Rodent
The rodent is a monster class that appears in NetHack, and is represented by the lowercase r glyph (r). Rodents are designated internally by the macro S_RODENT.[1]
The monster class contains the following monsters:[2]
Common traits
All rodents are neutral animals that can be seen via infravision and lack hands with the exception of the wererat, which is chaotic and has a human form. Rodents are primarily carnivores, with the exceptions being the herbivorous woodchuck and the omnivorous wererat (though the wererat's animal form is carnivorous). Rodents primarily attack using bites.
Generation
Randomly-generated rodents are always created hostile.
The rodent is the first quest monster class for Healers, and with the exception of the wererat makes up 24⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated on the Healer quest. Some rodents are generated on floors below the home level of the quest branch at level creation: one is generated on the locate level, and two each are generated on the filler levels and goal level.
Strategy
Between the quick-but-fragile rats that appear among the earliest hostile monsters in the dungeon and the slow-but-tough-to-hit rock mole that is encounter somewhat further in, most of the rodents are not a major threat to an average hero. The rabid rat is one of the exceptions, as it is fairly fast and can inflict debilitating damage, attribute loss or even an early YASD with its bites unless you find a source of poison resistance, but a prepared hero can take them out at a distance. Similarly, the wererat is the weakest of the werecreatures, but is one of the biggest threats among the rodents due to the lycanthropy they can transmit, which can render heroes vulnerable at critical moments, and their ability to summon other rats (including the aforementioned rabid rats) that can possibly surround and overwhelm the hero.
A hero that can make it to Minetown or Sokoban is usually capable of handling wererats and other rodents from that point, especially if they obtain countermeasures for poison and lycanthropy.
Variants
NetHack variants that incorporate the Convict patch will add the enormous rat as one of the many monsters included with it, so that the Convict's default pet sewer rat has at least three stages of growth like other domestic starting pets. Additionally, Convicts can pacify or even tame most rats by chatting to them. The rodent is also the first quest monster class for Convicts, and makes up 24⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated on the Convict quest.
In variants that incorporate the Pirate patch, the rodent is the first quest monster class for Pirates and makes up 24⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated on the Pirate quest.
SLASH'EM
SLASH'EM adds several monsters to the monster class:
- r rabbit
- r black rat
- r rabid rabbit
- r pack rat
- r hellrat
- r The Rat King
The rodent is the first quest monster class for Yeomen, and makes up 24⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated on the Yeoman quest.
UnNetHack
UnNetHack adds one monster to the monster class:
The rodent of unusual size is present in older versions of UnNetHack, and the variant's current implementation of the enormous rat retains some of its traits.
dNetHack
dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack introduce a few monsters to the monster class:
The rodent replaces the arachnid or centipede as the first quest monster class for Tourists, and makes up 24⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated on the dNetHack Tourist quest. Additionally, rodents make up 24⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated on the Madman quest as the first quest monster class for Madpeople that are above the branch's locate level.
The Wings of Garuda and Cartouche of the Cat Lord are wards that can repel rodents. All this information also applies to notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack.
DynaHack
DynaHack adds two monsters to the monster class:
SpliceHack
SpliceHack adds several monsters to the monster class:
- r black rat
- r pack rat
- r enormous rat
- r rodent of unusual size
- r ratman
- r ratman squeaker
- r hellrat
- r rat ruler
EvilHack
EvilHack introduces a few monsters to the monster class:
SlashTHEM
In addition to SLASH'EM details, SlashTHEM adds two more monsters to the monster class:
Cat's Claw is an artifact dagger that has +5 to-hit and +7 damage bonuses against rodents.
Hack'EM
Hack'EM adds several monsters to the monster class, including some from different monster classes in other variants:
- r rabbit
- r hedgehog
- r black rat
- r pack rat
- r hellrat
- r enormous rat
- r rodent of unusual size
- r skunk
- r rabid rabbit
- r giant badger
- r honey badger
The rodent remains the first quest monster class for Convicts, Healers, Pirates, and Yeomen, and makes up 24⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated on their quests.
Encyclopedia entry
A gnawing mammal (order _Rodentia_) having in each jaw two (rarely four) incisors, growing continually from persistent pulps, and no canine teeth, as a squirrel, beaver, or rat.
