Touch
A touch attack, also known simply as a touch, is a melee attack type that appears in NetHack, and is primarily used by monsters. The attack type is defined by the AT_TUCH flag within monattk.h in the source code.[1]
Description
A monster that has a touch attack, including a hero polymorphed into such a monster, performs the attack by attempting to make contact with the target using their hand, other extremity or body mass and employing some harmful substance or element to inflict damage. Touch attacks account for the attacker's worn gloves and/or silver rings (or lack thereof), as well as wielded weapons if the attacker is a hero in the form of a lich.[2][3][4] A touch attack will cause passive attacks from the defender to trigger.[5][6][7][8]
If an engulfing attack is landed during the grace period where a hero or monster cannot be re-engulfed, and that engulfing attack deals acid, fire, shock, or cold damage, the engulfing attack is converted to a touch attack of the same damage type.[9][10][11]
Magic cancellation can block special effects from touch attacks if they use damage types that are also blocked by magic cancellation. Using a touch attack on a cockatrice or chickatrice without wearing gloves (or wielding a weapon, for the hero) 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.[12][13]
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (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 d963c6dd, a touch attack from any type of lich deals reduced physical damage if used against a target with cold resistance.List of monsters
The following monsters have touch attacks:
- b blob
- all c cockatrices except the c pyrolisk (stoning)
- F fungus or mold
- F lichen (sticky)
- F violet fungus (physical damage, sticky)
- all L liches (cold)
- P green slime (sliming)
- R rust monster (rust x2)
- S python
- W wraith (drain life)
- Z skeleton (slowing attack)
- ghost
- shade (paralysis, slowing attack)
- & major demon
- & Death (deadly touch x2)
- & Pestilence (illness x2)
- & Famine (hunger-inducing x2)
- ; sea monster
- ; giant eel (drowning)
- ; electric eel (drowning)
- : salamander (fire)
- Deferred monsters
- @ Charon (paralysis)
History
The touch attack type is formally defined in NetHack 3.0.0.
Messages
- <The monster> touches!
- A monster hit you with a touch attack.[14]
- <The monster> <swings/lunges> wildly and misses!
- A monster targeted a touch attack at you, but you are invisible or else they cannot see you.[15]
- <The monster> touches <the other monster>.
- A monster hit another monster with a touch attack.[16]
- You touch <the monster>.
- You hit a monster with a touch attack.[17]
Variants
Variants of NetHack may add new monsters with touch attacks, as well as different types of touch attacks.
References
- Jump up ↑ include/monattk.h in NetHack 3.6.7, line 18
- Jump up ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2454
- Jump up ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2489
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1770
- Jump up ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2772
- Jump up ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2795
- Jump up ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2831
- Jump up ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2842
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1572
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 319
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 323
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 387
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 677: monster touch versus hero
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 60
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 167
- Jump up ↑ src/mhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 578
- Jump up ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2530
