Difference between revisions of "Cacodemon"

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m (Doom 64: The PSX/D64 caco wake-up sound is not dramatically different from its vanilla counterpart, certainly not worth a full sentence claiming so.)
(Appearance statistics: update top-5)
 
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{{Doom 3 also in|Cacodemon}}
+
[[File:Cacodemon encounter.png|thumb|A cacodemon in [[E3M2: Slough of Despair (Doom)|E3M2: Slough of Despair]]]]
[[Image:Cacodemon encounter.png|256px|thumb|A cacodemon in [[E3M2: Slough of Despair]]]]
+
{{Monster versions|disambig={{thisisabout|monster|doom1}}|doom3=Cacodemon (Doom 3)|doom4=Cacodemon (Doom 2016)|doom5=Cacodemon (Doom Eternal)}}
'''Cacodemons''' are red [[monster]]s with large spherical bodies crowned with horns, that float slowly through the air. They have a single green eye over a large mouth which is persistently twisted into an evil grin showing a series of nasty teeth and a bluish interior.
+
'''Cacodemons''' are bumpy red [[monster]]s with large spherical bodies, crowned with horns. Cacodemons float slowly through the air, over ledges and through open windows. They have a single green eye placed above a large wickedly grinning mouth, showing a series of nasty teeth and a bluish, electrified interior. Given their floating abilities, cacodemons can roam virtually anywhere in their attempts to seek out the player.
  
In Doom II, their instruction manual description says: ''They float in the air, belch ball-lightning, and boast one Hell of a big mouth. You're toast if you get too close to these monstrosities.''
+
Given its unique, "hideously cute" appearance, the cacodemon has become popular as an unofficial mascot in the Doom community.
 +
 
 +
The official description of the cacodemon is as follows:  
 +
{{Quote|They float in the air, belch ball-lightning, and boast one Hell of a big mouth. You're toast if you get too close to these monstrosities.|Doom instruction manual|Doom instruction manual}}
  
 
== Combat characteristics ==
 
== Combat characteristics ==
 +
Cacodemons attack by spitting a ball of lightning, or by biting with their gaping maw. The cacodemon often seems to distance itself from the player when under attack, though the cause of this is that it is being pushed back by successful hits from its enemies. Biting attacks are a rare occurrence due to this behavior, but can be seen in close quarters with low ceilings.
  
They attack by spitting a ball of lightning or by biting with their gaping maw. The cacodemon often seems to distance itself from the player when under attack, though the cause of this is that it is being pushed back by successful hits from its enemies.
+
Cacodemons emit a loud hissing sound when they first see the player or otherwise become active, and use the pain sound shared by most of the demonic monsters from [[Doom]]. When [[corpse|killed]], they let out a gurgling moan and fall from the air, splitting open like rotten melons as they crash. These death animation frames are unique, as they depict the monster in agony, spewing copious amounts of blue blood, with its intestines and eye flying out upon impact with the ground.
 
 
Cacodemons emit a loud hissing sound when they first see the player or otherwise become active, and use the pain sound shared by most of the demonic monsters from [[Doom]]. When [[corpse|killed]], they let out a gurgling moan and fall to the ground, splitting open like a burst pustule, spewing copious amounts of blue goo and intestines that flow forth, to reveal their bared brains while their sole eye pops out of its socket.
 
  
 
== Tactical analysis ==
 
== Tactical analysis ==
 
 
Cacodemon attacks are relatively easy to dodge, and with sufficient space large numbers of cacodemons can be fought while sustaining little or no injury. Because they are slow, and because their [[pain chance]] is high, they are fairly easy targets. The [[chainsaw]] can incapacitate them, and repeating weapons such as the [[chaingun]] or the [[plasma gun]] are very effective against them, as they are pushed away and are nearly unable to fight back. They are relatively easy to goad into [[monster infighting|attacking other monsters]], but can occasionally be tricky in this respect if they are floating in a high position allowing most of their shots to go over other monsters in the player's area. A skilled player could use a [[shotgun]], run in for close shots, and dodge any incoming attacks while reloading and retreating.
 
Cacodemon attacks are relatively easy to dodge, and with sufficient space large numbers of cacodemons can be fought while sustaining little or no injury. Because they are slow, and because their [[pain chance]] is high, they are fairly easy targets. The [[chainsaw]] can incapacitate them, and repeating weapons such as the [[chaingun]] or the [[plasma gun]] are very effective against them, as they are pushed away and are nearly unable to fight back. They are relatively easy to goad into [[monster infighting|attacking other monsters]], but can occasionally be tricky in this respect if they are floating in a high position allowing most of their shots to go over other monsters in the player's area. A skilled player could use a [[shotgun]], run in for close shots, and dodge any incoming attacks while reloading and retreating.
  
Because of their flight ability and versatility, it is not uncommon to see these flying out of unexpected angles once alerted.
+
Because of their flight ability and versatility, it is not uncommon to see cacodemons flying out of unexpected places once alerted.
  
 
Although the cacodemon has a melee attack, it does not actively try to use this attack; it simply "happens" if the player is at point-blank range at the time the cacodemon attempts to launch a projectile. (The cacodemon's melee attack also does not have a sound effect associated with it.) This is presumably to prevent the enemy from abusing this attack while located at a greatly different elevation from the player (where the player would not be able to retaliate).
 
