[yak]]s and tend to be quite fast -- lightly armored characters should pick their fights carefully.
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You'll find many tougher threats interspersed throughout the crowd. The likes of [[entropy weaver]]s, [[broodmother]]s, and [[jorogumo]] are strong on their own, and even worse when combined with a pack of spiders. [[Demonic crawler]]s regenerate extremely quickly; you'll need high damage/turn (or a way to disable them). Casters should be especially weary of [[ghost moth]]s, naturally [[invisible]] monsters who'll quickly drain your MP.  
  
The biggest threats you can expect to encounter are [[emperor scorpion]]s (very high damage output and durability), packs of [[wolf spider]]s (somewhat less powerful but capable of appearing in swarms), [[ghost moth]]s (invisible predators with far too many unpleasant abilities), and [[orb spider]]s (ranged snipers that blast you with [[Orbs of Destruction]] while fleeing melee combat). More than ever, avoid drawing crowds and prioritize disabling the most dangerous opponents first; it's very difficult to prevent enemies from surrounding you here. It might be slow, but allowing opponents to come to you instead of charging in to meet them will greatly reduce your chance of getting swarmed. Also be aware that many powerful [[unique]]s can generate here, potentially complicating an otherwise-straightforward branch.
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There are also many "buffing" enemies, including [[torpor snail]]s ([[slow]] you), [[pharaoh ant]]s (cast [[Bind Souls]] on death, turning killed spiders into [[simulacrum]]), and [[moths of wrath]] ([[berserk]] others, turning even [[redback]]s into powerful melee threats).
  
Almost everything found in the Spider's Nest has lousy [[magic resistance]], so bringing a [[scroll of fear]] or two may save you from otherwise unmanageable hordes.
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==Strategy==
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Poison resistance is very helpful. The common [[redback]] can deal 33 - 58 HP worth of [[poison]] per hit, and each spider can move twice per player turn. If you don't have rPois, be prepared to use many [[potions of curing]].
  
Because most of the monsters in the Nest leave poisonous, contaminated corpses, bringing your own food supply is a good idea. Of course, if you are a poison-immune ghoul you can simply feast on the endless tide of spiders.
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Crowd-control options that work particularly well against spiders:
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*'''[[Poison]]'''. [[Olgreb's Toxic Radiance]] is brutally effective against spiders, while [[Mephitic Cloud]] can disable most things here. Note that most of the 'tough' threats are only neutral to poison, while [[emperor scorpion]]s, [[ghost moth]]s, and [[pharaoh ant]]s are resistant/immune to it.
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*'''[[Necromancy]]'''. With so many spiders, it's easy to create a swarm of undead on your side. Undead are immune to poison, so they'll perform well in combat. Note that you'll need a way to kill things (such as [[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]) before you can create undead allies.
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*'''[[Evocations]]'''. The [[tin of tremorstones]] and [[condenser vane]] are tailor made for fighting crowds; if you have good [[Evocations]] skill, these work phenomenally. A [[lightning rod]] can be used in a similar fashion. The common spiders all have low willpower, so hex [[wand]]s are good, too. A [[wand of charming]] turns spiders on your side, a [[wand of paralysis]] gives you 1 less thing that's attacking you in melee.
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*'''[[Scrolls of fear]]'''. Fear won't work against spider [[simulacrum]], but it's very likely to scare the living and demonic creatures here.
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*'''[[Invisible|Invisibility]]'''. Almost everything is unable to [[see invisible]]. Even [[ghost moth]]s can't see invisible, giving casters protection against MP drain. Standing inside a [[sun moth]]s' halo will reveal you if invisible, however.
  
 
===Useful Traits===
 
===Useful Traits===
*Strong physical defenses
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*Strong [[AC|physical defenses]]
*Poison resistance
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*[[Poison resistance]]
*[[See invisible]]
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Optional:
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*[[Corrosion resistance]] for [[entropy weaver]]s
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*[[Cold resistance]], useful for fighting [[pharaoh ant]]-created [[simulacrum (monster)|simulacra]]
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*[[Negative energy resistance]], to reduce damage from [[Jorogumo]]s' [[Bolt of Draining]]
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*[[Electricity resistance]], to make [[spark wasp]]s less deadly
  
