Npc headcrab

Entity description

Headcrab

These are the classic, slow-moving headcrabs. They attack by jumping at the player's head and inflict a nominal amount of damage. Almost any weapon can dispatch them easily - it is usually a matter of how long it will take.

Commonly found attached to a zombie host body, they will detach if that host is sufficiently damaged below the head.

See also env_headcrabcanister which is a mortar shell containing a payload of headcrabs. The mortar shell inflicts damage within a radius of where it lands and releases headcrabs after impact. Triggers and entity options offer control over impact damage and when the headcrabs are released, among other options.

Placement Tip:Classic headcrabs can be paired with their fast-moving or poisonous relatives to make it more interesting.

Placement Tip:Avoid the cliche of placing headcrabs in vents; they would likely be more of an annoyance than a improvement on gameplay.

Note:Some keyvalues, spawnflags, effect flags, inputs, or outputs might not affect an NPC, based on the functionality and coding of the NPC.

Dedicated CVARs

• sk_headcrab_health

<integer> A headcrab's spawn health

• sk_headcrab_melee_dmg

<integer> Melee damage

Keyvalues

• Template:Kv basenpc
• Template:Kv parentname

• startburrowed

<boolean>

Flags

BaseNPC flags 

Wait Till Seen : [1]

Prevents this NPC from seeing (or being seen) until it enters a player's viewcone.

Gag : [2]

Won't make IDLE sounds until it's angry.

Fall to ground (unchecked means teleport to ground) : [4]

Drop Healthkit : [8]

Causes this NPC to drop an item_healthvial upon dying.

Efficient : [16]

Don't acquire enemies or avoid obstacles

Wait For Script : [128]

Forces this NPC to "wait" in an idle state until it finishes playing a scripted_sequence.

Long Visibility/Shoot : [256]

By default, increases a NPC's sight range to 6,000 units and allows it to attack from anywhere within that distance.

Fade Corpse : [512]

Think outside PVS : [1024]

Allows this NPC to run its regular AI outside of any player's PVS.

Template NPC : [2048]

Marks this NPC as a template for entities like npc_template_maker. The NPC will not spawn on its own. This is not needed for point_template.

Do Alternate collision for this NPC (player avoidance) : [4096]

Note:This flag is disabled in episodic for player companions, because the StartScripting input does this.

Don't drop weapons : [8192]

Ignore player push : [16384] (in all games since )

Entity won't give way to player.

• 65536 : Start hidden
• 131072 : Start hanging from ceiling (in all games since )

Inputs

• Template:I basenpc
• Template:I parentname
• StartHangingFromCeiling (in all games since )

Start hanging from ceiling.

• DropFromCeiling (in all games since )

Drop if hanging from ceiling.

Outputs

• Template:O basenpc