Ring of polymorph
A ring of polymorph is a type of ring that appears in NetHack. The default randomized appearance associated with it is "an ivory ring".[1]
Contents
Generation
Wizards may be given a ring of polymorph as one of the two random rings in their starting inventory, though they will never start with a means of polymorphing and a ring of polymorph control simultaneously.[2][3][4]
General stores and jewelers shops can stock rings of polymorph. The ring of polymorph is generated as cursed 9⁄10 (90%) of the time, and is otherwise generated uncursed.[5]
Description
A hero that puts on a ring of polymorph gain polymorphitis, which has a 1⁄100 chance of polymorphing the hero each turn: this polymorph can also fail and induce system shock unless the hero has polymorph control, or else is wearing dragon scales or dragon scale mail. Monsters will not wear this ring—any monster that randomly polymorphs constantly is usually a shape changer such as a chameleon.
If a hero has polymorph control, they may choose the form they change into whenever the ring would polymorph them. Heroes afflicted with lycanthropy from a werecreature will change between their normal form and that werecreature's animal form, with polymorph control allowing them to accept or decline transforming. A hero wearing an amulet of unchanging experiences no effect from the ring beyond ring hunger for both items. Eating the ring has a 1⁄3 chance of successfully absorbing its magic and granting intrinsic polymorphitis.
Dropping the ring into a sink will turn the sink into an altar (of random alignment), a fountain, a grave, or a throne, with an equal probability of each (25%).[6]
Strategy
The ring of polymorph is one of several reasons that wearing unidentified rings randomly is a Bad Idea: even when uncursed, wearing one for any extended period of time may result in you shifting into a form that removes or breaks armor, has low carrying capacity, leaves you with no hands to remove the ring, or some combination of these drawbacks.
If the hero has the ring identified, on the other hand, they can pair it with a ring of polymorph control to take on powerful monster forms for various purposes—this is ideal if the hero has not discovered the wand of polymorph or else wants to reserve charges from the wand for polypiling, saving polymorph traps for pets if they wish. Cautious players can reserve this style of controlled polymorph for specific circumstances, e.g. while locked within a co-aligned temple with a stash. Heroes that lack altars or thrones to use in the dungeon can try to transform sinks into them by dropping the ring of polymorph down one.
Identification
Informally identifying the ring of polymorph can be fairly difficult—wear-testing is very risky compared to other 300zm rings that a hero can price-identify, since the especially unfortunate may find themselves quickly polymorphed in the few turns that they wear the ring. While it is more likely to be cursed than other rings priced at 300 zm, this does not guarantee that a cursed 300zm ring will be polymorph.
In addition to ruling out the ring of conflict by wearing the ring near relatively weak and/or peaceful monsters, you can also rule out the ring of teleport control by using a teleportation trap.
The odds of a ring that is price-identified and tested for beatitude being a ring of polymorph is given in the following table:
| Testing done | Any BUC | Non-cursed | Uncursed | Cursed | Blessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any price | 3.45% | 0.50% | 0.52% | 10.14% | 0% |
| 300 zm | 25.0% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 75.0% | -- |
| 300 zm, not telecontrol nor conflict | 50.0% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 90.0% | -- |
History
The ring of polymorph first appears in NetHack 2.2a along with the ring of polymorph control.
The effect of dropping the ring down a sink is introduced in NetHack 3.6.0, and is integrated from UnNetHack. In NetHack 3.4.3 and previous versions, including some other variants based on those versions, the game will instead print a message with no other effect:
- The sink looks momentarily like a fountain.
Messages
- The sink transforms into a <feature>!
- You dropped a ring of polymorph down a sink, turning it into a different dungeon feature, and you are not blind.[6]
Variants
NetHack variants based on NetHack 3.4.3 and previous versions may or may not retain the ability to transform a sink by dropping a ring of polymorph down it. Many NetHack variants that retain this feature also add new dungeon features that a sink can be transformed into, and the probability of a sink turning into a given dungeon feature remains equal for each one.
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, Flame Mages, Ice Mages, Necromancers, and Wizards may be given a ring of polymorph as any of the random rings in their starting inventory, but will never start with a means of polymorphing and a ring of polymorph control simultaneously.[7][8][9][10][11][12]
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack, and notnotdNetHack, the ring of polymorph will never have the randomized appearance of a black signet ring. Various artifact rings–Lomya, Vilya, Nenya, Narya, the Ring of Thror, and The Shard from Morgoth's Crown–also have generation rules that prevent them from using the appearance of a ring of polymorph.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, a ring of polymorph can be combined with a ring of teleport control at a furnace to create a ring of polymorph control.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, in addition to SLASH'EM details, Acid Mages, Corsairs, Electric Mages, Nobles, and Pirates may also be given a ring of polymorph as any of the random rings in their starting inventory, and will also never start with a means of polymorphing and a ring of polymorph control simultaneously.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, doppelgangers start the game with knowledge of items that can polymorph items and monsters, including the ring of polymorph.
References
- ↑ src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 592
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 165
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1040
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1044
- ↑ src/mkobj.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1043
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 src/do.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 321
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 69
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 99
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 136
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 245
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 1578
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 1582
