Locust - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: forgot this somehow

2026-05-14T15:40:22Z

forgot this somehow

Umbire the Phantom: /* Origin */ tweak

2026-01-05T23:43:26Z

‎Origin: tweak

Umbire the Phantom: origin, encyc

2026-01-05T11:07:38Z

origin, encyc

Umbire the Phantom: they're actually way more identical across variants than I'd hoped... this'll have to suffice to avoid duplicating information too heavily

2026-01-04T09:46:00Z

they're actually way more identical across variants than I'd hoped... this'll have to suffice to avoid duplicating information too heavily

NetSysFire: unfortunately also present in evilhack

2024-04-05T10:55:13Z

unfortunately also present in evilhack

Umbire the Phantom at 10:35, 14 January 2020

2020-01-14T10:35:26Z

Cherokee Jack: Moved to new category

2015-07-07T23:42:53Z

Moved to new category

Cherokee Jack: Added encyclopedia entry

2015-07-04T02:43:14Z

Added encyclopedia entry

Hhyloc at 11:54, 28 August 2013

2013-08-28T11:54:17Z

Ihatesoldiera at 22:48, 17 July 2013

2013-07-17T22:48:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:40, 14 May 2026
Line 29:		Line 29:

	Hostile locusts can be generated by the [[summon insects]] [[monster spell]].		Hostile locusts can be generated by the [[summon insects]] [[monster spell]].
		+
		+	Locusts can appear among the {{white\|a}} that are part of the first [[quest]] [[monster class]] for [[Valkyrie]]s and make up {{frac\|24\|175}} of the monsters randomly generated on the [[Valkyrie quest]] in each variant.

	==Strategy==		==Strategy==

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 ==Origin==
 {{wikipedia}}
-The term "locust" is used to refer to various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family ''Acrididae'' that have a swarming phase. Locusts may also generally refer to [[Wikipedia:Cicada|cicadas]] (who are often called locusts when they swarm) or specifically to ''[[Wikipedia:Magicicada|Magicicada]]'', a genus of cicadas often referred to as "13-year or 17-year locusts". The term is derived from the Latin ''locusta'' ("locust" or "lobster").
+The term "locust" is used to refer to various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family ''Acrididae'' that have a swarming phase. Locusts may also generally refer to [[Wikipedia:Cicada|cicadas]] (who are often called locusts when they swarm) or specifically to ''[[Wikipedia:Magicicada|Magicicada]]'', a genus of cicadas often referred to as "13-year/17-year locusts". The term is derived from the Latin ''locusta'' ("locust" or "lobster").
 Species of short-horn grasshoppers considered "locusts" are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they become more abundant and change their behavior and habits, becoming gregarious&mdash;the basis for the definition is whether a species forms swarms under intermittently suitable weather conditions, which is a behavior this has evolved independently in multiple lineages, comprising at least 18 genera in 5 different subfamilies. Suitable conditions generally consist of drought followed by rapid vegetation growth, causing the serotonin in their brains to trigger aggregation and other dramatic changes, e.g. abundant breeding and nomadic behavior (loosely described as migratory), when their populations become dense enough.  A species of locusts that swarms will form bands of wingless nymphs that later become swarms of winged adults, and both the bands and the swarms move around and consume most of the green vegetation wherever the swarm settles, rapidly stripping fields and damaging crops in the process.

