Difference between revisions of "Imp"

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{{Doom 3 also in}}
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[[Image:Imp.png|thumb|right|An imp moves to attack [[Doomguy|our hero]] in [[E1M1: Hangar]]]]
[[Image:Imp.png|256px|thumb|An imp fighting [[Doomguy|our hero]] in [[E1M1: Hangar]]]]
+
{{Monster versions|disambig={{thisisabout|monster|doom1}}|doom3=Imp (Doom 3)|doom4=Imp (Doom 2016)|doom5=Imp (Doom Eternal)}}
The '''imp''' is a human-sized humanoid [[monster]], the most common opponent encountered in [[id Software]]'s [[IWAD]]s. It is leather brown in color, with red eyes, a number of white bony spikes on its body, and equally white claws on its hands and feet.
+
The '''imp''' is a human-sized, humanoid, fireball-flinging [[monster]], the most common opponent encountered in [[id Software]]'s [[Doom]] and [[Doom II]]. It is leather brown in color, with red eyes, numerous white bony spikes protruding from its body, and sharp white claws on its hands and feet. Imps encourage new players to practice [[strafing]]. They are officially described as follows:
  
The Doom instruction manual says:
+
{{Quote|You thought an imp was a cute little dude in a red suit with a pitchfork. Where did these brown bastards come from? They heave balls o' fire down your throat and take several bullets to die. It's time to find a weapon better than that pistol if you're going to face more than one of these S.O.B.s.|Doom instruction manual|Doom instruction manual}}
:''You thought an imp was a cute little dude in a red suit with a pitchfork. Where did these brown bastards come from? They heave balls o' fire down your throat and take several bullets to die. It's time to find a weapon better than that pistol if you're going to face more than one of these S.O.B.s.''
 
  
 
==Combat characteristics==
 
==Combat characteristics==
An imp will make a loud, serpentine hiss in two different pitches when it spots a player. An imp attacks by hurling a single fireball, which inflicts direct [[projectile]] damage. At [[Melee attack|melee]] range, it employs a clawing attack. When killed without being [[gib]]bed, an imp will randomly emit one of two distinct low-pitched snarls.
+
An imp will make one of two different loud, serpentine hisses when it is alerted. An imp attacks by hurling a single bright red fireball, which inflicts [[projectile]] damage when it strikes another living [[Mobj|object]]. At [[Melee attack|melee]] range, it uses its razor-sharp claws to scratch; if its target moves out of range before this attack has followed through, the imp will proceed to shoot a fireball instead. When killed without being [[gib]]bed, an imp will randomly emit one of two distinct low-pitched snarls, as it falls on its back and a hole opens up in its midsection, disgorging plentiful amounts of blood.
  
 
== Tactical analysis ==
 
== Tactical analysis ==
 +
The imp moves slowly, as do its fireballs. The player should practice until evading both sorts of objects becomes completely straightforward (except perhaps under highly unusual circumstances, such as a [[Teleporter#Teleporter traps|teleportation trap]], in close quarters, or when surrounded).
  
The imp moves slowly, as do its fireballs. The player should practice until evading both sorts of objects becomes completely straightforward (except perhaps under highly unusual circumstances, such as a teleportation trap, in close quarters, or when surrounded).
+
An imp can usually be killed by a single [[shotgun]] shell and often by six bullets. As the citation above implies, facing multiple imps with a [[pistol]] takes concentration, but it can be done, given sufficient maneuvering room and adequate footwork on the player's part. In fact, the imp's relatively high [[pain chance]] sometimes makes it difficult for it to retaliate when damaged at a fast rate.
  
An imp can usually be killed by a single [[shotgun]] shell and often by six bullets. As the citation above implies, facing multiple imps with a [[pistol]] takes concentration, but it can be done, given sufficient maneuvering room and adequate footwork on the player's part. In fact, the imp's relatively high [[pain chance]] sometimes makes it difficult for it to retaliate when damaged often.
+
Imps often come in packs, and the [[super shotgun]] or [[rocket launcher]] are both particularly effective here. While the standard shotgun is not completely reliable in dispatching an imp per shell, a blast from the super shotgun usually brings two down and, in rare cases, even three. The rocket launcher can take out entire crowds with little difficulty if used carefully.
  
