Digestion

Digestion is a damage type dealt by some engulfing attacks. It causes delayed instadeath, and mostly affects players with high (bad) armor class. Digestion can be completely prevented by wearing a ring of slow digestion, which causes monsters trying to digest you to instead regurgitate you. The following monsters digest:

• Lurker above
• Purple worm
• Trapper

The number of monster hits before being totally digested is (9 + your constitution / 3 - your armor class) + a random number between 0 and ((25 - monster level) / 2). Note that lurkers and trappers are quite slow, so you generally have 4 turns for every lurker or trapper hit.

As of NetHack 3.6.1, if your life is saved from some other death while being digested, you die on the next hit from the digestion attack. This appears to be a bug.

Messages

"The <monster> digests you!"

You take damage from digestion.

"The <monster> thoroughly digests you!"

You take damage from digestion. You will die in 2 more hits.

"The <monster> utterly digests you!"

You take damage from digestion. You will die in 1 more hit.

"The <monster> totally digests you!"

You die.

"You get regurgitated! Obviously the <monster> doesn't like your taste."

You were expelled due to a worn ring of slow digestion.