Destroy armor (monster spell)
Destroy armor is a monster spell that appears in NetHack.
Description
Destroy armor is a melee-range spell that can be used by any monster of at least level 9 with the ability to cast mage spells.[1][2] The spell is only used against the hero, and when cast it will target a piece of worn armor using a weighted random selection and destroy it, as with a read uncursed scroll of destroy armor. Having magic resistance completely nullifies the effects of this spell.[3]
Strategy
The destroy armor spell tends to be cast by mid-level and stronger spellcasting monsters such as liches and golden nagas, and is one reason it is highly recommended to have magic resistance by the time you enter the mid-game - while the spell can be avoided by keeping out of melee range of the caster, only magic resistance will fully protect your valuable armor if they close in.
Messages
- Your cloak crumbles and turns to dust!
Your armor turns to dust and falls to the <floor>!
Your shirt crumbles into tiny threads and falls apart!
Your helmet turns to dust and is blown away!
Your gloves vanish!
Your boots disintegrate!
Your shield crumbles away! - A corresponding piece of armor was destroyed by the spell.
- A field of force surrounds you!
- The spell was completely negated by magic resistance.
- Your skin itches.
- You were hit by the spell, but are not wearing any armor.
Variants
EvilHack
In EvilHack, the destroy armor spell is reworked: it now erodes a target piece of armor, destroying it upon inflicting enough erosion, and can also remove erosion-proofing even from inherently proofed materials such as dragonhide and mithril. One to three levels of erosion can occur per casting, with erosion-proofing removal being counted towards this, and magic resistance lowers the armor damage to one level per casting. Blessed armor has a small chance of resisting, while crystal plate mail, quest artifact armor and The Hand of Vecna are completely immune.