Displacer beast - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* History */ word choice

2026-06-17T13:19:13Z

‎History: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* History */ correction to reflect Jay's Hack

2026-06-17T13:18:58Z

‎History: correction to reflect Jay's Hack

Umbire the Phantom: more detailing/comment-work

2026-06-09T19:46:03Z

more detailing/comment-work

Umbire the Phantom: start variants before I shower

2026-06-09T18:27:49Z

start variants before I shower

Umbire the Phantom: ref

2026-06-09T17:53:04Z

ref

Umbire the Phantom: citations and some detailing

2026-06-09T17:48:18Z

citations and some detailing

Umbire the Phantom: start nh5 updating

2026-06-09T17:26:50Z

start nh5 updating

Beakerboy: updated version

2026-06-08T17:44:39Z

updated version

Umbire the Phantom: potholes

2026-05-19T03:20:23Z

potholes

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2026-01-08T14:08:46Z

word choice

@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 ==History==
-The displacer beast first appears in [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]], where it uses the {{white|d}} glyph. The monster makes its vanilla ''NetHack'' debut in [[NetHack 5.0.0]] via {{commit|7817e69c41a145cb9426ec96e0feee2aed6f0be6}}, with its stats and attributes are derived from its appearances in [[SLASH 6]] and [[SLASH'EM]].
+The displacer beast first appears in [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]], where it uses the {{white|d}} glyph. The monster makes its vanilla ''NetHack'' debut in [[NetHack 5.0.0]] via {{commit|7817e69c41a145cb9426ec96e0feee2aed6f0be6}}, with its stats, glyph and attributes derived from its appearances in [[SLASH 6]] and [[SLASH'EM]].
 ==Origin==

@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 ==History==
-The displacer beast first appears in [[SLASH 6]] and [[SLASH'EM]], and makes its vanilla ''NetHack'' debut in [[NetHack 5.0.0]] via {{commit|7817e69c41a145cb9426ec96e0feee2aed6f0be6}}.
+The displacer beast first appears in [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]], where it uses the {{white|d}} glyph. The monster makes its vanilla ''NetHack'' debut in [[NetHack 5.0.0]] via {{commit|7817e69c41a145cb9426ec96e0feee2aed6f0be6}}, with its stats and attributes are derived from its appearances in [[SLASH 6]] and [[SLASH'EM]].
 ==Origin==

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 }}
 {{for|the monster in other variants|Displacer beast (disambiguation)}}
-A '''displacer beast''', {{monsym|displacer beast}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in [[NetHack 5.0.0]]. The displacer beast is a large and quadrupedal [[feline]] [[animal]] that is [[carnivorous]], has [[infravision]] and can be seen via infravision like other felines.
+A '''displacer beast''', {{monsym|displacer beast}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in [[NetHack 5.0.0]]. The displacer beast is a large and quadrupedal [[feline]] [[animal]] that is [[carnivorous]], has [[infravision]] and can be seen via infravision like other felines. A moving displacer beast can displace other monsters that have a lower [[monster level]] and are the same size as the displacer beast or smaller{{refsrc|src/mon.c|2449-L2472|nethack=5.0.0}}&mdash;they cannot displace [[long worm]]s or monsters that are caught in a trap, and will not displace [[grid bug]]s diagonally.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|2463-L2467|nethack=5.0.0}}
-A displacer beast can both displace other monsters while moving and naturally has the [[Displacement (property)|displacement]] property: A [[hero]] that attacks a displacer beast (including by [[force-fighting]]) has a {{frac|2}} chance of "displacing" them instead, moving the hero into that square and relocating the displacer beast to a nearby square{{refsrc|src/hack.c|1971-L1989|nethack=5.0.0}}&mdash;this will not occur if the displacer beast cannot be relocated to a valid position, or else if it is currently helpless, [[eating]] or caught in a [[trap]], and this ability is unaffected by [[cancellation]].
+Displacer beasts naturally have the [[Displacement (property)|displacement]] property: A [[hero]] that attacks a displacer beast (including by [[force-fighting]]) has a {{frac|2}} chance of "displacing" them instead, moving the hero into that square and relocating the displacer beast to a nearby square.{{refsrc|src/hack.c|1971-L1989|nethack=5.0.0}} This will not occur if the displacer beast cannot be relocated to a valid position, or else if it is currently helpless, [[eating]] or caught in a [[trap]], and this ability is unaffected by [[cancellation]].
 Displacer beasts have two [[claw attack]]s and a [[bite attack]].
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 Randomly-generated displacer beasts are always created hostile.
-Hostile displacer beasts can be created by the [[summon nasties]] [[monster spell]].{{refsrc|src/wizard.c|38|nethack=5.0.0}}
+Hostile displacer beasts can be created by the [[summon nasties]] [[monster spell]] when it is cast in [[Gehennom]] or by a hostile chaotic [[spellcaster]].{{refsrc|src/wizard.c|38|nethack=5.0.0}}
 ==Strategy==
@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 {{main|Displacer beast (dNetHack)}}
-Displacer beast (SpliceHack), as it appears in SpliceHack
+===SpliceHack===
-Displacer beast (EvilHack), as it appears in EvilHack and Hack'EM-->
+{{main|Displacer beast (SpliceHack)}}
 ==Encyclopedia entry==

