Minecraft wiki entry for Things_not_to_do, associated text: The player should stay away from creepers as they can deal large amounts of damage from their explosion. The danger of a creeper to an individual player depends on the game's difficulty setting and how prepared defensively the player is. If the player hears the hissing sound of a creeper (which sounds similar to primed TNT) they should immediately back away. If a creeper surprises the player, the player's first goal should be to gain distance from the creeper. Any bit helps, as the player moves faster than a creeper even at walking speed.