Wizard's Tower
The Wizard's Tower is an upward-extending set of 3 consecutive levels in Gehennom, of which the bottommost is between the 13th and 18th levels, and the topmost between the 11th and 16th levels (and therefore the Tower is constrained to be between DL 36 and DL 47). The Tower proper is reached by a magic portal in one of the Fake Wizard's Towers. The outer maze may contain the stairs to Vlad's Tower.
All three levels are non-teleportable and have undiggable floors; only the middle level is eligible to leave bones files. The top and bottom levels are considered graveyards, even though there are no graveyard monsters.
Maps
Each level of the Tower consists of a central core (the Tower proper) surrounded by normal maze which contains the stairs allowing passage through Gehennom; it is impossible to reach one area from the other (the outer walls of the Tower being undiggable and unphasable). It is impossible to levelport into the tower from outside, but from inside the tower you can levelport either within the tower or to a non-tower level (for instance, to the vibrating square level after grabbing the Book of the Dead).
Bottom level
| Wizard's Tower, bottom | |
|---|---|
| Location | Level 13–18 of Gehennom |
| Bones | No |
| Mappable | Yes |
| Teleportable | No |
| Diggable floor | No |
| Diggable walls | Maze and small central tower only |
|..|............S..........|
|..|..------------------S--|
|..|..|.........|..........|
|..S..|.}}}}}}}.|..........|
|..|..|.;}---};.|-S--------|
|..|..|.}--^--}.|..|.......|
|..|..|.}|L<V|}.|h.|.......|
|..---|.:--^--:.|i.|.......|
|.....|.}}---}}.|v.|......D|
|.....S.}}}}}}}.|e.|.......|
|.....|.........|..S.....^.|
----------------------------
You arrive in (and leave) the Tower at the magic portal marked in the lower right. The small central tower contains a vampire lord and a random lich; the four non-ladder squares have squeaky boards. The moat surrounding it contains two giant eels and two krakens. There is a random dragon near to the portal, and the marked beehive is filled with its normal queen bee and nine killer bees; in addition, randomly placed around the mapped area (or the long corridor of the outer maze immediately to its right) are three random demons, a random dragon, and a random lich; two random scrolls, a random weapon, a random potion, and a random tool. There is a random amulet on the upladder. All walls are undiggable and unphasable save those of the small central tower.
Middle level
| Wizard's Tower, middle | |
|---|---|
| Location | Level 12–17 of Gehennom |
| Bones | Yes |
| Mappable | Yes |
| Teleportable | No |
| Diggable floor | No |
| Diggable walls | Maze only |
|.....|.S...<|.............|
|.....|.-------S--------S--|
|.....|.|.........|........|
|..-S--S|.........|........|
|..|....|.........|------S-|
|..|"...|...zoo...|.....|..|
|-S-----|.........|.....|..|
|.......|.........|S--S--..|
|.......|.........|.|......|
|-----S----S------|.|......|
|............|>...S.|......|
----------------------------
In addition to the usual monsters and gold in the marked zoo, there is a random amulet in the small room in the centre-left (marked "); also, randomly placed around the mapped area (or the long corridor of the outer maze immediately to its right) are two scrolls, two potions, and a spellbook; a spiked pit, a sleeping gas trap, an anti-magic trap, and a magic trap. All walls are undiggable and unphasable.
Top level
| Wizard's Tower, top | |
|---|---|
| Location | Level 11–16 of Gehennom |
| Bones | No |
| Mappable | Yes |
| Teleportable | No |
| Diggable floor | No |
| Diggable walls | Maze and small central tower only |
|.......|..|.........|.....|
|.......S..|.}}}}}}}.|.....|
|..--S--|..|.}}---}}.|---S-|
|..|....|..|.}--^--}.|..|..|
|..|..>.|..|.}|d@V|}.|..|..|
|..|-------|.}--^--}.|..|..|
|..|.......|.}}---}}.|..|..|
|..S.......|.}}}}}}}.|..|..|
|..|.......|.........|..|..|
|..|.......|-----------S-S-|
|..|.......S...............|
----------------------------
The Wizard of Yendor occupies the centre of the small tower, standing on the Book of the Dead. The four squares around him have squeaky boards; a hell hound and a vampire lord are next to him, and the moat contains four giant eels, four krakens, and two piranhas. Randomly placed around the mapped area (or the long corridor of the outer maze immediately to its right) are four random demons, a random dragon, and a random giant; three random spellbooks, two random scrolls, two random potions, and a ruby; and a spiked pit, a sleeping gas trap, an anti-magic trap, and a magic trap (in addition to the four marked squeaky boards). The only entrance to the walkway surrounding the moat is via a secret door randomly located in the west, east, or south walls (walls shown in red). All walls are undiggable and unphasable save those of the small central tower.
Strategy
The Wizard's Tower contains many reasons to clear it out (beehive, loot, etc.) but you can avoid most of it if you want. Once in the tower itself via the portal, you can level teleport up two levels and you will appear randomly within the top level. Beware as you may be overwhelmed by monsters surrounding you! Alternatively, you can wake up the Wizard of Yendor from outside with your or a pet mind flayer's psychic blast, or with a drum of earthquake, or by getting a pet inside (e.g. using a magic whistle). Rodney will then bring you the Book.
Finally, you could "teleport" into the tower if you let your pet purple worm swallow you under conflict, end conflict immediately, and then magic whistle both of you around.
History
In NetHack 3.6.0, any use of the "aggravate" monster spell would wake the Wizard if you were on his level, even if you were outside the Tower, making it wise not to tarry on his level. This was a bug, and was fixed in NetHack 3.6.1.[1]
References
This page is based on a spoiler by Dylan O'Donnell. The original license is:
Redistribution, copying, and editing of these spoilers, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
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