Zombie (EvilHack)
In EvilHack, zombies can be any of the variations encountered in NetHack, with the addition of a few new variations:
- Z kobold zombie
- Z gnome zombie
- Z orc zombie
- Z dwarf zombie
- Z hobbit zombie
- Z elf zombie
- Z drow zombie
- Z human zombie
- Z gnoll witherling
- Z ettin zombie
- Z giant zombie
Description
EvilHack zombies behave similarly to the zombies in GruntHack, though they have their own entries in monst.c rather than racial monster templates, and several modifications are made to keep them distinct and less overwhelmingly difficult while still being quite challenging.
Zombies can transfer illness the same way as in GruntHack - either via their bite or a player consuming their corpse - and monsters with zombie forms that are killed by a zombie will eventually revive as one; a player killed this way may rarely be able to continue on as a zombie with permanent unchanging. A zombie's claw attack is also poisonous, which occurs with frequency similar to that of a rabid rat, and their brain-eating bite can cause intelligence loss along with illness - in previous versions, the bite could also cause amnesia. Fortunately, they also have a lower chance of reviving from their corpse, and they will not revive at all if cancelled or beheaded.
Strategy
The same methods for permanently disposing of zombies in GruntHack and trolls in NetHack are generally applicable in EvilHack, with some notable differences and several additional means of killing zombies or disposing of their corpses.
Zombie corpses will always cause terminal illness when eaten, making it possible to permanently get rid of them by eating one and then using a reliable illness cure such as a unicorn horn. Lava is slightly more common in the main dungeon, making it easier to burn up the corpses by dipping, throwing or dropping them into the lava square; dipping a zombie corpse into a forge will also incinerate it. Sunsword can vaporize zombies it kills permanently, including a chance of instantly destroying them similar to other Bane-style weapons in EvilHack.
Helms will more reliably prevent the effects of a zombie's bites compared to GruntHack, and helms that are greased or oilskin will block them outright; barding for a steed can protect them from zombie bites. Illithids and mind flayers have psychic resistance, giving them immunity to the brain-targeting secondary effects of a zombie bite, though they can still be poisoned and made ill. The cure sickness spell (which is made directional) can not only reliably cure zombification for you and monsters you cast it at, but also damages zombies in the path of the beam.
Hack'EM
Hack'EM retains the zombies from EvilHack and their behaviors, and adds two more zombies the zombie monster class:
In addition to the above traits, zombies can cause amnesia and are vulnerable to the wands of healing and extra healing.