Imps often come in packs, and the [[super shotgun]] or [[rocket launcher]] are both particularly effective here. While the standard shotgun is not completely reliable in dispatching an imp per shell, a blast from the super shotgun usually brings two down and, in rare cases, even three. The rocket launcher can take out entire crowds with little difficulty if used carefully.  When killed, it either lets out an animalistic moan of pain or a distorted gurgle as a hole opens up in its mid-section, unleashing plentiful amounts of blood as it falls onto its back.
+
Melee against an imp should usually be avoided by novices as it is much trickier than against a [[demon]], since the imp is faster with its clawing attack than the less dexterous demon. The [[chainsaw]] takes only a bit of time to dispatch an imp, so it is convenient against a single enemy, but the player risks being surrounded if there are several imps. If the encounter takes place in a large open area or with the advantage of surprise from around a corner, hit-and-run tactics with the [[Berserk pack|berserk fist]] are safe and effective, as long as the player is not under fire from other directions.
  
Melee against an imp should usually be avoided by novices as it is much trickier than against a [[demon]], as the imp is quicker with its clawing attack than the generally less dexterous demon. The [[chainsaw]] takes only a bit of time to dispatch an imp, so it is convenient against a single enemy, but the player risks being surrounded if there are several imps. If the encounter takes place in a large open area, hit-and-run tactics with the [[Berserk pack|berserk fist]] are safe and effective, as long as the player is not under fire from different sides.
+
Although its ranged attack and hit point total give it an advantage against the lesser [[Former human|zombies]], the imp can easily find itself outmatched during [[monster infighting]]. A single imp fighting a [[shotgun guy]] may yet call victory, but a [[demon]] or [[spectre]] can almost always overpower the first two or three imps they engage in melee, and a couple of blows from any larger monster will more than likely put an imp out of its misery.
  
Although its ranged attack and hit point total give it an advantage against the lesser [[Former human|zombies]], the imp can easily find itself outmatched during [[monster infighting]]. A single imp fighting a [[shotgun guy]] may yet call victory, but a [[demon]] or [[spectre]] can almost always overpower the first two or three imps they engage in melee, and a couple of blows from any even larger monster will more than likely put an imp out of its misery.
+
Imp fireballs move twice as fast as usual when either the [[Nightmare!]] skill level or the {{c|-fast}} [[command line parameter]] are used, and these are hurled persistently by the monster as long as a target is in sight.
 
 
Imp fireballs move fifty percent faster than usual when either the [[Nightmare!]] skill level or the <tt>-fast</tt> [[Command line arguments|command line parameter]] are used, and these are hurled rather persistently by the monster as long as a target is in sight.
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
* The [[Doom source code]] gives the object name <tt>MT_TROOP</tt> and the sprite root name <tt>TROO</tt> to the imp, arguably because imps were called "demon troops" in the [[Doom Bible]], being the main and more common force of monsters of a directly demonic origin in the invasion. According those early plans, the imps were meant to belong to a different species than the demon troops and were described as more traditionally impish in design; small flying demons, possibly like those eventually found in [[Heretic]], which were apparently called [[gargoyle]]s mainly to distinguish them from the existing Doom monster, since they look like commonplace imps.
+
* The [[Doom source code]] gives the object name {{c|MT_TROOP}} and the [[sprite]] root name {{c|TROO}} to the imp, due to the fact that imps as they exist in the final game developed from a concept called the "demon troop" in the [[Doom Bible]], being the main and more common force of monsters of a directly demonic origin in the invasion. According to those early plans, the imps were meant to belong to a different species than the demon troops, and were described as more traditionally impish in design: small flying demons, possibly like those eventually found in [[Heretic]].
 
