Oracle (level) - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: potholes et. al.

2024-08-05T19:43:08Z

potholes et. al.

Umbire the Phantom: bump ver, word choice

2024-06-27T09:53:27Z

bump ver, word choice

Furey: /* Strategy */ page mentioned lawful roles that start with a long sword, but failed to include knights!

2024-05-30T00:18:54Z

‎Strategy: page mentioned lawful roles that start with a long sword, but failed to include knights!

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ more deets (thx paxed)

2024-05-28T15:13:18Z

‎Description: more deets (thx paxed)

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ bit more specific - the code specifies five non-Oracle rooms but in practice 4 is not uncommon

2024-05-28T14:21:47Z

‎Description: bit more specific - the code specifies five non-Oracle rooms but in practice 4 is not uncommon

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ bit o' cleanup

2024-05-22T20:15:12Z

‎Strategy: bit o' cleanup

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ further adjustment

2024-05-22T20:14:59Z

‎Description: further adjustment

Umbire the Phantom: and split done

2024-05-22T20:14:25Z

and split done

New page

{{level|Delphi|
|branch=Dungeons of Doom
|from=5
|to=9
|bones=yes
|mapping=yes
|teleport=yes
|digfloor=yes
|digwalls=yes
}}
{{for|the monster found on this level|Oracle (monster)}}

The '''Oracle Level''', also known as '''Delphi''', is a [[special level]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]'', and is the home of the [[Oracle (monster)|Oracle]], who can provide hints about the game and its mechanics for a fee.

==Generation==
The Oracle level is always generated somewhere from [[dungeon level]]s 5 to 9 inclusive in the [[Dungeons of Doom]]. It is eligible to leave [[bones]], and monster creation is biased towards [[neutral]] monsters. The level below this one will always have the entrance to [[Sokoban]].

==Description==
{|class="prettytable" style="width: 50px" class="wikitable floatleft"
|
<div class="ttymap"><replacecharsblock>
default={{lightgray|$1}}
newline=<br>
|={{lightgray||}}
={{lightgray| }}
{=[[fountain|{{blue|<nowiki>{</nowiki>}}]]
@={{monsym|oracle}}
C=[[statue|{{white|C}}]]

-------------
|C.........C|
......C.....|
|...-----...|
|.....{.|...|
|..C|{@{|C...
|...|.{.|...|
|...-----...|
|.....C.....|
|C.........C|
-------------
</replacecharsblock></div>
|-
|The Oracle's room, with [[fountain]]s and centaur [[statue]]s.
|}

The level is a standard rooms-and-corridors level, with the exception of the Oracle's room (shown above) placed in the center of the level. There are typically five rooms around the level, with a total of five random [[monster]]s, three random [[trap]]s, and six random [[item]]s placed within them: one room has two items and a monster inside, two rooms have an item along with a trap and a monster, the room with the down stair has two monsters along with a trap and an item, and the the room with the up stairs will have a single item.

The Oracle is at the center of the [[fountain]]s in the 3x3 room (called "Delphi"), with a random empty [[doorway]] in one of the [[wall]]s; two random monsters are generated in the larger room surrounding Delphi. The marked historic [[statue]]s in the larger room are:

* two [[forest centaur]]s (northwest and southeast)
* two [[mountain centaur]]s (northeast and southwest)
* four [[plains centaur]]s (north, west, south, and east)

If any centaur is [[genocided]] or made [[extinct]], those statues will be replaced with statues of random creatures.

==Strategy==
The presence of [[naga hatchling]]s and [[baby dragon]]s on a main dungeon level typically indicates that a character has found the Oracle level. The statues can be useful for [[spellbook]]-hunting characters in roles other than early [[Archeologist]]s, who take an [[Alignment record|alignment]] penalty for breaking historic statue]]s. The guaranteed fountains also make the Oracle a common target level to dip for [[Excalibur]] with lawful characters that obtain a long sword (or start with one in the case of [[Valkyrie]]s).

==History==
The Oracle level first appears in [[NetHack 3.0.0]].

==Origin==
{{wikipedia|Pythia}}
{{wikipedia|Internet Oracle}}
The Oracle and her level are primarily based on the [[wikipedia:Pythia|Pythia]], the priestess who presided over the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi; the ''NetHack'' Oracle will welcome the character to "Delphi" upon seeing them.

The [[#Messages|Oracle-level sound effects]] reference several different oracles - the "strange wind" alludes to the Oracle of Jupiter at Dodona; "conclusive ravings" refers to the Oracle of Apollo; and "snoring snakes" is derived from the Oracle of Aesculapius at Epidaurus. The two additional [[hallucination]] sounds both reference the Internet Oracle from [news://rec.humor.oracle rec.humor.oracle], which first appeared in 1989, particularly the taboo question ''"How much wood would a [[woodchuck]] chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"'' The Oracle was added to ''NetHack'' the same year.

