Difference between revisions of "Werejackal"
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==Strategy== | ==Strategy== | ||
{{main|Lycanthropy}} | {{main|Lycanthropy}} | ||
| + | Werejackals are often the first type of lycanthrope a character can encounter - they are somewhat weak, with both forms having poor [[AC]] and an unimpressive [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 10, but their regeneration makes them somewhat tricky to kill if an early character cannot damage them consistently. Contracting lycanthropy from one will eventually cause a character to shift to a much weaker jackal form, shrink out of their armor and drop most of their inventory unless cured. When encountering werejackals, take them out as quickly as possible: Being pinned on all sides, even by the weaker canines they summon, can lead to death fairly quickly unless you can [[engrave]] [[Elbereth]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | A character that finds a silver weapon early on will want to keep it on hand until they can reliably take out werecreatures with little trouble, since the silver damage alone can dispatch them quickly, even with a restricted weapon skill. [[Pets]] can help deal with wererats, since they cannot catch lycanthropy and werecreatures only summon help while attacking you in animal form. Pulling a werejackal into a hallway is also viable: summoning in hallways makes it easier for a character to be completely surrounded, but can significantly limit the amount of monsters they have to fight simultaneously. | ||
| + | |||
| + | If possible, avoid engaging werejackals and other lycanthropes in melee while they are in animal form, unless you can cure any infections - [[eating]] [[sprigs of wolfsbane]] or [[quaff]]ing [[holy water]] will cure lycanthropy, as will successful [[prayer]]. A [[ring of protection from shape changers]] will outright prevent them from summoning monsters or infecting you. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
Revision as of 18:18, 31 January 2024
@ werejackal (human) 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 3 |
| Attacks |
Weapon 2d4 |
| Base level | 2 |
| Base experience | 22 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | 10 |
| Base MR | 10 |
| Alignment | -7 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | Medium |
| Resistances | Poison |
| Resistances conveyed |
Lycanthropy |
|
A human werejackal:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line2120 |
d werejackal (animal) 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 4 |
| Attacks |
Bite 1d4 lycanthropy, Summon friends |
| Base level | 2 |
| Base experience | 22 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | 7 |
| Base MR | 10 |
| Alignment | -7 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Always starts in human form |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 300 |
| Nutritional value | 250 |
| Size | Small |
| Resistances | Poison |
| Resistances conveyed |
Lycanthropy |
|
An animal werejackal:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line212 |
A werejackal, @ / d, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. The werejackal is an omnivorous human lycanthrope that can shift between human and canine form - in both forms, they possess enhanced regeneration and can be seen via infravision. In human form, werejackals will seek out and pick up items.
A werejackal in human form has a weapon attack, and in wolf form it has a bite that can cause lycanthropy and the ability to summon other wolves on adjacent and nearby squares when in melee range of a character. Werejackals possess poison resistance and are weak to silver.
A werejackal corpse is poisonous to eat, and eating a werejackal corpse or tin will confer lycanthropy - monsters cannot catch lycanthropy this way.
Generation
Randomly-generated werejackals are always created hostile and in human form. They are not a valid form for normal polymorph.
A werejackal summoning help has a 6⁄7 chance of generating a hostile jackal, a 2⁄21 chance of generating a hostile coyote, and a 1⁄21 chance of generating a hostile fox on each applicable square[1] - characters that get lycanthropy from a werejackal can summon the above monsters as pets by using the #monster extended command with at least 10 power.
Strategy
Werejackals are often the first type of lycanthrope a character can encounter - they are somewhat weak, with both forms having poor AC and an unimpressive MR score of 10, but their regeneration makes them somewhat tricky to kill if an early character cannot damage them consistently. Contracting lycanthropy from one will eventually cause a character to shift to a much weaker jackal form, shrink out of their armor and drop most of their inventory unless cured. When encountering werejackals, take them out as quickly as possible: Being pinned on all sides, even by the weaker canines they summon, can lead to death fairly quickly unless you can engrave Elbereth.
A character that finds a silver weapon early on will want to keep it on hand until they can reliably take out werecreatures with little trouble, since the silver damage alone can dispatch them quickly, even with a restricted weapon skill. Pets can help deal with wererats, since they cannot catch lycanthropy and werecreatures only summon help while attacking you in animal form. Pulling a werejackal into a hallway is also viable: summoning in hallways makes it easier for a character to be completely surrounded, but can significantly limit the amount of monsters they have to fight simultaneously.
If possible, avoid engaging werejackals and other lycanthropes in melee while they are in animal form, unless you can cure any infections - eating sprigs of wolfsbane or quaffing holy water will cure lycanthropy, as will successful prayer. A ring of protection from shape changers will outright prevent them from summoning monsters or infecting you.
History
The werejackal first appears in NetHack 3.0.0. From this version to NetHack 3.0.10, their animal forms are referred to as wolfweres.
The ability of werejackals to summon allied coyotes and foxes is introduced in NetHack 3.6.0. In NetHack 3.4.3 and previous versions, including some variants based on those versions, werejackals summoning help will only generate hostile jackals on each applicable square.
Encyclopedia entry
In 1573, the Parliament of Dole published a decree, permitting the inhabitants of the Franche-Comte to pursue and kill a were-wolf or loup-garou, which infested that province, "notwithstanding the existing laws concerning the chase." The people were empowered to "assemble with javelins, halberds, pikes, arquebuses and clubs, to hunt and pursue the said were-wolf in all places where they could find it, and to take, burn, and kill it, without incurring any fine or other penalty." The hunt seems to have been successful, if we may judge from the fact that the same tribunal in the following year condemned to be burned a man named Giles Garnier, who ran on all fours in the forest and fields and devoured little children, "even on Friday." The poor lycanthrope, it appears, had as slight respect for ecclesiastical feasts as the French pig, which was not restrained by any feeling of piety from eating infants on a fast day.
