Berries

Berries in Alphaman have various effects and can be 'e'aten or 't'hrown. They gradually ripen over time and their colors change their effect. Each new game, berry names are randomized so that each new character starts out with most berries unidentified.

They are always depicted as ASCII symbols in various shades of red.

Berries can be ripened with a microwave or concentrated with a still. A Transmogrifier turns one berry into another type of the same color.

Identifying Berries
Berries can be identified by:
 * Starting out with a berry identified
 * 'e'ating them
 * 't'hrowing them at a monster and seeing the effect (only works if the berry hits; ruins the berry if it misses)
 * Using a Chemical Analyzer on them
 * Finding information on berries by using an IBM Supercomputer, Computer Workstation, or microcomputer.
 * The unique Gregere berry always has the same name and effect (turning you green).

Berry Colors
The color of a berry reveals its degree of ripeness. The six colors a berry can have are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, in increasing order of ripeness. Berries which are more ripe are more potent, and will have effects which last longer. For example, purple exploding berries do much more damage than orange ones, and forcefields created by blue berries last longer than those created by red ones. In addition, if a berry can have either a good or bad effect, the ripe berries are more likely to cause the good effects. Thus, a blue berry that alters speed tends to speed you up, while a red one is likely to slow you down. Berries that alter your stats are particularly important examples of this, wherein red and purple ones change your stats permanently, purple usually raising, and red usually lowering; the effect of the orange-blue ones is temporary. Berries will ripen with time; using X(amine) can be illuminating.

Berry Descriptions

 * Exploding berries are effective grenades with a blast radius of 1 square.
 * Radiating berries are effective grenades with a blast radius of 1 square.
 * Hunger-satisfying berries provide significant nourishment, and can make critters burp if thrown at them.
 * Refresh berries make you well-rested and help keep you rested.
 * Poison berries can be thrown to do poison damage if they hit a critter.
 * Curing berries will restore some hit points, and some reduced by poison.
 * Extra-curing berries are like normal curing berries, only more potent.
 * Expertise-altering berries add or subtract experience points depending on their color.
 * Strength-altering berries raise or lower strength, depending on color.
 * Dexterity-altering berries raise or lower dexterity, depending on color.
 * Constitution-altering berries raise or lower CON, depending on color.
 * Radiation Resistance-altering berries modify RR, depending on color.
 * Mental Resistance-altering berries modify MR, depending on color.
 * Intelligence-altering berries modify intelligence, depending on color.
 * Speed-altering berries will make you fast or slow, depending on color. These work on creatures, too, if thrown.
 * Berries that toughen skin will permanantly lower your armor class. These work on creatures, too, if thrown.
 * Intoxicating berries will confuse you if eaten, or a critter if thrown.
 * Cleverness berries make you better at figuring out and using tech devices.
 * Berries which add body parts are generally useless except for nourishment. Purple ones will cause you to grow a cumbersome udder.
 * Mutation-affecting berries quench or heighten a mutation, depending on their color. Heightened mutations are much more powerful.
 * Detection berries help you see invisible things, and will map a lair or castle level if you are indoors.
 * Blindness berries will blind you temporarily if eaten. These work on creatures, too, if thrown.
 * Tact-reducing berries make you burp, sneeze, etc. if eaten. These work on creatures, too, if thrown.
 * Mind-clouding berries make you forget things but will confuse creatures if thrown at them.
 * Fright-inducing berries will frighten critters away temporarily.
 * Detoxifying berries will remove the lingering adverse effects of poisons.
 * Rambifying berries give you a Rambo complex, making you strong but dumb. These work on creatures, too, if thrown.
 * Invisibility berries will make you temporarily invisible. These work on creatures, too, if thrown.
 * Teleport berries randomly teleport you over a long distance, and work on critters too.
 * Relax berries will put you or a creature to sleep.
 * Klutz berries will make you extremely clumsy, radically lowering your dexterity and forcing you to drop items, but work on critters too.
 * Regeneration berries cause you to regain lost hit points much faster.
 * Berries which "smell nice" give you an odor that attracts creatures.
 * Force Field berries will protect you so you sustain reduced damage.
 * Acid berries are effective weapons if thrown.