+
* The imp-like [[gargoyle]] of [[Heretic]] was named as such mainly to distinguish it from the existing Doom monster, since it looks like the commonplace concept of an imp.
* Apart from [[former human|zombies]] and [[Wolfenstein SS]], the imp is the only monster that can be [[gibs|gibbed]] with [[rocket launcher|rockets]], [[berserk]] [[fist]] attacks, [[barrel]] [[blast damage|explosions]] and [[BFG9000|BFG]] blasts.
+
* Apart from [[former human|zombies]] and [[Wolfenstein SS]], the imp is the only monster that can be [[gibs|gibbed]] with [[rocket launcher|rockets]], berserk fist attacks, [[barrel]] [[blast damage|explosions]] and [[BFG9000|BFG]] blasts.
 
+
* Imps are the only other Doom monsters aside from zombies that emit two different alert sounds when spotting the player.
* Imps are the only other monsters aside from zombies that emit two different alert and death sounds when spotting the player.
+
* The official French name of the monster is ''diablotin''.
* Its very difficult getting two imps infighting together but, if one imp manages to destroy a barrel, the resulting explosion hurts any nearby imps and will turn towards the one that blew up the barrel in the first place, they will hurt themselves through scratching.
 
 
 
* The Imp gibbing death sprite contains a [[Zombieman]] arm.
 
  
 
== Data ==
 
== Data ==
Line 44: Line 39:
 
   |ID #||3001 (decimal), BB9 (hex)
 
   |ID #||3001 (decimal), BB9 (hex)
 
   |-
 
   |-
   |[[Hit points]]||60
+
   |[[Hit point]]s||60
 
   |-
 
   |-
 
   |Speed||8 [[map unit]]s per frame<br>(93.3 map units per second)
 
   |Speed||8 [[map unit]]s per frame<br>(93.3 map units per second)
Line 54: Line 49:
 
   |Reaction time||8
 
   |Reaction time||8
 
   |-
 
   |-
   |[[Pain chance]]||200 (78.13%)
+
   |[[Pain chance]]||200 (79.30%)
 
   |-
 
   |-
   |Pain time||4 tics
+
   |Pain time||4 [[tic]]s
 
   |-
 
   |-
 
   |[[Mass]]||100
 
   |[[Mass]]||100
Line 124: Line 119:
 
|}
 
|}
  
[[Image:TrooMHistogram.png|none|300px|thumb|''Damage done by an imp's attack (either type)'']]
+
[[File:TrooMHistogram.png|none|300px|thumb|''Damage done by an imp's attack (either type)'']]
  
 
{| {{prettytable}}
 
{| {{prettytable}}
 
| '''Scratches needed to kill'''<sup>1</sup>
 
| '''Scratches 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 151: Line 146:
 
|[[Chaingunner]]||5.88||1.20||4||10
 
|[[Chaingunner]]||5.88||1.20||4||10
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Lost Soul]]||8.05||1.41||5||12
+
|[[Lost soul]]||8.05||1.41||5||12
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Commander Keen]]||8.05||1.41||5||12
 
|[[Commander Keen]]||8.05||1.41||5||12
Line 159: Line 154:
 
|[[Spectre]]||11.65||1.67||8||16
 
|[[Spectre]]||11.65||1.67||8||16
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Boss Brain]]<sup>2</sup>||19.27||1.92||14||23
+
|[[Boss brain]]<sup>2</sup>||19.27||1.92||14||23
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Revenant]]||22.81||2.10||17||27
 
|[[Revenant]]||22.81||2.10||17||27
Line 165: Line 160:
 
|[[Cacodemon]]||30.37||2.33||25||35
 
|[[Cacodemon]]||30.37||2.33||25||35
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Pain Elemental]]||30.37||2.33||25||35
+
|[[Pain elemental]]||30.37||2.33||25||35
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Hell Knight]]||37.80||2.58||31||44
+
|[[Hell knight]]||37.80||2.58||31||44
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Arachnotron]]||37.80||2.58||31||44
 
