Sliming
Sliming is a serious status affliction in NetHack that occurs if you are hit by the touch attack of a green slime, use a biting or brain-sucking attack against it, engulf it, or eat a glob of green slime. It is shown as Slime in the status line.
Description
The sliming process will irreversibly transform you in nine turns, which is fatal - this is shortened to four turns if you have engulfed it. If you "die" as a result of sliming and leave bones, your character will be a green slime rather than a ghost. Other monsters that suffer from sliming can live on as a green slime; if your life is saved by an amulet of life saving, you will also survive as a green slime, unless they have been genocided. This is treated as a polymorph that will wear off as normal.
There is no specific, intrinsic resistance to sliming. The only ways to gain resistance are to wear an amulet of unchanging or else polymorph into a green slime or a fiery monster.
Curing
There are a few methods of curing sliming, all of which are listed below:
- Burn away the slime using any fire-based attack: zapping yourself with a wand of fire, reading a scroll of fire, being caught in an explosion from a lit potion of oil, or throwing a weapon that inflicts fire damage, such as Fire Brand, upwards via <. Drinking a burning potion of oil will not cure sliming. Monsters afflicted by sliming that can breathe fire will do so at themselves to burn away the slime.[1]
- Controlled polymorphing into either a green slime yourself or a fiery monster (specifically a fire vortex, flaming sphere, fire elemental, or salamander).[2].
- Casting cure sickness successfully causes the slime to disappear.
- #invoking the Staff of Aesculapius cures sliming among other status effects.
- Prayer is also effective at removing slime, assuming you are not in Gehennom (where green slimes can randomly generate).
- An amulet of life saving will allow you to survive as a green slime, provided they have not been genocided.
- An amulet of unchanging will immediately abort the sliming process if worn during it.
Strategy
If you have controlled polymorph, it is generally preferable to polymorph into a fiery monster - this renders you immune to subsequent sliming attacks, and most fiery monsters are solid fighting forms. The salamander in particular is the only fiery monster with eyes, and can wear all armor except boots. Fire vortices are also a good option - although they are blind, they are extremely fast and can pick up items.
The good news about sliming lacking a formal resistance is that the Wizard of Yendor and the Endgame Riders are not immune.
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History
In NetHack 3.6.1 and earlier versions, surviving via life saving would leave you in your current form instead of turning you into a green slime.
Messages
| Message | Turns to live |
|---|---|
| "You don't feel very well." | 9 |
| "You are turning a little green." | 8 |
| "Your limbs are getting oozy." | 6 |
| "Your skin begins to peel away." | 4 |
| "You are turning into a green slime." | 2 |
| "You have become a green slime." | 0 |
