Disenchanter

A disenchanter, represented by R, is an annoying monster found in the deeper levels of the dungeons and in Gehennom. It's attack can decrease the enchantment of weapons and armor (as well as doing an unthreatening amount of damage). Disenchanters are rather fast, so that most players without intrinsic speed will find themselves confronted if they try to run a great distance away.

Hitting a disenchanter with a weapon can decrease the enchantment of the weapon.

Disenchanters are the deeper level equivalent of rust monsters.

Strategy

• Engrave Elbereth. Note that your weapon may still be disenchanted if you attack and hit.
• Cancel the disenchanter via a wand of cancellation or by hitting with Magicbane. Canceled disenchanters can not disenchant, neither by hitting nor by being hit.
• Use ranged attacks.
• Genocide. Because rust monsters are not much of a threat once the player reaches Gehennom, and blessed scrolls of genocide are best reserved for monsters whose entire class is difficult (Liches, for example), disenchanters can be a good target for a single species (uncursed, if from a scroll) genocide.