Drain for gain - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: chance to:opportunity::chance of:probability

2023-10-29T07:33:30Z

chance to:opportunity::chance of:probability

Andrio Celos: That was worded poorly.

2018-05-11T03:33:11Z

That was worded poorly.

Andrio Celos: Corrected contradictory text. Thanks to nervous on IRC for reporting this.

2018-05-11T03:31:50Z

Corrected contradictory text. Thanks to nervous on IRC for reporting this.

FIQ: Clarify last edit

2017-12-17T13:57:00Z

Clarify last edit

FIQ at 13:46, 17 December 2017

2017-12-17T13:46:43Z

Phol ende wodan: move 3.6 warning about it not working into top section

2017-12-16T04:46:38Z

move 3.6 warning about it not working into top section

EasterlyIrk: /* Draining your level */

2017-06-15T17:37:58Z

‎Draining your level

Tomsod: /* Reducing stats */ foocubus

2017-01-31T19:41:33Z

‎Reducing stats: foocubus

Ylmson: /* Nethack 3.6 */

2016-01-14T17:02:03Z

‎Nethack 3.6

Ylmson: /* Nethack 3.6 */

2016-01-13T20:44:00Z

‎Nethack 3.6

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 In [[NetHack 3.6.0]], this bug was fixed by recording the HP/Pw increase at each level, instead of reducing it randomly based on Constitution and Wisdom. If you didn't gain any HP/Pw from other sources, draining a level will restore HP/Pw to exactly what it was before on each previous level. This effectively nullifies this strategy for HP or Pw gain by using things that increases/lowers constitution or wisdom, though it could still be used to do things like buy [[protection]] cheaply, or to "re-roll" better HP/Pw increases after you've increased your Con/Wis since the beginning of the game.
-== Benefits ==
+==Benefits==
 At the beginning of the game, characters usually start with lower stats. Applying this strategy would allow your character to reach and exceed the maximum HP and Pw potential for average characters of the same level. It has effects comparable with or even surpassing those obtained through [[alchemy]], [[nurse dancing]] and [[foocubi]], without requiring the same resources.
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 If you choose to play as a low-level high-HP character for an extended period of time, there are also several disadvantages, but most of them can be mitigated:
-* It might become more difficult to hit monsters. Having a blessed [[luckstone]] and maximizing your luck greatly improves your chance to hit.
+* It might become more difficult to hit monsters. Having a blessed [[luckstone]] and maximizing your luck greatly improves your chances of hitting.
 * You may not have enough skill slots for spells. Simply drain level again to switch to a different spell class when you need it, gaining yourself a few extra points of maximum HP and power while doing so.
 * You may die to monster's level drain attack more easily. Having MC3 makes this risk almost negligible, and having level drain resistance (e.g. by wielding [[Excalibur]]) removes this risk completely.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''Drain for gain''' was a [[bug]] (SC343-10) that increases your maximum [[hit points]] and [[power]] by losing [[experience level]] (through some method of [[level drain]]) while having lower [[stats]] (in particular [[constitution]] and [[wisdom]]), then leveling up while having higher stats. By manipulating your stats before and after level drain, the amount of maximum HP and Pw you lose when losing levels could be made much smaller than the amount you gain when leveling back up.
-In [[NetHack 3.6.0]], this bug was fixed by recording the HP/Pw increase at each level. If you didn't gain any HP/Pw from other sources, draining a level will restore HP/Pw to exactly what it was before on each previous level, instead of reducing it randomly based on Constitution and Wisdom. This effectively nullifies this strategy for HP or Pw gain by using things that increases/lowers constitution or wisdom, though it could still be used to do things like buy [[protection]] cheaply, or to "re-roll" better HP/Pw increases after you've increased your Con/Wis since the beginning of the game.
+In [[NetHack 3.6.0]], this bug was fixed by recording the HP/Pw increase at each level, instead of reducing it randomly based on Constitution and Wisdom. If you didn't gain any HP/Pw from other sources, draining a level will restore HP/Pw to exactly what it was before on each previous level. This effectively nullifies this strategy for HP or Pw gain by using things that increases/lowers constitution or wisdom, though it could still be used to do things like buy [[protection]] cheaply, or to "re-roll" better HP/Pw increases after you've increased your Con/Wis since the beginning of the game.
 == Benefits ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''Drain for gain''' was a [[bug]] (SC343-10) that increases your maximum [[hit points]] and [[power]] by losing [[experience level]] (through some method of [[level drain]]) while having lower [[stats]] (in particular [[constitution]] and [[wisdom]]), then leveling up while having higher stats. By manipulating your stats before and after level drain, the amount of maximum HP and Pw you lose when losing levels could be made much smaller than the amount you gain when leveling back up.
-In [[NetHack 3.6.0]], this bug was fixed by recording the HP/Pw increase at each level. Draining a level will restore HP/Pw to exactly what it was before on each previous level, instead of reducing it randomly based on Constitution and Wisdom. This effectively nullifies this strategy for HP or Pw gain by using things that increases/lowers constitution or wisdom, though it could still be used to do things like buy [[protection]] cheaply, or to "re-roll" better HP/Pw increases after you've increased your Con/Wis since the beginning of the game.
