Warden

Hostile Mob

Health Points: 500

Attack Strength: Melee: Easy: 16

                                          Normal: 30

                                          Hard: 45

                              Ranged: Easy: 6

                                             Normal: 10

                                             Hard: 15

The warden is an incredibly powerful hostile mob that only spawns in deep dark biomes as a result of sculk shriekers being activated. When a naturally generated sculk shrieker has been activated four times, a warden will be summoned if there isn't already one within 24 blocks. It will spawn by digging itself out of the ground, and the light level will have no effect on the spawning sequence. While the warden is spawning, it is completely invulnerable. If there is nowhere for the warden to spawn (for example, if the entire area is flooded or filled with blocks), a loud roar will play instead.

When killed, a warden will drop a single sculk catalyst, and 5 experience if they were killed by a player or a tamed wolf.

Once a warden has spawned, it will idly wander around, searching for targets. It is completely blind, so it will do this by listening for vibrations and sniffing. It will listen for vibrations up to 16 blocks away, and, like sculk sensors, it cannot detect vibrations from a player if they are sneaking or moving on wool. If it hears a vibration, it will move toward it to investigate.

If it is not investigating any vibrations, it will move toward the closest mob or player, prioritizing players over mobs. Every so often while doing this, they will sniff for the player to zero in on their location. Wardens can sniff out a player even if the player is sneaking.

Wardens, whether they are angry or not, will give 12 seconds of the Darkness effect to all players within 20 blocks of it. This effect will refresh every 6 seconds as long as the player remains close to the warden. They also make a low heartbeat sound, that occurs in tandem with the pulsing of the Darkness effect. The heartbeat will speed up as they become more agitated. Wardens are also immune to damage from lava and fire.

Whenever a player or mob makes a vibration near a warden, touches it, or is sniffed out by it, the warden will become more angry at them. Their anger starts out at zero. If a mob or player makes a vibration near them, they add 10 anger if it was a vibration made by a projectile, and 35 anger for all other vibrations. If they hear two projectiles from the same player or mob within 5 seconds, they will add the full 35 anger toward that player or mob. If a mob or player touches a warden, the warden will add 35 anger toward them for each second they are touched. When it finished sniffing, a warden will add 35 anger to the nearest mob or player within 6 blocks horizontally and 20 blocks vertically. Anger will decay at a rate of 1 per second.

If a warden does not detect any vibrations or sniff any mobs or players for 60 seconds, it will burrow back into the ground and despawn. If the warden is currently in a liquid, such as lava or water, it will simply despawn without the digging animation. During the digging/burrowing animation, a warden cannot detect vibrations and cannot take damage. Nametagged wardens will not dig or despawn.

Once a warden reaches 80 anger with a target, it will roar, add 20 anger, and pursue the target. If it is directly attacked by a mob or player, it will immediately enter the hostile state and add 100 anger toward them. The warden will always prioritize players when pursuing, if possible.

The warden's melee attack has a cooldown of 0.9 seconds, and will disable shields for 5 seconds. If a warden cannot reach its target, it switches to its ranged attack, the sonic boom. It can only do this if the following are true:

• It has been 10 seconds since the warden detected the target.
• It has been 5 seconds since the warden last used a melee or ranged attack.
• The target is within 15 blocks horizontally and 20 blocks vertically of the warden.

When a warden uses a ranged attack, it emits blue particles from its chest directly at the target, making it impossible to dodge the attack. It takes 1.7 seconds for the warden to charge and release the attack, and after using a ranged attack, there is a cooldown of 1.3 seconds before the warden can attack again. The sonic boom can go through blocks and other mobs or players, only affecting the target. The attack bypasses shields, armor, and enchantments. Only the Resistance status effect can provide defense against the sonic boom.