Disenchanter
R disenchanter 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 14 |
| Attacks |
Claw 4d4 disenchant, passive disenchant |
| Base level | 12 |
| Base experience | 301 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | −10 |
| Base MR | 0 |
| Alignment | −3 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 2 (Quite rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 750 |
| Nutritional value | 200 |
| Size | Large |
| Resistances | None |
| Resistances conveyed |
None |
|
A disenchanter:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line1737 |
A disenchanter, R, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. It is the only other member of the rust monster or disenchanter monster class.
Disenchanters are carnivorous animals that can be seen via infravision. They possess a single claw attack and a passive attack: both can decrease the positive enchantments (or charges if applicable) of its target's equipment, with the claw weakening worn armor and the other weakening weapons and other items that strike the disenchanter. Artifacts have a 9⁄10 chance of resisting in both cases.
Eating a disenchanter corpse or tin will remove a random intrinsic, as with the intrinsic-stealing attack used by a gremlin.
Contents
Generation
Randomly generated disenchanters are always hostile. Disenchanters are only randomly generated in Gehennom, though they are a valid form for normal polymorph.
The random R generated in the central room of the Castle at level creation has a chance to be a disenchanter.
Strategy
Disenchanters are a nightmare to face in close combat due to their very good AC of -10. The disenchanting claw attack is subject to magic cancellation; having MC3 through a cloak of protection or other means will reduce the probability of your armor losing enchantment, but does not prevent the passive disenchanting attack. However, disenchanters have 0 MR, leaving them completely vulnerable to magical effects such as polymorph, cancellation, and sleep, and they can be easily warded off using instruments such as a tooled horn or leather drum to scare them. Attack spells and wands can keep them at bay with far less risk to your armor, though their AC will make landing shots a significant problem.
The "simplest" method of killing a disenchanter is to solely use unenchanted weapons such as weapon-tools like pick-axes or unicorn horns, unless you are actively using them as your main weapon; secondary starting weapons that went mostly unused may also prove a viable backup if you kept them around. If you have immobilized a disenchanter, or else armor enchantment is not a pressing issue for you, you can also remove your gloves to preserve their enchantment and bash it to death with your bare hands. (Monks aiming to kick one to death will also want to mind the enchantment of their boots). Similarly, strong pets that do not rely on weapons or else are wielding unenchanted ones will have no trouble against them.
Disenchanters are often a common target for single-species genocide, as rust monsters are not much of a threat once the player reaches Gehennom. However, they can also be useful to roles who cannot reliably cast drain life: a wielded weapon or piece of armor can have its enchantment selectively reduced by wielding the item and hitting the disenchanter with it, so that it can be re-enchanted to a higher level.
Origin
The disenchanter is a monster that originates in Dungeons & Dragons, making its debut in the 1st edition Fiend Folio and issue #6 of White Dwarf. It is often described as a blue-furred quadrupedal creature with an elephant-like trunk and a camel-esque body and "hump". Disenchanters are considered even more infamous in tabletop settings, not solely for their magic-eating abilities, but also for their somewhat goofy-looking designs.
History
The disenchanter first appears in NetHack 3.3.0.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, disenchanter corpses are safe to eat. Additionally, they are no longer the only monster that can disenchant weapons and armor with the addition of the steel golem, which has also a passive disenchanting attack.
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, eating a disenchanter corpse only has a 1⁄2 chance of removing a random intrinsic.
Encyclopedia entry
Ask not, what your magic can do to it. Ask what it can do to your magic.
