Potion of sleeping
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| |
|---|---|
| Name | sleeping |
| Appearance | random |
| Base price | 100 zm |
| Weight | 20 |
| Monster use | May be used offensively by monsters. |
A potion of sleeping is a type of magical potion that appears in NetHack.
Contents
Generation
Wizards may generate with a potion of sleeping as any of their three random starting potions.[1]
Potions of sleeping make up 21⁄500 (4.2%) of all randomly-generated potions. General stores and liquor emporiums can sell potions of sleeping.
Description
Quaffing a potion of sleeping without sleep resistance or free action will put a hero to sleep for a duration dependent on the beatitude of the potion:[2] a blessed potion lasts for 13-23 turns, an uncursed one lasts for 25-35 turns, and a cursed one lasts for 37-47 turns. The potion has no effect on a hero that has either sleep resistance or free action.[3]
A monster hit by a thrown potion of sleeping will fall asleep for up to 12 turns if they do not have sleep resistance or free action, while a hero that is hit by a thrown potion or breathes the potion's vapors will be immobilized for up to five turns and abuse dexterity unless they have sleep resistance or free action.[4][5]
Strategy
The potion of sleeping is a decent option for a hero to immobilize a particularly troublesome monster with, but can easily be overshadowed by the wand of sleep or the spell of sleep; one of its few comparative advantages is that it does not risk catching nearby monsters in the crossfire unlike sleep rays, and can bypass reflection that renders those rays ineffective. It can also be wielded to hit the target monster with it in melee while sleep-resistant or wearing a source of free action, though the similar potion of paralysis is preferable in almost every applicable instance if it is available.
Beyond these use cases, potions of sleeping are generally candidates for dilution or polypiling.
History
The potion of sleeping first appears in SLASH 6, and makes its vanilla debut in NetHack 3.3.0.
Messages
- You suddenly fall asleep!
- You quaffed a potion of sleeping and fell asleep.
- You feel rather tired.
- You were affected by the vapors of a potion of sleeping.
- You yawn.
- You quaffed the potion or breathed its vapors while you have sleep resistance or free action.
- <The monster> falls asleep.
- A monster was put to sleep by the potion of sleeping.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, the Lawful Quest has a 2⁄5 chance of generating a cursed potion of sleeping among the items found in the Chamber of Junk.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, weapons and black signet rings can be dipped into a potion of sleeping to apply a paralyzing poison. Weapons poisoned this way become drug-coated and apply their poison upon hitting, while signet rings become drug injecting and apply the poison when the hero performs an unarmed attack while wearing the ring without gloves.
All drow heroes start with a potion of sleeping, and Madpeople start the game with knowledge of the potion's appearance. Three potions of sleeping are generated in the hidden closet on the home level of the Madman quest at level creation, and two more are in the writing desk within the western-most room.
In addition to its normal effects from NetHack, quaffing a potion of sleeping functions as a form of "sedative" that restores sanity: a blessed potion restores 15 sanity, an uncursed potion restore 10, and a cursed potion only restores 5. One of the nurse services that a hero can request is a course of tranquilizers that replicates the effects of quaffing a blessed potion of sleeping.
Hyposprays can be used to apply sleeping ampules (the future equivalent of potions) to other monsters.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, weapons can be dipped into a potion of sleeping to apply a sleeping poison: weapons poisoned this way become drugged and apply their poison on hit.
All dark elven arrows that are generated normally in the inventories of drow are created drugged.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, Healers start the game with knowledge of the potion of sleeping's appearance.
Encyclopedia entry
The potion of sleeping shares its encyclopedia entry with the potion of booze:
On waking, he found himself on the green knoll whence he had first seen the old man of the glen. He rubbed his eyes -- it was a bright sunny morning. The birds were hopping and twittering among the bushes, and the eagle was wheeling aloft, and breasting the pure mountain breeze. "Surely," thought Rip, "I have not slept here all night." He recalled the occurrences before he fell asleep. The strange man with a keg of liquor -- the mountain ravine -- the wild retreat among the rocks -- the woe-begone party at ninepins -- the flagon -- "Oh! that flagon! that wicked flagon!" thought Rip -- "what excuse shall I make to Dame Van Winkle!"
