Ballistomycete spore

giant spore * File:Giant spore.png
HP	1 to 1
HD	1
XP	2
Speed	15
AC	0
EV	10
Will	-3
Attack1	1 (hit: plain)
Resistances	rPois+, Asphyx, rSticky
Vulnerabilities	none
Habitat	land
Intelligence	Plant
Uses	Uses nothing
Holiness	Plant
Size	Small
Type	plant, giant spore
Flags	Levitate

A volatile floating ball of spores, covered in knobbly rhizome growths.

Useful Info

Giant spores are fast-moving, suicidal creatures which explode into a cloud of spores on contact with the player or when killed. The explosion has a diameter of about 5 squares and does 3d15 damage (max 45), confuses you, and destroys random food, so take care to kill these creatures from a distance! They have only 1 HP, so any successful attack will destroy them.

Their explosions will damage other monsters caught in the blast as well, so they can be used to your advantage. Wherever they explode, one or more ballistomycetes will spawn.

Giant spores leave trails of "mold covered" tiles. These trails will lead to other ballistomycetes and giant spores, and killing an active ballistomycete will temporarily highlight a section of the trail which leads to the next active target. Killing the entire colony will reward you 500 XP, along with the message:

Having destroyed the fungal colony, you feel a bit more experienced.

Tips & Tricks

• Magic Dart never misses its target, and is thus a surefire way to halt an oncoming spore. Their evasion isn't unbeatable though, so most ranged attacks will work with a little skill.
• A giant spore's explosion can easily kill low level characters. Blinking away if it manages to get too close is not a bad idea.
• Do not zap it with a wand of polymorph other. It will become an Oklob plant, which is much worse.