Mushgnomebrain

Based on game build 714014 | Last updated: 2026-02-27

Overview

The MushGnomeBrain component implements the artificial intelligence for the Mushgnome enemy entity in Don't Starve Together. It is a specialized brain that defines a behavior tree (BT) to orchestrate core actions: aggressive spore spraying when a combat target is engaged, panic responses to threats like electric fences or nearby combatants, fleeing from dangerous entities, and passive wandering when no threats or targets are present. This brain relies on external behavior modules (StandStill, StandAndAttack, RunAway, Wander) and shared utilities from BrainCommon, and interacts with the Combat component to evaluate current engagement status and cooldowns.

Usage example

This component is typically added to an enemy entity (e.g., the Mushgnome prefab) via the entity definition file, not manually instantiated by modders in normal modding workflows. Typical usage in a prefab definition looks like:

inst:AddBrain("MushGnomeBrain")
inst:AddComponent("combat")
-- Additional setup such as tags, health, attack stats, etc., is performed elsewhere.

The OnStart method of the brain is automatically invoked by the game when the brain component is initialized, which constructs and activates the behavior tree. Modders usually do not call OnStart directly or modify internal state after initialization.

Dependencies & tags

Components used:

• inst.components.combat — to query: HasTarget(), InCooldown(), and TargetIs(target).

Tags:

• The THREAT_PARAMS filter checks for entities with the _combat tag.
• Entities with tags "DECOR", "FX", or "INLIMBO" are explicitly excluded as threats.

Properties

Property	Type	Default Value	Description
inst	Entity	nil (inherited)	The entity instance this brain controls, assigned by Brain._ctor.

Note: This brain does not define any additional instance properties beyond those inherited from Brain.

Main functions

OnStart()

• Description: Initializes and activates the behavior tree by building a priority-based node structure that governs the Mushgnome's decision-making flow. This method is called automatically during brain initialization.
• Parameters: None.
• Returns: nil.
• Error states: None documented; assumes the Combat component and required behavior modules are properly attached and initialized.

Events & listeners

No explicit event listeners or event pushes are defined in this component. Behavior transitions and state changes are handled entirely by the internal behavior tree and its condition nodes.