Nymph (monster class) - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* dNetHack */ potholes et. al.

2026-05-01T02:40:55Z

‎dNetHack: potholes et. al.

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ touch-up lede

2026-04-26T06:35:25Z

‎Strategy: touch-up lede

Umbire the Phantom: /* Messages */ reorganize

2026-04-26T06:33:15Z

‎Messages: reorganize

Umbire the Phantom: /* Messages */ found another S_NYMPH message

2026-04-26T06:32:35Z

‎Messages: found another S_NYMPH message

Umbire the Phantom: /* Messages */ clarify, cite and correect

2026-04-26T04:06:51Z

‎Messages: clarify, cite and correect

Umbire the Phantom: /* Origin */ word choice

2026-04-26T03:11:47Z

‎Origin: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Messages / note that most messages are tied to the attacks and not so directly to the monsters - move all messages except those that are* nymph-based

2026-04-26T03:06:53Z

‎Messages: note that most messages are tied to the attacks and not so directly to the monsters - move all messages except those that *are* nymph-based

Umbire the Phantom: overdue touch-ups, I left some puzzling fragments and duped text in here...

2026-04-26T02:24:25Z

overdue touch-ups, I left some puzzling fragments and duped text in here...

Umbire the Phantom: pothole

2026-01-08T14:44:54Z

pothole

Umbire the Phantom: touch-ups

2026-01-07T16:55:28Z

touch-ups

@@ Line 95: / Line 95: @@
 * {{brightblue|n}} [[Quickling (dNetHack)|quickling]]
 * {{green|n}} [[dryad]]
-* {{blue|n}} [[naiad]]
+* {{blue|n}} [[Naiad (dNetHack)|naiad]]
-* {{brown|n}} [[oread]]
+* {{brown|n}} [[Oread (dNetHack)|oread]]
 * {{magenta|n}} [[swamp nymph]]
 * {{brightcyan|n}} [[Yuki-onna (dNetHack)|yuki-onna]]
@@ Line 111: / Line 111: @@
 ** {{brightgreen|n}} [[Echo]]
-The [[User:Chris/dNetHack/Thjofastafur|Thjofastafur]] [[stave]] grants [[Warned of monster type|warning of nymphs]] while the hero wields the weapon it is carved into.
+The [[User:Chris/dNetHack/Thjofastafur|Thjofastafur]] [[stave]] grants [[Warned of monster type|warning of nymphs and other monsters with theft abilities]] while the hero wields the weapon it is carved into.
 ===xNetHack===

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ==Strategy==
-Though most nymphs have poor AC and cannot physically harm the hero with their attacks, they are nevertheless very dangerous: nymphs can still use items against the hero, and their charming abilities can strip them of critical items such as weapons and armor, leaving them vulnerable to much more direct threats. Cautious heroes will prefer not to approach them and leave them asleep if possible, unless they can use a [[ranged attack]] or some other means to dispatch them before they close in and steal any items. The {{+ of|force bolt}} spell and [[wand of striking]] are highly risky to this end&mdash;though they are likely to hit the nymph, bolts that kill nymphs will also break any [[fragile]] items they were carrying, particularly including the potions and mirrors they often generate with; breaking a mirror incurs a -2 [[luck]] penalty.
+Though most nymphs have poor AC and cannot inflict direct harm to the hero with their attacks a mass majority of the time, they are nevertheless very dangerous: nymphs can still use items that they pick up (or steal) against the hero, and their charming abilities can strip them of critical items such as weapons and armor, leaving them vulnerable to much more direct threats. Cautious heroes will prefer not to approach them and leave them asleep if possible, unless they can use a [[ranged attack]] or some other means to dispatch them before they close in and steal any items. The {{+ of|force bolt}} spell and [[wand of striking]] are highly risky to this end&mdash;though they are likely to hit a nymph, force bolts that kill nymphs will also break any [[fragile]] items they were carrying, particularly the mirrors they often generate with (breaking a mirror incurs a -2 [[luck]] penalty).
 [[Elbereth]] and [[scaring]] [[tool]]s can ward off awakened nymphs and give you some valuable space, while applying a mirror at a nymph will cause her to immediately steal the mirror and teleport away, leaving your other items alone. It is also ideal to keep your pet nearby, especially if you are in the early game with a role that is weaker in combat and/or starts with strong items (e.g. [[Wizard]]s): a pet can hold the nymph at bay and hopefully kill her for you, but the nymph can still steal any items they are carrying, including [[saddle]]s. While nymphs can be pacified with a wooden harp, in practice this requires the hero to have found one and gained enough levels and/or dexterity to make the odds remotely favorable.

