Monster movement - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ nh4

2026-06-19T21:37:49Z

‎Variants: nh4

Umbire the Phantom: /* Confusion and stunning */ detail

2026-05-30T09:02:33Z

‎Confusion and stunning: detail

Umbire the Phantom: /* History */ make a proper list...

2026-05-26T20:14:38Z

‎History: make a proper list...

Umbire the Phantom: /* History */ bit of adjustment

2026-05-26T11:23:09Z

‎History: bit of adjustment

Umbire the Phantom: /* Movement and monster behavior */ word choice

2026-05-20T09:45:29Z

‎Movement and monster behavior: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ fill out with examples of movement changes

2026-05-20T09:13:32Z

‎Variants: fill out with examples of movement changes

Umbire the Phantom: /* History */ word choice

2026-05-20T05:51:12Z

‎History: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: covetousness

2026-05-20T04:57:09Z

covetousness

Umbire the Phantom: /* Collecting items */ hatnote

2026-05-20T04:30:10Z

‎Collecting items: hatnote

Umbire the Phantom: /* Displacing monsters */ hatnote

2026-05-20T04:29:56Z

‎Displacing monsters: hatnote

@@ Line 98: / Line 98: @@
 ==Variants==
-''NetHack'' variants created prior to [[NetHack 5.0.0]] will often have implemented displacement of peaceful monsters for the hero, due to the amount of convenience afforded by the feature compared to vanilla releases of the time. Many variants will also introduce more forms of monster movement and/or alter existing methods in order to provide more variance in tactics.
+''NetHack'' variants created prior to [[NetHack 5.0.0]] will often have displacement of peaceful monsters implemented for the hero, due to the amount of convenience afforded by the feature compared to vanilla releases of the time. Many variants will also introduce more forms of monster movement and/or alter existing methods in order to provide more variance in tactics.
 ===GruntHack===
@@ Line 108: / Line 108: @@
 ===SporkHack===
 [[SporkHack]] implements displacement of peaceful monsters for the hero.
 ===dNetHack===
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 * Monsters can perform [[Sneak attack (dNetHack)|sneak attacks]].
-* Pets can be commanded to move in specific manners, and can be made to attack other monsters aggressively or restrain themselves.
+* [[Pet (dNetHack)|Pets]] can be commanded to move in specific manners, and can be made to attack other monsters aggressively or restrain themselves.
 ===SpliceHack===

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 Monsters that are confused and/or stunned monsters will move more erratically: they will ignore whether or not they are adjacent to the hero when deciding to move or attack, and non-hostile monsters may also fail to avoid squares that the hero can push a [[boulder]] in [[Sokoban]] towards or ones that the hero has [[Kick (command)|kicked towards]] recently.{{refsrc|src/monmove.c|882|nethack=5.0.0}}{{refsrc|src/monmove.c|1301|nethack=5.0.0}}{{refsrc|src/monmove.c|1317|nethack=5.0.0}} Tame monsters will attack the hero by accident if they are confused.
-[[Stalker]]s, [[Bat or bird|bats and birds]], and [[Light (monster class)|lights]] will choose a random square to move to on {{frac|3}} of their turns, causing them to move as though they are confused.{{refsrc|src/monmove.c|1870-L1872|nethack=5.0.0|name="pseudostun"}}
+[[Stalker]]s, [[Bat or bird|bats and birds]], and [[Light (monster class)|lights]] will choose a random square to move to on {{frac|3}} of their turns, causing them to move as though they are confused even when they are currently not.{{refsrc|src/monmove.c|1870-L1872|nethack=5.0.0|name="pseudostun"}}
 ===Sessile monsters===

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 ==History==
-In [[NetHack 3.6.7]] and previous versions, including some variants based on those versions, monster movement follows very different rules.
+In [[NetHack 3.6.7]] and previous versions, including some variants based on those versions, monster movement follows different rules:
-For example, the hero is only capable of displacing pets: a hero that is not wielding Stormbringer and moves normally into a peaceful monster other than a pet will be given a 'yes/no' message prompt to confirm if they want to attack.{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|344|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>is_safepet()</tt> check}}
+* The hero is only capable of displacing pets: a hero that is not wielding Stormbringer and moves normally into a peaceful monster other than a pet will be given a 'yes/no' message prompt to confirm if they want to attack.{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|344|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>is_safepet()</tt> check}}
 ==Variants==

