The Wyrm Caves

For the dragon-filled branch in UnNetHack, see Dragon Caves.

The Wyrm Caves are a dungeon branch that appear in SLASH'EM, SlashTHEM and Hack'EM.

Generation

SLASH'EM/SlashTHEM

The branch is accessed by a down stairway on level 20 or 21.

Hack'EM

The branch is accessed by a down stairway on level 22 or 23.

Description

The level's precise layout and contents depends on the variant it is encountered in.

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM, the branch consists of a single randomly-generated cavern level, with an example displayed below:

                                        ---                           ---
       ----                            -- -------                    -- ---
      --  |                            |        |                    |    |
      | D ----                   ----  |  ----- ---                  --   ---
     --      |            --------D |  | ---  |   |                   |     |
     |       ------      --  |    ww-- | | -- --- ----                |     |
   ---        --  --     |           | |    |   |    --  ---          |     |
  --     |^        -------   D    | -- | | --   ---   | -- --       --- -   |
  |    -----        DD       D    |--  | | ---    |   | |  w|       |       |
  -- ---   -- ---     ------      ------   w --   --D | |   |     --- --  ---
   ---      --- |     --   |        --       ^|    |  | --  | -----   DD  |
                ---w   |   ---  w             ---  | --  |D-| |  D  - ^   ---
                 --    --   --                  |  | |   -- ---  D   --  D  |
                 |      |   |  D            ^   |  | |    |          |--    --
                 |-     |   --   D  ---         ---| |    -- D      -|--     |
                --     --    |  -- -- |          D|| ----- --       D--      --
                |     --     ----------        D D-|   | -- |           w     |
                |    --            |      D    D   |-- Dw ---   --           --
                |w  --             |        ----  -- --  <    ---|      --- --
                -----              -- | -----  |  |   ---------  --- |D | ---
                                    -----      ----                ------

The cave contains 24 random D, four random w, five rot worms, 28 random gems, three random tools, four random weapons, five random potions, four random scrolls, five other random objects, and four random traps. Monster generation is biased toward random monsters.

SlashTHEM

In SlashTHEM, the layout and initial generation for monsters and objects remains the same, with the addition of a unique dragon known as the Dragon Lord. He has a random breath attack, and when defeated he drops an artifact gray dragon scale mail known as the Scales of the Dragon Lord.

Hack'EM

In Hack'EM, the Wyrm Caves instead consist of around five levels. The first level is a narrow cavernous path a few o and the down stairs hidden behind a group of boulders. The next three levels are mostly empty filler caves, while the last level's layout is based on the Dragon Caves from UnNetHack:

         -#####.......##########--     -#}}}}}}}}}}----#############--      
-------  |##.#..........#####....----  |}}}}}}}}}}}||.#############..---    
|$####-- --................##.......-----}}}}}}}}.---....######........---  
|$$##..| --..........##...............---}}}}}}}..||.......#.............---
-$$#...|--.....#........................}}}}}}}}..--.................#.....|
#0##...--##...###.........---...........}}}}}}}}..............}............|
$$$##..................###|--..........}}}}}}}}}......--......}}....#......|
#.$.#...............-------|..........}}}}}}}}}......-------...}}..........-
....#...##---.....---      -----.....}}}}}}}}......--- -----...}}}}.....##..
#.......#----.....------  -------...}}}}}}}}.......-----.........}}}.....#..
-#.......|--#........##----...---...}}}}}}}}......................}}.....##.
|##....---|..#.......#####.......}.}}}}}}}}..----##................}........
--------  --........###..........}}}}}}}}}}-------........####..............
-------    --.......#.}.........}}}}}}}}}}}----#----.....####...............
-#....---------.....}}}}.......}}}}}}}}}}}}.......|--....##......--#......--
#.......--.##--...}}}}}}......}}}}}}}}}}}}}......----...........--|#......--
#................}}..}}}.....}}}}}}}..}}}}}......---............|--##......-
.....--...............}}}###}}}}}}}}}.}}}}.....................--|.#........
.....--...#............#####}}}}}}}}}.}}}}...........#........-- |..........
-.........##..........#####}}}}}}}}}.}}}}}..........##.......--  --.........
---.....######...#########}}}}}}}}}.}}}}}}......##########.---    ----......

The level is populated by several adult D, which can include a wyvern and a hydra. There are also 15 random baby dragons and up to six random w.

The spots marked $ in the upper-left are a treasure horde. The horde contains a total of 4100 + 82d100 gold pieces, including some under the boulder. The five spots above the boulder each have a random gem. Four of those spots each have a 60% chance of a potion (gain ability, gain level, full healing, or enlightenment); an 80% chance of a random ring; and a 40% chance of a random amulet.

Scattered throughout the level are 12 gems, 3 tools, 3 weapons, 3 potions, 3 scrolls, 2d10 piles of 1d100 gold, 5 other random objects, and 4 traps. There are also 20 ​D eggs on the level, which you can gather to hatch an army of pet dragons.

See also

• Special level (SLASH'EM)