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 Across variants, the locust is notorious for swarming [[heroes]] and inflicting sickness with their stings: the repeated stinging will require them to cure it as soon as possible before they die [[Delayed instadeath|in a handful of turns]], and the locusts' [[AC]] of 0 will make landing hits difficult unless the hero has sufficiently-trained or enchanted weapons on hand. Locusts remain hazardous throughout a majority of the game even after a hero expands or completes their kit enough to deal with them, and their presence makes hostile clerical spellcasters much more dangerous as well, since they may summon locusts when creating insects to hound you with.
-[[Elbereth]] can prevent locusts from getting close enough to sting the hero if they have access to it, and a [[unicorn horn]] or other sickness cure is all but required to survive encounters with them&mdash;if all else fails, hope that you can safely [[pray]] after disposing of them. Locusts have no [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]], so any [[wand]]s or [[spell]]s that can weaken or kill them outright will prove valuable. Pay close attention to your status bar when fighting , and if the variant allows it, use {{kbd|ctrl|x}} to view your [[base attributes]] and check for terminal illness.
+[[Elbereth]] can prevent locusts from getting close enough to sting the hero if they have access to it, and a [[unicorn horn]] or other sickness cure is all but required to survive encounters with them&mdash;if all else fails, hope that you can safely [[pray]] after disposing of them. Locusts have no [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]], so any [[wand]]s or [[spell]]s that can weaken or kill them outright will prove valuable. Pay close attention to your status bar when fighting, and if the variant allows it, use {{kbd|ctrl|x}} to view your [[base attributes]] and check for terminal illness.
 ==Encyclopedia entry==
 ===UnNetHack===
 {{encyclopedia|
-	A minute invertebrate animal; one of the class _Insecta_. The
+A minute invertebrate animal; one of the class _Insecta_. The
-	true insects or hexapods have the body divided into a head,
+true insects or hexapods have the body divided into a head,
-	a thorax of 3 segments, each of which bears a pair of legs,
+a thorax of 3 segments, each of which bears a pair of legs,
-	and an abdomen of 7 to 11 segments, and in development usually
+and an abdomen of 7 to 11 segments, and in development usually
-	pass through a metamorphosis. There are usually 2 pairs of wings,
+pass through a metamorphosis. There are usually 2 pairs of wings,
-	sometimes one pair or none.
+sometimes one pair or none.
-		[ Webster's Comprehensive International Dictionary
+{{right-align|[ Webster's Comprehensive International Dictionary of the English Language ]}}
-	Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will
+Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will
-	I bring the locusts into thy coast:
+I bring the locusts into thy coast:
-	And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able
+And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able
-	to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is
+to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is
-	escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every
+escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every
-	tree which groweth for you out of the field:
+tree which groweth for you out of the field:
-	And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants,
+And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants,
-	and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor
+and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor
-	thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the
+thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the
-	earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.
+earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.
-		|[ Exodus, 10:4-6 ]
+|[ Exodus, 10:4-6 ]
 }}
 ===EvilHack===
 {{encyclopedia|
-	And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and
+And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and
-	the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and
+the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and
-	all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought
+all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought
-	the locusts.  And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt,
+the locusts.  And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt,
-	and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they;
+and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they;
-	before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after
+before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after
-	them shall be such.  For they covered the face of the whole earth,
+them shall be such.  For they covered the face of the whole earth,
-	so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the
+so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the
-	land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and
+land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and
-	there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs
+there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs
-	of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
+of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
-		[ Exodus, 10:13-15 ]
+{{right-align|[ Exodus, 10:13-15 ]}}
-	The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had
+The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had
-	fallen from the sky to the earth.  The star was given the key to
+fallen from the sky to the earth.  The star was given the key to
-	the shaft of the Abyss.  When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from
+the shaft of the Abyss.  When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from