Although the cacodemon has a melee attack, it does not actively try to use this attack; it simply "happens" if the player is at point-blank range at the time the cacodemon attempts to launch a projectile. (The cacodemon's melee attack also does not have a sound effect associated with it.) This is presumably to prevent the enemy from abusing this attack while located at a greatly different elevation from the player (where the player would not be able to retaliate).
 +
 +
In the [[Atari Jaguar]] version of Doom, cacodemons move and attack noticeably faster. This is due to their states' durations having been rounded down to account for the game's 15 frames-per-second logic refresh rate.
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
[[Image:Beholdercaco.jpg|right|thumb|256px|The illustration on the cover of the [[Wikipedia:Manual of the Planes#1st edition|Manual of the Planes]] from which the cacodemon sprite was cropped]]
+
[[File:Beholdercaco.jpg|right|thumb|The illustration on the cover of the ''{{wp|Manual of the Planes#Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition|Manual of the Planes}}'' from which the cacodemon sprite was cropped]]
* The name ''cacodemon'', which comes from the Greek ''κακοδαίμων'' (kakodaimon) usually meaning "evil spirit", a more precise name for what we generally know as ''demon'' (which ultimately comes from "god" or "spirit"), is in English a word that may be found in most comprehensive dictionaries.
+
* The name ''cacodemon'', derived from the Greek ''κακοδαίμων'' (kakodaimon), was likely intended to convey the meaning of "evil spirit", or more conventionally, ''demon''. The original Greek term, in use since ancient times, actually means "wretched" or "ill-fated" and does not have supernatural connotations.  
 
+
* The monster's general visual design is similar to that of the {{wp|Beholder (Dungeons & Dragons)|Beholder}}, a similarly one-eyed classic {{wp|Dungeons & Dragons|Dungeons & Dragons}} monster (with eye stalks instead of horns). In addition, the cacodemon was created from a cropping of a creature that appears on the cover of ''{{wp|Manual of the Planes#Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition|Manual of the Planes}}'', a Dungeons & Dragons expansion book. The creature itself is known as an {{wp|astral dreadnought}}, and was created by {{wp|Jeff Easley}} for that book.
* The monster's general visual design is similar to that of the [[Wikipedia:Beholder|Beholder]], a similarly one-eyed classic [[Wikipedia:Dungeons & Dragons|Dungeons & Dragons]] monster (with eye stalks instead of horns). In addition, the Cacodemon was created from a cropping of a creature that appears on the cover of [[Wikipedia:Manual of the Planes#1st edition|Manual of the Planes]], a Dungeons & Dragons expansion book. The creature itself is known as an [[w:c:dnd:astral dreadnought|Astral Dreadnought]], and was created by [[Wikipedia:Jeff Easley|Jeff Easley]] for that book.
 
 
 
 
* The earliest known [[Versions of Doom and Doom II|version]] of Doom to include cacodemon graphics is the 0.5 alpha, released on May 22, 1993, and the earliest known appearance of the monster as an in-game adversary is in the press release version of Doom, released on October 4, 1993.
 
* The earliest known [[Versions of Doom and Doom II|version]] of Doom to include cacodemon graphics is the 0.5 alpha, released on May 22, 1993, and the earliest known appearance of the monster as an in-game adversary is in the press release version of Doom, released on October 4, 1993.
 
 
* Cacodemons are called ''pumpkins'' in the [[Doom novels]], and the [[Doom's protagonist|marine]] in the [[Doom comic]] refers to them as "big-mouthed floating thingies."
 
* Cacodemons are called ''pumpkins'' in the [[Doom novels]], and the [[Doom's protagonist|marine]] in the [[Doom comic]] refers to them as "big-mouthed floating thingies."
 
+
*The cacodemon is used as the Icon for the [[Xbox 360]] Arcade version of Doom, specifically in the game library and on the Achievement screen. The sequel, Doom II, simply uses the title rather than a monster to represent the icon. It is also the icon for [[The Ultimate Doom]] in the [[Steam]] game library and as the executable icon.
*[[Wikipedia:Homestar Runner|Homestar Runner]] makes two references to cacodemons. In Strong Bad E-Mail number 150, Strong Bad remarks that an interdimensional portal "looks like it could release some serious cacodemons." In the Halloween 2007 cartoon, Pom Pom dresses as a cacodemon.
 
 
 
*The Cacodemon is used as the Icon for the [[Xbox 360]] Arcade version of [[DOOM]], specifically in the game library and on the Achievement screen. The sequel, [[DOOM II]], simply uses the title rather than a monster to represent the icon. It is also the icon for [[The Ultimate Doom]] in the [[Steam]] game library.
 
  
 
