Weeping angel (UnNetHack)
A weeping angel 
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|---|---|
| Difficulty | ? |
| Attacks |
Gaze 0d0 blink, claw 2d4 drain energy, claw 2d4 drain life, touch 2d3 levelport |
| Base level | 12 |
| Base experience | ? |
| Speed | 16 |
| Base AC | −5 |
| Base MR | 70 |
| Alignment | −7 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 2 (Quite rare) |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 0 |
| Size | Medium |
| Resistances | Fire resistance, cold resistance, sleep resistance, disintegration resistance, poison resistance, acid resistance, stoning resistance |
| Resistances conveyed | None |
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A weeping angel:
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- For the monster in other variants, see weeping angel.
A weeping angel, A, is a type of monster that appears in UnNetHack. The weeping angel is a chaotic, humanoid angelic being that is unbreathing, has regeneration, infravision and the ability to see invisible, and will seek out magical items to pick up—it is also sessile when observed directly by the hero, and will only move while eye contact is not established. The weeping archangel is a stronger counterpart to the weeping angel.
A weeping angel has a unique gaze attack that passively inflicts damage by causing its reflection to appear in the mind of a victim that can see it, a claw attack that can drain energy, another claw attack that can drain life, and a touch attack that can level teleport targets—except for the gaze, all weeping angel attacks are affected by magic cancellation. The gaze can only be blocked by reflection when targeting the hero, and unusually also exercises intelligence when inflicting damage to them—however, if two weeping angels or archangels are made to lock eyes with each other (e.g. usually due to conflict), both monsters are subjected to instant stoning. The level-teleporting touch has its effects changed once the hero either kills the Wizard of Yendor or else performs the invocation: weeping angels will focus their efforts on attacking the hero with it.
Weeping angels possess fire resistance, cold resistance, sleep resistance, disintegration resistance, poison resistance, and acid resistance, and also possess stoning resistance with the exception of the aforementioned gaze.
Generation
Randomly generated weeping angels are always created hostile, and may appear in small groups. Weeping angels are one of only two angelic beings in UnNetHack that can be targeted for genocide, with the other being the weeping archangel. They are not a valid form for polymorph.
Weeping angels have a 1⁄3 chance of generating with a potion of blindness.
Weeping angels do not leave a corpse upon death.
Origin
Weeping angels are heavily inspired by the race of creatures from the BBC television series Doctor Who. The Weeping Angels were introduced in the 2007 episode "Blink" and became recurring characters across a variety of Doctor Who media. Weeping Angels feast by touching a victim, which sends them back in time and creates time energy that the Angel feeds on. Later episodes expand the Angels' list of abilities, which include the ability for an image of an Angel to become another Weeping Angel, the ability to turn other statues into Weeping Angels, and the ability to kill others by touching them twice.
As indicated by the quote used for their encyclopedia entry, Weeping Angels are normally quantum-locked and do not truly exist while being observed, with their biology having evolved to freeze them into rock the moment they are observed by any living creature—when unobserved, however, they can move rapidly in a manner imperceptible to most living beings. Additionally, any images or depictions of Weeping Angels can themselves become weeping angels and infect the minds of anyone who sees them, turning the victim themselves into a Weeping Angel.
Encyclopedia entry
Lonely assassins they used to be called. No one quite knows
where they came from, but they're as old as the universe. Or
very nearly, and they have survived this long because they
have the most perfect defense system ever evolved. They're
quantum locked. They don't exist when they're being observed,
in the moment they are seen by any other living creature
they freeze into rock. No choice, it's a fact that their
biology, in the sight of any other living thing they literally
turn to stone. And you can't kill a stone. 'Course a stone
can't kill you either, but then you turn your head away.
Then you blink. And oh yes it can.
"This whole book, it's a warning about the weeping angels, so
why no pictures? Why not show us what to look out for?"
"There was a bit about images. What was that?"
"Yes. Hang on.... 'That which holds the image of an angel
becomes itself an angel.'"
