Difference between revisions of "Piercer"

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{{Wikipedia|Piercer}}
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The '''piercer''', {{white|p}}, is a [[monster class]] in ''[[NetHack]]'' that contains the following monsters:
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'''Piercers''' are a [[monster class]] represented by {{white|p}}. They [[hiding|hide]] in the ceiling, surprising your character by falling on you just as you pass beneath. The fall itself can deal 4d6 damage, but wearing any metallic [[helm]]et will fully protect you, the blow glancing off it. After falling or otherwise being discovered, piercers may still attack but are extremely slow.
 
  
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In order of increasing toughness, there are '''rock piercers''', '''iron piercers''', and '''glass piercers'''.
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* {{monsym|rock piercer}} '''rock piercer'''
 +
* {{monsym|iron piercer}} '''iron piercer'''
 +
* {{monsym|glass piercer}} '''glass piercer'''
  
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==Rock piercer==
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==Common traits==
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{{monster
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Piercers are carnivorous animals that are always generated as hostile. They are capable of [[hiding]] on the ceiling, and attempt to fall onto you just as you pass beneath. The fall itself deals 4d6 damage regardless of piercer type, but is rather inaccurate and dependent on your AC - it has only a {{frac|3|5}} chance of hitting you at 10 [[AC]], and will always miss a player with at least −2 AC. Wearing any metallic [[helm]] will reduce the attack's damage to 2 HP, with the blow glancing off it.{{refsrc|src/hack.c|2248|version=NetHack 3.6.6}} Finding a piercer via methods such as [[searching]], [[warning]] or extrinsic [[telepathy]] will reveal them and prevent the falling attack from occurring.
 +
 
 +
Outside of this, piercers are the slowest monsters in the dungeon with a measly 1 [[speed]] - their sole bite attack is somewhat damaging for the point at which you first encounter them, but this can easily be mitigated by keeping your distance. Piercers have relatively low AC that can pose a problem to players lacking a decent weapon, but are otherwise trivial to dispatch.
 +
 
 +
All piercers leave ordinary [[flesh]]y corpses - the adjectives prefixing their names describe what each piercer resembles, rather than what they or their shells are composed of.
 +
 
 +
==Description==
 +
<simpletabs>
 +
Rock piercer|{{monster
 
  |name=rock piercer
 
  |name=rock piercer
 
  |difficulty=4
 
  |difficulty=4
Line 25: Line 34:
 
  |reference=[[monst.c#line661]]
 
  |reference=[[monst.c#line661]]
 
}}
 
}}
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{{clear}}
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==Iron piercer==
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'''Rock piercers''' are generally the first type of piercer you will encounter, and have a weaker AC of 3. It also gives less nutrition compared to the other piercers.
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{{monster
+
 
 +
===Generation===
 +
A rock piercer will always appear on the [[Plane of Earth]].
 +
 
 +
|-|
 +
Iron piercer|{{monster
 
  |name=iron piercer
 
  |name=iron piercer
 
  |difficulty=6
 
  |difficulty=6
Line 47: Line 61:
 
  |reference=[[monst.c#line668]]
 
  |reference=[[monst.c#line668]]
 
}}
 
}}
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{{clear}}
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|-|
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==Glass piercer==
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Glass piercer|{{monster
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{{monster
 
 
  |name=glass piercer
 
  |name=glass piercer
 
  |difficulty=9
 
  |difficulty=9
Line 66: Line 79:
 
  |resistances=Acid
 
  |resistances=Acid
 
  |resistances conveyed=None
 
  |resistances conveyed=None
−
  |attributes={{attributes|A glass piercer|cling=1|hide=1|animal=1|noeyes=1|nolimbs=1|carnivore=1|notake=1|hostile=1}}
+
  |attributes={{attributes|A glass piercer|cling=1|hide=1|animal=1|noeyes=1|nolimbs=1|carnivore=1|notake=1|hostile=1}}
 
  |reference=[[monst.c#line675]]
 
  |reference=[[monst.c#line675]]
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
'''Glass piercers''' are [[acid resistant]], and are the only piercers to possess any kind of resistance.
 +
</simpletabs>
 +
 
{{clear}}
 
{{clear}}
  
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==Heaven piercer (dNetHack)==
+
==History==
 +
The piercer has been present in the game since [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]] - [[NetHack 3.0.0]] introduces the three distinct types of piercer.
  
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{{monster
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==Origin==
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|name=heaven piercer
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A piercer is a snail-like gastropod that first appeared in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. It has a shell that resembles a stalactite, and clings to the ceiling of caverns and dungeons, mimicking a stalactite and falling down to impale anything that passes underneath. The "bestiary of Xygag" mentioned in the encyclopedia entry is an in-universe equivalent to the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' Monster Manual - the excerpt originates in "The Ecology of the Piercer" by Chris Elliott and Richard Edward, published in issue #72 of ''Dragon'' magazine.
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|symbol={{red|p}}
 
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|tile=
 
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|difficulty=20
 
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|level=18
 
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|experience=508
 
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|speed=8
 
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|AC=0
 
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|MR=0
 
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|align=0
 
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|frequency=3
 
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|genocidable=Yes
 
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|attacks=Bite 4d6 [[stun]]ning
 
