View source for Death resistance

'''Death resistance''' is an "informal" [[property]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]'', and protects against most magical sources of [[instant death]].

==Description==
Monsters with death resistance are immune to the instant death effect of the [[touch of death]] [[monster spell]], rays from a [[wand of death]] and rays from the [[finger of death]] spell. This property does not have its own flag like other resistances, and is instead governed by various other sections of code tied to those attacks and spells.

If a monster is [[nonliving]], a [[major demon]], a [[vampire]] in one of their [[shapeshifter]] forms, or has player-style [[magic resistance]] (either from possessing a [[magic missile]] attack or an extrinsic source of magic resistance), they are unaffected by the above spells and attacks{{refsrc|src/zap.c|3671|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=monster qualities that confer immunity to death rays}} - monsters will not actively use the touch of death or other monster spells against other monsters. [[Death (monster)|Death]] is not special-cased to resist death magic in this manner, but will instead absorb it and restore up to half their [[HP]].{{refsrc|src/zap.c|4156|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Death is empowered by death magic}}

The [[hero]] resists death magic if they are [[polymorph]]ed into a death-resistant monster;{{refsrc|src/zap.c|2449|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=zapping self with death while in nonliving/demon form}}{{refsrc|src/zap.c|3841|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=death rays while in nonliving/demon form}}{{refsrc|src/mcastu.c|380|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} magic resistance will block the effects of the touch of death and death rays zapped at them, but unlike death resistance it will not protect them from a death ray that they zap directly at themselves.{{refsrc|src/zap.c|3485|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<code>antimagic</code> is checked here, but not when zapping self}}{{refsrc|src/mcastu.c|391|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}

==Variants==
===SLASH'EM===
In [[SLASH'EM]], death resistance is a "formal" property governed by the '''<tt>MR_DEATH</tt>''' flag in <tt>[[monflag.h]]</tt>{{refsrc|zap.c|3536|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|mondata.h|23|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}&mdash;this also applies to [[#SlashTHEM|SlashTHEM]]. A monster that has the death resistance property and is hit by a death ray will be unaffected; this overlaps with any other attributes that prevent the monster from being affected by death magic as in vanilla ''NetHack'', e.g. demons and undead without <tt>MR_DEATH</tt> are still unaffected.{{refsrc|zap.c|3536|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}

The hero cannot obtain death resistance from the <tt>MR_DEATH</tt> flag as an intrinsic from a corpse, from polymorph or through any external source&mdash;even if they polymorph into a monster that has the property, it will not protect them from death rays or a touch of death. 

The following SLASH'EM monsters possess death resistance, and are listed in rough order of their appearance in <tt>[[monst.c]]</tt>:

* {{monsymlink|Statue gargoyle}}
* all {{monclasslink|A}}s except the {{monsymlink|couatl}} and {{monsymlink|Aleax}}
* {{monsymlink|Shrieker}}
* {{monsymlink|Titan}}
* {{monsymlink|Minotaur}}
* {{monsymlink|Gray ooze}}
* {{monsymlink|Brown pudding}}
* {{monsymlink|Moldy pudding}}
* {{monsymlink|Black pudding}}
* {{monsymlink|Rope golem}}
* {{monsymlink|Leather golem}}
* {{monsymlink|Wood golem}}
* {{monsymlink|Gypsy}}
* {{monsymlink|Black marketeer}}
* {{monsymlink|Spined devil}}
* {{monsymlink|Bearded devil|variant=SLASH'EM}}
* {{monsymlink|bar-lgura}}
* {{monsymlink|chasme}}
* {{monsymlink|babau}}
* {{monsymlink|nabassu}}
* Some [[quest nemeses]]:
** {{monsymlink|Water Mage}}
** {{monsymlink|Earth Mage}}
** {{monsymlink|Maugneshaagar}}
* [[Defunct features (SLASH'EM)|Defunct monsters]]:
** {{magenta|@}} [[Transmuter]]
** {{black|@}} [[Lareth]]
** {{magenta|@}} [[Sir Lorimar]]

===dNetHack===
In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]], and [[notnotdNetHack]], the [[Spirits (dNetHack)|spirit]] [[Ose]] grants a hero that binds her immunity to death effects, including from zapping a wand of death at themselves - a hero that also has [[Berith]] bound can grant this immunity to a [[steed]] they are riding.

In addition to the same monsters as ''NetHack'', various other monsters are made immune to death magic, and some are even empowered by it:

* [[Metroid]]s, which will not die when hit with death magic and instead [[divide]] from absorbing the ray&mdash;a hero polymorphed into a metroid that is hit with a death ray (including zapping one at themselves) is healed for 3d10 [[HP]]
* All [[lawful angels and minions]]
* All [[neutral angels and minions]]
* All [[chaotic angels and minions]] 
* All [[Keter Sephiroth]]
* All [[golem]]s except the [[ford guardian]] and [[grove guardian]]

===FIQHack===
In [[FIQHack]], death resistance is one of the properties that can be conferred by [[quaff]]ing or [[dip]]ping into a [[potion of wonder]].

===EvilHack===
In [[EvilHack]], magic resistance still prevents the instadeath effects of death rays or death touches, but no longer offers complete protection against them: the target will still take significant damage and have their maximum HP drained. [[Half spell damage]] combined with magic resistance can reduce this damage further. The [[Gauntlets of Purity]] offer complete protection from death magic while worn.

In addition to the same monsters from ''NetHack'', the following monsters in EvilHack are also immune to death magic:

* All [[angelic being]]s
* All [[quest leader]]s
* [[Cerberus (EvilHack)|Cerberus]]
* [[baby celestial dragon|Baby]] and adult [[celestial dragon]]s
* [[Death (monster)|Death]]

===SlashTHEM===
[[SlashTHEM]] also features death resistance as a property, with the same effects as in SLASH'EM.

In addition to the listed [[#SLASH'EM|SLASH'EM]] monsters, the following monsters introduced in SlashTHEM have death resistance:

* {{gray|A}} [[Weeping angel (SlashTHEM)|weeping angel]]
* {{brightmagenta|A}} [[Weeping archangel (SlashTHEM)|weeping archangel]]
* {{yellow|P}} [[tapioca pudding]]
* {{yellow|@}} [[watch leader]]
* Quest nemeses:
** {{brightmagenta|&}} [[Jaquio]]
** {{cyan|@}} [[Student Leader]]
** {{magenta|@}} [[Sir Lorimar]] (no longer deferred)
** {{cyan|@}} [[The Champion of Pompeji]]
** {{brightgreen|@}} [[Archnemesis]]
** {{red|D}} [[Alduin]]
* [[Deferred and defunct features (SlashTHEM)|Deferred and defunct monsters]]:
** {{black|T}} [[Tara Gilesbie]]
** {{brightmagenta|@}} [[Master Sabrina]]
** {{red|@}} [[Master Brain]]
** {{magenta|B}} [[Ho-Oh]]

==References==
<references/>
{{nethack-367}}
[[Category:Resistances]]