Dragon scales - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: potholes

2026-05-19T10:13:58Z

potholes

Umbire the Phantom: tweaks

2025-12-24T03:09:03Z

tweaks

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2025-10-07T19:21:06Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* UnNetHack */ copyedit

2025-07-29T04:20:45Z

‎UnNetHack: copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: pothole

2025-01-29T17:14:01Z

pothole

Furey: word choice: are unlucky -> get bad die rolls (see https://nethackwiki.com/wiki/NetHackWiki_talk:Style_guide#Capitalization)

2024-06-10T12:47:00Z

word choice: are unlucky -> get bad die rolls (see https://nethackwiki.com/wiki/NetHackWiki_talk:Style_guide#Capitalization)

Umbire the Phantom: forgot to move from DSM article

2024-05-24T20:51:24Z

forgot to move from DSM article

Umbire the Phantom: /* xNetHack */ word choice

2024-03-22T03:45:09Z

‎xNetHack: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ word choice

2024-03-21T09:12:17Z

‎Strategy: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ re-org, typo, etc.

2024-03-21T08:49:14Z

‎Strategy: re-org, typo, etc.

@@ Line 149: / Line 149: @@
 !Color !! Extrinsic
 |-
-|[[Shimmering dragon scales|Shimmering]]||[[displacement]]
+|[[Shimmering dragon scales|Shimmering]]||[[Displacement (property)|displacement]]
 |-
 |[[Deep dragon scales|Deep]]||[[drain resistance]]
@@ Line 242: / Line 242: @@
 |[[Red dragon scales|Red]]||[[fire resistance]]||[[infravision]], [[warning]], [[see invisible]]
 |-
-|[[Shimmering dragon scales|Shimmering]]||[[Displacement]]||[[stun resistance]]
+|[[Shimmering dragon scales|Shimmering]]||[[Displacement (property)|Displacement]]||[[stun resistance]]
 |-
 |[[Silver dragon scales|Silver]]||[[reflection]]||behaves like vanilla reflection (reflects dragonbreath and rays from wands [[Wands Balance Patch|used at Skilled or higher]])
@@ Line 276: / Line 276: @@
 | [[Red dragon scale mail|Red]] || [[fire resistance]] || +1d6 melee damage || [[Fire (element)|fire]]*
 |-
-| [[Shimmering dragon scale mail|Shimmering]] || [[displacement]] || [[stealth]], [[warning]], and [[see invisible]] || [[confusion]], [[stunning]], and [[Slowing attack|slowing]]
+| [[Shimmering dragon scale mail|Shimmering]] || [[Displacement (property)|displacement]] || [[stealth]], [[warning]], and [[see invisible]] || [[confusion]], [[stunning]], and [[Slowing attack|slowing]]
 |-
 | [[Silver dragon scale mail|Silver]] || [[reflection]] || [[blind]]ing resistance || [[scare]]s like a [[mirror]]

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
    |material=dragon hide
 }}
 '''Dragon scales''' are a type of non-[[Magical item|magical]] [[body armor]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. They are made of [[dragon hide]].
@@ Line 273: / Line 272: @@
 | [[Green dragon scale mail|Green]] || [[poison resistance]] || [[sickness resistance]] || [[poison]]
 |-
-| [[Orange dragon scale mail|Orange]] || [[sleep resistance]] || [[free action]] || [[slowing attack|slowing]]
+| [[Orange dragon scale mail|Orange]] || [[sleep resistance]] || [[free action]] || [[Slowing attack|slowing]]
 |-
 | [[Red dragon scale mail|Red]] || [[fire resistance]] || +1d6 melee damage || [[Fire (element)|fire]]*
 |-
-| [[Shimmering dragon scale mail|Shimmering]] || [[displacement]] || [[stealth]], [[warning]], and [[see invisible]] || [[confusion]], [[stun]]ning, and [[slowing attack|slowing]]
+| [[Shimmering dragon scale mail|Shimmering]] || [[displacement]] || [[stealth]], [[warning]], and [[see invisible]] || [[confusion]], [[stunning]], and [[Slowing attack|slowing]]
 |-
 | [[Silver dragon scale mail|Silver]] || [[reflection]] || [[blind]]ing resistance || [[scare]]s like a [[mirror]]

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 Dragon scales are not randomly generated, though they can be [[wish]]ed for or found in [[bones]].
-Adult [[dragon]]s that leave a [[corpse]] behind on death (i.e. always, unless killed by [[disintegration]]) have a {{frac|3}} chance of leaving behind dragon scales, while a dragon that was revived by the [[wand of undead turning]] or [[spell of turn undead]] only has a {{frac|20}} chance to leave behind dragon scales along with their corpse.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|325|version=NetHack 3.6.7|name=scalegen}} Dragon scales are always generated +0 and uncursed.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|328|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
+Adult [[dragon]]s that leave a [[corpse]] behind on death (i.e. always, unless killed by [[disintegration]]) have a {{frac|3}} chance of leaving behind dragon scales, while a dragon that was revived by the [[wand of undead turning]] or [[spell of turn undead]] only has a {{frac|20}} chance of leaving behind dragon scales along with their corpse.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|325|version=NetHack 3.6.7|name=scalegen}} Dragon scales are always generated +0 and uncursed.{{refsrc|src/mon.c|328|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 ==Description==

