Owlbear - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* History */ tweak

2026-02-02T20:15:19Z

‎History: tweak

Umbire the Phantom: formatting + copyedit pass

2024-02-07T08:30:30Z

formatting + copyedit pass

Umbire the Phantom: /* Origin */ punc

2023-10-28T03:00:54Z

‎Origin: punc

Umbire the Phantom: /* Origin */ missing space + word choice

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‎Origin: missing space + word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ word choice

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‎Strategy: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: lede

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lede

Umbire the Phantom: aaa

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aaa

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2023-09-26T07:03:13Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: detail

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detail

Umbire the Phantom: forgot the obvious

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forgot the obvious

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 The owlbear first appears in Hack for PDP-11, a variant of [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]], and is included in the initial bestiary for [[Hack 1.0]].
-From Hack for PDP-11 to [[NetHack 2.3e]], the owlbear uses the {{white|o}} glyph. In [[NetHack 3.0.0]], the various new and returning [[Orc (monster class)|orcs]] are moved to the {{white|o}} glyph; the owlbear is moved to the [[giant humanoid]] [[monster class]] at {{brown|H}}. In [[NetHack 3.1.0]], owlbears are reclassified as apelike creatures and moved to their current glyph.
+From Hack for PDP-11 to [[NetHack 2.3e]], the owlbear uses the {{white|o}} glyph. In [[NetHack 3.0.0]], the various new and returning [[Orc (monster class)|orcs]] are moved to the {{white|o}} glyph, and the owlbear is moved to the [[giant humanoid]] [[monster class]] at {{brown|H}}. In [[NetHack 3.1.0]], owlbears are reclassified as apelike creatures and moved to their current glyph.
 ==Origin==

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 }}
-An '''owlbear''', {{monsym|owlbear}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. It is a large, [[carnivorous]] [[apelike creature]] that possesses two claw attacks and a [[grabbing attack]] that holds [[you]] in place and crushes you each turn.
+An '''owlbear''', {{monsym|owlbear}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. It is a large, [[carnivorous]] [[apelike creature]] that is [[strong]] and can be seen via [[infravision]].
 A few [[#Messages|special messages]] generated by some [[trap]]s are associated with owlbears.
 ==Generation==
-Randomly generated owlbears are always hostile.
+Randomly generated owlbears are always created hostile.
-In the [[Wizard quest]], the top right cell of the [[Dark One]]'s dungeon on the goal level has a sleeping peaceful owlbear as its occupant.
+On the goal level of the [[Wizard quest]], a peaceful [[sleeping]] owlbear is placed in the top right cell of the [[Dark One]]'s dungeon at level creation.
 ==Strategy==
-Owlbears represent one of the many early-game threats that require you to be cautious about how you approach monsters in combat: they can move at the same speed as you if you are unburdened and do not have a source of speed yourself, and their grabbing attack can grind away your HP while trapping you in place for other hostile monsters to attack you freely. [[Greased]] outer [[body armor]] or a non-cursed [[oilskin cloak]] can prevent an owlbear from getting a hold of you at all.
+Owlbears represent one of the many early-game threats that require players to be cautious about approaching monsters in combat: they can move at the same speed as a character that is unburdened and does not have a source of speed, and their grabbing attack can grind away HP while trapping them in place for other hostile monsters to attack freely. [[Greased]] outer [[body armor]] or a non-cursed [[oilskin cloak]] can prevent an owlbear from getting a hold of a character at all.
-[[Ranged attack]]s, including [[spell]]s and [[wand]]s, can kill an owlbear at a safe distance or weaken it enough for you to finish off in melee. If you are caught in the owlbear's grasp, you can [[teleport]] yourself free or [[scare]] the owlbear into letting you go, e.g. by using a tool to scare it or engraving [[Elbereth]] with an applicable wand; scaring the owlbear has the additional boon of keeping it away from you for at least a few turns. Inflicting [[sleep]] or [[paralysis]] on the owlbear has a chance of it releasing you, but this is unreliable since the owlbear may be awakened if you are still in its grasp and attempt to move away.{{refsrc|src/hack.c|1530|nethack=3.6.7}}
+[[Ranged attack]]s, including [[spell]]s and [[wand]]s, can kill an owlbear at a safe distance or weaken it enough for your character to finish off in melee. If caught in the owlbear's grasp, you can [[teleport]] yourself free or [[scare]] the owlbear into letting you go, e.g. by using a tool to scare it or engraving [[Elbereth]] with an applicable wand; scaring the owlbear has the additional boon of keeping it away from you for at least a few turns. Inflicting [[sleep]] or [[paralysis]] on the owlbear has a chance of making it release you, but this is unreliable since the owlbear may be awakened if you are still in its grasp and attempt to move away.{{refsrc|src/hack.c|1530|nethack=3.6.7}}
-Once you can reliably take down owlbears, their [[corpse]]s are quite filling for you and any meat-eating pets you may have, with a non-rotten owlbear [[corpse]] providing nutrition comparable to a [[food ration]].
+Once you can reliably take down owlbears, their [[corpse]]s are quite filling and can also be left for any meat-eating pets, with a non-rotten owlbear [[corpse]] providing nutrition comparable to a [[food ration]].
 ==History==
 The owlbear first appears in Hack for PDP-11, a variant of [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]], and is included in the initial bestiary for [[Hack 1.0]].
-From Hack for PDP-11 to [[NetHack 2.3e]], the owlbear used the {{white|o}} glyph. In [[NetHack 3.0.0]], the various new and returning [[Orc (monster class)|orcs]] were moved to the {{white|o}} glyph; the owlbear was moved to the [[giant humanoid]] [[monster class]] and used {{brown|H}} as its glyph. In [[NetHack 3.1.0]], owlbears were reclassified as apelike creatures and moved to their current glyph.
+From Hack for PDP-11 to [[NetHack 2.3e]], the owlbear uses the {{white|o}} glyph. In [[NetHack 3.0.0]], the various new and returning [[Orc (monster class)|orcs]] are moved to the {{white|o}} glyph; the owlbear is moved to the [[giant humanoid]] [[monster class]] at {{brown|H}}. In [[NetHack 3.1.0]], owlbears are reclassified as apelike creatures and moved to their current glyph.
 ==Origin==
@@ Line 61: / Line 65: @@
 ===EvilHack===
-In [[EvilHack]], owlbears are [[oviparous]]: owlbear eggs can hatch into [[baby owlbear]]s, which in turn can [[grow up]] into adult owlbears. Owlbears also have their first claw attack replaces with a bite attack.
+In [[EvilHack]], owlbears are [[oviparous]]: owlbear eggs can hatch into [[baby owlbear]]s, which in turn can [[grow up]] into adult owlbears. Owlbears also have their first claw attack replaced with a bite attack.
 The [[owlbear nest]] is a [[Special room (EvilHack)|special room]] that contains several owlbear eggs and sleeping baby owlbears, along with an adult owlbear.

