Wooden flute
( 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | wooden flute |
| Appearance | flute |
| Base price | 12 zm |
| Weight | 5 |
| Material | wood |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
A wooden flute is a type of tool that appears in NetHack. It is a tonal musical instrument that is naturally made of wood, and appears as a flute when unidentified.
Contents
Generation
Elven Priests and Wizards have a 1⁄6 chance of starting the game with a wooden flute as their instrument.[1]
Wooden flutes make up 1⁄250 (0.4%) of all tools randomly generated on the ground, in general shops or as death drops. Hardware stores can also stock wooden flutes.
Wooden flutes are generated uncursed, with the possible exceptions of bones levels and the items generated on some early traps.
Description
A hero applying a wooden flute that chooses to improvise with it exercises dexterity, and will produce a sound that has a chance of pacifying nearby snakes if the sum of the hero's experience level and the roll of a dexterity-sized die is equal to or greater than 25:[2][3][4][5] the range of this pacifying effect is also based on the hero's experience level, covering a roughly-circular area with a radius less than the square root of (3*XL).[6][7] A hero that applies a wooden flute while stunned, confused or hallucinating will automatically improvise with it.[8]
A hero that chooses to play specific notes on a wooden flute will first be prompted to play the passtune for the Castle drawbridge if they know it, and otherwise will be asked for a set of five notes to play[9][10]—playing the passtune near the Castle drawbridge exercises wisdom, as does attempting to guess the passtune.[11]
A hero cannot apply a wooden flute if they are subjected to strangulation, if they are in the form of a sea monster, or if they are in the form of any monster that is tiny in size, unbreathing, cannot speak, lacks a head, or can only buzz.[12][13] They will also be prevented from applying a wooden flute while underwater.[14]
A magic flute with no charges behaves the same as a wooden flute. Beatitude has no effect on the outcome of playing a wooden flute. Monsters will not use this item.
Strategy
Wooden flutes are the lightest tonal instruments available alongside the magic flute, making them the most ideal to keep on hand in theory. In practice, most other tonal instruments will work just as well for purposes of playing the passtune, and the magic flute performs similar functions while also lulling nearby monsters to sleep. Elven heroes that start with a wooden flute should still keep it on hand if they plan to use the passtune, as well as any hero that finds a wooden flute first as their tonal instrument.
Identification
The two flutes are fairly easy to distinguish from each other via price identification and use testing: A magic flute with charges will play "soft music" and cause nearby monsters to stop moving due to falling asleep (or else display a sparkle animation if they resist). An uncharged magic flute behaves the same as a wooden flute, but is only likely to be found uncharged in a bones level.
History
The wooden flute first appears in NetHack 3.0.0.
Messages
- The <flute> toots.
- You improvised with a wooden flute.
- The <flute> trills.
- You pacified snakes while playing a flute.
- You feel <your flute> <toot/trill>.
- Either of the above occurs while you are also deaf.
Variants
In some NetHack variants that have object materials systems, the wooden flute is referred to simply as a "flute".
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, upgrading a wooden flute successfully will produce a magic flute and vice versa. Dipping a magic flute into a potion of amnesia will use up the potion and "downgrade" the item to a wooden flute.
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, rare instruments shops have a 1⁄10 chance of generating a wooden flute on each square.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, Troubadours start the game with knowledge of the flute's appearance, and Troubadours that are not orcish have a 1⁄2 chance of starting with a wooden flute as their tonal instrument.
Music instruments shops have a 1⁄25 chance of a flute being generated on each square.
The hardware store on the Troubadour quest home level has a pair of flutes generated inside during level creation.
The elder priest is always generated with a wooden flute. Player monster bards and rhymers have a 1⁄6 chance of being generated with a flute as their instrument.
Dipping a magic flute into a potion of amnesia will use up the potion and "downgrade" the item to a flute, as in SLASH'EM.
The flute is the preferred instrument for playing Lethargy and Friendship via the Troubadour's musicalize spell skill, and is the alternative instrument for Lullaby and Meditative Healing. Magic flutes can be used in place of a normal flute for playing these songs. If a song is played on a wooden flute via the musicalize spell skill, parrots, chaotic angels and minions, and itinerant priestesses may harmonize with the song if they are tame.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, elven Cartomancers have a 1⁄6 chance of starting the game with a flute as their instrument like Priests and Wizards.
A flute can be combined with a scroll of taming at a furnace to create a magic flute.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, upgrading functions as it does in SLASH'EM, as does dipping a magic flute into a potion of amnesia.
Rare instruments shops have a 1⁄10 chance of generating a wooden flute on each square, as in UnNetHack.
Satyrs are always generated with wooden flutes.
As in dNetHack and its derivatives, Bards start the game with knowledge of the wooden flute's appearance, and non-orcish Bards have a roughly 1⁄2 chance of starting with a wooden flute as their instrument. Similarly, the wooden flute is the preferred instrument for playing Rally via the Bard's musicalize spell skill, and is the alternative instrument for Disruption, Fear and Cacophony—magic flutes can be used in place of a wooden flute for playing these songs.
A hero polymorphed into a satyr can play a wooden flute to tame monsters.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, rare instruments shops have a 2⁄25 chance of generating a flute on each square.
Upgrading a flute successfully will produce a magic flute and vice versa, as in SLASH'EM.
Encyclopedia entry
With this thou canst do mighty deeds
And change men's passions for thy needs:
A man's despair with joy allay,
Turn bachelors old to lovers gay.
References
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 814
- ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 3723
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 840: else only occurs if improvising
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 574: Wooden flute effects
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 580: calls charm_snakes()
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 113: charm_snakes() function
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 122
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 701
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 708
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 714
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 769
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 693
- ↑ src/mondata.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 336: MS_BUZZ covers killer bees, queen bees, grid bugs, and xans
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 690
