dNetHack monster spells

In dNetHack and notdNetHack, monster spells are generally handled in a much more complex fashion compared to vanilla NetHack: there are several more spells available for monsters, and many of them are exclusive to specific monsters.

Description

Monster spellcasting can be divided into three broad categories: magical casting, divine casting, and psionic casting. In addition to basic spell lists, many spellcasting monsters also have specific lists of spells that they can cast with varying probabilities - these lists are consistent for a given monster type, and vary between monster types; monster spell type is also a factor for interactions with various items and madnesses. While any spell can in theory be compatible with any form of of casting, many spells are exclusive to a single casting category in practice, due to the lists they appear on.

Most regular spellcasting monsters have a cooldown on their ability to cast spells frequently, while much stronger casters (including most unique spellcasters) are able to cast without any cooldown. A character polymorphed into a monster can cast that monster's spells as part of their attack chain if they have the appropriate amount of energy: relatively unique or niche spells are replaced with fallbacks. They can also use #ability to cast that monster's spells without needing to attack in melee, but when casting this way, only untargeted spells and elemental ray spells can be cast.

Spellcasting monsters in dNetHack and notdNetHack can cast most directed monster spells against targets at a distance compared to NetHack, where they can only be cast against adjacent targets.

Divine spellcasting

Divine spellcasters largely consist of clerical monsters, including those from NetHack.

Magical spellcasting

Magical spellcasters usually include various demon casters and magicians.

Psionic spellcasting

Psionic spellcasters are typically eldritch and/or extraplanar beings such as star spawn and certain insight monsters.

List of spells

To be written.

Strategy

Blocking spellcasting

As in NetHack, cancellation can remove a monster's casting ability if successful. Monster spellcasting can also be blocked via the following methods:

• Antimagic rifts block magical casting for several turns, which includes the character's own casting if they use intelligence as their spellcasting attribute. The base duration of an antimagic rift is 50 turns, with additional rifts adding an amount of turns equal to ¹⁄₁₀ of the previous duration rounded down, i.e. 50 turns, then 55, 60, 66, etc.
• Catapsi vortices block psionic casting for several turns, which includes the character's own casting if they use charisma as their spellcasting attribute. The base duration of a catapsi vortex is 100 turns, with additional vortices adding an amount of turns equal to ¹⁄₁₀ of the previous duration.
• Misotheistic pyramids and misotheistic fragments block clerical casting for several turns, which includes the character's own casting if they use wisdom as their spellcasting attribute. The base duration of misotheistic pyramids and fragments are 33 turns, and additional pyramids and fragments add an amount of turns equal to ¹⁄₁₀ of the previous item's duration, which is shared between both item types. If a misotheistic item is used anywhere that your god's influence can be felt normally, your god will have their anger increased by 1 and smite you. If used by a Binder that is Void-aligned (i.e., not using a helm of opposite alignment), or else it is used within Gehennom or another area where the gods' influence is already blocked, your god will not be angered; the Void in particular cannot become angry by any means.
  • If a misotheistic pyramid is used, you are given a form of darkvision that overrides all other sight-based intrinsic forms of vision for that duration, while excluding x-ray vision and other senses such as smell.
  • If a misotheistic fragment is used, it will cause 'Shattering' for the duration of that effect, which gives monsters that are killed a ¹⁄₂ chance of "fracturing": this resurrects the monster and applies the 'fractured' monster template, making them unbreathing, undead and always hostile while boosting their current level by 4, and also gives them a weakness to the Elder Sign ward. Fractured monsters will remain fractured regardless of whether Shattering is active, and have the same ¹⁄₂ chance of resurrecting when killed unless they are cancelled.

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