+In [[NetHack 3.6.0]], this bug was fixed by recording the HP/Pw increase at each level. If you didn't gain any HP/Pw from other sources, draining a level will restore HP/Pw to exactly what it was before on each previous level, instead of reducing it randomly based on Constitution and Wisdom. This effectively nullifies this strategy for HP or Pw gain by using things that increases/lowers constitution or wisdom, though it could still be used to do things like buy [[protection]] cheaply, or to "re-roll" better HP/Pw increases after you've increased your Con/Wis since the beginning of the game.
 == Benefits ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''Drain for gain''' was a [[bug]] (SC343-10) that increases your maximum [[hit points]] and [[power]] by losing [[experience level]] (through some method of [[level drain]]) while having lower [[stats]] (in particular [[constitution]] and [[wisdom]]), then leveling up while having higher stats. By manipulating your stats before and after level drain, the amount of maximum HP and Pw you lose when losing levels could be made much smaller than the amount you gain when leveling back up.
-In [[NetHack 3.6.0]], this bug was fixed by recording the HP/Pw increase at each level. Draining a level will restore HP/Pw to exactly what it was before on each previous level, instead of reducing it randomly based on Constitution and Wisdom. This effectively nullifies this strategy for HP or Pw gain, though it could still be used to do things like buy [[protection]] cheaply, or to gain better HP/Pw increases after you've increased your Con/Wis since the beginning of the game.
+In [[NetHack 3.6.0]], this bug was fixed by recording the HP/Pw increase at each level. Draining a level will restore HP/Pw to exactly what it was before on each previous level, instead of reducing it randomly based on Constitution and Wisdom. This effectively nullifies this strategy for HP or Pw gain by using things that increases/lowers constitution or wisdom, though it could still be used to do things like buy [[protection]] cheaply, or to "re-roll" better HP/Pw increases after you've increased your Con/Wis since the beginning of the game.
 == Benefits ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''Drain for gain''' was a [[bug]] (SC343-10) that increases your maximum [[hit points]] and [[power]] by losing [[experience level]] (through some method of [[level drain]]) while having lower [[stats]] (in particular [[constitution]] and [[wisdom]]), then leveling up while having higher stats. By manipulating your stats before and after level drain, the amount of maximum HP and Pw you lose when losing levels could be made much smaller than the amount you gain when leveling back up.
-In [[NetHack 3.6.0]], this bug was fixed by recording the HP/Pw increase at each level. Draining a level will restore HP/Pw to exactly what it was before on each previous level, instead of reducing it randomly based on Constitution and Wisdom. This effectively nullifies this strategy for HP or Pw gain, though it could still be used to do things like buy [[protection]] cheaply.
+In [[NetHack 3.6.0]], this bug was fixed by recording the HP/Pw increase at each level. Draining a level will restore HP/Pw to exactly what it was before on each previous level, instead of reducing it randomly based on Constitution and Wisdom. This effectively nullifies this strategy for HP or Pw gain, though it could still be used to do things like buy [[protection]] cheaply, or to gain better HP/Pw increases after you've increased your Con/Wis since the beginning of the game.
 == Benefits ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Drain for gain''' is a bug (fixed as SC343-10) that increases your maximum [[hit points]] and [[power]] by losing [[experience level]] (through some method of [[level drain]]) while having lower [[stats]] (in particular [[constitution]] and [[wisdom]]), then leveling up while having higher stats. By manipulating your stats before and after level drain, the amount of maximum HP and Pw you lose when losing levels could be made much smaller than the amount you gain when leveling back up.
+'''Drain for gain''' was a [[bug]] (SC343-10) that increases your maximum [[hit points]] and [[power]] by losing [[experience level]] (through some method of [[level drain]]) while having lower [[stats]] (in particular [[constitution]] and [[wisdom]]), then leveling up while having higher stats. By manipulating your stats before and after level drain, the amount of maximum HP and Pw you lose when losing levels could be made much smaller than the amount you gain when leveling back up.
 == Benefits ==
@@ Line 118: / Line 120: @@
 |}
-[[Wisdom]] is the only stat related to power gain per level. Every 2 WIS points has the approximate effect of adding d1 to the amount of power gain per level, this effect could be further multiplied depending on roles. (e.g. Wizards get a x2 multiplier.)
+[[Wisdom]] is the only stat related to power gain per level. Every 2 WIS points has the approximate effect of adding d1 to the amount of power gain per level, this effect could be further multiplied depending on roles. (e.g. Wizards get a x2 multiplier.
 == References ==
@@ Line 130: / Line 127: @@
 [[Category:Strategy]]
-{{nethack-343}}
+{{noversion}}

