Priest (player monster)

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A priest or priestess, @, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. The priest and priestesses are neutral player monsters corresponding to each gender of a Priest hero, and will have the role's appropriate rank title for their monster level.

Priests and priestesses have a single weapon attack.

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

Per commit 0c3b9642, the player monster is referred to as a "cleric", with "priest" and "priestess" being gendered titles.

Generation

Priests and priestesses are not generated randomly, and are normally created as peaceful towards neutral heroes before specific adjustments are made. They are only valid forms for doppelgangers to normally polymorph into, and can only be targeted for genocide if a Priest or Priestess hero reads a scroll of genocide.[1]

An acolyte can grow up into a priest or priestess.[2]

Priest and priestess corpses can generate in graveyards, but are excluded from the additional corpses randomly placed in the Valley of the Dead.[3][4][5] Priest and priestess statues can generate in cockatrice nests and on Medusa's Island.[3][6][7] A Priest or Priestess hero killed by HP damage from a cockatrice or chickatrice, or else killed by any form of stoning, will leave a named player monster statue of the appropriate gender behind instead of a named ghost and named corpse if a bones file is created.

Inventory

A priest or priestess is always generated with 1-3 random offensive items, 1-3 random defensive items, and 1-3 random miscellaneous items, and is eligible for the normal chance of an item of each type.[8][9][10] If generated on the Astral Plane, they are also given a cheap plastic imitation of the Amulet of Yendor, 0-999 gold pieces, 0-9 random items, a 115 chance of a luckstone, a 130 chance of a loadstone if they are not given a luckstone, and some valuable gems.[11][12][13][14][15][16]

Priests and priestesses always generate with a weapon, which can be a mace (12 chance), a long sword (14 chance) or a randomly chosen melee weapon (14 chance):[18][19] the enchantment ranges from a random value between +4 and +8 if the monster is generated on the Astral Plane, and otherwise ranges from a random value between +0 and +3;[20] if generated on the Astral Plane, the weapon has a 12 chance of being made into any applicable artifact;[21] and finally, there is a 13 chance of the weapon(s) being erosion-proofed, and a 12 chance (effectively 13 total) of the weapon(s) being greased if they are not erosion-proofed.[22][23]

Priests and priestesses generated on the Astral Plane will have the following armor:

Armor generated this way has a 13 chance of being erosion-proofed, a separate 13 chance of being blessed, and a separate 13 chance of being cursed.[44] The armor's enchantment has a 35 chance of ranging from +0 to +4, a 310 chance of ranging +4 to +7, and will otherwise range from -1 to -3.[45]

Strategy

Like other player monsters on the Astral Plane, priests and priestesses have a chance of generating with a long sword that is turned into Vorpal Blade if it has not yet generated, which can result in an unexpected and unceremonious end to your run.

History

The priest and priestess player monsters are introduced in NetHack 3.0.0.

Messages

Variants

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, The Guild of Disgruntled Adventurers generates a hostile priest and priestess in the main room at level creation.

References

  1. src/mon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 3493: select_newcham_form function governs random polymorph for shapechangers
  2. src/mondata.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1012
  3. 3.0 3.1 src/mkobj.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1667: mk_tt_object function
  4. src/mkroom.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 366
  5. dat/gehennom.des in NetHack 3.6.7, line 75: the comment implies Moloch has a special fate in store for servants of the other gods
  6. src/mkroom.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 385
  7. src/sp_lev.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1985: The code is very cryptic but fortunately has comments
  8. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 309
  9. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 312
  10. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 315
  11. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 149: per a comment above this line: "that's why they are "stuck" in the endgame :-)"
  12. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 282: special boolean is true for Astral Plane generation
  13. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 283
  14. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 299: 13 chance of 0-15 gems or 0-2 gems otherwise
  15. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 304
  16. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 305
  17. src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 138-L292
  18. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 155: Default weapons are chosen from range of spear to bullwhip, using standard random generation probabilities[17]
  19. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 165
  20. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 265
  21. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 270
  22. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 266
  23. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 268
  24. src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 378-L389
  25. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 156: DSM is chosen from all available colors with equal probability of each[24]
  26. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 285
  27. src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 407-L422
  28. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 215: chosen from range of plate mail to chain mail, using standard random generation probabilities[27]
  29. src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 454-L474
  30. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 157: chosen from range of oilskin cloak to cloak of displacement, using standard random generation probabilities[29]
  31. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 217
  32. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 286
  33. src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 339-L363
  34. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 159: chosen from range of elven leather helm to helm of telepathy, using the standard random generation probabilities[33]
  35. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 219
  36. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 287
  37. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 161: chosen from range of elven shield to shield of reflection, using the standard random generation probabilities
  38. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 221
  39. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 288
  40. src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 497-L504
  41. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 289: chosen from range of leather gloves to gauntlets of dexterity, using the standard random generation probabilities[40]
  42. src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 507-L528
  43. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 294: chosen from range of low boots to levitation boots, using the standard random generation probabilities[42]
  44. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 105
  45. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 115: enchantment is independent of beatitude; as the comment above in the code clarifies, cursed positively enchanted armor can occur from run ins with other monsters