Arachnophobes: how creepy is an undead spider?

[blargney the second]

If you're arachnophobic, how ooky is the thought of a human-sized undead spider that jumps on your head from 30 feet away?

I'm just wondering how much this will freak out one of my players tomorrow night...
-blarg

 

[AZRogue]

Very horrible, trust me. I hate spiders. <shudder>

They go for the eyes. Bastards always go for the eyes.

 

[CharlesRyan]

I'm not an arachnophobe, but I find the concept pretty darn creepy. Though, frankly, the initial part (ginormous undead spider) has a lot more to do with the scariness than the jumping-on-your-head-from-30-feet-away part.

 

[Graf]

If your player is really, honest-to-goodness arachophobic then, honestly, it's my humble opinion that you shouldn't put spiders in the game.

I realize it's a bizarre thing to say, because for most people it's just not a big deal, but people who have serious debilitating fears... well... their fears are serious and debilitating.

If it's not an actual phobia but the player just thinks "spiders are creepy" then you should totally use the spider.

 

[Boarstorm]

I'm not an arachnophobe, but I find the concept pretty darn creepy. Though, frankly, the initial part (ginormous undead spider) has a lot more to do with the scariness than the jumping-on-your-head-from-30-feet-away part.

See, I'm going to have to disagree. The speed and sudden unexpected proximity (read: ON MY FACE!! GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!) would freak me out more. Heck, I've known grown men to panic for a few seconds after being assaulted by a grasshopper.

The size and unholy abomination aspects are just gravy.

 

[Boarstorm]

If your player is really, honest-to-goodness arachophobic then, honestly, it's my humble opinion that you shouldn't put spiders in the game.

I realize it's a bizarre thing to say, because for most people it's just not a big deal, but people who have serious debilitating fears... well... their fears are serious and debilitating.

If it's not an actual phobia but the player just thinks "spiders are creepy" then you should totally use the spider.

I forced an arachnophobe to go see the movie "Eight Legged Freaks" when it came out.

It was simultaneously the most amusing and most painful two hours of my life. She literally beat me half to death to escape the theater. Well, not literally, but the bruising was deep and persisted for several weeks.

So I can see where you're coming from.

 

[Zurai]

I have to agree. If it's a true phobia, it would be literally cruel to intentionally target your player with it. Now, if it's just someone who's a little freaked out / scared by spiders, that's fine. Scare away. Someone who has an unthinking, instinctive, primal terror of something shouldn't be knowingly and intentionally subjected to that in a game.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I voted ten, but maybe tilt would have been better.

Honestly, it doesn't matter that she's undead. She is just way to big!

But I am not sure if I am a _real_ arachnophobe. I shy away from them if they get to large, even though they are still utterly harmless. Smaller spiders I can kill with my bare hands. (But if their legs are to long, or their body is to big, no way I am doing that. The space between my feet and my shoes is the minimum allowed distance then. )

 

[BlueBlackRed]

Consider this frkn creapy idea stolen...erm assuming my brain will be able to handle the concept long term.

 

[AlexS]

What would an undead spider look like? Seriously, I'm curious. Would it look much different from a regular spider?