High-elf

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A High-elf, @, is a deferred monster in the source code of NetHack. The High-elf is an elven monster that is part of the human or elf monster class: they are strong, can see invisible, have infravision, and can be seen via infravision.[1]

High-elves served as the quest guardians for the Elf quest - they were rendered defunct in NetHack 3.3.0 along with the Elf role, which was replaced by the Ranger role and its associated quest. NetHack currently uses "high-elf" as an alternate name for the Elvenking.[2]

A High-elf has a weapon attack and will cast one clerical monster spell during each of their turns. Like all elves, High-elves possess sleep resistance.

Eating a High-elf corpse or tin has a 13 chance (33%) of granting sleep resistance.

Generation

As a deferred monster, High-elves are not generated at all, but have rules governing their generation like any other monster.

High-elves are not randomly generated, and they are not a valid form for polymorph.

Eight High-elves are generated on the Elf quest home level, where they are stationed around the quest leader (Earendil or Elwing) and the chaotic altar at level creation.

History

The High-elf first appears in NetHack 3.1.0, and last appears in NetHack 3.2.3.

Variants

SLASH'EM

High-elves appear in NetHack-- 3.1.3, an ancestor of SLASH'EM. In the defunct Drow quest, High-elves are the first quest monster for Drow, and make up 96175 of monsters randomly generated there.

In SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM, high-elves are present in the source code - they are not randomly generated, but are a valid form for polymorph unlike NetHack. High-elves are grouped with other elves rather than the quest guardians in monst.c, and some of their attributes are changed: they have a base level of 7, they are of lawful alignment rather than chaotic as with other elves in SLASH'EM, and their clerical spellcasting attack is 2d17.

dNetHack

In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, High-elves have 2 points of AC in "dexterity" and 2 points in "special" AC, and gain a second weapon attack at level 30.

High-elves are generated as quest guardians of the Elvish Racial quest, which is a revamp of the defunct Elf quest. As in the original quest, eight High-elves are generated on the quest home level, where they are stationed around the quest leader Galadriel at level creation - like all quest guardians, they have a mutual grudge with the hostile monsters generated in the branch, many of which include goblins and Mordor orcs (who also have a mutual grudge with elves).

References