Sergeant (monster) - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: potholes

2026-05-28T16:04:33Z

potholes

Umbire the Phantom: tweaks

2026-04-20T00:22:11Z

tweaks

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2025-12-06T07:45:57Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2025-11-04T06:28:24Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* History */ spacing

2025-10-08T06:02:25Z

‎History: spacing

Umbire the Phantom: ditto

2025-09-29T15:11:38Z

ditto

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ ditto + un

2025-09-29T03:28:22Z

‎Variants: ditto + un

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ tweak ref

2025-09-29T01:02:02Z

‎Variants: tweak ref

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ word choice

2025-09-29T00:57:55Z

‎Strategy: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ word choice

2025-09-29T00:47:28Z

‎Strategy: word choice

@@ Line 103: / Line 103: @@
 ===dNetHack===
-In [[dNetHack]], sergeants are lawful rather than chaotic. Sergeants have skilled prowess in martial combat and a full [[base attack bonus]] of +1 [[to-hit]] per level, can [[Commander (monster attribute)|command]] accompanying soldiers fighting alongside them to increase their damage and accuracy, and can be similarly commanded by lieutenants and [[captain]]s to gain damage and accuracy boosts. They have a mutual [[grudge]] with [[skeletal pirate]]s and [[damned pirate]]s.
+In [[dNetHack]], sergeants are lawful rather than chaotic. Sergeants have skilled prowess in martial combat and a full [[base attack bonus]] of +1 [[to-hit]] per level, can [[Commander (monster attribute)|command]] accompanying soldiers fighting alongside them to increase their damage and accuracy, and can be similarly commanded by lieutenants and [[captain]]s to gain damage and accuracy boosts. They have a mutual [[grudge]] with [[Skeletal pirate (dNetHack)|skeletal pirates]] and [[damned pirate]]s.
 Several sergeants are generated on various levels of the [[Law quest (dNetHack)|Law quest]] at level creation:<!--note Platinum Dragon changes-->

@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 Sergeants are slightly tougher than soldiers and likely to generate with better weapons, but can be handled in most of the same ways: drawing them into a corridor is effective for both reducing vulnerability and thinning their ranks, especially if other hostile fighters zap [[attack wand]]s at them to get to you. While a [[wand of death]] is rare enough that [[reflection]] or [[magic resistance]] are not strictly required, said wands can still be a danger to the hero. Additionally, be mindful of leaving [[chickatrice]] and [[cockatrice]] [[corpse]]s around sergeants with gloves (especially in the Castle or within [[Gehennom]]), and have [[lizard]] corpses or other cures for [[stoning]] ready to go in case.
-Sergeants have the same movement [[speed]] of 10 as the rest of the Yendor military, and can be a valuable source of wands if a [[zap]] from a [[wand of lightning]] does not destroy them. They also completely lack any [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]], meaning that [[poisoned]] weapons and various forms of magic are very often effective. The bugles sergeants can carry do introduce potential wrinkles, however: sergeants and other fighters will apply a bugle if any of their fellow fighters nearby are scared or immobilized, which can wake up entire barracks and ruin [[stealth]]-based approaches while scaring [[pet]]s&mdash;this may also awaken other nearby monsters as well if the combat itself does not do so.
+Sergeants have the same movement [[speed]] of 10 as the rest of the Yendor military, and can be a valuable source of wands if a [[zap]] from a [[wand of lightning]] does not destroy them. They also completely lack any [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]], meaning that [[poisoned weapon]]s, [[poison]] attacks and various forms of magic are very often effective. The bugles sergeants can carry do introduce potential wrinkles, however: sergeants and other fighters will apply a bugle if any of their fellow fighters nearby are scared or immobilized, which can wake up entire barracks and ruin [[stealth]]-based approaches while scaring [[pet]]s&mdash;this may also awaken other nearby monsters as well if the combat itself does not do so.
 Leftover equipment from sergeants make a good source of [[polyfodder]] and/or replacements for any eroded or lower-[[enchantment]] armor, and their rations make for good [[nutrition]] sources. A [[Human (starting race)|human]] hero should make sure they do not [[Cannibalism|eat a sergeant corpse by accident]] while trying to pluck their rations off the ground if they are in a hurry&mdash;similarly, a human hero that is [[polymorph]]ed into a [[mind flayer]] or [[master mind flayer]] should not attack them in melee if they want to avoid cannibalism penalties. Human [[Cavepeople]] and heroes of other races can [[eat]] sergeant corpses safely for half the nutrition of a standard [[food ration]], while chaotic human heroes can use them as [[same-race sacrifice]]s to summon [[major demon]]s and raise their [[luck]]&mdash;a human hero that is not chaotic or a Caveperson can still use the corpse to feed any meat-eating pets.

