Dragon (SLASH'EM) - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2024-12-22T11:07:22Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Common traits */ missed one

2024-08-05T10:55:32Z

‎Common traits: missed one

Umbire the Phantom: /* Common traits */ rephrase

2024-08-05T10:54:23Z

‎Common traits: rephrase

Umbire the Phantom: update pass - the use of lashing attacks in SlashTHEM means there's a low non-zero chance another split of articles might be warranted, and hopefully it doesn't come to that too soon...

2024-08-05T10:53:41Z

update pass - the use of lashing attacks in SlashTHEM means there's a low non-zero chance another split of articles might be warranted, and hopefully it doesn't come to that too soon...

Umbire the Phantom: /* Generation */ smithing

2024-08-05T09:32:36Z

‎Generation: smithing

Umbire the Phantom: /* Common traits */ this makes more sense

2024-06-28T11:44:00Z

‎Common traits: this makes more sense

Umbire the Phantom: /* As pets */ bit more

2024-06-28T11:40:30Z

‎As pets: bit more

Umbire the Phantom: quick followup

2024-06-28T11:34:09Z

quick followup

Umbire the Phantom: dragon revamp SE/? - this does it for this set of articles I think

2024-06-28T11:33:01Z

dragon revamp SE/? - this does it for this set of articles I think

Show changes

Ion frigate: Reword, explain why it's harder to level up dragons in SLASH'EM

2022-11-01T03:03:13Z

Reword, explain why it's harder to level up dragons in SLASH'EM

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 ==List of dragons==
-The following dragons are present in SLASH'EM, with new monsters highlighted in bold:{{refsrc|monst.c|2135|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}
+The following dragons are present in SLASH'EM, with monsters that are new to the variant highlighted in bold:{{refsrc|monst.c|2135|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}
 * Adult dragons

@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 ==Common traits==
-All of the dragons from ''NetHack'' (including the [[deferred]] [[shimmering dragon]]) have their stats improved: the baby dragons have their base [[monster level]] lowered to 4 from 12, and their [[monster difficulty|difficulty]] is lowered to 5 or 6 from 13; adult dragons have their base level raised to 15 from 18, their difficulty is typically raised to 25, their melee attacks are made stronger, and exclusively in SlashTHEM, the first claw attack is also replaced with a lashing attack. The newly added dragons that have adult and baby forms follow the same patterns in both cases.
+All of the dragons from ''NetHack'' (including the un-[[deferred]] [[shimmering dragon]]) have their stats improved: the baby dragons have their base [[monster level]] lowered to 4 from 12, and their [[monster difficulty|difficulty]] is lowered to 5 or 6 from 13; adult dragons have their base level raised to 15 from 18, their difficulty is typically raised to 25, their melee attacks are made stronger, and exclusively in SlashTHEM, the first claw attack is also replaced with a lashing attack. The newly added dragons that have adult and baby forms follow the same patterns in both cases.
 Most baby dragons in both SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM [[Hits creatures as +x weapon|hit as +1 weapons]] with the exception of baby deep, silver and shimmering dragons, while most adult dragons in both variants hit as +3 weapons with the exception of silver and shimmering dragons; of the newly-introduced dragons that lack baby forms, the hydra, wyvern and undead dragon all hit as +2 weapons.

@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 ==Common traits==
-All of the dragons from ''NetHack'' (including the [[deferred]] [[shimmering dragon]]) have their stats improved: the baby dragons have their base [[monster level]] lowered to 4 from 12, and their [[monster difficulty|difficulty]] is lowered to 5 or 6 from 13; adult dragons have their base level raised to 15 from 18, with their difficulty typically raised to 25, and their melee attacks are made stronger. In SlashTHEM, the first claw attack is also replaced with a lashing attack. The newly added dragons that have adult and baby forms follow the same patterns in both cases.
+All of the dragons from ''NetHack'' (including the [[deferred]] [[shimmering dragon]]) have their stats improved: the baby dragons have their base [[monster level]] lowered to 4 from 12, and their [[monster difficulty|difficulty]] is lowered to 5 or 6 from 13; adult dragons have their base level raised to 15 from 18, their difficulty is typically raised to 25, their melee attacks are made stronger, and exclusively in SlashTHEM, the first claw attack is also replaced with a lashing attack. The newly added dragons that have adult and baby forms follow the same patterns in both cases.
 Most baby dragons in both SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM [[Hits creatures as +x weapon|hit as +1 weapons]] with the exception of baby deep, silver and shimmering dragons, while most adult dragons in both variants hit as +3 weapons with the exception of silver and shimmering dragons; of the newly-introduced dragons that lack baby forms, the hydra, wyvern and undead dragon all hit as +2 weapons.

