Zombie

For the monster class, see zombie (monster class).

Zombies are a group of monsters that appear in NetHack. The group consists of undead monsters in the zombie monster class that correspond to a living monster, and includes the following:

• Z kobold zombie
• Z gnome zombie
• Z orc zombie
• Z dwarf zombie
• Z elf zombie
• Z human zombie
• Z ettin zombie
• Z giant zombie

Common traits

All zombies are chaotic, mindless humanoid undead that possess unbreathing and infravision, and are inediate. The can follow you to another level if they are adjacent to you when you leave the level.

Generation

Randomly generated zombies will always be hostile. Zombies are frequently found in graveyards, where they are always generated hostile and asleep. As the zombie monster class is the first quest monster class for Priests, the 14% of monsters from that class that are randomly generated within the Priest quest will include the various zombie monsters.

Zombies are considered corpseless, with a special case that generates an aged corpse of their living counterpart upon "death" in circumstances where a monster would ordinarily leave a corpse (e.g. a gnome zombie leaves an old gnome corpse when "killed" in combat). This means that listed nutritional values for zombies are only relevant to pets or polymorphed player characters that digest zombies - corpses left behind by zombies use their normal nutritional values, though they are usually too old to be eaten safely without a tinning kit.

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.

Liches and other zombies can now raise monsters killed by them without a weapon as zombies, unless they are cancelled - the corpse will rise 5-20 turns after death if it has a corresponding zombie type, and this will not occur if the killer was cancelled. You can also do this if polymorphed into a zombie or lich. Zombies and liches will grudge living monsters that can be turned into zombies.

History

The zombie first appears in Hack 1.21, a variant of Jay Fenlason's Hack, as well as Hack for PDP-11. It is included in the initial bestiary for Hack 1.0, and appears in the game from that version to NetHack 2.3e. In NetHack 3.0.0, most of the zombies are introduced and differentiated with the exception of the dwarf zombie, which is added in NetHack 3.3.0.

Origin

The zombie is a mindless animated corpse that originates from Haitian folklore. The etymology comes from African or Caribbean creole of related concepts.

Variants

Many variants implement a form of mutual grudge between zombies and living monsters, as well as a limited form of reviv Material hatred that applies to a living monster is typically not applied to their zombie forms.

GruntHack

In GruntHack, zombies are racial monsters and can be any of the following races: human, elf, kobold, gnome, dwarf, giant, ettin, orc, and ogre.

Zombies in GruntHack are incredibly dangerous compared to their NetHack counterparts: they have bits that can inflict intelligence drain similar to mind flayers and/or make you terminally ill, and can revive from the corpses they leave behind similar to trolls; these corpses also inflict terminal illness if eaten as well, in addition to the normal effects of eating that corpse. Monsters that die of terminal illness from a zombie will rise as a zombie if they have a compatible form, including the player (who will always be of a compatible form). Additionally, zombies will grudge other living monsters and vice versa, making them as much of a danger to the other denizens of the dungeon as they are to you - interestingly, grudges between monsters also apply to their undead forms. A means of curing sickness should be a priority for any GruntHack character, along with a means to permanently dispose of them (e.g. via locked container or tinning kit).

dNetHack

In dNetHack, zombies exist as a form of templated monster, making it possible for most living monsters to have zombie counterparts.

xNetHack

In xNetHack, the list of zombie monsters matches that of NetHack, but they are given many new characteristics, including those drawn from upcoming versions of NetHack: Zombies will occasionally revive from their own corpses similar to trolls, but they have a lower overall chance, and will not revive at all if cancelled or beheaded. Monsters with zombie forms that are killed in melee by zombies and liches will immediately rise as zombies; zombies created by a tame zombie or lich will also be tame. Zombies will also grudge monsters that they can zombify, and vice-versa.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, zombies behave similarly to GruntHack, but with several modifications to make them more distinct and less overwhelmingly difficult while still being challenging: Their claw attack is now poisonous, and their brain-eating bite can cause amnesia, but they have a lower chance of reviving from their corpse, and they will not revive at all if cancelled or beheaded.

Encyclopedia entry

The zombi ... is a soulless human corpse, still dead, but taken from the grave and endowed by sorcery with a mechanical semblance of life, -- it is a dead body which is made to walk and act and move as if it were alive.

[ W. B. Seabrook ]

See also

• Mummies