Wererat - Revision history

Ray Chason: Include the female tile

2026-05-11T21:56:13Z

Include the female tile

Umbire the Phantom: potholes

2026-04-20T03:00:14Z

potholes

Umbire the Phantom: more thorough pass on this

2025-10-14T08:43:00Z

more thorough pass on this

Glamdring: /* Strategy */ "spells" as a transitive verb is a bad idea when discussing fantasy tropes

2025-10-13T20:24:43Z

‎Strategy: "spells" as a transitive verb is a bad idea when discussing fantasy tropes

Umbire the Phantom: /* Hack'EM */ rats

2024-02-09T10:32:24Z

‎Hack'EM: rats

Umbire the Phantom: evil

2024-02-09T10:26:45Z

evil

Umbire the Phantom: lede

2024-01-31T23:37:32Z

lede

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ tweak

2024-01-31T18:13:48Z

‎Strategy: tweak

Umbire the Phantom: finish fragment

2024-01-31T18:08:20Z

finish fragment

Umbire the Phantom: cite correction

2024-01-31T18:01:26Z

cite correction

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{monster
   |name=wererat (human)
-  |tile=[[Image:Wererat.png]]
+  |tile=[[Image:Wererat.png]] [[Image:Wererat_female.png]]
   |difficulty=3
   |level=2

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 A wererat in human form has a weapon attack, and in [[rat]] form it has a [[Bite attack|bite]] that can cause [[lycanthropy]] in the [[hero]]. Rodent-form wererats can sometimes summon other rats on adjacent and nearby squares when in melee range of a hero. Wererats possess [[poison resistance]] and [[drain resistance]], and are weak to [[silver]].
-A wererat [[corpse]] is [[poison]]ous to eat, and eating a wererat corpse or [[tin]] will give a hero lycanthropy&mdash;monsters cannot catch lycanthropy this way.
+A wererat [[corpse]] is [[poisonous]] to [[eat]], and eating a wererat corpse or [[tin]] will give a hero lycanthropy&mdash;monsters cannot catch lycanthropy this way.
 ==Generation==
@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 A character that finds a silver weapon early on will want to keep it on hand until they can reliably take out werecreatures with little trouble, since the silver damage alone makes it possible to dispatch werecreatures quickly, even with a restricted weapon skill. [[Pets]] can help deal with wererats, since they cannot catch lycanthropy and werecreatures only summon help while attacking you in animal form. Pulling a wererat into a hallway is also viable: summoning in hallways makes it easier for a character to be completely surrounded, but can significantly limit the amount of monsters they have to fight simultaneously.
-If possible, avoid engaging wererats and other lycanthropes in melee while they are in animal form, unless you can cure any infections quickly: [[eating]] [[sprigs of wolfsbane]] or [[quaffing]] [[holy water]] will cure lycanthropy, as will successful [[prayer]]. A [[ring of protection from shape changers]] will outright prevent them from summoning monsters or infecting you, and an [[engraved]] [[Elbereth]] can repel both the wererat in their animal form and any of the rats they summon.
+If possible, avoid engaging wererats and other lycanthropes in melee while they are in animal form, unless you can cure any infections quickly: eating [[sprigs of wolfsbane]] or [[quaffing]] [[holy water]] will cure lycanthropy, as will successful [[prayer]]. A [[ring of protection from shape changers]] will outright prevent them from summoning monsters or infecting you, and an [[engraved]] [[Elbereth]] can repel both the wererat in their animal form and any of the rats they summon.
 ==History==

