Stranger - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: copyedit pass

2026-04-14T12:10:30Z

copyedit pass

Umbire the Phantom: /* Intervention */ tweak

2026-03-19T11:00:08Z

‎Intervention: tweak

Umbire the Phantom: pothole

2026-03-19T09:00:11Z

pothole

Umbire the Phantom: copyedit

2025-08-24T20:53:08Z

copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: pothole, etc.

2025-08-24T20:30:46Z

pothole, etc.

Umbire the Phantom: /* Spellcasting */ tweak

2025-07-10T22:24:48Z

‎Spellcasting: tweak

Umbire the Phantom: pothole

2025-04-12T16:53:13Z

pothole

Umbire the Phantom: copyedit

2025-04-05T18:53:05Z

copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: remove comments, pothole now covers essentials

2024-12-22T21:56:54Z

remove comments, pothole now covers essentials

Umbire the Phantom: /* Yellow nasties */ pothole

2024-12-22T21:47:12Z

‎Yellow nasties: pothole

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
   |frequency=0
   |genocidable=No
-  |attacks=Weapon 4d10 physical, Weapon 4d10 physical, Claw 2d8 [[quest artifact theft]], Claw 2d8 [[amulet theft]], [[dNetHack monster spells|Spellcast]] 2d8 clerical spell, Spellcast 2d8 clerical spell
+  |attacks=Weapon 4d10 [[Physical damage|physical]], weapon 4d10 physical, [[Claw attack|claw]] 2d8 [[quest artifact theft]], claw 2d8 [[amulet theft]], [[dNetHack monster spells|spellcast]] 2d8 clerical spell, spellcast 2d8 clerical spell
   |weight=1450
   |nutr=400
@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
   |reference=
 }}
-The '''Stranger''', {{yellow|@}}, is a [[unique]] [[monster]] that appears in [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]]. It is a powerful [[Human or elf|human-shaped]] [[insight]] monster that normally only appears in the [[Madman quest]]: Once a [[Madperson]] finds their [[quest artifact]], [[The Star of Hypernotus]], the Stranger will begin harassing them from that point on until they gain enough insight to perceive it directly, at which point it will attack in earnest.
+The '''Stranger''', {{yellow|@}}, is a [[unique]] [[monster]] that appears in [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]]. It is a powerful [[Human or elf|human-like]] [[insight]] monster that normally only appears in the [[Madman quest]]: Once a [[Madperson]] takes their [[quest artifact]], [[The Star of Hypernotus]], the Stranger will begin harassing them from that point on until they gain enough insight to perceive it directly, at which point it will attack in earnest.
 The Stranger is a [[strong]], [[omnivorous]] [[humanoid]] that is [[amphibious]], [[breathless]] and [[Eyeless|lacks eyes]]; it can be seen via [[infravision]], can [[see invisible]], will pick up [[magical item]]s and other objects that it comes across, and is an [[overlord]] to its kind. The Stranger is [[covetous]] and capable of warping, and desires the [[invocation items]], the [[quest artifact]] of the [[hero]]'s [[role]], and [[the Amulet of Yendor]].
-The Stranger has six attacks: two strong weapon attacks, a claw attack that can steal quest artifacts, a second claw attack that can steal the Amulet of Yendor, and two [[dNetHack monster spells|monster spells]] cast clerically during each of his turns. The Stranger also exhibits other complex behaviors that are described in detail below.
+The Stranger has six attacks: two strong weapon attacks, a [[claw attack]] that can [[Quest artifact theft|steal quest artifacts]], a second claw attack that can [[Amulet theft|steal the Amulet of Yendor]], and two [[dNetHack monster spells|monster spells]] cast clerically during each of his turns. The Stranger also exhibits other complex behaviors that are described in detail below.
 ==Generation==
-The Stranger is generated awake atop the square containing the quest artifact, but will immediately vanish from perception due to the mechanics of the insight system&mdash;unlike most quest nemeses and related monsters, it can appear in [[bones]] files as well.
+The Stranger is not a valid polymorph form or genocide target.
 The Stranger [[Monster starting inventory|always generates with]] a yellow +5 [[shepherd's crook]], a yellow +5 self-cursing magic-resistant leather [[robe]], and a gold [[amulet of wound closure]] with the [[User:Chris/dNetHack/The Yellow Sign|Yellow Sign]] [[Ward (dNetHack)|ward]]. If the Stranger is first created under normal circumstances for an [[Elf (starting race)|elven]] Madperson, it will also generate with the [[Star-Emperor's Ring]].
