Difference between revisions of "Mummy"

From NetHackWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m (pothole)
(formatting + copyedit + update pass + finalize split)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Wikipedia|Mummy}}
+
The '''mummy''' is a [[monster class]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]'', and is represented by the uppercase [[M]] glyph ({{white|M}}). Mummies are designated internally by the macro '''S_MUMMY'''.{{refsrc|include/monsym.h|53|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
{{stub}}
 
A member of the {{white|M}} '''mummy''' [[monster class]], is simply an artificially preserved version of another monster and superficially similar to [[zombie]]s. However, mummies tend to be stronger and faster than their corresponding zombies.
 
  
Although mummies have been preserved, their flesh is nonetheless pre-aged and thus unsuitable for [[sacrifice|sacrificing]], except for [[Sacrifice#Sacrificing_creatures_of_own_race|same-race sacrifices]]. They are also very likely to be [[tainted]], so consumption is only safe if their flesh is [[Tinning kit|tinned]] first. You can eat corpses from mummies without tinning them, if you manage to cure yourself - using a [[unicorn horn]], the [[spellbook of cure sickness|cure sickness spell]], or [[prayer]] - before you die of food poisoning, but this is a risky strategy, and any [[intrinsic]]s you might gain from eating raw mummy could probably be obtained more easily and safely from another source; whether or not you managed to resist or cure the sickness, a tainted corpse will confer no intrinsics or nutrition.  Note that nutritional values given for mummies are mostly irrelevant: on the off chance that their corpses aren't tainted, the nutrition gained is that of the "base" monster, not the mummy.  The nutritional values are only relevant for [[polymorph]]ed players who swallow mummies whole (e.g. as a [[purple worm]]).
+
The monster class contains the following [[monster]]s:{{refsrc|src/monst.c|1546|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
  
All mummies are [[cold resistance|cold resistant]].
+
* {{monsymlink|Kobold mummy}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Gnome mummy}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Orc mummy}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Dwarf mummy}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Elf mummy}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Human mummy}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Ettin mummy}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Giant mummy}}
  
If a player gets killed by a mummy, the bones file of that person will contain a mummy instead of a [[ghost]]. The character's items will then appear in the mummy's inventory rather than in a loot pile, so mummies in bones levels must usually be killed to get the late player's things. While they are unable to use the deceased player's weapons or attack wands, a well-armored player mummy can still be very difficult for low-level characters to hit.
+
==Common traits==
 +
Mummies are chaotic, [[mindless]], [[humanoid]] [[undead]] that are similar to [[zombie]]s, and possess [[unbreathing]] and [[infravision]]. Mummies are also [[inediate]] and have [[cold resistance]], [[sleep resistance]] and [[poison resistance]], like all undead
  
[[Monster_starting_inventory|Mummies are generated with]], unsurprisingly, a [[mummy wrapping]] (86% chance).
+
[[Engulf]]ing and [[digest]]ing a mummy while in an appropriate polyform has a {{frac|4|5}} chance of inflicting 1d8 points of damage, unless you have [[sickness resistance]].{{refsrc|src/uhitm.c|2663|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=no digesting polyform possesses sickness resistance in vanilla NetHack}}
  
== Types of mummy ==
+
===Generation===
===[[Kobold]] mummy===
+
All mummies have a {{frac|6|7}} chance of [[Monster starting inventory|being generated with]] a [[mummy wrapping]].{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|740|nethack=3.6.7}}
{{monster
+
 
|name=kobold mummy
+
Though all monsters in this class are designated as [[corpseless]] in [[monst.c]], mummies are special-cased to leave an aged corpse of their living counterparts behind upon "death" if a corpse would be dropped normally (e.g. a gnome mummy leaves an old [[gnome]] corpse when "killed" by HP damage).{{refsrc|src/mon.c|147|nethack=3.6.7|name="undead_to_corpse"|comment=Converting monster index of undead to corpses of their living counterparts}}{{refsrc|src/mon.c|372|nethack=3.6.7|name="make_corpse"|comment=Undead corpses and their ages are handled with other "special" death drops}} This means that listed nutritional values for mummies are only relevant to [[pet]]s or [[polymorph]]ed player characters that [[digest]] them - corpses left behind by mummies use their normal nutritional values, though they are usually too old to be eaten safely without a [[tinning kit]].
|difficulty=4
 
|level=3
 
|experience=28
 
|speed=8
 
|AC=6
 
|MR=20
 
|align=−2
 
|frequency=1
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Claw 1d4
 
|weight=400
 
|nutr=50
 
|size=Small
 
|resistances=Cold, Sleep, Poison
 
|resistances conveyed=None
 
|attributes={{attributes|A kobold mummy|
 
|oldcorpse=kobold|breathless=1|mindless=1|humanoid=1|
 
|pois=1|undead=1|hostile=1|infravision=1}}
 
|reference=[[monst.c#line1665]]
 