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
   |frequency=1
   |genocidable=No
-  |attacks=Weapon 2d4
+  |attacks=[[Weapon]] 2d4 [[Physical damage|physical]]
   |weight=1450
   |nutr=400
   |size=Medium
-  |resistances=Poison
+  |resistances=[[Poison resistance]], [[drain resistance]]
-  |resistances conveyed=Lycanthropy
+  |resistances conveyed=causes [[lycanthropy]]
   |attributes={{attributes|A human wererat|humanoid=1|pois=1|regen=1|omnivore=1|nopoly=1|were=1|hostile=1|human=1|collect=1|infravisible=1}}
   |reference=[[monst.c#line2113]]
@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
   |frequency=Always starts in human form
   |genocidable=No
-  |attacks=Bite 1d4 [[lycanthropy]], Summon friends
+  |attacks=[[Bite attack|Bite]] 1d4 [[lycanthropy]]
   |weight=40
   |nutr=30
@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
   |references=[[monst.c#line748]]
 }}
-A '''wererat''', {{monsym|wererat}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. The wererat is an [[omnivorous]] [[Human (monster attribute)|human]] [[werecreature]] that can shift between [[Human or elf|human]] and [[rodent]] form - in both forms, they possess enhanced [[regeneration]] and can be seen via [[infravision]]. In human form, wererats will seek out and pick up items.
+A wererat in human form has a weapon attack, and in [[rat]] form it has a [[Bite attack|bite]] that can cause [[lycanthropy]] in the [[hero]]. Rodent-form wererats can sometimes summon other rats on adjacent and nearby squares when in melee range of a hero. Wererats possess [[poison resistance]] and [[drain resistance]], and are weak to [[silver]].
-A wererat [[corpse]] is [[poison]]ous to eat, and eating a wererat corpse or [[tin]] will confer lycanthropy - monsters cannot catch lycanthropy this way.
+A wererat [[corpse]] is [[poison]]ous to eat, and eating a wererat corpse or [[tin]] will give a hero lycanthropy&mdash;monsters cannot catch lycanthropy this way.
 ==Generation==
 Randomly-generated wererats are always created hostile and in human form. They are not a valid form for normal [[polymorph]].
-A wererat summoning help has a {{frac|2|3}} chance of generating a hostile [[sewer rat]], a {{frac|2|9}} chance of generating a hostile [[giant rat]], and a {{frac|9}} chance of generating a hostile [[rabid rat]] on each applicable square{{refsrc|src/were.c|141|nethack=3.6.7}} - characters that get lycanthropy from a wererat can summon the above monsters as pets by using the [[Monster (command)|#monster]] [[extended command]] with at least 10 [[power]].
+A wererat summoning help has a {{frac|2|3}} chance of generating a hostile [[sewer rat]], a {{frac|2|9}} chance of generating a hostile [[giant rat]], and a {{frac|9}} chance of generating a hostile [[rabid rat]] on each applicable square.{{refsrc|src/were.c|141|nethack=3.6.7}} A hero given lycanthropy from a wererat can summon the above monsters as [[pet]]s by using the [[Monster (command)|#monster]] [[extended command]] with at least 10 [[power]].
 ==Strategy==
 {{main|Lycanthropy}}
-Wererats are often the first type of lycanthrope a character can encounter - they are somewhat weak, with both forms having poor [[AC]] and an unimpressive [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 10, but their regeneration makes them somewhat tricky to kill if an early character cannot damage them consistently. Contracting lycanthropy from one will eventually cause a character to shift to a much weaker rat form, shrink out of their armor and drop most of their inventory unless cured. When encountering wererats, take them out as quickly as possible: their ability to summon monsters is troublesome for most early characters, and being pinned on all sides by rats can lead to death fairly quickly, especially if they include rabid rats that can potentially cause an [[instadeath]] by poison.
+Wererats are often the first type of lycanthrope that a hero will encounter&mdash;they are somewhat weak, with both forms having poor [[AC]] and an unimpressive [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 10, but their regeneration makes them somewhat tricky to kill if an early hero cannot damage them consistently. Contracting lycanthropy from one will eventually cause a hero to shift to a much weaker rat form, shrink out of their armor and drop most of their inventory unless it is cured. When encountering wererats, take them out as quickly as possible: their ability to summon monsters is troublesome for most early heroes, and being pinned can lead to death fairly quickly, especially if they summon rabid rats that can cause an [[instadeath]] with their poisonous bites.
 A character that finds a silver weapon early on will want to keep it on hand until they can reliably take out werecreatures with little trouble, since the silver damage alone makes it possible to dispatch werecreatures quickly, even with a restricted weapon skill. [[Pets]] can help deal with wererats, since they cannot catch lycanthropy and werecreatures only summon help while attacking you in animal form. Pulling a wererat into a hallway is also viable: summoning in hallways makes it easier for a character to be completely surrounded, but can significantly limit the amount of monsters they have to fight simultaneously.
-If possible, avoid engaging wererats and other lycanthropes in melee while they are in animal form, unless you can cure any infections - [[eating]] [[sprigs of wolfsbane]] or [[quaff]]ing [[holy water]] will cure lycanthropy, as will successful [[prayer]]. A [[ring of protection from shape changers]] will outright prevent them from summoning monsters or infecting you, and an [[engrave]]d [[Elbereth]] can repel both the wererat in their animal form and any of the rats they summon.
+If possible, avoid engaging wererats and other lycanthropes in melee while they are in animal form, unless you can cure any infections quickly: [[eating]] [[sprigs of wolfsbane]] or [[quaffing]] [[holy water]] will cure lycanthropy, as will successful [[prayer]]. A [[ring of protection from shape changers]] will outright prevent them from summoning monsters or infecting you, and an [[engraved]] [[Elbereth]] can repel both the wererat in their animal form and any of the rats they summon.
 ==History==
@@ Line 69: / Line 68: @@
 The concept of humans shapeshifting into animals has been a common concept in folklore among various human eras and cultures, while [[wikipedia:Therianthropy|"therianthropy"]] and related terms as a means of describing specific forms of human-animal shapeshifting have been in use since the early 20th century. The wererat and similar creatures have appeared in fantasy and horror media since the 1970s, and the concept has since become common in role-playing games like ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', as well as fantasy fiction such as the ''Anita Blake'' series.
-In ''Dungeons & Dragons'', wererats (sometimes known as ratmen) are sly and generally evil creatures that inhabit subterranean tunnel complexes such as sewers beneath cities. They can take three forms - human, human-sized ratman, and giant rat - and prefer to move about in their rat-like forms, typically using their human forms for duping humans and luring them to areas where they can be captured or eaten, or else when seeking a mate. Wererats congregate in numbers like other rats, and can summon and control groups of giant rats.
+In ''Dungeons & Dragons'', wererats (sometimes known as ratmen) are sly and generally evil creatures that inhabit subterranean tunnel complexes such as sewers beneath cities. They can take three forms&ndash;human, human-sized ratman, and giant rat&ndash;and prefer to move about in their rat-like forms, typically using their human forms for duping humans and luring them to areas where they can be captured or eaten, or else when seeking a mate. Wererats congregate in numbers like other rats, and can summon and control groups of giant rats.
 Wererats are cannibalistic, feeding on uninfected humans and subsisting otherwise on anything they can scavenge or steal. Between this and the stench of sewers on their humanoid form, wererats on the surface are relegated to the seedier parts of cities; they are suited to these conditions, as such areas frequently contain dives that serve strong alcohol and allow access to drunk humans as prey.
@@ Line 75: / Line 74: @@
 ==Variants==
 ===SLASH'EM===
-In [[SLASH'EM]], wererats killed in animal form can revert to human form like other polymorhped monsters, making them much more dangerous; they also have a chance of undergoing [[system shock]], typically when killed in human form. This also applies to SlashTHEM.
+In [[SLASH'EM]], wererats killed in a different form from the one they generate in can revert to their initial form like other polymorhped monsters, making them much more dangerous; they also have a chance of undergoing [[system shock]] as a result of this.
-Wererats are the only werecreature from vanilla ''NetHack'' that lack the ability to [[Hits creatures as +x weapon|hit monsters as enchanted weapons]].
+All of the above info also applies to [[SlashTHEM]].
 ===GruntHack===

