The Staff of Aesculapius - Revision history

Netzhack: /* Encyclopedia entry */ line breaks

2026-05-26T10:28:11Z

‎Encyclopedia entry: line breaks

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ copyedit

2026-01-30T02:29:13Z

‎Variants: copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: /* Origin */ copyedit

2026-01-30T02:26:17Z

‎Origin: copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: organize

2026-01-30T02:11:28Z

organize

Ardub23: /* Variants */ Added xNetHack section

2026-01-29T21:44:41Z

‎Variants: Added xNetHack section

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2025-10-12T20:18:43Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ tweaks

2025-07-10T04:53:08Z

‎Strategy: tweaks

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ upcoming et. al.

2025-07-04T02:18:10Z

‎Strategy: upcoming et. al.

Umbire the Phantom: /* EvilHack */ 0.9

2025-02-04T22:32:11Z

‎EvilHack: 0.9

Umbire the Phantom: /* dNetHack */ clarify damage

2024-11-09T11:20:33Z

‎dNetHack: clarify damage

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 ==Encyclopedia entry==
 {{encyclopedia|
-This staff is considered sacred to all healers, as it truly
+This staff is considered sacred to all healers, as it truly holds the powers of life and death.  When wielded, it protects its user from all life draining attacks, and additionally gives the wielder the power of regeneration. When invoked it performs healing magic.
 }}

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 ==Variants==
 ===SLASH'EM===
-In [[SLASH'EM]], The Staff of Aesculapius no longer has drain resistance, although the encyclopedia entry describing the artifact is unchanged.{{refsrc|artilist.h|350|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2|comment=The Staff has <code>NO_DFNS</code> in place of the vanilla <code>DRLI(0, 0)</code>}} Fortunately, there are more sources of drain resistance, such as the [[amulet of drain resistance]] - finding one makes facing the Cyclops as a Healer much less fraught and leaves his strong weapon attacks to contend with.
+In [[SLASH'EM]], The Staff of Aesculapius does not grant drain resistance when wielded, although the encyclopedia entry describing the artifact is unchanged.{{refsrc|artilist.h|350|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2|comment=The Staff has <tt>NO_DFNS</tt> in place of the vanilla <tt>DRLI(0, 0)</tt>}} Fortunately, there are more sources of drain resistance, such as the [[amulet of drain resistance]], and finding one makes facing the Cyclops as a Healer much less fraught and leaves his still-strong weapon attacks to contend with.
-The #tip command does not exist in SLASH'EM, so character using The Staff of Aesculapius should keep at least one means of [[curse removal]] in open inventory - the {{frac|4|5}} chance of resisting curses still works in The Staff's favor, as does having magic resistance and/or half spell damage.
+The #tip command does not exist in SLASH'EM, so a hero using The Staff of Aesculapius should keep at least one means of [[curse removal]] in open inventory&mdash;the {{frac|4|5}} chance of resisting curses still works in The Staff's favor, as does having a source of magic resistance and/or half spell damage on hand.
 ===dNetHack===
@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 ===EvilHack===
-In [[EvilHack]], invoking The Staff of Aesculapius can also cure [[withering]].
+In [[EvilHack]], invoking The Staff of Aesculapius can cure withering among other ailments.
 If The Staff of Aesculapius is [[wish]]ed for by a non-Healer hero, there is a {{frac|x}} chance (where ''x'' is the amount of previous [[artifact]] wishes) of it being created successfully&mdash;if successful, [[Hippocrates]] will generate as the hostile owner of the artifact, placed adjacent to the hero with the artifact in his possession.
@@ Line 86: / Line 86: @@
 ===SlashTHEM===
-In addition to SLASH'EM details, [[SlashTHEM]] both adds the #tip command from later versions of ''NetHack'' and restores the Staff's drain resistance.
+[[SlashTHEM]] both adds the #tip command from later versions of ''NetHack'' and restores the Staff's drain resistance that was excluded in SLASH'EM.
 ==Encyclopedia entry==

