Water elemental
E water elemental 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 10 |
| Attacks | |
| Base level | 8 |
| Base experience | 126 |
| Speed | 5 |
| Base AC | 2 |
| Base MR | 30 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 2500 |
| Nutritional value | 0 |
| Size | huge |
| Resistances | poison, petrification |
| Resistances conveyed | None |
|
A water elemental:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line1387 |
A water elemental, E, is a type of monster that appears in NetHack. The water elemental is an amphibious, unsolid elemental that is strong and capable of swimming.
A water elemental has a single strong claw attack, and possesses poison resistance and stoning resistance.
Contents
Generation
Randomly generated water elementals may be peaceful towards neutral heroes. Water elementals generated on the Plane of Water will have three times as many hit points.[1][2][3] The water elemental is not a valid genocide target.
A hostile water elemental may be generated as a minion of a neutral god. Quaffing from a sink has a 1⁄20 chance of generating a water elemental if they are not extinct.[4]
Water elementals appear among the random E that are part of the first quest monster class for Monks and make up 24⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated on the Monk quest. They also appear among the the random E that are part of the second quest class for Samurai, and make up 6⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated on the Samurai quest.
Nineteen hostile water elementals are placed randomly across the Plane of Water at level creation.[5]
A water elemental does not leave a corpse upon death.
Strategy
Water elementals have the strongest singular attack among elementals, but are incredibly slow at 6 base speed and lack many of the abilities that some other elementals possess, meaning that they can easily be outrun and kited.
On the Plane of Water, the water elementals are usually the least threatening monsters present, despite their much higher HP pool: most of the level is populated with sea monsters that can instantly kill a hero via drowning, making it common to read a blessed scroll of genocide immediately after entering the Plane. Once the Plane's drowning threats are dealt with in this manner, water elementals are still considered an annoyance at worst—since the hero's main priority is seeking the magic portal to the Astral Plane, water elementals and their melee attacks will generally only be distractions at most unless the hero is more severely impeded by misfortunes finding the portal, potential reappearances from the Wizard of Yendor and/or a dropoff of nasties.
History
The water elemental first appears in NetHack 3.0.0.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, at least one water elemental is generated within the Cloud Bank of the Lawful Quest at level creation, with a 3⁄5 chance of a second one being placed nearby.
Water elementals feature prominently in the Flame Mage quest: They are the first quest monster for Flame Mages, and make up 96⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated on the quest; they also appear among the random E that are part of the first quest monster class for Flame Mages and make up 24⁄175 of the monsters randomly generated there. Several water elementals are also generated on each floor of the quest branch at level creation: six are generated on the home level, seven are generated on the upper and lower filler levels, nine are generated on the locate level, and twelve are generated on the goal level.
The Ice Mage quest artifact, The Storm Whistle, can be invoked to summon tame water elementals.
NetHack brass
In NetHack brass, water elementals are given a rust-inducing passive attack and an engulfing attack that can cause a delayed instadeath by strangulation (which is flavored as "drowning" while being distinct from drowning attacks). This makes them among the more dangerous elementals to encounter since they will suffocate heroes that cannot inflict enough damage or break free using means such as a wand of opening, and even heroes that survive the engulfing will often sustain significant water damage to their inventory.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, 1⁄10 of the monsters randomly generated on the Water Temple level of the Chaos Temple Quest will be water elementals.
Water elementals take double damage from the Horrid Wilting active power of the spirit Iris.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, a hostile water elemental is generated on the Plane of Ice at level creation.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, water elementals are given a rust-inducing passive attack and an engulfing attack that causes delayed instadeath by suffocation, similar to NetHack brass.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, water elementals leave behind a square of shallow water upon death. SlashTHEM also adds the greater water elemental, though water elementals cannot grow up into them.
The Storm Whistle's ability to summon tame water elementals when invoked is given to the Fire Chief Helmet, the Firefighter quest artifact: the Fire Chief Helmet has a 3⁄4 chance of generating a standard water elemental and a 1⁄4 chance of generating a greater water elemental, while The Storm Whistle is changed to summon tame ice elementals and ice vortices.
Water elementals are generated in the same areas as in SLASH'EM.
References
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 45: elementals and home planes
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1012: max HP for elementals on home planes
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1825: max HP gain for elementals on home planes
- ↑ src/fountain.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 585
- ↑ dat/endgame.des in NetHack 3.6.7, line 457
