Gnome zombie

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A gnome zombie, Z, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. It is a zombified gnome that is the second weakest zombie after the kobold zombie, and is likely to be one of the first you will encounter. Gnome zombies can follow you to other levels if they are adjacent.

A gnome zombie has a single claw attack.

Generation

Randomly generated gnome zombies are always hostile.

Gnome zombies may appear among the zombies and other monsters that are part of the first quest monster class for Priests, and make up 24175 of the monsters that are randomly generated on the Priest quest. The branch also has several undead-filled graveyards that include gnome zombies among their ranks.

A gnome zombie will leave an aged gnome corpse upon death.[1][2]

Strategy

Gnome zombies are barely stronger than kobold zombies and noticeably weaker than live gnomes. Most roles can handle gnome zombies with the same ease as kobold zombies, and neutral protection racketeers can benefit from killing one to gain alignment record and prayer access - unlike kobold zombies, they also give a fair bit of experience that may make it more difficult to maneuver around minimizing their experience level.

History

The gnome zombie first appears in NetHack 3.0.0, where most of the various zombies are first distinguished from each other.

Variants

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, gnome zombies can be created by using the raise zombies technique while adjacent to the corpse of any gnome.

Player gnomes and dwarves entering the Gnomish Mines will encounter gnome zombies in place of normal gnomes.[3]

GruntHack

In GruntHack, gnome zombies are replaced with the zombie racial monster, which gnomes are eligible to generate as. Any non-undead gnome monster killed by a zombie will rise as a gnome zombie.

Encyclopedia entry

The zombi ... is a soulless human corpse, still dead, but taken from the grave and endowed by sorcery with a mechanical semblance of life, -- it is a dead body which is made to walk and act and move as if it were alive.

[ W. B. Seabrook ]

References

  1. src/mon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 147: Converting monster index of undead to corpses of their living counterparts
  2. src/mon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 372: Undead corpses and their ages are handled with other "special" death drops
  3. sp_lev.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 854