@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 ==Origin==
 {{Wikipedia|Staff of Aesculapius}}
-In ancient Greek mythology, the Staff of Aesculapius - primarily known as the Rod of Asclepius, and also known as the "asklepian" - is a serpent-entwined rod, {{white|⚕}}. The Caduceus of [[Hermes]], {{white|☤}}, is a similar symbol of commerce with ''two'' snakes around it, and both staves were gifted to each deity by Apollo - as a result, the caduceus often occurs in similar contexts due to being confused with the Rod, and is likely the reason Hermes serves as the neutral [[god]] of the Healer pantheon.
+In ancient Greek mythology, the Staff of Aesculapius&ndash;primarily known as the Rod of Asclepius, and also known as the "asklepian"&ndash;is a serpent-entwined rod, {{white|⚕}}. The Caduceus of [[Hermes]], {{white|☤}}, is a similar symbol of commerce with ''two'' snakes around it, and both staves were gifted to each deity by Apollo&mdash;as a result, the caduceus often occurs in similar contexts due to being confused with the Rod, and is likely the reason Hermes serves as the neutral [[god]] of the Healer pantheon.
-Aesculapius (or Asclepius) is one of the sons of Apollo and a deity associated with the healing aspect of medicine - the snake and staff are separate symbols of Asclepius that may represent the dual natures of medical practice and drugs as capable of either inducing sickness and death, or bringing health and extending life. Snakes were also considered sacred beings of wisdom, health and resurrection by ancient Greeks, partly by virtue of regularly shedding their skin, while the staff is interpreted as a walking stick, and thus a symbol of support and growth. One of Asclepius's more famous temples was located on the island of Kos, where the legendary "father of medicine" [[Hippocrates]] is said to have begun his career - the Oath attributed to him (as seen in the encyclopedia entry for the Healer) swears by "Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health, and All-heal", the latter two of which refers to Asclepius's daughters, Hygieia and Panacea.
+Aesculapius (or Asclepius) is one of the sons of Apollo and a deity associated with the healing aspect of medicine: the snake and staff are separate symbols of Asclepius that may represent the dual natures of medical practice and drugs as capable of either inducing sickness and death, or bringing health and extending life. Snakes were also considered sacred beings of wisdom, health and resurrection by ancient Greeks, partly by virtue of regularly shedding their skin, while the staff is interpreted as a walking stick, and thus a symbol of support and growth. One of Asclepius's more famous temples was located on the island of Kos, where the legendary "father of medicine" [[Hippocrates]] is said to have begun his career&mdash;the Oath attributed to him (as seen in the encyclopedia entry for the Healer) swears by "Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health, and All-heal", the latter two of which refers to Asclepius's daughters, Hygieia and Panacea.
-As a mortal, Asclepius was educated by Apollo and more formally by the centaur Chiron in the arts of medicine. Some stories assert that Asclepius was his original name, while others suggest that he was originally named Hepius and received his new name from curing a ruler named Ascles, who suffered a seemingly-incurable eye ailment. Asclepius eventually became so proficient as a healer that he could cheat death and bring others back to life - this led to Zeus killing him with a thunderbolt when either Hades began accusing Asclepius of stealing his subjects, or Zeus himself became afraid that Asclepius would teach the art of resurrection to others. Apollo retaliated by killing the Cyclopes who made Zeus's thunderbolts, leading to his temporary banishment from Olympus; Asclepius's body was placed among the stars as the constellation Ophiuchus. Zeus later resurrected Asclepius as a god upon Apollo's request and gave him a place on Olympus. In ''NetHack'', the player character kills the Cyclops to retrieve the Staff of Aesculapius and curses Zeus upon obtaining it, suggesting that this myth is the basis for their quest.
+As a mortal, Asclepius was educated by Apollo and more formally by the centaur Chiron in the arts of medicine. Some stories assert that Asclepius was his original name, while others suggest that he was originally named Hepius and received his new name from curing a ruler named Ascles, who suffered a seemingly-incurable eye ailment. Asclepius eventually became so proficient as a healer that he could cheat death and bring others back to life, which led to Zeus killing him with a thunderbolt: depending on the telling, Hades began accusing Asclepius of stealing his subjects, or Zeus himself became afraid that Asclepius would teach the art of resurrection to others, after which Apollo retaliated by killing the Cyclopes who made Zeus's thunderbolts, leading to his temporary banishment from Olympus&mdash;Asclepius's body was placed among the stars as the constellation Ophiuchus, and Zeus later resurrected Asclepius as a god upon Apollo's request and gave him a place on Olympus. In ''NetHack'', the Healer player character kills the Cyclops to retrieve the Staff of Aesculapius and the quest text describes them cursing Zeus upon obtaining it, suggesting that this myth is the basis for their quest.
 ==Variants==

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    |material=wood
 }}
 '''The Staff of Aesculapius''' is the [[Healer]] [[quest artifact]]. It is the prize for completing the [[Healer quest]], and its default alignment is [[neutral]]. Its [[base item]] type is a [[quarterstaff]].
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 The Staff's silver damage and status-inflicting powers grant it far more utility as an offensive melee weapon for Healers overall (especially in Gehennom), and dNetHack and its variants also have the #tip command alongside various sources of [[curse resistance]] and curse removal.
 ===EvilHack===
@@ Line 85: / Line 87: @@
 ===SlashTHEM===
 In addition to SLASH'EM details, [[SlashTHEM]] both adds the #tip command from later versions of ''NetHack'' and restores the Staff's drain resistance.
 ==Encyclopedia entry==

@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 ===SlashTHEM===
 In addition to SLASH'EM details, [[SlashTHEM]] both adds the #tip command from later versions of ''NetHack'' and restores the Staff's drain resistance.
 ==Encyclopedia entry==

