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. They 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.

As of commit 852f8e4 and commit 98d2b0e, buried zombie corpses will revive if items land, are placed or are dropped on their square, with the required weight of the item varying with the type of impact.

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 form of revival similar to trolls. 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 bites that can inflict intelligence drain similar to mind flayers and/or make you terminally ill, and can revive from the corpses they leave behind; 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. Monsters killed by zombies will revive from their corpse as zombies, and zombies themselves can reanimate from their corpses with nearly the same the same rules as trolls, e.g. they cannot revive if they are cancelled or locked into a container; since zombies are unbreathing, they can also revive while in water.

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; they can also revive when buried. Zombies will also grudge monsters that they can zombify, and vice-versa.

Monsters with zombie forms that are killed in melee by zombies and liches will immediately rise as zombies, and zombies created by a tame zombie or lich will also be tame. Players that die at the hands of a zombie or lich will rise as a zombie in bones, and have a ¹⁄₄ chance of immediately resurrecting as a zombie with permanent intrinsic unchanging.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, zombies can be any of the variations encountered in NetHack, with the addition of the hobbit zombie, gnoll witherling and drow zombie as well. EvilHack zombies behave similarly to GruntHack, though they have their own entries in monst.c rather than racial templates, and several modifications are made 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 along with intelligence loss, but they have a lower chance of reviving from their corpse, and they will not revive at all if cancelled or beheaded. Zombies can transfer illness the same way as in GruntHack, either via their bite or a player consuming their corpse, and monsters with zombie forms that are killed by a zombie will eventually revive as one.

The same methods for permanently disposing of zombies in GruntHack are generally applicable in EvilHack; zombie corpses will always cause terminal illness when eaten, making it possible to permanently get rid of them by eating one and then using a reliable illness cure such as a unicorn horn. Forges and lava are slightly more common in the main dungeon as well, making it possible to burn up the corpses by dipping them into the forge or lava, or else by throwing or dropping them into the lava square.

Hack'EM

In Hack'EM, zombies can be any of the monster races encountered in EvilHack, with the addition of the centaur zombie as well. Hack'EM zombies behave primarily the same as they do in EvilHack.

The artifact weapon Mortality Dial prevents zombies and other similar monsters from reviving.

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