Elf-lord

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An elf-lord, @, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. They are a strong type of elves with two weapon attacks and possess sleep resistance, infravision and the ability to see invisible.

Eating an elf-lord corpse or tin has a 53% chance of conferring sleep resistance.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

The elf-lord has been renamed to the elf-noble; male elf-nobles are elf-lords, while female elf-nobles are called elf-ladies.

As part of resolving issue #679 regarding congruence between non-player monsters and their player counterparts, commit b6a3d4b makes it so that elf-nobles and other strong elven polyforms are capped at 18 strength as player elves are.

Generation

Elf-lords can generate in small groups, and randomly-generated elf-lords are peaceful towards chaotic elven players and occasionally peaceful towards chaotic humans. Woodland-elves, Green-elves, and Grey-elves can grow up into elf-lords, and elf-lords can grow up into Elvenkings.

In addition to normal random generation, elf-lords can also be generated by the summon nasties monster spell.

Elf-lords are eligible for offensive, defensive and miscellaneous items, and are generated with elven equipment like other elves:[1]

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

An elf will grow up into a elf-noble of the appropriate gender, rather than always becoming a male elf-lord regardless of gender.

Strategy

Groups of elf-lords can be quite dangerous to a mid-game character: Elf-lords that have a bow and arrows can pepper you with them repeatedly from a distance with their two weapon attacks, and their status as a lord to their kind allows them to multishot the arrows, which can easily rack up significant damage. Furthermore, they may generate with potions of gain level that they can use to become stronger Elvenkings.

As a monster that can be generated via summon nasties, they are not as dangerous as an Elvenking, but their ability to ignore Elbereth like most elves makes them more difficult to drive off than other monsters.

History

The elf-lord first appears in NetHack 3.0.0.

Variants

Some variants adjust monster names so that female counterparts to the elf-lord are properly named and generated.

GruntHack

In GruntHack, elf-lords are replaced by the lord and lady racial monsters, which can be elven.

UnNetHack

In UnNetHack, a hostile elf-lord is generated within the fort's main hall on the third map of Fort Ludios.

dNetHack

In dNetHack, female elves will grow up into elf-ladies rather than elf lords.

An elf-lord is always generated on the level containing the magic portal to the Mordor Ruins Quest. Within the branch:

  • The River Ford level has a 34 chance of generating an elf-lord in the forest on the west side.
  • At the west edge of the Elven Forest level, an elf-lord is among the group of elves generated opposite a horde of Mordor orcs and other monsters led by a Nazgul.

Elf-lords may appear among the court of an Elvenking or Elvenqueen-ruled throne room.

SpliceHack

In SpliceHack, the monster is known as the elven noble, with male nobles called "elven lords" and female nobles called "elven ladies".

EvilHack

In EvilHack, the monster is known as the elven noble, as in SpliceHack.

As in UnNetHack, the third map of Fort Ludios generates a hostile elven noble within the fort's main hall.

Hack'EM

In Hack'EM, the monster is also known as the elven noble, as in SpliceHack and EvilHack.

References

  1. src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 222: Default equipment for elves