User:Chris/dNetHack/dNethack Demon Lords
Contents
Abyss 1
Juiblex
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Center of level (hard to avoid) | *2x green slime touch 1d4, Acid spit 3d12, Acid blood 3d12, Disease engulf attack, Slow (speed 6) |
Unlike most monsters with an engulfing attack, Juiblex, will only take damage equal to 10% of his current hp if an engulfed character escapes via a wand of digging.
Non-acid immune players will have to carefully watch their HP totals, due to his high-damage acid elemental counterattack.
A shuddering, glistening cone of jelly and slime striated
with veins of black and green rears up from the pit.
Baleful red eyes swim in the things gelatinous body, and
dripping pseudopods of tremulous ooze writhe with latent
hunger in every direction at once.
[ Hordes of the Abyss,
by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ]
Little is known about the Faceless Lord, even the correct
spelling of his name. He does not have a physical form as
we know it, and those who have peered into his realm claim
he is a slime-like creature who swallows other creatures
alive, spits acidic secretions, and causes disease in his
victims which can be almost instantly fatal.
Zuggtmoy
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Center of level (hard to avoid) | *claw 1d12 + stick, 2x corroding claws 1d6, 2x decaying claws 1d6, Disease-inducing retaliatory attack. Slow (speed 6) |
Zuggtmoy is perhaps less threatening than Juiblex, however her immobilizing attack leaves the character open to attack by other creatures.
Characters who attack her in melee will have to exercise extreme caution due to her sickness-inducing counterattack.
This foul demoness resembles a human only from the torso
up. This portion of her body is composed of thick rancid
sheets and coils of fungus that just happens to have grown
into the shape of what would otherwise be an attractive
woman. Four fibrous antlers grow from her brow, and her
hands bear cruel talons. Her lower torso is a coiling
pillar of lashing ropy tendrals and other fungus growths.
Her skin is a nauseating swirl of grays, blues, purples,
and blacks.
[ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ]
Yeenoghu
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Fortress (optional) | *weapon +3d6, weapon +2d8+confusion, claw 1d6+paralysis, magic missile spell. Fast (speed 18) |
Yeenoghu is a melee specialist, but isn't particularly threatening to an ascension-ready character.
This gaunt, 12-foot tall humanoid demon is covered with
mangy patches of yellow fur and has pale grey flesh
showing where the fur is absent. His face is that of
a leering, amber-eyed hyena, and he wields a massive
flail with three spiked heads.
[ Hordes of the Abyss,
by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ]
Yeenoghu, demon lord of gnolls. He casts magic projectiles
at those close to him, and a mere glance into his piercing
eyes may hopelessly confuse the battle-weary adventurer.
Baphomet
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Spectator booth in arena (difficult to avoid) | *weapon 3d6, weapon 2d8+confusion, claw 1d6+paralysis, magic missile spell. Fast (speed 18) |
Baphomet is a melee specialist, but isn't particularly threatening to an ascension-ready character.
This hulking, manlike brute stands 20 feet tall. His muscular
frame is covered in thick, matted black hair. His head is that
of a fiendish bull, and his great horns are stained in the
lifeblood of countless victims.
[ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ]
Pale Night
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Central Tower (optional) | *Life draining gaze, confusing gaze, Spellcasting (custom list)+4d4, abduction reach attack 4d4, retaliatory seduction attack. Slow (speed 10) |
Spell List
- open wounds
- weaken
- psi bolt
- curse items
- finger of death
- summon tannin
- summon devil
Pale Night is the most dangerous of the minor demon lords. Its reflexive seduction ability makes attacking it in melee without an engagement ring foolish at best. When demon gating, it has a high (25%) chance to gate in Ascodel.
A character attacking Pale Night in melee without an engagement ring is exposed to its extended seduction attack. Pale Night's silhouette (which always appears to be of opposite gender to the character) will attempt to seduce the character into passing through its veil. The check to resist this seduction is Wisdom based, and penalized by Intelligence.
If the character fails to resist the seduction, they step through the veil and encounter Pale Night's true form. Their armor (cloak, body armor, shirt, gloves, boots, and helm) are instantly disintegrated, and the character makes another Wisdom check.
