Editing v0.34:Giant sponge

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'''Giant sponges''' are larger versions of [[sponge]]s. They can be found in savage rivers, lakes and oceans, and are one of the most improbably [[fun]] new creatures of DF2012.

Physically, giant sponges are blobs made of "sponge" tissue. Despite this harmless appearance, they have earned a reputation similar to that previously held by [[carp]], for they are much more dangerous than they look. If some hapless [[dwarf]] appears near their water, giant sponges may feel suddenly threatened and charge (!) the hapless dwarf and engage in combat. They may also become enraged or unconscious, as utterly improbable as that sounds.

''"Without a nervous system, the only thing it can feel is ANGER."

'''Giant sponges cannot be killed in normal combat.''' They are also the uncontested aquatic contestant for the DF2012 [[king of beasts]]. Any kind of edge attack will only tear the body at best, and blunt attacks make no damage at all. This is due to having just one body part, with no blood, no brain, and no way to cut the body into two. Even several bronze colossuses wielding adamantine slashing weapons, or throwing punches, will not kill them. Besides being completely invulnerable to combat damage, their large size means they can (and usually will) shatter bones, articulations, bruise organs or even kill a dwarf via headshot using their default [[push]] attack. How a giant sponge's soft structural tissue can break a dwarven skull is a [[physics|mystery for the ages]].

== Giant Sponge '''!!Fun!!''' Facts ==

*Giant sponges are utterly immune to blunt damage and seemingly cannot be killed by edge damage, only "torn"
*Giant sponges do not seem to take damage from being set on [[fire]], although they will die from air-drowning.
*Giant sponges do not explode when striking the ground with enough force, so they are immune to falling damage.
*Giant sponges can only move when attacking or charging other creatures.
*Giant sponges ''do'' feel pain, and if hurt enough, will fall unconscious (whatever that means).
*The only way to kill a giant sponge is by airdrowning or by using an insta-kill method such as a [[dwarven atom smasher]], encasing it in obsidian or ice, or dropping a [[cave-in]] on it.

Beware embarking on evil water, though; a zombie giant sponge (or even worse, a [[evil weather|thralled]] giant sponge) is '''not''' strictly aquatic.

Both [[sponge]]s and giant sponges are, according to their raws, susceptible to infection.  It is not known if sponges can die of infection.

Due to their invulnerability, giant sponges are wonderful training dummies, as long as they will not air-drown. However, your dwarves need to be protected if you want to engage giant sponges in melee, and the giant sponges quickly become unconscious, negating most dwarf experience gains. This can be fixed by making them [[undead]] (although a [[evil weather|thralled]] giant sponge will likely be far too [[fun]] to be trained on) They are also useful as crossbow training dummies.

According to its raws, the giant sponge can not only be tamed but even ''ridden as a war beast'' by invaders. No reports of goblins or elves riding giant sponges has been documented, but maybe it's strictly aquatic lifestyle prevents it from being chosen.

[[Undead]] giant sponges are less threatening than they would appear, given their habit of collapsing after taking a few hits. A [[evil weather|thralled]] giant sponge is another matter entirely.

== Bugs ==

*Rangers and Hunters may try to hunt the Giant Sponge, wasting bolts that become lost in the water or lodged into the Sponge itself. This may also lead to near endless "Urist McHunterpants Ranger cancels Hunt: Could Not Find Path" messages.

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