-	it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.  The sun and sky were
+it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.  The sun and sky were
-	darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.  And out of the smoke locusts
+darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.  And out of the smoke locusts
-	came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions
+came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions
-	of the earth.  They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or
+of the earth.  They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or
-	any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal
+any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal
-	of God on their foreheads.  They were not allowed to kill them but
+of God on their foreheads.  They were not allowed to kill them but
-	only to torture them for five months.  And the agony they suffered
+only to torture them for five months.  And the agony they suffered
-	was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes.  During
+was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes.  During
-	those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will
+those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will
-	long to die, but death will elude them.  The locusts looked like
+long to die, but death will elude them.  The locusts looked like
-	horses prepared for battle.  On their heads they wore something like
+horses prepared for battle.  On their heads they wore something like
-	crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.
+crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.
-		[ The Book of Revelation, 9:1-7 ]
+|[ The Book of Revelation, 9:1-7 ]
 }}{{variant-343}}
 [[Category:SporkHack monsters]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{monster
+{{ monster
   |name=locust
- |tile=&nbsp;<!-- SporkHack has no tiles (yet?) -->
+  |difficulty=11
   |level=9
-  |experience=?
+  |experience=151 (EvilHack)
   |speed=12
-  |AC=?
+  |AC=0
-  |MR=?
+  |MR=0
-  |align=?
+  |align=0
-  |frequency=?
+  |frequency=1
   |genocidable=Yes
-  |attacks=*1d8 physical
+  |attacks=[[Bite attack|Bite]] 1d8 [[Physical damage|physical]], [[Sting attack|sting]] 1d4 [[disease]]
-*1d4 [[disease]]
+  |resistances conveyed=[[poison resistance]]<ul><li>[[Partial intrinsic|+5%]] (EvilHack and Hack'EM)</li><li>60% (other variants)</li></ul>
-  |weight=?
+  |resistances=[[poison resistance]], [[immunity to sickness]] (Hack'EM only)
- |nutr=?
+  |attributes={{attributes|A locust|animal=1|fly=1|nohands=1|oviparous=1|pois=1|hostile=1|nosheol=1|sgroup=1}}{{attributes|In Hack'EM, a locust also|herbivore=1|m4_vulnerable_acid=1}}
- |size=?
+ |size=Tiny
-  |resistances=Poison
+ |nutr=5
- |resistances conveyed=Poison (? %)
+ |weight=1
-  |attributes={{attributes|A locust|animal=1|fly=1|nohands=1|pois=1|sgroup=1}}
+  |reference=[https://github.com/k21971/EvilHack/blob/master/src/monst.c#L162 EvilHack - monst.c, line 162]
 }}
-The '''locust''' is a new [[monster]] that appears in [[EvilHack]], [[SporkHack]] and [[UnNetHack]]. They are notable for their [[disease]] attack.
+A '''locust''', {{gray|a}}, is a type of [[monster]] that first appears in [[SporkHack]], and is also included in [[UnNetHack]], [[SpliceHack]], [[EvilHack]], [[SlashTHEM]], and [[Hack'EM]]. The locust is a tiny [[insect]] that is [[oviparous]] and capable of [[flight]], and in Hack'EM they are also [[herbivorous]].
 ==Strategy==
-If you encounter these before you have a [[unicorn horn]], then [[Elbereth]] may help to avoid being hit; if you have no means of curing disease in your inventory, be prepared to pray after fighting these. Late in the game, these may be summoned by [[aligned priest]]s who cast [[summon insects]]; your [[AC]] should be low enough by then to dodge the majority of locust attacks, so the unicorn horn remains a sufficient way to cure their disease.
+Across variants, the locust is notorious for swarming [[heroes]] and inflicting sickness with their stings: the repeated stinging will require them to cure it as soon as possible before they die [[Delayed instadeath|in a handful of turns]], and the locusts' [[AC]] of 0 will make landing hits difficult unless the hero has sufficiently-trained or enchanted weapons on hand. Locusts remain hazardous throughout a majority of the game even after a hero expands or completes their kit enough to deal with them, and their presence makes hostile clerical spellcasters much more dangerous as well, since they may summon locusts when creating insects to hound you with.
-==Encyclopedia entry (UnNetHack) ==
+[[Elbereth]] can prevent locusts from getting close enough to sting the hero if they have access to it, and a [[unicorn horn]] or other sickness cure is all but required to survive encounters with them&mdash;if all else fails, hope that you can safely [[pray]] after disposing of them. Locusts have no [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]], so any [[wand]]s or [[spell]]s that can weaken or kill them outright will prove valuable. Pay close attention to your status bar when fighting , and if the variant allows it, use {{kbd|ctrl|x}} to view your [[base attributes]] and check for terminal illness.
 {{encyclopedia|
 	A minute invertebrate animal; one of the class _Insecta_. The
@@ Line 49: / Line 59: @@
 		|[ Exodus, 10:4-6 ]
 }}
 [[Category:SporkHack monsters]]
 [[Category:UnNetHack monsters]]

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
   |reference=
 }}
-The '''locust''' is a new [[monster]] that appears in [[SporkHack]] and [[UnNetHack]]. They are notable for their [[disease]] attack.
+The '''locust''' is a new [[monster]] that appears in [[EvilHack]], [[SporkHack]] and [[UnNetHack]]. They are notable for their [[disease]] attack.
 ==Strategy==

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 		|[ Exodus, 10:4-6 ]
 }}
-{{stub}}[[Category:SporkHack monsters]] [[Category:UnNetHack]]
+{{stub}}[[Category:SporkHack monsters]] [[Category:UnNetHack monsters]]