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 Sergeants have the same movement [[speed]] of 10 as the rest of the Yendor military, and can be a valuable source of wands if a [[zap]] from a [[wand of lightning]] does not destroy them. They also completely lack any [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]], meaning that [[poisoned]] weapons and various forms of magic are very often effective. The bugles sergeants can carry do introduce potential wrinkles, however: sergeants and other fighters will apply a bugle if any of their fellow fighters nearby are scared or immobilized, which can wake up entire barracks and ruin [[stealth]]-based approaches while scaring [[pet]]s&mdash;this may also awaken other nearby monsters as well if the combat itself does not do so.
-Leftover equipment from sergeants make a good source of [[polyfodder]] and/or replacements for any eroded or lower-[[enchantment]] armor, and their rations make for good [[nutrition]] sources. A [[Human (starting race)|human]] hero should make sure they do not [[Cannibalism|eat a sergeant corpse by accident]] while trying to pluck their rations off the ground if they are in a hurry&mdash;similarly, one that is [[polymorph]]ed into a [[mind flayer]] or [[master mind flayer]] should not attack them in melee if they want to avoid cannibalism penalties. Human [[Cavepeople]] and heroes of other races can [[eat]] sergeant corpses safely for half the nutrition of a standard [[food ration]], while chaotic human heroes can use them as [[same-race sacrifice]]s to summon [[major demon]]s and raise their [[luck]]&mdash;a human hero that is not chaotic or a Caveperson can still use the corpse to feed any meat-eating pets.
+Leftover equipment from sergeants make a good source of [[polyfodder]] and/or replacements for any eroded or lower-[[enchantment]] armor, and their rations make for good [[nutrition]] sources. A [[Human (starting race)|human]] hero should make sure they do not [[Cannibalism|eat a sergeant corpse by accident]] while trying to pluck their rations off the ground if they are in a hurry&mdash;similarly, a human hero that is [[polymorph]]ed into a [[mind flayer]] or [[master mind flayer]] should not attack them in melee if they want to avoid cannibalism penalties. Human [[Cavepeople]] and heroes of other races can [[eat]] sergeant corpses safely for half the nutrition of a standard [[food ration]], while chaotic human heroes can use them as [[same-race sacrifice]]s to summon [[major demon]]s and raise their [[luck]]&mdash;a human hero that is not chaotic or a Caveperson can still use the corpse to feed any meat-eating pets.
 Though not commonly employed, bribery can be used can be used to block off a hallway using a pacified sergeant, since hostile monsters will not route their movement past peaceful ones. This can help a hero herd and eliminate groups of monsters with other crowd control strategies, including [[pounding]] and [[casting]] skilled {{+ of|fireball}} or {{+ of|cone of cold}}&mdash;it will not stop [[teleport]]ing or [[covetous]] foes, however, and [[breath]] weapons and other ranged attacks can still kill the sergeant. Additionally, sergeants require more gold to be bribed compared to soldiers.

@@ Line 114: / Line 114: @@
 When randomly generating soldiers via normal [[monster creation]] on certain levels of the Law quest, there is a {{frac|6}} chance of a sergeant being generated instead: this applies to the Arcadian Road, the outskirts of the Arcadian Fortress, the inner section of the fortress, and the second floor, which is divided between the dwelling of the [[Arsenal]] and the ground floor of the Arcadian Tower. If soldiers or sergeants are extinct or genocided when the game attempts to randomly generate them in this manner, a random [[human or elf]] will be generated instead.
-[[Zombie (dNetHack)|Zombified]] sergeants can generate among the many undead that are randomly generated in the [[Anachrononaut quest]] and [[Android quest]] after level creation.
+[[Zombie (dNetHack)|Zombified]] sergeants can appear among the many undead that are randomly generated in the [[Anachrononaut quest]] and [[Android quest]] after level creation.
 Sergeants may appear among the random {{white|@}} that are part of the first quest monster class for [[Binder]]s and make up {{frac|24|175}} of the monsters randomly generated on the [[Binder quest]]. Two sergeants are also randomly placed on the locate level of the Binder quest at level creation.
@@ Line 120: / Line 120: @@
 Sergeants may additionally appear among the random {{white|@}} that are part of the second standard quest monster class for [[Noble]]s and make up {{frac|6|175}} of the monsters randomly generated on the default [[Noble quest]]. Some sergeants are also generated on the default Noble quest at level creation: one is placed on the northwest corner of the hero's stronghold on the home level alongside three soldiers, and two more are placed randomly on the goal level.
-Some sergeants are generated on a few floors of the [[Pirate quest]] at level creation: one is placed randomly on the home level, and another is randomly placed on each lower filler level.
+Some sergeants are generated on a few floors of the [[Pirate quest/dNetHack|Pirate quest]] at level creation: one is placed randomly on the home level, and another is randomly placed on each lower filler level.
 In the [[Tourist quest/dNetHack|Tourist quest]], the [[Kop Sergeant]] placed within the "police station" structure on the goal level is replaced by a sergeant, as dNetHack replaces the [[Keystone Kop (monster class)|Keystone Kop]] [[monster class]].