|[[Arachnotron]]||37.80||2.58||31||44
Line 173: Line 168:
 
|[[Mancubus]]||45.09||2.84||39||51
 
|[[Mancubus]]||45.09||2.84||39||51
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Arch-Vile]]||52.64||2.85||46||58
+
|[[Arch-vile]]||52.64||2.85||46||58
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Baron of Hell]]||74.97||2.91||69||81
 
|[[Baron of Hell]]||74.97||2.91||69||81
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Spider Mastermind]]||223.72||3.17||217||231
+
|[[Spiderdemon]]||223.72||3.17||217||231
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Cyberdemon]]||298.48||3.71||290||307
 
|[[Cyberdemon]]||298.48||3.71||290||307
Line 186: Line 181:
 
| '''Fireballs needed to kill'''
 
| '''Fireballs 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 208: Line 203:
 
|[[Chaingunner]]||5.87||1.21||4||9
 
|[[Chaingunner]]||5.87||1.21||4||9
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Lost Soul]]||8.09||1.36||5||11
+
|[[Lost soul]]||8.09||1.36||5||11
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Commander Keen]]||8.09||1.36||5||11
 
|[[Commander Keen]]||8.09||1.36||5||11
Line 216: Line 211:
 
|[[Spectre]]||11.68||1.70||8||16
 
|[[Spectre]]||11.68||1.70||8||16
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Boss Brain]]<sup>2</sup>||19.25||2.10||14||24
+
|[[Boss brain]]<sup>2</sup>||19.25||2.10||14||24
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Revenant]]||22.80||2.24||17||28
 
|[[Revenant]]||22.80||2.24||17||28
Line 222: Line 217:
 
|[[Cacodemon]]||30.42||2.51||24||36
 
|[[Cacodemon]]||30.42||2.51||24||36
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Pain Elemental]]||30.42||2.51||24||36
+
|[[Pain elemental]]||30.42||2.51||24||36
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Hell Knight]]||37.79||2.79||30||44
+
|[[Hell knight]]||37.79||2.79||30||44
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Arachnotron]]||37.79||2.79||30||44
 
|[[Arachnotron]]||37.79||2.79||30||44
Line 230: Line 225:
 
|[[Mancubus]]||45.16||3.09||36||52
 
|[[Mancubus]]||45.16||3.09||36||52
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Arch-Vile]]||52.64||3.04||46||60
+
|[[Arch-vile]]||52.64||3.04||46||60
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Baron of Hell]]||74.95||2.64||70||81
 
|[[Baron of Hell]]||74.95||2.64||70||81
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Spider Mastermind]]||223.64||2.66||217||230
+
|[[Spiderdemon]]||223.64||2.66||217||230
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Cyberdemon]]||298.47||2.97||290||305
 
|[[Cyberdemon]]||298.47||2.97||290||305
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
<small>
+
<div style="font-size: smaller">
#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).
</small>
+
</div>
  