@@ Line 35: / Line 37: @@
 ==The Stranger's stalking==
-While it is normally invisible to a hero without sufficient insight, the Stranger will continually harass them once it becomes aware of their presence. The Stranger can perform the following actions depending on the hero's insight and the current stage of harassment:
+While it is normally invisible to a hero without sufficient insight, the Stranger becomes aware of the hero's presence from a Madperson picking up The Star of Hypernotus, and they can also harass other heroes who encounter a [[the quest artifact and it becomes aware of their presence. The Stranger can perform the following actions depending on the hero's insight and the current stage of harassment:
 * If the Stranger is dormant, it cannot cross pools of water or other impassible terrain (i.e., any terrain that would block a [[wand]] [[zap]]).
-* If the Stranger becomes active&mdash;either from a Madperson touching their quest artifact, or from a hero of another role finding a bones level where the Stranger is present&mdash;a 'harassment' counter will begin running, starting from an initial value ranging between 500 and 555 inclusively. In this state, it has a {{frac|5}} chance of moving through water or otherwise-impassible terrain. Once the Stranger is standing on a normally impassible square, other such squares will no longer block its path.
+* If the Stranger becomes active&mdash;either from a Madperson touching their quest artifact, or from a hero finding a bones level where the Stranger is present&mdash;a 'harassment' counter will begin running, starting from an initial value ranging between 500 and 555 inclusively. In this state, it has a {{frac|5}} chance of moving through water or otherwise-impassible terrain. Once the Stranger is standing on a normally impassible square, other such squares will no longer block its path.
-** The harassment counter will decrement by 1 "tick" for each game turn that the Stranger is on the hero's current [[dungeon level]]; while it is on the same level, monsters killed by the hero that leave behind [[corpse]]s are likely to [[revive]] from those corpses as [[fulvous]] undead. If the Stranger is not visible and would be occupying the hero's square, the counter decrements by an additional 4 "ticks", for a total of 5 per turn that it is on the hero's square.
+** The harassment counter will decrement by 1 for each game turn that the Stranger is on the hero's current [[dungeon level]]; while it is on the same level, monsters killed by the hero that leave behind [[corpse]]s are likely to [[revive]] from those corpses as [[fulvous]] undead. If the Stranger is not visible and would be occupying the hero's square, the counter decrements by an additional 4 ticks, for a total of 5 per turn that it is on the hero's square. The Stranger's {{sa|Intervention|"intervention"}} will occur once the harassment counter reaches zero.
-* If the Stranger would occupy the hero's square in either state, it will perform a [[study]]ing [[gaze]] that increases the hero's study counter by 1d5, with a cap of 5 total study from this gaze.
+* If the Stranger would occupy the hero's square in either its dormant or active state, it will perform a [[study]]-inducing [[gaze]] that increases the hero's study counter by 1d5, with a cap of 5 total study from this gaze.
 * If the Stranger is on the same level as the hero in either state, but the hero does not have the required insight to see it and it is not on their square, it will move one step closer to the hero in a straight line.
 * If the Stranger is active and in a separate dungeon branch from the hero, it has a {{frac|555}} chance of moving to the hero's current branch&mdash;the Stranger will remain at its current depth in the new branch rather than moving to the hero's level, making it likely that it will not show up immediately.
@@ Line 47: / Line 49: @@
 ===Intervention===
-The Stranger's "intervention" will occur once the harassment counter reaches zero, and produces one of five effects:
+The Stranger's "intervention" is selected from one of several effects once the harassment counter hits zero. Once an effect is applied, the harassment counter will reset to a random value from 500-555 inclusively.
