Wand of nothing - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: tweaks

2026-01-10T18:30:50Z

tweaks

Umbire the Phantom: detailing

2025-04-01T22:05:37Z

detailing

Ion frigate: Actually has an above-average chance of just generating another wand of nothing, but that's still only 7% (according to polypiling)

2025-04-01T19:18:31Z

Actually has an above-average chance of just generating another wand of nothing, but that's still only 7% (according to polypiling)

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ slash'em + them

2025-04-01T12:20:14Z

‎Variants: slash'em + them

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ word choice

2025-03-30T22:17:31Z

‎Strategy: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* EvilHack */ word choice

2025-01-05T15:59:08Z

‎EvilHack: word choice

Ion frigate: fix emdash

2025-01-03T00:36:24Z

fix emdash

Umbire the Phantom: missed this too

2025-01-03T00:30:56Z

missed this too

Umbire the Phantom: /* SpliceHack */ forgot this...

2025-01-03T00:18:53Z

‎SpliceHack: forgot this...

Umbire the Phantom: formatting, copyedit, updating, detailing

2025-01-03T00:18:31Z

formatting, copyedit, updating, detailing

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
   |abundance=2.5%
 }}
 A '''wand of nothing''' is a type of [[wand]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. It is the only wand that is not a [[magical item]].
@@ Line 20: / Line 19: @@
 ==Description==
-As its name indicates, a wand of nothing has no effect beyond using up a [[charge]] when [[zapped]] or used to [[engrave]], and doing so prints no message&mdash;it is the only type of wand that can be either directional or non-directional, with the type chosen each game. [[Cancellation]] also does not reduce a charged wand of nothing to -1 charges like other wands, having no effect at all instead.
+As its name indicates, a wand of nothing has no effect beyond using up a charge when [[zapping]] or [[engraving]] with it, and doing so prints no message&mdash;it is the only type of wand that can be either directional or non-directional, with the type chosen each game. [[Cancellation]] also does not reduce a charged wand of nothing to -1 charges like other wands, having no effect at all instead.
-[[Breaking wands|Breaking]] a [[charged]] wand of nothing by [[applying]] it&ndash;or else wresting one last charge from an applied wand&ndash;will naturally have no effect.{{refsrc|src/apply.c|3358|nethack=3.6.7}}
+[[Breaking wands|Breaking]] a charged wand of nothing by [[applying]] it, or else wresting one last charge from an applied wand, will naturally have no effect.{{refsrc|src/apply.c|3358|nethack=3.6.7}}
 ==Strategy==
@@ Line 49: / Line 48: @@
 ===Hack'EM===
-In [[Hack'EM]], the wand of nothing's base price 500zm as in EvilHack, and shopkeepers will only pay 50zm for the wand. Wands of nothing only have a {{frac|100}} chance of becoming a magical wand when polymorphed.
+In [[Hack'EM]], the wand of nothing's base price is changed to 500zm as in EvilHack, and shopkeepers will only pay 50zm for the wand. Wands of nothing only have a {{frac|100}} chance of becoming a magical wand when polymorphed.
 ==References==

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ==Description==
-As its name indicates, a wand of nothing has no effect and prints no message when [[zapped]], [[applied]] or used to [[engrave]]&mdash;they possess [[charge]]s like any other wand, and directional wands of nothing will prompt for a direction to zap as normal. As a non-magical wand, [[cancellation]] has no effect on its charges.
+As its name indicates, a wand of nothing has no effect beyond using up a [[charge]] when [[zapped]] or used to [[engrave]], and doing so prints no message&mdash;it is the only type of wand that can be either directional or non-directional, with the type chosen each game. [[Cancellation]] also does not reduce a charged wand of nothing to -1 charges like other wands, having no effect at all instead.
 ==Strategy==
-The only real use for a wand of nothing is as [[polyfodder]], since it will almost always turn into a magical wand&mdash;non-directional wands of nothing are more ideal due to having more charges (which are carried over when polymorphing wands).
+The only real use for a wand of nothing is as [[polyfodder]], since it will almost always turn into a magical wand&mdash;non-directional wands of nothing are more ideal due to having more charges (which are carried over when polymorphing wands). The wand of nothing's (lack of) properties tend to interfere slightly with identifying other wands, though wands of secret door detection can be used near suspected trap and/or secret door locations to [[auto-identify]] them upon zapping or engraving.
-The wand of nothing's (lack of) properties tend to interfere with identifying other wands, though identifying the wand itself is somewhat trivial via [[price identification]]: the wand of nothing and [[wand of light]] are the only wands with a base price of 100[[zm]], and wands of light [[auto-identify]] when zapped or used to engrave. Price identification can also be used to eliminate all other wands that produce no message when engraving.
+Identifying the wand itself is somewhat trivial using process of elimination via [[price identification]]: the wand of nothing and [[wand of light]] are the only wands with a base price of 100[[zm]], and wands of light [[auto-identify]] when zapped or used to engrave. Price identification can also be used to eliminate all other wands that produce no message when engraving.
 ==History==