 
==Monsters==
 
==Monsters==
 
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
 
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
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|{{monsterlink|Redback}} || {{monsterlink|Tarantella}} || {{monsterlink|Jumping spider}} || {{monsterlink|Culicivora}} || {{monsterlink|Boulder beetle}}
 
|-
 
|-
| {{monsterlink|Wolf spider}} || {{monsterlink|Redback}} || {{monsterlink|Tarantella}} || {{monsterlink|Jumping spider}} || {{monsterlink|Orb spider}}
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|{{monsterlink|Orb spider}} || {{monsterlink|Wolf spider}} || {{monsterlink|Demonic crawler}} || {{monsterlink|Steelbarb worm}} || {{monsterlink|Torpor snail}}  
 
|-
 
|-
| {{monsterlink|Scorpion}} || {{monsterlink|Emperor scorpion}} || {{monsterlink|Demonic crawler}} || ||
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|{{monsterlink|Pharaoh ant}} || {{monsterlink|Entropy weaver}} || {{monsterlink|Radroach}} || {{monsterlink|Moth of wrath}} || {{monsterlink|Ghost moth}}
 
|-
 
|-
| {{monsterlink|Torpor snail}} || {{monsterlink|Entropy weaver}} || {{monsterlink|Giant cockroach}} || {{monsterlink|Worm}} ||
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|{{monsterlink|Emperor scorpion}} || {{monsterlink|Broodmother}} || {{monsterlink|Jorogumo}} || {{monsterlink|Spark wasp}} || {{monsterlink|Meliai}}
 
|-
 
|-
| {{monsterlink|Hornet}} || {{monsterlink|Spark wasp}} || {{monsterlink|Moth of wrath}} || {{monsterlink|Ghost moth}} ||
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|{{monsterlink|Sun moth}} || {{monsterlink|Death scarab}}
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
===Uniques===
 
===Uniques===
 
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
 
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
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| {{monsterlink|Agnes}}
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| {{monsterlink|Aizul}}
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| {{monsterlink|Arachne}}
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| {{monsterlink|Asterion}}
 
|-
 
|-
| {{monsterlink|Arachne}}
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| {{monsterlink|Azrael}}
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| {{monsterlink|Bai Suzhen}}
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| {{monsterlink|Donald}}
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| {{monsterlink|Frances}}
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|-
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| {{monsterlink|Jorgrun}}
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| {{monsterlink|Josephine}}
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| {{monsterlink|Kirke}}
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| {{monsterlink|Louise}}
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|-
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| {{monsterlink|Mara}}
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| {{monsterlink|Nikola}}
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| {{monsterlink|Roxanne}}
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| {{monsterlink|Rupert}}
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
Prior to [[0.19]], [[boulder beetle]]s and [[wasp]]s inhabited the Spider's Nest.
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*In [[0.28]], the Spider's Nest overwent an overhaul; changing existing inhabitants while adding many new ones ([[Culicivora]], [[pharaoh ant]]s, [[steelbarb worm]]s, [[radroach]]es, [[jorogumo]], [[broodmother]]s). The branch was also made normal noise again (instead of quiet).
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*In [[0.26]] [[boulder beetle]]s came back as rare inhabitants.
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*Prior to [[0.19]], [[boulder beetle]]s and [[wasp]]s inhabited the Spider's Nest.
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*Prior to [[0.17]], Spider's Nest was 5 floors long. [[Goliath beetle]]s, [[boring beetle]]s and [[giant mite]]s were removed, while [[entropy weaver]]s and [[torpor snail]]s were added.
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*Prior to [[0.11]], the Spider's Nest was a simple 1-floor sub-branch with similar monsters and some treasure (occasionally including ambrosia), but no rune.
  
Prior to [[0.11]], the Spider's Nest was a simple 1-floor sub-branch with similar monsters and some treasure (occasionally including ambrosia), but no rune.
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[[Category:Dungeon Branches]]
  
In [[0.17]], Spider's Nest is shortened to 4 floors. [[Goliath beetle]]s, [[Boring beetle]]s and [[Giant mite]]s are obsolete, [[Entropy weaver]]s and [[Torpor snail]]s are new inhabitants.
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{{branches}}
 
 
[[Category:Dungeon Branches]]
 

Latest revision as of 06:57, 22 January 2024

Version 0.31: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.
The crumbling, web-choked caverns of the Spider Nest are packed with poisonous arthropods and assorted creepy-crawlies.