== Data ==
 
== Data ==
{|
+
{{col-begin|width=auto}}
|cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0|
+
{{col-break}}
|valign=top|
+
{| {{prettytable}}
{|
+
!colspan=2|Cacodemon data (original)
|
+
|-
  {| {{prettytable}} width=100%
+
| [[Thing types|Thing type]]||3005 (decimal), BBD (hex)
  !colspan=2|Attributes
+
|-
  |-
+
| [[Mobj|Enum]]||MT_HEAD (14)
  |ID #||3005 (decimal), BBD (hex)
+
|-
  |-
+
| Appears in||[[Doom]]/[[Ultimate Doom]]<br>[[Doom II]]/[[Final Doom]]
  |[[Hit points]]||400
+
|-
  |-
+
| [[Hit point]]s||400
  |Speed||8 [[map unit]]s per frame<br>(93.3333 map units per second)
+
|-
  |-
+
| Speed||8 [[map unit]]s per frame<br>(93.3 map units per second)
  |Width||62
+
|-
  |-
+
| Radius||31
  |Height||56
+
|-
  |-
+
| Height||56
  |Reaction time||8
+
|-
  |-
+
| [[Mass]]||400
  |[[Pain chance]]||128 (50%)
+
|-
  |-
+
| Reaction time||8 [[tic]]s
  |Pain time||6 tics
+
|-
  |-
+
| [[Pain chance]]||128 (50.00%)
  |[[Mass]]||400
+
|-
  |-
+
| Pain time||6 tics
  |Bits||4211206
+
|-
  |}
+
| Flags||{{c|4211206}} (decimal)<br>{{c|00404206}} (hex)
|-
+
|-
|
+
| Flags list|| 1: Obstacle<br> 2: Shootable<br> 9: No gravity<br>14: Floating<br>22: Affects kill %
  {| {{prettytable}} width=100%|
+
|-
  !|Bits list
+
| Spawns||MT_HEADSHOT (fireball)
  |-
+
|}
  |
+
{{col-break|gap=0.5em}}
1: Obstacle
+
{| {{prettytable}}
 +
!colspan=2|[[Sprite]]s & [[sound]]s
 +
|-
 +
| Sprite name||HEAD
 +
|-
 +
| Alert sound||DSCACSIT
 +
|-
 +
| [[A_Chase|Active sound]]||DSDMACT
 +
|-
 +
| Pain sound||DSDMPAIN
 +
|-
 +
| [[Types of death|Death]] sound||DSCACDTH
 +
|}
 +
{| {{prettytable}}
 +
! [[State]]!!Frames
 +
|-
 +
| Idling||1 [A]
 +
|-
 +
| Chasing||1 [A]
 +
|-
 +
| Attacking (melee)||3 [BCD]
 +
|-
 +
| Attacking (missile)||3 [BCD]
 +
|-
 +
| [[Pain state|Hurting]]||3 [EEF]
 +
|-
 +
| [[Types of death|Dying]]||6 [GHIJKL]
 +
|-
 +
| Resurrecting||6 [LKJIHG]
 +
|}
 +
{{col-break|gap=1em}}
 +
{| {{prettytable}}
 +
!colspan=2|[[Melee attack]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[Damage]]||10-60 (8-64 in [[PSX]] version)
 +
|-
 +
| Sound||''none''
 +
|}
 +
{| {{prettytable}}
 +
!colspan=2|Ranged attack
 +
|-
 +
| Type||[[Projectile]]
 +
|-
 +
| Enum||MT_HEADSHOT (32)
 +
|-
 +
| Velocity||10 map units per tic<br>(350 map units per second)
 +
|-
 +
| Damage||5-40
 +
|-
 +
| Radius||6
 +
|-
 +
| Height||8
 +
|-
 +
| Sprite||BAL2
 +
|-
 +
| Frames||2 [AB] (in flight)<br>3 [CDE] (impact)
 +
|-
 +
| Sound||DSFIRSHT (firing)<br>DSFIRXPL (impact)
 +
|-
 +
| Flags||{{c|67088}} (decimal)<br>{{c|00010610}} (hex)
 +
|-
 +
| Flags list|| 4: No blocklinks (Inert)<br> 9: No gravity<br>10: Drops off ledges<br>16: Projectile
 +
|}
 +
{{col-end}}
  
2: Shootable
+
{{col-begin|width=auto}}
 
+
{{col-break}}
9: No Gravity
+
{| {{prettytable}}
 
+
!colspan=2|Cacodemon data (Doom 64)
14: Floating
+
|-
 
+
| Enum||MT_CACODEMON (11)
22: Affects Kill %
+
|-
  |}
+
| Appears in||[[Doom 64]]/[[The Lost Levels|Lost Levels]]
|}
+
|-
|valign=top|
+
| Speed||8 map units per frame<br>(80.0 map units per second)
{|
+
|-
|
+
| Radius||55
  {| {{prettytable}}
+
|-
  !colspan=2|[[Sprite]]s & [[sound]]s
+
| Height||90
  |-
+
|-
  |Sprite name||HEAD
+
| Flags||{{c|4210694}} (decimal)<br>{{c|00404006}} (hex)
  |-
+
|-
  |Alert sound||DSCACSIT
+
| Flags list|| 1: Obstacle<br> 2: Shootable<br>14: Floating<br>22: Affects kill %
  |-
+
|-
  |Action sound||DSDMACT
+
| Spawns||MT_PROJ_HEAD (fireball)
  |-
+
|}
  |Pain sound||DSDMPAIN
+
Data not listed is the same<br>as for the original version.
  |-
+
{{col-break|gap=0.5em}}
  |[[Types of death|Death]] sound||DSCACDTH
+
{| {{prettytable}}
  |}
+
!colspan=2|Sprites & sounds
|}
+
|-
|valign=top|
+
| Alert sound||SFX_065
{|
+
|-
|
+
| Active sound||SFX_083
  {| {{prettytable}} width=100%
+
|-
  !colspan=2|Melee attack
+
| Pain sound||SFX_053
  |-
+
|-
  |Damage||10-60
+
| Death sound||SFX_078
  |-
+
|}
  |Sound||''none''
+
{| {{prettytable}}
  |}
+
! State!!Frames
|-
+
|-
|
+
| Idling||4 [ABCD]
  {| {{prettytable}} width=100%
+
|-
  !colspan=2|Ranged attack
+
| Chasing||8 [AABBCCDD]
  |-
+
|-
  |Type||[[Projectile]]
+
| Attacking (melee)||4 [EFGG]
  |-
+
|-
  |Speed||10 [[map unit]]s per tic<br>(350 map units per second)
+
| Attacking (missile)||4 [EFGG]
  |-
+
|-
  |Damage||5-40
+
| Hurting||3 [BBB]
  |-
+
|-
  |Width||12
+
| Dying||6 [HIJKLM]
  |-
+
|}
  |Height||8
+
{{col-break|gap=1em}}
  |-
+
{| {{prettytable}}
  |Sprite name||BAL2
+
!colspan=2|Melee attack
  |-
+
|-
  |Sound||DSFIRSHT (firing)<br>DSFIRXPL (impact)
+
| Damage||8-64
  |}
+
|}
|}
+
{| {{prettytable}}
 +
!colspan=2|Ranged attack
 +
|-
 +
| Enum||MT_PROJ_HEAD (31)
 +
|-
 +
| Velocity||20 map units per tic<br>(600 map units per second)
 +
|-
 +
| Frames||3 [ABC] (in flight)<br>5 [DEFGH] (impact)
 +
|-
 +
| Sound||SFX_123 (firing)<br>SFX_044 (impact)
 +
|-
 +
| Flags||{{c|66576}} (decimal)<br>{{c|00010410}} (hex)
 +
|-
 +
| Flags list|| 4: No blocklinks (Inert)<br>10: Drops off ledges<br>16: Projectile
 
|}
 
|}
 +
{{col-end}}
  
[[Image:CacoMHistogram.png|none|300px|thumb|''Damage done by a Cacodemon's bite'']]
+
[[File:CacoMHistogram.png|none|300px|thumb|''Damage done by a cacodemon's bite'']]
  
