Breeders are monsters with the ability to replicate. Unlike summoners, they can only create one type of monster (themselves), and can only create them one at a time.
While all breeders create further monsters of the same species, there are two ways that such monsters can breed: either by spawning separate monsters of the same species, or actually duplicating themselves. When a monster duplicates ("The <foo> duplicates and another <foo> appears!"), its own HP is halved and the new monster is created with the same amount of HP (but the usual amount of maximum HP). When a monster spawns another ("The <foo> spawns another <foo>!"), the spawner doesn't lose any HP and the spawned monster is created with its HP at full.
Breeding can be detected on levels by the sound the monster makes: either 'burping' (monster spawned) or 'popping' (monster split).
One major difference between breeders and summoners is that breeders can be sterilized - i. e. kept from replicating - using a scroll of vermin control, or a prayer.
Note that gremlins—which replicate only when being splashed with water, for instance from a water trap—are not true summoners nor are they true breeders; true summoners and breeders require no outside influence to create more monsters. They are included here for sake of completeness. It should also be noted that duplicated gremlins are considered summoned—not bred—creatures by the game.
List of breeders[]
Here's a list of breeders in ADOM:
- Gremlin (multiplies itself when it meets water)
(Duplicating breeders)
(Spawning breeders)