Snake (monster class)
- For the monster, see Snake.
The snake is a monster class that appears in NetHack, and is represented by the uppercase S glyph (S). Snakes are designated internally by the macro S_SNAKE.[1]
The monster class contains the following monsters:[2]
- S garter snake
- S snake
- S water moccasin
- S pit viper
- S python
- S cobra
Contents
Common traits
Snakes are neutral-aligned carnivorous and oviparous animals that are slithy and naturally have no limbs. Snakes are capable of hiding under items on the ground, with the exception of the python - they are also generally poisonous, except for the python and garter snake.
Tridents have a +2 to-hit bonus against snakes that are not currently in water.[3]
Playing a wooden flute has a a chance of pacifying nearby snakes based on dexterity and experience level - the effect occurs when the sum of your character's experience level and the roll of a dexterity-sized die is equal to or greater than 27.[4][5]
Generation
Randomly generated snake monsters are always created hostile with the exception of the garter snake, which may generate as peaceful for neutral characters.
The clerical monster spell summon insects will generate snakes if a are extinct or genocided.[6]
The snake monster class is the first quest monster class for Archeologists: the monster class also occupies the slot typically designated for the first quest monster, and so makes up 24⁄35 of the monsters that are randomly generated on the Archeologist quest. Several snakes are also generated on each level of the quest branch at level creation: eleven random snakes are generated on the home level, with eight stationed near the entrance of the college; six are generated on the upper filler level; three are generated on the lower filler level(s); and eighteen are generated on the locate and goal levels.
Medusa's Island generates some snakes at level creation for certain maps: the first variant places a random snake in each of the hallways within Medusa's dwelling on the center isle, while the fourth variant generates 14 random snakes around the level.
Snakes generated at level creation are given a random item to hide under.[7]
Body parts
Snake also refers to the grouping of body parts for the forms of snakes, with the following words and phrases in messages referring to body parts exchanged as follows:[8]
| Body part | Description |
|---|---|
| Arm | Vestigial limb |
| Eye | Eye |
| Face | Face |
| Finger | Large scale |
| Fingertip | Large scale tip |
| Foot | Rear region |
| Hand | Scale gap |
| Handed | Scale gapped |
| Head | Head |
| Leg | Rear region |
| Light headed | Light headed |
| Neck | Neck |
| Spine | Length |
| Toe | Rear scale |
| Hair | Scales |
| Blood | Blood |
| Lung | Lung |
| Nose | Forked tongue |
| Stomach | Stomach |
History
The snake first appears in Hack for PDP-11, which is based on Jay Fenlason's Hack, and is included in the initial bestiary for Hack 1.0. The other snakes are introduced in NetHack 3.0.0.
Variants
SLASH'EM
SLASH'EM adds some new monsters to the snake monster class:
- S king cobra
- @ / S weresnake
- S asphynx
dNetHack
dNetHack adds new monsters to the snake monster class:
- S wraithworm
- S serpent man of Yoth
- S daughter of Naunet
- S man-serpent soldier
- S man-serpent mage
- S man-serpent summoner
- S man-serpent giant
- S pisaca
- S first wraithworm
The Paradise Island map of The Sea will generate three random snakes at level creation.
The Cartouche of the Cat Lord and The Wings of Garuda are wards that can scare off snakes.
References
- ↑ include/monsym.h in NetHack 3.6.7, line 59
- ↑ src/monst.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1749
- ↑ src/weapon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 163
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 122:
charm_snakes - ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 574: Wooden flute effects
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 589
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1243: snakes get a free house
- ↑ src/polyself.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1659
