Swamp fern spore (UnNetHack)
| e swamp fern spore (No tile) | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 2 |
| Attacks |
Explode 2d4 physical, On-death explosion 2d4 physical |
| Base level | 1 |
| Base experience | 0 |
| Speed | 3 |
| Base AC | 5 |
| Base MR | 0 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 0 (Not randomly generated) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 10 |
| Nutritional value | 10 |
| Size | Small |
| Resistances | Poison resistance |
| Resistances conveyed | None |
|
A swamp fern spore:
| |
| Reference | UnNetHack commit 4b5df73 - src/monst.c, line 3892 |
A swamp fern spore, e, is a type of monster that appears in UnNetHack. The swamp fern spore is a form of sphere-like monster that is very similar to a gas spore and shares most of the same attributes, as well as having a natural affinity to swamps—these spores act as a means of reproduction for the swamp fern, and will target the hero and other monsters in the dungeon, while monsters that are not other ferns, fern sprouts or Devil's Snare have a mutual grudge and will attack the spores themselves to prevent ferns from spreading, per the encyclopedia entry.
Swamp fern spores have two attacks: an explosion attack that deals physical damage to a single target and leaves behind a small group of poison clouds, and an on-death explosion that covers a 3x3 square centered on its former location and deals physical damage to any hero or monster caught in this range. These explosions have a 1⁄3 chance of creating another fern if the spore was over a square of muddy swamp: the fern created has a 1⁄6 chance of being a full-grown swamp fern, and will otherwise be a swamp fern sprout.
Swamp fern spores possess poison resistance.
Generation
Swamp fern spores are not randomly generated, and normally-created ones are always hostile. They are not a valid polymorph form or genocide target.
Swamp fern spores can only be generated by the spore-making "gaze attack" of swamp ferns and their sprouts, which occurs with a 1⁄2 chance (50%) for ferns and a 1⁄4 chance (25%) for sprouts during each of their turns—this attack is only used if they are not cancelled and the hero is within roughly 10 squares of them.
Swamp fern spores never leave a corpse upon death.
History
The swamp fern, its spore and its sprout first appear in version 5.1.0 via commit f487c92.
Origin
Ferns are a group of real plants with characteristic leaves. They are primitive, having neither seeds nor flowers; they reproduce with spores, hence the spore attack in the game.
Encyclopedia entry
These dreadful weeds have been driven to extinction on the
surface, yet deep within the dark and damp of the dungeon
they still flourish. When it detects the motion of nearby
creatures, the dungeon fern releases a deadly, poisonous
spore, which quickly detonates to propagate the species.
Residents of the dungeon have learned how not to disturb
the dungeon fern, and will attack its spores on sight to
keep them from overtaking their home.
More than one variety of this plant is known to exist.