@@ Line 74: / Line 74: @@
 Additionally, the non-cursed Staff can be [[applied]] by the wielder to cure status ailments for themselves or other allied monsters similar to a [[unicorn horn]], and inflicts status ailments on opposing monsters while completely ignoring [[Magic resistance (monster)|monster MR]] - this is reversed if the Staff is cursed, and in all cases skips over ailments that do not apply (for curing) or else cannot be applied (for inflicting). The status ailments cured or applied in order of priority are: blindness, [[deafness]], [[stunning]] and [[confusion]], [[sleep]], [[paralysis]], [[cancellation]], and plague (specifically, the plague that several monsters have fallen victim to in [[Healer quest/dNetHack|the Healer quest]]).
-The Staff's silver damage and status-inflicting powers grant it far more utility as an offensive melee weapon for Healers overall (especially in Gehennom), and dNetHack and its variants also have the #tip command along with introducing various sources of [[curse resistance]] and curse removal.
+The Staff's silver damage and status-inflicting powers grant it far more utility as an offensive melee weapon for Healers overall (especially in Gehennom), and dNetHack and its variants also have the #tip command alongside various sources of [[curse resistance]] and curse removal.
 ===EvilHack===

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 ==Strategy==
 {{for|optimized invocation|Invoke#Optimum invocation schedule}}
-Healers fighting the Cyclops to retrieve The Staff of Aesculapius will have its draining abilities used against them: [[covetous]] warping makes his melee attacks difficult to avoid, but Healers can reliably exploit his lack of [[Magic resistance (monster)|monster MR]] - the [[wand of sleep]], potions of {{! of|sleeping|and=1|paralysis}}, or spells of {{+ of|sleep}} can all put him under if they hit, and a [[wand of death]] will kill him outright.
+Healers fighting the Cyclops to retrieve The Staff of Aesculapius will have its draining abilities used against them: [[covetous]] warping makes his melee attacks difficult to avoid, but Healers can reliably exploit his lack of [[Magic resistance (monster)|monster MR]]: the [[wand of sleep]], potions of {{! of|sleeping|and=1|paralysis}}, and the {{+ of|sleep}} spell can all put him under if they hit, and a [[wand of death]] will kill him outright.
 The Staff of Aesculapius is generally unpopular late in the game as a a [[two-handed]] weapon, especially with the abundance of drain-resistant hostiles in [[Gehennom]]. However, it is also the only neutral artifact that provides drain resistance, making it a tempting-if-ultimately-optional wish candidate for neutral non-Healer characters. Thankfully, as a [[intelligent artifact]] The Staff of Aesculapius resists {{frac|4|5}} (80%) of item curses (before factoring in [[half spell damage]] and/or [[magic resistance]]), and the #[[tip]] [[extended command]] ensures that a hero can still get to any bagged [[holy water]] or {{? of|remove curse}} scrolls with a cursed Staff in their hands. The on-demand healing from its regeneration and invoke power is also especially powerful for typically spell-focused Healers in particular.

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 The Staff of Aesculapius is generally unpopular late in the game as a a [[two-handed]] weapon, especially with the abundance of drain-resistant hostiles in [[Gehennom]]. However, it is also the only neutral artifact that provides drain resistance, making it a tempting-if-ultimately-optional wish candidate for neutral non-Healer characters. Thankfully, as a [[intelligent artifact]] The Staff of Aesculapius resists {{frac|4|5}} (80%) of item curses (before factoring in [[half spell damage]] and/or [[magic resistance]]), and the #[[tip]] [[extended command]] ensures that a hero can still get to any bagged [[holy water]] or {{? of|remove curse}} scrolls with a cursed Staff in their hands. The on-demand healing from its regeneration and invoke power is also especially powerful for typically spell-focused Healers in particular.
-{{upcoming|3.7.0|Cursed quarterstaves no longer block spellcasting, so the [[spell of remove curse]] can be used to uncurse the Staff.}}
+{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|42a6a5df6614ab3951f1f6bb49763e77cd8babd9}}, a cursed wielded [[quarterstaff]] does not block spellcasting, so the {{+ of|remove curse}} spell can be used to uncurse the Staff.}}
 ===Average damage calculation===

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 ===dNetHack===
-In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]], and [[notnotdNetHack]], The Staff of Aesculapius is a [[silver]]-shod quarterstaff, and appears as a '''serpent-entwined staff''' when unidentified. [[Reading]] The Staff of Aesculapius teaches the {{+ of|mass healing}} spell.
+In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]], and [[notnotdNetHack]], The Staff of Aesculapius is a [[silver]]-shod quarterstaff, and appears as a '''serpent-entwined staff''' when unidentified: it has the same base damage as a normal quarterstaff, but also deals silver damage against silver-hating monsters. [[Reading]] The Staff of Aesculapius teaches the {{+ of|mass healing}} spell.
 Additionally, the non-cursed Staff can be [[applied]] by the wielder to cure status ailments for themselves or other allied monsters similar to a [[unicorn horn]], and inflicts status ailments on opposing monsters while completely ignoring [[Magic resistance (monster)|monster MR]] - this is reversed if the Staff is cursed, and in all cases skips over ailments that do not apply (for curing) or else cannot be applied (for inflicting). The status ailments cured or applied in order of priority are: blindness, [[deafness]], [[stunning]] and [[confusion]], [[sleep]], [[paralysis]], [[cancellation]], and plague (specifically, the plague that several monsters have fallen victim to in [[Healer quest/dNetHack|the Healer quest]]).