 
{| {{prettytable}}
 
{| {{prettytable}}
 
| '''Bites needed to kill'''<sup>1</sup>
 
| '''Bites needed to kill'''<sup>1</sup>
 
| Mean
 
| Mean
| [[Wikipedia:Standard deviation#Interpretation and application|Standard<br>deviation]]
+
| {{wp|Standard deviation#Interpretation and application|Standard<br>deviation}}
 
| Min
 
| Min
 
| Max
 
| Max
Line 179: Line 253:
 
|[[Arch-vile]]||20.56||1.58||17||25
 
|[[Arch-vile]]||20.56||1.58||17||25
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Baron of hell]]||29.15||1.81||25||34
+
|[[Baron of Hell]]||29.15||1.81||25||34
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Spiderdemon]]||86.67||1.96||81||92
 
|[[Spiderdemon]]||86.67||1.96||81||92
Line 187: Line 261:
 
|}
 
|}
  
[[Image:PlasmaHistogram.png|none|300px|thumb|''Damage done by a Cacodemon's projectile'']]
+
[[File:PlasmaHistogram.png|none|300px|thumb|''Damage done by a cacodemon's projectile'']]
  
 
{| {{prettytable}}
 
{| {{prettytable}}
 
| '''Shots needed to kill'''
 
| '''Shots needed to kill'''
 
| Mean
 
| Mean
| [[Wikipedia:Standard deviation#Interpretation and application|Standard<br>deviation]]
+
| {{wp|Standard deviation#Interpretation and application|Standard<br>deviation}}
 
| Min
 
| Min
 
| Max
 
| Max
Line 238: Line 312:
 
|[[Arch-vile]]||31.76||2.58||25||37
 
|[[Arch-vile]]||31.76||2.58||25||37
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Baron of hell]]||45.16||3.09||36||52
+
|[[Baron of Hell]]||45.16||3.09||36||52
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Spiderdemon]]||134.41||2.61||128||140
 
|[[Spiderdemon]]||134.41||2.61||128||140
Line 247: Line 321:
  
 
<small>
 
<small>
#These tables assume that all calls to [[Pseudorandom number generator|P_Random]] for damage, [[pain chance]], [[blood]] splats, impact animations, and backfire checks are consecutive. In real play, this is never the case: counterattacks and AI pathfinding must be handled, and of course the map may contain additional moving monsters and other randomized phenomena (such as [[Sector#Vanilla Doom|flickering lights]]). Any resulting errors are probably toward the single-shot average, as they introduce noise into the correlation between the indices of "consecutive" calls.
+
#These tables assume that all calls to [[Pseudorandom number generator|P_Random]] for damage, [[pain chance]], [[blood]] splats, impact animations, and backfire checks are consecutive. In real play, this is never the case: counterattacks and AI pathfinding must be handled, and of course the map may contain additional moving monsters and other randomized phenomena (such as [[Sector#Doom|flickering lights]]). Any resulting errors are probably toward the single-shot average, as they introduce noise into the correlation between the indices of "consecutive" calls.
 
#Assumes that direct hits are possible, which [[Icon of Sin|does not occur]] in any stock map.
 
#Assumes that direct hits are possible, which [[Icon of Sin|does not occur]] in any stock map.
 
#Hardcoded exception to [[infighting]] negates damage (excepting indirect damage caused by exploding barrels).
 
#Hardcoded exception to [[infighting]] negates damage (excepting indirect damage caused by exploding barrels).
Line 253: Line 327:
  
 
== Appearance statistics ==
 
== Appearance statistics ==
 +
In the [[IWAD]]s the cacodemon is first encountered on these maps per [[Skill level#Doom and Doom II skill levels|skill level]]:
 +
 +
{{col-begin}}
 +
{{col-break|width=50%}}
 +
{| {{prettytable}}
 +
!colspan="4"|Single-player
 +
|-
 +
!Game / ''Episode''!!1-2!!3!!4-5
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Knee-Deep in the Dead]]''||-||-||-
 +
|-
 +
|''[[The Shores of Hell]]''||[[E2M3: Refinery]]||[[E2M1: Deimos Anomaly]]||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Inferno]]''||[[E3M2: Slough of Despair]]||[[E3M1: Hell Keep]]||E3M1: Hell Keep
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Thy Flesh Consumed]]''||[[E4M2: Perfect Hatred]]||E4M2: Perfect Hatred||E4M2: Perfect Hatred
 +
|-
 +
|[[Doom II]]||[[MAP05: The Waste Tunnels]]||MAP05: The Waste Tunnels||MAP05: The Waste Tunnels
 +
|-
 +
|[[TNT: Evilution]]||[[MAP02: Human BBQ]]||MAP02: Human BBQ||MAP02: Human BBQ
 +
|-
 +
|[[Plutonia Experiment]]||[[MAP02: Well of Souls]]||[[MAP01: Congo]]||MAP01: Congo
 +
|-
 +
|[[Doom 64]]||[[MAP03: Main Engineering]]||MAP03: Main Engineering||MAP03: Main Engineering
 +
|-
 +
|[[The Lost Levels]]||[[MAP34: Plant Ops]]||MAP34: Plant Ops||MAP34: Plant Ops
 +
|}
 +
{{col-break}}
 +
{| {{prettytable}}
 +
!colspan="4"|Multiplayer
 +
|-
 +
!Game / ''Episode''!!1-2!!3!!4-5
 +
|-
 +
|''Knee-Deep in the Dead''||-||-||-
 +
|-
 +
|''The Shores of Hell''||E2M3: Refinery||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly
 +
|-
 +
|''Inferno''||E3M2: Slough of Despair||E3M1: Hell Keep||E3M1: Hell Keep
 +
|-
 +
|''Thy Flesh Consumed''||E4M2: Perfect Hatred||E4M2: Perfect Hatred||E4M2: Perfect Hatred
 +
|-
 +
|Doom II||MAP05: The Waste Tunnels||MAP05: The Waste Tunnels||MAP05: The Waste Tunnels
 +
|-
 +
|TNT: Evilution||MAP02: Human BBQ||MAP02: Human BBQ||MAP02: Human BBQ
 +
|-
 +
|Plutonia Experiment||MAP02: Well of Souls||MAP01: Congo||MAP01: Congo
 +
|}
 +
{{col-end}}
  
