Difference between revisions of "Summon nasties"

From NetHackWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m (When meeting a summoner: "chance to" = opportunity; "chance of" = probability)
m (potholes)
 
(22 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Summon nasties''' is a [[monster spell]]. It is a mage spell that can be used by monsters of level 16 or higher.
+
'''Summon nasties''' is a [[monster spell]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. It is a mage spell that can be used by monsters of level 16 or higher.
  
If you are in [[Gehennom]], there is a 1/10th chance that a [[Demon#Demon_summoning|demon is summoned]]. Otherwise, hostile{{refsrc|wizard.c|456}} nasties will be generated around the caster until a random number between one and one-third your [[experience level]] of [[#Nasties|nasties]] are created. Summoned spellcasters will have a lower [[Monster difficulty|difficulty]] than the caster.{{refsrc|wizard.c|448}}
+
==Description==
 +
When cast, a number of hostile [[#Nasties|nasties]] will be generated around the target; this can be affected by [[displacement]] or [[invisibility]], depending on the caster.{{refsrc|wizard.c|456}} Monsters are created until either [[D notation|d]]({{sfrac|XLvl|3}}) nasties which are neutral or co-aligned with the summoner have been created, or the maximum of 10 nasties have been created. Because of this, monsters of alignments with fewer co-aligned nasties will summon more nasties on average.{{refsrc|src/wizard.c|24|version=NetHack 3.6.1}} Summoned monsters will be unable to use special attacks such as breath weapons for d4 turns.{{refsrc|src/wizard.c|609|version=NetHack 3.6.1}}
  
Monsters summoned in this fashion respect [[genocide]], but not [[extinction]]. If a genocided monster would be summoned, it is replaced by an ordinary random monster (which is not guaranteed to be hostile). Spellcasting monsters generated this way need not be lower in difficulty than the caster.
+
If this spell is cast in [[Gehennom]], it is treated as if the [[Wizard of Yendor]] were summoning regardless of the caster, and there is a {{frac|10}} chance that a [[major demon]] is summoned - this can include a [[demon lord]] or [[demon prince]].{{refsrc|src/wizard.c|558|nethack=3.6.6}} Both this and the remote summoning performed by the Wizard of Yendor are considered neutral for this purpose.
  
==Strategy==
+
Summoned spellcasters will have a lower [[Monster difficulty|difficulty]] than the caster.{{refsrc|wizard.c|448}} {{white|&}} will not summon {{white|A}}, and vice versa. On the [[Rogue level]], nasties not represented by an uppercase letter are less likely to be summoned.{{refsrc|src/wizard.c|523|version=NetHack 3.6.1}}
Dealing with this spell can require actions both before and after it is cast:
 
  
===Preventative genociding===
+
Monsters summoned in this fashion respect [[genocide]], but not [[extinction]]: If a genocided monster would be summoned, it is replaced by an ordinary random monster (which is not guaranteed to be hostile). Spellcasting monsters generated this way need not be lower in difficulty than the caster.
One option is to genocide the worst nasties: arch-[[lich]]es and [[master mind flayer]]s are good candidates for this. One should be cautious, however, in doing so. If the spell attempts to generate a genocided monster, it will instead generate a random one. Once the player has the [[Amulet of Yendor]] and is out of [[Gehennom]], [[Archon]]s and [[ki-rin]] are not unlikely random monster choices.
 
  
One good option for a player with a scroll of genocide would be to blessed-genocide {{monclasssym|L}}. Liches are by far the most frequently encountered casters of summon nasties, and also the only ones that can be genocided anyway. Doing so will genocide only one nasty, [[arch-lich]]es, and so will not greatly increase the probability of Archons being generated by the spell.
+
{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Spellcasters casting summon nasties can no longer summon monsters of equal or higher difficulty than themselves. Thus, Archons cannot summon more Archons, arch-liches cannot summon more arch-liches, and so on.
  
===When meeting a summoner===
+
If a genocided monster with a pre-grown form (that is not explicitly a baby form) is chosen, and this form is not also genocided, it will appear in place of the genocided monster. For example, mind flayers can appear in place of genocided master mind flayers. This also happens if the chosen nasty is inappropriate for the location, such as an arch-lich outside Gehennom.
The worst place to meet monsters with this spell is on large open levels, e.g. [[Juiblex's swamp]]. On such levels, a summoner will often sit outside of a ring of monsters it has created around you, and continue summoning even as you attempt to fight off its minions. In this situation the covetous behavior can be helpful: an arch-lich that warps to the upstairs may no longer be in sight, whereas a fleeing demilich will remain in sight and happily fill the level with nasties.
 