}}
 
{{clear}}
 
===[[gnome (monster class)|Gnome]] mummy===
 
{{monster
 
|name=gnome mummy
 
|difficulty=5
 
|level=4
 
|experience=41
 
|speed=10
 
|AC=6
 
|MR=20
 
|align=−3
 
|frequency=1
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Claw 1d6
 
|weight=650
 
|nutr=50
 
|size=Small
 
|resistances=Cold, Sleep, Poison
 
|resistances conveyed=None
 
|attributes={{attributes|A gnome mummy|
 
|oldcorpse=gnome|breathless=1|mindless=1|humanoid=1|
 
|pois=1|undead=1|hostile=1|gnome=1|infravision=1}}
 
|reference=[[monst.c#line1672]]
 
}}
 
{{clear}}
 
===[[Orc]] mummy===
 
{{monster
 
|name=orc mummy
 
|difficulty=6
 
|level=5
 
|experience=56
 
|speed=10
 
|AC=5
 
|MR=20
 
|align=−4
 
|frequency=1
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Claw 1d6
 
|weight=850
 
|nutr=75
 
|size=Medium
 
|resistances=Cold, Sleep, Poison
 
|resistances conveyed=None
 
|attributes={{attributes|An orc mummy|
 
|oldcorpse=orc|breathless=1|mindless=1|humanoid=1|
 
|pois=1|undead=1|hostile=1|orc=1|greedy=1|jewels=1|infravision=1}}
 
|reference=[[monst.c#line1679]]
 
}}
 
{{clear}}
 
===[[Dwarf (monster)|Dwarf]] mummy===
 
{{monster
 
|name=dwarf mummy
 
|difficulty=6
 
|level=5
 
|experience=56
 
|speed=10
 
|AC=5
 
|MR=20
 
|align=−4
 
|frequency=1
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Claw 1d6
 
|weight=900
 
|nutr=150
 
|size=Medium
 
|resistances=Cold, Sleep, Poison
 
|resistances conveyed=None
 
|attributes={{attributes|A dwarf mummy|
 
|oldcorpse=dwarf|breathless=1|mindless=1|humanoid=1|
 
|pois=1|undead=1|hostile=1|dwarf=1|greedy=1|jewels=1|infravision=1}}
 
|reference=[[monst.c#line1687]]
 
}}
 
{{clear}}
 
===[[Elf (monster)|Elf]] mummy===
 
{{monster
 
|name=elf mummy
 
|difficulty=7
 
|level=6
 
|experience=73
 
|speed=12
 
|AC=4
 
|MR=30
 
|align=−5
 
|frequency=1
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Claw 2d4
 
|weight=800
 
|nutr=175
 
|size=Medium
 
|resistances=Cold, Sleep, Poison
 
|resistances conveyed=Sleep (67%)
 
|attributes={{attributes|An elf mummy|
 
|oldcorpse=elf|breathless=1|mindless=1|humanoid=1|
 
|pois=1|undead=1|hostile=1|elf=1|infravision=1}}
 
|reference=[[monst.c#line1695]]
 
}}
 
'''Elf mummies''' leave [[Food poisoning|rotten]] [[elf (monster)|elf]] [[corpse]]s. These may be [[Tinning kit|tinned]] and then [[eat]]en for the [[sleep resistance]] intrinsic. If desperate, you can try to eat them and then cure yourself.
 
{{clear}}
 
  
===[[Human (monster)|Human]] mummy===
+
Player characters killed by a mummy will leave behind a mummy of the corresponding race instead of a [[ghost]] if a [[bones]] file is created - the mummy will be carrying that character's inventory, and usually must be killed to retrieve their former items.
{{monster
 
|name=human mummy
 
|difficulty=7
 
|level=6
 
|experience=73
 
|speed=12
 
|AC=4
 
|MR=30
 
|align=−5
 
|frequency=1
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Claw 2d4, Claw 2d4
 
|weight=1450
 
|nutr=200
 
|size=Medium
 
|resistances=Cold, Sleep, Poison
 
|resistances conveyed=None
 
|attributes={{attributes|A human mummy|oldcorpse=human
 
|breathless=1|mindless=1|humanoid=1|
 
|pois=1|undead=1|hostile=1|infravision=1}}
 
|reference=[[monst.c#line1703]]
 
}}
 
  
If you are [[Human (starting race)|human]], eating a human mummy is considered cannibalism.
+
==Strategy==
 +
While bones mummies are unable to use the deceased player's weapons or attack wands, a well-armored player mummy can still be very difficult for low-level characters to hit.
  