@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 ==Messages==
-{{message|<The displacer beast> swaps places with you...|A displacer beast exchanged places with you when you tried to attack it.}}<!--
+{{message|<The displacer beast> swaps places with you...|A displacer beast exchanged places with you when you tried to attack it.}}
-==Variants== <- in preparation for 3.7.0's eventual release-->
+==Variants==
 ==Encyclopedia entry==

@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 fooled by displaced images of others.
 }}
 {{nethack-500}}
 [[Category:Monsters]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{monster
   |name=displacer beast
@@ Line 18: / Line 17: @@
   |resistances conveyed=[[Displacement (property)|displacement]] (100%, 6-36 turns)
   |attributes={{attributes|A displacer beast|animal=1|nohands=1|carnivore=1|hostile=1|nasty=1|infravisible=1|infravision=1|displaces=1}}
-  |reference=[https://github.com/NetHack/NetHack/blob/719166f9eca14bd01b42d6cce94f684f5dec121f/include/monsters.h#L435 NetHack 3.7.0 (last commit 0e50adc) - include/monsters.h, line 435]
+  |reference=[https://github.com/NetHack/NetHack/blob/NetHack-5.0.0_Released/include/monsters.h#L437 NetHack 5.0.0 - include/monsters.h, line 437]
 }}
 {{for|the monster in other variants|Displacer beast (disambiguation)}}
-A '''displacer beast''', {{monsym|displacer beast}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in [[NetHack 5.0.0]], and also appears in [[xNetHack]]. The displacer beast is a large and quadrupedal [[feline]] [[animal]] that is [[carnivorous]], has [[infravision]] and can be seen via infravision like other felines. A displacer beast can both displace other monsters while moving and naturally has the [[Displacement (property)|displacement]] property: A [[hero]] that attacks a displacer beast (including by [[force-fighting]]) has a {{frac|2}} chance of "displacing" them instead, moving the hero into that square and relocating the displacer beast to a nearby square. This will not occur if the displacer beast cannot be relocated to a valid position, or else if it is currently helpless, eating or trapped&mdash;the ability is also unaffected by [[cancellation]].
+A '''displacer beast''', {{monsym|displacer beast}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in [[NetHack 5.0.0]]. The displacer beast is a large and quadrupedal [[feline]] [[animal]] that is [[carnivorous]], has [[infravision]] and can be seen via infravision like other felines. A displacer beast can both displace other monsters while moving and naturally has the [[Displacement (property)|displacement]] property: A [[hero]] that attacks a displacer beast (including by [[force-fighting]]) has a {{frac|2}} chance of "displacing" them instead, moving the hero into that square and relocating the displacer beast to a nearby square. This will not occur if the displacer beast cannot be relocated to a valid position, or else if it is currently helpless, eating or trapped&mdash;the ability is also unaffected by [[cancellation]].
 Displacer beasts have two [[claw attack]]s and a [[bite attack]].
@@ Line 30: / Line 29: @@
 Randomly-generated displacer beasts are always created hostile.
-Hostile displacer beasts can be created by the [[summon nasties]] [[monster spell]] when it is cast by a hostile [[spellcaster]].
+Hostile displacer beasts can be created by the [[summon nasties]] [[monster spell]].
 ==Strategy==
 Displacer beasts are serious threats to mid-game heroes and even some late-game heroes: their -10 [[AC]] makes them quite hard to hit, and they can inflict major damage with their melee attacks. Though they are not without exploitable weaknesses, such as a complete lack of [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] or any form of [[resistance]] properties, any means of softening up a displacer beast will require being able to hit it in the first place.
-With this in mind, one of the displacer beast's major weaknesses involves exploiting their eponymous displacement abilities: a displacer beast can displace itself into a [[moat]], pool or [[lava]] and die instantly from [[drowning]] or incineration. Displacer beasts that can be hit with any immobilizing magic or abilities, e.g. a [[wand of sleep]] ray or a [[potion of paralysis]], are easier to defeat if the hero is capable of reliably hitting through their AC. Their [[speed]] of 12 also means that any unburdened hero with speed can outrun it if need be.
+With this in mind, one of the displacer beast's major weaknesses involves exploiting their eponymous displacement abilities: a displacer beast can displace itself into a [[moat]], pool or [[lava]] and die instantly from [[drowning]] or incineration. Displacer beasts that can be hit with any immobilizing magic or abilities, e.g. a [[wand of sleep]] ray or a [[potion of paralysis]], are easier to defeat if the hero is capable of reliably hitting through their AC. Their [[speed]] of 12 also means that any unburdened hero with speed can outrun it if need be&mdash;burdened heroes with very fast speed are still capable of evading them, though this is naturally not as reliable.
 Additionally, the displacer beast's lack of MR score means that [[taming]] magic and similar effects will always be effective&mdash;displacer beasts are also very strong pets due to their AC, and can take out much more troublesome hostile monsters without losing as much health to retaliation.
 ==History==
-The displacer beast first appears in [[SLASH 6]] and [[SLASH'EM]].
+The displacer beast first appears in [[SLASH 6]] and [[SLASH'EM]], and makes its vanilla ''NetHack'' debut in [[NetHack 5.0.0]] via {{commit|7817e69c41a145cb9426ec96e0feee2aed6f0be6}}.
 ==Origin==
@@ Line 64: / Line 63: @@
 positions with people or creatures in its path and is not
 fooled by displaced images of others.
-}}<!--{{nethack-370}}-->
+}}
 [[Category:Monsters]]

