Rodent
The rodent is a monster class that appears in NetHack, and is represented by the lowercase r glyph (r). Rodents are designated internally by the macro S_RODENT.[1]
The monster class contains the following monsters:[2]
Contents
Common traits
All rodents are neutral animals that can be seen via infravision and lack hands, with the exception of the wererat (which is chaotic and has a human form). Rodents are primarily carnivores, with the sole exception being the herbivorous woodchuck.
Generation
Randomly-generated rodents are always created hostile.
The rodent is the first quest monster class for Healers, and makes up 24⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated on the Healer quest. Some rodents are generated on floors below the home level of the quest branch at level creation: one is generated on the locate level, and two each are generated on the filler levels and goal level.
Strategy
Between the quick-but-fragile rats that appear among the earliest hostile monsters and the slow-but-tough-to-hit rock mole, most of the rodents are not a major threat - of the few that are, the rabid rat can spell an early instadeath unless you find a source of poison resistance, but can be taken out at a distance. The wererat is the weakest werecreature, but is the biggest threat among the monster class due to their lycanthropy-transmitting bite in animal form and ability to summon other rats, including the aforementioned rabid rats. A character that can make it to Minetown or Sokoban is usually capable of handling wererats and other rodents from that point, especially if they obtain countermeasures for poison and lycanthropy.
Variants
SLASH'EM
SLASH'EM introduces new monsters to the monster class:
- r rodent:
- r rabbit
- r black rat
- r rabid rabbit
- r pack rat
- r hellrat
- REDIRECT Template:Monsym/The Rat King the Rat King
Encyclopedia entry
A gnawing mammal (order _Rodentia_) having in each jaw two (rarely four) incisors, growing continually from persistent pulps, and no canine teeth, as a squirrel, beaver, or rat.