{{clear}}
+
==History==
===[[Ettin]] mummy===
+
Most of the mummy monster class is introduced in [[NetHack 3.0.0]], with the dwarf mummy being added in [[NetHack 3.3.0]].
{{monster
 
|name=ettin mummy
 
|difficulty=8
 
|level=7
 
|experience=92
 
|speed=12
 
|AC=4
 
|MR=30
 
|align=−6
 
|frequency=1
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Claw 2d6, Claw 2d6
 
|weight=1700
 
|nutr=250
 
|size=Huge
 
|resistances=Cold, Sleep, Poison
 
|resistances conveyed=None
 
|attributes={{attributes|An ettin mummy|
 
|oldcorpse=ettin|breathless=1|mindless=1|humanoid=1|
 
|pois=1|undead=1|hostile=1|strong=1|infravision=1}}
 
|reference=[[monst.c#line1711]]
 
}}
 
{{clear}}
 
===[[Giant]] mummy===
 
{{monster
 
|name=giant mummy
 
|difficulty=10
 
|level=8
 
|experience=116
 
|speed=14
 
|AC=3
 
|MR=30
 
|align=−7
 
|frequency=1
 
|genocidable=Yes
 
|attacks=Claw 3d4, Claw 3d4
 
|weight=2050
 
|nutr=375
 
|size=Huge
 
|resistances=Cold, Sleep, Poison
 
|resistances conveyed=Strength
 
|attributes={{attributes|A giant mummy|oldcorpse=giant
 
|breathless=1|mindless=1|humanoid=1|
 
|pois=1|undead=1|hostile=1|giant=1|strong=1|jewels=1|infravision=1}}
 
|reference=[[monst.c#line1719]]
 
}}
 
'''Giant mummies''' leave [[Food poisoning|rotten]] [[giant]] [[corpse]]s. These may be [[Tinning kit|tinned]] and then [[eat]]en for the [[strength]] gain. Given their size, trying to eat the un-tinned corpse whole, expecting to have time to cure yourself afterward, is a [[bad idea]].
 
{{clear}}
 
  
 
==Origin==
 
==Origin==
 +
{{wikipedia|Mummy}}
 +
A mummy is a corpse that has been preserved through either environmental factors that prevent or slow decomposition, such as low temperature and lack of moisture or oxygen (e.g., [[Wikipedia:Bog body|bog bodies]]), or else through deliberate preparation and embalming of the corpse (generally referred to as mummification). Though the popular image of the mummy frequently features them wearing wrappings, not all cultures that practiced mummification used wrappings - the wrapping commonly associated with mummies in Ancient Egypt is used as part of the embalming and preservation process for burying the deceased.
  
A mummy is a corpse that has been preserved in some way, whether because of deliberate preparation (mummification) or because of environmental factors (such as low temperature or lack of moisture or oxygen) that prevented or slowed decomposition. The assumption that mummification rituals were intended to keep the body intact for eternity probably inspired the fictional concept of the undead mummy that can be reanimated because of the charms placed on it.
+
For Ancient Egyptians in particular, careful dehydration was performed to ensure that the body was completely dried out without being too stiff, then washed and wrapped in many layers of linen cloth. These linen bandages were covered with a gum that acts as a waterproofing agent and an antimicrobial agent - Egyptian priests placed small amulets within them to guard the deceased from evil in the afterlife. Once the mummy was completely wrapped, it was coated in resin in order to keep the threat of moist air away.
 
 
Mummies as a type of [[undead]] creature are sometimes only distinguishable from mindless zombies or fully sentient [[Lich (monster class)|liches]] by being wrapped in cloth bandages. This image comes mainly from the mummies made by the ancient Egyptians, which were usually wrapped in linen. Not all cultures that practiced mummification used wrappings, however, and the term "mummy" is also applied to bodies that were preserved unintentionally, without preparations such as wrappings.  
 
