Growing up
From Wikihack
Growing up is the process in which an NPC (non player character) such as a tame kitten turns into a larger version of itself (e.g a housecat). Monsters grow from killing monsters and gaining levels, from the effects of potions of gain level, or from wraith corpses.
Monsters will grow up as follows:[1]
- Baby dragons grow into dragons of the same type.
- Kittens grow into housecats and then into large cats.
- Little dogs grow into dogs and then into large dogs.
- Wolf cubs and winter wolf cubs grow into wolves and winter wolves.
- Naga hatchlings grow into nagas.
- Hellhound pups grow into hellhounds.
- Liches grow to demiliches, master liches, and then into arch-liches.
- Gargoyles grow into winged gargoyles (Although some are born with wings, and hence hatch from winged gargoyle eggs).
- Chickatrices grow into Cockatrices.
- There are many others listed in the source code linked below.
Contents |
[edit] Natural growth
If a monster kills another monster, its maximum and current hp will both increase.[2] If its maximum hp are increased above the threshold for its current level, it will gain a level. There is a limit to maxhp and levels a monster can gain in this way.
The monster will increase maxhp by d(victim level + 1), but no more than enough to bring it to the minimum for the next level. Current hp will increase by d(increase in maxhp) - 1.
The hp threshold for most monsters is 8 * current level (4 for level 0). Exceptions are golems and elementals on their home plane.
The maximum level attainable via this method is 3/2 of the minimum level for the current monster type (or the next type if there is a more "grown up" form), but no less than 5 and normally no greater than 49. Player monsters can reach level 30, and monsters which have a minimum level greater than 49 (named demons) have a maximum level of 50. If an increase in maxhp would increase the monster's level above this maximum, its maxhp are reset to the threshold for its current level.
[edit] Examples
- a dog (currently level 4, maxhp 31) kills a kobold shaman (level 2). Its maxhp can increase by 1-3. If it gains 2-3 maxhp, it will become level 5, with maxhp of 33.
- a large dog (currently level 9, maxhp 70) kills a dwarf king (level 6) and would gain 4 maxhp. Its maxhp do not increase beyond 72.
A user has suggested improving this page or section as follows:
"It would be nice to have a table on a separate page of each monster and its "natural" maximum level and hp"
[edit] Magical growth
A monster drinking a potion of gain level or eating a wraith corpse will gain a level and increase its current and maximum hp by d8.
Monsters may exceed their natural level limit in this way, although they may not exceed a hard limit of 49 (50 for named demons).
They may subsequently increase their maxhp to the maximum for their new level by killing monsters.
[edit] Changing form
If a monster gains a level such that its current level equals or exceeds the minimum level of its next available form, it will "grow up" into that form.
- e.g. a little dog which reaches level 4 will become a dog.
[edit] Growing up into a genocided form
Growing up does not allow a monster to take a genocided form. If the new form is genocided, the monster dies and does not leave a corpse. Extinct forms are nonetheless allowed.[3]