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 The following methods can be used to drain your level:
 * Throwing [[Stormbringer]] or [[The Staff of Aesculapius]] up and hitting yourself. Make sure you have enough HP to survive the hit. (You can wear a metal helmet to reduce the damage and draining will still take effect.)
-* Removing [[Magic cancellation|MC]]-giving items and dancing with a level-draining monster such as a [[wraith]], [[vampire]] or [[barrow wight]]. A relatively safe way to do this is to lure a wraith into a lockable room, engrave Elbereth in front of the door with an object on top, then stand diagonally next to the door outside so that when your level is low enough, you can just step away and the wraith won't ever come out.<div class='ttyscreen'><replacecharsblock>
+* Removing [[Magic cancellation|MC]]-giving items and dancing with a level-draining monster such as a [[wraith]], [[vampire]] or [[barrow wight]]. A relatively safe way to do this is to lure a wraith into a lockable room, engrave Elbereth in front of the door with an object on top, then stand diagonally next to the door outside so that when your level is low enough, you can just step away and the wraith won't ever come out.
 |={{lightgray|&#124;}}
 -={{lightgray|-}}
@@ Line 70: / Line 72: @@
 |W..—(     W      .(@0.
 -----             >---.
-</replacecharsblock></div>''(Hover over symbols for tips and links).''
+</replacecharsblock></div>
 * Casting [[Spellbook_of_drain_life|drain life]] at yourself.
 * Dancing with [[Foocubus|foocubi]] at low [[charisma]], which may either drain you or lower your stats further, both of which are actually desirable at this stage. However, even a negative result has the same chance of giving the foocubus a [[cancellation|severe headache]], rendering it useless.

@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 * Quaffing a non-blessed [[potion of sickness]] as a non-healer will decrease one stat, even if the character has [[poison resistance]]. You can obtain potions of sickness from [[Alchemy#Random_alchemy_results|random alchemy]].
 * Applying a cursed [[unicorn horn]]. Two of the possible effects of a cursed unicorn horn are reducing constitution ("You feel fragile!") and reducing wisdom ("You feel foolish!"). You will need a way to cure other bad effects including sickness. Using a non-cursed unicorn horn would likely cure stat-losses as well, and therefore you may only be able to reduce your CON or WIS by 1 point despite repeated tries. Alternatively, using a [[cure sickness]] spell or blessed [[potion of healing]] to cure sickness may allow you to reduce stats lower. You can lock yourself in a [[closet]] and wait out all the non-sickness effects, though it may take a long time.
 * [[Abuse|Abusing]] them.

@@ Line 118: / Line 118: @@
 In Nethack 3.6, the HP/MP increase is recorded at each level. Draining a level will restore HP/MP to exactly what it was before on each previous level, instead of reducing it randomly based on CON/WIS. This effectively nullifies using the strategy for any ridiculous amount of HP/MP gain.
-If the character's attributes are maxed, doing a single cycle of draining/regaining levels would still raise HP/MP to a slightly higher number, but more cycles of draining/regaining levels would not provide much more benefit.
+If the character's attributes are maxed, doing a single cycle of draining to XL1 then regaining levels would still raise HP/MP to a slightly higher number, but more cycles of draining/regaining levels would not provide much more benefit.
 == References ==