Metroid

Metroids are a group of monsters in dNetHack. They belong to the trapper or lurker above monster class, which has been renamed the trapper, lurker, or metroid class.

All forms of metroid except the baby metroid have life drain attacks of varying potency, in addition to other physical and elemental (acidic, shocking) attacks.

Death rays will not kill metroids (except baby metroids). Instead, the energy will stimulate the metroid to bud or divide, creating one or more new metroids or baby metroids, depending on the development stage of the parent metroid.

Baby metroid

t baby metroid
Difficulty	2
Attacks	Bite 1d2 physical

t baby metroid
Difficulty	2
Attacks	Bite 1d2 physical
Base level	1
Base experience	8
Speed	9
Base AC	7
Base MR	0
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	0 (Not randomly generated)
Genocidable	No
Weight	72
Nutritional value	20
Size	tiny
Resistances	fire, poison, acid
A baby metroid: can fly. can survive underwater. does not breathe. cannot pick up items. has no eyes. has no hands. has no limbs. has no head. regenerates HP quickly. is poisonous to eat. does not eat. (*) is not a valid polymorphable form. is neither male nor female. is normally generated peaceful. wanders randomly. has infravision. can be seen through infravision. never leaves a corpse. cannot be tamed.

Baby metroids are the weakest form of metroid, and are not normally generated. Metroid eggs hatch into baby metroids. If a metroid egg hatches in your inventory, the resulting baby metroid will always be tame.

Baby metroids are too young to divide, and will therefore die if zapped with a wand of death. They also do not have a life-draining bite.

Metroid

t metroid
Difficulty	7
Attacks	Bite 1d4 life drain, Claw 1d1 sticky

t metroid
Difficulty	7
Attacks	Bite 1d4 life drain, Claw 1d1 sticky
Base level	5
Base experience	136
Speed	10
Base AC	5
Base MR	0
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	2 (Quite rare)
Genocidable	No
Weight	145
Nutritional value	40
Size	small
Resistances	fire, poison, acid
A metroid: can fly. can survive underwater. does not breathe. cannot pick up items. has no eyes. has no hands. has no limbs. has no head. has a thick hide. regenerates HP quickly. is poisonous to eat. does not eat. (*) is neither male nor female. is normally generated hostile. can follow you to other levels. is nasty. has infravision. can be seen through infravision. never leaves a corpse. cannot be tamed.

The most recognizable form of metroid. Only 21 will appear in the dungeon.

If zapped with a wand of death, a metroid divides to form a second metroid.

Alpha metroid

t alpha metroid
Difficulty	11
Attacks	Bite 1d8 life drain

t alpha metroid
Difficulty	11
Attacks	Bite 1d8 life drain
Base level	9
Base experience	290
Speed	11
Base AC	3
Base MR	10
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	2 (Quite rare)
Genocidable	No
Weight	290
Nutritional value	80
Size	small
Resistances	fire, poison, acid
An alpha metroid: can fly. can survive underwater. does not breathe. cannot pick up items. has no hands. has no limbs. has a thick hide. is poisonous to eat. does not eat. (*) is neither male nor female. is normally generated hostile. can follow you to other levels. is nasty. has infravision. can be seen through infravision. never leaves a corpse. cannot be tamed.

At most 45 alpha metroids will appear in the dungeon.

If zapped with a wand of death, an alpha metroid will bud off a baby metroid.

Gamma metroid

t gamma metroid
Difficulty	16
Attacks	Bite 1d12 life drain, Touch 1d6 shock

t gamma metroid
Difficulty	16
Attacks	Bite 1d12 life drain, Touch 1d6 shock
Base level	13
Base experience	448
Speed	12
Base AC	1
Base MR	20
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	2 (Quite rare)
Genocidable	No
Weight	1450
Nutritional value	400
Size	medium
Resistances	fire, poison, acid
A gamma metroid: can fly. can survive underwater. does not breathe. cannot pick up items. has no hands. has a thick hide. is poisonous to eat. does not eat. (*) is neither male nor female. is normally generated hostile. can follow you to other levels. is nasty. has infravision. can be seen through infravision. never leaves a corpse. cannot be tamed.

