Summon insects

Summon insects is a monster spell that appears in NetHack. It can be used by any monster of level 9 or higher that can cast clerical spells.

Description

When cast, several hostile insects are generated around your square, with hostile snakes replacing them if insects are all extinct and/or genocided. If neither monster type can be created, nothing happens. The caster must be able to see you - or the square where they think you are, if you are invisible or have displacement - in order to cast the spell.

Strategy

The summon insects spell is typically favored by aligned priests, and is also used by Master Kaen. The Arch Priest and Grand Master can also cast the spell, but you will usually not see this unless you have committed a game-ending error, or else somehow encounter a shapeshifter assuming their forms.

By the time most players encounter the spell (barring any accidents involving temple priests), most of the insects will be little trouble to their character - they can even be used as a sort of buffer between the character and tougher monsters, such as the hostile priests and demons within Moloch's Sanctum and the Angels and priests on the Astral Plane - this will not work against the Riders.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (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.

As part of commit 20cbadc, which strengthens quest leaders and makes it so that killing them no longer makes the game unwinnable, players can opt to fight their leaders in order to enter their quest, meaning that Monks and Priests will have to contend with the spell if they do so.

Messages

<The monster> summons insects!

A monster cast summon insects at you.

<The monster> summons insects around <your displaced image/a spot near you>!

As above, but you have displacement or invisibility.

<The monster> transforms a clump of sticks into snakes!

As above, but all insects are extinct or genocided.

<The monster> casts at a clump of sticks, but nothing happens.

As above, but all snakes are also extinct or genocided.

Variants

Several variants make the spell more dangerous in some form, often by way of introducing more dangerous insects and/or snakes, as well as introducing clerical-casting monsters that can be encountered much earlier in the game.

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, the addition of many substantially tougher insects makes this spell more troublesome, although even the most dangerous insects are usually still less dangerous than the caster themselves and other monsters of similar difficulty to it.

Players choosing to blessed-genocide a to avoid dealing with them should strongly consider genociding the fast and petrifying asphynx as well: the latter will be created in considerable quantity by the "sticks to snakes" variant of the spell.

GruntHack

In GruntHack, spell-casting monsters can use their spells against other monsters in combat - if a peaceful monster casts summon insects and you are not the target, the generated monsters will be peaceful towards you.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, monsters can use their spells against other monsters, but peaceful and tame clerical casters will not use summon monsters: any such monster that would cast summon insects in these cases will cast vulnerability instead. If Lolth or a drow monster casts the spell, they will summon arachnid or centipede monsters instead of insects.

The summon insects spell can be potentially deadly: clerical casters such as the gnoll cleric appear in much earlier stages of the game, and it can generate illness-inducing locusts.

Hack'EM

In Hack'EM, the spell functions as it does in EvilHack. If the Beholder casts the spell, it will summon eye or sphere monsters instead of insects.