In [[classic Doom]], the cacodemon is first encountered on these maps:
+
The IWADs contain the following numbers of cacodemons per skill level:
  
{| {{prettytable}}    
+
{{col-begin}}
!Game||[[I'm Too Young To Die|ITYTD]] and [[Hey, Not Too Rough|HNTR]]||[[Hurt Me Plenty|HMP]]||[[Ultra-Violence|UV]] and [[Nightmare!|NM]]    
+
{{col-break|width=50%}}
|-    
+
{| {{prettytable|style=text-align: center;}}
|[[The Ultimate Doom]]||[[E2M3: Refinery (Doom)|E2M3: Refinery]]||[[E2M1: Deimos Anomaly (Doom)|E2M1: Deimos Anomaly]]||[[E2M1: Deimos Anomaly (Doom)|E2M1: Deimos Anomaly]]
+
!colspan="4"|Single-player
|-    
+
|-
|[[Doom II]]||[[MAP05: The Waste Tunnels (Doom II)|MAP05: The Waste Tunnels]]||[[MAP05: The Waste Tunnels (Doom II)|MAP05: The Waste Tunnels]]||[[MAP05: The Waste Tunnels (Doom II)|MAP05: The Waste Tunnels]]
+
!Game / ''Episode''!!1-2!!3!!4-5
|-    
+
|-
|[[TNT: Evilution]]||[[MAP02: Human BBQ (TNT: Evilution)|MAP02: Human BBQ]]||[[MAP02: Human BBQ (TNT: Evilution)|MAP02: Human BBQ]]||[[MAP02: Human BBQ (TNT: Evilution)|MAP02: Human BBQ]]
+
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[Knee-Deep in the Dead]]''||''0''||''0''||''0''
|-    
+
|-
|[[Plutonia]]||[[MAP02: Well of Souls (The Plutonia Experiment)|MAP02: Well of Souls]]||[[MAP01: Congo (The Plutonia Experiment)|MAP01: Congo]]||[[MAP01: Congo (The Plutonia Experiment)|MAP01: Congo]]
+
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[The Shores of Hell]]''||''15''||''39''||''50''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[Inferno]]''||''32''||''57''||''76''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Doom|Doom (registered)]]||47||96||126
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[Thy Flesh Consumed]]''||''15''||''48''||''67''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Ultimate Doom]]||62||144||193
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Doom II]]||44||121||188
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[TNT: Evilution]]||43||76||99
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Plutonia Experiment]]||95||108||123
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Doom 64]]||69||109||129
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[The Lost Levels]]||31||53||74
 
|}
 
|}
 +
{{col-break}}
 +
{| {{prettytable|style=text-align: center;}}
 +
!colspan="4"|Multiplayer
 +
|-
 +
!Game / ''Episode''!!1-2!!3!!4-5
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''Knee-Deep in the Dead''||''0''||''0''||''0''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''The Shores of Hell''||''15''||''39''||''50''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''Inferno''||''32''||''57''||''76''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Doom (registered)||47||96||126
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''Thy Flesh Consumed''||''15''||''48''||''67''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Ultimate Doom||62||144||193
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Doom II||44||121||188
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|TNT: Evilution||43||77||102
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Plutonia Experiment||104||118||134
 +
|}
 +
{{col-end}}
  
The [[IWAD]]s contain the following numbers of cacodemons:
+
Of the maps covered on the Doom Wiki, the following have the highest numbers of cacodemons in single-player:
 
{| {{prettytable}}
 
{| {{prettytable}}
!Game||[[I'm Too Young To Die|ITYTD]] and [[Hey, Not Too Rough|HNTR]]||[[Hurt Me Plenty|HMP]]||[[Ultra-Violence|UV]] and [[Nightmare!|NM]]
+
! Map !! Count
 
|-
 
|-
|[[The Ultimate Doom]]||62||144||193
+
| [[MAP07: - (Dance on the Water)]] || 12784
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Doom II]]||44||121||188
+
| [[MAP05: Cosmogenesis (Cosmogenesis)]] || 4969
 
|-
 
|-
|[[TNT: Evilution]]||43||76||99
+
| [[MAP99: Sunset Configuration (Hardfest 2)]] || 4160
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Plutonia]]||95||108||123
+
| [[Holy Hell Revealed]] || 3625
 +
|-
 +
| [[Doomworld Mega Project 2019]] || 2685
 
|}
 
|}
 +
''This data was last verified on March 13, 2024.''
  