@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 The sergeant first appears in [[NetHack 3.0.0]].
-From NetHack 3.0.0 to [[NetHack 3.1.3]], including some variants based on those versions, sergeants and other mercenaries have their intended target AC recorded  in their monster data, with [[Source:NetHack 3.0.0/makemon.c|code in <tt>makemon.c</tt>]] set to outfit them with armor that matches the target AC{{refsrc|makemon.c|328|version=NetHack 3.0.0}}&mdash;any difference is compensated for by equipping that monster with a [[ring of protection]] whose enchantment is equivalent to that difference, with the ring being cursed if that difference was negative (i.e. a sergeant's equipment took them ''above'' their target AC).{{refsrc|makemon.c|353|version=NetHack 3.0.0}} Additionally, from [[NetHack 3.1.0]] to NetHack 3.1.3, sergeants only appear if the <tt>ARMY</tt> and <tt>MUSE</tt> compile-time options are ''both'' defined: if only the former is defined, then they are replaced by [[unarmored soldier]]s.{{refsrc|monst.c|1732|version=NetHack 3.1.0}}
+From NetHack 3.0.0 to [[NetHack 3.1.3]], including some variants based on those versions, sergeants and other mercenaries have their intended target AC recorded in their monster data, with [[Source:NetHack 3.0.0/makemon.c|code in <tt>makemon.c</tt>]] set to outfit them with armor that matches the target AC{{refsrc|makemon.c|328|version=NetHack 3.0.0}}&mdash;any difference is compensated for by equipping that monster with a [[ring of protection]] whose enchantment is equivalent to that difference, with the ring being cursed if that difference was negative (i.e. a sergeant's equipment took them ''above'' their target AC).{{refsrc|makemon.c|353|version=NetHack 3.0.0}} Additionally, from [[NetHack 3.1.0]] to NetHack 3.1.3, sergeants only appear if the <tt>ARMY</tt> and <tt>MUSE</tt> compile-time options are ''both'' defined: if only the former is defined, then they are replaced by [[unarmored soldier]]s.{{refsrc|monst.c|1732|version=NetHack 3.1.0}}
 [[NetHack 3.2.0]] phases out the unarmored soldier and makes <tt>MUSE</tt> a default feature while also establishing the modern mechanism of equipment generation for mercenaries, removing the ring of protection from the process.

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 Sergeants are always generated hostile, and are frequently generated in small [[group]]s of 2-4. They are not a valid polymorph form. A soldier can [[grow up]] into a sergeant, and a sergeant can grow up into a [[lieutenant]].
-A [[barracks]] has a {{frac|3|20}} chance of generating a [[sleeping]] sergeant on each square at level creation, including the following:{{refsrc|src/mkroom.c|765|nethack=3.6.7|comment=populating barracks}}
+A [[barracks]] has a {{frac|3|20}} chance of generating a [[sleeping]] sergeant on each square at level creation, including the following:{{refsrc|src/mkroom.c|766|nethack=3.6.7|comment=populating barracks}}
 * The barracks within the [[Tourist quest]]{{refsrc|dat/Tourist.des|171|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|dat/Tourist.des|172|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|dat/Tourist.des|174|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|dat/Tourist.des|328|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|dat/Tourist.des|336|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|dat/Tourist.des|338|nethack=3.6.7}}
@@ Line 128: / Line 128: @@
 * For their primary weapon, they have a roughly equal probability of generating with either a flail or a mace as in ''NetHack'', and have a separate {{frac|2}} chance of being given a [[crossbow]] with {{rn1|36|3}} [[crossbow bolt]]s as ammo.
 * As in ''NetHack'', default generation for mercenaries means that a sergeant also has a {{frac|4}} chance of being given a dagger as a primary weapon and a {{frac|7}} chance of being given a spear as a secondary weapon, and any sergeant that has a primary weapon other than a dagger ''and'' no secondary weapon then has a {{frac|4}} chance of being given a knife as their secondary weapon.
-* For armor, sergeants that are generated in the Law quest are always created with [[harmonium scale mail]], a [[harmonium helm]], a pair of [[harmonium gauntlets]], and a pair of [[harmonium boots]]. Otherwise, they are given armor for each slow as detailed below, with the base AC for each given piece of armor counted towards their target AC of 0:
+* For armor, sergeants that are generated in the Law quest are always created with [[harmonium scale mail]], a [[harmonium helm]], a pair of [[harmonium gauntlets]], and a pair of [[harmonium boots]]. Otherwise, they are given armor for each slot as detailed below, with the base AC for each given piece of armor counted towards their target AC of 0:
 ** For their [[suit]], they have the same chance of receiving splint mail, banded mail, ring mail, studded leather armor, or leather armor as in ''NetHack''.
 ** For their [[helm]], they have a {{frac|2|3}} chance of being given a helmet, a {{frac|2}} chance of being given a [[Leather helm (dNetHack)|leather helm]] if they are not given a helmet, and a {{frac|10}} chance of being given a [[war hat]] if they are not given a leather helm.

