Chameleon
: chameleon 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 7 |
| Attacks |
Bite 4d2 |
| Base level | 6 |
| Base experience | 73 |
| Speed | 5 |
| Base AC | 6 |
| Base MR | 10 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 2 (Quite rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 100 |
| Nutritional value | 100 |
| Size | Tiny |
| Resistances | None |
| Resistances conveyed |
Causes polymorph |
|
A chameleon:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line2676 |
The chameleon, :, is the most common and well-known of the shapeshifters in NetHack. They have a 1/6 chance per turn of changing forms: chameleons will change into an animal 2/3 of the time, and a random monster the rest of the time.
Eating a chameleon corpse causes polymorphing, but is negated by unchanging.
Generation
Several chameleons are guaranteed to appear on the home level of the Rogue quest.
Strategy
Chameleons are quite capable of imitating summonable "nasties", most infamously arch-liches; many of the other possible forms can also spell death for the unprepared. They should therefore be treated with caution, and dealt with quickly whenever possible. Wearing a ring of protection from shape changers or canceling them will revert them to their much easier base form, which can only do 8 damage at most by biting.
As carnivorous pets eating a chameleon corpse may likely polymorph them into something useless, try to avoid leaving said pets (especially purple worms) near chameleons. It also pays to mind the corpses monsters leave, as eating a chameleon corpse yourself without realizing it will most likely cause a lot of misery, especially for your armor.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.
Pets will no longer eat shapeshifter corpses unless they are starving or on the verge of untaming.A chameleon in the form of a domestic animal can be tamed with the appropriate food, and will remain tame even as it changes forms. Unfortunately, it is very likely to polymorph into a weak form and die, and it cannot be predicted when it will change into something useful. You can improve it, however, by displacing it onto a polytrap while wearing a ring of protection from shape changers.
SLASH'EM
Because polymorphed monsters return to their natural form upon death, pet chameleons are much more useful; while they can still die in their chameleon form, dying or self-destructing while polymorphed will allow them to shapeshift again eventually, and there is more value in their more powerful forms as a result.
A user has suggested improving this page or section as follows:
"More variant info on chameleons."
Origin
The chameleon is a real-life animal noted for its camouflaging abilities that it uses to hide itself from prey and predators alike. In some fantasy works, such as the Xanth series from which the encyclopedia entry originates, this is extended to full-on shapeshifting.
Encyclopaedia entry
A small lizard perched on a brown stone. Feeling threatened by
the approach of human beings along the path, it metamorphosed
into a stingray beetle, then into a stench-puffer, then into a
fiery salamander.
Bink smiled. These conversions weren't real. It had assumed
the forms of obnoxious little monsters, but not their essence.
It could not sting, stink or burn. It was a chameleon, using
its magic to mimic creatures of genuine threat.
Yet as it shifted into the form of a basilisk it glared at him
with such ferocity that Bink's mirth abated. If its malice
could strike him, he would be horribly dead.
[ A Spell for Chameleon, by Piers Anthony ]
