Wand of slow monster - Revision history

Phol ende wodan: /* Description */ 3.7: slowed monsters above speed 12 lose extra movement points

2026-01-25T00:04:53Z

‎Description: 3.7: slowed monsters above speed 12 lose extra movement points

Umbire the Phantom: worth mentioning what blocks it now it's detailed

2025-01-16T11:52:34Z

worth mentioning what blocks it now it's detailed

Umbire the Phantom: more detailing - eventually figure out wand skill article for ease of FIQ/Fourk documentation

2025-01-16T11:50:14Z

more detailing - eventually figure out wand skill article for ease of FIQ/Fourk documentation

Umbire the Phantom: history

2025-01-16T11:28:58Z

history

Umbire the Phantom: formatting, copyedit, updating, detailing

2025-01-16T11:26:39Z

formatting, copyedit, updating, detailing

JASON10668: Add languages template.

2025-01-14T11:42:57Z

Add languages template.

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ sent before I double checked

2022-12-12T18:46:14Z

‎Variants: sent before I double checked

Umbire the Phantom: dex, history, variants

2022-12-12T18:45:24Z

dex, history, variants

Umbire the Phantom: rewrite

2022-12-12T18:25:20Z

rewrite

Infinigon: link MR and difficulty

2021-01-16T01:06:13Z

link MR and difficulty

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:04, 25 January 2026
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	[[Engraving]] with a wand of slow monster gives a unique message if the hero is not [[blind]], but does not auto-identify the wand.{{refsrc\|src/engrave.c\|672\|version=NetHack 3.6.7\|name="bugs"}}		[[Engraving]] with a wand of slow monster gives a unique message if the hero is not [[blind]], but does not auto-identify the wand.{{refsrc\|src/engrave.c\|672\|version=NetHack 3.6.7\|name="bugs"}}
		+
		+	{{upcoming\|NetHack 3.7.0\|Slowed monsters whose natural speed is above 12 lose a greater proportion of their movement points above 12 - {{frac\|2\|3}} of them. I.e. a monster with speed 17 would lose {{frac\|1\|3}} of their first 12 movement points and {{frac\|2\|3}} of their next 5 movement points, rounded down, for a total of only 9 movement points.}}

	==Strategy==		==Strategy==

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 * Zapping the wand at Expert slows a monster for 24-39 turns and removes intrinsic speed.
 * Zapping the wand at Master slows a monster for 30-49 turns and removes both intrinsic speed and temporary extrinsic speed.
 ===EvilHack===

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 ==Strategy==
-The wand of slow monster is best used at range against faster low-MR threats such as [[soldier ant]]s, [[leocrotta]]s or [[winged gargoyle]]s. Some more powerful threats may have a much higher MR score, and are better handled through other means such as [[scaring]] or [[paralysis]], while spellcasters are likely to re-cast [[Haste self (monster spell)|haste self]] at the first opportunity.
+The wand of slow monster is best used at range against faster low-MR threats such as [[soldier ant]]s, [[leocrotta]]s or [[winged gargoyle]]s. [[Nymph (monster class)|Nymphs]] are also worth slowing with the wand to give a hero and/or their [[pet]](s) more turns to kill them or else turn them away. Some of the more powerful hostile monsters may have a much higher MR score, and so are better handled through other means such as [[scaring]] or [[paralysis]], while spellcasters are likely to re-cast [[Haste self (monster spell)|haste self]] at the first opportunity.
-Whirly monsters are immune to the [[wand of digging]], making the wand of slow monster a valuable item for escaping their grasp: slowing whirly monsters such as [[energy vortices]] can let a faster hero (e.g. with [[speed boots]]) build up valuable distance to attack them at range. Most such monsters have an MR score of 30 at most&mdash;the [[fog cloud]] has an even lower score at 0, but already has the lowest possible speed for a monster and is hardly a danger to begin with. [[Air elemental]]s are among the most worrisome of the whirlies, and still move at twice a player's normal speed even when slowed; the wand still provides a valuable escape from being engulfed and pummeled with debris for several turns.
+Whirly monsters are immune to the [[wand of digging]], making the wand of slow monster a valuable item for escaping their grasp: slowing whirly monsters such as [[energy vortices]] can let a faster hero (e.g. with [[speed boots]]) build up valuable distance to attack them at range. Most such monsters have an MR score of 30 at most&mdash;the [[fog cloud]] has an even lower score at 0, but already has the lowest possible speed for a monster and is hardly a danger to begin with. [[Air elemental]]s are among the most worrisome of the whirlies, and still move at twice a player's normal speed even when slowed; though the wand still provides a valuable potential escape, the air elemental may potentially re-engulf you before you can get your bearings.
 A wand of slow monster is trivial to identify via engraving, since no other wand will produce the same message.
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 ==Variants==
 ===FIQHack===
-In [[FIQHack]], [[free action]] prevents you or a monster from being slowed with the wand or other sources {{frac|2|3}} of the time. [[Blue dragon scale mail]] also grants full protection from slowing effects such as being zapped with the wand.
+In [[FIQHack]], the wand of slow monster inflicts stronger slowing effects depending on the wand user's [[skill]] in [[Wand (skill)|wands]], with a duration equal to (skill*d4) + (skill*5) turns:
 ===EvilHack===

