Headbutt
- This article is about the attack type that butts with the attacker's head. For the action involving the rear of the hero, see sit.
A headbutt, also known simply as a butt or butting attack, is an attack type that appears in NetHack, and is primarily used by monsters. The attack type is defined by the AT_BUTT flag within monattk.h in the source code.[1]
Description
A monster that has a headbutting attack, including a hero polymorphed into such a monster, performs the attack by attempting to strike the target with their forehead or with any horns, which may also factor in the attacker's worn helm (or lack thereof).[2]
Magic cancellation can block headbutt attacks of certain damage type, though in practice none of the headbutt attacks in the game use an appropriate damage type that is also blocked by MC. Headbutting a cockatrice or chickatrice without a worn helm will turn the attacker to stone, and monsters will avoid doing so against such targets when possible, with the exception of a hero in the form of either monster.[3][4] Hypothetically, a headbutt attack from a monster that can wear a helm will hit a shade if the helm is blessed or made of silver.[5]
List of monsters
The following monsters have headbutt attacks:
All headbutt attacks deal simple physical damage.
The minotaur is the only monster form a hero can take from the list above that allows them to wear helms—minotaurs are not intelligent monsters and will not wear helms themselves, and their horns prevent the use of rigid metallic helms, meaning that a hero in minotaur form can only wear cornuthaums and elven leather helms.
History
The headbutt attack type is formally defined in NetHack 3.0.0.
Messages
- <The monster> butts!
- A monster hit you with a headbutt attack.[6]
- <The monster> lunges wildly and misses!
- A monster targeted a headbutt at you, but you are invisible or else they cannot see you.[7]
- <The monster> butts <the other monster>.
- A monster hit another monster with a headbutt attack.[8]
- You head butt <the monster>.
- You hit a monster with a headbutt attack.[9]
Variants
Variants of NetHack may add new monsters with headbutt attacks, as well as different types of headbutt attacks.
References
- Jump up ↑ include/monattk.h in NetHack 3.6.7, line 16
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1777
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 388
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 678: monster headbutt versus hero
- Jump up ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2524
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 57
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 166
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 595
- Jump up ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2519
