Player monster

A player monster is a type of monster in NetHack that represents one of the player roles.

List of player monsters

• @ archeologist
• @ barbarian
• @ caveman
• @ cavewoman
• @ healer
• @ knight
• @ monk
• @ priest(ess)
• @ ranger
• @ rogue
• @ samurai
• @ tourist
• @ valkyrie
• @ wizard

Common characteristics

Player monsters cannot be tamed, but can be made peaceful. All player monsters will be referred to by the role's appropriate rank title for their level. Each player monster will have certain characteristics based on their corresponding role as well; for example, player monster valkyries will have cold resistance similar to a starting valkyrie, while player monster rogues have an affinity for gold. They will also have one or two weapon attacks, partly based on their role's ability to twoweapon (or lack thereof).

Generation

Player monsters are not randomly generated, and are thus rarely seen - most live player monsters encountered in the main dungeon are shapeshifters, and doppelgangers in particular tend to favor player monster forms. There are several exceptions, however: a handful of player monsters can be seen in various quest branches, and some quest guardians may grow up into player monsters by quaffing potion of gain level. In every game, a number of tough and hostile player monsters await you on the Astral Plane, with an ascension kit-like inventory on hand - their names are randomly selected and based on various members of the DevTeam.

Several player corpses appear in the Valley of the Dead with the exception of priest and monk corpses, and many player statues are generated on Medusa's Island, including a guaranteed statue of a player monster knight named Perseus. Player statues and corpses can also be found in bones levels.

Using the spell or wand of undead turning on a player corpse or using stone to flesh on a player statue will revive them as a player monster. Player monsters matching the player's role may also be summoned by reading a cursed scroll of genocide while confused (which "reverse genocides" yourself).

Equipment

Normally-generated player monsters will be given a weapon, 1d3 random offensive items, 1d3 random defensive items, 1d3 random miscellaneous items, and a set of armor. Player monsters will also carry 1d10 random objects, 1d1000 gold pieces, and a set of random valuable gems - the roll for gems uses either a 1d3 (66.7%) or 1d16 (33.3%), and they also have a ¹⁄₁₀ chance of receiving either a luckstone (²⁄₃ chance) or a loadstone (¹⁄₃ chance). All Astral Plane player monsters also have a cheap plastic imitation of the Amulet of Yendor, which may explain why they are stuck there.

The enchantment of a player monster's weapon will be random between +0 and +3 (or between +4 and +8 if on the Astral Plane), and will be either erodeproof or greased (but not both) with 33.3% probability each. Player monsters on the Astral Plane have a 50% chance of their weapon being converted to an artifact if possible - wizards who receive Magicbane this way will have its enchantment reduced to between +1 and +4 (since Magicbane is considered less effective if overenchanted). Each piece of a player monster's armor has a ¹⁄₃ of being blessed and a ²⁄₁₁ chance of being cursed, and that item's enchantment has a ³⁄₅ chance of being +0 to +4, a ³⁄₁₀ chance of being +4 to +7, and a ¹⁄₁₀ chance of being -1 to -3.

By default, each player monster is given dragon scale mail as armor and either a long sword or a random melee weapon with equal probability - if given a random weapon, the game then selects one from a specific set of weapon types, with the standard odds of generation used. However, each type of player monster may have their weapons and armor replaced with one more appropriate for their role, with varying odds and replacements depending on each role.

The overall odds of weapon replacements for different player monsters are as follows:

• Archeologist: bullwhip (50%), long sword (25%) or random melee weapon (25%)
• Barbarian: two-handed sword (25%), battle axe (25%), long sword (25%) or random melee weapon (25%)
• Caveman / cavewoman: mace (75%), club (12.5%), long sword (6.25%) or random melee weapon (6.25%)
• Healer: quarterstaff (75%), unicorn horn (6.25%), scalpel (6.25%), long sword (6.25%) or random melee weapon (6.25%)
• Knight: long sword (87.5%) or random melee weapon (12.5%)
• Monk: no melee weapon; 33% chance of shuriken
• Priest / priestess: mace (50%), long sword (25%) or random melee weapon (25%)
• Ranger: elven dagger (50%), long sword (25%) or random melee weapon (25%)
• Rogue: short sword (25%), orcish dagger (25%), long sword (25%) or random melee weapon (25%)
• Samurai: katana (50%), long sword (25%) or random melee weapon (25%)
• Tourist: long sword (50%) or random melee weapon (50%)
• Valkyrie: war hammer (50%), long sword (25%) or random melee weapon (25%)
• Wizard: quarterstaff (37.5%), athame (37.5%), long sword (12.5%) or random melee weapon (12.5%)