  
If you are unable to kill the caster, e.g. an arch-lich that [[covetous#Behavior|warps]] to the staircase across the map on a no-teleport level, and possess reflection and a permanent Elbereth, it is possible to wait on the Elbereth square for the caster to create a black dragon and wait for the disintegration breath to destroy the summoner, or possibly for a cockatrice to be generated and leave a corpse. This can be a real life saver if any of the demon princes appear as well.
+
Also, when the difficulty is high enough to summon arch-liches or Archons (e.g., the Wizard casting it or via random harassment), at most one arch-lich OR one Archon will be created by a single summon nasties. See commit 3eed500 for more details.}}
  
Another way to counter the summon nasties spell is with a [[ring of conflict]]. The monsters will fight each other instead of focusing on you. A [[scroll of taming]] or spell of [[charm monster]] are also effective, although many nasties have a substantial chance of resisting either one.
+
==Nasties==
 +
{{for|the monster flag, which is unrelated to this spell|M2_NASTY}}
  
==Messages==
+
The following monsters are "nasties" for the purposes of this spell, listed generally by alignment:{{refsrc|src/wizard.c|44|version=NetHack 3.6.6}}
{{message|A monster appears from nowhere!|One monster was summoned.}}
 
{{message|Monsters appear from nowhere!|Multiple monsters were summoned.}}
 
{{message|<A monster appears/Monsters appear> around <a spot near you/your displaced image>!|The summoner was fooled by your invisibility/displacement. The summoned monsters may still be able to find you.}}
 
{{message|"Destroy the thief, my pet(s)!"|The [[Wizard of Yendor]] cast the spell while alive. (The Summon Nasties effect that the Wizard uses to harass you in his absence displays no message.)}}
 
  
==Nasties==
+
====Lawful nasties====
{{for|the monster flag|M2_NASTY}}
+
<div class="div-col columns column-width" style="-moz-column-width: 11em; -webkit-column-width: 11em; column-width: 11em;">
 +
* {{monsymlink|Aleax}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|barbed devil}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|couatl}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|fire giant}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|green dragon}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|guardian naga}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|horned devil}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|orange dragon}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|silver dragon}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|yellow dragon}}
 +
</div>
  
These monsters are "nasties" for the purposes of summon nasties:{{reffunc|wizard.c|nasties}}
+
====Neutral nasties====
 +
<div class="div-col columns column-width" style="-moz-column-width: 11em; -webkit-column-width: 11em; column-width: 11em;">
 +
* {{monsymlink|baluchitherium}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|carnivorous ape}}
 
* {{monsymlink|cockatrice}}
 
* {{monsymlink|cockatrice}}
 
* {{monsymlink|ettin}}
 
* {{monsymlink|ettin}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|fire elemental}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|green slime}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|iron golem}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|jabberwock}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|leocrotta}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|minotaur}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|ochre jelly}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|owlbear}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|purple worm}}
 
* {{monsymlink|stalker}}
 
* {{monsymlink|stalker}}
* {{monsymlink|minotaur}}
+
* {{monsymlink|umber hulk}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|xan}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|xorn}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|zruty}}
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
====Chaotic nasties====
 +
<div class="div-col columns column-width" style="-moz-column-width: 11em; -webkit-column-width: 11em; column-width: 11em;">
 +
* {{monsymlink|arch-lich}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|black dragon}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|captain}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|disenchanter}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|elf-lord}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Elvenking}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|gremlin}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|master mind flayer}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|ogre king}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Olog-hai}}
 