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 ==History==
-The wand of slow monster has been present in the game since hack121, a variant of [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]].
+The wand of slow monster appears in Hack 1.21 and Hack for PDP-11, which are both based on [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]], and is included in the initial item list for [[Hack 1.0]].
 ==Messages==

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 A '''wand of slow monster''' is a type of [[wand]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''.
 ==Description==
-[[Zapping]] a wand of slow monster in a given direction will produce a [[beam]] that causes monsters in its path to [[speed|slow down]], with a chance for affected monsters to resist based on their [[monster magic resistance|MR score]] (using the equation {{sfrac|MR|112&nbsp;−&nbsp;[[monster difficulty|difficulty]]}} - monsters with [[intrinsic speed]] will instead return to normal speed. Monsters will not zap this wand. Slowed monsters move at {{frac|2|3}} of their normal movement speed; slowing down any monster or returning them to normal speed with the wand will [[auto-identify]] it.
+[[Zapping]] the wand has the same effect as the [[spell of slow monster]]: any targets hit by the beam lose intrinsic [[speed]], and monsters without intrinsic speed will have their [[monster speed]] abnormally lowered to {{frac|2|3}} of their normal speed{{refsrc|src/zap.c|185|nethack=3.6.7}}&mdash;monsters zapped with the wand can resist this effect dependent on their [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]], [[mimic]]s will be uncloaked, and zapping a [[peaceful]] monster will anger them.{{refsrc|src/zap.c|182|nethack=3.6.7}} A hero that zaps a [[whirly]] monster [[engulfing]] them with the wand will disrupt their form if they do not resist the effects, forcing them to expel the hero.{{refsrc|src/zap.c|187|nethack=3.6.7}} A hero that zaps themselves with the wand will remove any intrinsic speed and [[abuse]] [[dexterity]].{{refsrc|src/zap.c|2430|nethack=3.6.7}}
-If you zap yourself with a wand of slow monster while you have intrinsic speed, you will lose that intrinsic and [[abuse]] [[dexterity]] - otherwise, nothing happens.
+A hero that slows down themselves or any monster with the wand will [[auto-identify]] it. Monsters will not zap this wand.
-[[Engraving]] with the wand will cause the bugs on the floor to slow down; while this is a unique message, it will not auto-identify the wand.
+[[Engraving]] with a wand of slow monster gives a unique message if the hero is not [[blind]], but does not auto-identify the wand.{{refsrc|src/engrave.c|672|version=NetHack 3.6.7|name="bugs"}}
 ==Strategy==
-Whirly monsters are immune to the [[wand of digging]], making the wand a valuable escape item when engulfed by them. Slowing whirly monsters such as an [[energy vortex]] can let a faster player (e.g. with [[speed boots]]) build up valuable distance to attack them at range, and many whirly monsters have an MR score of 30 at most - the [[fog cloud]] has an even lower score at 0, and will never resist the wand. Air elementals are the most worrisome whirlies by far, and still move at twice a player's normal speed even when slowed; the wand still provides a valuable escape from being engulfed and pummeled with debris for several turns.
+The wand of slow monster is best used at range against faster low-MR threats such as [[soldier ant]]s, [[leocrotta]]s or [[winged gargoyle]]s. Some more powerful threats may have a much higher MR score, and are better handled through other means such as [[scaring]] or [[paralysis]], while spellcasters are likely to re-cast [[Haste self (monster spell)|haste self]] at the first opportunity.
-For other monsters, the wand of slow monster is best used at range against faster low-MR threats such as [[soldier ant]]s, [[leocrotta]]s or [[winged gargoyle]]s. More powerful threats usually have a much higher MR score and are better handled through other means such as [[scaring]] or [[paralysis]]; spellcasters are likely to re-haste themselves after some amount of turns.
+Whirly monsters are immune to the [[wand of digging]], making the wand of slow monster a valuable item for escaping their grasp: slowing whirly monsters such as [[energy vortices]] can let a faster hero (e.g. with [[speed boots]]) build up valuable distance to attack them at range. Most such monsters have an MR score of 30 at most&mdash;the [[fog cloud]] has an even lower score at 0, but already has the lowest possible speed for a monster and is hardly a danger to begin with. [[Air elemental]]s are among the most worrisome of the whirlies, and still move at twice a player's normal speed even when slowed; the wand still provides a valuable escape from being engulfed and pummeled with debris for several turns.
 A wand of slow monster is trivial to identify via engraving, since no other wand will produce the same message.
@@ Line 31: / Line 34: @@
 ==Messages==
-{{message|The bugs on the &lt;floor&gt; slow down!|You engraved with a charged wand of slow monster. This is a unique message, however the wand is not [[Auto-identify|auto-identified]].}}
+{{message|The bugs on the <floor> slow down!|You engraved with a charged wand of slow monster.}}
-{{message|<Monster> seems to be moving slower.|You zapped a monster which did not resist.}}
+{{message|<Monster> seems to be moving slower.|You zapped and slowed a monster with the wand.}}
-{{message|You disrupt <monster>! A huge hole opens up...|You zapped a whirly monster that you were engulfed in, and were expelled.}}
+{{message|You disrupt <monster>!}}
 {{message|You slow down.|You lost the speed intrinsic by zapping yourself with a wand of slow monster.}}
-{{message|Your quickness feels less natural.|As above, but you still have extrinsic speed from wearing speed boots.}}
+{{message|Your quickness feels less natural.|As above, but you still have extrinsic speed from another source.}}
 ==Variants==
 ===FIQHack===
 In [[FIQHack]], [[free action]] prevents you or a monster from being slowed with the wand or other sources {{frac|2|3}} of the time. [[Blue dragon scale mail]] also grants full protection from slowing effects such as being zapped with the wand.
-==See also==
+===EvilHack===
-* [[Spellbook of slow monster]]
+In [[EvilHack]], monsters will use the wand of slow monster offensively against the hero.
-* [[Wand of speed monster]]
-{{nethack-366}}
+==References==
 [[Category:Wands|Slow monster]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:42, 14 January 2025
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		+	{{languages}}
	{{wand		{{wand
	\|name=slow monster		\|name=slow monster