 
== Other games ==
 
== Other games ==
 
 
=== PlayStation Doom ===
 
=== PlayStation Doom ===
In the [[Sony PlayStation]] version of Doom, there is a single instance of a spectral cacodemon, which can be found in [[MAP17: Tenements (Doom II)|MAP45: Tenements]], replacing the [[arch-vile]] normally found in a cage in a pillar in the center of a pool of brown slime. It appears on all skill levels and has no special properties aside from appearing to be additively [[translucency|translucent]] with approximately 75% foreground weight. Its presence is most likely a level design error, as the flags controlling this property are normally only applied to [[demon]]s in order to create [[spectre]]s and [[nightmare spectre]]s.
+
In the [[Sony PlayStation]] version of Doom, there is a single instance of a spectral cacodemon, which can be found in [[MAP45: Tenements (PlayStation Doom)|MAP45: Tenements]], replacing the [[arch-vile]] normally found in a cage in a pillar in the center of a pool of brown slime. It appears on all skill levels and has no special properties aside from appearing to be [[translucency|translucent]] with 50% foreground weight. Its presence is most likely a level design error, as the flags controlling this property are normally only applied to [[demon]]s in order to create [[spectre]]s and [[nightmare spectre]]s.
  
 
=== Doom 64 ===
 
=== Doom 64 ===
[[Image:Doom64 cacodemon.jpg|256px|thumb|Doom 64 Cacodemon]]
+
[[File:Doom64 cacodemon.jpg|thumb|Doom 64 cacodemon.]]
In [[Doom 64]] the cacodemon underwent a major design change, becoming brown, with a single yellow-green eye, and gaining two arms with broken chains attached, and a rather terrifying face. The body of the monster has animation frames (mostly in the way it swings its arms when in flight), whereas the original Cacodemon floated in a motionless manner. It resembles Doom II's original [[pain elemental]]. The [[nightmare cacodemon]] variation, introduced in the [[Doom 64 TC]], remained red.
+
In [[Doom 64]] the cacodemon underwent a major design change, becoming beige brown, with a single yellow-green eye, and gaining two arms with broken chains attached, and a rather terrifying face. The body of the monster has animation frames (mostly in the way it swings its arms when in flight), whereas the original cacodemon floated in a motionless manner. It resembles Doom II's original [[pain elemental]].
  
 
=== Doom RPG ===
 
=== Doom RPG ===
The cacodemon appears in [[Doom RPG]] as a class of monster. There are three variations, identified by color:
+
The cacodemon appears in [[Doom RPG]] as a class of monster. There are three variations, identified by color:
 
 
 
* Malwrath (gold body, red eye, red throat)
 
* Malwrath (gold body, red eye, red throat)
 
* Cacodemon (normal colors)
 
* Cacodemon (normal colors)
Line 298: Line 464:
  
 
Cacodemons attack three times consecutively and are most weak against axe attacks and plasma blasts.
 
Cacodemons attack three times consecutively and are most weak against axe attacks and plasma blasts.
 +
<gallery mode="nolines" widths="200px" heights="200px">
 +
Malwrath.png|Malwrath
 +
CacoDoomRPG.png|Cacodemon
 +
Doom RPG Wretched.png|Wretched
 +
</gallery>
  
 
== Plush cacodemons ==
 
== Plush cacodemons ==
 +
=== Hissy ===
 +
Circa 1997-98, amateur Doom level designer [[Jonas Feragen (Chrozoron)|Jonas "Chrozoron" Feragen]] created [[Hissy]], a plush cacodemon which quickly became famous in the Doom community. Hissy can be found as a character in various modifications such as [[Skulltag]] and [[MassMouth 2]]; the plush cacodemon itself is on a "world tour." She has been in the hands of over a dozen community members in the past 20+ years.
  
=== [[Hissy]] ===
+
=== Cacopet ===
Circa 1997-98, amateur Doom level designer [[Jonas "Chrozoron" Feragen]] created [[Hissy]], a plush cacodemon which quickly became famous in the Doom community. Hissy can be found as a character in [[Skulltag]], [[Cacodemon Squad]], the secret level (WTF!) on [[MassMouth 2]] and [[EarthBound Doom]]; the plush cacodemon itself is on a "world tour." She has been in the hands of over a dozen community members in the past eight years.
+
A short series of plush cacos known as "cacopets" were created by [[Laura Herrmann (BahdKo)]]. One such was given to [[Dylan McIntosh (Toke)]] as a gift in August of 2001. Cacopet is smaller than Hissy, a brighter shade of red, and is more round, but is otherwise quite similar in appearance. Toke's cacopet is now cared for by his longtime friend Ganja.
  
 
=== Pixel ===
 
=== Pixel ===
 
Pixel is a plush-toy cacodemon created in November 2004 by Doom enthusiast [[Hughe]], in response to a challenge from a friend. Pixel was created to be as accurate in form as possible using five different materials, including all his horns, separate teeth, upper mouth and single eye. Pixel was created before Hughe had any knowledge of the plush [[Hissy]], and was in no way made to compete with her. In fact, it is said that Pixel finds Hissy rather cute.
 
Pixel is a plush-toy cacodemon created in November 2004 by Doom enthusiast [[Hughe]], in response to a challenge from a friend. Pixel was created to be as accurate in form as possible using five different materials, including all his horns, separate teeth, upper mouth and single eye. Pixel was created before Hughe had any knowledge of the plush [[Hissy]], and was in no way made to compete with her. In fact, it is said that Pixel finds Hissy rather cute.
  
[[Hughe]] later made a second, named Sprite. Sprite was made of a couple different materials; and is believed to guard [[Hughe]]'s desk at the [[Wikipedia:Sony|Sony]] offices in London.
+
Hughe later made a second, named Sprite. Sprite was made of a couple different materials; and is believed to guard Hughe's desk at the {{wp|Sony}} offices in London.
  
 
=== Official plush ===
 
=== Official plush ===
[[Bethesda]] released an official plush cacodemon toy in 2013 on the Bethesda Store website, alongside a plush pain elemental.
+
[[Bethesda]] released an official [[Bethesda plush toys|plush cacodemon toy]] in 2013 on the Bethesda Store website, alongside a plush pain elemental.
  
