Pyrolisk
c pyrolisk 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Attacks | |
| Base level | 6 |
| Base experience | 82 |
| Speed | 6 |
| Base AC | 6 |
| Base MR | 30 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 30 |
| Nutritional value | 30 |
| Size | small |
| Resistances | Fire resistance, poison resistance |
| Resistances conveyed | Fire resistance (20%), poison resistance (20%) |
|
A pyrolisk:
| |
| Reference | NetHack 5.0.0 - include/monsters.h, line 187 |
A pyrolisk, c, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. The pyrolisk is a small, omnivorous and oviparous animal that can be seen via infravision, and is the only member of the cockatrice monster class to lack the stoning-related properties or dangerous touch attack of the cockatrice and chickatrice.
A pyrolisk has a normal bite attack and a fiery gaze attack that damages any foe who makes eye contact unless the pyrolisk or the target cannot see the other party, the pyrolisk is cancelled, or the target has fire resistance:[1] the gaze can burn away sliming, erode the target's worn cloth or leather armor by burning it, and can also destroy potions, scrolls and spellbooks in the target's open inventory—hiding monsters that are targeted will be revealed, and iron golems are healed by the fiery gaze (including a hero polymorphed into one).[2] Interestingly, the gaze attack can damage the hero even if they are invisible, though the pyrolisk cannot naturally see invisible. The pyrolisk will not use this gaze on monsters that it knows are fire resistant.[3] Pyrolisks possess fire resistance and poison resistance.
Eating a pyrolisk corpse or tin has a 1⁄5 chance each (20%) of granting fire resistance or poison resistance. Pyrolisk eggs are explosive and will explode for 3d6 fire damage when eaten, thrown or otherwise broken[4]—monsters will avoid eating pyrolisk eggs.
Contents
Generation
Randomly-generated pyrolisks are always created hostile.
Strategy
Pyrolisks are generally slow at 6 speed and lacking in defenses, but their gaze covers a far wider range than most other attacks in the game—it can also be rendered completely harmless by blinding yourself, allowing you to dispatch it with ease. You can also blind the pyrolisk in question, though blinding yourself is typically easier and more convenient. Infravision can help spot a pyrolisk quickly in low-lit areas such as the Gnomish Mines, and telepathy lets you track the pyrolisk while blind and spot other potential threats nearby. A source of fire resistance can protect you from the gaze's damage, though your armor and inventory will still be burnt unless you have an extrinsic source of the property, which protects items from burning 99⁄100 of the time—additionally, if the pyrolisk notices you are fire resistant, it will try to close in and bite you instead, making it much easier to handle.
If you lack fire resistance and notice a pyrolisk in the vicinity, but you have no means to blind yourself, then stash your potions, scrolls and spellbooks in a sack or other container: if all else fails, drop them on the ground and be sure not to step too far away in case other monsters are nearby. If you are confident in your speed and have an item such as a wand of lightning or expensive camera, you may consider trying to line up with the pyrolisk and blind them using it, then finish them off quickly—you can also zap a wand of cancellation, which will nullify their gaze attack if the beam overpowers their MR score of 30.
As a pet
A pyrolisk is not a particularly amazing pet, but its gaze attack will only provoke retaliation from monsters that have ranged attacks they are able to target the pyrolisk with, e.g. firing arrows from a bow while lined up with one—it will also not target peacefuls with the gaze unless they are strong enough to attack them normally. This can be exploited to kill shopkeepers or the Watch without the pyrolisk being attacked, although this will also burn flammable items in the victims' inventories, and you will also need to keep pyrolisks far away from shops and temples that you do wish to make purchases from.
History
The pyrolisk first appears in SLASH 6, and makes its vanilla NetHack debut in NetHack 3.3.0.