  
Mummies in NetHack are similar to Egyptian mummies in that they are [[mummy wrapping|wrapped]], but they are probably not embalmed using strict Egyptian practices. NetHack mummies have brains that can be eaten by [[mind flayer]]s; the Egyptian practice was to remove the brain before burial.
+
Literature and other fiction centered around the mummy as a focal point or 'genre' goes back to the 19th century, when Egypt was being colonized by France and Victorian Britain. A majority of early "mummy fiction" often focused on female mummies as a form of romantic (and romanticized) interest that would carry into the modern era - the 1930s saw the emergence of the "monster mummy" genre, pioneered by the 1932 movie ''[[wikipedia:The Mummy (1932 film)|The Mummy]]'' featuring [[wikipedia:Boris Karloff|Boris Karloff]]; here, the mummy was re-imagined as a supernatural undead creature on the level of classic Gothic monsters such as Count Dracula and Frankenstein's monster. The rituals and charms intended to guard the deceased in the afterlife served as significant inspiration for the idea of a "mummy's curse" brought about by disturbing the dead.
  
== Encyclopedia entry ==
+
''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' naturally features several types of mummies: the very first edition features the "standard" human mummy as a lawful evil undead monster that seeks to destroy any living thing it encounters, and its state of undeath makes it quite strong. A mummy's attack could inflict "mummy rot" that would slowly kill a victim over a course of months - the rot severely impedes natural healing and blocks all "cure wounds" spells, and could only be removed with a spell of "cure disease". The mere sight of a mummy was enough to paralyze individuals with fear pending a save versus magic, though this was less likely against groups of people. Mummies could only be affected by magical weapons, which dealt half-damage, but were also vulnerable to fire and holy water. Later editions introduce more varied forms of mummy, both supernatural and (relatively) mundane.
{{encyclopedia|
 
But for an account of the manner in which the body was
 
bandaged, and a list of the unguents and other materials
 
employed in the process, and the words of power which were
 
spoken as each bandage was laid in its place, we must have
 
recourse to a very interesting papyrus which has been edited
 
and translated by M. Maspero under the title of Le Rituel de
 
l'Embaumement. ...
 
Everything that could be done to preserve the body was now
 
done, and every member of it was, by means of the words of
 
power which changed perishable substances into imperishable,
 
protected to all eternity; when the final covering of purple
 
or white linen had been fastened upon it, the body was ready
 
for the tomb.
 
|[ Egyptian Magic, by E.A. Wallis Budge ]
 
}}
 
  
 
== Variants ==
 
== Variants ==
Line 308: Line 111:
 
SpliceHack also adds a new mummy called the [[adherer]], which can disarm enemies and has a [[sticky]] attack.
 
SpliceHack also adds a new mummy called the [[adherer]], which can disarm enemies and has a [[sticky]] attack.
  
{{nethack-343}}
+
==Encyclopedia entry==
[[Category:Monsters]]
+
{{encyclopedia|
[[Category:dNetHack monsters]]
+
But for an account of the manner in which the body was
 +
bandaged, and a list of the unguents and other materials
 +
employed in the process, and the words of power which were
 +
spoken as each bandage was laid in its place, we must have
 +
recourse to a very interesting papyrus which has been edited
 +
and translated by M. Maspero under the title of Le Rituel de
 +
l'Embaumement. ...
 +
Everything that could be done to preserve the body was now
 +
done, and every member of it was, by means of the words of
 +
power which changed perishable substances into imperishable,
 +
protected to all eternity; when the final covering of purple
 +
or white linen had been fastened upon it, the body was ready
 +
for the tomb.
 +
|[ Egyptian Magic, by E.A. Wallis Budge ]
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
<references/>
 +
{{nethack-367}}
 
[[Category:Monster classes]]
 
[[Category:Monster classes]]

Revision as of 16:27, 11 December 2023

The mummy is a monster class that appears in NetHack, and is represented by the uppercase M glyph (M). Mummies are designated internally by the macro S_MUMMY.[1]

The monster class contains the following monsters:[2]

Common traits

Mummies are chaotic, mindless, humanoid undead that are similar to zombies, and possess unbreathing and infravision. Mummies are also inediate and have cold resistance, sleep resistance and poison resistance, like all undead

Engulfing and digesting a mummy while in an appropriate polyform has a 45 chance of inflicting 1d8 points of damage, unless you have sickness resistance.[3]

Generation

All mummies have a 67 chance of being generated with a mummy wrapping.[4]

Though all monsters in this class are designated as corpseless in monst.c, mummies are special-cased to leave an aged corpse of their living counterparts behind upon "death" if a corpse would be dropped normally (e.g. a gnome mummy leaves an old gnome corpse when "killed" by HP damage).[5][6] This means that listed nutritional values for mummies are only relevant to pets or polymorphed player characters that digest them - corpses left behind by mummies use their normal nutritional values, though they are usually too old to be eaten safely without a tinning kit.