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
File:Hissy2.jpg|Hissy in 2003
+
Hissy2.jpg|Hissy in 2003
File:pixel.jpg|Pixel, just after being finished in 2004.
+
Toke and Cacopet.jpg|Toke with Cacopet in 2001
File:Bethesda-plush-doom-cacodemon.jpg|Official Bethesda cacodemon plush.
+
Pixel.jpg|Pixel, just after being finished in 2004.
 +
Bethesda-plush-doom-cacodemon.jpg|Official Bethesda cacodemon plush.
 +
Crochet Caco.jpg|Crochet cacodemon owned by Doomworld user ryiron.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
 
 
* {{wikipedia|title=Cacodemon}}
 
* {{wikipedia|title=Cacodemon}}
 
== Notes ==
 
 
<references />
 
  
 
{{Doom monsters}}
 
{{Doom monsters}}
 
{{Doom 64 monsters}}
 
{{Doom 64 monsters}}
 
{{Sony PlayStation monsters}}
 
{{Sony PlayStation monsters}}
 +
{{featured article}}
 +
[[Category:Cacodemons]]

Latest revision as of 08:53, 13 March 2024

This article is about the monster in the classic Doom series. For other games, see:

Cacodemons are bumpy red monsters with large spherical bodies, crowned with horns. Cacodemons float slowly through the air, over ledges and through open windows. They have a single green eye placed above a large wickedly grinning mouth, showing a series of nasty teeth and a bluish, electrified interior. Given their floating abilities, cacodemons can roam virtually anywhere in their attempts to seek out the player.

Given its unique, "hideously cute" appearance, the cacodemon has become popular as an unofficial mascot in the Doom community.

The official description of the cacodemon is as follows:

"They float in the air, belch ball-lightning, and boast one Hell of a big mouth. You're toast if you get too close to these monstrosities."
― Doom instruction manual [source]

Combat characteristics[edit]

Cacodemons attack by spitting a ball of lightning, or by biting with their gaping maw. The cacodemon often seems to distance itself from the player when under attack, though the cause of this is that it is being pushed back by successful hits from its enemies. Biting attacks are a rare occurrence due to this behavior, but can be seen in close quarters with low ceilings.

Cacodemons emit a loud hissing sound when they first see the player or otherwise become active, and use the pain sound shared by most of the demonic monsters from Doom. When killed, they let out a gurgling moan and fall from the air, splitting open like rotten melons as they crash. These death animation frames are unique, as they depict the monster in agony, spewing copious amounts of blue blood, with its intestines and eye flying out upon impact with the ground.

Tactical analysis[edit]

Cacodemon attacks are relatively easy to dodge, and with sufficient space large numbers of cacodemons can be fought while sustaining little or no injury. Because they are slow, and because their pain chance is high, they are fairly easy targets. The chainsaw can incapacitate them, and repeating weapons such as the chaingun or the plasma gun are very effective against them, as they are pushed away and are nearly unable to fight back. They are relatively easy to goad into attacking other monsters, but can occasionally be tricky in this respect if they are floating in a high position allowing most of their shots to go over other monsters in the player's area. A skilled player could use a shotgun, run in for close shots, and dodge any incoming attacks while reloading and retreating.

Because of their flight ability and versatility, it is not uncommon to see cacodemons flying out of unexpected places once alerted.

Although the cacodemon has a melee attack, it does not actively try to use this attack; it simply "happens" if the player is at point-blank range at the time the cacodemon attempts to launch a projectile. (The cacodemon's melee attack also does not have a sound effect associated with it.) This is presumably to prevent the enemy from abusing this attack while located at a greatly different elevation from the player (where the player would not be able to retaliate).

In the Atari Jaguar version of Doom, cacodemons move and attack noticeably faster. This is due to their states' durations having been rounded down to account for the game's 15 frames-per-second logic refresh rate.

Notes[edit]

The illustration on the cover of the Manual of the Planes from which the cacodemon sprite was cropped
  • The name cacodemon, derived from the Greek κακοδαίμων (kakodaimon), was likely intended to convey the meaning of "evil spirit", or more conventionally, demon. The original Greek term, in use since ancient times, actually means "wretched" or "ill-fated" and does not have supernatural connotations.
  • The monster's general visual design is similar to that of the Beholder, a similarly one-eyed classic Dungeons & Dragons monster (with eye stalks instead of horns). In addition, the cacodemon was created from a cropping of a creature that appears on the cover of Manual of the Planes, a Dungeons & Dragons expansion book. The creature itself is known as an astral dreadnought, and was created by Jeff Easley for that book.
  • The earliest known version of Doom to include cacodemon graphics is the 0.5 alpha, released on May 22, 1993, and the earliest known appearance of the monster as an in-game adversary is in the press release version of Doom, released on October 4, 1993.
  • Cacodemons are called pumpkins in the Doom novels, and the marine in the Doom comic refers to them as "big-mouthed floating thingies."
  • The cacodemon is used as the Icon for the Xbox 360 Arcade version of Doom, specifically in the game library and on the Achievement screen. The sequel, Doom II, simply uses the title rather than a monster to represent the icon. It is also the icon for The Ultimate Doom in the Steam game library and as the executable icon.