==Messages==
{{message|You hear a strange wind.<br>You hear convulsive ravings.<br>You hear snoring snakes.|The Oracle is present on the level.}}
{{message|You hear someone say "No more woodchucks!"<br>You hear a loud ZOT!|As above, while hallucinating.}}

==Variants==
===xNetHack===
[[xNetHack]] adds two other variations of the room in the center of the Oracle level. In both of them, the Oracle sits amid a ring of [[pool]]s instead of a smaller room. One variant has several [[tree]]s and only three fountains; the other has statues of snakes, nagas, sea monsters and elementals.

===SpliceHack===
[[SpliceHack]] adds the new Delphi variations from xNetHack, but the pools have a small chance of being replaced with lava. The original Delphi variation from ''NetHack'' is also changed to have different statues:

* {{frac|2|3}} chance of [[Centaur (monster class)|centaur]] statues
* {{frac|12}} chance of [[manticore]] statues
* {{frac|12}} chance of [[chimera]] statues
* {{frac|12}} chance of [[quadruped]] statues
* {{frac|24}} chance of [[woodchuck]] statues
* {{frac|24}} chance of [[archaeologist]] statues

===EvilHack===
[[EvilHack]] includes the map variations for the Oracle level present in xNetHack.

==References==
<references />
{{DOD}}
{{nethack-361}}
[[Category:Special levels|Oracle]]

@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 ==Strategy==
-The presence of [[naga hatchling]]s and [[baby dragon]]s on a main dungeon level typically indicates that a character has found the Oracle level. The statues can be useful for [[spellbook]]-hunting characters in roles other than early [[Archeologist]]s, who take an [[Alignment record|alignment]] penalty for breaking historic statues. The guaranteed fountains also make the Oracle a common target level to dip for [[Excalibur]] with lawful characters that obtain a long sword (or start with one in the case of [[Valkyrie]]s).
+The presence of [[naga hatchling]]s and [[baby dragon]]s on a main dungeon level typically indicates that a character has found the Oracle level. The statues can be useful for [[spellbook]]-hunting characters in roles other than early [[Archeologist]]s, who take an [[Alignment record|alignment]] penalty for breaking historic statues. The guaranteed fountains also make the Oracle a common target level to dip for [[Excalibur]] with lawful characters that obtain a long sword (or start with one in the case of [[Knight]]s and [[Valkyrie]]s).
 ==History==

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 |}
-The level is a standard rooms-and-corridors level, with the Oracle's room (shown above) placed in the center of the level and four or five other rooms around the level. The rooms outside of the Oracle have a total of five random [[monster]]s, three random [[trap]]s, and six random [[item]]s placed within them: one room has two items and a monster inside, two rooms have an item along with a trap and a monster, the room with the down stair has two monsters along with a trap and an item, and the the room with the up stairs will have a single item.
+The level is a standard rooms-and-corridors level, with the Oracle's room (shown above) placed in the center of the level - there are usually five other rooms on the level, though the game will sometimes run out of space when creating them. The rooms outside of the Oracle have a total of five random [[monster]]s, three random [[trap]]s, and six random [[item]]s placed within them: one room has two items and a monster inside, two rooms have an item along with a trap and a monster, the room with the down stair has two monsters along with a trap and an item, and the the room with the up stairs will have a single item.
 The Oracle is at the center of the [[fountain]]s in the 3x3 room (called "Delphi"), with a random empty [[doorway]] in one of the [[wall]]s; two random monsters are generated in the larger room surrounding Delphi. The marked historic [[statue]]s in the larger room are:
@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 * four [[plains centaur]]s (north, west, south, and east)
-If any type of centaur is [[genocided]] or made [[extinct]], those statues will be replaced with statues of random creatures.
+If any type of centaur is [[genocided]] or [[extinct]], their statues will be replaced with statues of random monsters.
 ==Strategy==

@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 * {{frac|2|3}} chance of [[Centaur (monster class)|centaur]] statues
-* {{frac|12}} chance of [[manticore]] statues
+* {{frac|12}} chance of [[Manticore (SpliceHack)|manticore]] statues
 * {{frac|12}} chance of [[chimera]] statues
-* {{frac|12}} chance of [[quadruped]] statues
+* {{frac|12}} chance of random [[quadruped]] statues
 * {{frac|24}} chance of [[woodchuck]] statues
 * {{frac|24}} chance of [[archaeologist]] statues

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 ==Generation==
-The Oracle level is always generated somewhere from [[dungeon level]]s 5 to 9 inclusive in the [[Dungeons of Doom]]. It is eligible to leave [[bones]], and monster creation is biased towards [[neutral]] monsters. The level below this one will always have the entrance to [[Sokoban]].
+The Oracle level is always generated somewhere from [[dungeon level]] 5 to 9 inclusive in the [[Dungeons of Doom]]. It is eligible to leave [[bones]], and monster creation is biased towards [[neutral]] monsters. The level below this one will always have the entrance to [[Sokoban]].
 ==Description==
@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 <references />
 {{DOD}}
-{{nethack-361}}
+{{nethack-367}}
 [[Category:Special levels|Oracle]]