A dungeon features only one of the Spider Nest and Snake Pit branches.

The entrance to this branch can be found between levels 2 and 3 of the Lair of Beasts.

This branch is 4 levels deep.

This branch contains the gossamer rune of Zot.

Spider entry.png The Spider's Nest branch is a crumbling 4-floor branch filled with all manner of poisonous arachnids and insects. Adventurers willing to brave it are rewarded with the gossamer rune of Zot on its lowest floor.

Spider's entrance is located between Lair:2 and Lair:3. If you find Spider, you will not find Snake Pit in your current game.

Layout

In general, Spider's floor plan is chaotic and haphazard. Like the Lair, but cramped, it's filled with narrow tunnels and large caverns. Choke points are uncommon, giving swift monsters many opportunities to surround you. Webs and pools of shallow water are common.

Do not underestimate the final vault on Spider:4 — not only is it full of more dangerous creatures, but a moth of wrath can turn a posse of jumping spiders, wolf spiders, and emperor scorpions into a deadly tide of chitin extremely quickly.

Monster Description

This branch is teeming with 'common' spiders, like redbacks and tarantellas. Fast, evasive enemies in great numbers, they'll swarm you in no time. Thankfully, these spiders have no resistances, low AC, minimal willpower, and are vulnerable to poison, so many crowd-control options are effective (see below for a list).

You'll find many tougher threats interspersed throughout the crowd. The likes of entropy weavers, broodmothers, and jorogumo are strong on their own, and even worse when combined with a pack of spiders. Demonic crawlers regenerate extremely quickly; you'll need high damage/turn (or a way to disable them). Casters should be especially weary of ghost moths, naturally invisible monsters who'll quickly drain your MP.

There are also many "buffing" enemies, including torpor snails (slow you), pharaoh ants (cast Bind Souls on death, turning killed spiders into simulacrum), and moths of wrath (berserk others, turning even redbacks into powerful melee threats).

Strategy

Poison resistance is very helpful. The common redback can deal 33 - 58 HP worth of poison per hit, and each spider can move twice per player turn. If you don't have rPois, be prepared to use many potions of curing.

Crowd-control options that work particularly well against spiders:

Useful Traits

Optional:

Monsters

s Redback.png Redback s Tarantella.png Tarantella s Jumping spider.png Jumping spider s Culicivora.png Culicivora B Boulder beetle.png Boulder beetle
s Orb spider.png Orb spider s Wolf spider.png Wolf spider s Demonic crawler.png Demonic crawler w Steelbarb worm.png Steelbarb worm w Torpor snail.png Torpor snail
B Pharaoh ant.png Pharaoh ant B Entropy weaver.png Entropy weaver B Radroach.png Radroach y Moth of wrath.png Moth of wrath y Ghost moth.png Ghost moth
s Emperor scorpion.png Emperor scorpion s Broodmother.png Broodmother H Jorogumo.png Jorogumo y Spark wasp.png Spark wasp y Meliai.png Meliai
y Sun moth.png Sun moth B Death scarab.png Death scarab

Uniques

i Agnes.png Agnes S Aizul.png Aizul H Arachne.png Arachne H Asterion.png Asterion
R Azrael.png Azrael d Bai Suzhen.png Bai Suzhen @ Donald.png Donald @ Frances.png Frances
g Jorgrun.png Jorgrun @ Josephine.png Josephine @ Kirke.png Kirke @ Louise.png Louise
R Mara.png Mara @ Nikola.png Nikola 8 Roxanne.png Roxanne @ Rupert.png Rupert

History

Dungeon branches
Dungeon exit.png The DungeonTemple entry.png The TempleDepths entry.png The DepthsZot entry.png Realm of Zot
Lair entry.png The Lair ( Spider entry.png Spider's NestSnake entry.png Snake PitSwamp entry.png The SwampShoals entry.png The ShoalsSlime entry.png Slime Pits)
Orc entry.png Orcish Mines ( Elf entry.png Elven Halls) • Vaults entry.png The Vaults ( Crypt entry.png The CryptTomb entry.png The Tomb)
Abyss entry.png The AbyssPandemonium entry.png PandemoniumHell entry.png Hell ( Cocytus entry.png CocytusDis entry.pngDisGehenna entry.png GehennaTartarus entry.png Tartarus)
See also: Portal