Rope golem

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A rope golem, ', is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. It is likely to be the first remotely dangerous golem that players run into, with two claw attacks and a grabbing attack that chokes you.

Generation

Rope golems are always generated with 30 hit points.[1][2] They are one of the two types of golems which do not have a special death drop, with the other being straw golems.

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.

As of commit 9e666b7, rope golems will drop leashes and bullwhips upon death.

Strategy

Though its claw attacks and AC are mediocre, the rope golem's main danger lies in its choking grab. If you cannot pick one off with ranged attacks before it closes in and grabs you, be prepared to engrave a quick Elbereth or scare the rope golem away through another means (e.g. bugle, tooled horn, etc.); you can still engrave when grabbed this way, and it will release you once made to flee. An oilskin cloak or greased armor can also protect against the golem's grabbing attack.

History

Rope golems first appear in NetHack 3.0.0.

Variants

Some variants give rope golems a special death drop to match other golems.

Biodiversity patch

The biodiversity patch has rope golems drop several leashes upon death, a trait that has been adapted to many other variants.

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, rope golems generate with 60 HP and hit as a +1 weapon.

SlashTHEM

In addition to SLASH'EM changes, SlashTHEM implements the leash death drops from the biodiversity patch.

Encyclopedia entry

"The original story harks back, so they say, to the sixteenth century. Using long-lost formulas from the Kabbala, a rabbi is said to have made an artificial man -- the so-called Golem -- to help ring the bells in the Synagogue and for all kinds of other menial work.
"But he hadn't made a full man, and it was animated by some sort of vegetable half-life. What life it had, too, so the story runs, was only derived from the magic charm placed behind its teeth each day, that drew down to itself what was known as the `free sidereal strength of the universe.'
"One evening, before evening prayers, the rabbi forgot to take the charm out of the Golem's mouth, and it fell into a frenzy. It raged through the dark streets, smashing everything in its path, until the rabbi caught up with it, removed the charm, and destroyed it. Then the Golem collapsed, lifeless. All that was left of it was a small clay image, which you can still see in the Old Synagogue." ...

[ The Golem, by Gustav Meyrink ]

References