@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 ==Strategy==
 {{main|Lycanthropy}}
-Wererats are often the first type of lycanthrope a character can encounter - they are somewhat weak, with both forms having poor [[AC]] and an unimpressive [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 10, but their regeneration makes them somewhat tricky to kill if an early character cannot damage them consistently. Contracting lycanthropy from one will eventually cause a character to shift to a much weaker rat form, shrink out of their armor and drop most of their inventory unless cured. When encountering wererats, take them out as quickly as possible: their ability to summon monsters spells trouble for most early characters, and being pinned on all sides by rats can lead to death fairly quickly, especially if they include rabid rats that can potentially cause an [[instadeath]] by poison.
+Wererats are often the first type of lycanthrope a character can encounter - they are somewhat weak, with both forms having poor [[AC]] and an unimpressive [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]] of 10, but their regeneration makes them somewhat tricky to kill if an early character cannot damage them consistently. Contracting lycanthropy from one will eventually cause a character to shift to a much weaker rat form, shrink out of their armor and drop most of their inventory unless cured. When encountering wererats, take them out as quickly as possible: their ability to summon monsters is troublesome for most early characters, and being pinned on all sides by rats can lead to death fairly quickly, especially if they include rabid rats that can potentially cause an [[instadeath]] by poison.
 A character that finds a silver weapon early on will want to keep it on hand until they can reliably take out werecreatures with little trouble, since the silver damage alone makes it possible to dispatch werecreatures quickly, even with a restricted weapon skill. [[Pets]] can help deal with wererats, since they cannot catch lycanthropy and werecreatures only summon help while attacking you in animal form. Pulling a wererat into a hallway is also viable: summoning in hallways makes it easier for a character to be completely surrounded, but can significantly limit the amount of monsters they have to fight simultaneously.