 # The hero will "feel vaguely nervous" as with the Wizard of Yendor, and nothing happens.
-# The hero is [[blind]]ed for 50-55 rounds, and "[[#Yellow nasties|yellow nasties]]" are generated around them.
+# The hero is [[blind]]ed for 50-55 rounds, and {{sa|Yellow nasties|"yellow nasties"}} are generated around them.
 # An [[aggravate]] effect occurs: All monsters on the level are awakened from [[sleep]], un-[[scared]] and/or un-[[paralyzed]].
 # The hero is subjected to a [[curse items]] effect.
@@ Line 67: / Line 69: @@
 :* The [[ice storm]] spell is cast as if from that monster.
-The yellow smiting has an equal chance of applying each effect, and after one occurs the chosen hostile monster's [[Monster level|level]] increases by 1, as if it had [[quaffed]] a [[potion of gain level]]. Once an effect is applied, the harassment counter will reset to a random value from 500-555 inclusively.
+The yellow smiting has an equal chance of applying each effect, and after one occurs the chosen hostile monster's [[Monster level|level]] increases by 1, as if it had [[quaffed]] a non-cursed [[potion of gain level]].
 ===Yellow nasties===
@@ Line 77: / Line 79: @@
 * {{monsymlink|Skeleton}}
 * Either a {{gray|@}} [[star-elf]] if the hero is elven, or a {{monsymlink|human}} otherwise; in both cases, the monster will be created with the [[dream-leech]] template<!--Dream-Leech template: +5 special AC, +5 special head DR, add "always hostile" and "follows up/down stairs/between levels", "undead", "telepathic", "warded by elder sign". Adds a 1d5 int-draining touch.-->
-* Either a {{white|@}} [[Madperson (player monster)|madman or madwoman]] with the fulvous template
+* Either a {{white|@}} [[Madman (player monster)|madman]] or [[Madwoman (player monster)|madwoman]] with the fulvous template
 * {{monsymlink|Purple worm}} with the [[Finger (monster template)|finger]] template
 * {{monsymlink|Long worm}} with the finger template, generated randomly on the level
@@ Line 85: / Line 87: @@
 ==Strategy==
-The Stranger is a highly menacing monster that every Madman will have to face eventually, although the hero does not need to face the Stranger immediately upon retrieving the Star of Hypernotus (and it is in fact highly unwise to do so in a mass majority of scenarios). Even so, preparation for confronting it becomes paramount at least shortly before obtaining the artifact.
+The Stranger is a highly-menacing monster that every Madperson hero will have to face eventually, although they do not need to fight the Stranger immediately upon retrieving the Star of Hypernotus and it is highly unwise to do so in a mass majority of scenarios. Even so, preparation for confronting it eventually becomes paramount at least shortly before obtaining the artifact.
 ===Spellcasting===
@@ Line 114: / Line 116: @@
 ===Fighting the Stranger===
-The Stranger has very high damage potential, and its spell repertoire includes various mummy curses, particularly effects that can wipe out your luck, [[curse items, or even shred your current HP by {{frac|2|3}} and cause you to lose turns by screaming. The ideal approach is to find a way to manage the Stranger's dangers as it stalks the hero throughout the next phase of the game, all the while preparing their inventory and skill suite for when they gain enough insight to directly confront the Stranger and defeat it for good.
+The Stranger has very high damage potential, and its spell repertoire includes various mummy curses, particularly effects that can wipe out your luck, curse items, or even shred your current HP by {{frac|2|3}} and cause you to lose turns by screaming. The ideal approach is to find a way to manage the Stranger's dangers as it stalks the hero throughout the next phase of the game, all the while preparing their inventory and skill suite for when they gain enough insight to directly confront the Stranger and defeat it for good.
 It is best to have a source of [[teleport control]], cursed potions of gain level and/or other escape items ready so you can flee quickly in the event a fight against the Stranger goes off the rails&mdash;be sure to make a backup stash in the event you are cut off from your main one. Any armor made yellow by the spell typically cannot be made a different color without transmuting the object's material; a player that reaches 55 insight should ideally have enough resources to swap out cloaks if needed.