* {{monsymlink|red dragon}}
 
* {{monsymlink|red dragon}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|storm giant}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|vampire lord}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|winged gargoyle}}
 +
</div>
 +
 +
====Demons (in Gehennom only)====
 +
<div class="div-col columns column-width" style="-moz-column-width: 11em; -webkit-column-width: 11em; column-width: 11em;">
 +
* {{monsymlink|Yeenoghu}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Dispater}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Geryon}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Demogorgon}}
 +
</div>
 +
 +
==Strategy==
 +
Dealing with this spell can often require action both before and after it is cast:
 +
 +
===Preventative genocide===
 +
One option is to [[genocide]] the worst nasties: [[arch-lich]]es and [[master mind flayer]]s are good candidates for this. However, if the spell attempts to generate a genocided monster, it will instead generate a random one. Once the player has the [[Amulet of Yendor]] and is out of [[Gehennom]], [[Archon]]s and [[ki-rin]] are not unlikely random monster choices and may be summoned in place of genocided monsters.
 +
 +
Another good option for a player with a [[scroll of genocide]] would be to blessed-genocide {{monclasssym|L}}. [[Lich (monster class)|Liches]] are by far the most frequently encountered casters of summon nasties, and also the only ones that can be genocided anyway. Doing so will genocide only one nasty, arch-liches, and so will not greatly increase the probability of worse nasties such as Archons being generated by the spell.
 +
 +
===When meeting a summoner===
 +
The worst place to meet monsters with this spell is on large open levels, such as [[Juiblex's swamp]]. On such levels, a summoner will often sit outside of the ring of monsters it has created around you and continue summoning, even as you attempt to fight off its minions. In this situation, the covetous behavior can be helpful; an arch-lich that warps to the upstairs may no longer be in sight, whereas a fleeing demilich will remain in sight and continue to fill the level with nasties.
 +
 +
If you are unable to kill the caster, possess reflection and can engrave a long-lasting [[Elbereth]], it is possible to wait on the Elbereth square for the caster to create a black dragon and wait for the disintegration breath to destroy the summoner, or possibly for a cockatrice to be generated and leave a corpse. This can be a life-saver if any of the demon princes appear as well.
 +
 +
Another way to counter the summon nasties spell is with a [[ring of conflict]] - the monsters will fight one another instead of focusing on you. A [[scroll of taming]] or spell of [[charm monster]] are also effective, although many nasties have a substantial chance of resisting either one.
 +
 +
==History==
 +
In versions prior to [[NetHack 3.6.1]] and variants based on them, the monsters listed below qualified as nasties and were not restricted depending on alignment. Nasty selection on the Rogue level was not biased toward uppercase letters, and the number of nasties was simply d({{sfrac|XLvl|3}}).
 +
 +
<div class="div-col columns column-width" style="-moz-column-width: 11em; -webkit-column-width: 11em; column-width: 11em;">
 +
* {{monsymlink|arch-lich}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|baluchitherium}}
 
* {{monsymlink|black dragon}}
 
* {{monsymlink|black dragon}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|captain}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|carnivorous ape}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|cockatrice}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|couatl}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|disenchanter}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|elf-lord}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Elvenking}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|ettin}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|fire elemental}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|fire giant}}
 
* {{monsymlink|green dragon}}
 
* {{monsymlink|green dragon}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|green slime}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|gremlin}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|iron golem}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|jabberwock}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|leocrotta}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|master mind flayer}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|minotaur}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|ochre jelly}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|ogre king}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Olog-hai}}
 
* {{monsymlink|owlbear}}
 
* {{monsymlink|owlbear}}
 
* {{monsymlink|purple worm}}
 
* {{monsymlink|purple worm}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|red dragon}}
 
* {{monsymlink|rock troll}}
 
* {{monsymlink|rock troll}}
* {{monsymlink|xan}}
+
* {{monsymlink|stalker}}
* {{monsymlink|gremlin}}
 
 
* {{monsymlink|umber hulk}}
 
* {{monsymlink|umber hulk}}
 
* {{monsymlink|vampire lord}}
 
* {{monsymlink|vampire lord}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|winged gargoyle}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|xan}}
 
* {{monsymlink|xorn}}
 
* {{monsymlink|xorn}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|yellow dragon}}
 
* {{monsymlink|zruty}}
 
* {{monsymlink|zruty}}
* {{monsymlink|elf-lord}}
+
</div>
* {{monsymlink|elvenking}}
+
 
* {{monsymlink|yellow dragon}}
+
==Messages==
* {{monsymlink|leocrotta}}
+
{{message|A monster appears from nowhere!|One monster was summoned.}}
 +
{{message|Monsters appear from nowhere!|Multiple monsters were summoned.}}
 +
{{message|<A monster appears/Monsters appear> around <a spot near you/your displaced image>!|The summoner was fooled by your invisibility/displacement. The summoned monsters may still be able to find you.}}
 +
{{message|"Destroy the thief, my pet(s)!"|The [[Wizard of Yendor]] cast the spell while alive. (The summon nasties effect that the Wizard uses to harass you in his absence displays no message.)}}
 +
 
