Difference between revisions of "Asphynx"

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The '''Asphynx''' is one of two monsters added in [[SLASH'EM]] that share the [[cockatrice]]'s petrification attacks. An asphynx is capable of killing you in the same way a cockatrice is; touching a living or deceased asphynx with an exposed part of your body is instadeath, and the asphynx causes delayed petrification in the same manner as a cockatrice. See the article on the cockatrice for specifics of petrification.
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An '''asphynx''', {{monsym|asphynx}}, is a type of [[monster]] that appears in [[SLASH'EM]], [[SlashTHEM]] and [[Hack'EM]]. It is a small [[oviparous]] [[Snake (monster class)|snake]] that is capable of [[swimming]] and [[hiding]] under items like most other snakes.
  
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An asphynx is much more dangerous than a cockatrice, as it has more hit dice, lower AC, and is faster than a player without speed. The asphynx is also capable of hiding under items like other snakes, potentially catching the player offguard.  
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An asphynx has a bite and a passive attack that are both capable of inducing delayed [[stoning]], similar to the [[cockatrice]], and possesses [[poison resistance]] and [[stoning resistance]].
  
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== Strategy ==
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Making bare-skin contact with a live asphynx or its [[corpse]] will immediately turn [[you]] or whoever touches it to stone, unless they have stoning resistance; eating or being hit by an asphynx [[egg]] will inflict delayed stoning on you and instantly stone monsters, unless the victim is immune. The corpse or [[tin]] of an asphynx is [[poison]]ous and will also turn you to stone, but if eaten with stoning resistance, it has a 53% chance of convey poison resistance.
  
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The asphynx is a more dangerous version of a cockatrice and thus should be handled with the same care. The increased difficulty means that they will appear later in the game, preferably late enough for the character to have acquired intrinsic or extrinsic speed. The corpse of an asphynx can be used as a weapon to stone non-petrification resistant monsters (be sure to wear gloves), but the corpse is slightly heavier and the asphynx is both rarer and more difficult to kill, so a cockatrice corpse remains preferable.
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==Generation==
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Randomly generated asphynxes are always created hostile, and will not be randomly generated in [[Gehennom]].
  
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SLASH'EM's additional petrifying monsters means that it is no longer possible to avoid potential [[YASD]]s by blessed genociding c, as neither the asphynx nor the [[basilisk]] are c.
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Asphynxes generate among the random {{white|S}} that are part of the first [[quest]] monster class for [[Archeologist]]s and make up {{frac|24|35}} of the monsters that randomly generate on the [[Archeologist quest]].  
  
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Polymorphing into an asphynx is a better choice for emergency situations than a cockatrice, unless the player is a low level [[doppelganger (starting race)|doppelganger]]. Like a cockatrice an asphynx can lay eggs that will cause stoning, so female players have the option of polymorphing into an asphynx to create future weapons. Alternatively, the eggs could be allowed to hatch; the resulting asphynx will have a higher level than a cockatrice and thus will attack more enemies on its own and have higher hit dice and speed. A pet asphynx will attempt to hide under items, which can be annoying if you do not have a [[magic whistle]].
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A tin of asphynx meat has a {{frac|2}} chance of being generated within the Chamber of Gluttony in the [[Lawful Quest]], and they may also appear among the random {{white|S}} generated in The Snake Pit at level creation. In SlashTHEM, this also applies to the [[Undertaker quest]], whose goal level is a copy of the Lawful Quest.
  
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==Slash'EM Extended==
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Asphynxes generated at level creation are given a random item to hide under.{{refsrc|makemon.c|1532|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2|comment=snakes get a free house}}
  
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In [[Slash'EM Extended]] eating an asphynx [[corpse]] occasionally raises your current [[Power]], with the message ''"You feel a mild buzz"''. If your current Power is less than or equal to 2/3 of your maximum, you will always receive the increase; otherwise the chance of receiving it is 1 in 3.
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==Strategy==
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The asphynx is far more dangerous than a cockatrice, despite appearing far later in the game - their ability to hide under objects make it possible for them to catch you off guard, and their better 3 [[AC]] requires more care when moving through areas where they can appear. By the time you begin encountering asphynxes, you will ideally have obtained some of the following: a source of [[speed]], a pair of [[gloves]], a high to-hit (e.g. via high/maximum [[Luck]]), and/or petrification cures such as [[lizard]] corpses.
  
