Hill giant

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A hill giant, H, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. The hill giant is a giant humanoid that has infravision and can be seen via infravision. Like all living giants, they will seek out gems and other items to pick up and can move over boulders, pick them up and throw them.

A hill giant has a single weapon attack.

Eating a hill giant corpse or tin has a 12 chance (50%) of increasing a character's strength.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (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.

The attacks of hill giants and other sufficiently large monsters can inflict knockback, sending targets flying one or more squares.

Hill giants and other large humanoids can wear mummy wrappings.

Generation

Hill giants may generate as peaceful towards chaotic characters, and can generate in small groups of two to four.

Hill giants may appear among the hostile giant humanoids generated in throne rooms at dungeon levels 13 and below, and can also appear among the monsters randomly generated by looting a throne while confused and carrying gold (provided there is no chest on the level).[1]

The hill giant is the second quest monster for Cavepeople, and makes up 24175 (~13.71%) of the monsters randomly generated on the Caveman quest. Several hill giants are also generated on level creation for quest floors between the home and goal level: one on the upper filler level, eight on the locate level, and two each on the lower filler level(s). Hill giants may also appear among the random H that are part of the second quest monster class for the Caveman quest, and make up 6175 (~3.42%) of the monsters that are randomly generated there. Hill giants may additionally appear among the random H that are part of the second quest monster class for Valkyries, and make up 6175 (~3.42%) of the monsters that are randomly generated on the Valkyrie quest.

A peaceful hill giant is generated asleep and imprisoned within the Dark One's dungeon on the goal level of the Wizard quest.

Hill giants have a 12 chance (50%) of being generated with either a boulder or a club with equal probability, and an independent chance of being generated with a small assortment of gems.[2][3] They are eligible for offensive items, defensive items, and miscellaneous items.

Strategy

Hill giants are somewhat slow at 10 speed and have the weakest weapon attack among giant humanoids as well as the weakest AC (tied with the minotaur at 6) - though they are not especially dangerous compared to other giants, hill giants can still pose a threat if they obtain a dangerous wand. Hill giants are generally easy to hit in melee for the point they are encountered, though they can wear non-torso armor; they are also especially vulnerable to wands and spells themselves, due to lacking any MR score.

Hill giants provide an ample opportunity for Cavemen and Valkyries to improve their strength during their quest; Cavemen also have a co-aligned sanctuary and can use the giants' boulders to fill the inconveniently-placed pit traps.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (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.

Knockback can make hill giants and other large monsters exceedingly dangerous if the player character is positioned between them and a hazard, such as pools of water or lava.

History

The hill giant first appears in NetHack 3.0.0.

Variants

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, hill giants may appear among the random H generated in giant courts and the Giant Caverns, but will not randomly generate in Gehennom.

A peaceful hill giant is generated asleep and imprisoned within Maugneshaagar's dungeon on the goal level of the Necromancer quest, which is near-identical to that of the Wizard quest.

All of the above information also applies to SlashTHEM and Hack'EM.

dNetHack

In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, hill giants are neutral-aligned and vulnerable to iron. They have an additional 14 chance of being generated with a club, due to an oversight in the code.

Hill giants may appear among the court of a titan-ruled throne room.

The revamped Healer quest has hill giants that can be generated on several of the floors at level creation: one hill giant has a 12 chance (50%) of generating on the home level; two hill giants can generate on the upper filler level, with one having a 34 chance (75%) and the other having a 14 chance (25%); one hill giant is always generated on the locate level, with a 12 chance (50%) of a second being generated; one hill giant is always generated on each of the lower filler levels, with two more that each have a 12 chance (50%) of being generated; and three hill giants are always generated on the goal level. Hill giants generated on the standard Healer quest floors are always generated with a sack special-cased to contain various live plague victims that the Healer is sent to cure during the quest.

Encyclopedia entry

Giants have always walked the earth, though they are rare in these times. They range in size from little over nine feet to a towering twenty feet or more. The larger ones use huge boulders as weapons, hurling them over large distances. All types of giants share a love for men - roasted, boiled, or fried. Their table manners are legendary.

References