Arch Priest
@ Arch Priest 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 30 |
| Attacks |
Weapon 4d10, kick 2d8, 2d8 casting clerical, 2d8 casting clerical |
| Base level | 25 |
| Base experience | 876 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | 7 |
| Base MR | 70 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Unique |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | Medium |
| Resistances | Fire, shock, sleep, poison |
| Resistances conveyed | None |
|
The Arch Priest:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line3120 |
The Arch Priest, @, is the Priest quest leader. He is identical to a high priest in attacks, resistances and attributes, with the only difference being slightly lower speed.
The Arch Priest has a strong weapon attack, a kick attack, and will attempt to cast two clerical monster spells during each of his turns. He possesses fire resistance, shock resistance, sleep resistance, and poison resistance like high priests do.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
Per commit 20cbadcf, killing quest leaders no longer makes the game unwinnable, and the Arch Priest and other quest leaders are given stat buffs and additional equipment to compensate. The Arch Priest's speed is increased to 15, and his MR score becomes 90.Contents
Generation
The Arch Priests resides within the Great Temple, the Priest quest's home level, and stands on the adjacent square to the east of the unaligned altar. He is always generated with similar equipment to other aligned priests: a mace of an enchantment from +1 to +3, which has a 1⁄2 chance to be made cursed.[1] small shield, 20–29 zorkmids, and one of the following cloaks: a 6⁄7 chance of a robe, a 2⁄21 chance of a cloak of protection, and a 1⁄21 chance of a cloak of magic resistance.[2]
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
As part of commit 20cbadcf, the Arch Priest always generates with a +4 robe and a +4 mace.Strategy
The Arch Priest is perhaps the strongest quest leader in NetHack in terms of difficulty and sheer damage output, though this will not normally be witnessed in action unless you use conflict else or manage to commit a game-ending error.
History
The Arch Priest is introduced with most other quest leaders in NetHack 3.1.0.
Variants
Some variants make the Arch Priest and other quest leaders stronger to accommodate changes to the Quest and its entry mechanics, and these changes may be incorporated into upcoming versions of NetHack or else be borrowed from them.
SporkHack
In SporkHack, the Arch Priest has his difficulty increased to 24. The Arch Priest's speed is increased to 15, and his MR score is 90. He also gains flight and stoning resistance.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, all three points of the Arch Priest's base AC are in the protection category.
The Arch Priest always generates with a blessed +7 khakkhara, a blessed +7 robe, and a blessed +7 helm of brilliance.
xNetHack
In xNetHack, the Arch Priest's stats are improved as in SporkHack, minus the difficulty increase, flight and resistances.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, the Arch Priest's stats are improved as in xNetHack.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, the Arch Priest's stats and resistances are improved as in SporkHack, minus the difficulty increase and flight.
The Arch Priest always generates with a +4 robe and a +4 mace. If The Mitre of Holiness is successfully wished for by a non-Priest, there is a x⁄x+1 chance (where x is the amount of previous artifact wishes) of a hostile Arch Priest generating adjacent to the character with the artifact in his possession.
All of the above information also applies to Hack'EM.
Encyclopedia entry
[...] For the two priests were talking exactly like priests, piously, with learning and leisure, about the most aerial enigmas of theology. The little Essex priest spoke the more simply, with his round face turned to the strengthening stars; the other talked with his head bowed, as if he were not even worthy to look at them. But no more innocently clerical conversation could have been heard in any white Italian cloister or black Spanish cathedral. The first he heard was the tail of one of Father Brown's sentences, which ended: "... what they really meant in the Middle Ages by the heavens being incorruptible." The taller priest nodded his bowed head and said: "Ah, yes, these modern infidels appeal to their reason; but who can look at those millions of worlds and not feel that there may well be wonderful universes above us where reason is utterly unreasonable?"
