Master Assassin - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ detail re: scaring

2026-03-26T04:34:35Z

‎Strategy: detail re: scaring

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ word choice

2026-03-26T04:32:36Z

‎Strategy: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants / dnh stuff

2026-03-26T04:26:20Z

‎Variants: *dnh stuff

Umbire the Phantom: infravisibility + variants

2026-03-26T03:58:38Z

infravisibility + variants

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ upcoming

2026-03-26T03:27:28Z

‎Strategy: upcoming

Umbire the Phantom: pothole, etc.

2026-03-26T03:01:25Z

pothole, etc.

Umbire the Phantom: encyc

2026-03-26T02:59:58Z

encyc

Umbire the Phantom: potholes

2026-03-26T02:57:59Z

potholes

Umbire the Phantom: finally give this some TLC

2026-03-26T02:57:32Z

finally give this some TLC

Aximili: Add explicit strategy section, removing stub notice

2020-02-24T02:48:59Z

Add explicit strategy section, removing stub notice

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 The Master Assassin's only defenses are the stoning resistance that all nemeses share, [[half physical damage]] from carrying the quest artifact, and his middling [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 30. A [[wand of death]] will make short work of him, and he can also be rendered helpless with a [[zapped]] [[wand of sleep]], a [[wielded]] or [[thrown]] [[potion of sleeping]] or {{! of|paralysis}} (paired with a source of [[free action]] if he is adjacent), or a poisoned weapon of your own such as [[dart]]s or [[shuriken]]&mdash;even a thrown [[potion of sickness]] itself can significantly weaken the Master Assassin, though he may resist all of these effects other than the wand of death and may warrant a few attempts before the effects stick.
-As always, standing on a [[scroll of scare monster]] while on the up stair will stop the Master Assassin's attacks and prevent him from escaping, though it may also be worth luring him to another level first so that he cannot take advantage of the goal level's impassable walls.
+As always, standing on a [[scroll of scare monster]] while on the up stair will stop the Master Assassin's attacks and prevent him from escaping, though it may also be worth luring him to another level first so that he cannot take advantage of the goal level's impassable walls. The scroll of scare monster will also amplify the [[backstab]] damage a Rogue can deal to him in single-weapon melee combat.
 {{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|dc9fe0d8bc96e006c119fa183c9c9a7c4cde2f53}}, a scroll of scare monster on the ground no longer scares any unique monster.}}

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 ==Strategy==
-The most complex task for any Rogue player in preparing to face the Master Assassin is reaching him in the first place, or else drawing him to you: [[Rogue quest#Goal level|the level]] is [[no-teleport]] and designed so that there is no way to ''directly'' reach the quest nemesis while on the level except by [[phasing]] through the [[undiggable]] walls, though there are much more straightforward ways of garnering the Master Assassin's attention. Once you have the Master Assassin within reach, he is not an especially difficult opponent&mdash;outside of lacking [[poison resistance]] to deal with his weapon attacks and the usual annoyances associated with covetous quest nemeses, the Master Assassin is unlikely to be more than an annoyance, to the point that a [[chameleon]] may randomly pose a bigger threat with its random [[polymorph]]s.
+The most complex task for any Rogue player in preparing to face the Master Assassin is reaching him in the first place, or else drawing him to you: [[Rogue quest#Goal level|the level]] is [[no-teleport]] and designed so that there is no way to ''directly'' reach the quest nemesis while on the level except by [[phasing]] through the [[undiggable]] walls, though there are much more straightforward ways of garnering the Master Assassin's attention. Once you have the Master Assassin within reach, he is not an especially difficult opponent&mdash;outside of lacking [[poison resistance]] to deal with his weapon attacks and the usual annoyances associated with covetous quest nemeses, the Master Assassin is unlikely to be more than an annoyance, to the point that a [[chameleon]] may randomly pose a bigger threat with its [[polymorph]]ing.
 The Master Assassin's only defenses are the stoning resistance that all nemeses share, [[half physical damage]] from carrying the quest artifact, and his middling [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 30. A [[wand of death]] will make short work of him, and he can also be rendered helpless with a [[zapped]] [[wand of sleep]], a [[wielded]] or [[thrown]] [[potion of sleeping]] or {{! of|paralysis}} (paired with a source of [[free action]] if he is adjacent), or a poisoned weapon of your own such as [[dart]]s or [[shuriken]]&mdash;even a thrown [[potion of sickness]] itself can significantly weaken the Master Assassin, though he may resist all of these effects other than the wand of death and may warrant a few attempts before the effects stick.