@@ Line 213: / Line 213: @@
 |}
-A glowing dragon will always [[Light source|emit light]] within a 2-square radius of itself - [[glowing dragon scales]] (and [[glowing dragon scale mail]]) do the same while worn. The dragon that produces [[stone dragon scales]] will always have a breath weapon that creates lava.
+A glowing dragon will always [[Light source|emit light]] within a 2-square radius of itself, and [[glowing dragon scales]] (and [[glowing dragon scale mail]]) do the same while worn. The dragon that produces [[stone dragon scales]] will always have a breath weapon that creates lava.
-UnNetHack also makes significant changes to [[Wish#UnNetHack|wishing rules]]: In particular, [[Wand of wishing#UnNetHack|wands of wishing]] only have 0-2 charges (plus 1 [[wresting|wrest]]), and only wishes from wands can be used for magical items such as dragon scale mail, [[magic marker]]s, [[scroll of genocide|scrolls of genocide]], and scrolls of enchant armor.
+UnNetHack also makes significant changes to [[Wish#UnNetHack|wishing rules]]: In particular, [[Wand of wishing#UnNetHack|wands of wishing]] only have 0-2 charges for wishes (plus 1 granted by [[wresting]]), and only wishes from wands can be used for magical items such as dragon scale mail, [[magic marker]]s, [[scrolls of genocide]], and scrolls of enchant armor.
-Dragon scales are still non-magical items as in ''NetHack'', and can be obtained from any wish source in UnNetHack - any set of dragon scales can be wished for by appearance (e.g. wishing for "guivre scales", or "guivre scale mail" from a wand of wishing, will always work). To wish for dragon armor by its corresponding power, the armor must be formally identified first, e.g. by using a [[scroll of identify]] on dropped dragon scales (which identifies the matching scale mail along with it) or by witnessing the dragon use its breath weapon. The name of the power can then be used in the wish, e.g. "''reflecting'' dragon scale mail".
+Dragon scales are still non-magical items as in ''NetHack'', and can be obtained from any wish source in UnNetHack&mdash;any set of dragon scales can be wished for by appearance (e.g. wishing for "guivre scales", or "guivre scale mail" from a wand of wishing, will always work). To wish for dragon armor by its corresponding power, the armor must be formally identified first, e.g. by using a [[scroll of identify]] on dropped dragon scales (which identifies the matching scale mail along with it) or by witnessing the dragon use its breath weapon. The name of the power can then be used in the wish, e.g. "''reflecting'' dragon scale mail".
 ===dNetHack===

@@ Line 275: / Line 275: @@
 | [[Orange dragon scale mail|Orange]] || [[sleep resistance]] || [[free action]] || [[slowing attack|slowing]]
 |-
-| [[Red dragon scale mail|Red]] || [[fire resistance]] || +1d6 melee damage || [[fire]]*
+| [[Red dragon scale mail|Red]] || [[fire resistance]] || +1d6 melee damage || [[Fire (element)|fire]]*
 |-
 | [[Shimmering dragon scale mail|Shimmering]] || [[displacement]] || [[stealth]], [[warning]], and [[see invisible]] || [[confusion]], [[stun]]ning, and [[slowing attack|slowing]]

@@ Line 88: / Line 88: @@
 ** The spell in particular can be made viable with a source of energy restoration or regeneration, such as [[The Mitre of Holiness]] or [[The Eye of the Aethiopica]].
 * Allow a monster of the appropriate [[Alignment#Monster alignment|alignment]] to cast the [[summon nasties]] [[monster spell]] until the desired dragon is created.
-** Remember that [[Blue dragon|blue]], [[Gray dragon|gray]] and [[white dragon]]s cannot be created this way, and the nasties summoned can include other casters, which can quickly overwhelm a character especially if they are unlucky or not diligent in threat management.
+** Remember that [[Blue dragon|blue]], [[Gray dragon|gray]] and [[white dragon]]s cannot be created this way, and the nasties summoned can include other casters, which can quickly overwhelm a character especially if they get bad die rolls or are not diligent in threat management.
 * While very unreliable, it is possible to polymorph a pet into the desired color of adult dragon using a polymorph trap, then leave it on another floor or have it killed as necessary.