 
== Appearance statistics ==
 
== Appearance statistics ==
  
In [[classic Doom]], the imp is first encountered on these maps:
+
In the [[IWAD]]s the imp is first encountered on these maps per [[Skill level#Doom and Doom II skill levels|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}}
|[[Ultimate Doom]]||[[E1M1: Hangar (Doom)|E1M1: Hangar]]||[[E1M1: Hangar (Doom)|E1M1: Hangar]]||[[E1M1: Hangar (Doom)|E1M1: Hangar]]
+
!colspan="4"|Single-player
 +
|-
 +
!Game / ''Episode''!!1-2!!3!!4-5
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Knee-Deep in the Dead]]''||[[E1M1: Hangar]]||E1M1: Hangar||E1M1: Hangar
 +
|-
 +
|''[[The Shores of Hell]]''||[[E2M1: Deimos Anomaly]]||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Inferno]]''||[[E3M1: Hell Keep]]||E3M1: Hell Keep||E3M1: Hell Keep
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Thy Flesh Consumed]]''||[[E4M1: Hell Beneath]]||E4M1: Hell Beneath||E4M1: Hell Beneath
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Doom II]]||[[MAP01: Entryway (Doom II)|MAP01: Entryway]]||[[MAP01: Entryway (Doom II)|MAP01: Entryway]]||[[MAP01: Entryway (Doom II)|MAP01: Entryway]]
+
|[[Doom II]]||[[MAP01: Entryway]]||MAP01: Entryway||MAP01: Entryway
|-    
+
|-
|[[TNT: Evilution]]||[[MAP01: System Control (TNT: Evilution)|MAP01: System Control]]||[[MAP01: System Control (TNT: Evilution)|MAP01: System Control]]||[[MAP01: System Control (TNT: Evilution)|MAP01: System Control]]
+
|[[TNT: Evilution]]||[[MAP01: System Control]]||MAP01: System Control||MAP01: System Control
|-    
+
|-
|[[Plutonia]]||[[MAP01: Congo (The Plutonia Experiment)|MAP01: Congo]]||[[MAP01: Congo (The Plutonia Experiment)|MAP01: Congo]]||[[MAP01: Congo (The Plutonia Experiment)|MAP01: Congo]]
+
|[[Plutonia Experiment]]||[[MAP01: Congo]]||MAP01: Congo||MAP01: Congo
 
|}
 
|}
 +
{{col-break}}
 +
{| {{prettytable}}
 +
!colspan="4"|Multiplayer
 +
|-
 +
!Game / ''Episode''!!1-2!!3!!4-5
 +
|-
 +
|''Knee-Deep in the Dead''||E1M1: Hangar||E1M1: Hangar||E1M1: Hangar
 +
|-
 +
|''The Shores of Hell''||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly
 +
|-
 +
|''Inferno''||E3M1: Hell Keep||E3M1: Hell Keep||E3M1: Hell Keep
 +
|-
 +
|''Thy Flesh Consumed''||E4M1: Hell Beneath||E4M1: Hell Beneath||E4M1: Hell Beneath
 +
|-
 +
|Doom II||MAP01: Entryway||MAP01: Entryway||MAP01: Entryway
 +
|-
 +
|TNT: Evilution||MAP01: System Control||MAP01: System Control||MAP01: System Control
 +
|-
 +
|Plutonia Experiment||MAP01: Congo||MAP01: Congo||MAP01: Congo
 +
|}
 +
{{col-end}}
  
The [[IWAD]]s contain the following numbers of imps:
+
The IWADs contain the following numbers of imps per skill level:
 +
 
 +
{{col-begin}}
 +
{{col-break|width=50%}}
 +
{| {{prettytable|style=text-align: center;}}
 +
!colspan="4"|Single-player
 +
|-
 +
!Game / ''Episode''!!1-2!!3!!4-5
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[Knee-Deep in the Dead]]''||''87''||''193''||''277''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[The Shores of Hell]]''||''164''||''221''||''275''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[Inferno]]''||''82''||''136''||''167''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Doom|Doom (registered)]]||333||550||719
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[Thy Flesh Consumed]]''||''154''||''221''||''255''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Ultimate Doom]]||487||771||974
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Doom II]]||488||905||1223
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[TNT: Evilution]]||861||1206||1357
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Plutonia Experiment]]||371||406||436
 +
|}
 +
{{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''||''87''||''193''||''277''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''The Shores of Hell''||''164''||''221''||''275''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''Inferno''||''82''||''136''||''167''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Doom (registered)||333||550||719
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''Thy Flesh Consumed''||''154''||''221''||''255''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Ultimate Doom||487||771||974
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Doom II||488||905||1223
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|TNT: Evilution||924||1276||1431
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Plutonia Experiment||392||454||481
 +
|}
 +
{{col-end}}
 +
 
 +
Of the maps covered on the Doom Wiki, the following have the highest numbers of imps in single-player on skills 4-5:
 
{| {{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
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Ultimate Doom]]||487||771||974
+
| [[Holy Hell Revealed]] || 10307
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Doom II]]||488||905||1223
+
| [[Holy Hell]] MAP05 || 4334
 
|-
 
|-
|[[TNT: Evilution]]||861||1206||1357
+
| [[MAP11: The Furnace (Sunder)]] || 2197
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Plutonia]]||371||406||436
+
| [[MAP31: In Death, is Life (MAYhem 2016)]] || 1730
 +
|-
 +
| [[MAP15: Babylon's Chimera (Sunder)]] || 1724
 
|}
 
|}
 +
''This data was last verified on August 2, 2019.''
  