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ==Strategy==
-The only real use for a wand of nothing is as [[polyfodder]], since it will always turn into a magical wand&mdash;non-directional wands of nothing are more ideal due to having more charges (which are carried over when polymorphing wands).
+The only real use for a wand of nothing is as [[polyfodder]], since it will almost always turn into a magical wand&mdash;non-directional wands of nothing are more ideal due to having more charges (which are carried over when polymorphing wands).
 The wand of nothing's (lack of) properties tend to interfere with identifying other wands, though identifying the wand itself is somewhat trivial via [[price identification]]: the wand of nothing and [[wand of light]] are the only wands with a base price of 100[[zm]], and wands of light [[auto-identify]] when zapped or used to engrave. Price identification can also be used to eliminate all other wands that produce no message when engraving.

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 ==Variants==
 ===xNetHack===
 In [[xNetHack]], [[wield]]ing a wand of nothing gives a +5 bonus to the hero's effective intelligence score when calculating the energy cost for [[spellcasting]]&mdash;this does not stack with the bonus from [[wear]]ing a [[robe]] or wielding a [[quarterstaff]], and these effects do not stack.
@@ Line 39: / Line 42: @@
 ===EvilHack===
 In [[EvilHack]], the wand of nothing's base price is raised to 500zm, making it trickier to identify potential [[wands of death]] or [[wands of wishing]] generated randomly in the dungeon or in shops.
 ===Hack'EM===

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 The only real use for a wand of nothing is as [[polyfodder]], since it will always turn into a magical wand&mdash;non-directional wands of nothing are more ideal due to having more charges (which are carried over when polymorphing wands).
-The wand of nothing's (lack of) properties tend to interfere with identifying other wands, though identifying the wand itself is somewhat trivial via [[price identification]]: only the wand of nothing and [[wand of light]] share the same base price of 100[[zm]], and wands of light [[auto-identify]] when zapped or used to engrave. Price identification can also be used to eliminate all other wands that produce no message when engraving.
+The wand of nothing's (lack of) properties tend to interfere with identifying other wands, though identifying the wand itself is somewhat trivial via [[price identification]]: the wand of nothing and [[wand of light]] are the only wands with a base price of 100[[zm]], and wands of light [[auto-identify]] when zapped or used to engrave. Price identification can also be used to eliminate all other wands that produce no message when engraving.
 ==History==

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 A [[master lich]] has an effective {{frac|91}} chance of [[Monster starting inventory|being generated with]] a wand of nothing.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|728|nethack=3.6.7}}
-A wand of nothing can be either directional or non-directional, and all wands of nothing in a given game are of the same type&mdash;directional wands of nothing are generated with 4 to 8 charges for, while non-directional wands are generated with 11 to 15 charges.
+A wand of nothing can be either directional or non-directional, and all wands of nothing in a given game are of the same type. Directional wands of nothing are generated with 4 to 8 charges, while non-directional wands are generated with 11 to 15 charges.
 ==Description==

