Spellbook of cause fear
| spellbook of + cause fear 
| |
|---|---|
| Appearance | random |
| Abundance | 2.5% |
| Base price | 300 zm |
| Weight | 50 |
| Turns to read | 8 |
| Ink to write | 15–29 |
| Spell type | enchantment |
| Level | 3 |
| Power cost | 15 Pw |
| Direction | non-directional |
| Equivalent | scroll of scare monster |
In NetHack, the spellbook of cause fear can be read to learn the spell of cause fear. It is a level 3 enchantment spell, and the spellbook takes 8 actions to read.
Contents
Generation
Wizards may be given a spellbook of cause fear as the secondary spellbook in their starting inventory.[1]
Spellbooks of cause fear make up 1⁄40 (2.5%) of all randomly-generated spellbooks. General stores, second-hand bookstores and rare books stores can stock spellbooks of cause fear.
An aligned priest can be generated with the spellbook of cause fear as one of their spellbooks.[2]
Writing a spellbook of cause fear with a magic marker uses up 15 to 29 charges.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
Per commit 319dfbda and commit 495a1a9b, non-pauper Wizards start each game with knowledge of the appearance for the spellbook of cause fear, due to starting with Basic skill in enchantment spells.Description
At all skill levels, the spell of cause fear behaves the same as reading a non-cursed scroll of scare monster:[3][4] when successfully cast, the spell will scare non-tame monsters that fail a roll against their MR score, causing them to flee from the hero.[5][6][7][8] The Wizard of Yendor, lawful minions, Angels, the Riders, shopkeepers that are in their shop, and aligned priests that are in their temple cannot be scared by the spell.[9][10]
Monsters that are fleeing have a 1⁄25 chance of recovering each turn if they are at full HP.[11] A monster that has the hero restricted via sticky attack, holding attack or engulfing will release the hero before fleeing.[12][13] A monster that is immobile and scared by the spell will be indicated with a message.[14]
Strategy
The spell of cause fear is used very infrequently by most heroes, who will generally resort to tools such as a bugle or tooled horn for scaring monsters away to flee them safely or pepper them with ranged attacks, or else will use the sleep spell, a wand of sleep, a potion of paralysis, or various other means to pin a monster in place for said ranged attacks. Primary casters and other heroes in particular will generally prefer more direct spells for damaging or escaping foes. If a Wizard or other hero with skill in enchantment spells has limited options besides the spell, it can be useful against large groups of monsters or hostiles with sleep resistance, and may also be viable for putting distance between you and other monsters following you.
History
The spellbook of cause fear and its spell first appear in NetHack 1.3d.
Messages
Variants
GruntHack
In GruntHack, some monsters can use the same set of spells as the hero, including the spell of cause fear.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, the spell of cause fear is the special spell for Pirates. Male drow Healers (or hedrow Healers) can start the game having forgotten the spell of cause fear.
Knowledge of the cause fear spell is required to perform "Inspire Courage" and "Fear" via the musicalize spell skill, unless the hero is either a Troubadour or has the spirit Orthos bound.
One of the invoke effects for the Rod of Seven Parts casts both the force bolt and slow monster spells simultaneously in a direction chosen by the player and is followed by casting the cause fear spell, which uses up 2 points from the artifact's current enchantment and requires a minimum enchantment of +2.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, the Barbarian's special spell is changed to the spell of cause fear.
Shadowblade is an artifact that can be invoked to cause fear similar to the spell.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, the spell of cause fear is the special spell of the Corsair, Gladiator, Musician, and Pirate.
References
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 169
- ↑ src/priest.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 264
- ↑ src/spell.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1146: case calls seffects() in read.c
- ↑ src/spell.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1155: all spells with scroll equivalents fall through to this line
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1239
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1250
- ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 267
- ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 308
- ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 135
- ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 142
- ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 436
- ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 244
- ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 277
- ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 297