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If you do get an increase, your current Power will be increased by between 1 to 3 points. If this increase would raise you above your total maximum Power, the maximum is increased by 1, and current Power is set to maximum.
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Like the cockatrice, asphynx corpses and eggs can be used as improvised weapons to instantly defeat monsters without stoning resistance, though naturally monsters with gloves can also use them against you. An asphynx corpse is slightly heavier than that of a cockatrice and is somewhat rarer to obtain, making it a bit less ideal for weight-conscious characters. The presence of the asphynx and [[basilisk]] also means that a character cannot reliably prevent most stoning deaths by using a blessed [[scroll of genocide]] on {{white|c}}.
  
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Due to the asphynx's stoning property, this should only be done by a stoning-resistant player character. However, since eating a stoning corpse is [[delayed instadeath]] in Slash'EM Extended, a player may still have one or two turns to cure stoning after eating an asphynx while not being stoning-resistant.
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===As a polyform===
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Among monsters that can turn other monsters to stone, the asphynx is most ideal for laying eggs to obtain pets that can quickly kill non-resistant monsters, or else to deal with them yourself by throwing or wielding the eggs if you can handle the associated Luck penalty.
  
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==Encyclopedia Entry==
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Unfortunately, despite its speed, the small size and lack of hands severely limit its applications elsewhere: basilisks are [[strong]] and large, making them more capable of travel at consistent speeds due to higher [[carrying capacity]] and are likely preferable for emergency situations, while low-level [[Doppelganger (starting race)|doppelgangers]] may also prefer the chickatrice due to it being the first such form they can reliably access (by reaching [[experience level]] 4).
  
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===As a pet===
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Pet asphynxes are decently fast and can stone non-resistant monsters, but will frequently attempt to hide under nearby items, making keeping track of them annoying if you do not have a [[magic whistle]].
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==Origin==
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The Asphinx originates from the ''[[wikipedia:Shannara|Shannara]]'' series of high fantasy novels written by [[wikipedia:Terry Brooks|Terry Brooks]], where it is a type of magical serpent that turns to stone after biting its victim, who is also slowly turned to stone by its venom. Several Asphinxes make an appearance in two of the books, and were believed to have been banished from the setting by The Forbidding - a powerful, world-encompassing enchantment used to trap the destructive Demons in a timeless, dark limbo. The [[encyclopedia]] entry comes from an in-universe bestiary that states they are related to the cockatrice and basilisk, which is mirrored in some variants of ''NetHack''.
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==Encyclopedia entry==
 
{{encyclopedia| This small,  inoffensive-looking snake shares the feared power
 
{{encyclopedia| This small,  inoffensive-looking snake shares the feared power
 
of petrification with its distant relatives the cockatrice and
 
of petrification with its distant relatives the cockatrice and
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{{right-align|[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]}}}}
 
{{right-align|[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]}}}}
  
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[[category: SLASH'EM monsters]]
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==References==
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<references/>
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{{slashem-7E7|offset=1}}
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{{variant-343}}<!--{{variant-36X}}-->
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[[Category:SLASH'EM monsters]]
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[[Category:SlashTHEM monsters]]
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[[Category:Hack'EM monsters]]

Latest revision as of 22:04, 4 January 2024

S asphynx Asphynx.png
Difficulty 11
Attacks

Bite 1d6 stoning, Passive stoning

Base level 8
Base experience 200
Speed 15
Base AC 3
Base MR 0
Alignment 0 (neutral)
Frequency (by normal means) 1 (Very rare)
Genocidable Yes
Weight 100
Nutritional value 80
Size Small
Resistances poison, petrification
Resistances conveyed

poison (53%)

A asphynx:

Reference SLASH'EM_0.0.7E7F2/monst.c#line3119

An asphynx, S, is a type of monster that appears in SLASH'EM, SlashTHEM and Hack'EM. It is a small oviparous snake that is capable of swimming and hiding under items like most other snakes.

