Difference between revisions of "Meatball"

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A '''meatball''' is a type of food created by zapping a [[spell]] of [[stone to flesh]] at [[rock]]s or [[gems]] (glass will not work). Meatballs have very little nutritional value, but they can be used to [[tame]] [[cat]]s and [[dog]]s, and act like miniature [[tripe ration]]s for the purpose of training them to [[stealing from shops|steal from shops]].
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A '''meatball''' is a type of [[comestible]]. Meatballs have very little nutritional value, but [[carnivorous]] creatures consider them treats similar to [[tripe ration]]s. Throwing one at a [[cat]] or [[dog]] will tame it, and they can be fed to carnivorous pets to increase their [[tameness]] and [[apport]].
  
Meatballs have monetary value, so you can cast [[stone to flesh]] on worthless rocks and then sell the resulting meatballs for cash. This may not be the best option, because you could also then [[polypile]] the meatballs, and from your 100 meatballs get say, 100 [[lembas wafer]]s, which you could sell for more than you would get for the meatballs. This however has a risk of creating a [[flesh golem]].
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== Generation ==
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Meatballs are created by zapping a [[spell]] of [[stone to flesh]] at [[rock]]s, valuable [[gems]], [[gray stone]]s, and [[statue]]s of Tiny-sized or non-fleshy monsters. (Pieces of [[glass]] are not affected and do not turn into meatballs.)
  
 
== Strategy ==
 
== Strategy ==
If you have a method of taming, polypiling meatballs is an almost win-win scenario for lower levels (unless you get tins). If you get a flesh golem, the golem is unlikely to resist taming, and is a useful pet to have for lower levels. Hit it with a [[footrice]] corpse to transform it into a level 13 [[stone golem]]. If you get food, you can do whatever you want with it, although if you get fruit, vegetables or herbs, you may want to save some for training and/or taming non-[[carnivore|carnivorous]] [[pet]]s.
 
  
With luck and a little polypiling, one can obtain cockatrice eggs, tins of spinach and tengu meat, and other rare comestibles. However, creating such comestibles reliably requires great numbers of meatballs. Thankfully, it's easy to create big piles of meatballs for polypiling by clearing a treasure zoo or graveyard using a [[footrice]] corpse , then zapping a [[wand of striking]] at the pile of statues.
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===Obtaining===
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Since the spellbook of stone to flesh is a rare find and isn't particularly easy to cast, it's not easy to create meatballs unless you are a [[healer]]; [[wizard]]s and [[priest]]s are also eligible to get stone to flesh as one of their starting spells. However, once you do have the spell, it is easy to get hundreds of meatballs out of a single casting. All you need to do is gather lots of rocks (easily obtained via smashing [[boulder]]s and statues) in one place, and then cast the spell at them.
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===Pets===
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As they provide little nutrition, the most direct use of meatballs is to feed them to your carnivorous pets to increase their tameness (important if you plan on using a [[polymorph trap]] to turn it into a [[non-eating]] pet), or to increase apport to train them for [[stealing from shops]]. They are also useful in a pinch for taming a hostile [[cat]] or [[dog]].
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===Polypiling===
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Meatballs make excellent comestible [[Polypile|polyfodder]] since they can usually be obtained in large quantities, are lightweight, and can polymorph into any randomly generated comestible, including [[lembas wafer]]s, tins of [[spinach]] and [[tengu]] meat, [[cockatrice egg]]s, and other uncommon comestibles. Note, however, that getting eggs or tins of a specific monster type will likely require a lot of polypiling and great numbers of meatballs. In a pinch where a player is strapped for money, meatballs can also be polypiled into comestibles to sell at a [[general store]] or [[delicatessen]].
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Polypiling a large quantity of meatballs will likely to cause a [[flesh golem]] to form; this can be done deliberately and combined with a magical means of taming to obtain a useful pet for the lower levels, as golems have low monster MR. You can then upgrade it into a more powerful [[stone golem]] by hitting it with a [[cockatrice]] corpse.
  
==Encyclopaedia entry==
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==Encyclopedia entry==
Interestingly, meatball shares it's entry with the [[huge chunk of meat]]:
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Some hae meat and canna eat,
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{{encyclopedia|
And some would eat that want it;
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Some hae meat and canna eat,
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
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And some would eat that want it;
Sae let the Lord be thankit.
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But we hae meat, and we can eat,
        [ Grace Before Meat, by Robert Burns ]
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Sae let the Lord be thankit.
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|[ Grace Before Meat, by Robert Burns ]
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}}
  
 
[[Category:Comestibles]]
 
[[Category:Comestibles]]
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{{nethack-362}}

Latest revision as of 01:35, 16 January 2021

% Meatball.png
Name meatball
Base price 5 zm
Nutrition 5
Turns to eat 1
Weight 1
Conduct meat

A meatball is a type of comestible. Meatballs have very little nutritional value, but carnivorous creatures consider them treats similar to tripe rations. Throwing one at a cat or dog will tame it, and they can be fed to carnivorous pets to increase their tameness and apport.

Generation

Meatballs are created by zapping a spell of stone to flesh at rocks, valuable gems, gray stones, and statues of Tiny-sized or non-fleshy monsters. (Pieces of glass are not affected and do not turn into meatballs.)

Strategy

Obtaining

Since the spellbook of stone to flesh is a rare find and isn't particularly easy to cast, it's not easy to create meatballs unless you are a healer; wizards and priests are also eligible to get stone to flesh as one of their starting spells. However, once you do have the spell, it is easy to get hundreds of meatballs out of a single casting. All you need to do is gather lots of rocks (easily obtained via smashing boulders and statues) in one place, and then cast the spell at them.

Pets

As they provide little nutrition, the most direct use of meatballs is to feed them to your carnivorous pets to increase their tameness (important if you plan on using a polymorph trap to turn it into a non-eating pet), or to increase apport to train them for stealing from shops. They are also useful in a pinch for taming a hostile cat or dog.

Polypiling

Meatballs make excellent comestible polyfodder since they can usually be obtained in large quantities, are lightweight, and can polymorph into any randomly generated comestible, including lembas wafers, tins of spinach and tengu meat, cockatrice eggs, and other uncommon comestibles. Note, however, that getting eggs or tins of a specific monster type will likely require a lot of polypiling and great numbers of meatballs. In a pinch where a player is strapped for money, meatballs can also be polypiled into comestibles to sell at a general store or delicatessen.

Polypiling a large quantity of meatballs will likely to cause a flesh golem to form; this can be done deliberately and combined with a magical means of taming to obtain a useful pet for the lower levels, as golems have low monster MR. You can then upgrade it into a more powerful stone golem by hitting it with a cockatrice corpse.

Encyclopedia entry

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some would eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.

[ Grace Before Meat, by Robert Burns ]

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Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-362}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.