High priest

@ high priest
Difficulty	30
Attacks	Weapon 4d10, Kick 2d8, spell-casting (clerical), spell-casting (clerical)

@ high priest
Difficulty	30
Attacks	Weapon 4d10, Kick 2d8, spell-casting (clerical), spell-casting (clerical)
Base level	25
Base experience	1054
Speed	15
Base AC	7
Base MR	70
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	Unique
Genocidable	No
Weight	1450
Nutritional value	400
Size	Human
Resistances	Fire, shock, sleep, poison
Resistances conveyed	None
A high priest: has a head, a couple of arms, and a torso. can see invisible creatures. is omnivorous. is not a valid polymorphable form. is a human. is an overlord to its kind. is nasty. can pick up weapons and food. can pick up magical items. can be seen through infravision.
Reference	monst.c#line2408

The high priest, @, is a monster that appears in NetHack. They act as the head of all religious activities related to a given deity.

Generation

There are exactly four in the game: three corresponding to each of the deities of the player's pantheon, who appear in the High Temples on the Astral Plane, and the high priest of Moloch that appears in Moloch's Sanctum. In addition to those four, aligned priests can grow up into high priests.

The high priests on the Astral Plane are always generated peaceful, and will remain that way unless you provoke them. The high priest of Moloch is likewise generated peaceful, though they will become hostile upon your entering the temple.

As with aligned priests, they are generated with a mace, small shield, and one of a robe, cloak of protection, or cloak of magic resistance.

Strategy

The high priest of Moloch holds the Amulet of Yendor, and it is extremely likely that killing him will be necessary to obtain the Amulet. This can be difficult, and players will tend to save a wand of death charge for the specific purpose of killing them; this will not work if they are is generated with a cloak of magic resistance.

As mentioned above, the high priest of Moloch is generated peaceful, but turns hostile once you step into the room holding the high altar of Moloch, so be prepared before opening the door. This also means that killing him before stepping in the temple counts as murder for lawful and neutral characters.