 +
==Variants==
 +
===SLASH'EM===
 +
In SLASH'EM, the monsters listed below are considered nasties for this spell; the arch-lich, vampire lord, and zruty are no longer summonable this way.{{refsrc|wizard.c|26|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2|name=S nasties}}
 +
<div class="div-col columns column-width" style="-moz-column-width: 11em; -webkit-column-width: 11em; column-width: 11em;">
 
* {{monsymlink|baluchitherium}}
 
* {{monsymlink|baluchitherium}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|basilisk}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|black dragon}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|captain}}
 
* {{monsymlink|carnivorous ape}}
 
* {{monsymlink|carnivorous ape}}
* {{monsymlink|fire giant}}
+
* {{monsymlink|cockatrice}}
 
* {{monsymlink|couatl}}
 
* {{monsymlink|couatl}}
* {{monsymlink|captain}}
+
* {{monsymlink|demon orc}}
* {{monsymlink|winged gargoyle}}
+
* {{monsymlink|disenchanter}}
* {{monsymlink|master mind flayer}}
+
* {{monsymlink|elf-lord}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|Elvenking}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|ettin}}
 
* {{monsymlink|fire elemental}}
 
* {{monsymlink|fire elemental}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|fire giant}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|green dragon}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|green slime}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|gremlin}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|iron golem}}
 
* {{monsymlink|jabberwock}}
 
* {{monsymlink|jabberwock}}
* {{monsymlink|arch-lich}}
+
* {{monsymlink|leocrotta}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|master lich}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|master mind flayer}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|mastodon}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|minotaur}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|ochre jelly}}
 
* {{monsymlink|ogre king}}
 
* {{monsymlink|ogre king}}
* {{monsymlink|olog-hai}}
+
* {{monsymlink|Olog-hai}}
* {{monsymlink|iron golem}}
+
* {{monsymlink|owlbear}}
* {{monsymlink|ochre jelly}}
+
* {{monsymlink|purple worm}}
* {{monsymlink|green slime}}
+
* {{monsymlink|pyrolisk}}
* {{monsymlink|disenchanter}}
+
* {{monsymlink|red dragon}}
 
 
===SLASH'EM===
 
In SLASH'EM, these monsters are also nasties in addition to those above:{{refsrc|wizard.c|26|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2|name=S nasties}}
 
* {{monsymlink|vampire mage}}
 
* {{monsymlink|master lich}}
 
 
* {{monsymlink|rhaumbusun}}
 
* {{monsymlink|rhaumbusun}}
* {{monsymlink|basilisk}}
+
* {{monsymlink|rock troll}}
* {{monsymlink|pyrolisk}}
 
* {{monsymlink|demon orc}}
 
* {{monsymlink|mastodon}}
 
 
* {{monsymlink|rot worm}}
 
* {{monsymlink|rot worm}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|silver dragon}}
 
* {{monsymlink|snow orc}}
 
* {{monsymlink|snow orc}}
* {{monsymlink|silver dragon}}
+
* {{monsymlink|stalker}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|umber hulk}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|vampire mage}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|winged gargoyle}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|xan}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|xorn}}
 +
* {{monsymlink|yellow dragon}}
 +
</div>
  
The following monsters were removed from the list of nasties:<ref name="S nasties"/>
+
===UnNetHack===
* {{monsymlink|vampire lord}}
+
In [[UnNetHack]], [[evil eye]]s have also been added to the list of summonable nasties, which is otherwise the same as in [[NetHack 3.4.3]].
* {{monsymlink|zruty}}
 
* {{monsymlink|arch-lich}}
 
  
===UnNetHack===
+
===FIQHack===
In [[UnNetHack]], [[Evil eye]]s have also been added to the list of nasties.
+
In [[FIQHack]], monsters summoned via summon nasties exist for 20 turns before disappearing. As per the merged spellcasting system, it's now a player spell (level 7 clerical).
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
<references />
+
<references/>
 
+
{{nethack-366}}
 
[[Category:Monster spells]]
 
[[Category:Monster spells]]
{{nethack-343}}
 

Latest revision as of 01:33, 12 February 2024

Summon nasties is a monster spell that appears in NetHack. It is a mage spell that can be used by monsters of level 16 or higher.

Description

When cast, a number of hostile nasties will be generated around the target; this can be affected by displacement or invisibility, depending on the caster.[1] Monsters are created until either d(XLvl3) nasties which are neutral or co-aligned with the summoner have been created, or the maximum of 10 nasties have been created. Because of this, monsters of alignments with fewer co-aligned nasties will summon more nasties on average.[2] Summoned monsters will be unable to use special attacks such as breath weapons for d4 turns.[3]

If this spell is cast in Gehennom, it is treated as if the Wizard of Yendor were summoning regardless of the caster, and there is a 110 chance that a major demon is summoned - this can include a demon lord or demon prince.[4] Both this and the remote summoning performed by the Wizard of Yendor are considered neutral for this purpose.