If this second check FAILS, they character stumbles back out from under the veil with no memory of what they saw. Their Wisdom is reduced by 1d10+1, and they lose their memory of 25% of objects and 25% of levels.
If this second check SUCCEEDS, the character dies. If the character's life is saved, they retry this second check, with the same outcomes for success and failure.
A strange shimmering in the air announces the arrival of a
shape, little more than a billowing white diaphanous sheet.
Closer inspection reveals a writhing, seductive form beneath
the sheet, indistinct and hazy. Now and then the edges of
the sheet rise a little too high on the netherwind, yet
never enough to reveal the details that lie beyond.
[ Adapted from Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ]
Kostchtchie
| File:Kostchtchie.png & | Fortress (optional) | *Weapon 2d12 physical, Weapon 2d12 physical, Breath weapon 5d12 cold |
While Kostchtchie can deal heavy damage to non-cold resistant characters, with cold resistance he poses no threat.
Abyss 2
Orcus
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Town Hall (forced) | *Weapon +3d6, 2x claw 3d4, mage spells. Slow (speed 9) |
Orcus favors the Raise Dead spell. He is spawned carrying a wand of death, and the character should attempt to kill him quickly and claim the wand.
The massive, boated demon stands 15 feet tall, his immense
frame a hideous combination of muscle and bloated flesh. His
head is that of a ram with a great maw filled with tusks,
and his thick-furred legs end in cloven hooves. Leathery
wings and a barb-tipped tail complete the picture of the
archetypal demon.
[ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ]
Orcus, Prince of the Undead, has a ram's head and a poison
stinger. He is most feared, though, for his powerful magic
abilities. His wand causes death to those he chooses.
Graz'zt
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*Extended seduction attack, weapon +2d8, weapon +4d8 Acid, mage spells. |
Graz'zt's melee attack is manageable, however his extended seduction attack (which he uses on both male and female characters) is extremely dangerous. The seduction check is based on Charisma, Constitution, and Intelligence. If the character fails the check, Graz'zt may steal some of their possessions and/or equip them with harmful equipment. If the character passes the check, Graz'zt may grant them wishes or genocide monsters; however, Graz'zt may simply attack male characters out of jealousy rather than granting a boon. Additionally, Grazz't has a tendency to summon hoards of monsters that can quickly overwhelm a player, so warding the upstairs and preparing an escape route are important considerations as well.
The figure standing before the throne is darkly handsome,
an ebon-skinned man nearly 9 feet tall. His slightly
pointed ears, yellow fangs, and six-fingered hands mark
him for the demon he is.
[ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ]
Malcanthet
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*Extended seduction attack, 2xclaw 1d4, poisoned sting 2d12, life-draining bite 1d4, energy draining claw 2d30. |
Malcanthet's melee attack is manageable, however her extended seduction attack (which she uses on both male and female characters) is extremely dangerous. The seduction check is based on Charisma, Constitution, and Intelligence. If the character fails the check, their statistics will be drained in some way, possibly including amnesia or a reduction in maximum carrying capacity. If the character passes the check, Malcanthet may grant a variety of blessings, possibly including increases to AC, attack, damage, or maximum carrying capacity. However, she may simply attack female characters out of jealousy rather than granting a blessing.
This statuesque beauty wears a sardonic smile on her ruby lips.
Curved horns jut from her brow and hold back her long dark hair
-and her eyes smolder with dangerous red sensuality. Large
leathery wings stretch from her back, the joints of which are
laced with razorlike claws, and a sinuous tail ending in a thin
curved spike completes the image of demonic beauty. She wears a
revealing gown of diaphanous silk and razor studded leather
straps.
[ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ]
Avatar of Lolth
| File:Avatar of Lolth.png & | *Bite 1d1 seduction, Weapon 2d10 physical, Weapon 2d10 physical, Touch 1d1 Intrinsic theft, Cast 0d8 clerical spell |
The Avatar of Lolth's most dangerous attack is probably her intrinsic theft attack, which can derive you of critical intrinsics. Other than that she's a powerful spellcaster with a preference for summoning spiders, and wields the Scourge of Lolth, an artifact bullwhip with bonus exploding die damage.