@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 ===dNetHack===
-In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]], the Master Assassin's monster difficulty is raised to 23. He has 4 points of [[AC]] in the 'dodge' category, his second weapon attack is replaced with an [[Twoweapon#dNetHack|offhand weapon attack]] that uses the same damage dice and inflicts poison damage, and his claw attack will only [[Quest artifact theft|target the hero's quest artifact]].
+In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]], the Master Assassin's monster difficulty is raised to 23, and he can reach [[Monster level|level 30]]. He has 4 points of [[AC]] in the 'dodge' category, and is capable of both performing [[Sneak attack (dNetHack)|sneak attacks]] and tracking the hero's movements.
 ===xNetHack===

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
   |reference=[https://github.com/NetHack/NetHack/blob/NetHack-3.6.7_Released/src/monst.c#L3067 NetHack 3.6.7 - src/monst.c, line 3067]
 }}
-The {{questmon|Master Assassin|Rogue|nemesis}} He is a [[strong]] [[lawful]] [[Human or elf|human]] that guards the [[Bell of Opening]] and the Rogue's [[quest artifact]], [[The Master Key of Thievery]]. Like most other [[Human (monster attribute)|human]] [[monster]]s, the Master Assassin is [[omnivorous]]. As a [[covetous]] monster, the Master Assassin is capable of warping and desires the hero's quest artifact&mdash;he will also pick up [[magical item]]s and other items that he comes across, and can [[follow]] the [[hero]] to other levels if he is adjacent.
+The {{questmon|Master Assassin|Rogue|nemesis}} He is a [[strong]] [[lawful]] [[Human or elf|human]] that guards the [[Bell of Opening]] and the Rogue's [[quest artifact]], [[The Master Key of Thievery]]. Like most other [[Human (monster attribute)|human]] [[monster]]s, the Master Assassin is [[omnivorous]] and can be seen via [[infravision]]. As a [[covetous]] monster, the Master Assassin is capable of warping and desires the hero's quest artifact&mdash;he will also pick up [[magical item]]s and other items that he comes across, and can [[follow]] the [[hero]] to other levels if he is adjacent.
 The Master Assassin has a [[weapon]] attack that is capable of [[poison]]ing targets and draining [[strength]], a second weapon attack that deals normal [[physical damage]], and a [[claw attack]] that can steal the quest artifact back if it was obtained without killing him. He possesses [[stoning resistance]].
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 ==Strategy==
-The most complex task for any Rogue player in preparing to face the Master Assassin is reaching him in the first place, or else drawing him to you: [[Rogue quest#Goal level|the level]] is [[no-teleport]] and designed so that there is no way to ''directly'' reach the quest nemesis while on the level except by [[phasing]] through the [[undiggable]] walls, though there are much more straightforward ways of garnering the Master Assassin's attention. Once you have the Master Assassin within reach, he is not an especially difficult opponent&mdash;outside of lacking poison resistance to deal with his weapon attacks and the usual annoyances associated with covetous quest nemeses, the Master Assassin is unlikely to be more than an annoyance, to the point that a [[chameleon]] may randomly pose a bigger threat with its random [[polymorph]]s.
+The most complex task for any Rogue player in preparing to face the Master Assassin is reaching him in the first place, or else drawing him to you: [[Rogue quest#Goal level|the level]] is [[no-teleport]] and designed so that there is no way to ''directly'' reach the quest nemesis while on the level except by [[phasing]] through the [[undiggable]] walls, though there are much more straightforward ways of garnering the Master Assassin's attention. Once you have the Master Assassin within reach, he is not an especially difficult opponent&mdash;outside of lacking [[poison resistance]] to deal with his weapon attacks and the usual annoyances associated with covetous quest nemeses, the Master Assassin is unlikely to be more than an annoyance, to the point that a [[chameleon]] may randomly pose a bigger threat with its random [[polymorph]]s.
 The Master Assassin's only defenses are the stoning resistance that all nemeses share, [[half physical damage]] from carrying the quest artifact, and his middling [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 30. A [[wand of death]] will make short work of him, and he can also be rendered helpless with a [[zapped]] [[wand of sleep]], a [[wielded]] or [[thrown]] [[potion of sleeping]] or {{! of|paralysis}} (paired with a source of [[free action]] if he is adjacent), or a poisoned weapon of your own such as [[dart]]s or [[shuriken]]&mdash;even a thrown [[potion of sickness]] itself can significantly weaken the Master Assassin, though he may resist all of these effects other than the wand of death and may warrant a few attempts before the effects stick.
@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 ==Messages==
 {{main|Rogue quest#Quest nemesis|l1=Rogue quest nemesis messages}}
 ==Encyclopedia entry==

