Riders - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: pothole

2026-05-18T22:57:15Z

pothole

ScienceBall: Typos

2026-03-30T06:37:22Z

Typos

Umbire the Phantom: FCU pass

2026-03-25T20:09:09Z

FCU pass

Show changes

Umbire the Phantom: /* EvilHack */ pothole

2025-12-03T10:23:22Z

‎EvilHack: pothole

Umbire the Phantom: touch-ups

2025-07-02T17:39:11Z

touch-ups

Umbire the Phantom: /* Resistances and teleportation */ detail refs

2025-03-05T19:22:09Z

‎Resistances and teleportation: detail refs

Umbire the Phantom: /* History */ copyedit

2025-01-16T12:06:51Z

‎History: copyedit

Phol ende wodan: 3.7: riders are bright magenta

2024-12-19T16:59:18Z

3.7: riders are bright magenta

Umbire the Phantom: spacing - thanks again sciball

2024-10-10T23:19:03Z

spacing - thanks again sciball

ScienceBall: /* dNetHack */ Binah are Binder-only

2024-10-10T20:58:11Z

‎dNetHack: Binah are Binder-only

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 All of the Riders have a low natural [[armor class]] of -5 and possess [[touch attack]]s that deal damage in addition to the special effects each Rider's touch possesses: in the case of Pestilence and Famine, if both attacks land then the second attack will [[stun]] the hero.{{refsrc|src/mhitu.c|293|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=prevent double doinks from disease and hunger attacks}} None of these attacks can be affected by [[cancellation]] or blocked by [[magic cancellation]]. Rider touch attacks will have no effect on monsters that they hit, as there are no cases for these [[damage type]]s when handling combat between monsters, though a second successful hit damages and stuns monsters as they do the hero.{{refsrc|src/mhitm.c|1449|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Unhandled cases default to 0 damage}}
-None of the Riders respect [[Elbereth]], and they also ignore the [[sanctuary]] effect given to a hero by standing in a temple with a co-aligned priest. In addition, all Riders can unlock [[door]]s without an [[unlocking tool]], and will [[displace]] other monsters that are in their movement path unless the monster they would displace is occupying a square where a corpse cannot be generated.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|1589|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/monmove.c|820|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
+None of the Riders respect [[Elbereth]], and they also ignore the [[sanctuary]] effect given to a hero by standing in a temple with a co-aligned priest. In addition, all Riders can unlock [[door]]s without an [[unlocking tool]], and will [[M3_DISPLACES|displace other monsters]] that are in their movement path unless the monster they would displace is occupying a square where a corpse cannot be generated.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|1589|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/monmove.c|820|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 {{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|017a8687e0b541a8e5848ef3037e25dc819208ca}}, as a means of remedying [https://github.com/NetHack/NetHack/issues/594 issue #594] the Riders' touch attacks can damage other monsters, depending on various factors:

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ===Corpses and revival===
-A Rider will [[revive]] from their [[corpse]] if they are destroyed: thos revival has a {{frac|3}} chance of occurring each turn, with a guaranteed revival after 500 turns if they have not revived on their own by then, and revival will always occur in response to any of the following actions that would prevent it otherwise:{{refsrc|src/do.c|1880|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>revive_mon</tt> function}}{{refsrc|src/do.c|1900|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=cases for Rider revival}}{{refsrc|src/mkobj.c|1201|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=In practice, unless there is something wrong with the RNG, this 500-turn limit will never be hit.}}
+A Rider will [[revive]] from their [[corpse]] if they are destroyed: this revival has a {{frac|3}} chance of occurring each turn, with a guaranteed revival after 500 turns if they have not revived on their own by then, and revival will always occur in response to any of the following actions that would prevent it otherwise:{{refsrc|src/do.c|1880|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>revive_mon</tt> function}}{{refsrc|src/do.c|1900|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=cases for Rider revival}}{{refsrc|src/mkobj.c|1201|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=In practice, unless there is something wrong with the RNG, this 500-turn limit will never be hit.}}
 * A [[tinning kit]] is applied to the Rider's corpse.
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ===Armor class and other abilities===
-All of the Riders have a low natural [[armor class]] of -5 and possess [[touch attack]]s that deal damage in addition to the special effects each Rider's touch possesses: in the case of Pestilence and Famine, if both attacks land then the second attack will [[stun]] the hero.{{refsrc|src/mhitu.c|293|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=prevent double doinks from disease and hunger attacks}} None of these attacks can be affectedd by [[cancellation]] or blocked by [[magic cancellation]]. Rider touch attacks will have no effect on monsters that they hit, as there are no cases for these [[damage type]]s when handling combat between monsters, though a second successful hit damages and stuns monsters as they do the hero.{{refsrc|src/mhitm.c|1449|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Unhandled cases default to 0 damage}}
+All of the Riders have a low natural [[armor class]] of -5 and possess [[touch attack]]s that deal damage in addition to the special effects each Rider's touch possesses: in the case of Pestilence and Famine, if both attacks land then the second attack will [[stun]] the hero.{{refsrc|src/mhitu.c|293|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=prevent double doinks from disease and hunger attacks}} None of these attacks can be affected by [[cancellation]] or blocked by [[magic cancellation]]. Rider touch attacks will have no effect on monsters that they hit, as there are no cases for these [[damage type]]s when handling combat between monsters, though a second successful hit damages and stuns monsters as they do the hero.{{refsrc|src/mhitm.c|1449|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Unhandled cases default to 0 damage}}
 None of the Riders respect [[Elbereth]], and they also ignore the [[sanctuary]] effect given to a hero by standing in a temple with a co-aligned priest. In addition, all Riders can unlock [[door]]s without an [[unlocking tool]], and will [[displace]] other monsters that are in their movement path unless the monster they would displace is occupying a square where a corpse cannot be generated.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|1589|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/monmove.c|820|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}

