Stem Cat

The Stem Cat is a melee cat enemy found in The Throbbing Domain. At 13 HP and movement 3 it is not especially tough on its own, but its damage-response mechanic makes it one of the most dangerous enemies in the chapter: every time it takes a hit, it spawns a Clot. Clots are small enemies that have a chance each turn to transform into a new Stem Cat, creating a cascading spawn loop if they are not dealt with quickly.

Multi-hit abilities are particularly dangerous against Stem Cats because each hit of a combo triggers a separate Clot spawn. A four-hit attack generates four Clots simultaneously, any of which can evolve into new Stem Cats on subsequent turns. Familiars or passives that deal low passive damage (such as Parasitic or Worm Lord effects) can cause uncontrolled cascades that fill the room with Stem Cats and Clots.

Burst damage that kills the Stem Cat in a single hit prevents any Clots from spawning. If Clots do appear, eliminate them immediately before they can transform — the Curse ability lowers their Luck and reduces transformation probability. Avoid bringing cats with uncontrolled damage auras into The Throbbing Domain, and disable or remove any passives that deal chip damage before entering Stem Cat rooms.