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 ===Hack'EM===
-In [[Hack'EM]], the Rat King behaves as he does in EvilHack, but serves the same roles as [[The Rat King (SLASH'EM)|his non-lycanthrope counterpart]] from SLASH'EM.
+In [[Hack'EM]], wererats can summon the same types of rats as in vanilla ''NetHack''.
 ==Encyclopedia entry==

@@ Line 86: / Line 86: @@
 ===EvilHack===
-In [[EvilHack]], [[Rat King (EvilHack)|the Rat King]] is a unique form of wererat that possesses both a weapon attack and an infectious bite, but does not shift between forms.
+In [[EvilHack]], wererats can summon [[Enormous rat (UnNetHack)|enormous rats]]: a wererat summoning help now has a {{frac|18}} chance of generating a rabid rat and a {{frac|18}} chance of generating an enormous rat, with the same chances of generating other rats.
 ===Hack'EM===

@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 }}
-A '''wererat''', {{monsym|wererat}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. The wererat is an [[omnivorous]] [[Human (monster attribute)|human]] [[lycanthrope]] that can shift between [[Human or elf|human]] and [[rodent]] form - in both forms, they possess enhanced [[regeneration]] and can be seen via [[infravision]]. In human form, wererats will seek out and pick up items.
+A '''wererat''', {{monsym|wererat}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. The wererat is an [[omnivorous]] [[Human (monster attribute)|human]] [[werecreature]] that can shift between [[Human or elf|human]] and [[rodent]] form - in both forms, they possess enhanced [[regeneration]] and can be seen via [[infravision]]. In human form, wererats will seek out and pick up items.
-A wererat in human form has a weapon attack, and in rodent form it has a bite that can cause [[lycanthropy]] and the ability to summon other rodents on adjacent and nearby squares when in melee range of a character. Wererats possess [[poison resistance]] and are weak to [[silver]].
+A wererat in human form has a weapon attack, and in [[rat]] form it has a bite that can cause [[lycanthropy]] and the ability to summon other rats on adjacent and nearby squares when in melee range of a character. Wererats possess [[poison resistance]] and [[drain resistance]], and are weak to [[silver]].
 A wererat [[corpse]] is [[poison]]ous to eat, and eating a wererat corpse or [[tin]] will confer lycanthropy - monsters cannot catch lycanthropy this way.