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|weight=400
 
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|nutr=300
 
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|size=medium
 
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|resistances=[[fire]], [[cold]], [[acid]]
 
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|resistances conveyed=[[fire]]
 
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|attributes={{attributes
 
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|A heaven piercer|=
 
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|fly=
 
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|swim=
 
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|amorphous=
 
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|wallwalk=
 
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|cling=1
 
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|tunnel=
 
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|needpick=
 
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|conceal=
 
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|hide=1
 
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|amphibious=
 
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|breathless=
 
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|notake=1
 
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|noeyes=1
 
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|nohands=1
 
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|nolimbs=1
 
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|nohead=
 
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|mindless=
 
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|humanoid=
 
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|animal=1
 
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|slithy=
 
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|unsolid=
 
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|thick=
 
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|oviparous=
 
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|regen=
 
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|seeinvis=
 
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|tport=
 
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|tportcntrl=
 
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|acid=
 
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|pois=
 
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|carnivore=1
 
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|herbivore=
 
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|omnivore=
 
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|metallivore=
 
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|nopoly=
 
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|undead=
 
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|were=
 
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|human=
 
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|elf=
 
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|dwarf=
 
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|gnome=
 
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|orc=
 
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|demon=
 
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|merc=
 
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|lord=
 
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|prince=
 
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|giant=
 
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|male=
 
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|female=
 
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|neuter=
 
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|hostile=1
 
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|peaceful=
 
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|domestic=
 
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|wander=
 
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|stalk=
 
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|nasty=
 
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|strong=
 
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|rockthrow=
 
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|greedy=
 
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|jewels=
 
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|collect=
 
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|magic=
 
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|wantsamul=
 
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|wantsbell=
 
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|wantsbook=
 
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|wantscand=
 
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|wantsarti=
 
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|wantsall=
 
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|waitsforu=
 
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|close=
 
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|covetous=
 
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|infravision=
 
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|infravisible=
 
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|nohell=
 
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|hell=1
 
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|moria=
 
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|sgroup=
 
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|lgroup=
 
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|vlgroup=
 
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|nocorpse=
 
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|oldcorpse=
 
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|light=
 
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|death=
 
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|drain=
 
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|plusone=
 
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|plustwo=
 
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|plusthree=
 
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|plusfour=
 
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|hitasone=
 
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|hitastwo=
 
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|hitasthree=
 
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|hitasfour=
 
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|vampire=
 
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|traitor=
 
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|notame=1
 
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|light1=
 
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|light2=
 
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|light3=
 
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|groupattack=
 
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|blinker=
 
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|noregen=
 
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|stationary=
 
−
}}
 
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|refline=
 
−
}}
 
  
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A somewhat higher-damage piercer found in Gehennom.
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==Messages==
 +
{{message|A <foo> piercer suddenly drops off the ceiling!|A hostile piercer attempted to land on you.}}
 +
{{message|You are almost hit by a falling <foo> piercer!|The piercer's falling attack missed.}}
 +
{{message|You are hit by a falling <foo> piercer!|The piercer hit you and inflicted damage.}}
 +
{{message|Its blow glances off your helm.|As above, but you are wearing a metallic helm, reducing the damage to 2.}}
  
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{{clear}}
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==Variants==
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==Origin==
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===Lethe patch===
 +
In the [[Lethe Gorge]] within the original [[Lethe patch]], the second level contains an iron piercer along with another random {{white|p}}.
  
−
Yet another [[Dungeons and Dragons]] monster.
+
===Convict patch===
 +
In the [[Convict patch]] as well as variants that incorporate the role, the lower filler levels on the [[Convict quest]] contain an assortment of piercers.
  
−
A piercer resembles a stalactite, but with eyes in the sides. It is actually a giant gastropod; the "stalactite" is its shell.
+
===xNetHack===
 +
In [[xNetHack]], piercers have a [[dexterity]]-based percentage chance of missing the player, and a speed-dependent chance of missing a targeted monster. A metallic helm will only halve the damage dealt from being hit by a falling piercer.
  
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They cling to the ceiling, pretending to be a stalactite. When prey comes beneath them, they fall to impale it.
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===dNetHack===
 +
[[dNetHack]] adds the [[heaven piercer]], which is much faster and stronger than most piercers - although still relatively slow - and can [[stun]] the player with its bite.
  
−
The adjectives "rock", "iron", and "glass" describe the materials that the respective piercers resemble, not what they (or their shells) are composed of. They leave ordinary [[Flesh|meaty]] corpses when killed, and [[iron]] piercers do not [[rust]] (although glass piercers are acid-resistant).
+
The [[User:Chris/dNetHack/Elder Sign|Elder Sign]] is a [[ward]] that can repel piercers, as is the hallucinatory [[User:Chris/dNetHack/Cerulean Sign|Cerulean Sign]].
  