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
   |frequency=1
   |resistances=None
-  |resistances conveyed=[[displacement]] (100%, 6-36 turns)
+  |resistances conveyed=[[Displacement (property)|displacement]] (100%, 6-36 turns)
   |attributes={{attributes|A displacer beast|animal=1|nohands=1|carnivore=1|hostile=1|nasty=1|infravisible=1|infravision=1|displaces=1}}
   |reference=[https://github.com/NetHack/NetHack/blob/719166f9eca14bd01b42d6cce94f684f5dec121f/include/monsters.h#L435 NetHack 3.7.0 (last commit 0e50adc) - include/monsters.h, line 435]
 }}
 {{for|the monster in other variants|Displacer beast (disambiguation)}}
-A '''displacer beast''', {{monsym|displacer beast}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in [[NetHack 3.7.0]], and also appears in [[xNetHack]]. The displacer beast is a large and quadrupedal [[feline]] [[animal]] that is [[carnivorous]], has [[infravision]] and can be seen via infravision like other felines. A displacer beast can both displace other monsters while moving and naturally has the [[displacement]] property: A [[hero]] that attacks a displacer beast (including by [[force-fighting]]) has a {{frac|2}} chance of "displacing" them instead, moving the hero into that square and relocating the displacer beast to a nearby square. This will not occur if the displacer beast cannot be relocated to a valid position, or else if it is currently helpless, eating or trapped&mdash;the ability is also unaffected by [[cancellation]].
+A '''displacer beast''', {{monsym|displacer beast}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in [[NetHack 3.7.0]], and also appears in [[xNetHack]]. The displacer beast is a large and quadrupedal [[feline]] [[animal]] that is [[carnivorous]], has [[infravision]] and can be seen via infravision like other felines. A displacer beast can both displace other monsters while moving and naturally has the [[Displacement (property)|displacement]] property: A [[hero]] that attacks a displacer beast (including by [[force-fighting]]) has a {{frac|2}} chance of "displacing" them instead, moving the hero into that square and relocating the displacer beast to a nearby square. This will not occur if the displacer beast cannot be relocated to a valid position, or else if it is currently helpless, eating or trapped&mdash;the ability is also unaffected by [[cancellation]].
 Displacer beasts have two [[claw attack]]s and a [[bite attack]].