Sting attack
- This article is about the attack type. For the artifact, see Sting.
A sting attack, also known simply as a sting, is a melee attack type that appears in NetHack, and is primarily used by monsters. The attack type is defined by the AT_STNG flag within monattk.h in the source code.[1]
Description
A monster that has a sting attack, including a hero polymorphed into such a monster, performs the attack by attempting to strike the target with an organ or limb designed for stinging, which causes them to make contact with the defender.
Magic cancellation can block special effects from sting attacks if they use damage types that are also blocked by magic cancellation. Stinging a cockatrice or chickatrice will turn the attacker to stone, and monsters will avoid doing so against such targets when possible, with the exception of a hero in the form of either monster.[2][3][4]
List of monsters
The following monsters have sting attacks:
- a ant or other insect
- a killer bee (poisonous, drains strength)
- a soldier ant (poisonous, drains strength)
- a queen bee (poisonous, drains strength)
- s arachnid or centipede
- x xan (wounded legs)
- & major demon
- & horned devil
- & bone devil (poisonous, drains strength)
- & ice devil (cold)
- & Orcus (poisonous, drains strength)
- & Geryon (poisonous, drains strength)
- & Demogorgon (drain life)
- ; jellyfish (poisonous, drains strength)
- D Chromatic Dragon
History
The sting attack type is formally defined in NetHack 3.0.0.
Messages
- <The monster> stings!
- A monster hit you with a sting attack.[5]
- <The monster> lunges wildly and misses!
- A monster targeted a sting attack at you, but you are invisible or else they cannot see you.[6]
- <The monster> stings <the other monster>.
- A monster hit another monster with a sting attack.[7]
- You sting <the monster>.
- You hit a monster with a sting attack.[8]
Variants
Variants of NetHack may add new monsters with sting attacks, as well as different types of sting attacks.
References
- Jump up ↑ include/monattk.h in NetHack 3.6.7, line 18
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 386
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1784
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 676: monster sting versus hero
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 54
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 165
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 592
- Jump up ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2530
