Pixie
n pixie 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 5 |
| Attacks |
Claw 1d2 steal item |
| Base level | 3 |
| Base experience | 31 |
| Speed | 15 |
| Base AC | 3 |
| Base MR | 20 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 60 |
| Nutritional value | 30 |
| Size | Tiny |
| Resistances | None |
| Resistances conveyed |
None |
|
A pixie:
| |
| Reference | SLASH'EM_0.0.7E7F2/monst.c#line1108 |
A pixie, n, is a type of monster that appears in SLASH'EM, SlashTHEM and Hack'EM. The pixie is a member of the nymph monster class that has only one item-stealing attack, but is faster and has better AC than the standard nymph.
Unlike most nymph monsters, eating a pixie's corpse or tin does not convey teleportitis.
Generation
Four to eight pixies are generated in the Lawful Quest within the forest where Nightmare dwells. Pixies may be among the nymphs that are generated on the nymph level, and are also among the nymphs that can generate in the Rogue quest.
Pixies are generated asleep 4⁄5 of the time unless you have the Amulet of Yendor; they will always be generated hostile, and are always generated invisible. Pixies will not be randomly generated in Gehennom.
Like other nymph monsters, pixies have a 1⁄2 chance of being generated with a mirror, and an independent 1⁄2 chance of generating with a potion of object detection.
Strategy
Pixies are a major nuisance once awakened, as they are quite likely to steal an item and teleport away before you can respond, and appear early enough that most characters will generally lack a means to see invisible or otherwise detect sleeping pixies beforehand. Intrinsic telepathy combined with a blindfold or towel is a viable method of spotting pixies. Once you can see them, pixies are no more of a threat than the usual nymphs - they cannot steal as many items as often and are weak enough that you can usually bring them down quickly, being slightly more difficult to hit at most.
As a polyform
Pixies can be a decent early polyform for doppelganger characters: while too small to wear armor or wield weapons and unable to open doors, their invisibility and speed makes escapes from hostile monsters much easier, and can be useful to line yourself up with a distant monster for attack. If you are willing to take the risk, you can also attack and steal especially nasty weapons, armor and/or wands from monsters.
History
The pixie first appears in SLASH 6.
Origin
A pixie is a mythical creature of British folklore, speculated to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas around Devon and Cornwall (which suggests some Celtic origins). Similar to the Irish and Scottish Aos Sí (or "Aos Sidhe"), pixies are believed to inhabit ancient underground sites such as stone circles and barrows.
In traditional regional lore, pixies are generally benign if mischievous, and are short of stature; they are typically childlike and fond of dancing and wrestling outdoors throughout the night. Traditional stories describe them as wearing dirty, ragged bundles of rags, which they discard for gifts containing new clothes; in the modern era, they are usually depicted with pointed ears, often wearing a green outfit and pointed hat.
Encyclopedia entry
Do fairies live in the hedge by the lawn?
With pale, violet eyes and wings that shimmer?
Not in my garden of thistle and thorn,
Well, not since I tidied it up with my strimmer.
