Ochre jelly

From NetHackWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

An ochre jelly, j, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. It is an acidic amoeboid, and is the only non-sessile member of the jelly monster class.

Like other jellies the ochre jelly has a passive attack, which deals acid damage and can corrode iron or copper weapons and armor. It can also actively engulf a target to cover them with acidic slime.

Generation

Ochre jellies are the second quest monster encountered on the Knight quest branch, and have a 14% chance of being generated. Several ochre jellies are generated on the floors beyond the home level.

Ochre jellies may also be created by a hostile spellcaster casting the summon nasties monster spell.

Strategy

Ochre jellies are quite slow and can be easily outrun, allowing you to pick them off at a distance with corrode-proofed or disposable projectiles - you can also simply run away if you aren't prepared to handle them. Their passive acid attack does 3d6 damage as opposed to the (XL + 1)d6 of spotted and blue jellies, but being engulfed may force you to attack and risk corroding your weapon or armor (though the engulfing itself does not induce corrosion). A wand of digging or spell of dig will immediately free you from an ochre jelly and reduce its HP to 1.

For players keeping mind flayer pets or polymorphing into one, each tentacle attack will trigger the passive; acid resistance via yellow dragon scales/scale mail (or a spare alchemy smock for polymorphed players) will easily counteract this.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

Per commit 0891ef4, monsters now gain acid resistance from a worn alchemy smock, allowing for more variety in equipping humanoid pets.

History

The ochre jelly first appears in NetHack 3.0.0.

Variants

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, the ochre jelly's engulfing attack can corrode objects in open inventory, including your alignment key.

UnNetHack

In UnNetHack, the second alternate Castle layout has an ochre jelly in the rightmost wing.

EvilHack

EvilHack also makes use of the aforementioned Castle map, including the ochre jelly in the rightmost wing.

Encyclopedia entry

I'd planned how to prevent the lock from sealing behind me; it required a temporary sacrifice, not cleverness. I used the door itself to help me cut off a portion of my body, after shunting all memory from the piece to be abandoned. The piece, looking inexpressibly dear and forlorn for a bit of blue jelly, would force open the outer door until I returned and rejoined it.

[ Beholder's Eye, by Julie E. Czerneda ]