Summoned spellcasters will have a lower difficulty than the caster.[5] & will not summon A, and vice versa. On the Rogue level, nasties not represented by an uppercase letter are less likely to be summoned.[6]

Monsters summoned in this fashion respect genocide, but not extinction: If a genocided monster would be summoned, it is replaced by an ordinary random monster (which is not guaranteed to be hostile). Spellcasting monsters generated this way need not be lower in difficulty than the caster.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

Spellcasters casting summon nasties can no longer summon monsters of equal or higher difficulty than themselves. Thus, Archons cannot summon more Archons, arch-liches cannot summon more arch-liches, and so on.

If a genocided monster with a pre-grown form (that is not explicitly a baby form) is chosen, and this form is not also genocided, it will appear in place of the genocided monster. For example, mind flayers can appear in place of genocided master mind flayers. This also happens if the chosen nasty is inappropriate for the location, such as an arch-lich outside Gehennom.

Also, when the difficulty is high enough to summon arch-liches or Archons (e.g., the Wizard casting it or via random harassment), at most one arch-lich OR one Archon will be created by a single summon nasties. See commit 3eed500 for more details.

Nasties

For the monster flag, which is unrelated to this spell, see M2_NASTY.

The following monsters are "nasties" for the purposes of this spell, listed generally by alignment:[7]

Lawful nasties

Neutral nasties

Chaotic nasties

Demons (in Gehennom only)

Strategy

Dealing with this spell can often require action both before and after it is cast:

Preventative genocide

One option is to genocide the worst nasties: arch-liches and master mind flayers are good candidates for this. However, if the spell attempts to generate a genocided monster, it will instead generate a random one. Once the player has the Amulet of Yendor and is out of Gehennom, Archons and ki-rin are not unlikely random monster choices and may be summoned in place of genocided monsters.

Another good option for a player with a scroll of genocide would be to blessed-genocide ​L. Liches are by far the most frequently encountered casters of summon nasties, and also the only ones that can be genocided anyway. Doing so will genocide only one nasty, arch-liches, and so will not greatly increase the probability of worse nasties such as Archons being generated by the spell.

When meeting a summoner

The worst place to meet monsters with this spell is on large open levels, such as Juiblex's swamp. On such levels, a summoner will often sit outside of the ring of monsters it has created around you and continue summoning, even as you attempt to fight off its minions. In this situation, the covetous behavior can be helpful; an arch-lich that warps to the upstairs may no longer be in sight, whereas a fleeing demilich will remain in sight and continue to fill the level with nasties.

If you are unable to kill the caster, possess reflection and can engrave a long-lasting Elbereth, it is possible to wait on the Elbereth square for the caster to create a black dragon and wait for the disintegration breath to destroy the summoner, or possibly for a cockatrice to be generated and leave a corpse. This can be a life-saver if any of the demon princes appear as well.

Another way to counter the summon nasties spell is with a ring of conflict - the monsters will fight one another instead of focusing on you. A scroll of taming or spell of charm monster are also effective, although many nasties have a substantial chance of resisting either one.

History

In versions prior to NetHack 3.6.1 and variants based on them, the monsters listed below qualified as nasties and were not restricted depending on alignment. Nasty selection on the Rogue level was not biased toward uppercase letters, and the number of nasties was simply d(XLvl3).

Messages

A monster appears from nowhere!
One monster was summoned.
Monsters appear from nowhere!
Multiple monsters were summoned.
<A monster appears/Monsters appear> around <a spot near you/your displaced image>!
The summoner was fooled by your invisibility/displacement. The summoned monsters may still be able to find you.
"Destroy the thief, my pet(s)!"
The Wizard of Yendor cast the spell while alive. (The summon nasties effect that the Wizard uses to harass you in his absence displays no message.)

Variants

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, the monsters listed below are considered nasties for this spell; the arch-lich, vampire lord, and zruty are no longer summonable this way.[8]

UnNetHack

In UnNetHack, evil eyes have also been added to the list of summonable nasties, which is otherwise the same as in NetHack 3.4.3.

FIQHack

In FIQHack, monsters summoned via summon nasties exist for 20 turns before disappearing. As per the merged spellcasting system, it's now a player spell (level 7 clerical).

References