 
== Other games ==
 
== Other games ==
 
+
[[File:Doom64Imp-Doom64ex.jpg|thumb|The [[Doom 64]] imp at close range.]]
 
=== Doom 64 ===
 
=== Doom 64 ===
 +
The imp is featured in [[Doom 64]], though with a sleeker appearance, only having noticeable spine-like spikes along its back.
  
[[File:Doom64Imp-Doom64ex.jpg|thumb|The [[Doom 64]] imp at close range.]]
+
A more powerful variant known as the [[nightmare imp]] also occurs as one of the new monsters in the game.
The imp is featured in [[Doom 64]], though with a sleeker appearance, only having noticeable spikes along its back.
 
 
 
A more powerful variant known as the [[Nightmare Imp]] is also one of the new monsters in the game.
 
  
This version of the Imp also features discrete animations for melee attacks versus ranged attacks, similar to the [[Revenant]] in other games. This means that unlike other versions of the game, the Imp will not throw a fireball if his melee attack misses the player (since in other versions, the attack type - fireball or melee - is determined by the victim's proximity at the end of the attack animation).
+
This version of the imp also features discrete animations for melee attacks versus ranged attacks, similar to the [[revenant]] in other games. This means that unlike the original version, the attack type is determined when it commences rather than by the victim's proximity at a particular [[frame]]; the imp cannot throw a fireball the instant his claws have missed the player.
  
 
=== Doom RPG ===
 
=== Doom RPG ===
 
+
In [[Doom RPG]] and its sequel, [[Doom II RPG]], the imp appears as a class of monster. There are three variations, identified by color:
In [[Doom RPG]], the imp appears as a class of monster. There are three variations, identified by color:
 
 
*Impling (green)
 
*Impling (green)
 
*Imp (normal colors)
 
*Imp (normal colors)
 
*Imp lord (red with green eyes)
 
*Imp lord (red with green eyes)
 
Imps are most susceptible to attacks from shotguns.
 
Imps are most susceptible to attacks from shotguns.
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<gallery mode="nolines" widths="230px" heights="230px">
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Impling BREW 2.png|Impling
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Impling.png|An impling in the BREW 2.1 version of Doom RPG.
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ImpDoomRPG.png|Imp
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Doom RPG Imp Lord.png|Imp Lord
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</gallery>
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<gallery mode="nolines" widths="240px" heights="135px">
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ImplingDoom2RPG.jpg|The impling in the iOS version of Doom II RPG.
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Doom II RPG Imp.png|An Imp and Impling in the iOS version of Doom II RPG.
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</gallery>
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
 
 
* [[Impse]]
 
* [[Impse]]
* [[Nightmare Imp]]
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* [[Nightmare imp]]
  
 
{{Doom monsters}}
 
{{Doom monsters}}
 
{{Sony PlayStation monsters}}
 
{{Sony PlayStation monsters}}

Revision as of 19:32, 5 July 2020

An imp moves to attack our hero in E1M1: Hangar
This article is about the monster in the classic Doom series. For other games, see:

The imp is a human-sized, humanoid, fireball-flinging monster, the most common opponent encountered in id Software's Doom and Doom II. It is leather brown in color, with red eyes, numerous white bony spikes protruding from its body, and sharp white claws on its hands and feet. Imps encourage new players to practice strafing. They are officially described as follows:

"You thought an imp was a cute little dude in a red suit with a pitchfork. Where did these brown bastards come from? They heave balls o' fire down your throat and take several bullets to die. It's time to find a weapon better than that pistol if you're going to face more than one of these S.O.B.s."
― Doom instruction manual [source]

Combat characteristics

An imp will make one of two different loud, serpentine hisses when it is alerted. An imp attacks by hurling a single bright red fireball, which inflicts projectile damage when it strikes another living object. At melee range, it uses its razor-sharp claws to scratch; if its target moves out of range before this attack has followed through, the imp will proceed to shoot a fireball instead. When killed without being gibbed, an imp will randomly emit one of two distinct low-pitched snarls, as it falls on its back and a hole opens up in its midsection, disgorging plentiful amounts of blood.

Tactical analysis

The imp moves slowly, as do its fireballs. The player should practice until evading both sorts of objects becomes completely straightforward (except perhaps under highly unusual circumstances, such as a teleportation trap, in close quarters, or when surrounded).

An imp can usually be killed by a single shotgun shell and often by six bullets. As the citation above implies, facing multiple imps with a pistol takes concentration, but it can be done, given sufficient maneuvering room and adequate footwork on the player's part. In fact, the imp's relatively high pain chance sometimes makes it difficult for it to retaliate when damaged at a fast rate.

Imps often come in packs, and the super shotgun or rocket launcher are both particularly effective here. While the standard shotgun is not completely reliable in dispatching an imp per shell, a blast from the super shotgun usually brings two down and, in rare cases, even three. The rocket launcher can take out entire crowds with little difficulty if used carefully.

Melee against an imp should usually be avoided by novices as it is much trickier than against a demon, since the imp is faster with its clawing attack than the less dexterous demon. The chainsaw takes only a bit of time to dispatch an imp, so it is convenient against a single enemy, but the player risks being surrounded if there are several imps. If the encounter takes place in a large open area or with the advantage of surprise from around a corner, hit-and-run tactics with the berserk fist are safe and effective, as long as the player is not under fire from other directions.

Although its ranged attack and hit point total give it an advantage against the lesser zombies, the imp can easily find itself outmatched during monster infighting. A single imp fighting a shotgun guy may yet call victory, but a demon or spectre can almost always overpower the first two or three imps they engage in melee, and a couple of blows from any larger monster will more than likely put an imp out of its misery.

Imp fireballs move twice as fast as usual when either the Nightmare! skill level or the -fast command line parameter are used, and these are hurled persistently by the monster as long as a target is in sight.

Notes

  • The Doom source code gives the object name MT_TROOP and the sprite root name TROO to the imp, due to the fact that imps as they exist in the final game developed from a concept called the "demon troop" in the Doom Bible, being the main and more common force of monsters of a directly demonic origin in the invasion. According to those early plans, the imps were meant to belong to a different species than the demon troops, and were described as more traditionally impish in design: small flying demons, possibly like those eventually found in Heretic.
  • The imp-like gargoyle of Heretic was named as such mainly to distinguish it from the existing Doom monster, since it looks like the commonplace concept of an imp.
  • Apart from zombies and Wolfenstein SS, the imp is the only monster that can be gibbed with rockets, berserk fist attacks, barrel explosions and BFG blasts.
  • Imps are the only other Doom monsters aside from zombies that emit two different alert sounds when spotting the player.
  • The official French name of the monster is diablotin.

Data

Attributes
ID # 3001 (decimal), BB9 (hex)
Hit points 60
Speed 8 map units per frame
(93.3 map units per second)
Width 40
Height 56
Reaction time 8
Pain chance 200 (79.30%)
Pain time 4 tics
Mass 100
Bits 4194310
Bits list

