Stranger

@ Stranger File:Stranger.png
Difficulty	35
Attacks	Weapon 4d10 physical, Weapon 4d10 physical, Claw 2d8 Quest Artifact theft, Claw 2d8 Amulet theft, Cast 2d8 clerical spell, Cast 2d8 clerical spell

@ Stranger File:Stranger.png
Difficulty	35
Attacks	Weapon 4d10 physical, Weapon 4d10 physical, Claw 2d8 Quest Artifact theft, Claw 2d8 Amulet theft, Cast 2d8 clerical spell, Cast 2d8 clerical spell
Base level	60
Base experience	4824
Speed	15
Base AC	5
Base MR	70
Alignment	14 (lawful)
Frequency (by normal means)	0 (Not randomly generated)
Genocidable	No
Weight	1450
Nutritional value	400
Size	medium
Resistances	cold, sleep, shock, poison, petrification
Resistances conveyed
The Stranger: does not breathe. has no eyes. has a head, a couple of arms, and a torso. can see invisible creatures. is omnivorous. is not a valid polymorphable form. is an overlord to its kind. is neither male nor female. is normally generated hostile. is nasty. is strong. can pick up weapons and food. can pick up magical items. wants the Amulet of Yendor. wants your quest artifact. wants the Amulet of Yendor, the Bell of Opening, the Book of the Dead, the Candelabrum of Invocation, and your quest artifact. can be seen through infravision. never leaves a corpse. cannot be tamed.

The Stranger, @, is a type of monster that appears in dNetHack and notdNetHack. It is a powerful insight monster that normally only appears in the Madman quest: once a Madman picks up their quest artifact, The Star of Hypernotus, the Stranger will begin harassing them from that point on until they gain enough insight to perceive it directly, at which point it will attack.

The Stranger is covetous and has six attacks per round of combat: it has two strong weapon attacks, a claw attack that can steal quest artifacts, a second claw attack that can steal the Amulet of Yendor, and will attempt to cast two clerical monster spells.

Strategy

A Madman does not need to face the Stranger immediately upon retrieving the Star, and it is highly unwise to do so besides: the Stranger has very high damage potential, and its spell repertoire includes various mummy curses, particularly effects that can wipe out your Luck, curse items, or ever shred your current HP to 1/3 and cause you to lose turns by screaming. The ideal approach is to find a way to manage the Stranger's effects as it stalks the character throughout the next phase of the game, all the while preparing for when they gain enough insight to directly confront the Stranger and end its harassment.

Encyclopedia entry

Camilla: You, sir, should unmask.

Stranger: Indeed?

Cassilda: Indeed, it's time. We all have laid aside disguise but you.

Stranger: I wear no mask.

Camilla: (Terrified, aside to Cassilda) No mask? No mask!
[ The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers ]

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