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 A '''wand of slow monster''' is a wand that will make monsters [[speed|slow down]] (take more turns to move or attack).
-Monsters have a chance to resist the wand's effect, given by {{sfrac|MR|112&nbsp;−&nbsp;difficulty}}. If the monster does not resist, it becomes slow ({{frac|2|3}} of normal movement speed), or normal speed if it was previously fast. If you were engulfed by a [[whirly]] monster (vortex or air elemental), you are expelled.
+Monsters have a chance to resist the wand's effect, given by {{sfrac|[[monster magic resistance|MR]]|112&nbsp;−&nbsp;[[monster difficulty|difficulty]]}}. If the monster does not resist, it becomes slow ({{frac|2|3}} of normal movement speed), or normal speed if it was previously fast. If you were engulfed by a [[whirly]] monster (vortex or air elemental), you are expelled.
 If you zap yourself with a wand of slow monster, you will lose [[intrinsic speed]] if you previously had it. Otherwise, nothing happens. Monsters in [[NetHack 3.6.0]] will not use this wand offensively against you.
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 Since [[whirly]] monsters are immune to a [[wand of digging]], the wand of slow monster is one of the few ways you can escape being [[engulfed]] by them, and additionally slows them down like any other monster. A player with speed boots can build up some distance to attack a slowed [[vortex]] from range, though even slowed [[air elementals]] are too fast to outrun. Whirlies have only a 30% chance to resist each zap except for the [[fog cloud]], which never resists.
-Otherwise, it is best used on faster low-[[monster magic resistance|MR]] threats such as [[soldier ant]]s, [[leocrotta]]s or [[winged gargoyle]]s at range. It is unlikely to affect monsters with higher MR, such as [[Archon]]s or [[arch-lich]]es.
+Otherwise, it is best used on faster low-MR threats such as [[soldier ant]]s, [[leocrotta]]s or [[winged gargoyle]]s at range. It is unlikely to affect monsters with higher MR, such as [[Archon]]s or [[arch-lich]]es.
 == See also ==