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Spat

Based on game build 7140014 | Last updated: 2026-03-07

Overview​

The spat prefab defines a large, hostile animal entity in DST with sophisticated behavior: it chases and attacks players using both melee strikes and sticky phlegm projectiles that pin targets. It periodically spawns poop, hides when startled (using a koalefant corpse as a visual prop), and resumes activity upon player proximity. The component integrates tightly with combat, locomotor, sleeper, prophider, periodicspawner, eater, and inventory systems to deliver its full behavioral suite.

Usage example​

While not a generic utility component, the spat prefab can be instantiated directly via SpawnPrefab("spat"). Its behavior and configuration are fully defined in its constructor (fn), and external code typically interacts with it through its components:

-- Example of spawning and briefly inspecting a Spat
local spat = SpawnPrefab("spat")
if spat and spat:IsValid() then
    print("Spat health:", spat.components.health.currenthealth)
    print("Equipped melee weapon damage:", spat.weaponitems.meleeweapon.components.weapon.damage)
end

Dependencies & tags​

Components used: combat, health, inventory, lootdropper, inspectable, periodicspawner, locomotor, sleeper, prophider, eater, complexprojectile, pinnable, weapon, inventoryitem, equippable, hauntable, burnable, freezable.

Tags: spat, animal, largecreature, projectile, complexprojectile, snotbomb, meleeweapon, nosteal.

Properties​

No public properties are initialized directly in the constructor beyond those handled by attached components. Non-networked weaponitems table is populated internally.

Main functions​

Retarget(inst)​

  • Description: Finds a new valid combat target within range (TUNING.SPAT_TARGET_DIST) that satisfies combat:CanTarget. Returns nil if none found or if the Spat is in Limbo.
  • Parameters: inst (Entity) — the Spat instance.
  • Returns: Entity or nil.
  • Error states: Returns nil if no eligible targets exist or if inst:IsInLimbo() is true.

KeepTarget(inst, target)​

  • Description: Determines if the current target remains valid based on proximity (TUNING.SPAT_CHASE_DIST). Used as the keep-target function in combat.
  • Parameters: inst (Entity), target (Entity).
  • Returns: boolean — true if target is near; otherwise false.

EquipWeapons(inst)​

  • Description: Creates and equips two non-persistent weapons: a snotbomb projectile weapon (phlegm) and a melee weapon. Weapons are attached to the Spat's inventory and removed when dropped.
  • Parameters: inst (Entity).
  • Returns: Nothing.
  • Error states: Returns early if inst.components.inventory is missing or hands are already occupied.

OnAttacked(inst, data)​

  • Description: Reacts when the Spat is attacked: switches target to the attacker unless the current target is already stuck with phlegm (in which case it stays on that target).
  • Parameters: inst (Entity), data (table) — event data containing attacker.
  • Returns: Nothing.

CustomOnHaunt(inst)​

  • Description: Called during Haunt panic events. Immediately spawns one poop before returning control.
  • Parameters: inst (Entity).
  • Returns: true.

OnForceSleep(inst)​

  • Description: Adds a fixed amount of sleepiness to trigger sleep state after being pan-fluted.
  • Parameters: inst (Entity).
  • Returns: Nothing.

doprojectilehit(inst, attacker, other)​

  • Description: Core logic executed when a phlegm projectile hits. Plays hit sound, spawns FX, performs attack damage (if attacker exists), and attempts to pin the hit entity.
  • Parameters: inst (Entity — the projectile), attacker (Entity), other (Entity — actual hit target).
  • Returns: other or nil (the entity that was stuck/pinned).
  • Error states: Skips damage/pinning if attacker or other is invalid, or if the splash radius is exceeded.

OnProjectileHit(inst, attacker, other)​

  • Description: Projectile callback that delegates to doprojectilehit, then destroys the projectile entity.
  • Parameters: inst (Entity), attacker (Entity), other (Entity).
  • Returns: Nothing.

oncollide(inst, other)​

  • Description: Physics collision callback used to break stealth/wall-hiding; triggers damage and pinning on colliding entities.
  • Parameters: inst (Entity — the projectile), other (Entity).
  • Returns: Nothing.

Events & listeners​

  • Listens to: attacked — triggers target re-evaluation; spawnedforhunt — handles special initialization for hunt scenarios (e.g., prop hiding or forced sleep).
  • Pushes: None (only responds to events; the Spat entity itself may push events via child components like pinnable:pinned, but not directly from this script).