Preservative engine - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: tweak

2025-12-24T00:40:06Z

tweak

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ more word choice

2025-12-09T10:18:51Z

‎Strategy: more word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ word choice

2025-12-09T10:15:47Z

‎Description: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: quick pass

2025-12-09T10:14:29Z

quick pass

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ copyedit

2025-05-12T20:24:19Z

‎Strategy: copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ tweak for readability

2025-05-11T19:37:51Z

‎Description: tweak for readability

Umbire the Phantom: /* Generation */ word choice

2025-05-11T19:32:55Z

‎Generation: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: word choice, etc.

2025-05-07T20:29:31Z

word choice, etc.

Umbire the Phantom: muse

2025-05-06T21:44:54Z

muse

Umbire the Phantom: appearance

2025-05-06T21:43:09Z

appearance

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 * Switch to high intensity
-While switched on to low intensity, a carried preservative engine will protect the hero and their inventory against the [[armor]]-destroying effects of [[vorpal]] weapons and attacks, [[armor shredding]] attacks, [[flaying]] weapons, excoriating weapons, and the shredding tentacle attacks of the [[elder priest]]. While switched on to high intensity, it can additionally protect the hero and their inventory from being damaged by [[Fire (element)|fire]], [[cold]], [[acid]], [[lightning]], or energy-based attacks&mdash;this includes [[gaze]]s, [[passive attack]]s, [[touch attack]]s, [[attack wand]]s, [[dNetHack monster spells|monster spells]], and [[madness]] effects.
+While switched on to low intensity, a carried preservative engine will protect the hero and their inventory against the [[armor]]-destroying effects of [[vorpal]] weapons and attacks, [[armor shredding]] attacks, [[flaying]] weapons, excoriating weapons, and the shredding tentacle attacks of the [[elder priest]]. While switched on to high intensity, it can additionally protect the hero and their inventory from being damaged by [[Fire (element)|fire]], [[cold]], [[acid]], [[shock]], or energy-based attacks&mdash;this includes [[gaze]]s, [[passive attack]]s, [[touch attack]]s, [[attack wand]]s, [[dNetHack monster spells|monster spells]], and [[madness]] effects.
 Each instance of item destruction blocked by a functioning preservative engine will consume a charge from the engine, independent of how many items the attack would have destroyed. Monsters that pick up magical items will also pick up preservative engines&mdash;though they will not apply the engines for themselves, an engine in a monster's inventory will function for that monster as it does for the hero (since preservative engines are normally generated on low settings).

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 If the player is facing an enemy spellcaster that can cast [[acid rain]] and does not have a [[User:Chris/dNethack/dNethack_Items#Armor|wide hat]], it might be worth turning the engine over to high for just long enough to dispatch of them. Leaving the engine running on high for a long time will quickly drain all its charges, so unless strictly necessary it is best to always leave it on low setting&mdash;similarly, leaving an engine with charges off on purpose is generally a [[bad idea]].
-Sourcing hellfire components can be a challenge, since they will only spawn as loot in hell vaults, [[Special_room_(dNetHack)#Magic_item_vault|magic vaults]] guarded by [[scrap titan]]s, [[juggernaut]]s or [[hellfire colossi]], statues of [[colossal clockwork war-machine]]s found in the first three cavern levels of the [[Law quest (dNetHack)|Law Quest]], or as [[death drop]]s from hellfire colossi themselves. A single hellfire colossus can provide from 4 to 16 hellfire components, so if one is encountered they can potentially keep the engine running for a good while on its 'low' setting.
+Sourcing hellfire components can be a challenge, since they will only be generated in specific locations: hell vaults; [[Special_room_(dNetHack)#Magic_item_vault|magic item vaults]] guarded by [[scrap titan]]s, [[juggernaut]]s or [[hellfire colossi]]; the [[statue]]s of [[colossal clockwork war-machine]]s found in the first three cavern levels of the [[Law quest (dNetHack)|Law Quest]]; and [[death drop]]s from hellfire colossi themselves. A single hellfire colossus can provide anywhere from 4 to 16 hellfire components, so if one is encountered they can potentially keep the engine running for a good while on its 'low' setting.
 ==Origin==

