Arctic fern spore (UnNetHack)
| e arctic fern spore (No tile) | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 3 |
| Attacks |
Explode 2d4 cold, 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 | Cold resistance, poison resistance |
| Resistances conveyed | None |
|
An arctic fern spore:
| |
| Reference | UnNetHack commit 4b5df73 - src/monst.c, line 3850 |
An arctic fern spore, e, is a type of monster that appears in UnNetHack. The arctic fern spore is a form of sphere-like monster that is very similar to a gas spore and shares most of the same attributes, along with having an affinity to cold—these spores act as a means of reproduction for the arctic fern and their sprouts, 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.
Arctic fern spores have two attacks: an explosion attack that deals cold 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 ice, a moat, a pool of water, or muddy swamp: the fern created has a 1⁄6 chance of being a full-grown arctic fern, and will otherwise be a arctic fern sprout.
Arctic fern spores possess cold resistance and poison resistance.
Generation
Arctic fern spores are not randomly generated, and normally-created ones are always hostile. They are not a valid polymorph form or genocide target.
Arctic fern spores can only be generated by the spore-making "gaze attack" of arctic 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.
Arctic fern spores never leave a corpse upon death.
History
The arctic 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.