@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 :* The hero takes 10d5 damage&mdash;this cannot kill them, and will always leave them with at least 5 HP.
 :* The hero is [[confused]], [[stunned]], and begins [[hallucinating]].
-:* An effect similar to a [[touch of death]] occurs: If the hero is under 100 HP, they [[Instadeath|die instantly]], and otherwise they take 8d8 damage, or only 8 damage if they have [[magic resistance]].
+:* An effect similar to a [[touch of death]] occurs: If the hero is under 100 HP, they [[Instadeath|die instantly]], and otherwise they take 8d8 damage (or 8 damage if they have [[magic resistance]]).
 :* All hostile monsters on the level are given +5 [[encouragement]].
 :* The [[Poison gas (monster spell)|poison gas]] spell is cast as if from that monster.

@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 * {{monsymlink|Long worm}} with the finger template, generated randomly on the level
 * {{yellow|W}} [[Flaxen starshadow]]
-* {{white|@}} [[Bard (player monster)|Bard]] with the fulvous template
+* {{white|@}} [[Bard (dNetHack monster)|Bard]] with the fulvous template
 * {{yellow|n}} [[Carcosan courtier]]

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 * If the Stranger would occupy the hero's square in either state, it will perform a [[study]]ing [[gaze]] that increases the hero's study counter by 1d5, with a cap of 5 total study from this gaze.
 * If the Stranger is on the same level as the hero in either state, but the hero does not have the required insight to see it and it is not on their square, it will move one step closer to the hero in a straight line.
-* If the Stranger is active and in a separate dungeon branch from the hero, it has a {{frac|555}} chance of moving to the hero's current branch - the Stranger will remain at its current depth in the new branch rather than moving to the hero's level, making it likely that it will not show up immediately.
+* If the Stranger is active and in a separate dungeon branch from the hero, it has a {{frac|555}} chance of moving to the hero's current branch&mdash;the Stranger will remain at its current depth in the new branch rather than moving to the hero's level, making it likely that it will not show up immediately.
 * If the Stranger is active and in the same dungeon branch, but not on the hero's level, it has a {{frac|55}} chance of moving one dungeon level closer to the hero.
 * If the Stranger is on the hero's level and they have 55 insight or more, it finally becomes visible and appears near them in a manner similar to the [[Wizard of Yendor]].
@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 :* The hero is afflicted with [[illness]].
 :* The [[drain life]] spell is cast at the hero, as if from the chosen monster.
-:* The hero takes 10d5 damage - this cannot kill them, and will always leave them with at least 5 HP.
+:* The hero takes 10d5 damage&mdash;this cannot kill them, and will always leave them with at least 5 HP.
 :* The hero is [[confused]], [[stunned]], and begins [[hallucinating]].
 :* An effect similar to a [[touch of death]] occurs: If the hero is under 100 HP, they [[Instadeath|die instantly]], and otherwise they take 8d8 damage, or only 8 damage if they have [[magic resistance]].
@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 ==Strategy==
-A Madman does not need to face the Stranger immediately upon retrieving the Star, and it is highly unwise to do so besides: the Stranger has very high damage potential, and its spell repertoire includes various [[mummy curse]]s, particularly effects that can wipe out your [[luck]], [[curse items]], or even shred your current HP by {{frac|2|3}} and cause you to lose turns by [[Screaming (dNetHack)|screaming]]. The ideal approach is to find a way to manage the Stranger's dangers as it stalks the hero throughout the next phase of the game, all the while preparing for when they gain enough insight to directly confront the Stranger and defeat it for good.
+The Stranger is a highly menacing monster that every Madman will have to face eventually, although the hero does not need to face the Stranger immediately upon retrieving the Star of Hypernotus (and it is in fact highly unwise to do so in a mass majority of scenarios). Even so, preparation for confronting it becomes paramount at least shortly before obtaining the artifact.
 ===Spellcasting===
@@ Line 110: / Line 103: @@
 * [[Mummy curse]]s:
 ** You take 1 HP of damage per level of the Stranger (usually around 60 HP), with a cap of no more than half your current HP rounded down (which will always leave you with at least 1 HP).
-** You lose 26 points of [[Luck]], likely setting it to -10.
+** You lose 26 points of [[luck]], likely setting it to -10.
-** Your items are cursed or unblessed similar to the curse items monster spell.
+** Your items are cursed or unblessed similar to the [[curse items]] monster spell.
-** Your bonus to maximum HP is reduced to the minimum of either your current bonus to maximum HP minus 25 or to half your current bonus HP, and your maximum HP is recalculated (which will reduce your maximum HP by an unpredictable, but often quite large, amount)&mdash;your current HP is then set to {{frac|3}} of its current value plus one, which cannot kill you. You are also made to scream for 2 (more) rounds.
+** Your bonus to maximum HP is reduced to the minimum of either your current bonus to maximum HP minus 25 or to half your current bonus HP, and your maximum HP is recalculated (which will reduce your maximum HP by an unpredictable, but often quite large, amount)&mdash;your current HP is then set to {{frac|3}} of its current value plus one, which cannot kill you. You are also left [[Screaming (dNetHack)|screaming]] for 2 (more) rounds.
 * '''Yellow dead'''&mdash;This spell is also unique to the Stranger and either generates [[#Yellow nasties|yellow nasties]] as with the harassment effect, or else raises the dead and generates fulvous undead monsters rather than [[Zombie (dNetHack)|zombies]]. It is also the only summon spell that ignores the maximum of one summon spell being allowed per global turn (or round).
 * [[Nightmare (monster spell)|Nightmare]]
@@ Line 118: / Line 111: @@
 * [[Stun (monster spell)|Stun]]
 * [[Open wounds]]
-* [[Cure self]] - This has four times the probability of the Stranger's other spells.
+* [[Cure self]]&mdash;This has four times the probability of the Stranger's other spells.
 ==Origin==