An asphynx has a bite and a passive attack that are both capable of inducing delayed stoning, similar to the cockatrice, and possesses poison resistance and stoning resistance.

Making bare-skin contact with a live asphynx or its corpse will immediately turn you or whoever touches it to stone, unless they have stoning resistance; eating or being hit by an asphynx egg will inflict delayed stoning on you and instantly stone monsters, unless the victim is immune. The corpse or tin of an asphynx is poisonous and will also turn you to stone, but if eaten with stoning resistance, it has a 53% chance of convey poison resistance.

Generation

Randomly generated asphynxes are always created hostile, and will not be randomly generated in Gehennom.

Asphynxes generate among the random S that are part of the first quest monster class for Archeologists and make up 24⁄35 of the monsters that randomly generate on the Archeologist quest.

A tin of asphynx meat has a 1⁄2 chance of being generated within the Chamber of Gluttony in the Lawful Quest, and they may also appear among the random S generated in The Snake Pit at level creation. In SlashTHEM, this also applies to the Undertaker quest, whose goal level is a copy of the Lawful Quest.

Asphynxes generated at level creation are given a random item to hide under.[1]

Strategy

The asphynx is far more dangerous than a cockatrice, despite appearing far later in the game - their ability to hide under objects make it possible for them to catch you off guard, and their better 3 AC requires more care when moving through areas where they can appear. By the time you begin encountering asphynxes, you will ideally have obtained some of the following: a source of speed, a pair of gloves, a high to-hit (e.g. via high/maximum Luck), and/or petrification cures such as lizard corpses.

Like the cockatrice, asphynx corpses and eggs can be used as improvised weapons to instantly defeat monsters without stoning resistance, though naturally monsters with gloves can also use them against you. An asphynx corpse is slightly heavier than that of a cockatrice and is somewhat rarer to obtain, making it a bit less ideal for weight-conscious characters. The presence of the asphynx and basilisk also means that a character cannot reliably prevent most stoning deaths by using a blessed scroll of genocide on c.

As a polyform

Among monsters that can turn other monsters to stone, the asphynx is most ideal for laying eggs to obtain pets that can quickly kill non-resistant monsters, or else to deal with them yourself by throwing or wielding the eggs if you can handle the associated Luck penalty.

Unfortunately, despite its speed, the small size and lack of hands severely limit its applications elsewhere: basilisks are strong and large, making them more capable of travel at consistent speeds due to higher carrying capacity and are likely preferable for emergency situations, while low-level doppelgangers may also prefer the chickatrice due to it being the first such form they can reliably access (by reaching experience level 4).

As a pet

Pet asphynxes are decently fast and can stone non-resistant monsters, but will frequently attempt to hide under nearby items, making keeping track of them annoying if you do not have a magic whistle.

Origin

The Asphinx originates from the Shannara series of high fantasy novels written by Terry Brooks, where it is a type of magical serpent that turns to stone after biting its victim, who is also slowly turned to stone by its venom. Several Asphinxes make an appearance in two of the books, and were believed to have been banished from the setting by The Forbidding - a powerful, world-encompassing enchantment used to trap the destructive Demons in a timeless, dark limbo. The encyclopedia entry comes from an in-universe bestiary that states they are related to the cockatrice and basilisk, which is mirrored in some variants of NetHack.

Encyclopedia entry

This small, inoffensive-looking snake shares the feared power
of petrification with its distant relatives the cockatrice and
basilisk. Just one touch from its blunt snout can render one
motionless for all eternity.

[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]

References

  1. ↑ makemon.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 1532: snakes get a free house
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