Goblin King
The Goblin King, o, was a monster that previously appeared in NetHack and served as the Elf quest nemesis. He guarded the the Bell of Opening and the Elf's quest artifact, The Palantir of Westernesse. He possessed two weapon attacks and a claw attack that could steal the quest artifact back if you were able to obtain it without killing him.
History
The Goblin King was introduced in NetHack 3.1.0, and last appeared in NetHack 3.2.3 - he was rendered defunct along with the Elf role in NetHack 3.3.0, which introduced the ability to choose a starting race, including elves. The role itself was given a spiritual successor in the Ranger, whose quest branch has Scorpius as the role's nemesis guarding guarding a different quest artifact.
The data for the Goblin King can still be found within monst.c in the code of 3.3.0 and later versions.[1]
EvilHack
The Goblin King, o, reappears in EvilHack, where he is introduced in version 0.8.0 and serves an entirely different role - he rules over the branch known as Goblin Town, and controls access to Mine Town and Mines' End, requiring you to defeat him in order to gain physical access to those locations.
Generation
The Goblin King is always generated with a bone quarterstaff.
Strategy
Despite being a very early encounter, the Goblin King can quickly bring death to those who are unwary or else take him too lightly. A decently-armored and well-equipped player should be able to handle him with care, and bow-proficient roles can make use of the spare arrows from the various arrow traps around the level. Taking on the orcish hordes scattered around the level can also provide a decent source of armor and even the odd wand or two to tip odds in your favor.
Monster stats by variant
o Goblin King 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 15 |
| Attacks |
Weapon 1d8, weapon 1d8, claw quest-artifact-stealing 1d6 |
| Base level | 15 |
| Base experience | |
| Speed | 10 |
| Base AC | 0 |
| Base MR | 0 |
| Alignment | -15 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Unique |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 750 |
| Nutritional value | 350 |
| Size | Medium |
| Resistances | None |
| Resistances conveyed |
None |
|
The Goblin King:
| |
| o Goblin King
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 10 |
| Attacks |
Weapon 2d6, Weapon 2d6 |
| Base level | 8 |
| Base experience | 22 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | 7 |
| Base MR | 10 |
| Alignment | -15 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Unique |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1500 |
| Nutritional value | 500 |
| Size | Small |
| Resistances | poison |
| Resistances conveyed |
None |
|
The Goblin King:
| |
| Reference | EvilHack 0.8.0 - monst.c, line 924 |
