Difference between revisions of "Croesus"

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{{Wikipedia|Croesus}}
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{{monster
{{ monster
 
 
  |name=Croesus
 
  |name=Croesus
 
  |difficulty=22
 
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  |reference=[[monst.c#line2306]]
 
  |reference=[[monst.c#line2306]]
 
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'''Croesus''', {{monsym|croesus}}, is a notable [[monster]] in [[NetHack]]. He is faster than an unencumbered player character at base speed, can [[see invisible]], and like all [[human (monster attribute)|humans]] does not respect Elbereth.
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'''Croesus''', {{monsym|croesus}}, is a [[unique monster]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. He is the rich [[Human (monster attribute)|human]] owner of [[Fort Ludios]] and all the [[vault]]s in the dungeon, and has many [[guard]]s and [[Yendorian Army]] soldiers on his payroll. Croesus can [[see invisible]], is an [[overlord]] to his kind, will pick up all sorts of items, and can follow the [[player]] character to other levels if he is adjacent.
  
He is the rich owner of the [[Fort Ludios]] and of all [[vault]]s seen in the dungeon; if you encounter a [[guard]] while inside one of the vaults, you can enter Croesus in the prompt for your name, which will cause the guard to leave you alone. The name can also be spelled '''Kroisos''' and '''Creosote'''; the latter is the name of a ''Discworld'' character based on Croesus. For lawful [[Player|player characters]], this incurs a -1 [[alignment]] penalty for lying ''unless'' it is also their actual name.
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Croesus possesses a strong weapon attack.
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If you encounter a guard while inside one of the vaults, you can respond with "Croesus" when the guard asks for your name and cause them to leave; the name can also be spelled '''Kroisos''' or '''Creosote'''. This incurs a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] for lawful characters, ''unless'' it is also their actual name. Answering with these names after killing the real Croesus will instead make the guard hostile.
  
 
==Generation==
 
==Generation==
Croesus resides in a [[throne room]] on the right half of Fort Ludios, occupying the throne himself; he [[Monster starting inventory|will always start with]] a [[two-handed sword]].  
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Croesus resides in a [[throne room]] on the right half of Fort Ludios, occupying the throne a few squares away from the secret door to his treasure vault.{{refsrc|dat/knox.des|40|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} He [[Monster starting inventory|will always generate with]] a [[two-handed sword]].{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|1308|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} While he generates asleep like other throne room monsters, the alarms in Fort Ludios will always wake him up immediately.
  
 
==Strategy==
 
==Strategy==
Characters that are ready to go to the [[Castle]] should be able to deal with him with some caution; while Croesus has only one weapon attack, it hits for 4d10 damage, which can wipe out under-leveled or poorly armored characters in a few swings. Dispatching him at a distance is a good idea for mid-level characters, especially since he has no resistances; a [[wand of sleep]] will render him much easier to dispose of, although he does have some [[monster magic resistance|magic resistance]] and a decently low natural AC of 0.
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Characters that are ready for the [[Castle]] should be able to deal with him with some caution. While Croesus lacks any resistances and has only one weapon attack, he is quite fast at 15 [[speed]] and can deal enough damage to wipe out under-leveled or poorly armored characters in a few swings - like all [[human (monster attribute)|humans]], he also does not respect [[Elbereth]]. Dispatching him at a distance is a good idea for mid-level characters, especially since he has no resistances - a [[wand of sleep]] will render him much easier to dispose of, although his 40 [[monster magic resistance|MR]] and decent AC of 0 can make this difficult.
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You can freely shoot wands and projectiles at Croesus from across Fort Ludios' [[moat]] and chip him down: he can only retaliate if he spawns with his own attack wand or picks one up (usually from another monster killed by the ranged assault), and poses no more danger in this regard than the multiple soldiers you will have dealt with in order to reach him. Using a source of [[conflict]] can turn the throne room denizens against each other, which can result in him killed if they are strong enough, or else weakened enough that you can mop him and the other survivors up at your leisure - this is not reliable, unfortunately, and even at lower HP his weapon attack can slice through an unwary character.
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You can also cross the moat and take the fight to Croesus yourself, though you must contend with the throne room monsters; a [[boulder]] (e.g. from a [[scroll of earth]] or any [[giants]] on the level) or a source of [[levitation]] are among your best options if you have them. If you are using a [[wand of cold]], [[frost horn]] or other means of freezing water, you can instead wait for him to step onto the [[ice]], then use a fire-based attack (e.g. [[wand of fire]]) to melt it and drown him. Even a low-level character can defeat Croesus this way - but his speed may enable him to cross the ice before you can melt it.
  
Because Croesus cannot swim, you can freely shoot wands and projectiles at him from from across Fort Ludios' [[moat]] and chip him down; he can only retaliate if he spawns with his own attack wand or else picks one up (usually from another monster killed by the ranged assault), and poses no more danger in this regard than the multiple [[soldier]]s you fight in order to reach that area. A [[ring of conflict]] can easily turn Croesus and the other throne room denizens against each other, and eventually one of them will kill him; at worst, he will be weakened enough that you can mop him and the other survivors up at your leisure.
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==History==
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Croesus first appears in [[NetHack 3.1.0]].
  
