Difference between revisions of "Vlad the Impaler"
(→Strategy: taming Vlad) |
(→Strategy: shapeshifting happens when out of your sight) |
||
| Line 32: | Line 32: | ||
Be careful not to [[confuse]] Vlad: if he then [[levelport]]s by reading a [[scroll of teleportation]], you get to look for him in his Tower, all of [[Gehennom]] above it, and the entire [[Dungeons of Doom]], which is very annoying. This also makes [[Magicbane]] an impractical choice. | Be careful not to [[confuse]] Vlad: if he then [[levelport]]s by reading a [[scroll of teleportation]], you get to look for him in his Tower, all of [[Gehennom]] above it, and the entire [[Dungeons of Doom]], which is very annoying. This also makes [[Magicbane]] an impractical choice. | ||
| − | Vlad is not technically immune to polymorph if you defeat his monster MR. | + | Vlad is not technically immune to polymorph if you defeat his monster MR. However, polymorphing him would normally result in him attempting to shapeshift into an alternate vampire form (fog cloud, vampire bat, or wolf), but this is disallowed if he is holding the Candelabrum of Invocation.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|3373|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} Thus, attempting to polymorph him normally has no effect. However, if you have [[protection from shape changers]], vampires – including Vlad – are randomly polymorphed like other monsters, and this bypasses the check for holding the Candelabrum.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|3847|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} |
| − | If you manage to have Vlad alive but deprived of the Candelabrum (such as by stoning him, taking the Candelabrum, and then [[stone-to-flesh|unstoning]] him), he may shapeshift into an alternate | + | If you manage to have Vlad alive but deprived of the Candelabrum (such as by stoning him, taking the Candelabrum, and then [[stone-to-flesh|unstoning]] him), he may shapeshift into an alternate form when he is out of your sight; it is useful to blind yourself or hide in a closet if you are trying to get him to do so. In his alternate forms, he is not covetous, and so can be [[tame]]d. After taming him, you can use protection from shape changers to force him back to vampire form. His high speed, strong attacks, and ability to use equipment can make him a powerful pet. |
==History== | ==History== | ||
Revision as of 04:02, 27 July 2023
V Vlad the Impaler 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 32 |
| Attacks |
Weapon 2d10, bite 1d12 drain life |
| Base level | 28 |
| Base experience | 1087 |
| Speed | 26 |
| Base AC | -6 |
| Base MR | 80 |
| Alignment | -10 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Unique |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 (human corpse) |
| Size | Medium |
| Resistances | Sleep, poison |
| Resistances conveyed |
None |
|
Vlad the Impaler:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line1869 |
Vlad the Impaler, V, is a unique vampire that appears in NetHack. He guards the Candelabrum of Invocation. Like his weaker vampire brethren, he possesses the abilities of flight, unbreathing, and life-draining bites. He is also covetous, and will warp to the upstairs (or the ladder down in his tower) to heal.
Contents
Generation
Vlad the Impaler resides on a throne in the center of the top floor of his tower, which is situated within Gehennom. Along with the Candelabrum, Vlad has a 79% chance of generating with any one of the following weapon sets: a two-handed sword, a long sword, a lucern hammer, a battle-axe, or a bow and 3-14 arrows.[1]
Strategy
Vlad is the second fastest monster in the game at 26 speed, far faster than a player with speed boots. He hits hard and often, and is capable of sneaking in several warp-and-bites and retreating to the stairs/ladder before you get a chance to retaliate. Unlike other covetous monsters, if you are standing on the ladder yourself, he will warp away a few steps when hurt instead of staying next to the ladder - if you take the bait and follow, he may then reach the ladder and escape down. Above all else, he deals double damage during the midnight hour (0:00-0:59 server time) due to being undead, and he is also immune to sleep and death rays.
Combined with his high 130 base HP, Vlad can be quite frustrating to fight, especially for low-damage characters. The quickest way to deal with him is to use a footrice corpse or a potion of paralysis. If neither is available, you will need solid AC and a well-enchanted silver weapon to take him down quickly. Failing that, you can let him escape the tower into the main area of Gehennom, and stand on an upstair to fight him.
Be careful not to confuse Vlad: if he then levelports by reading a scroll of teleportation, you get to look for him in his Tower, all of Gehennom above it, and the entire Dungeons of Doom, which is very annoying. This also makes Magicbane an impractical choice.
Vlad is not technically immune to polymorph if you defeat his monster MR. However, polymorphing him would normally result in him attempting to shapeshift into an alternate vampire form (fog cloud, vampire bat, or wolf), but this is disallowed if he is holding the Candelabrum of Invocation.[2] Thus, attempting to polymorph him normally has no effect. However, if you have protection from shape changers, vampires – including Vlad – are randomly polymorphed like other monsters, and this bypasses the check for holding the Candelabrum.[3]
If you manage to have Vlad alive but deprived of the Candelabrum (such as by stoning him, taking the Candelabrum, and then unstoning him), he may shapeshift into an alternate form when he is out of your sight; it is useful to blind yourself or hide in a closet if you are trying to get him to do so. In his alternate forms, he is not covetous, and so can be tamed. After taming him, you can use protection from shape changers to force him back to vampire form. His high speed, strong attacks, and ability to use equipment can make him a powerful pet.