1: Obstacle

2: Shootable

22: Affects Kill %

Sprites & sounds
Sprite name TROO
Alert sound DSBGSIT1 or
DSBGSIT2
Action sound DSBGACT
Pain sound DSPOPAIN
Death sound DSBGDTH1 or
DSBGDTH2 (normal)
DSSLOP (gibs)
Melee attack
Damage 3-24
Sound DSCLAW
Ranged attack
Type Projectile
Speed 10 map units per tic
(350 map units per second)
Damage 3-24
Width 6
Height 8
Sprite name BAL1
Sound DSFIRSHT (firing)
DSFIRXPL (impact)
Damage done by an imp's attack (either type)
Scratches needed to kill1 Mean Standard
deviation
Min Max
Player (100%
health, no armor)
8.05 1.41 5 12
Player (100%
health, security armor)
11.65 1.67 8 16
Player (200%
health, combat armor)
29.11 2.22 24 34
Barrel 2.04 0.79 1 4
Trooper 2.04 0.79 1 4
Sergeant 2.77 0.78 2 5
Wolfenstein SS 4.30 1.03 3 8
Imp 4.97 1.09 3 9
Chaingunner 5.88 1.20 4 10
Lost soul 8.05 1.41 5 12
Commander Keen 8.05 1.41 5 12
Demon 11.65 1.67 8 16
Spectre 11.65 1.67 8 16
Boss brain2 19.27 1.92 14 23
Revenant 22.81 2.10 17 27
Cacodemon 30.37 2.33 25 35
Pain elemental 30.37 2.33 25 35
Hell knight 37.80 2.58 31 44
Arachnotron 37.80 2.58 31 44
Mancubus 45.09 2.84 39 51
Arch-vile 52.64 2.85 46 58
Baron of Hell 74.97 2.91 69 81
Spiderdemon 223.72 3.17 217 231
Cyberdemon 298.48 3.71 290 307
Fireballs needed to kill Mean Standard
deviation
Min Max
Player (100%
health, no armor)
8.09 1.36 5 11
Player (100%
health, security armor)
11.68 1.70 8 16
Player (200%
health, combat armor)
29.19 2.26 24 34
Barrel 2.04 0.77 1 5
Trooper 2.04 0.77 1 5
Sergeant 2.75 0.78 2 5
Wolfenstein SS 4.30 0.99 3 7
Imp3
Chaingunner 5.87 1.21 4 9
Lost soul 8.09 1.36 5 11
Commander Keen 8.09 1.36 5 11
Demon 11.68 1.70 8 16
Spectre 11.68 1.70 8 16
Boss brain2 19.25 2.10 14 24
Revenant 22.80 2.24 17 28
Cacodemon 30.42 2.51 24 36
Pain elemental 30.42 2.51 24 36
Hell knight 37.79 2.79 30 44
Arachnotron 37.79 2.79 30 44
Mancubus 45.16 3.09 36 52
Arch-vile 52.64 3.04 46 60
Baron of Hell 74.95 2.64 70 81
Spiderdemon 223.64 2.66 217 230
Cyberdemon 298.47 2.97 290 305
  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

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

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

Of the maps covered on the Doom Wiki, the following have the highest numbers of imps in single-player on skills 4-5:

Map Count
Holy Hell Revealed 10307
Holy Hell MAP05 4334
MAP11: The Furnace (Sunder) 2197
MAP31: In Death, is Life (MAYhem 2016) 1730
MAP15: Babylon's Chimera (Sunder) 1724

This data was last verified on August 2, 2019.

Other games

The Doom 64 imp at close range.

Doom 64

The imp is featured in Doom 64, though with a sleeker appearance, only having noticeable spine-like spikes along its back.

A more powerful variant known as the nightmare imp also occurs as one of the new monsters in the game.

This version of the imp also features discrete animations for melee attacks versus ranged attacks, similar to the revenant in other games. This means that unlike the original version, the attack type is determined when it commences rather than by the victim's proximity at a particular frame; the imp cannot throw a fireball the instant his claws have missed the player.

Doom RPG

In Doom RPG and its sequel, Doom II RPG, the imp appears as a class of monster. There are three variations, identified by color:

  • Impling (green)
  • Imp (normal colors)
  • Imp lord (red with green eyes)

Imps are most susceptible to attacks from shotguns.

See also