# Wumpus

q wumpus 

Difficulty

9

Attacks

Bite 3d6

q wumpus 

Difficulty

9

Attacks

Bite 3d6

Base level

8

Base experience

118

Speed

3

Base AC

2

Base MR

10

Alignment

0 (neutral)

Frequency (by normal means)

1 (Very rare)

Genocidable

Yes

Weight

2500

Nutritional value

500

Size

Large

Resistances

None

Resistances conveyed

None

A wumpus:

 can cling to the ceiling.

 has no hands.

 is an animal.

 is omnivorous.

 is normally generated hostile.

 is strong.

 can be seen through infravision.

Reference

monst.c#line767

The wumpus, q, is a monster that appears in NetHack.

Contents

1 Generation
2 Strategy
3 Origin
4 Encyclopedia entry
5 References

Generation
The wumpus is randomly generated at a relatively rare rate, though not nearly as rare as other monsters. 
Wumpuses generated at level creation have an 80% chance to start off asleep; any wumpuses generated after level creation after you have picked up the Amulet of Yendor will always generate awake.[1]
The Ranger quest locate level will always generate a wumpus on the downstairs.

Strategy
The wumpus is very slow, but has a strong bite attack and can cling to ceilings, allowing it to generate over and move past moats without drowning or being relocated. Even so, its sluggish movement makes it an easy target for any player with good kiting or ranged attacks at their disposal, and it has no resistances whatsoever to boot.
While not particularly desirable as a pet due to its extremely low speed, the wumpus's clinging ability allows you to ride a pet wumpus over water.

Origin
This monster is derived from the early text adventure game Hunt the Wumpus; the Ranger quest locate level that it appears in is an homage to the game.

Encyclopedia entry

The Wumpus, by the way, is not bothered by the hazards since he has sucker feet and is too big for a bat to lift. If you try to shoot him and miss, there's also a chance that he'll up and move himself into another cave, though by nature the Wumpus is a sedentary creature.

[ wump (6) -- "Hunt the Wumpus" ] 

References

↑ makemon.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 1035