Upgrading objects

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In SLASH'EM, items may be upgraded into other objects.

Description

Upgrading is done by dipping an object into a potion of gain level[1] or using the gnomish tinker technique. If an object has multiple possible upgrades, each one is equally likely unless otherwise noted. Artifacts cannot be upgraded.

Upgrading objects does not break polymorphless conduct, and upgraded objects do not need to be dipped in a potion of restore ability to make the upgrade permanent as with polymorphed objects.

List of upgradeable items

Much of the information is taken from (with thanks to) Eva Myers's spoiler.[2]

Weapons and ammunition

Daggers

Old Object New Object
Orcish dagger Dagger
Dagger elven dagger, or
dark elven dagger
Great dagger
Elven dagger Great dagger
Dark elven dagger

This is a good source of great daggers, since they are never randomly generated. As of SLASH'EM version 0.0.7E7F3, great daggers DO NOT STACK. This is by design.[3] If you upgrade to a stack of great daggers, it will be stacked ONLY until they are thrown or dropped individually. After that, they will never stack again

Short swords

Old Object New Object
Orcish short sword Short sword
Elven short sword Dwarvish short sword
Dark elven short sword
Short sword
Dwarvish short sword elven short sword, or
dark elven short sword

Bows

Old Object New Object
Elven bow Bow
Dark elven bow
Yumi
Orcish bow
Bow elven bow,
dark elven bow, or
yumi

Arrows

Old Object New Object
Elven arrow Arrow
Dark elven arrow
Ya
Orcish arrow
Arrow elven arrow,
dark elven arrow, or
ya

Other weapons

Old Object New Object
Knife Stiletto
Stiletto Knife
Axe Battle-axe
Battle-axe Axe
Pick-axe Dwarvish mattock
Dwarvish mattock Pick-axe
Broadsword Elven broadsword
Elven broadsword Broadsword
Club Aklys
Aklys Club
War hammer Heavy hammer
Heavy hammer War hammer

Armor

Cloaks

Old Object New Object
Cloak of protection oilskin cloak, or
elven cloak
Cloak of invisibility
Cloak of magic resistance
Cloak of displacement
Dwarvish cloak
Orcish cloak
Oilskin cloak cloak of protection,
cloak of invisibility,
cloak of magic resistance, or
cloak of displacement
Elven cloak

Helmets

Old Object New Object
Fedora Elven leather helm
Elven leather helm Fedora
Dented pot Orcish helm
Orcish helm Dwarvish iron helm
Helm of brilliance
Helm of telepathy
Dwarvish iron helm helm of brilliance, or
helm of telepathy
Cornuthaum Dunce cap
Dunce cap Cornuthaum

Gloves

Old Object New Object
Leather gloves gauntlets of swimming, or
gauntlets of dexterity
Gauntlets of swimming Leather gloves
Gauntlets of dexterity

Shields

Old Object New Object
Elven shield Uruk-hai shield, or
orcish shield
Uruk-hai shield Elven shield
Orcish shield
Dwarvish roundshield Large shield
Large shield Dwarvish roundshield

Robes

Old Object New Object
Robe robe of protection, or
robe of power
Robe of protection Robe
Robe of power

Other armor

Old Object New Object
Elven mithril-coat Dark elven mithril-coat
Dark elven mithril-coat Elven mithril-coat
Orcish chain mail Chain mail
Chain mail Orcish chain mail
Studded leather armor Leather armor
Leather jacket
Leather armor Studded leather armor
Low boots High boots
High boots Low boots

Only low and high boots are upgradable. No boots can be upgraded into their magical counter-parts.

Tools

Containers

Old Object New Object
Large box Chest
Ice box
Chest Ice box
Sack 4/5 chance of oilskin sack,
1/5 chance of bag of holding
Oilskin sack Bag of holding
Bag of holding Oilskin sack

Magical tools

Old Object New Object
Tin whistle Magic whistle
Magic whistle Tin whistle
Wooden flute Magic flute (10-14 charges)
Magic flute Wooden flute
Tooled horn frost horn, fire horn, or
horn of plenty
Horn of plenty Tooled horn
Fire horn
Frost horn
Wooden harp Magic harp (10-14 charges)
Magic harp Wooden harp
Crystal ball Magic marker
Magic marker Crystal ball (3-12 charges, unless marker had fewer)

Mundane tools

Old Object New Object
Towel Blindfold
Blindfold Towel
Credit card Skeleton key
Lock pick
Skeleton key Lock pick
Leash Saddle
Saddle Leash
Tin opener Tinning kit (70-99 charges)
Tinning kit Tin opener
Tallow candle Wax candle
Wax candle Tallow candle
Oil lamp Brass lantern
Brass lantern Oil lamp

Food

Old Object New Object
K-ration cram ration, or
food ration
C-ration
Lembas wafer
Food ration Lembas wafer
Cram ration

Stones

Old Object New Object
Loadstone Flint stone
Flint stone luckstone, or
healthstone

Strategy

Upgrading objects, either by potions of gain level or the tinker techinque, is the "poor hacker's polypiling"[4]. It can be used to get some good items without many of the risks of polypiling. Most of the transformations are also reversible, although polypiling in SLASH'EM is by default reversible, since objects revert after some time. Also note that most of the magical items transform into other magical items, and mundane items change into other mundane items. Thus, with a few exceptions, it is not a viable way to make more magical items for polypiling. However, many useful items can be obtained, including helms of brilliance, healthstones, tinning kits, and magic markers.

Cost and safety

One potion is used up per item (or stack of items) transformed, if using a potion of gain level. If using the tinker technique, much more time passes, using up nutrition and spawning enemies. Thus, gnomes can save on potions, but must find a safe place to tinker, so they are neither interrupted or killed. Boulder forts work well, but may be hard to come by early in the game. Shops work very well in the early game, with the door locked. If you lack a way of (un)locking the door, you can also pick up an unpaid item and let the shopkeeper block the door. Be sure not to stand in a straight line from the door, so monsters can't shoot you, and beware tunneling monsters.

Upgrading a container doesn't destroy its contents, as polymorphing does. However, if you upgrade a container to a bag of holding, it will explode if it contains an item that would cause an explosion[5].

Enchanted armor and weapons

One good use of upgrading is to get highly-enchanted armor or weapons. A +5 orcish helm may be upgraded into a +5 helm of brilliance. Also, since many transformations are reversible, the player may change a highly enchanted piece of armor from one type to another. For example, a wizard has less use of a +3 helm of telepathy than a +3 helm of brilliance. Similarly, a player could upgrade a +2 orcish dagger into a +2 great dagger, for two-weaponing with (or skill-training for) Magicbane. Additionally, Elven armor can be enchanted, fairly reliably, to +7 and then upgraded. For example, a +7 elven cloak can become something more useful like a cloak of magic resistance.

Polyfodder

Objects may also be upgraded for use in polypiling. Most magical items transform into other magical items, and most mundane items transform into other mundane items. Thus, upgrading objects for polyfodder will often be a waste of potions or time spent tinkering. The exceptions are mundane items which transform into magical items:

  • flint stones
  • dwarvish helms
  • orcish helms
  • dented pots
  • dwarvish cloaks
  • orcish cloaks
  • leather gloves
  • robes
  • tin whistles
  • wooden harps
  • wooden flutes
  • tooled horns
  • sacks

References