Gnome (monster)
G gnome  
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 3 |
| Attacks | |
| Base level | 1 |
| Base experience | 13 |
| Speed | 6 |
| Base AC | 10 |
| Base MR | 4 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 650 |
| Nutritional value | 100 |
| Size | Small |
| Resistances | None |
| Resistances conveyed | None |
|
A gnome:
| |
| Reference | NetHack 5.0.0 - include/monsters.h, line 1681 |
A gnome, G, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. The gnome is a small, omnivorous humanoid monster that is the most basic monster of the gnome monster class, and they are typically among the first type of gnome that a hero will encounter. They also serve as the corresponding monster for gnomish heroes. Gnomes have infravision and can be seen with infravision, and hostile gnomes will also collect items such as weapons and armor.
A gnome possesses a single weapon attack.
Generation
Randomly-generated gnomes may appear in small groups. They are always peaceful towards gnomish and dwarvish heroes, and will be hostile towards heroes of the other playable races. A gnome can grow up into a gnome leader of the matching gender.[1]
Several gnomes are generated within the Gnomish Mines during level creation:
- Six to eight gnomes are generated on each of the filler levels for the Mines.[2]
- Many gnomes are generated in most maps of Minetown.
- Two gnomes are generated in the room with the down stair on the Town Square map, with a third generated in another outer room that does not contain a stairway, and three other rooms each have a 3⁄4 chance of containing a gnome.[3][4][5][6][7]
- Two gnomes are generated in the room with the down stair on the Alley Town and College Town maps, with a third generated in another outer room that does not contain a stairway.[8][9][10][11]
- Six gnomes are placed randomly across the Grotto Town map.[12]
- Ten gnomes are generated on the Bustling Town map, with two of the gnomes placed on specific squares and two others always being peaceful.[13][14][15]
- Six gnomes are placed in random locations on the Bazaar Town map, including two gnomes in the room with the down stair and a third in another outer room that does not contain a stairway.[16] One of the rooms within the town also has a 3⁄4 chance of containing a gnome alongside three monkeys.[17][18][19]
- Nine gnomes each are generated in The Gnome King's Wine Cellar and The Mimic of the Mines maps of Mines' End.[20][21]
- For a dwarvish or gnomish hero, two-thirds of the gnomes and other peaceful monsters will instead be replaced with random monsters.[22]
Gnomes may appear among the hostile G that generate in throne rooms, as well the monsters randomly generated by looting a throne while confused and carrying gold (provided there is no chest on the level).[23]
A gnome zombie or gnome mummy will leave an aged gnome corpse behind upon death.[24][25][26][27] Gnomish heroes that are killed and leave bones will have a gnome corpse placed on the square where they died unless they were stoned, disintegrated or otherwise killed by certain monsters. Liches and zombies that kill regular gnomes will cause their corpses to animate as gnome zombies, and gnomish heroes killed by either monster type will similarly arise as zombies if they leave bones.
Gnomes can be generated by zapping a wand of undead turning at a gnome corpse not left by a mummy or zombie, or selecting gnomes when reading a cursed scroll of genocide.
Monster starting inventory
Gnomes are eligible for offensive items, defensive items, and miscellaneous items.
Gnomes that are not created on the Rogue level have a 5⁄14 chance of being generated with one of the five default weapon sets:[28] 3-14 darts, a crossbow and 3-14 crossbow bolts, a bow and 3-14 arrows, a stack of 3-5 daggers, or an aklys. Additionally, a gnome placed during level creation has a chance of being generated with a single candle:[29] the chance is 1⁄20 if they are in the Gnomish Mines, and 1⁄60 otherwise.[30] The candle has a 3⁄4 chance of being tallow and a 1⁄4 chance of being wax, and will be lit if the gnome is generated in a dark area.[31][32]
Strategy
Gnomes are generally slow and weak opponents overall. Competent melee fighters should be able to defeat them with ease, and they provide a decent source of nutrition and experience early on. Their tendency to spawn with different types of ranged weapons can make them dangerous if you get swarmed in the open—luring them into close combat through use of hallways or corners can make them significantly less of a threat. Also note that they are capable of reading scrolls and zapping wands, and combined with their ability to pick up weapons they can be surprisingly lethal to early-game heroes that are caught by surprise (even if you don't encounter the literal Gnome With the Wand of Death).
History
The gnome first appears in Hack for PDP-11, which is based on Jay Fenlason's Hack, and is included in the initial bestiary for Hack 1.0.