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 Each instance of item destruction blocked by a functioning preservative engine will consume a charge from the engine, independent of how many items the attack would have destroyed. Monsters that pick up magical items will also pick up preservative engines&mdash;though they will not apply the engines for themselves, an engine in a monster's inventory will function for that monster as it does for the hero (since preservative engines are normally generated on low settings).
-A preservative engine can be charged by using a [[hellfire component]] via the "replace component" option, or by [[reading]] a [[scroll of charging]], and preservative engines also interact differently with charging sources than most other tools: a '''''cursed''''' scroll of charging used on a preservative engine will set its charges to the maximum of 8, while a blessed scroll instead ''removes'' all charges, and an uncursed scroll will add one charge unless it is already at its maximum of 8.
+A preservative engine can hold a maximum of 8 charges, and it can be charged by either using a [[hellfire component]] via the "replace component" option, or by [[reading]] a [[scroll of charging]] which preservative engines interact with differently from most other tools: a ''cursed'' scroll of charging used on a preservative engine will set its charges to the maximum of 8, while a blessed scroll instead ''removes'' all charges, and an uncursed scroll will add one charge unless it is already at its maximum of 8.
 ==Strategy==

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 ==Generation==
-Preservative engines have a small chance of being randomly generated in [[Gehennom (dNetHack)|Gehennom]].
+Preservative engines are not randomly generated and cannot be obtained through [[polypiling]], though they can be [[wish]]ed for or found in [[bones]]. Normally-created preservative engines are always uncursed with 4-7 [[charge]]s, and will be set to low by default.
-[[Hellish seal]]s that contain a devil may generate preservative engines inside.
+Preservative engines are generally found in [[Gehennom (dNetHack)|Gehennom]]: devil vault [[hellish seal]]s have a chance of containing preservative engines, and a preservative engine is always generated in the hell loot chest next to [[Baalphegor]]'s [[throne]] if the lair shared by her and [[Mephistopheles (dNetHack)|Mephistopheles]] appears as [[User:Chris/dNetHack/Branches/Lower Hell|the lower Hell level]].
 ==Description==
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 If the player is facing an enemy spellcaster that can cast [[acid rain]] and does not have a [[User:Chris/dNethack/dNethack_Items#Armor|wide hat]], it might be worth turning the engine over to high for just long enough to dispatch of them. Leaving the engine running on high for a long time will quickly drain all its charges, so unless strictly necessary it is best to always leave it on low setting&mdash;similarly, leaving an engine with charges off on purpose is generally a [[bad idea]].
-Sourcing hellfire components can be a challenge, since they will only spawn as loot in hell vaults, [[Special_room_(dNetHack)#Magic_item_vault|magic vaults]] guarded by [[Gizmo#Scrap_titan|scrap titans]], [[Gizmo#Juggernaut|juggernauts]] or [[Gizmo#Hellfire_colossus|hellfire colossi]], statues of [[Gizmo#Colossal_clockwork_war-machine|giant war-machines]] found in the first three cavern levels of the [[Law quest (dNetHack)|Law Quest]], or as [[death drop]]s from hellfire colossi themselves. A single hellfire colossus can provide from 4 to 16 hellfire components, so if one is encountered they can potentially keep the engine running for a good while on low setting.
+Sourcing hellfire components can be a challenge, since they will only spawn as loot in hell vaults, [[Special_room_(dNetHack)#Magic_item_vault|magic vaults]] guarded by [[scrap titan]]s, [[juggernaut]]s or [[hellfire colossi]], statues of [[colossal clockwork war-machine]]s found in the first three cavern levels of the [[Law quest (dNetHack)|Law Quest]], or as [[death drop]]s from hellfire colossi themselves. A single hellfire colossus can provide from 4 to 16 hellfire components, so if one is encountered they can potentially keep the engine running for a good while on its 'low' setting.
 ==Origin==

