Spider Starter Pet Now for Undead Hunters?

[Arwyn]

I''m watchin Total Halibut's vid on the revamped Forsaken Starter Zone Quests and his hunter is running around with a black widow spider and not a bat. So is this going to to be the official starter pet for the Forsaken now?

[VelkynKarma]

God I hope not. I would love to roll an undead hunter, but if I was forced to use a spider for ten levels I think I'd die.

~VelkynKarma

[Kalliope]

Good thing you're already dead then?

This was spotted a while ago and has been confirmed several times. Yep, it's a black widow.

[Arwyn]

Is sad. Aw well it'll just be around to level 10.

[Anansi]

The Spider is a better choice I think. Not only will it be more useful for leveling, flying pets are notoriously annoying and being saddled with one for 10 levels could be more than intolerable.

[Bellatryx]

Yeah.. spider might be better than bat.. just think of it when you're running around..

*flap flap flap..flap.. flap flap flap*

[zedxrgal]

Personally I'd rather have the spider for 10 levels then the bat. I'd think the bat would get annoying after a while. But that's just me.

[TobiasX]

It's worth keeping in mind that for the first 10 levels of your hunter your pet won't actually be < *name*'s Pet > but < *name*'s Companion >. You will have no control over your pet until you reach level 10, it will be a helper that follows you around on defensive. Once you reach level 10 you will gain it as a pet and the spells to tame any replacement you would like.

If I had a choice of any pet I would probably have gone for one of the infected wolves as they seem appropriately undead to be a forsaken hunter pet but a spider of bat would be a nice second choice.

[Sorcha Ravenlock]

eeep... all those poor people with anachnophobia (sp?) who wre planning on rolling a Forsaken hunter
Ten levels of "eeeek! it's following me, make it stop, make it stop! Why does it keep following me! aargh, the legs, no not the spindly legs!"

I thought it was smart of blizz not to start anyone out with a spider since it's such a known phobia, they must have changed their minds.

[Anyia]

eeep... all those poor people with anachnophobia (sp?) who wre planning on rolling a Forsaken hunter

I must admit I've stayed away from spider pets for precisely that reason. Fortunately for me, I wasn't planning on rolling an undead hunter!

[Nakari]

eeep... all those poor people with anachnophobia (sp?) who wre planning on rolling a Forsaken hunter
Ten levels of "eeeek! it's following me, make it stop, make it stop! Why does it keep following me! aargh, the legs, no not the spindly legs!"

I thought it was smart of blizz not to start anyone out with a spider since it's such a known phobia, they must have changed their minds.

People with arachnophobie should stay the hell away from the forsaken starting zone either way, if a spider pet following you around bothers you, I don't think you'll be thrilled to clear out a mine full of even bigger (an much less friendly) spiders.

[Anansi]

I thought it was smart of blizz not to start anyone out with a spider since it's such a known phobia, they must have changed their minds.

Given the sheer amount of Spiders in the game, I really don't think arachnophobia registers in the development agenda. Besides, Spiders are awesome and Forsaken Hunters should be thankful to Blizzard for giving them the chance to experience such a wonderful pet!

[VelkynKarma]

eeep... all those poor people with anachnophobia (sp?) who wre planning on rolling a Forsaken hunter
Ten levels of "eeeek! it's following me, make it stop, make it stop! Why does it keep following me! aargh, the legs, no not the spindly legs!"

I thought it was smart of blizz not to start anyone out with a spider since it's such a known phobia, they must have changed their minds.

People with arachnophobie should stay the hell away from the forsaken starting zone either way, if a spider pet following you around bothers you, I don't think you'll be thrilled to clear out a mine full of even bigger (an much less friendly) spiders.

GUH. This. And this new development disappoints me so, so much.

I don't mind killing spiders. They are dead and I can move away from them quickly. Which is fortunate, because there's a lot of spider-killing in the game.

But a widow following me around for 10 levels? No. Freakin. Way. I had enough trouble as it was when I rolled my NE hunter and had to temporarily tame a spider for her level 10 hunter quests. The little bastard followed me around and his legs were twitchy and UUUUUUGH.

But I want an undead hunter! I was SO psyched to learn there could be undead hunters! I really, really, REALLY hope there is a way to dismiss your intro pet or something. I'd rather level solo for 10 levels then have to have a hairy eight-legged horror trailing around me X_X I suppose I could sic it on something and let it die, then run for it, but I'd feel cruel doing that even if it is a spider...GAAAAAGH.

~VelkynKarma

[Sorcha Ravenlock]

GUH. This. And this new development disappoints me so, so much.

I don't mind killing spiders. They are dead and I can move away from them quickly. Which is fortunate, because there's a lot of spider-killing in the game.

But a widow following me around for 10 levels? No. Freakin. Way. I had enough trouble as it was when I rolled my NE hunter and had to temporarily tame a spider for her level 10 hunter quests. The little bastard followed me around and his legs were twitchy and UUUUUUGH.

But I want an undead hunter! I was SO psyched to learn there could be undead hunters! I really, really, REALLY hope there is a way to dismiss your intro pet or something. I'd rather level solo for 10 levels then have to have a hairy eight-legged horror trailing around me X_X I suppose I could sic it on something and let it die, then run for it, but I'd feel cruel doing that even if it is a spider...GAAAAAGH.