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 ** {{monsymlink|Chromatic Dragon}}
 ** {{monsymlink|Ixoth}}
 ===SlashTHEM===
@@ Line 48: / Line 50: @@
 ** {{black|D}} [[undead dragon]]
 ** {{magenta|D}} [[Dragon Lord]]
 ==Common traits==
-All of the dragons from ''NetHack'' (including the [[deferred]] [[shimmering dragon]]) have their stats improved: the baby dragons have their base [[monster level]] lowered to 4 from 12, and their [[monster difficulty|difficulty]] is lowered to 5 or 6 from 13; adult dragons have their base level raised to 15 from 18, with their difficulty typically raised to 25, and their melee attacks are made stronger. The newly added dragons that have adult and baby forms follow the same patterns in both cases.
+All of the dragons from ''NetHack'' (including the [[deferred]] [[shimmering dragon]]) have their stats improved: the baby dragons have their base [[monster level]] lowered to 4 from 12, and their [[monster difficulty|difficulty]] is lowered to 5 or 6 from 13; adult dragons have their base level raised to 15 from 18, with their difficulty typically raised to 25, and their melee attacks are made stronger. In SlashTHEM, the first claw attack is also replaced with a lashing attack. The newly added dragons that have adult and baby forms follow the same patterns in both cases.
 Most baby dragons in both SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM [[Hits creatures as +x weapon|hit as +1 weapons]] with the exception of baby deep, silver and shimmering dragons, while most adult dragons in both variants hit as +3 weapons with the exception of silver and shimmering dragons; of the newly-introduced dragons that lack baby forms, the hydra, wyvern and undead dragon all hit as +2 weapons.
@@ Line 64: / Line 67: @@
 ==Strategy==
-Several of the listed changes to dragons and overall changes to mechanics such as [[Polymorph#SLASH'EM|polymorph]] make the stronger dragons harder to encounter reliably and make procuring [[dragon scale mail]] from them much more difficult as well: polymorphed monsters return to their previous form when killed, and baby dragons take much longer to raise to adulthood, making killing them for [[dragon scales]] impractical. This leaves [[reverse genocide]] and [[wishing]] as some of the more reliable means to procure dragon scales or scale mail.
+Several of the listed changes to dragons and overall changes to mechanics such as [[Polymorph#SLASH'EM|polymorph]] make the stronger dragons harder to encounter reliably and make procuring [[dragon scale mail]] from them much more difficult as well: polymorphed monsters return to their previous form when killed, and baby dragons take much longer to [[grow up]] to adulthood, making it impractical for a [[hero]] to raise them solely for their [[dragon scales]]. This leaves [[reverse genocide]] and [[wishing]] as some of the more reliable means to procure dragon scales or scale mail.
 The addition of new dragon scale and dragon scale mail types also make certain dragons more desirable to seek out: [[deep dragon scales]] and [[deep dragon scale mail]] in particular grant [[drain resistance]] while worn, which make them an ideal counter to the many additional sources of [[level drain]] in SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM, e.g. the [[wand of draining]]. [[Yellow dragon scales]] and [[yellow dragon scale mail]] also become much more desirable due to the presence of much stronger acidic monsters such as the [[giant shoggoth]].
 ===As pets===
-While dragons are generally better pets than in ''NetHack'', the difference in base level between baby and adult dragons make it much harder for tame baby dragons to gain enough experience to [[grow up]] into adults. The [[rat level]] has several weak and slow monsters that pets can gain experience from with little risk, though [[The Rat King (SLASH'EM)|the Rat King]] and [[rabid rat]]s can still pose a danger to a [[hero]]'s pets or the hero themselves.
+While dragons are generally better pets than in ''NetHack'', the difference in base level between baby and adult dragons make it much harder for tame baby dragons to gain enough experience to grow up into adults. The [[rat level]] has several weak and slow monsters that pets can gain experience from with little risk, though the stronger monsters such as [[The Rat King (SLASH'EM)|the Rat King]] and [[rabid rat]]s can still pose a danger to a [[hero]]'s pets or the hero themselves.
 ==References==