Player characters killed by a mummy will leave behind a mummy of the corresponding race instead of a ghost if a bones file is created - the mummy will be carrying that character's inventory, and usually must be killed to retrieve their former items.

Strategy

While bones mummies are unable to use the deceased player's weapons or attack wands, a well-armored player mummy can still be very difficult for low-level characters to hit.

History

Most of the mummy monster class is introduced in NetHack 3.0.0, with the dwarf mummy being added in NetHack 3.3.0.

Origin

A mummy is a corpse that has been preserved through either environmental factors that prevent or slow decomposition, such as low temperature and lack of moisture or oxygen (e.g., bog bodies), or else through deliberate preparation and embalming of the corpse (generally referred to as mummification). Though the popular image of the mummy frequently features them wearing wrappings, not all cultures that practiced mummification used wrappings - the wrapping commonly associated with mummies in Ancient Egypt is used as part of the embalming and preservation process for burying the deceased.

For Ancient Egyptians in particular, careful dehydration was performed to ensure that the body was completely dried out without being too stiff, then washed and wrapped in many layers of linen cloth. These linen bandages were covered with a gum that acts as a waterproofing agent and an antimicrobial agent - Egyptian priests placed small amulets within them to guard the deceased from evil in the afterlife. Once the mummy was completely wrapped, it was coated in resin in order to keep the threat of moist air away.

Literature and other fiction centered around the mummy as a focal point or 'genre' goes back to the 19th century, when Egypt was being colonized by France and Victorian Britain. A majority of early "mummy fiction" often focused on female mummies as a form of romantic (and romanticized) interest that would carry into the modern era - the 1930s saw the emergence of the "monster mummy" genre, pioneered by the 1932 movie The Mummy featuring Boris Karloff; here, the mummy was re-imagined as a supernatural undead creature on the level of classic Gothic monsters such as Count Dracula and Frankenstein's monster. The rituals and charms intended to guard the deceased in the afterlife served as significant inspiration for the idea of a "mummy's curse" brought about by disturbing the dead.

Dungeons & Dragons naturally features several types of mummies: the very first edition features the "standard" human mummy as a lawful evil undead monster that seeks to destroy any living thing it encounters, and its state of undeath makes it quite strong. A mummy's attack could inflict "mummy rot" that would slowly kill a victim over a course of months - the rot severely impedes natural healing and blocks all "cure wounds" spells, and could only be removed with a spell of "cure disease". The mere sight of a mummy was enough to paralyze individuals with fear pending a save versus magic, though this was less likely against groups of people. Mummies could only be affected by magical weapons, which dealt half-damage, but were also vulnerable to fire and holy water. Later editions introduce more varied forms of mummy, both supernatural and (relatively) mundane.

Variants

dNetHack

Drow mummy

Drow mummies are wrapped in spiderwebs (droven cloaks) rather than normal mummy wrappings.

Half-dragon mummy

Half-dragon zombies retain their half-dragon breath weapons.

SpliceHack

In SpliceHack, all M-class monsters can cause withering. Giant mummies also gain the ability to knock the player back several spaces, similar to other giants in SpliceHack.

SpliceHack also adds a new mummy called the adherer, which can disarm enemies and has a sticky attack.

Encyclopedia entry

But for an account of the manner in which the body was
bandaged, and a list of the unguents and other materials
employed in the process, and the words of power which were
spoken as each bandage was laid in its place, we must have
recourse to a very interesting papyrus which has been edited
and translated by M. Maspero under the title of Le Rituel de
l'Embaumement. ...
Everything that could be done to preserve the body was now
done, and every member of it was, by means of the words of
power which changed perishable substances into imperishable,
protected to all eternity; when the final covering of purple
or white linen had been fastened upon it, the body was ready
for the tomb.

[ Egyptian Magic, by E.A. Wallis Budge ]

References

  1. include/monsym.h in NetHack 3.6.7, line 53
  2. src/monst.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1546
  3. src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2663: no digesting polyform possesses sickness resistance in vanilla NetHack
  4. src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 740
  5. src/mon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 147: Converting monster index of undead to corpses of their living counterparts
  6. src/mon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 372: Undead corpses and their ages are handled with other "special" death drops