@@ Line 144: / Line 144: @@
 ===EvilHack===
-In [[EvilHack]], the Riders have their monster levels raised to 40 and are given [[psychic resistance]] and [[immunity to sickness]], and they generate with 100 + 10d8 HP. They are capable of instantly destroying [[boulder]]s that block their path on each turn, and will instantly kill [[tiny]] monsters rather than displace them to get to the hero. [[Illithid (starting race)|Illithid]] heroes in base form that attack the Riders in melee will not use their secondary tentacle attack.
+In [[EvilHack]], the Riders have their monster levels raised to 40 and are given [[psychic resistance]] and [[immunity to sickness]], and they generate with 100 + 10d8 HP. They are capable of instantly destroying [[boulder]]s that block their path on each turn, and will instantly kill [[tiny]] monsters rather than displace them to get to the hero. [[Illithid (starting race)|Illithid]] heroes in base form that attack the Riders in melee will not use their secondary [[tentacle attack]].
 All four Riders are also each given a unique monster to serve as a [[steed]]:

@@ Line 69: / Line 69: @@
 Pestilence is widely considered to be the most dangerous of the trio due to the delayed instadeath from their touch&mdash;players often use [[telepathy]] to identify which [[high altar]] is guarded by Pestilence, and then have the hero explore the other altars first in hopes of avoiding an encounter. Death and Famine are still quite dangerous in their own right: the former's deadly touch can eat away at the hero's maximum HP, and the latter's touch can drain enough nutrition to weaken the hero from hunger, possibly causing them to faint and leaving them at the mercy of the Astral Plane denizens.
-The ability of the Riders to stun the hero by landing both of their touch attacks in a round of combat make dealing with them in melee a perilous endeavor, even before taking into consideration the unique dangers of each one - this typically warrants the use of a blessed [[unicorn horn]] or other form of healing so that the hero can escape, re-position themselves and/or fight back effectively. Combined with their near-guaranteed ability to revive, the Riders are persistent and deadly threats that pursue the hero while they search for the correct shrine containing their alignment's high altar. For this reason, some heroes opt to carry a [[helm of opposite alignment]] to increase their chances of being able to ascend at the first high altar they find.
+The ability of the Riders to stun the hero by landing both of their touch attacks in a round of combat make dealing with them in melee a perilous endeavor, even before taking into consideration the unique dangers of each one&mdash;this typically warrants the use of a blessed [[unicorn horn]] or other form of healing so that the hero can escape, re-position themselves and/or fight back effectively. Combined with their near-guaranteed ability to revive, the Riders are persistent and deadly threats that pursue the hero while they search for the correct shrine containing their alignment's high altar. For this reason, some heroes opt to carry a [[helm of opposite alignment]] to increase their chances of being able to ascend at the first high altar they find.
-Despite the deadliness of their touch attacks, and their many elemental resistances alongside regeneration and revival, the Riders can be bested with strong ordinary attacks and highly-enchanted weapons due to their low base HP; the {{+ of|magic missile}} spell can be used by heroes capable of reliably casting it to defeat them in a few shots or rebounds. Famine and Pestilence are both vulnerable to the [[wand of death]] and [[finger of death]], though Death is healed by death rays instead.{{refsrc|src/zap.c|606|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/zap.c|4156|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Death vs. death magic}} The [[expensive camera]] is the only item that can scare any of the Riders, and is worth bringing to the Astral Plane if you come across one—it is more than possible to handle the Riders without a camera, however, and it is typically not worth spending a [[wish]] on unless you have leftover wishes after fully preparing your [[ascension kit]] or readying yourself on the [[Plane of Water]].
+Despite the deadliness of their touch attacks, and their many elemental resistances alongside regeneration and revival, the Riders can be bested with strong ordinary attacks and highly-enchanted weapons due to their low base HP; the {{+ of|magic missile}} spell can be used by heroes capable of reliably casting it to defeat them in a few shots or rebounds. Famine and Pestilence are both vulnerable to the [[wand of death]] and {{+ of|finger of death}}, though Death is instead healed by death rays.{{refsrc|src/zap.c|3663|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/zap.c|4156|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Death vs. death magic}} The [[expensive camera]] is the only item that can scare any of the Riders, and is worth bringing to the Astral Plane if you come across one—it is more than possible to handle the Riders without a camera, however, and the tool is typically not worth spending a [[wish]] on unless you have leftover wishes after fully preparing your [[ascension kit]] or readying yourself on the [[Plane of Water]].
 ===Eliminating the Riders permanently===