@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
 ==Messages==
 {{main|Charm#Messages|l1=Charming messages}}
-Most of the messages that are associated with nymphs by default in vanilla ''NetHack'' are tied to their theft attacks, and can be found in the article linked above&mdash;identical messages are used for both charming and item theft. The messages that are unique to nymphs come from the hero [[chatting]] to one:{{refsrc|src/sounds.c|840-L862|nethack=3.6.7}}
+Most of the messages that are associated with nymphs by default in vanilla ''NetHack'' are tied to their theft attacks, and can be found in the article linked above&mdash;identical messages are used for both charming and item theft.
 {{message|"Hello, sailor."}}
 {{message|<The nymph> comes on to you.|You chatted to a nymph as a male hero.}}
 {{message|<The nymph> cajoles you.|As above&mdash;this is the only response used for a female hero.}}
 ==Variants==

@@ Line 69: / Line 69: @@
 {{message|<The nymph> comes on to you.|You chatted to a nymph as a male hero.}}
 {{message|<The nymph> cajoles you.|As above&mdash;this is the only response used for a female hero.}}
 ==Variants==

@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
 ==Messages==
 {{main|Charm#Messages|l1=Charming messages}}
-Most of the messages that are associated with nymphs by default in vanilla ''NetHack'' are tied to their theft attacks, and can be found in the article linked above&mdash;identical messages are used for both charming and item theft.
+Most of the messages that are associated with nymphs by default in vanilla ''NetHack'' are tied to their theft attacks, and can be found in the article linked above&mdash;identical messages are used for both charming and item theft. The messages that are unique to nymphs come from the hero [[chatting]] to one:{{refsrc|src/sounds.c|840-L862|nethack=3.6.7}}
 {{message|"Hello, sailor."}}
-{{message|<The nymph> comes on to you.|You were [[chatting]] to a hostile nymph as a male hero, initiating her seduction theft.}}
+{{message|<The nymph> comes on to you.|You chatted to a nymph as a male hero.}}
-{{message|<The nymph> cajoles you.|You chatted to a nymph under any other conditions.}}
+{{message|<The nymph> cajoles you.|As above&mdash;this is the only response used for a female hero.}}
 ==Variants==

@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 ==Origin==
 {{Wikipedia|Nymph}}
-A nymph is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore, and belief in nymphs survived in many parts of Greece up to as recently as the early 20th century. Usually depicted as beautiful maidens, they were not necessarily immortal, but lived much longer than humans. Nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, and are typically tied to a specific place or landform. They are often divided into various broad subgroups, such as the Meliae (ash tree nymphs), the Naiads (freshwater nymphs), the Nereids (sea nymphs), and the Oreads (mountain nymphs)&mdash;the three types of nymph in ''NetHack'' (wood, water and mountain) may be rough analogues to these.
+A nymph is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore, and belief in nymphs survived in many parts of Greece up to as recently as the early 20th century. Usually depicted as beautiful maidens, they were not necessarily immortal, but lived much longer than humans. Nymphs were generally regarded as personifications of nature, and are typically tied to a specific place or landform. They were often divided into various broad subgroups, such as the Meliae (ash tree nymphs), the Naiads (freshwater nymphs), the Nereids (sea nymphs), and the Oreads (mountain nymphs)&mdash;the three types of nymph in ''NetHack'' (wood, water and mountain) may be rough analogues to these.
 Nymphs generating asleep may be based on the common motif of a sleeping nymph in a grotto or spring, which became prominent in European sculpture art during the Renaissance; these sculptures were based off a report in the 15th century of a similar Roman statue at a [[fountain]] near the Danube, which is now widely considered forged.
-In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', nymphs are all-female fey beings that serve as guardians of wild places: they are said to be nature's embodiment of physical beauty, as well as the most wild and capricious type of fey. A nymph is a blindingly beautiful being that appears as an elven woman with roughly the same average height and weight, and nymphs inhabit various climates from valleys, forests and glades to islands and mountains&mdash;among the more uncommon nymph types are grain and unseelie nymphs, and some even dwelt in tundra and other cold climates, where they often hunt upon the backs of wolves. Nymphs sometimes act as agents of certain elven gods, and elves from the island nation of Evermeet viewed them as spiritual representatives of the elven gods&mdash;nymphs in turn rarely harm elves in general and regard them positively, to the point that the green and silver elves of the island nation purposely sought them out.
+In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', nymphs are all-female fey beings that serve as guardians of wild places: they are said to be nature's embodiment of physical beauty, as well as the most wild and capricious type of fey. A nymph is a blindingly beautiful being that appears as an elven woman with roughly the same average height and weight, and nymphs inhabit various climates from valleys, forests and glades to islands and mountains&mdash;among the more uncommon nymph types are grain and unseelie nymphs, and some even dwelt in tundra and other cold climates, where they often hunt upon the backs of wolves. Nymphs sometimes act as agents of certain elven gods, and elves from the island nation of Evermeet viewed them as spiritual representatives of the elven gods&mdash;nymphs in turn rarely harm elves in general and regard them positively, to the point that the green and silver elves of the island nation purposely seek them out.
-The nymphs' affinity to nature leads them to avoid non-fey unless they share similar inclinations or are good heroes who behave courteously and respectfully towards them; animals of all types flock to nymphs, ignoring the presence of predators and allowing the nymph to tend to any wounds. Nymphs have no offensive capabilities of their own, but display the ability to charm and immobilize onlookers to much more severe degrees than displayed in ''NetHack'': looking at one can cause permanent blindness, and the sight of a disrobing nymph could kill an onlooker outright. Nymphs were able to teleport short distances via a dimension door spell, which is the basis for their teleporting abilities in ''NetHack''.
+The nymphs' affinity to nature leads them to avoid non-fey unless they share similar inclinations or are good heroes who behave courteously and respectfully towards them; animals of all types flock to nymphs, ignoring the presence of predators and allowing the nymph to tend to any wounds. Nymphs have no offensive capabilities of their own, but display the ability to charm and immobilize onlookers to much more severe degrees than displayed in ''NetHack'': looking at one can cause permanent blindness, and the sight of a disrobing nymph can kill an onlooker outright. Nymphs are able to teleport short distances via a "dimension door" spell, which is the basis for their teleporting abilities in ''NetHack''.
 ==Messages==

