Barbed devil
& barbed devil 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 10 |
| Attacks |
Claw 2d4, claw 2d4, sting 3d4 |
| Base level | 8 |
| Base experience | 179 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | 0 |
| Base MR | 35 |
| Alignment | 8 (lawful) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 2 (Quite rare) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | Medium |
| Resistances | Fire, poison |
| Resistances conveyed | None |
|
A barbed devil:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line2402 |
A barbed devil, &, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. The barbed devil is a lawful major demon that has somewhat humanoid anatomy, though they cannot wear armor on the torso despite being medium in size. A barbed devil is thick-skinned, has infravision, can be seen via infravision, and can follow a hero to other levels if they are adjacent.
Barbed devils possess two claw attacks and a sting attack, and like all major demons they have fire resistance, poison resistance, drain resistance, and death resistance.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
Per commit 3946c5a0, the barbed devil's second claw attack becomes a sticky attack. Per commit fc56ca07, their difficulty is increased to 11.Contents
Generation
While barbed devils are flagged to appear only in Gehennom, no lawful monsters can be created in Gehennom by normal random generation—this is a trait shared with horned devils and erinyes.
Barbed devils can appear in graveyards, and are eligible for gating by other lawful major demons, including a hero in the form of one.
Hostile barbed devils can appear as minions of an angry chaotic god or Moloch, and may be generated by the summon nasties monster spell cast by a hostile spellcaster that is either lawful or in Gehennom.[1]
A barbed devil is generated in Baalzebub's Lair at level creation, with the exception of bones. Another barbed devil is guaranteed to appear in the courtyard of Moloch's Sanctum at level creation. Three barbed devils each are generated on the Plane of Earth and the Plane of Fire at level creation.
Barbed devils do not leave a corpse upon death.
Strategy
Barbed devils have stronger attacks than horned devils, but possess weaker base AC at 0 and are overall not too remarkable for the point at which they are normally encountered. Barbed devils that appear early on outside of Gehennom can be somewhat troublesome to an unprepared hero, but are easily dealt with by those skilled in handling demons or multiple opponents.
History
The barbed devil first appears in NetHack 3.0.0.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, the barbed devil's difficulty is increased to 13, and tame barbed devils may turn traitor.
Though they are lawful monsters, tame barbed devil minions can be given as sacrifice gifts to chaotic heroes at experience levels 16 to 21.
A barbed devil is generated asleep near the altar in The Temple of Moloch at level creation.
Six barbed devils are generated in Dispater's lair at level creation, and three barbed devils are generated in Geryon's lair at level creation.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, the barbed devil's difficulty is increased to 12. They are given a stronger second claw attack, a stronger sting attack, and a passive retaliation attack using their barbs that has the same hit dice as the sting.
Barbed devils can appear among the lawful devils that serve as minions of Kurtulmak and Moloch.
Two barbed devils are generated asleep near the altar in The Temple of Moloch at level creation. Two barbed devils are generated on the level containing the gates to N'kai in the Neutral Quest at level creation.
Barbed devils can be generated among the plague victims that are imprisoned by the Cyclops and carried in sacks by hill giants in the Healer quest, as well as those that lay on bedrolls in the Drow Healer quest.
Barbed devils may appear as prisoners of a throne room ruled by an Auruch Rilmani.
Two pairs barbed devils are stationed in front of hidden doors within the dwelling of Belial if his lair appear as the first Upper Hell level. A barbed devil named "the Ambassador of Avernus" is generated within one of the court rooms surrounding the central court in Nessus at level creation.
Asmodeus and Verier can passively generate barbed devils as they take damage.
xNetHack
In xNetHack, the barbed devil uses the & glyph, and is given an additional passive physical attack that inflicts damage using its barbs.
Barbed devils appear among the lawful devils that inhabit the lair of Asmodeus at level creation, and are also generated in the City of Dis and Baalzebub's Lair at level creation.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, barbed devils have one of their claw attacks replaced with a fireball ray-type spell that can be cast at range or in melee, similar to the deferred fireball monster spell—the spell casts "hellfire" that can still deal half damage even on a target with full fire resistance.
The Infidel quest home level has a statue of a barbed devil around the altar to Moloch.
If Mephistopheles is the inhabitant of the second-tier demon lord lair in Gehennom, one of the maps will generate a barbed devil next to him at level creation, while another map will generate two barbed devils next to him at level creation.
If Asmodeus is the inhabitant of the third-tier demon prince lair in Gehennom, two of the three maps will place two named barbed devils near him at level creation—depending on the map used, they will be named Gogmelon and Ulgaxicus or named Segmunich and Volmimath. For the remaining map, a barbed devil is generated near Graz'zt if he is the inhabitant of the demon prince lair.
Two barbed devils are placed within the lava room on the ground floor of the Wizard's Tower at level creation.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, barbed devils behave as they do in EvilHack, and additionally have immunity to sickness and a tendency to flank in combat.
Encyclopedia entry
These devils lack any real special abilities, though they
are quite difficult to kill.