@@ Line 253: / Line 253: @@
 ===xNetHack===
-In [[xNetHack]]'s implementation of dtsund-DSM, the additional extrinsics that dragon scales provide in NetHack 3.7.0 only apply to dragon-scaled armor in xNetHack (and not the scales themselves).
+In [[xNetHack]]'s implementation of dtsund-DSM, the additional extrinsics that were added to most scales in 3.7.0 only apply to dragon-scaled armor and not to the scales by themselves.
 ==Encyclopedia entry==

@@ Line 75: / Line 75: @@
 Dragon scales are incredibly valuable for their ability to be made into dragon scale mail, but are not of as much use themselves: they have the same extrinsics, [[weight]] and lack of [[spellcasting]] penalties as dragon scale mail, but confer much less AC. Dragon scales that are not converted into mail are typically kept as backups to make replacement mail or spare mail for a [[pet]], or else are the result of an unfortunate encounter with a [[polymorph trap]] or other source of polymorph.
-A character that is able to reliably kill adult dragons or otherwise acquire their scales and knows the scroll of enchant armor can massively increase their AC and survival chances at worst. Be careful when making mail out of dragon scales that are +4 or higher, since they may evaporate like other non-[[elven armor]]. While most characters will prefer gray or silver dragon scales for their mail, there are other instances where another color may be sought out, e.g. a dire need to improve AC or lower inventory weight (especially if lacking a [[bag of holding]]), or [[conduct]]s that complicate or otherwise prevent access to more standard options. For details on figuring out which set of scales may be best for your particular character, see the [[Dragon scale mail#Strategy|strategy section]] on the dragon scale mail article, as well as the [[GDSM versus SDSM]] article.
+A character that is able to reliably kill adult dragons or otherwise acquire their scales and knows the scroll of enchant armor can massively increase their AC and survival chances at worst. Be careful when making mail out of dragon scales that are +4 or higher, since they may evaporate like other non-[[elven armor]]. While most characters will prefer gray or silver dragon scales for their mail, there are other instances where another color may be sought out, e.g. a dire need to improve AC or lower inventory weight (especially if lacking a [[bag of holding]]), or [[conduct]]s such as [[illiterate]] and [[wishless]] that either complicate or otherwise prevent access to silver dragon mail and/or other options. For details on figuring out which set of scales may be best for your particular character, see the [[Dragon scale mail#Strategy|strategy section]] on the dragon scale mail article, as well as the [[GDSM versus SDSM]] article.
 ===Acquiring dragon scales===

@@ Line 73: / Line 73: @@
 ==Strategy==
-Dragon scales are incredibly valuable for their ability to be made into dragon scale mail, but are not of as much use themselves: they have the same extrinsics, [[weight]] and lack of [[spellcasting]] penalties as dragon scale mail, but confer much less AC. A character that is able to reliably kill adult dragons or otherwise acquire their scales and knows the scroll of enchant armor can massively increase their AC and survival chances at worst - be careful when making mail out of dragon scales that are +4 or higher, since they may evaporate like other non-[[elven armor]]! Dragon scales that are not converted into mail are typically kept as backups to make replacement mail or spare mail for a [[pet]], or else are the result of an unfortunate encounter with a [[polymorph trap]] or other source of polymorph.
+Dragon scales are incredibly valuable for their ability to be made into dragon scale mail, but are not of as much use themselves: they have the same extrinsics, [[weight]] and lack of [[spellcasting]] penalties as dragon scale mail, but confer much less AC. Dragon scales that are not converted into mail are typically kept as backups to make replacement mail or spare mail for a [[pet]], or else are the result of an unfortunate encounter with a [[polymorph trap]] or other source of polymorph.
-While most characters will prefer gray or silver dragon scales for their mail, there are other instances where another color may be sought out, e.g. a dire need to improve AC or lower inventory weight (especially if lacking a [[bag of holding]], or [[conduct]]s that complicate or otherwise prevent access to more standard options. For details on figuring out which set of scales may be best for your particular character, see the [[Dragon scale mail#Strategy|strategy section]] on the dragon scale mail article, as well as the [[GDSM versus SDSM]] article.
+A character that is able to reliably kill adult dragons or otherwise acquire their scales and knows the scroll of enchant armor can massively increase their AC and survival chances at worst. Be careful when making mail out of dragon scales that are +4 or higher, since they may evaporate like other non-[[elven armor]]. While most characters will prefer gray or silver dragon scales for their mail, there are other instances where another color may be sought out, e.g. a dire need to improve AC or lower inventory weight (especially if lacking a [[bag of holding]]), or [[conduct]]s that complicate or otherwise prevent access to more standard options. For details on figuring out which set of scales may be best for your particular character, see the [[Dragon scale mail#Strategy|strategy section]] on the dragon scale mail article, as well as the [[GDSM versus SDSM]] article.
 ===Acquiring dragon scales===