Half spell damage

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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.

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

Main article: 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:

Variants

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, the Yeoman quest artifact, the Crown of Saint Edward, also confers half spell damage.

See also

References

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