Half spell damage
Half spell damage is an extrinsic property that occurs in NetHack, and halves any damage taken from spells while reducing the impact of certain other spell effects.
This property is conferred by carrying the Orb of Detection, the Platinum Yendorian Express Card, the Orb of Fate or the Eye of the Aethiopica. Carrying more than one of these objects does not further affect spell damage.
Contents
Description
Half spell damage reduces any damage inflicted from spells by 50%.
A user has suggested improving this page or section as follows:
"Also appears to affect damage from wands zapped by monsters? (see zhitu)"
Affected monster spells
The following monster spells are affected by half spell damage:
| Spell | Spell type | Min. level | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psi bolt | Magical | 1 | Halves damage.[1] Stacks with magic resistance to quarter damage.[2] |
| Stun | Magical | 4 | Halves duration.[3] However, this is trivial with a unicorn horn. |
| Drain strength | Magical | 7 | Halves reduction.[4] However, magic resistance negates.[5] |
| Curse items | Magical | 11 | Halves number of items affected from 1d6 to 1d3.[6] Stacks with magic resistance, to only 1d2.[6] |
| Open wounds | Clerical | 1 | Halves damage.[1] Stacks with magic resistance to quarter damage.[7] |
| Confuse | Clerical | 3 | Halves duration.[8] However, this is trivial with a unicorn horn. |
| Paralyze | Clerical | 5 | Halves duration.[9] However, magic resistance or free action reduces to 1 turn instead.[10] |
| Blind | Clerical | 6 | Halves duration.[11] However, this is trivial with a unicorn horn or the Eyes of the Overworld. |
| Lightning | Clerical | 12 | Halves damage.[12] However, shock resistance negates.[13] |
| Fire pillar | Clerical | 13 | Halves damage.[14] However, fire resistance negates.[15] |
| Cold | Asmodeus only | Halves damage.[1] However, cold resistance negates.[16] | |
| Psychic blast | Mind flayer, master mind flayer | Halves damage.[17] |
If the player has all resistances (including magic resistance) and a noncursed unicorn horn, the only spells usefully affected by half spell damage are psi bolt, open wounds, curse items, and mind flayers' psychic blasts.
Monsters affected
The following monsters can cast spells, some of which are affected by half spell damage as detailed above:
| Monster | Base level | Spell type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| k kobold shaman | 2 | Magical | |
| o orc shaman | 3 | Magical | |
| G gnomish wizard | 3 | Magical | |
| W barrow wight | 3 | Magical | |
| @ guide | 5 | Magical | |
| @ abbot | 5 | Clerical | |
| @ acolyte | 5 | Clerical | |
| @ apprentice | 5 | Magical | |
| h mind flayer | 9 | Psychic blast | |
| N golden naga | 10 | Magical | |
| & nalfeshnee | 11 | Magical | |
| L lich | 11 | Magical | |
| @ aligned priest | 12 | Clerical | |
| h master mind flayer | 13 | Psychic blast | |
| L demilich | 14 | Magical | |
| @ Dark One | 15 | Magical | |
| D Ixoth | 15 | Magical | |
| & Minion of Huhetotl | 16 | Magical | |
| @ Thoth Amon | 16 | Magical | |
| D Chromatic Dragon | 16 | Magical | |
| & Nalzok | 16 | Magical | |
| A ki-rin | 16 | Magical | |
| H titan | 16 | Magical | |
| L master lich | 17 | Magical | |
| A Archon | 19 | Magical | |
| @ Neferet the Green | 20 | Magical | |
| L arch-lich | 25 | Magical | |
| @ Grand Master | 25 | Clerical | |
| @ high priest | 25 | Clerical | |
| @ Arch Priest | 25 | Clerical | |
| @ Master Kaen | 25 | Clerical | |
| @ Wizard of Yendor | 30 | Magical | |
| & Orcus | 30 | Magical | |
| & Dispater | 36 | Magical | |
| & Asmodeus | 49 | Has a unique magical cold attack. | |
| & Demogorgon | 50 | Magical |
Exceptions
The following sources of damage, though they may be considered spells, are not affected by half spell damage:
- The magic missile attack from angels, Yeenoghu, gray dragons and the Chromatic Dragon.
- The Oracle's passive magic missile attack.[18]
- The geyser monster spell, which is considered physical damage.[19]
- Any spells cast or wands zapped by the player.[20][21]
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, the Yeoman quest artifact, the Crown of Saint Edward, also confers half spell damage.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 264: Half spell damage initially applies to all spells; this matters for spells which don't do their own damage calculations
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 456
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 434
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 408
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 402
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 sit.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 337
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 641
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 621
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 608
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 599
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 592
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 525
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 518
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 504
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 499
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 281
- ↑ monmove.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 427
- ↑ uhitm.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 2228
- ↑ mcastu.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 495
- ↑ zap.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 3185
- ↑ zap.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 3265
- This page is a stub. Should you wish to do so, you can contribute by expanding this page.