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
   |reference=
 }}
 The '''Stranger''', {{yellow|@}}, is a [[unique]] [[monster]] that appears in [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]]. It is a powerful [[Human or elf|human-shaped]] [[insight]] monster that normally only appears in the [[Madman quest]]: Once a [[Madperson]] finds their [[quest artifact]], [[The Star of Hypernotus]], the Stranger will begin harassing them from that point on until they gain enough insight to perceive it directly, at which point it will attack in earnest.
@@ Line 86: / Line 85: @@
 ==Strategy==
-A Madman does not need to face the Stranger immediately upon retrieving the Star, and it is highly unwise to do so besides: the Stranger has very high damage potential, and its spell repertoire includes various [[mummy curse]]s, particularly effects that can wipe out your [[luck]], [[curse items]], or even shred your current HP by {{frac|2|3}} and cause you to lose turns by [[scream]]ing. The ideal approach is to find a way to manage the Stranger's dangers as it stalks the hero throughout the next phase of the game, all the while preparing for when they gain enough insight to directly confront the Stranger and defeat it for good.
+A Madman does not need to face the Stranger immediately upon retrieving the Star, and it is highly unwise to do so besides: the Stranger has very high damage potential, and its spell repertoire includes various [[mummy curse]]s, particularly effects that can wipe out your [[luck]], [[curse items]], or even shred your current HP by {{frac|2|3}} and cause you to lose turns by [[Screaming (dNetHack)|screaming]]. The ideal approach is to find a way to manage the Stranger's dangers as it stalks the hero throughout the next phase of the game, all the while preparing for when they gain enough insight to directly confront the Stranger and defeat it for good.
 ===Fighting the Stranger===

@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 :* An effect similar to a [[touch of death]] occurs: If the hero is under 100 HP, they [[Instadeath|die instantly]], and otherwise they take 8d8 damage, or only 8 damage if they have [[magic resistance]].
 :* All hostile monsters on the level are given +5 [[encouragement]].
-:* The [[poison gas]] spell is cast as if from that monster.
+:* The [[Poison gas (monster spell)|poison gas]] spell is cast as if from that monster.
 :* The [[acid rain]] spell is cast as if from that monster.
 :* The [[fire pillar]] spell is cast as if from that monster.

@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 * Either a {{gray|@}} [[star-elf]] if the hero is elven, or a {{monsymlink|human}} otherwise; in both cases, the monster will be created with the [[dream-leech]] template<!--Dream-Leech template: +5 special AC, +5 special head DR, add "always hostile" and "follows up/down stairs/between levels", "undead", "telepathic", "warded by elder sign". Adds a 1d5 int-draining touch.-->
 * Either a {{white|@}} [[Madperson (player monster)|madman or madwoman]] with the fulvous template
-* {{monsymlink|Purple worm}} with the [[finger]] template <!--(informally "psurlon" because that's the D&D inspiration plus what it's called in the code)-->
+* {{monsymlink|Purple worm}} with the [[Finger (monster template)|finger]] template<!--(informally "psurlon" because that's the D&D inspiration plus what it's called in the code)-->
 * {{monsymlink|Long worm}} with the finger template, generated randomly on the level<!--put here so as to not stack comments: Finger/"Many wormy fingers entity"/"Psurlon" template: +6 special AC, +6 special DR, add "hostile", "greedy", "picks up jewels", "collects items", "traitorous", "omnivore", "especially nasty", "confers insight", "taxes sanity", "humanoid", "slithy", "telepathic", "normal vision", "alien", "great old one", "can tunnel with the aid of a pick" (if needed), "wardable with an elder sign". removes "animal thoughts", "mindless", "no limbs", "no hands", and "animal body plan"-->
 * {{yellow|W}} [[Flaxen starshadow]]