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 ===SpliceHack===
-In [[SpliceHack]], a wand of nothing can be created at a [[furnace]] by combining a [[wand of opening]] and [[wand of locking]], and can be combined with a [[wnad of polymorph]] to make a [[wand of create monster]].
+In [[SpliceHack]], a wand of nothing can be created at a [[furnace]] by combining a [[wand of opening]] and [[wand of locking]], and can be combined with a [[wand of polymorph]] to make a [[wand of create monster]].
 ===EvilHack===

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 }}
-The '''wand of nothing''' is a [[wand]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''.
+A '''wand of nothing''' is a type of [[wand]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. It is the only wand that is not a [[magical item]].
-==Effects==
+==Generation==
-True to its name, the wand does absolutely nothing when [[zap]]ped, [[engrave]]d with, or broken by [[apply]]ing. Nevertheless, it has consumable charges like any other wand.
+[[Wizard]]s will never receive a wand of nothing as the random wand in their starting inventory.{{refsrc|src/u_init.c|164|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/u_init.c|1010|nethack=3.6.7}}
-The wand of nothing can be either directional or non-directional. In a given game, all wands of nothing are of the same type. If they are non-directional, zapping one produces no feedback whatsoever; if they are directional, you are prompted for a direction to zap, after which nothing else happens. Wands of nothing are generated with 4 to 8 charges if directional, or with 11 to 15  if non-directional.
+Wands of nothing make up {{frac|40}} (2.5%) of all randomly-generated wands. General [[store]]s and "quality apparel and accessories" shops can sell wands of nothing.
-A wand of nothing is non-magical, and so doesn't lose its charges to [[cancellation]]. As the only non-magical type of wand, it will usually turn into a magical wand when polymorphed.
+A [[master lich]] has an effective {{frac|91}} chance of [[Monster starting inventory|being generated with]] a wand of nothing.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|728|nethack=3.6.7}}
-Note that the message '''"Nothing happens."''' isn't associated specifically with the wand of nothing, but with any wand that's out of charges. A wand of nothing only produces this message when it happens to be out of charges.
+A wand of nothing can be either directional or non-directional, and all wands of nothing in a given game are of the same type&mdash;directional wands of nothing are generated with 4 to 8 charges for, while non-directional wands are generated with 11 to 15 charges.
 ==Strategy==
-The wand of nothing's properties tend to interfere with identifying other wands; however, the only other wand with a base price of 100 zorkmids is the [[wand of light]], which is very easy to identify and safe to zap or engrave with. Only 25% of all price 100 wands are wands of nothing. It can also be formally identified by elimination once all wands are known that produce no message when engraving.
+The only real use for a wand of nothing is as [[polyfodder]], since it will always turn into a magical wand%mdash;non-directional wands of nothing are more ideal due to having more charges (which are carried over when polymorphing wands).
-The wand of nothing's only real use is as [[polyfodder]]. Converting it to any other magical wand will keep its amount of charges intact, which is especially useful if it's the non-directional variant with more charges.
+The wand of nothing's (lack of) properties tend to interfere with identifying other wands, though identifying the wand itself is somewhat trivial via [[price identification]]: only the wand of nothing and [[wand of light]] share the same base price of 100[[zm]], and wands of light [[auto-identify]] when zapped or used to engrave. Price identification can also be used to eliminate all other wands that produce no message when engraving.
 ==History==
-Prior to [[NetHack 3.6.0]], all wands of nothing were directional.
+The wand of nothing first appears in [[NetHack 1.3d]]. From this version to [[NetHack 3.4.3]], including some variants based on those versions, all wands of nothing are directional.
-==xNetHack==
+===Hack'EM===
-In [[xNetHack]], wielding a wand of nothing gives a bonus when [[spellcasting]], increasing the player's effective intelligence score by 5 when calculating the energy cost. This effect is the same as wearing a [[robe]] or wielding a [[quarterstaff]], and these effects do not stack.
+In [[Hack'EM]], the wand of nothing's base price 500zm as in EvilHack, and shopkeepers will only pay 50zm for the wand. Wands of nothing only have a {{frac|100}} chance of becoming a magical wand when polymorphed.
 [[Category:Wands|Nothing]]