Nightmare (SLASH'EM)

u Nightmare
Difficulty	17
Attacks	Head butt 3d12, Kick 3d6

u Nightmare
Difficulty	17
Attacks	Head butt 3d12, Kick 3d6
Base level	12
Base experience	386
Speed	24
Base AC	-2
Base MR	70
Alignment	15 (lawful)
Frequency (by normal means)	Unique
Genocidable	No
Weight	1500
Nutritional value	300
Size	Large
Resistances	poison, fire, cold, electricity
Resistances conveyed	None
Nightmare: has no hands. is an animal. is herbivorous. is not a valid polymorphable form. is female. is normally generated hostile. wanders randomly. can follow you to other levels. is nasty. is strong. wants the Amulet of Yendor, the Bell of Opening, the Book of the Dead, the Candelabrum of Invocation, and your quest artifact. never leaves a corpse. hits creatures as a +2 weapon.
Reference	SLASH'EM_0.0.7E7F2/monst.c#line4568

This article is about the boss in SLASH'EM. For the boss in dNetHack, see Nightmare (dNetHack).

For other uses, see Nightmare (disambiguation).

Nightmare, u, is a unique monster that appears in SLASH'EM, SlashTHEM and Hack'EM. She is a unicorn-like monster that serves as the quest nemesis of the Lawful Quest and guards the Key of Law.

Nightmare has a strong headbutt attack and a kick attack - she also has reflection from her unique unicorn horn, Nighthorn, and hits as a +2 weapon. Nightmare also possesses poison resistance, fire resistance, cold resistance, and shock resistance. Though Nightmare is covetous towards your quest artifact, the invocation items and the Amulet of Yendor, she lacks any means to steal them from you directly.

Generation

Nightmare is always generated asleep on her throne within her forest in the Lawful Quest, with the Key of Law in her possession.

Nightmare does not leave a corpse upon death: if Nightmare is killed in a manner that would ordinarily leave a corpse, she will instead drop Nighthorn.

Strategy

Nightmare can be a surprisingly difficult opponent: with her high speed and damage output, she does comparable damage to a minotaur. While she does respect Elbereth, her speed and covetous nature allows her to often land multiple blows before a player can engrave it. The fact that most of her damage is concentrated in a single attack also makes improved AC somewhat less effective against her. Finally, she has solid defenses herself: a good AC of -2, complete elemental resistances, reflection from her horn to deflect rays, and a high MR score of 70 that makes other disabling spells unreliable against her.

An AC of -15 or better and a means to permanently engrave Elbereth are advised for players facing Nightmare.

Messages

All that remains is her horn...

Nightmare was killed and dropped Nighthorn.