In versions up to NetHack 3.6.7, including variants based on those versions, gnomes are not a valid polymorph form, and gnomes of both genders share a single tile and grow up into male gnome lords. NetHack 5.0.0 makes changes to monster growth via commit 0c3b9642 so that gnomes and several other gendered monsters do not change gender while growing up and their resulting form has a matching title—in the same version, gnomes are made into a valid form for polymorph via commit cb5e93e9.
Variants
NetHack variants created prior to NetHack 5.0.0 may not have gnomes as valid polymorph forms. Some of those variants may also make adjustments so that female gnomes do not change gender when growing up and are given a properly named form.
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, gnomes are not valid polymorph forms, and gnomes of both genders grow up into gnome lords as they do in NetHack 3.4.3 and previous contemporary versions.
If the hero is a gnome or a dwarf, then most peaceful gnomes in the Gnomish Mines are replaced with hostile gnome zombies during level creation with the exception of bones levels[33]—this ensures that such heroes will have to deal with hostile monsters like heroes of other races.[34]
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, gnomes are not valid polymorph forms. Female gnomes grow up into gnome ladies, which are distinct monsters from gnome lords rather than simple female counterparts.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, the basic gnome is known as a rock gnome, making them distinct from the gnome monster used for the corpses of undead gnomes and dead gnomish heroes while allowing them to be valid polymorph forms. The gnome monster is also used for racial monsters such as player monsters and shopkeepers.
Rock gnomes are identical to the gnomes of NetHack, and also possess an allergy to eggs: they have a chance each turn of becoming scared if they see a hero with any eggs in their open inventory, and take extra damage if they are hit by a wielded or thrown egg.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, the basic gnome is also known as a rock gnome and behaves similarly to EvilHack, including the allergy to eggs.
Encyclopedia entry
... And then a gnome came by, carrying a bundle, an old fellow three times as large as an imp and wearing clothes of a sort, especially a hat. And he was clearly just as frightened as the imps though he could not go so fast. Ramon Alonzo saw that there must be some great trouble that was vexing magical things; and, since gnomes speak the language of men, and will answer if spoken to gently, he raised his hat, and asked of the gnome his name. The gnome did not stop his hasty shuffle a moment as he answered 'Alaraba' and grabbed the rim of his hat but forgot to doff it.
'What is the trouble, Alaraba?' said Ramon Alonzo.
'White magic. Run!' said the gnome ..
"Muggles have garden gnomes, too, you know," Harry told Ron as they crossed the lawn.
"Yeah, I've seen those things they think are gnomes," said Ron, bent double with his head in a peony bush, "like fat little Santa Clauses with fishing rods..."
There was a violent scuffling noise, the peony bush shuddered, and Ron straightened up. "This is a gnome," he said grimly.
"Geroff me! Gerroff me!" squealed the gnome.
It was certainly nothing like Santa Claus. It was small and leathery looking, with a large, knobby, bald head exactly like a potato. Ron held it at arm's length as it kicked out at him with its horny little feet; he grasped it around the ankles and turned it upside down.
References
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 2136-L2151
- ↑ dat/minefill.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 36-L37
- ↑ dat/minetn-2.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 55-L62
- ↑ dat/minetn-2.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 88-L95
- ↑ dat/minetn-2.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 121-L128
- ↑ dat/minetn-2.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 162-L168
- ↑ dat/minetn-2.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 175-L179
- ↑ dat/minetn-3.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 131-L137
- ↑ dat/minetn-3.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 144-L148
- ↑ dat/minetn-4.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 111-L118
- ↑ dat/minetn-4.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 126-L131
- ↑ dat/minetn-5.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 85-L90
- ↑ dat/minetn-6.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 75-L81
- ↑ dat/minetn-6.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 83
- ↑ dat/minetn-6.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 91-L92
- ↑ dat/minetn-7.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 38-L48
- ↑ dat/minetn-7.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 160-L162
- ↑ dat/minetn-7.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 178-L183
- ↑ dat/minetn-7.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 191-L196
- ↑ dat/minend-1.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 105-L113
- ↑ dat/minend-2.lua in NetHack 5.0.0, line 145-L153
- ↑ src/sp_lev.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1959-1961
- ↑ src/mkroom.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 801-L802
- ↑ src/mon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 428-L431: Converting monster index of undead to corpses of their living counterparts
- ↑ src/mon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 631
- ↑ src/mon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 639
- ↑ src/mon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 645-L649: Undead corpses and their ages are handled with other "special" death drops
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 526-L568: Default set of cases for monster weapon generation
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 809-L817
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 810
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 811
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 814-L815
- ↑ sp_lev.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 863
- ↑ sp_lev.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 854