Player monsters receive the following types of armor, with varying odds for role-specific replacements:

• 87.5% chance of a random magical cloak, leather cloak, or oilskin cloak.
  • Monks always receive a robe.
  • Priests have a 78% chance of getting a robe.
  • Wizards have a 50% chance of forcing a cloak of magic resistance.
• A random dragon scale mail.
  • Barbarians, knights, priests, and valkyries have a 50% chance of getting a plate mail, crystal plate mail, bronze plate mail, splint mail, banded mail, mithril-coat, or chain mail instead.
  • Wizards who get a forced cloak of magic resistance will also get either black or silver dragon scale mail instead of a random one.
  • Monks will never receive any type of body armor.
• 87.5% chance of a random helm
  • Barbarians and cavepeople will never receive a helm of brilliance.
  • Healers and priests have a 79% chance of getting a helm of brilliance or helm of telepathy.
  • Wizards have a 77% chance of getting a helm of brilliance.
• 87.5% chance of a random large shield
  • Wizards will not receive shields, nor will barbarians who get a two-handed weapon.
  • Healers, priests, and monks have a 56% chance of not getting a shield.
• Gauntlets of power for player monsters with war hammers, and an 87.5% chance of a random pair of gloves otherwise.
• 87.5% chance of a random pair of boots.

Strategy

On the Astral Plane, player monsters are a source of YASD, as they may be generated with Vorpal Blade if it has not appeared in a game, which can cause instadeath by beheading. Be very wary of engaging one in melee until you are certain what they are wielding.

Extinctionists will have a hard time finding a complete set. The best possibilities are as follows:

• Perseus' statue is a knight.
• The quest branch has plenty of player monsters in your own role, though obviously this is best saved for after the quest itself.
• Various player monster corpses are found in the Valley of the Dead.
• Stoning and unstoning a doppelganger will make its morph stick.
• Wish for statues and then cast stone to flesh on them.

Variants

FIQHack

In FIQHack, bones which would normally have created ghosts have a 66% probability of replacing the ghost with a player monster instead. These retain all the stats of the late player (HP, Pw, intrinsics, spells, etc.) and retain the inventory without an 80% chance of each item being cursed. These coupled with FIQHack's AI improvements may pose a much bigger threat than bones generally do.

In addition, FIQHack random player monster kits has been significantly improved. They retain all of their vanilla items, have a shot at getting intrinsics like fire resistance, cold resistance or protection (like the kind bought from priests). In addition, they will now generally have a unicorn horn, may get several amulets of life saving if lacking reflection, generally have better armor, more HP, a bag, more random items (1d6 offensive/defensive/misc items instead of 1d3 if lategame), rings, and are likely to get object properties on their equipment. They now get an inventory similar to the ones generated in Astral if they generate in Gehennom, making them a valid source of lategame equipment.

GruntHack

In GruntHack, player monsters can generate anywhere in the dungeon, although with a low probability. Player monsters generated in the dungeon have an inventory set based on where they generate, approximating the progress an equal player would have made at that point. For example, below Sokoban, they may get an amulet of reflection or a bag of holding.

Later on, player monsters can be quite dangerous as they can be kitted out with several ascension kit-class items such as a cloak of magic resistance or silver dragon scale mail. They will, however, not get any object properties on their armor (but will probably get it on their weapon) beyond random chance. Worse, they usually get these kind of items before players themselves has had a reasonable shot at getting them, so if you see a peaceful one early on, you probably don't want to bother it.

Player monsters will not get any special object materials beyond random chance -- you will have to look for your dragonhide cloaks or gauntlets elsewhere.

EvilHack

Much like GruntHack, player monsters in EvilHack can spawn anywhere in the dungeon, and are kitted out with gear befitting their role. The ascension-level kits are more varied than found in other variants, and player monster abilities more closely match their roles (e.g. wizards and priests can cast spells, rogues can steal items). All player monsters in EvilHack covet the Amulet of Yendor and will attempt to steal it with their attacks; a player monster on the Astral Plane that steals the Amulet will attempt to reach their altar and sacrifice it to their god, ending the game if they succeed.

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, there are additional types of player monsters corresponding to the new roles in SLASH'EM. Some of them are:

• @ ice mage (player monster)
• @ flame mage (player monster)
• @ necromancer (player monster)
• @ undead slayer (player monster)
• @ yeoman (player monster)

Player monsters can be encountered in The Guild of Disgruntled Adventurers if generated.

SpliceHack

In SpliceHack, player monsters can be encountered in the Bar.

See also

• Race

References

This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.

It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.6.4. Information on this page may be out of date.

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