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ==Common traits==
-All types of nymph are medium-sized and [[neutral]] [[humanoid]] women, and they share nearly all of the same attributes: they have a base [[AC]] of 9, a [[monster level|level]] of 3 and an [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 20, and move at the same base [[speed]] as an unburdened and unhasted [[hero]], but will also [[teleport]] randomly while moving. The water nymph is the only one to have any different traits, primarily the ability to [[swim]] and freely cross [[water]]. Nymphs have functionally unlimited [[carrying capacity]] for items, although they will not pick up [[boulder]]s or [[statue]]s.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|1294|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=The function returns before the nymph's actual carrying capacity is checked.}}
+All types of nymph are medium-sized and [[neutral]] [[humanoid]] women, and they share nearly all of the same attributes: they have a base [[AC]] of 9, a [[monster level|level]] of 3 and an [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 20, and move at the same base [[speed]] as an unburdened and unhasted [[hero]], but will also [[teleport]] randomly while moving. The water nymph is the only one to have any different traits, primarily the ability to [[swim]] and freely cross [[water]]. Nymphs have functionally unlimited [[carrying capacity]] for items, although they will not pick up [[boulder]]s or [[statue]]s.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|1293-L1295|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=the function returns before the nymph's actual carrying capacity is checked}}
 A hero that [[applies]] a [[wooden harp]] or an uncharged [[magic harp]] while they are not [[confused]] has a [[dexterity]]-based chance of pacifying any nymphs nearby, with the distance of the effect dependent on the hero's [[experience level]].{{refsrc|src/music.c|148|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>calm_nymphs(distance)</tt>}}{{refsrc|src/music.c|631|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=sum of the hero's XL and a randomly rolled number between 0 and their current dexterity must exceed 25}} Applying a [[mirror]] towards a nymph will entice her to steal it if she is adjacent.
-Nymphs have claw attacks that do not deal damage and steal items from targets: the first is simply [[item theft]] that targets a single item or stack of items, while the latter is a [[seduction theft]] attack that charms the target (if possible) into handing over an item, usually leaving them immobile for a while and typically resulting in several other items in the process&mdash;if a target's worn item is targeted by the seduction theft, they may end up removing anything worn over that item while charmed, leaving them immobilized for longer periods and allowing the nymph to steal other items. A nymph always teleports away after stealing any items.
+Nymphs have [[claw attack]]s that do not deal damage, but steal items from targets: the first is simply [[item theft]] that targets a single item or stack of items, while the latter is a [[seduction theft]] attack that charms the target into handing over an item&mdash;if this targets a worn item such as armor, they will attempt to take it off and become immobile, usually allowing the nymph to steal several other items in the process. A nymph always teleports away after stealing any items, and will attempt to teleport away even if she fails to steal anything (e.g. usually from a hero with nothing left). Nymphs themselves are immune to charming and item theft attacks.
-Eating a nymph's corpse or tin has a {{frac|3|10}} chance of granting [[teleportitis]].
+[[Eating]] a nymph's corpse or tin has a {{frac|3|10}} chance of granting [[teleportitis]].
-A hero [[polymorph]]ed into a nymph will have their carrying capacity set to 1000, and can remove an [[iron chain]] attached to them with the #[[Monster (command)|monster]] [[extended command]]. Attacking monsters in melee as a nymph will attempt to steal items from them, using any wielded weapon first before stealing{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|1525|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|1775|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}&mdash;theft attacks against peaceful monsters that fail will anger them, [[pet]]s can become untamed as if you had normally attacked them, and the seduction theft will be replaced with a regular attack if used against an [[invisible]] monster while the hero lacks [[see invisible]].{{refsrc|src/mhitu.c|2415|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
+A hero [[polymorph]]ed into a nymph will have their carrying capacity set to 1000, and can remove an [[iron chain]] attached to them with the #[[Monster (command)|monster]] [[extended command]]. Attacking monsters in melee as a nymph will attempt to steal items from them, using any wielded weapon first before stealing{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|1525|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|1775|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}&mdash;theft attacks against peaceful monsters that fail will anger them, [[pet]]s can become untamed as if the hero had normally attacked them, and the seduction theft will be replaced with a regular attack if used against an [[invisible]] monster while the hero lacks [[see invisible]].{{refsrc|src/mhitu.c|2415|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} The hero also becomes immune to theft from other nymphs as noted above (which also applies to attacking them as a nymph).
 ===Generation===