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ===Resistances and teleportation===
-The Riders possesses many elemental resistances: [[fire resistance]], [[cold resistance]], [[shock resistance]], [[poison resistance]], and [[stoning resistance]]. Subjecting the Riders to [[disintegration]] will simply cause them to instantly reintegrate. The Riders also have [[teleport control]], which has a {{frac|12|13}} chance of placing them adjacent to the hero if they are teleported, and teleporting their corpse fails and revives them.{{refsrc|src/teleport.c|1576|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/teleport.c|1432|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
+The Riders possesses many elemental resistances: [[fire resistance]], [[cold resistance]], [[shock resistance]], [[poison resistance]], and [[stoning resistance]]. Subjecting the Riders to [[disintegration]] will simply cause them to instantly reintegrate. The Riders also have [[teleport control]], which has a {{frac|12|13}} chance of placing them adjacent to the hero if they are teleported, and teleporting their corpse fails and revives them.{{refsrc|src/teleport.c|1432|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Rider corpses revive instead of relocating when teleported}}{{refsrc|src/teleport.c|1576|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=teleported riders will stick close to the hero}}
 ===Armor class and other abilities===

@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 The three Riders first appear in [[NetHack 3.1.0]], alongside the revamped endgame featuring the Astral Plane.
-In [[NetHack 3.4.3]] and previous versions, along with some variants based on them, if you polymorph yourself into a [[green slime]], you can turn them to slime—the sliming touch attack is not considered magical. If you want, you can then tame the resulting green slimes. Similarly, a substantial herd of tamed green slimes stands some chance of turning a Rider into a slime, although this is only somewhat less risky. Additionally, a hostile [[gelatinous cube]] can engulf Rider corpses without trying to digest them, allowing you to steal them from the cube's inventory using a [[nymph]] [[polyself]]—if you were capable of lifting 1450 units of [[weight]], you could then use several methods to dispose of the corpse permanently, such as placing it in a cursed [[bag of holding]] and then repeatedly [[loot]]ing it without using up any further turns.
+In [[NetHack 3.4.3]] and previous versions, along with some variants based on them, a hero that polymorphs into a [[green slime]] can turn the Riders to slime, since the sliming touch attack is not considered magical (and thus not subject to MR score), and the hero can then tame the resulting green slimes. Similarly, a substantial herd of tamed green slimes stands some chance of turning a Rider into a slime, although this is only somewhat less risky. Additionally, a hostile [[gelatinous cube]] can engulf Rider corpses without trying to digest them, allowing a hero to steal them from the cube's inventory using a [[Nymph (monster class)|nymph]] [[polyself]]—a hero that can lift 1450 units of [[weight]] can then dispose of the corpse permanently, e.g. by placing it in a cursed [[bag of holding]] on the floor and then repeatedly [[loot]]ing it without using up any further turns.
 [[NetHack 3.6.0]] makes the Riders immune to sliming and polymorph, makes it so that gelatinous cubes cannot engulf their corpses, and grants the Riders their ability to displace other monsters.

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 {{otheruses|the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse|the use of monsters as steeds|riding}}
 The '''Riders''' collectively refers to a group of monsters that appear in ''[[NetHack]]'', and are among the last bosses that the [[hero]] will encounter. The name is short for the Riders of the Apocalypse, and the group consists of three monsters: [[Death (monster)|Death]], [[Famine]], and [[Pestilence]], {{magenta|&}}.
 ==Common traits==

@@ Line 133: / Line 133: @@
 ===dNetHack===
-In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]], and [[notnotdNetHack]], the Riders are all male [[primordial]]s. In addition to their traits from ''NetHack'', they are [[amphibious]] and [[breathless]], have [[death resistance]], and will turn [[traitor]] if somehow tamed. If the hero is a [[Binder]], then 3 [[Binah sephiroth]] are generated whenever a Rider is generated or revived (meaning that 9 will be present on the Astral Plane at level creation). Attempting to sacrifice any of the Riders to [[The Black Mother]] will anger her and revive them as usual.
+In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]], and [[notnotdNetHack]], the Riders are all male [[primordial]]s. In addition to their traits from ''NetHack'', they are [[amphibious]] and [[breathless]], have [[death resistance]], and will turn [[traitor]] if somehow tamed. If the hero is a [[Binder]], then 3 [[Binah sephiroth]] are generated whenever a Rider is generated or revived (meaning that 9 will be present on the Astral Plane at level creation).
 [[Apocalypse angel]]s are capable of using the Riders' touch attacks against the hero.