Difference between revisions of "Orcus"

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(strategy section rewrite for better flow and conciseness)
(I think it is preferable to mention the covetous teleporting first, to establish our motive. The whole business of attacking him off the downstairs is made up - he'll come to you.)
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Orcus does physical damage and some spell damage, both of which you should be ready for. He also [[Monster_starting_inventory|carries]] a [[wand of death]], although for any character with [[magic resistance]], the main problem this poses is how to relieve him of it without him wasting too many charges.
 
Orcus does physical damage and some spell damage, both of which you should be ready for. He also [[Monster_starting_inventory|carries]] a [[wand of death]], although for any character with [[magic resistance]], the main problem this poses is how to relieve him of it without him wasting too many charges.
  
As a [[chaotic]] [[demon prince]], Orcus can [[demon summoning|summon]] [[Yeenoghu]] and [[Demogorgon]], and cannot be [[bribe]]d.
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As a [[chaotic]] [[demon prince]], Orcus can [[demon summoning|summon]] [[Demogorgon]] and [[Yeenoghu]] (who can also summon Demogorgon), and cannot be [[bribe]]d.
  
 
== Strategy ==
 
== Strategy ==
Because he can summon Yeenoghu and Demogorgon, defeating him quickly is a good idea. Most players will also want to kill him fast to get his wand before it runs out of charges. Thus, giving him a lot of time to zap it at you and gate in more demons is not advisable.
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It is desirable to get Orcus's wand of death with as many charges as possible, and to kill him before he can summon [[Demogorgon]]. Like any [[covetous]] monster, he warps to the upstairs to heal when damaged, so if you allow him to react to your attack, you give him turns to summon and to use up wand charges.
  
 
He is not immune to [[stoning]], so hitting him with a [[cockatrice]] corpse will instantly kill him. Another option is to use [[potion of paralysis|potions of paralysis]] to paralyze him (but make sure you won't paralyze yourself in the process). A mounted [[Knight]] can also easily [[joust]] Orcus with the lance repeatedly until dead; the stunning component of the joust prevents him from getting away.
 
He is not immune to [[stoning]], so hitting him with a [[cockatrice]] corpse will instantly kill him. Another option is to use [[potion of paralysis|potions of paralysis]] to paralyze him (but make sure you won't paralyze yourself in the process). A mounted [[Knight]] can also easily [[joust]] Orcus with the lance repeatedly until dead; the stunning component of the joust prevents him from getting away.
  
Like any [[covetous]] monster, he warps to the upstairs to heal when damaged. If fighting him directly is your only option, try to get onto an upstair yourself so he can't escape. One easy method is to attack Orcus while he's on the downstairs, wait for him to teleport, then stand on the downstairs. When Orcus returns and is adjacent to you, go downstairs.
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If fighting him directly is your only option, you need to get onto an upstairs yourself so he can't escape. This is most easily done by using the downstairs in Orcus's room when Orcus is adjacent to you. You might arrange to be in this situation by coming up these stairs having [[levelport]]ed below his level.
  
 
==Origin==
 
==Origin==

Revision as of 14:15, 21 September 2019

Orcus, &, is one of the demon princes, guaranteed to appear in Orcus Town in Gehennom.

Orcus does physical damage and some spell damage, both of which you should be ready for. He also carries a wand of death, although for any character with magic resistance, the main problem this poses is how to relieve him of it without him wasting too many charges.

As a chaotic demon prince, Orcus can summon Demogorgon and Yeenoghu (who can also summon Demogorgon), and cannot be bribed.

Strategy

It is desirable to get Orcus's wand of death with as many charges as possible, and to kill him before he can summon Demogorgon. Like any covetous monster, he warps to the upstairs to heal when damaged, so if you allow him to react to your attack, you give him turns to summon and to use up wand charges.

He is not immune to stoning, so hitting him with a cockatrice corpse will instantly kill him. Another option is to use potions of paralysis to paralyze him (but make sure you won't paralyze yourself in the process). A mounted Knight can also easily joust Orcus with the lance repeatedly until dead; the stunning component of the joust prevents him from getting away.

If fighting him directly is your only option, you need to get onto an upstairs yourself so he can't escape. This is most easily done by using the downstairs in Orcus's room when Orcus is adjacent to you. You might arrange to be in this situation by coming up these stairs having levelported below his level.

Origin

Orcus in this form comes from Dungeons and Dragons, a representation originally inspired by a Roman god of the underworld.

He physically appears as a fat humanoid with a goat's head and legs, the horns of a ram, bat wings and a poisonous reptilian tail.

Encyclopedia entry

Orcus, Prince of the Undead, has a ram's head and a poison
stinger. He is most feared, though, for his powerful magic
abilities. His wand causes death to those he chooses.

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It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.4.3. Information on this page may be out of date.

Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-343}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.