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 The most complex task for any Rogue player in preparing to face the Master Assassin is reaching him in the first place, or else drawing him to you: [[Rogue quest#Goal level|the level]] is [[no-teleport]] and designed so that there is no way to ''directly'' reach the quest nemesis while on the level except by [[phasing]] through the [[undiggable]] walls, though there are much more straightforward ways of garnering the Master Assassin's attention. Once you have the Master Assassin within reach, he is not an especially difficult opponent&mdash;outside of lacking poison resistance to deal with his weapon attacks and the usual annoyances associated with covetous quest nemeses, the Master Assassin is unlikely to be more than an annoyance, to the point that a [[chameleon]] may randomly pose a bigger threat with its random [[polymorph]]s.
-The Master Assassin's only defenses are the stoning resistance that all nemeses share, [[half physical damage]] from carrying the quest artifact, and his middling [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 30. A [[wand of death]] will make short work of him, and he can also be rendered helpless with a [[zapped]] [[wand of sleep]], a [[wielded]] or [[thrown]] [[potion of sleeping]] or {{! of|paralysis}} (paired with a source of [[free action]] if he is adjacent), or a poisoned weapon of your own such as [[dart]]s or [[shuriken]]&mdash;even a thrown [[potion of sickness]] itself can significantly weaken the Master Assassin, though he may resist all of these effects other than the wand of death and may warrant a few attempts before the effects stick. As always, blocking the up stair in some manner will prevent the Master Assassin from escaping, though it may also be worth luring him to another level so that he cannot take advantage of the goal level's impassable walls.
+The Master Assassin's only defenses are the stoning resistance that all nemeses share, [[half physical damage]] from carrying the quest artifact, and his middling [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 30. A [[wand of death]] will make short work of him, and he can also be rendered helpless with a [[zapped]] [[wand of sleep]], a [[wielded]] or [[thrown]] [[potion of sleeping]] or {{! of|paralysis}} (paired with a source of [[free action]] if he is adjacent), or a poisoned weapon of your own such as [[dart]]s or [[shuriken]]&mdash;even a thrown [[potion of sickness]] itself can significantly weaken the Master Assassin, though he may resist all of these effects other than the wand of death and may warrant a few attempts before the effects stick.
 ===Awawkening the Master Assassin===
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 * [[Quaffing]] a cursed [[potion of invisibility]] will reliably alert the Master Assassin to your presence, and is a fairly standard strategy to employ for luring quest nemeses to fight them while blocking the up stair.
 * A [[charge]] from an [[applied]] [[drum of earthquake]] has a high likelihood of awakening the Master Assassin from his meditating state, either from the [[noise]] or the [[earthquake]] itself.
-* The [[mind blast]] of a peaceful or tame [[mind flayer]], or [[master mind flayer]], can target and damage the Master Assassin from long range.
+* The [[mind blast]] of a peaceful or tame [[mind flayer]] (or [[master mind flayer]]) can target and damage the Master Assassin from long range.
 Instead of reaching him directly, you can also use a [[drum of earthquake]], a cursed [[potion of invisibility]], the shriek of a [[shrieker]], or the psychic blast of a [[mind flayer]] to wake him up while you're standing on the upstair. This will cause him to warp to you and attack, while preventing him from escaping to the floor above.

@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 ==Messages==
 {{main|Rogue quest#Quest nemesis|l1=Rogue quest nemesis messages}}
 ==References==
 <references/>
 {{nethack-367}}