Data[edit]

Damage done by a cacodemon's bite
Bites needed to kill1 Mean Standard
deviation
Min Max
Player (100%
health, no armor)
3.31 0.82 2 6
Player (100%
health, security armor)
4.74 0.97 3 8
Player (200%
health, combat armor)
11.86 1.30 9 15
Barrel 1.15 0.36 1 2
Zombieman 1.15 0.36 1 2
Shotgun guy 1.34 0.51 1 3
Wolfenstein SS 1.87 0.74 1 4
Imp 2.16 0.74 1 5
Heavy weapon dude 2.50 0.65 2 5
Lost soul 3.31 0.82 2 6
Commander Keen 3.31 0.82 2 6
Demon 4.74 0.97 3 8
Spectre 4.74 0.97 3 8
Romero's head2 7.65 1.14 5 11
Revenant 9.04 1.21 6 12
Cacodemon 11.86 1.30 9 15
Pain elemental 11.86 1.30 9 15
Hell knight 14.73 1.34 12 18
Arachnotron 14.73 1.34 12 18
Mancubus 17.68 1.44 15 22
Arch-vile 20.56 1.58 17 25
Baron of Hell 29.15 1.81 25 34
Spiderdemon 86.67 1.96 81 92
Cyberdemon 115.34 1.37 112 119
Damage done by a cacodemon's projectile
Shots needed to kill Mean Standard
deviation
Min Max
Player (100%
health, no armor)
5.02 1.09 3 8
Player (100%
health, security armor)
7.16 1.23 5 10
Player (200%
health, combat armor)
17.99 1.97 13 22
Barrel 1.44 0.60 1 4
Zombieman 1.44 0.60 1 4
Shotgun guy 1.80 0.75 1 4
Wolfenstein SS 2.75 0.78 2 5
Imp 3.16 0.86 2 6
Heavy weapon dude 3.61 0.91 2 6
Lost soul 5.02 1.09 3 8
Commander Keen 5.02 1.09 3 8
Demon 7.22 1.29 5 10
Spectre 7.22 1.29 5 10
Romero's head2 11.68 1.70 8 16
Revenant 13.90 1.83 9 18
Cacodemon3
Pain elemental 18.27 2.04 13 22
Hell knight 22.80 2.24 17 28
Arachnotron 22.80 2.24 17 28
Mancubus 27.28 2.45 21 33
Arch-vile 31.76 2.58 25 37
Baron of Hell 45.16 3.09 36 52
Spiderdemon 134.41 2.61 128 140
Cyberdemon 179.12 2.55 173 184

  1. These tables assume that all calls to P_Random for damage, pain chance, blood splats, impact animations, and backfire checks are consecutive. In real play, this is never the case: counterattacks and AI pathfinding must be handled, and of course the map may contain additional moving monsters and other randomized phenomena (such as flickering lights). Any resulting errors are probably toward the single-shot average, as they introduce noise into the correlation between the indices of "consecutive" calls.
  2. Assumes that direct hits are possible, which does not occur in any stock map.
  3. Hardcoded exception to infighting negates damage (excepting indirect damage caused by exploding barrels).

Appearance statistics[edit]

In the IWADs the cacodemon is first encountered on these maps per skill level:

The IWADs contain the following numbers of cacodemons per skill level:

Of the maps covered on the Doom Wiki, the following have the highest numbers of cacodemons in single-player:

Map Count
MAP07: - (Dance on the Water) 12784
MAP05: Cosmogenesis (Cosmogenesis) 4969
MAP99: Sunset Configuration (Hardfest 2) 4160
Holy Hell Revealed 3625
Doomworld Mega Project 2019 2685

This data was last verified on March 13, 2024.

Other games[edit]

PlayStation Doom[edit]

In the Sony PlayStation version of Doom, there is a single instance of a spectral cacodemon, which can be found in MAP45: Tenements, replacing the arch-vile normally found in a cage in a pillar in the center of a pool of brown slime. It appears on all skill levels and has no special properties aside from appearing to be translucent with 50% foreground weight. Its presence is most likely a level design error, as the flags controlling this property are normally only applied to demons in order to create spectres and nightmare spectres.

Doom 64[edit]

Doom 64 cacodemon.

In Doom 64 the cacodemon underwent a major design change, becoming beige brown, with a single yellow-green eye, and gaining two arms with broken chains attached, and a rather terrifying face. The body of the monster has animation frames (mostly in the way it swings its arms when in flight), whereas the original cacodemon floated in a motionless manner. It resembles Doom II's original pain elemental.

Doom RPG[edit]

The cacodemon appears in Doom RPG as a class of monster. There are three variations, identified by color:

  • Malwrath (gold body, red eye, red throat)
  • Cacodemon (normal colors)
  • Wretched (blue body, olive green eye, bright red throat)

Cacodemons attack three times consecutively and are most weak against axe attacks and plasma blasts.

Plush cacodemons[edit]

Hissy[edit]

Circa 1997-98, amateur Doom level designer Jonas "Chrozoron" Feragen created Hissy, a plush cacodemon which quickly became famous in the Doom community. Hissy can be found as a character in various modifications such as Skulltag and MassMouth 2; the plush cacodemon itself is on a "world tour." She has been in the hands of over a dozen community members in the past 20+ years.

Cacopet[edit]

A short series of plush cacos known as "cacopets" were created by Laura Herrmann (BahdKo). One such was given to Dylan McIntosh (Toke) as a gift in August of 2001. Cacopet is smaller than Hissy, a brighter shade of red, and is more round, but is otherwise quite similar in appearance. Toke's cacopet is now cared for by his longtime friend Ganja.

Pixel[edit]

Pixel is a plush-toy cacodemon created in November 2004 by Doom enthusiast Hughe, in response to a challenge from a friend. Pixel was created to be as accurate in form as possible using five different materials, including all his horns, separate teeth, upper mouth and single eye. Pixel was created before Hughe had any knowledge of the plush Hissy, and was in no way made to compete with her. In fact, it is said that Pixel finds Hissy rather cute.

Hughe later made a second, named Sprite. Sprite was made of a couple different materials; and is believed to guard Hughe's desk at the Sony offices in London.

Official plush[edit]

Bethesda released an official plush cacodemon toy in 2013 on the Bethesda Store website, alongside a plush pain elemental.

Sources[edit]

  • This article incorporates text from the open-content Wikipedia online encyclopedia article Cacodemon.