Drow (monster attribute)
Drow is a monster attribute in some variants of NetHack that indicates when a monster should be considered dark elven. As drow are related to elves, they are also considered elven.
In the variants that it appears in, the drow attribute generally determines the appropriate racial equipment for drow monsters and drow characters, as well as what constitutes cannibalism and same-race sacrifice for drow characters.
Contents
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, only the drow monster and drow characters are considered to be drow - drow characters are always chaotic, since elves in SLASH'EM can be lawful or neutral. Unlike later variants, drow lack distinct undead forms.
All the information in this section also applies to SlashTHEM.
Racial equipment
The following objects are considered dark elven items:
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, drow monsters are denoted with the MA_DROW flag, and have far more detailed attributes than in other variants: monsters that are fully drow (including drow characters) are generated as belonging to a particular "house" - this can usually be determined by the house symbols engraved on the signet rings and heavy droven armor. Drow of different houses will grudge each other, including the player character if they are of a different house, while drow of the same house are peaceful towards each other.
List of monsters
The monsters non-exhaustively listed below are considered drow:
- C drider
- C sprow
- C priestess of Ghaunadaur
- C Blibdoolpoolp's mindgraven champion
- C mendicant sprow
- C mendicant drider
- L dokkalfar eternal matriarch
- M drow mummy
- M hedrow zombie
- @ drow
- @ hedrow warrior
- @ hedrow wizard
- @ hedrow master-wizard
- @ hedrow blademaster
- @ drow matron
- @ drow matron-mother
- @ stjarna-alfr
- @ A'gone
- @ mindless thrall
- Y-cultists
- & yochlol and their various forms
- & Avatar of Lolth
Racial equipment
The items non-exhaustively listed below are considered to be droven items:
- droven crossbow
- droven bolt
- droven spear
- droven dagger
- droven short sword
- droven greatsword
- droven lance
- droven helm
- droven chain mail
- droven plate mail
- droven cloak
EvilHack
In EvilHack, drow monsters are denoted with the MH_DROW flag, and have their own undead forms. Drow are considered the same race as elves like in other variants, with the same allergy to iron objects: drow take extra damage from contact with iron, and wearing iron incurs a penalty to luck and stops normal HP regeneration. Drow are acclimated to life in complete darkness, and many drow monsters have ultravision and the ability to darken the area around them; drow characters likewise possess ultravision, and can use the #monster extended command to surround themselves in darkness for 10 energy.
Drow characters that are in a darkened square gain a to-hit bonus of (XL/3 + 2) when attacking using drow weapons, bare-handed combat (including thievery & martial arts) or the artifact Shadowblade; drow characters in lit squares have a -4 to-hit penalty for the same weapons, and normal HP regeneration is slowed while in a lit area. Non-player drow gain a to-hit bonus of (ML/3 + 2) with all weapons in dark squares, and have a -3 to-hit penalty in lit squares.
List of monsters
The monsters non-exhaustively listed below are considered drow:
- s drider
- M drow mummy
- Z drow zombie
- @ drow
- @ drow raider
- @ drow warrior
- @ drow mage
- @ drow cleric
Drow can also generate as the following racial monsters:
- All player monsters in drow-compatible roles
- @ shopkeeper
- @ watchman
- @ watch captain
- @ soldier
- @ sergeant
- @ lieutenant
- @ captain
- @ aligned priest
- @ high priest
Racial equipment
The items non-exhaustively listed below are considered to be dark elven items:
- dark elven helm
- dark elven boots
- dark elven chain mail
- dark elven tunic
- dark elven cloak
- dark elven gloves
- dark elven bracers
- dark elven long sword
- dark elven short sword
- dark elven dagger
- dark elven spear
- dark elven bow
- dark elven arrow
- dark elven hand crossbow
- dark elven crossbow bolt
Dark elven armor grants a +1 AC bonus to drow characters and other drow monsters that wear them, and drow characters can also safely enchant dark elven armor to +7. All dark elven items that are made of adamantine (i.e. weapons and heavy armor) have a chance of becoming brittle or even dissolving in lit squares: weapons may break when used against or thrown at monsters, while armor will become more and more brittle as take absorb hits.