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 ==History==
-In [[NetHack 3.6.7]] and previous versions, including some variants based on those versions, the hero is only capable of displacing pets: a hero that is not wielding Stormbringer and moves normally into a peaceful monster other than a pet will be given a 'yes/no' message prompt to confirm if they want to attack.{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|344|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>is_safepet()</tt> check}}
+In [[NetHack 3.6.7]] and previous versions, including some variants based on those versions, monster movement follows very different rules.
 ==Variants==

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 ==Movement and monster behavior==
-A monster will naturally move differently depending on [[Monster behavior|their behavior]] towards the [[hero]], i.e. whether they are peaceful, hostile or [[tame]]. Peaceful monsters will generally move around somewhat randomly, while hostile monsters will try to pursue the hero or seek out items, and tame monsters will stick closer to the hero unless there is an item or treat that they want.
+A monster will naturally move differently depending on [[Monster behavior|their behavior]] towards the [[hero]], i.e. whether they are peaceful, hostile or [[tame]]. Peaceful monsters will generally move around somewhat randomly, while hostile monsters will try to pursue the hero or seek out items, and tame monsters will stick closer to the hero in most cases unless there is an item or treat that they want.
 ===Displacing monsters===

@@ Line 47: / Line 47: @@
 ===Clinging===
 {{main|Ceiling}}
-Some monsters can cling to the ceiling, which allows them to walk over the terrain underneath them in a manner vaguely similar to flight.
+Some monsters can cling to the ceiling, which allows them to "walk" over the terrain underneath them.
 ===Follower===
@@ Line 75: / Line 75: @@
 ===Cannot pick up items===
 Some monsters are incapable of picking up items at all, in most cases due to lacking either any ability (or anatomy) to grab items or any desire to do so. These monsters are denoted with the '''<tt>M1_NOTAKE</tt>''' flag.{{refsrc|include/monflag.h|96|nethack=5.0.0}}{{refsrc|include/mondata.h|54|nethack=5.0.0}}
 ===Displacers===

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 ===Collecting items===
-{{otheruses|the monster behavior that "collect items" redirects to|the command to grab items as the hero|pick up}}
+{{for|the command to grab items as the hero|pick up}}
 {{for|the command used to merge stacks of similar items together|adjust}}
 A monster will sometimes path towards objects that they come across if they are flagged to '''collect items''' or have a [[weapon attack]], and will generally focus on picking up [[weapon]]s, [[food]] and [[armor]] to carry if have the inventory space to do so.{{refsrc|src/monmove.c|1017-L1019|nethack=5.0.0}} Monsters that collect items are denoted with the '''<tt>M2_COLLECT</tt>''' flag.{{refsrc|include/monflag.h|152|nethack=5.0.0}}{{refsrc|include/mondata.h|145|nethack=5.0.0}}

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ===Displacing monsters===
-{{otheruses|switching places with monsters|the property that displaces the user's image|displacement (property)}}
+{{for|the property that displaces the user's image|displacement (property)}}
 Tame and peaceful monsters can be '''displaced''' if the hero attempts to move into their square, causing them to switch places:{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|462-L511|nethack=5.0.0|name="doIattack"|comment=checks for switching places versus attacking in <tt>do_attack()</tt>}} this occurs with a {{frac|6|7}} chance if the monster is not a [[long worm]] with at least one tail segment, the hero is ''not'' wielding a [[bloodthirsty]] weapon (i.e., [[Stormbringer]]) and is neither [[punished]] nor inside a [[shop]], and neither party is occupying a wall or other square that the other cannot enter without [[phasing]].{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|474-L478|nethack=5.0.0|name="switchcon"|comment=conditions for switching places}} [[Aligned cleric]]s, [[shopkeeper]]s, [[guard]]s, [[Oracle (monster)|the Oracle]], and [[quest leader]]s cannot ever be displaced this way. Failing to displace any other monster may cause them to become [[scared]] for up to six turns.{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|496-L502|nethack=5.0.0|name="pushy"|comment=scaring a monster that the hero fails to displace}} If the hero attempts to displace a peeaceful or tame monster that currently cannot move, there is a {{frac|6}} chance of the hero switching places with them regardless.{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|503-L507|nethack=5.0.0|name="cantmove"|comment=attempting to move past an immobile monster}}