If you use a [[wand of cold]] or a [[frost horn]], you can cross the moat and take the fight to Croesus, though you must also contend with the throne room monsters; alternately, you can wait for him to step onto the newly created [[ice]], then use a fire-based attack (e.g. [[wand of fire]]) to melt it and drown him. Even a low-level character can defeat Croesus this way; however, he has a chance to get two actions in a row (which will happen in 1 out of every 4 turns on average) and cross the moat before you have an opportunity to melt the ice.
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==Origin==
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{{Wikipedia|Croesus}}
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As indicated by the [[encyclopedia]] entry, Croesus (Greek ''Kroisos'') is named for a Lydian king renowned for his wealth. Creosote is a similarly wealthy character that appears in ''[[Discworld]]'', and is named after the same figure.
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==Variants==
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Variants that use the [[object materials]] system may give Croesus [[gold (material)|gold]] armor and weapons.
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===SLASH'EM===
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In [[SLASH'EM]], hitting Croesus with a [[potion of amnesia]] will produce [[YAFM]], but otherwise has no effect on him.
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===xNetHack===
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In [[xNetHack]], Croesus generates with a gold two-handed sword and gold body armor - the armor has a {{frac|8}} chance of being plate mail, and will otherwise be [[chain mail]].
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===EvilHack===
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In [[EvilHack]], Croesus will always generate with a set of gold body armor, helm and boots, as well as a gold two-handed sword. With an equal probability of each item, the body armor will be either [[plate mail]] or [[banded mail]], the helm will be either a standard [[helmet]] or a [[dwarvish helm]], and the boots will either be [[kicking boots]] or [[dwarvish boots]].
  
 
==Encyclopaedia entry==
 
==Encyclopaedia entry==
 
 
{{encyclopedia|
 
{{encyclopedia|
 
Croesus (in Greek: Kroisos), the wealthy last king of Lydia;
 
Croesus (in Greek: Kroisos), the wealthy last king of Lydia;
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}}
 
}}
  
{{todo|Add info for variants}}
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==References==
 
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<references/>
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{{nethack-367}}
 
[[Category:Unique monsters]]
 
[[Category:Unique monsters]]
{{nethack-364}}
 

Revision as of 20:24, 16 March 2024

Croesus, @, is a unique monster that appears in NetHack. He is the rich human owner of Fort Ludios and all the vaults in the dungeon, and has many guards and Yendorian Army soldiers on his payroll. Croesus can see invisible, is an overlord to his kind, will pick up all sorts of items, and can follow the player character to other levels if he is adjacent.

Croesus possesses a strong weapon attack.

If you encounter a guard while inside one of the vaults, you can respond with "Croesus" when the guard asks for your name and cause them to leave; the name can also be spelled Kroisos or Creosote. This incurs a -1 penalty to alignment record for lawful characters, unless it is also their actual name. Answering with these names after killing the real Croesus will instead make the guard hostile.

Generation

Croesus resides in a throne room on the right half of Fort Ludios, occupying the throne a few squares away from the secret door to his treasure vault.[1] He will always generate with a two-handed sword.[2] While he generates asleep like other throne room monsters, the alarms in Fort Ludios will always wake him up immediately.

Strategy

Characters that are ready for the Castle should be able to deal with him with some caution. While Croesus lacks any resistances and has only one weapon attack, he is quite fast at 15 speed and can deal enough damage to wipe out under-leveled or poorly armored characters in a few swings - like all humans, he also does not respect Elbereth. Dispatching him at a distance is a good idea for mid-level characters, especially since he has no resistances - a wand of sleep will render him much easier to dispose of, although his 40 MR and decent AC of 0 can make this difficult.

You can freely shoot wands and projectiles at Croesus from across Fort Ludios' moat and chip him down: he can only retaliate if he spawns with his own attack wand or picks one up (usually from another monster killed by the ranged assault), and poses no more danger in this regard than the multiple soldiers you will have dealt with in order to reach him. Using a source of conflict can turn the throne room denizens against each other, which can result in him killed if they are strong enough, or else weakened enough that you can mop him and the other survivors up at your leisure - this is not reliable, unfortunately, and even at lower HP his weapon attack can slice through an unwary character.

You can also cross the moat and take the fight to Croesus yourself, though you must contend with the throne room monsters; a boulder (e.g. from a scroll of earth or any giants on the level) or a source of levitation are among your best options if you have them. If you are using a wand of cold, frost horn or other means of freezing water, you can instead wait for him to step onto the ice, then use a fire-based attack (e.g. wand of fire) to melt it and drown him. Even a low-level character can defeat Croesus this way - but his speed may enable him to cross the ice before you can melt it.

History

Croesus first appears in NetHack 3.1.0.

Origin

As indicated by the encyclopedia entry, Croesus (Greek Kroisos) is named for a Lydian king renowned for his wealth. Creosote is a similarly wealthy character that appears in Discworld, and is named after the same figure.

Variants

Variants that use the object materials system may give Croesus gold armor and weapons.

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, hitting Croesus with a potion of amnesia will produce YAFM, but otherwise has no effect on him.

xNetHack

In xNetHack, Croesus generates with a gold two-handed sword and gold body armor - the armor has a 18 chance of being plate mail, and will otherwise be chain mail.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, Croesus will always generate with a set of gold body armor, helm and boots, as well as a gold two-handed sword. With an equal probability of each item, the body armor will be either plate mail or banded mail, the helm will be either a standard helmet or a dwarvish helm, and the boots will either be kicking boots or dwarvish boots.

Encyclopaedia entry

Croesus (in Greek: Kroisos), the wealthy last king of Lydia;
his empire was destroyed when he attacked Cyrus in 549, after
the Oracle of Delphi (q.v.) had told him: "if you attack the
Persians, you will destroy a mighty empire". Herodotus
relates of his legendary conversation with Solon of Athens,
who impressed upon him that being rich does not imply being
happy and that no one should be considered fortunate before
his death.

References