@@ Line 127: / Line 127: @@
 * {{blue|n}} [[Water nymph|nereid or naiad]]
 * {{brown|n}} [[Mountain nymph|oread]]
-* {{cyan|n}} [[quickling]]
+* {{cyan|n}} [[Quickling (SLASH'EM)|quickling]]
 * {{white|n}} [[Yuki-onna (SpliceHack)|yuki-onna]]
 * {{black|n}} [[lampad]]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 The '''nymph''' is a [[monster class]] in ''[[NetHack]]'' represented by the lowercase '[[n]]' glyph ({{white|n}}). Nymphs are designated internally by the macro '''S_NYMPH'''.{{refsrc|include/monsym.h|28|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
-The class contains three types of nymph:{{refsrc|src/monst.c|592|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
+The class contains three monsters:{{refsrc|src/monst.c|592|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 * {{monsymlink|wood nymph}}
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ==Common traits==
-All nymphs are [[neutral]] [[humanoid]] women that are medium-sized and share nearly all of the same attributes: they have a base [[AC]] of 9, a [[monster level|level]] of 3 and an [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 20, and move at the same base [[speed]] as an unburdened and unhasted [[hero]], but will also [[teleport]] randomly while moving. The water nymph is the only one to have any different traits, primarily the ability to [[swim]] and freely cross [[water]]. Nymphs have functionally unlimited [[carrying capacity]] for items, although they will not pick up [[boulder]]s or [[statue]]s.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|1294|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=The function returns before the nymph's actual carrying capacity is checked.}}
+All types of nymph are medium-sized and [[neutral]] [[humanoid]] women, and they share nearly all of the same attributes: they have a base [[AC]] of 9, a [[monster level|level]] of 3 and an [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 20, and move at the same base [[speed]] as an unburdened and unhasted [[hero]], but will also [[teleport]] randomly while moving. The water nymph is the only one to have any different traits, primarily the ability to [[swim]] and freely cross [[water]]. Nymphs have functionally unlimited [[carrying capacity]] for items, although they will not pick up [[boulder]]s or [[statue]]s.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|1294|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=The function returns before the nymph's actual carrying capacity is checked.}}
-A hero that [[applies]] a [[wooden harp]] or an uncharged [[magic harp]] while they are not [[confused]] has a [[dexterity]]-based chance of pacifying any nymphs nearby, with the distance dependent on their [[experience level]].{{refsrc|src/music.c|148|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<code>calm_nymphs(distance)</code>}}{{refsrc|src/music.c|631|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=The sum of the hero's XL and a randomly rolled number between 0 and their current dexterity stat must exceed 25}} Applying a [[mirror]] towards a nymph will entice her to steal it if she is adjacent.
+A hero that [[applies]] a [[wooden harp]] or an uncharged [[magic harp]] while they are not [[confused]] has a [[dexterity]]-based chance of pacifying any nymphs nearby, with the distance of the effect dependent on the hero's [[experience level]].{{refsrc|src/music.c|148|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>calm_nymphs(distance)</tt>}}{{refsrc|src/music.c|631|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=sum of the hero's XL and a randomly rolled number between 0 and their current dexterity must exceed 25}} Applying a [[mirror]] towards a nymph will entice her to steal it if she is adjacent.
-Nymphs have claw attacks that do not deal damage and steal items from targets: the first simply takes a single item or stack of items, while the latter is a seduction attack that charms the target (if possible) into handing over an item, usually leaving them immobile for a while and typically resulting in several other items in the process&mdash;if a target's worn item is targeted by the seduction theft, they may end up removing anything worn over that item while charmed, leaving them immobilized for longer periods and allowing the nymph to steal other items. A nymph always teleports away after stealing any items.
