Bat or bird
The bat or bird is a monster class that appears in NetHack, and is represented by the uppercase B glyph (B). Bats and birds are designated internally by the macro S_BAT.[1]
The class contains the following monsters:[2]
- B bat
- B giant bat
- B raven
- B vampire bat
Common traits
Bats and birds are neutral animals whose diets include meat. They are visible via infravision and capable of flight, and generally move erratically: there is a 1⁄3 chance of a bat or bird monster moving in a random direction during each of its turns.[3]
Bats and birds generated in Gehennom have slightly higher speed than normal, as a play on the phrase "like a bat [on its way] out of hell".[4]
Generation
Randomly generated bats and birds are typically created hostile with the exception of the standard bat, which may generate as peaceful for a neutral hero.
The bat or bird is the first quest monster class for Wizards, and makes up 24⁄175 of the monsters that are randomly generated on the Wizard quest. Some bats and birds are also generated on a few levels within the quest branch at level creation: ten are generated on the home level, with six placed at specific locations near the pond bank and four further away; twelve are placed randomly on the locate level; and eleven are generated on the goal level.
History
The standard bat and vampire bat appear in Hack 1.21, which is based on Jay Fenlason's Hack, and both monsters use the b glyph. The bat reappears in PDP-11 Hack and Hack 1.0, where it begins using the B glyph. NetHack 3.0.0 introduces the giant bat and reintroduces the vampire bat, while the raven first appears in NetHack 3.3.0.
Variants
SLASH'EM
SLASH'EM introduces several new monsters to the monster class:
The bat or bird is the first quest monster class for Necromancers, and make up 24⁄175 of the monsters that are randomly generated on the Necromancer quest. Some bats and birds are also generated on a few levels within the quest branch at level creation: five are generated on the home level, and three are placed randomly on the locate level.
dNetHack
dNetHack adds several new monsters to the monster class:
- B parrot
- B crow
- B battle-bat
- B warbat
- B chiropteran
- B byakhee
The Dreprun stave can be carved into a wooden weapon to ward off bats and birds.