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 ==Origin==
 {{wikipedia}}
-The owlbear (also written as "owl bear") is one of many ''NetHack'' creatures that comes from ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', first appearing in the 1975 ''Greyhawk'' supplement for the original release. The owlbear and several other creatures in particular, such as the [[rust monster]] were based on dime-store plastic toys that were used by Gary Gygax and other play-testers as monster figures, with their appearances based directly on the toys.<ref>[https://diterlizzi.com/essay/owlbears-rust-monsters-and-bulettes-oh-my/ "Owlbears, Rust Monsters and Bulettes, Oh My!" - Tony DiTerlizzi]</ref> The owlbear has since appeared in every subsequent edition of the game, as well as several other fantasy role-playing games, video games and fantasy media, and is widely considered one of the franchise's most memorable monsters.
+The owlbear (also written as "owl bear") is one of many ''NetHack'' creatures that comes from ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', first appearing in the 1975 ''Greyhawk'' supplement for the original release. The owlbear and several other creatures in particular, such as the [[rust monster]], were based on dime-store plastic toys that were used by Gary Gygax and other play-testers as monster figures, with their appearances based directly on the toys.<ref>[https://diterlizzi.com/essay/owlbears-rust-monsters-and-bulettes-oh-my/ "Owlbears, Rust Monsters and Bulettes, Oh My!" - Tony DiTerlizzi]</ref> The owlbear has since appeared in every subsequent edition of the game, as well as several other fantasy role-playing games, video games and fantasy media, and is widely considered one of the franchise's most memorable monsters.
 As the name suggests, the owlbear is depicted as a cross between a bear and a giant owl that stands upright on two legs and has dark fur, feathers, and a yellow or ivory beak. It is a carnivorous creature known for aggression and ferocity, and attacks by using its beak, claws and grappling bear-like "hugs". Their in-universe origin is unclear, though the various ''Monster Manual'' editions indicate that it is believed to be the product of a wizard's experiments; in the 5th edition, some elves claim that owlbears have existed for millennia, while older fey say that they have always existed in the Feywild.

