Ice devil
& ice devil 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 14 |
| Attacks |
Claw 1d4, claw 1d4, bite 2d4, sting cold 3d4 |
| Base level | 11 |
| Base experience | 351 |
| Speed | 6 |
| Base AC | -4 |
| Base MR | 55 |
| Alignment | -12 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 2 (Quite rare) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | Large |
| Resistances | Fire, cold, poison |
| Resistances conveyed |
None |
|
An ice devil:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line2627 |
An ice devil, &, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. It is a major demon that can see invisible and has a cold-element sting along with two claw attacks and a bite; it has fire resistance, cold reistance and poison resistance as well as the standard major demon immunity to death magic.
Contents
Generation
Ice devils are only randomly generated in Gehennom, but is also a valid polymorph form for shapeshifters and polymorph traps. Ice devils are also eligible for gating by other major demons.
Ice devils have a 25% chance of being generated with a spear, but will never receive random offensive items.
Strategy
Ice devils are much slower than their other demonic kin, with half the speed of a normal character, but make up for it with a solid -4 AC and a set of four attacks that can inflict decent damage if they all land. Polymorph traps and shapeshifters such as chameleons mean that unfortunate players can encounter one far earlier than normal, and possibly before they are prepared - the cold sting is especially threatening without cold resistance, and their gating ability may spell doom if they manage to swarm you. A player with decent AC and a well-enchanted blessed and/or silver weapon can take advantage of their low speed to make short work of them - note that ice devils resist cold damage unlike most other demons.
As pets, ice devils are decent well into the mid-game and can be used to take out peaceful monsters such as the Minetown watch or temple priest - their natural -4 AC compensates for an inability to wear torso armor. However, their low speed tends to make transportation a chore unless you have a magic whistle or blessed eucalyptus leaf available.
History
The ice devil is introduced alongside many other major demons in NetHack 3.0.0.
Origin
The ice devil originates from the 1st edition of Dungeons & Dragons, where it is a type of greater devil that populates the various planes of Hell, and were most common on the fifth and eighth layers.
Ice devils (or gelugons in later editions) appear as large semi-insectoid creatures that served as generals for Hell's infernal legions, though they were often ill-suited due to their hatred of weakness and desire to battle alone - a guard of nearly 10,000 ice devils guarded the portal to Hell's ninth plane. Ice devils also served as personal guards and elite warriors for other powerful devils and mortals; each ice devil tirelessly pursued promotion into the more powerful pit fiend.
Ice devils favored unarmed combat and would target frontlines and other weaker foes first, savagely using their claws, pincers and tails to tear into foes. They also exuded an aura of numbing cold which slowed enemies that failed a save versus paralysis; one in every four or so would also utilize a spear that was similarly capable of paralyzing foes with its frost. They were also proficient at wizardry, particularly including cold-oriented spells, and could gate in other devils for assistance. Though vicious in battle and unlikely to shy away from necessary fights, ice devils were goal-oriented and fought either to complete their mission or secure an easy victory if they saw one.
Variants
dNetHack
In dNetHack, ice devils are far stronger on offense: their two claw attacks are replaced with 4d4 primary and off-hand weapon attacks, and their cold sting deals 5d4 damage. Ice devils can also appear among the default "prisoners" within the cells of a throne room that has no special ruler.
In the lower Hell map that contains the creature in the ice, 25 ice devils are placed randomly around the level.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, the ice devil's sting will instead inflict fumbling on you if it hits.
notdNetHack
In notdNetHack, the Ice Caves adventure branch has two hostile ice devils guarding the barred-off altar within its Minetown. notdNetHack also includes the same ice devil-populated map containing the creature in the ice as one of the possible lower Hell maps.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, the ice devil's speed is increased to 9. An ice devil statue can be found among the demon statues in the hidden temple of the Infidel quest's home level.
Four hostile ice devils are found in the Ice Queen's Realm, with one pair stationed outside the temple and the other pair residing within; ice devils are also the only demons that can be summoned via gating within the dungeon branch, as it is too cold for any other kind of demon.[1]
The lair of Asmodeus within the third tier of Gehennom includes an ice devil as part of his entourage.
Encyclopedia entry
Ice devils are large semi-insectoid creatures, who are
equally at home in the fires of Hell and the cold of Limbo,
and who can cause the traveller to feel the latter with just
a touch of their tail.
