Cloak of displacement
[  [  [  [  cloak of displacement | |
|---|---|
| Appearance | random |
| Slot | cloak |
| AC | 1 |
| Special | |
| Base price | 50 zm |
| Weight | 10 |
| Material | cloth |
A cloak of displacement is a type of cloak that appears in NetHack. It is a magical cloak that is made of cloth, and has a randomized appearance when unidentified—the default one associated with it is a piece of cloth.[1]
Contents
Generation
Rangers that are not elven start the game with a +2 cloak of displacement[2]—elven Rangers instead start the game with a +2 elven cloak.[3][4]
Cloaks of displacement make up 1⁄100 (1%) of all armor randomly generated on the ground, in general shops or as death drops. Used armor dealerships and antique weapon outlets can also stock cloaks of displacement.
Player monsters that are not monks, including those generated on the Astral Plane, have a 7⁄64 chance (effectively ~10.94%) of being generated with a cloak of displacement as their initial cloak before role-based replacements.[5][6] Priests have a 3⁄4 chance of generating with a robe instead, so that their effective chance of having a cloak of displacement is ~2.73%. Wizards have a 1⁄2 chance of starting with a cloak of magic resistance, reducing their effective chance of having a cloak of displacement to ~5.47%.[7][8]
Description
While worn, the cloak of displacement grants 1 base AC, MC1 and displacement. A hero wearing or removing the cloak will auto-identify it if they are not currently engulfed and can either see themselves or sense monsters. Displacement will not affect hostile monsters if the hero is invisible and those monsters cannot see invisible.
Monsters will wear this cloak, but will not gain displacement from it.
Strategy
The cloak of displacement is the only source of the property in the game, and is a solid defensive item for misdirecting attacks from hostile monsters. In the early game, it is an especially solid tool for escaping fights, though it is somewhat outclassed by invisibility, which inflicts an additional -2 to-hit penalty and similarly causes monsters to attack squares where they think the character is. In the long term, however, more monsters can be fooled by displacement compared to the many later threats that can see invisible.
Heroes using a lance or any polearm as their main weapon may especially benefit from monsters wasting turns striking at their image while remaining within pounding range.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
Per commit 7817e69c, the displacer beast is a monster that has intrinsic displacement, and eating its corpse or tin confers temporary displacement, while polymorph into a displacer beast similarly grants intrinsic displacement for the form's duration.History
The cloak of displacement first appears in NetHack 3.0.0. From this version to NetHack 3.4.3, including some variants based on those versions, the cloak of displacement grants MC2 while worn, and the cloak auto-identifies when worn or removed without a message accompanying either action.
The messages for wearing or removing a cloak of displacement are introduced in NetHack 3.6.0.
Origin
The cloak of displacement is an item that originates from Dungeons & Dragons, where it is a black leather cloak fashioned from the hide of a displacer beast: the displacing effect comes from strands of sinew within the beasts' tentacles that are interwoven with the fabric, distorting and warping the light reflected off its surface. This causes the wearer to appear as if they are in a slightly different location up to 6 in (0.15 m) away, offering protection from attacks while the wearer is attuned and conscious—being hit causes the cloak to lose its illusory abilities for a few seconds.
Messages
- You feel that monsters have difficulty pinpointing your location.
- You put on a cloak of displacement. The cloak is identified.
- You feel that monsters no longer have difficulty pinpointing your location.
- You removed a cloak of displacement. The cloak is identified.
Variants
Some NetHack variants may retain the cloak of displacement's MC2 if they are based on NetHack 3.4.3 or earlier versions, and may also make it possible for monsters to gain displacement from wearing the cloak. Variants may also introduce other sources of displacement, such as the deferred shimmering dragons scales.
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, the cloak of displacement grants MC2.
Deluder is an artifact cloak of displacement that doubles as a luck item while carried and grants stealth while worn, and is the guaranteed second sacrifice gift for Wizards.
Upgrading a cloak of displacement successfully will produce either an elven cloak or an oilskin cloak with an equal probability of each, and upgrading an elven cloak or oilskin cloak has a 1⁄4 chance of producing a cloak of displacement.
GruntHack
In GruntHack, monster displacement is implemented, making it possible for them to obtain the property by wearing the cloak of displacement.
Kobold heroes in roles that start with ring mail or chain mail are given a cloak of displacement instead due to their small size, though there are no roles where this currently applies.
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, the cloak of displacement grants MC2 while worn.
Sokoban offers a cloak as one of the three prizes, which has a 1⁄2 chance of being a cloak of displacement.
All of the above information also applies to DynaHack.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, the cloak of displacement grants 1 AC, 0 DR, MC2, and displacement while worn.
Vampire Anachrononauts start each game with a cloak of displacement. Drow Rangers have their role's cloak of displacement replaced with droven plate mail—incantifier Rangers have the cloak replaced with a robe as with most other incantifier heroes.
One map for the Grue's Cavern has a treasure pile with a cloak of displacement.
A cloak of displacement has a 3⁄5 chance of being placed randomly on the Anachrononaut quest locate level during level creation, and another has a 1⁄10 chance of being placed randomly on each of the quest's lower filler levels during level creation. This also applies for the Android quest, but the cloak on the locate level only has a 3⁄10 chance of generating.
The Mantle of Heaven and The Vestment of Hell are artifact cloaks that always have a specific randomized appearance, making it possible for them to be cloaks of displacement.
Deminymphs that are created outside of the Drow Healer quest and given ranger kits are generated with a cloak of displacement that has an enchantment ranging from +2 to +4.
A cloak of displacement can be used to repair the active camouflage system of imperial elven body armor, granting that armor displacement while it is worn.
FIQHack
In FIQHack, the cloak of displacement gives MC3 and monsters can gain displacement from wearing it.
notdNetHack
In notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, in addition to dNetHack details, The Abominable Veil is an artifact cloak of displacement that can only be obtained by killing the Abominable Snowman.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, monsters can gain displacement by wearing the cloak of displacement.
Hobbit Rangers have their role's cloak of displacement replaced with an elven cloak, as elves do in EvilHack and NetHack. Drow Rangers have their role's cloak of displacement replaced with a dark elven cloak.
The Rat King is always generated with a cloak of displacement. Kathryn the Ice Queen has a 1⁄2 chance of generating with a cloak of displacement. Cloaks of displacement will occasionally generate in the initial kits of level 20 player monsters, including centaurs.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, Deluder is instead the first guaranteed sacrifice gift for Jedi—all other SLASH'EM details apply.
The blacksmith Duri is always generated with a cloak of displacement.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, Deluder is the first guaranteed sacrifice gift for Jedi as in SlashTHEM.
References
- ↑ src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 470
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 118
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 200: "the weaker cloak for elven rangers is intentional--they shoot better"
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 211: Elven substitutions for initial inventory
- ↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 157
- ↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 207
- ↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 217
- ↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 248