Brine Flats
Dagon
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*Bite 3d30, 2x armor-shredding tentacles 1d6, wrapping tentacles 3d4, confusing gaze, hallucination-inducing gaze. Speed 13 |
Dagon's most dangerous quality is his armor-shredding tentacle attacks. Coupled with his high hp, these attacks can destroy critical parts of your ascension kit.
The demon is immense, its glistening bulk heaving monstrously
into the air as a writhing storm of hook-suckered tentacles
unfolds from its shapless lower body. Its two largest tentacles
terminate in immense five-fingered talons. Its head is that of
a deep-sea fish, twisted with cruelty and leering with a
primordial intelligence, its stilettolike teeth immense and
translucent.
[ Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ]
Demogorgon
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*2x Disease-causing claws 3d12, armor-shredding rend, Life-draining gaze, Paralysis gaze, Theft gaze, 2x spellcasting, very fast (speed 24) |
Demogorgon is easily the most dangerous monster in dnethack, and as such should be evaded rather than confronted directly. The first time he appears in a game, his presence is announced by a full-screen message.
It is possible to sneak through Demogorgon's home layer without having to confront the Prince of Demons, and this is perhaps the easiest way to deal with him in a game. Should Demogorgon appear unexpectedly on another level, the best option may be to use an escape item to flee the level in one turn.
If retreat is not an option, the character MUST blind themselves within one turn of receiving the warning message. Demogorgon's gaze attacks can stun-lock the unprepared. Even with the gaze attacks negated, Demogorgon still has numerous strategies to kill the character.
- Any turn in which he hits with both claw attacks, he makes an additional rend attack that damages and destroys torso armor. Should the rend attack strike a characters unarmored torso, Demogorgon will rip the character apart, instantly killing them.
- Even without the deadly rend, Demogorgons claws deal 6d12 damage per turn, an average of 45 damage.
- The claws also carry a deadly disease, and can stun targets.
- Demogorgon further casts two mage spells per turn.
In any conflict with Demogorgon, the best option is to look for a way to retreat. Demogorgon can teleport adjacent to the characeter, but only does so 50% of the time (at random).
A terrible deity, whose very name was capable of producing the
most horrible effects. He is first mentioned by the 4th-century
Christian writer, Lactantius, who in doing so broke with the
superstition that the very reference to Demogorgon by name
brought death and disaster.
[ Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ]
Demogorgon, the prince of demons, wallows in filth and can
spread a quickly fatal illness to his victims while rending
them. He is a mighty spellcaster, and it is said that no
mortal may meet his gaze and live to tell of it.
The demon towers over you, his body at once sinuous like
that of a snake and powerful like that of a great ape. Two
baleful baboon heads leer from atop his lumbering shoulders,
attached to which are two long, bifurcated tentacles. His
lower torso is saurian, like some great reptile with an
immense forked tail.
[ Adapted from Hordes of the Abyss, by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona ]
Lamashtu
| File:Lamashtu.png & | * vampiric bite 3d7, touch teleport away your items 3d7, touch teleport you 3d7, 2x clerical spellcasting, very fast (speed 24) |
The Queen of Demons, Lamashtu is second only to Demogorgon in danger. While less dangerous in melee, her clerical spellcasting includes Summon Angel and Summon Alien, which will quickly surround the player with moderately nasty enemies. Additionally, she has access to the dangerous Filth spell, which causes illness, nausea, makes your hands slippery and damages your inventory.
Her exceptionally dangerous touch attacks will teleport your armor to random places on the current floor.
Without a lair
Aldinach
| File:Aldinach.png & | * 1d4 claw - polymorphs you, 1d4 offhand claw - paralyses, 1d4 claw - seduces & steals multiple items, normal speed (speed 12) |
Aldinach primarily has an annoying polymorph attack and can steal items, but this is one of the less threatening demon lords. However, since she usually only appears via demon gating, her arrival will be a surprise.
Alrunes
| File:Alrunes.png & | * claw - seduces & steals multiple items, 2x 2d8 weapon - physical, clerical spellcasting, on death - mandrake shriek;, normal speed (speed 12) |
Alrunes only noticable ability is her mandrake shriek on death, which can be instantly fatal. As above, her arrival will likely be unplanned.