+Nymphs have claw attacks that do not deal damage and steal items from targets: the first is simply [[item theft]] that targets a single item or stack of items, while the latter is a [[seduction theft]] attack that charms the target (if possible) into handing over an item, usually leaving them immobile for a while and typically resulting in several other items in the process&mdash;if a target's worn item is targeted by the seduction theft, they may end up removing anything worn over that item while charmed, leaving them immobilized for longer periods and allowing the nymph to steal other items. A nymph always teleports away after stealing any items.
 Eating a nymph's corpse or tin has a {{frac|3|10}} chance of granting [[teleportitis]].
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ===Generation===
-Nymphs are always generated hostile, and will be created [[asleep]] {{frac|4|5}} of the time unless the hero has the [[Amulet of Yendor]].{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|1263|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=chance of nymphs being generated asleep}}
+Nymphs are always generated hostile, and will be created [[asleep]] {{frac|4|5}} of the time unless the hero has the [[Amulet of Yendor]], in which case they will always be generated awake.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|1263|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=chance of nymphs being generated asleep}}
-Ringing a cursed [[bell]] (including a cursed and uncharged [[Bell of Opening]]) has a {{frac|4}} chance (25%) of summoning a random type of nymph, unless ''any'' type of nymph is [[genocided]] or [[extinct]].{{refsrc|src/apply.c|1039|version=NetHack 3.6.7|name="bell"}} There is a {{frac|7|100}} chance (7%) of the bell breaking afterward, and otherwise there is a {{frac|3}} chance of the summoned nymph being [[fast]] and a {{frac|3}} chance of the hero being paralyzed for 2 turns.{{refsrc|src/apply.c|1047|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/apply.c|1052|nethack=3.6.7}}
+Ringing a cursed [[bell]] (including a cursed and uncharged [[Bell of Opening]]) has a {{frac|4}} chance (25%) of summoning a random type of nymph without her usual inventory, unless ''any'' type of nymph is [[genocided]] or [[extinct]].{{refsrc|src/apply.c|1039|version=NetHack 3.6.7|name="bell"}} There is a {{frac|7|100}} chance (7%) of the bell breaking afterward, and otherwise there is a {{frac|3}} chance of the summoned nymph being [[fast]] and a {{frac|3}} chance of the hero being paralyzed for 2 turns.{{refsrc|src/apply.c|1047|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/apply.c|1052|nethack=3.6.7}}
 The nymph is the first [[quest]] monster class for [[Rogue]]s, and makes up {{frac|96|175}} of the monsters randomly generated on the [[Rogue quest]].
-A nymph that is not generated via cursed bell has a {{frac|2}} chance of [[Monster starting inventory|being generated with]] a [[mirror]], and an independent {{frac|2}} chance of generating with a [[potion of object detection]].{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|700|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}<ref name="bell"/>
+A nymph that is not generated via cursed bell has a {{frac|2}} chance of being [[generated with]] a [[mirror]], and has an independent {{frac|2}} chance of generating with a [[potion of object detection]].{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|700|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}<ref name="bell"/>
 ==Strategy==
@@ Line 72: / Line 72: @@
 {{message|"Hello, sailor."}}
-{{message|<The nymph> comes on to you.|You chatted to a hostile nymph as a male hero, initiating her seduction (and theft).}}
+{{message|<The nymph> comes on to you.|You chatted to a hostile nymph as a male hero, initiating her seduction theft.}}
 {{message|<The nymph> cajoles you.|You chatted to a nymph under any other conditions.}}