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 The preservative engine is a very useful tool in the late game to mitigate the nuisance posed by unforeseen sudden deaths and otherwise hard-to-avoid attacks from dangerous enemies, such as the attacks of the Elder priest and flaying weapons that monsters like [[marilith]]s may occasionally spawn with. This somewhat offsets the lack of a guaranteed source of the preservation intrinsic and is a worthwhile wish for those preparing to fight [[demon lords]] with shredding attacks such as [[Demogorgon (dNetHack)|Demogorgon]], [[User:Chris/dNetHack/dNethack_Demon_Lords#Malcanthet|Malcanthet]] or [[Dagon]]. Its arguably most useful property is the ability to negate shredding and vorpal attacks, however its ability to completely negate energy attacks can be invaluable for when you wish to safeguard against [[pyrolisks]] while carrying flammable items and other effects while with items in open inventory. A woollen cloak will have much the same effect for cold and fire type attacks without expending valuable charges but does not protect against electric and acid type attacks.
-If the player is facing an enemy spellcaster that can cast [[acid rain]] and does not have a [[User:Chris/dNethack/dNethack_Items#Armor|wide hat]] it might be worth turning the engine over to high for just long enough to dispatch of them. Leaving the engine running on high for a long time will quickly drain all its charges though, so unless strictly necessary it is best to always leave it on low. Leaving an engine with charges off on purpose is generally a [[bad idea]].
+If the player is facing an enemy spellcaster that can cast [[acid rain]] and does not have a [[User:Chris/dNethack/dNethack_Items#Armor|wide hat]], it might be worth turning the engine over to high for just long enough to dispatch of them. Leaving the engine running on high for a long time will quickly drain all its charges, so unless strictly necessary it is best to always leave it on low setting&mdash;similarly, leaving an engine with charges off on purpose is generally a [[bad idea]].
-Sourcing hellfire components can be a challenge though since they will only spawn as loot in hell vaults, [[Special_room_(dNetHack)#Magic_item_vault|magic vaults]] guarded by [[Gizmo#Scrap_titan|scrap titans]], [[Gizmo#Juggernaut|juggernauts]] or [[Gizmo#Hellfire_colossus|hellfire colossi]], be found in statues of [[Gizmo#Colossal_clockwork_war-machine|giant war-machines]] found in the first three cavern levels of the law quest or drop from hellfire colossi themselves. A single hellfire colossus can provide from 4 to 16 hellfire components, so if one is encountered they can potentially keep the engine running for a good while on low.
+Sourcing hellfire components can be a challenge, since they will only spawn as loot in hell vaults, [[Special_room_(dNetHack)#Magic_item_vault|magic vaults]] guarded by [[Gizmo#Scrap_titan|scrap titans]], [[Gizmo#Juggernaut|juggernauts]] or [[Gizmo#Hellfire_colossus|hellfire colossi]], statues of [[Gizmo#Colossal_clockwork_war-machine|giant war-machines]] found in the first three cavern levels of the [[Law quest (dNetHack)|Law Quest]], or as [[death drop]]s from hellfire colossi themselves. A single hellfire colossus can provide from 4 to 16 hellfire components, so if one is encountered they can potentially keep the engine running for a good while on low setting.
 ==Origin==

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 Preservative engines have a small chance of being randomly generated in [[Gehennom (dNetHack)|Gehennom]].
-Devil vaults with [[hellish seal]]s may contain preservative engines.
+[[Hellish seal]]s that contain a devil may generate preservative engines inside.
 A preservative engine is always generated in the hell loot chest next to [[Baalphegor]]'s [[throne]] if the lair shared by her and [[Mephistopheles (dNetHack)|Mephistopheles]] appears as [[User:Chris/dNetHack/Branches/Lower Hell|the lower Hell level]] in Gehennom.

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   |weight=50
   |material=metal
 }}
 {{otheruses|the tool that protects [[armor]] from [[erosion]] and other damage|the item that provides intrinsic protection of the [[hero]]'s inventory|doll of preservation}}

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   |color=red
   |name=preservative engine
   |cost=8000
   |weight=50