Wounded legs
Wounded legs is a temporary intrinsic property that occurs in NetHack and impairs the ability of the hero to carry items or use their legs for other purposes.
Contents
Description
If the hero has wounded legs, their dexterity is temporarily reduced by one, they abuse dexterity every five turns, and their carrying capacity is reduced by 100 aum; a hero that is riding can potentially have their steed's legs wounded, applying the same penalties. While the hero has wounded legs, they also cannot jump, kick or ride. Wounded legs are always temporary, and the above penalties are reversed once the status expires or is lifted.[1]
A hero may also have their legs wounded by the following actions:
- Being stung by a xan (see below)
- Being caught in a bear trap (10–19 turns)[2]
- An exploding land mine (41–75 turns)[3]
- Jumping out of a bear trap (500–1499 turns)[4]
- Trying to jump while stuck in the floor, due to being submerged in lava that solidified (11–20 turns)[5]
- Fumbling with a cursed digging tool and hitting their leg (6–10 turns)[6]
- Kicking at walls, objects, or empty space 1⁄3 of the time (6–10 turns)[7][8]
- Falling off a steed (5–9 more turns)[9]
- Dropping a heavy iron ball into a hole, trapdoor, or down stairs while caught in a bear trap (500–1499 turns)[10]
Wounded legs may be healed through the following methods:
- Eating a blessed or uncursed lump of royal jelly[11]
- Quaffing a blessed or uncursed potion of speed[12]
- Prayer, where the hero's god considers it a minor problem[13][14]
- Sitting on a throne and receiving the HP restoration effect[15]
Monster attacks
The hero's legs may be wounded by the sting attack of a xan, which is the only attack in the game that uses the AD_LEGS damage type:[16] the attack causes wounded legs for around 50 turns if it hits, dependent on the hero's dexterity stat, and abuses strength and dexterity.[17] Worn iron shoes or low boots protect the hero's legs 2⁄5 of the time, and any other worn boots will protect their legs 4⁄5 of the time.[18] The sting attack will always fail if the xan is cancelled.[19]
The sting attack deals ordinary physical damage against monsters, with the exception of a steed that the hero is riding.[20][21]
History
Wounded legs as a status debuts alongside the xan in Hack 1.0.
In NetHack 3.6.2 and some earlier versions, including variants based on these versions, riding, flying or levitation prevents a xan from wounding the hero's legs, despite xans possessing flight. This is fixed in NetHack 3.6.3 via commit 564dcd65.
Messages
- <The monster> pricks your <right/left> <leg>!
- A xan or other monster stung your legs and wounded them.[22]
- <The monster> pricks the exposed part of your <right/left> <leg>!
- As above, while you are wearing iron shoes or low boots.[23]
- <The monster> pricks through your <right/left> boot!
- As above, while wearing any other type of boots.[24]
- <The monster> scratches your <right/left> boot!
- Your boots protected your legs from the sting attack.[25]
- <The monster> nuzzles against your <right/left> leg!
- A xan or other monster tried to sting your legs, but failed due to being cancelled.[19]
- <The monster> tries to reach your <right/left> leg!
- A xan or other monster tried and failed to sting your legs while you were riding, flying or levitating; this message is still present in the code but is currently unused, since the attack routine now checks to see if the attacking monster is also flying.[26]
Variants
Variants of NetHack make it possible for monsters other than the xan to have a leg-wounding attack.
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, the squealer and scramper have sting attacks that can wound legs.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, shambling horrors can randomly generate with leg-wounding attacks.
References
- Jump up ↑ src/timeout.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 640
- Jump up ↑ src/trap.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1098
- Jump up ↑ src/trap.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1518
- Jump up ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1767
- Jump up ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1788
- Jump up ↑ src/dig.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 286
- Jump up ↑ src/dokick.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1242
- Jump up ↑ src/dokick.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1264
- Jump up ↑ src/steed.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 506
- Jump up ↑ src/ball.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 925
- Jump up ↑ src/eat.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2230
- Jump up ↑ src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 938
- Jump up ↑ src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 259
- Jump up ↑ src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 551
- Jump up ↑ src/sit.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 192
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1235: wounded legs from monster attack
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1235: wounded legs from monster attack
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1218: AD_LEGS versus boots
- ↑ Jump up to: 19.0 19.1 src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1213: cancelled xan
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 961: AD_LEGS in MvM combat
- Jump up ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1657: AD_LEGS from hero versus monsters
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1232
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1221
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1224
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1227
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1210