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 All randomly-generated dragons are normally created [[hostile]].
-Baby dragons can randomly generate on ordinary dungeon levels with a [[Monster frequency|frequency]] of 2: in ''NetHack'', they are only generated in aligned dungeon levels and branches such as the [[Oracle]] and the [[Gnomish Mines]]. Being randomly generated also makes baby dragons eligible to appear on any of the levels that generate {{white|D}} at level creation. Adult dragons have their frequency raised to 3, but are still relatively rare outside of certain circumstances due to their increased difficulty.
+Baby dragons can randomly generate on ordinary dungeon levels with a [[Monster frequency|frequency]] of 2: in ''NetHack'', they are only generated in aligned dungeon levels and branches such as the [[Oracle]] and the [[Gnomish Mines]]. Being randomly generated also makes baby dragons eligible to appear on any of the levels that generate {{white|D}} at level creation. Adult dragons have their frequency raised to 3 in order to balance their increased difficulty so that they are not as relatively rare.
 As in ''NetHack'', hostile dragons can be generated in [[throne room]]s, and can also appear among the monsters randomly generated by [[looting]] a [[throne]] while [[confused]] and carrying gold (provided there is no [[chest]] on the level).{{refsrc|mkroom.c|783|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}} Various dragons also appear in [[dragon lair]]s and [[the Wyrm Caves]].{{refsrc|mkroom.c|335|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 ==Common traits==
-All of the dragons from ''NetHack'' (including the [[deferred]] [[shimmering dragon]]) have their stats improved, as explained in [[#Differences from ''NetHack''|the section below]].
+All of the dragons from ''NetHack'' (including the [[deferred]] [[shimmering dragon]]) have their stats improved: the baby dragons have their base [[monster level]] lowered to 4 from 12, and their [[monster difficulty|difficulty]] is lowered to 5 or 6 from 13; adult dragons have their base level raised to 15 from 18, with their difficulty typically raised to 25, and their melee attacks are made stronger. The newly added dragons that have adult and baby forms follow the same patterns in both cases.
 Most baby dragons in both SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM [[Hits creatures as +x weapon|hit as +1 weapons]] with the exception of baby deep, silver and shimmering dragons, while most adult dragons in both variants hit as +3 weapons with the exception of silver and shimmering dragons; of the newly-introduced dragons that lack baby forms, the hydra, wyvern and undead dragon all hit as +2 weapons.
 Chaotic adult dragons have a chance of turning [[traitor]] while [[tame]], while lawful adult dragons with the exception of the orange dragon do not.
 ===Generation===

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 ===SlashTHEM===
-SlashTHEM retains the monsters list above and adds the following to the monster class:
+SlashTHEM retains the monsters listed above and adds the following to the monster class:
 * Adult dragons
@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 Most baby dragons in both SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM [[Hits creatures as +x weapon|hit as +1 weapons]] with the exception of baby deep, silver and shimmering dragons, while most adult dragons in both variants hit as +3 weapons with the exception of silver and shimmering dragons; of the newly-introduced dragons that lack baby forms, the hydra, wyvern and undead dragon all hit as +2 weapons.
-Chaotic adult dragons have a chance of turning [[traitor]] while [[tame]], while lawful dragons with the exception of the orange dragon do not.
+Chaotic adult dragons have a chance of turning [[traitor]] while [[tame]], while lawful adult dragons with the exception of the orange dragon do not.
 ===Differences from ''NetHack''===

@@ Line 103: / Line 103: @@
 Interestingly, deep, blue, black, white, red, and orange adult dragons have a chance of turning [[pet (SLASH'EM)#treachery|traitor]], while shimmering, gray, silver, green, and yellow ones do not. In other words, chaotic dragons can turn traitor, and lawful ones cannot, with one exception (orange).
-==Raising SLASHEM Baby dragons into adults==
+==Raising SLASH'EM baby dragons into adults==
-A good way to quickly evolve your pet baby dragon is to lay your dragon egg and hatch it before you reach the Rat King's level And have it kill the scores of mice and rats found there. You will find that your baby dragon can kill most of them in one shot without them even being able to retaliate.
+The much greater difference in base level between baby and adult dragons in SLASH'EM makes it significantly more difficult for tame baby dragons to gain enough experience to [[grow up]] into adults.  The [[rat level]], with its large number of weak, slow monsters is a safe place to let pets gain a large amount of experience.  Note that the [[Rat King]] himself can still be quite dangerous.
 ==References==