@@ Line 100: / Line 100: @@
 ===UnNetHack===
-In [[UnNetHack]], Yendorian army officers are called in place of the [[Keystone Kop (monster class)|Keystone Kops]] if the hero steals anything in the [[Black market (UnNetHack)|black market]], with sergeants generated in place of [[Kop Sergeant]]s.
+In [[UnNetHack]], Yendorian army officers are called in place of the Keystone Kops if the hero steals anything in the [[Black market (UnNetHack)|black market]], with sergeants generated in place of Kop Sergeants.
 ===dNetHack===
-In [[dNetHack]], sergeants are lawful rather than chaotic. Sergeants have skilled prowess in martial combat and a full [[base attack bonus]] of +1 [[to-hit]] per level, can [[Commander (monster attribute)|command]] accompanying soldiers fighting alongside them to increase their damage and accuracy, and can be similarly commanded by lieutenants to gain damage and accuracy boosts. They have a mutual [[grudge]] with [[skeletal pirate]]s and [[damned pirate]]s.
+In [[dNetHack]], sergeants are lawful rather than chaotic. Sergeants have skilled prowess in martial combat and a full [[base attack bonus]] of +1 [[to-hit]] per level, can [[Commander (monster attribute)|command]] accompanying soldiers fighting alongside them to increase their damage and accuracy, and can be similarly commanded by lieutenants and [[captain]]s to gain damage and accuracy boosts. They have a mutual [[grudge]] with [[skeletal pirate]]s and [[damned pirate]]s.
 Several sergeants are generated on various levels of the [[Law quest (dNetHack)|Law quest]] at level creation:<!--note Platinum Dragon changes-->

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 In [[SLASH'EM]], barracks will not be randomly generated under normal circumstances due to a bug that reverses the check for genocided monsters, meaning that barracks will only appear if soldiers specifically are genocided{{refsrc|mklev.c|769|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}&mdash;such barracks will consist mostly of random monsters alongside a few sergeants and higher-ranked army members. Predefined barracks such as those in the Castle will appear normally, as in ''NetHack''.{{refsrc|mkroom.c|324|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|mkroom.c|815|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|mkroom.c|819|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}
-In the [[Black market (SLASH'EM)|black market]], Yendorian army officers are called in place of the [[Keystone Kop (monster class)|Keystone Kops]] if the hero steals anything, with sergeants generated in place of [[Kop Sergeant]]s.{{refsrc|shk.c|366|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|shk.c|3935|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}
+In the [[Black market (SLASH'EM)|black market]], Yendorian army officers are called in place of the [[Keystone Kop (monster class)|Keystone Kops]] if the hero steals anything, with sergeants generated in place of [[Kop Sergeant]]s.{{refsrc|shk.c|367|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|shk.c|3935|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}
 The sergeant's starting weapons are changed drastically if the <tt>FIREARMS</tt> compile-time option is defined: Their primary weapon has a roughly equal probability of being either an [[Assault rifle (SLASH'EM)|assault rifle]] with 2 different stacks of {{rn1|30|3}} [[Bullet (SLASH'EM)|bullets]] as ammo, or an [[Auto shotgun (SLASH'EM)|auto shotgun]] with 2 different stacks of {{rn1|10|3}} [[Shotgun shell (SLASH'EM)|shotgun shells]].{{refsrc|makemon.c|293|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}} Their secondary weapon will be either a knife or a dagger with roughly equal probability.{{refsrc|makemon.c|302|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}} Sergeants will also be given a stack of either {{rn1|5|3}} [[Frag grenade (SLASH'EM)|frag grenades]] or {{rn1|5|3}} [[Gas grenade (SLASH'EM)|gas grenades]], and have a separate {{frac|5}} chance of being given a [[Grenade launcher (SLASH'EM)|grenade launcher]].{{refsrc|makemon.c|303|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|makemon.c|308|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}