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 A Rogue can also use [[Polymorph control|controlled polymorph]] in order to reach or awaken the Master Assassin: the many chameleons encountered on the quest levels can possibly provide [[corpse]]s to [[eat]]. For phasing, the only monsters with the ability are the [[xorn]] and [[earth elemental]], which necessitate that the hero remove their [[cloak]], [[suit]] and [[shirt]] beforehand or risk losing it from the transformation, and Rogues that become earth elementals will drop the rest of their [[armor]] and their weapon as well. The tin of chameleon meat on the level provides an additional source of polymorph to use in case the hero's transformation expires from HP loss or timing out.
-Alternatively, the hero can polymorph into a (master) mind flayer and use the [[Monster (extended command)|#monster]] [[extended command]] to emit a mind blast and awaken the Master Assassin&mdash;the flayer's [[intelligence-draining]] [[tentacle attack]]s can make him an even easier fight to work through, though remember that they will incur [[cannibalism]] penalties for [[Human (starting race)|human]] Rogues once per round of attacks.{{refsrc|src/eat.c|575|nethack=3.6.7}}
+Alternatively, the hero can polymorph into a (master) mind flayer and use the [[Monster (command)|#monster]] [[extended command]] to emit a mind blast and awaken the Master Assassin&mdash;the flayer's [[intelligence-draining]] [[tentacle attack]]s can make him an even easier fight to work through, though remember that they will incur [[cannibalism]] penalties for [[Human (starting race)|human]] Rogues once per round of attacks.{{refsrc|src/eat.c|575|nethack=3.6.7}}
 ==History==
@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 ==Messages==
-{{main|Rogue quest#Quest nemesis|Rogue quest nemesis messages}}
+{{main|Rogue quest#Quest nemesis|l1=Rogue quest nemesis messages}}
 ==References==
 <references/>
 {{nethack-367}}

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
   |MR=30
   |align=18
-  |frequency=Not randomly generated; unique
+  |frequency=Unique
   |genocidable=No
-  |attacks=Weapon [[poison]]ous 2d6, weapon 2d8, claw [[covetous|quest-artifact-stealing]] 2d6
+  |attacks=Weapon 2d6 [[poison]] ([[strength]]), weapon 2d8 [[Physical damage|physical]], [[Claw attack|claw]] 2d6 [[Amulet theft]]
   |weight=1450
   |nutr=400
   |size=Medium
-  |resistances=Stoning
+  |resistances=[[Stoning resistance]]
   |resistances conveyed=None
-  |attributes={{attributes|The Master Assassin|humanoid=1|omnivore=1|nopoly=1|human=1|male=1|strong=1|hostile=1|stalk=1|nasty=1|collect=1|magic=1|wantsarti=1|waitsforu=1|infravisible=1}}
+  |attributes={{attributes|The Master Assassin|humanoid=1|omnivore=1|nopoly=1|human=1|strong=1|male=1|hostile=1|stalk=1|nasty=1|collect=1|magic=1|wantsarti=1|waitsforu=1|infravisible=1}}
-  |reference=[[monst.c#line3286]]
+  |reference=[https://github.com/NetHack/NetHack/blob/NetHack-3.6.7_Released/src/monst.c#L3067 NetHack 3.6.7 - src/monst.c, line 3067]
 }}
-The {{questmon|Master Assassin|Rogue|nemesis}}
+The Master Assassin has a [[weapon]] attack that is capable of [[poison]]ing targets and draining [[strength]], a second weapon attack that deals normal [[physical damage]], and a [[claw attack]] that can steal the quest artifact back if it was obtained without killing him. He possesses [[stoning resistance]].
-== Strategy ==
+==Generation==
-Reaching him generally proves to be more difficult than fighting him, due to the design of the level. While the Master Assassin can be very annoying, if you're a competent fighter, he doesn't pose much of a threat to you. However, he has a nasty habit of teleporting into the lower left corner of his level (the area that is inaccessible to you while in the larger middle portion) and healing himself. There are a few good ways to take him out quickly and easily:
+For Rogues, the Master Assassin is always generated on the central square of the [[Rogue quest]] goal level, where he is placed in a meditating state during level creation with The Master Key of Thievery underneath him.
-* Zap him with a [[wand of death]], if you have one, to get rid of him instantly.
+The Master Assassin is [[always generated with]] the Bell of Opening, and has a {{frac|5|12}} chance of generating with any one of the default weapon sets for a [[strong]] monster, with an equal probability of each weapon: a [[two-handed sword]], a [[long sword]], a [[lucern hammer]], a [[battle-axe]], or a [[bow]] and 3-14 [[arrow]]s.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|518|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
-Alternatively, after he lands on the upstairs, leave the level via whatever means you have prepared and re-enter. This will remove the whole "hard to reach" part of the conflict and reduce it to a basic boss fight.
+==Strategy==
 Instead of reaching him directly, you can also use a [[drum of earthquake]], a cursed [[potion of invisibility]], the shriek of a [[shrieker]], or the psychic blast of a [[mind flayer]] to wake him up while you're standing on the upstair. This will cause him to warp to you and attack, while preventing him from escaping to the floor above.
-{{nethack-360}}
+===Cross-level entry===