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 ==Origin==
 {{wikipedia}}
-Theowlbear (also owl bear) is one of many ''NetHack'' creatures that comes from ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', first appearing in the 1975 ''Greyhawk'' supplement for the original release. The owlbear and several other creatures in particular, such as the [[rust monster]] were based on dime-store plastic toys that were used by Gary Gygax and other play-testers as monster figures, with their appearances based directly on the toys.<ref>[https://diterlizzi.com/essay/owlbears-rust-monsters-and-bulettes-oh-my/ "Owlbears, Rust Monsters and Bulettes, Oh My!" - Tony DiTerlizzi]</ref> The owlbear has since appeared in every subsequent edition of the game, as well as several other fantasy role-playing games, video games and fantasy media, and is widely considered one of the franchise's most memorable monsters.
+The owlbear (also written as "owl bear") is one of many ''NetHack'' creatures that comes from ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', first appearing in the 1975 ''Greyhawk'' supplement for the original release. The owlbear and several other creatures in particular, such as the [[rust monster]] were based on dime-store plastic toys that were used by Gary Gygax and other play-testers as monster figures, with their appearances based directly on the toys.<ref>[https://diterlizzi.com/essay/owlbears-rust-monsters-and-bulettes-oh-my/ "Owlbears, Rust Monsters and Bulettes, Oh My!" - Tony DiTerlizzi]</ref> The owlbear has since appeared in every subsequent edition of the game, as well as several other fantasy role-playing games, video games and fantasy media, and is widely considered one of the franchise's most memorable monsters.
 As the name suggests, the owlbear is depicted as a cross between a bear and a giant owl that stands upright on two legs and has dark fur, feathers, and a yellow or ivory beak. It is a carnivorous creature known for aggression and ferocity, and attacks by using its beak, claws and grappling bear-like "hugs". Their in-universe origin is unclear, though the various ''Monster Manual'' editions indicate that it is believed to be the product of a wizard's experiments; in the 5th edition, some elves claim that owlbears have existed for millennia, while older fey say that they have always existed in the Feywild.
-Owlbears live in temperate climes and forested areas, establishing their lairs in tangled woods, near-surface caves, within large hollow trees and stumps, and among ruins. Their favored hunting grounds are usually dense wooded areas that they were familiar with; they clawed at certain trees to both mark territory and sharpen their claws. Owlbear lairs often contain up to six eggs and/or six young owlbears; they are frequent hunters and usually appear alone, in mated pairs with a territory of 1-2 square miles, or in packs of up to five or even eight.
+Owlbears live in temperate climes and forested areas, establishing their lairs in tangled woods, near-surface caves, within large hollow trees and stumps, and among ruins. Their favored hunting grounds are usually dense wooded areas that they were familiar with; they clawed at certain trees to both mark territory and sharpen their claws. Owlbear lairs often contain up to six eggs and/or six young owlbears; they are frequent hunters and usually appear alone, in mated pairs with a territory of 1-2 square miles, or in packs that consist of up to five or even eight owlbears.
 ==Messages==

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ==Strategy==
-Owlbears represent one of the many early-game threats that require you to be cautious about how you approach monsters in combat: they can move at the same speed as you if you are unburdened and do not have a source of speed yourself, and their grabbing attack can crush your HP while trapping you in place for other hostile monsters to attack you freely. [[Greased]] outer [[body armor]] or a non-cursed [[oilskin cloak]] can prevent an owlbear from getting a hold of you at all.
+Owlbears represent one of the many early-game threats that require you to be cautious about how you approach monsters in combat: they can move at the same speed as you if you are unburdened and do not have a source of speed yourself, and their grabbing attack can grind away your HP while trapping you in place for other hostile monsters to attack you freely. [[Greased]] outer [[body armor]] or a non-cursed [[oilskin cloak]] can prevent an owlbear from getting a hold of you at all.
 [[Ranged attack]]s, including [[spell]]s and [[wand]]s, can kill an owlbear at a safe distance or weaken it enough for you to finish off in melee. If you are caught in the owlbear's grasp, you can [[teleport]] yourself free or [[scare]] the owlbear into letting you go, e.g. by using a tool to scare it or engraving [[Elbereth]] with an applicable wand; scaring the owlbear has the additional boon of keeping it away from you for at least a few turns. Inflicting [[sleep]] or [[paralysis]] on the owlbear has a chance of it releasing you, but this is unreliable since the owlbear may be awakened if you are still in its grasp and attempt to move away.{{refsrc|src/hack.c|1530|nethack=3.6.7}}
-Once you can reliably take down owlbears, their [[corpse]]s are quite filling for you and any meat-eating pets you may have, with a non-rotten owlbear corpse providing nutrition comparable to a [[food ration]].
+Once you can reliably take down owlbears, their [[corpse]]s are quite filling for you and any meat-eating pets you may have, with a non-rotten owlbear [[corpse]] providing nutrition comparable to a [[food ration]].
 ==History==