At most 48 gamma metroids will appear in the dungeon.

If zapped with a wand of death, a gamma metroid will bud off a baby metroid.

Zeta metroid

t zeta metroid
Difficulty	23
Attacks	Bite 2d8 life drain, Spit 2d8 acid

t zeta metroid
Difficulty	23
Attacks	Bite 2d8 life drain, Spit 2d8 acid
Base level	19
Base experience	731
Speed	15
Base AC	−1
Base MR	30
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	2 (Quite rare)
Genocidable	No
Weight	2900
Nutritional value	800
Size	medium
Resistances	fire, poison, acid
A zeta metroid: can fly. can phase through walls. can survive underwater. does not breathe. has a thick hide. is poisonous to eat. does not eat. (*) is neither male nor female. is normally generated hostile. can follow you to other levels. is nasty. has infravision. can be seen through infravision. never leaves a corpse. cannot be tamed.

Only 9 zeta metroids will appear in the dungeon.

If zapped with a wand of death, a zeta metroid will bud off a metroid.

Omega metroid

t omega metroid
Difficulty	33
Attacks	Bite 2d10 physical, Claw 2d4 life drain, Claw 2d4 life drain, Breath weapon 4d4 shock

t omega metroid
Difficulty	33
Attacks	Bite 2d10 physical, Claw 2d4 life drain, Claw 2d4 life drain, Breath weapon 4d4 shock
Base level	27
Base experience	1231
Speed	12
Base AC	−5
Base MR	50
Alignment	0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means)	2 (Quite rare)
Genocidable	No
Weight	7250
Nutritional value	2000
Size	large
Resistances	fire, poison, acid
An omega metroid: can fly. can phase through walls. can survive underwater. does not breathe. has a thick hide. is poisonous to eat. does not eat. (*) is a giant. is neither male nor female. is normally generated hostile. can follow you to other levels. is nasty. has infravision. can be seen through infravision. never leaves a corpse. cannot be tamed.

At most 21 omega metroids will appear in the dungeon.

If zapped with a wand of death, it will bud off a metroid.

Metroid queen

t metroid queen
Difficulty	43
Attacks	Bite 2d12 life drain, Bite 2d12 life drain, Engulf 2d12 digestion, Breath weapon 5d4 acid

t metroid queen
Difficulty	43
Attacks	Bite 2d12 life drain, Bite 2d12 life drain, Engulf 2d12 digestion, Breath weapon 5d4 acid
Base level	35
Base experience	1939
Speed	10
Base AC	−9
Base MR	70
Alignment	12 (lawful)
Frequency (by normal means)	1 (Very rare)
Genocidable	Yes
Weight	14500
Nutritional value	4000
Size	huge
Resistances	fire, poison, acid
A metroid queen: can fly. can phase through walls. can survive underwater. does not breathe. has no hands. has a thick hide. can lay eggs. is poisonous to eat. does not eat. (*) is female. is normally generated hostile. can follow you to other levels. is nasty. is strong. has infravision. can be seen through infravision. appears only in Gehennom. never leaves a corpse. cannot be tamed.

Only 3 metroid queens will appear in the dungeon.

Metroid queens wander around their dungeon level, laying eggs at irregular intervals. If zapped with a wand of death, a metroid queen will bud off three metroids.

A tame metroid queen will revert to peaceful at the start of her next turn.

Encyclopedia entry

Metroids appear to be able to sense the life energy of their prey as they have no visible sensory organs.

In their natural life cycle, Metroids gradually metamorphose to take a somewhat reptilian form, growing a hard organic shell, a head, and limbs, eventually shedding their gelatinous membrane completely. The shell removes their weakness to cold temperatures. The egg-laying Metroid Queen appears to be the only form in which Metroids can normally reproduce, although many Metroid bioforms can divide almost instantaneously when exposed to certain kinds of high-energy radiation.