History
Vlad the Impaler first appears in NetHack 3.0.0. From this version to NetHack 3.6.1, Vlad used to be significantly slower, weaker and wouldn't teleport away. He was widely regarded as being quite a feeble enemy for the stage of the game when he is faced - he was not significantly stronger than the vampire lords which appear as normal enemies.
Particularly during the era of NetHack 3.4.3, jokes abounded of fighting him with food rations, magic markers, thoroughly rusty thoroughly corroded tin openers or orcish daggers, not moving every second turn while fighting him, or a variety of other absurd scenarios which would normally result in YASD, and still easily defeating Vlad. The items used for such exploits had become known as Vladsbanes, Vladbanes or Vladsmashers (in a mockery of the Banes) - these items were often #named so in tribute, as seen in the link below. The danger of Vlad reading a scroll of teleportation while confused even gave you a legitimate reason to use a Vladbane-type weapon instead of Magicbane. A variety of patches were written before 3.6.1 to address this issue by altering Vlad in some way. One of the better known ones was the aptly-named Vlad Balance patch.
Dudley's dungeon
The Dudley's dungeon strip for 30 November 2006 (via Wayback Machine) featured several humorous attempts to remake Vlad; see also the comments for the 30 November and 1 December strips.
Origin
Vlad is a major vampire based mostly on the fictional Count Dracula, who is in turn based on the non-fictional Vlad Drăculea, a 15th century Romanian prince.
Variants
Several variants that feature Vlad either adjust his placement in the dungeon, or else employ their own methods to make him significantly stronger and more challenging.
SporkHack
In SporkHack he's been beefed up significantly, most notably by arming him with an artifact two-handed sword named Lifestealer that has similar properties to Stormbringer.
GruntHack
GruntHack enhances Vlad's vital statistics (base level 28, base speed 24, stunning and confusion attacks) and give him a guaranteed thirsty spetum and a stack of cursed scrolls of teleportation.
SLASH'EM
Strangely, in SLASH'EM there is also the distinct Count Dracula as a quest nemesis. So they are two monsters, derived from the same non-fictional Vlad Drăculea. Dracula's last words ("Mark my words, niggling! I shall return!") imply that they may be intended to be one and the same, though.
dNetHack
Vlad is adjusted in dNetHack, adding a seductive gaze to the 3.4.3 version of his attacks. In addition, he now resides at the top of the Windowless Tower with his 3 consorts. However, none of them are particularly threatening by the time one reaches his level, assuming one has acquired an engagement ring.
| V Vlad the Impaler
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 21 |
| Attacks |
Single-target (active) gaze attack 0d0 seduction, Weapon 1d10 physical, Bite 1d12 vampiric |
| Base level | 16 |
| Base experience | 612 |
| Speed | 18 |
| Base AC | -4 |
| Base MR | 80 |
| Alignment | -13 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 0 (Not randomly generated) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | medium |
| Resistances | cold, sleep, poison |
| Resistances conveyed | |
|
Vlad the Impaler:
| |
V Mina Harker 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 17 |
| Attacks |
Weapon 1d10 physical, Bite 1d12 vampiric, Single-target (active) gaze attack 0d0 seduction |
| Base level | 13 |
| Base experience | 474 |
| Speed | 16 |
| Base AC | -4 |
| Base MR | 40 |
| Alignment | -10 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 0 (Not randomly generated) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | medium |
| Resistances | cold, sleep, poison |
| Resistances conveyed | |
|
Mina Harker:
| |
V Ilona Szilagy 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 17 |
| Attacks |
Weapon 1d10 physical, Bite 1d12 vampiric, Cast 2d6 mage spell |
| Base level | 13 |
| Base experience | 459 |
| Speed | 16 |
| Base AC | 4 |
| Base MR | 80 |
| Alignment | -10 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 0 (Not randomly generated) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | medium |
| Resistances | cold, sleep, poison |
| Resistances conveyed | |
|
Ilona Szilagy:
| |
V Carmilla 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 17 |
| Attacks |
Single-target (active) gaze attack 0d0 seduction, Weapon 1d10 physical, Bite 1d12 vampiric |
| Base level | 13 |
| Base experience | 459 |
| Speed | 16 |
| Base AC | 0 |
| Base MR | 50 |
| Alignment | -10 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 0 (Not randomly generated) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | medium |
| Resistances | cold, sleep, poison |
| Resistances conveyed | |
|
Carmilla:
| |
Encyclopedia entry
Vlad Dracula the Impaler was a 15th-Century monarch of the Birgau region of the Carpathian Mountains, in what is now Romania. In Romanian history he is best known for two things. One was his skilled handling of the Ottoman Turks, which kept them from making further inroads into Christian Europe. The other was the ruthless manner in which he ran his fiefdom. He dealt with perceived challengers to his rule by impaling them upright on wooden stakes. Visiting dignitaries who failed to doff their hats had them nailed to their head.
External links
References