 
== Encyclopedia entry ==
 
== Encyclopedia entry ==
Line 221: Line 124:
 
  but exceeding slow.|the Bestiary of Xygag}}
 
  but exceeding slow.|the Bestiary of Xygag}}
  
 +
==References==
 +
<references/>
 +
{{nethack-366}}
 
[[Category:Monsters]]
 
[[Category:Monsters]]
 
[[Category:Monster classes]]
 
[[Category:Monster classes]]
−
{{nethack-343}}
 

Latest revision as of 08:46, 29 October 2023

The piercer, p, is a monster class in NetHack that contains the following monsters:

  • p rock piercer
  • p iron piercer
  • p glass piercer

Common traits

Piercers are carnivorous animals that are always generated as hostile. They are capable of hiding on the ceiling, and attempt to fall onto you just as you pass beneath. The fall itself deals 4d6 damage regardless of piercer type, but is rather inaccurate and dependent on your AC - it has only a 3⁄5 chance of hitting you at 10 AC, and will always miss a player with at least −2 AC. Wearing any metallic helm will reduce the attack's damage to 2 HP, with the blow glancing off it.[1] Finding a piercer via methods such as searching, warning or extrinsic telepathy will reveal them and prevent the falling attack from occurring.

Outside of this, piercers are the slowest monsters in the dungeon with a measly 1 speed - their sole bite attack is somewhat damaging for the point at which you first encounter them, but this can easily be mitigated by keeping your distance. Piercers have relatively low AC that can pose a problem to players lacking a decent weapon, but are otherwise trivial to dispatch.

All piercers leave ordinary fleshy corpses - the adjectives prefixing their names describe what each piercer resembles, rather than what they or their shells are composed of.

Description

p rock piercer Rock piercer.png
Difficulty 4
Attacks

Bite 2d6

Base level 3
Base experience 28
Speed 1
Base AC 3
Base MR 0
Alignment 0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means) 4 (Uncommon)
Genocidable Yes
Weight 200
Nutritional value 200
Size Small
Resistances None
Resistances conveyed

None

A rock piercer:

Reference monst.c#line661

Rock piercers are generally the first type of piercer you will encounter, and have a weaker AC of 3. It also gives less nutrition compared to the other piercers.

Generation

A rock piercer will always appear on the Plane of Earth.

p iron piercer Iron piercer.png
Difficulty 6
Attacks

Bite 3d6

Base level 5
Base experience 63
Speed 1
Base AC 0
Base MR 0
Alignment 0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means) 2 (Quite rare)
Genocidable Yes
Weight 400
Nutritional value 300
Size Medium
Resistances None
Resistances conveyed

None

An iron piercer:

Reference monst.c#line668
p glass piercer Glass piercer.png
Difficulty 9
Attacks

Bite 4d6

Base level 7
Base experience 106
Speed 1
Base AC 0
Base MR 0
Alignment 0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means) 1 (Very rare)
Genocidable Yes
Weight 400
Nutritional value 300
Size Medium
Resistances Acid
Resistances conveyed

None

A glass piercer:

Reference monst.c#line675

Glass piercers are acid resistant, and are the only piercers to possess any kind of resistance.

History

The piercer has been present in the game since Jay Fenlason's Hack - NetHack 3.0.0 introduces the three distinct types of piercer.

Origin

A piercer is a snail-like gastropod that first appeared in Dungeons & Dragons. It has a shell that resembles a stalactite, and clings to the ceiling of caverns and dungeons, mimicking a stalactite and falling down to impale anything that passes underneath. The "bestiary of Xygag" mentioned in the encyclopedia entry is an in-universe equivalent to the Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual - the excerpt originates in "The Ecology of the Piercer" by Chris Elliott and Richard Edward, published in issue #72 of Dragon magazine.

Messages

A <foo> piercer suddenly drops off the ceiling!
A hostile piercer attempted to land on you.
You are almost hit by a falling <foo> piercer!
The piercer's falling attack missed.
You are hit by a falling <foo> piercer!
The piercer hit you and inflicted damage.
Its blow glances off your helm.
As above, but you are wearing a metallic helm, reducing the damage to 2.

Variants

Lethe patch

In the Lethe Gorge within the original Lethe patch, the second level contains an iron piercer along with another random p.

Convict patch

In the Convict patch as well as variants that incorporate the role, the lower filler levels on the Convict quest contain an assortment of piercers.

xNetHack

In xNetHack, piercers have a dexterity-based percentage chance of missing the player, and a speed-dependent chance of missing a targeted monster. A metallic helm will only halve the damage dealt from being hit by a falling piercer.

dNetHack

dNetHack adds the heaven piercer, which is much faster and stronger than most piercers - although still relatively slow - and can stun the player with its bite.

The Elder Sign is a ward that can repel piercers, as is the hallucinatory Cerulean Sign.

Encyclopedia entry

Ye Piercer doth look like unto a stalactyte, and hangeth
 from the roofs of caves and caverns. Unto the height of a
 man, and thicker than a man's thigh do they grow, and in
 groups do they hang. If a creature doth pass beneath them,
 they will by its heat and noise perceive it, and fall upon
 it to kill and devour it, though in any other way they move
 but exceeding slow.

the Bestiary of Xygag

References

  1. ↑ src/hack.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 2248
Retrieved from "https://nethackwiki.com/index.php?title=Piercer&oldid=155870"