Aligned priest
@ Aligned priest 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 15 |
| Attacks |
Physical 4d10, kick 1d4, spell-casting (clerical) |
| Base level | 12 |
| Base experience | 294 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | 10 |
| Base MR | 50 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Not randomly generated |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | Human |
| Resistances | Shock |
| Resistances conveyed |
None
|
| Religion in NetHack |
|---|
Aligned priests, @, tend the temples of NetHack. They will always appear as "priest of (deity)" and will be generated with a mace, small shield, a robe (or occasionally cloak of protection or cloak of magic resistance), and a small amount of gold. Priests tending temples will always be peaceful (except for the high priest of Moloch); however large amounts of priests of Moloch appear in Moloch's Sanctum and a large number of assorted hostile priests will appear on the Astral Plane.
There are two levels which always generate peaceful aligned priests: Minetown has a priest of a random alignment, and the Valley of the Dead has a priest of Moloch. However, as both levels are eligible to leave bones files, it is possible not to find a peaceful aligned priest in a given game.
Attempting to convert the temple's altar will anger the priest. Directly attacking a peaceful priest is a bad idea, as their God will strike you with lightning; however, the bolt can be deflected if you have reflection.
A good way to convert a temple is to get a scroll of earth (two are guaranteed to be generated on the first level of Sokoban), get reflection (also possibly from Sokoban), stand in the temple so that the priest(ess) is not adjacent to you, then read the scroll. Now you can blind yourself (be sure to have telepathy) and zap or fire things at the priest without the risk of being paralyzed or getting hit with the mace. You will still get the god's lightning strikes! Once the priest is killed, you can start sacrificing. If you are playing a chaotic human, try to #offer the priest's corpse, it will have a 100% chance of converting the altar.
Killing a co-aligned priest(ess) will not give you a luck penalty. But that's generally a bad idea anyway.
If you #chat to a priest, a variety of effects can result. If you have no gold, they will "give you two bits for an ale" (two zorkmids) if they have at least two gold (or one bit if they have exactly one gold), and will otherwise "preach the virtues of poverty". Otherwise, they will prompt you for a contribution to the temple; depending on the amount of gold you offer one of several events will happen:
| Offer | Effect |
|---|---|
| 0 | "Thou shalt regret thine action!"
If the priest is co-aligned, you lose one alignment point. |
| 1-200 times current experience level | If this is less than half your gold, nothing happens.
"Cheapskate." Otherwise, exercises wisdom. "I thank thee for thy contribution." |
| 200-400 times current experience level | "Thou art indeed a pious individual."
If this is more than half your gold, you are granted 500-999 turns of clairvoyance. "I bestow upon thee a blessing." |
| 400-600 times current experience level |
If you have no protection, earn 2-4 points of protection. Otherwise if you have less than 9 protection, or less than 20 with a 1-in-current-protection chance, earn an additional point of protection; if not, fall through to next case. (This is the preferred way to obtain protection.) "Thy devotion has been rewarded." |
| More than 600 times current experience level | "Thy selfless generosity is deeply appreciated."
If this is more than half your gold:
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