From NetHack 3.3.0 to NetHack 3.6.7, including some variants based on those versions, the pyrolisk only has its fiery gaze attack and will continually use it even against resistant monsters, and it will also not wake sleeping monsters or unhide hidden monsters. NetHack 5.0.0 changes the effects of the gaze attack to match other fire attacks and reveal hiding monsters that it targets via commit 3eb2192d and commit e3712dbb—NetHack 5.0.0 also gives the pyrolisk its bite attack via commit 83f8ec1c, and enables it to track whether or not a target resists via commit 0a3d02b9. Additionally, pyrolisk eggs in these versions behave like other eggs, and are given their current behavior in NetHack 5.0.0 via commit 2bec685b.
Origin
Pyrolisks are derived from Dungeons & Dragons, where they first appear in the game's 2nd edition. The pyrolisk's name is a contraction of pyr (Greek word πῦρ "fire") and basilisk, a mythical snake-like monster closely related to the cockatrice. Pyrolisks are depicted as very similar in physical appearance to the cockatrice, with a rooster-like body, a reptilian tail and bat wings, and the few differentiating details include a red tint to the wings and a single red tail feather. Pyrolisks also live in similar temperate and tropical areas as cockatrices, and take over termite pits to make their nesting sites.
Pyrolisks are malevolent and actively spreads mayhem, attacking most other creatures they come across, and they have a particular enmity towards the phoenix. They are also noticeably deadlier than the pyrolisks of NetHack, with their gaze attack functioning similar to that of the cockatrice and basilisk in the same setting: anyone meeting the gaze of a pyrolisk will die a fiery death, unless they are immune to fire or else can resist through force of will, and those that resist will still take fire damage; the gaze can also cause nearby fires to burst into fireworks. Much like cockatrice corpses are still dangerous to the touch, a pyrolisk's bones continually radiate heat even after the pyrolisk dies.
Messages
- The pyrolisk attacks you with a fiery gaze!
- The pyrolisk is directing its gaze attack at you.
- The pyrolisk gazes at <the monster>...
- A pyrolisk directed its gaze at another monster.
- The pyrolisk looks <irritated/inflamed>.
- A cancelled pyrolisk tried to use its gaze attack.[5][6]
Variants
NetHack variants based on versions prior to NetHack 5.0.0 may not adapt the updated behavior of the pyrolisk and its eggs, while some of these variants may adjust the pyrolisk's attacks independently.
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, the pyrolisk behaves as it does in NetHack 3.4.3 and previous contemporary versions.
The pyrolisk is given a different encyclopedia entry that comes from the Shannara series of high fantasy novels by Terry Brooks, where it is part of an in-universe bestiary written by the character Wizard Endlebrook.
All of the above information also applies to SlashTHEM.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, the pyrolisk behaves as it does in NetHack 3.4.3 and is considered avian and reptilian.
A pyrolisk only needs to be able to see its target for their gaze attack to damage them.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, pyrolisks behave as they do in NetHack 3.6.7 and previous versions.
A werecockatrice summoning help will generate up to 5 hostile monsters on a square adjacent or close to it that each have an effective 2⁄9 chance of being a pyrolisk. Heroes that get lycanthropy from a werecockatrice can summon tame pyrolisks with the same odds by using the #monster extended command and expending 10 power, and it is considered cannibalism for such a hero to eat a pyrolisk.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, pyrolisks are given a bite attack as in NetHack and exhibit similar behavior, although they will not stop using their gaze attack against resistant targets (the rationale being that they can still destroy inventory).
Encyclopedia entry
At first glance around the corner, I thought it was another cockatrice. I had encountered the wretched creatures two or three times since leaving the open area. I quickly ducked my head back and considered what to do next. My heart had begun to thump audibly as I patted my pack to make sure I still had the dead lizards at close reach. A check of my attire showed no obvious holes or damage. I had to keep moving. One deep breath, and a count of three, two, one, and around the corner I bolted. But it was no cockatrice! I felt a sudden intense searing of the skin around my face, and flames began to leap from my pack. I tossed it to the ground, and quickly retreated back, around that corner, desperately striving to get out of its sight.
SLASH'EM/SlashTHEM
A single glance from this red-feathered cockatrice can cause even the bravest adventurer to burst into flames, their flesh withering and blackening and curling beneath the creature's baleful gaze.