~VelkynKarma

I have the same with butterflies, for some reason they freak me out, both in game and IRL. I can kill them fine, but hate having them following me, even temporarily (and I've tried). It's irrational, but there it is.
Luckily a draenei hunter never clicked with me (my latest got rerolled as a Nelf) so it won't be a problem.

Hopefully you can dismiss it, or simply tell it to stay so you can run away and have it de-spawn.

[Bellatryx]

GUH. This. And this new development disappoints me so, so much.

I don't mind killing spiders. They are dead and I can move away from them quickly. Which is fortunate, because there's a lot of spider-killing in the game.

But a widow following me around for 10 levels? No. Freakin. Way. I had enough trouble as it was when I rolled my NE hunter and had to temporarily tame a spider for her level 10 hunter quests. The little bastard followed me around and his legs were twitchy and UUUUUUGH.

But I want an undead hunter! I was SO psyched to learn there could be undead hunters! I really, really, REALLY hope there is a way to dismiss your intro pet or something. I'd rather level solo for 10 levels then have to have a hairy eight-legged horror trailing around me X_X I suppose I could sic it on something and let it die, then run for it, but I'd feel cruel doing that even if it is a spider...GAAAAAGH.

~VelkynKarma

I have the same with butterflies, for some reason they freak me out, both in game and IRL. I can kill them fine, but hate having them following me, even temporarily (and I've tried). It's irrational, but there it is.
Luckily a draenei hunter never clicked with me (my latest got rerolled as a Nelf) so it won't be a problem.

Hopefully you can dismiss it, or simply tell it to stay so you can run away and have it de-spawn.

Pretty sure there is call/dismiss.

But.. butterflies? Thats pretty interesting. Spiders IRL freak me out as well and kind of in game as well when they sneak up on you, or the little critters. Sadly a spider in my house just had babies so every once in a while i find a itty bitty cobweb spider wandering about. I try not to kill them because they are harmless.. just.. creepy and stealthy.

[Anansi]

Spiders are friends!

Seriously, they eat a lot of other pesky insects, so they're great to have in your home (species depending of course). I always rescue spiders that I find in precarious positions around the house and yard.

My parents recently tore down their shed to replace it with a new one and in the demolition process we found that one of the beams was home to a spider nest and there were lots of babies along with the mother as well as some other adults. I picked up this beam structure and moved it rather carefully to the back of the yard where I hoped they'd migrate to a new shelter (I put them near some options). The mother wasn't happy about this intrusion and she kept moving for my hand so I was continually rotating the beam around as I carried it; she didn't look like the sort of spider I'd really want to bite me.

Spiders are a very beneficial species. So, um, back on topic, good for the Forsaken and their appreciation for Spider Power! >8<

[Kalliope]

Spiders IRL bother me a bit, but having a pet spider in game is okay. Of course, I make a VERY SPECIFIC POINT of taming tarantula models, cause I don't have an issue with them IRL either....but still. I think it helps that they tend to be brightly colored and much larger than your typical RL spider.

I know that's just personal experience and I'm not saying that anyone with a fear of spiders will necessarily be able to get used to having one as a pet, but it can't hurt to offer consolation, right? That you wouldn't want your spider to die is the first step in accepting him/her, even as a temporary buddy, for 10 levels. Can always attach a personality to them, like this spider was with you when you were awakened, so this is your first companion in your new life as an undead....not too far off from the reality of it, but it's a question of characterization.

(Can always think of her as Charlotte; she was an articulate little spider.)

[Bellatryx]

Spiders IRL bother me a bit, but having a pet spider in game is okay. Of course, I make a VERY SPECIFIC POINT of taming tarantula models, cause I don't have an issue with them IRL either....but still. I think it helps that they tend to be brightly colored and much larger than your typical RL spider.

I know that's just personal experience and I'm not saying that anyone with a fear of spiders will necessarily be able to get used to having one as a pet, but it can't hurt to offer consolation, right? That you wouldn't want your spider to die is the first step in accepting him/her, even as a temporary buddy, for 10 levels. Can always attach a personality to them, like this spider was with you when you were awakened, so this is your first companion in your new life as an undead....not too far off from the reality of it, but it's a question of characterization.

(Can always think of her as Charlotte; she was an articulate little spider.)

Its not all spiders for me.. just the ones that could kill you or harm you badly that scare me.

[Anyia]

Hopefully you can dismiss it, or simply tell it to stay so you can run away and have it de-spawn.

Pretty sure there is call/dismiss.

On the PTR your starter pet is almost completely out of your control. It follows you around and acts as if on Defensive and autocasts whatever abilities it has. Your only pet control abilities are Call Pet and Revive pet.

The other night when I was testing, the "Abandon" option was on the menu, but it didn't do anything (fortunately).

It took a lot of trying to actually get my pet killed (self-healing baddie required), but once dead it does stay dead until you Revive Pet. Given that typically either you or your pet can solo mobs, it might be viable to play without your companion spider for the first 10 levels if you so choose.

[Xota]

I'd prefer an undead eagle. That way they could make it possible for only undead to have. Unfortunately, they're flyers.

http://www.wowhead.com/npc=29894#modelviewer