Difference between revisions of "Confusion"

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(According to the spoilers, it's only a 1/3 chance that reading a spellbook while confused will cause you to tear it to pieces. Too lazy to add a citation.)
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* You may walk in an unintended direction (though this happens at a lower rate than being [[stunned]]).
 
* You may walk in an unintended direction (though this happens at a lower rate than being [[stunned]]).
 
* When [[read]]ing [[scroll]]s, you will mispronounce the magic words, which will cause effects different from what would occur normally.
 
* When [[read]]ing [[scroll]]s, you will mispronounce the magic words, which will cause effects different from what would occur normally.
* Reading any [[spellbook]] will instead make you tear the book into pieces.
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* Reading any [[spellbook]] will instead make you tear the book into pieces (1/3 chance).
  
 
== Useful effects ==
 
== Useful effects ==

Revision as of 17:17, 24 December 2007

Confusion, or the state of being confused, is a property that affects you in the following four ways:

  • You cannot cast spells.
  • You may walk in an unintended direction (though this happens at a lower rate than being stunned).
  • When reading scrolls, you will mispronounce the magic words, which will cause effects different from what would occur normally.
  • Reading any spellbook will instead make you tear the book into pieces (1/3 chance).

Useful effects

While reading most scrolls when confused exhibits harmful or useless effects, there are a few confused effects from certain scrolls that have been proven quite useful:

  • Scroll of charging: If your energy is at maximum, you gain 5d4 maximum energy. Otherwise, your energy is increased to maximum.
  • Scroll of destroy armor: Makes one random worn armor rustproof/fireproof. Does not repair damage however. The scroll must be cursed.
  • Scroll of enchant armor: Makes one random worn armor rustproof/fireproof. If that armor had damage, it is repaired. The scroll must be non-cursed.
  • Scroll of enchant weapon: Makes your wielded weapon rustproof/fireproof. If it had damage, it is repaired. The scroll must be non-cursed.
  • Scroll of gold detection: You detect traps and portals (spaces with the ^ symbol) on the current level. If the scroll is cursed, they are shown as gold ($ symbol). Useful on the Elemental Planes or on the Gnomish Mines (due to the large amount of traps there).
  • Scroll of remove curse: All uncursed items have a 25% chance of being blessed and a 25% chance of being cursed if the scroll is blessed. If the scroll is uncursed, then only worn and wielded items are considered. Useful for obtaining unholy water.
  • Scroll of taming: Tames monsters within an 11x11 square area. Also calms shopkeepers. Some monsters can resist. The scroll must be non-cursed.

Risks

Reading unknown scrolls while confused helps identify them. However, there are, as expected, certain risks involved:

  • Scroll of genocide: Uncursed: Instadeath. Cursed: You are surrounded by 4-6 monsters of your role.
  • Scroll of earth: Blessed: Creates 2-6 rocks on each square around you. Uncursed: Creates 2-6 rocks on the same square as you and each open square around you. Cursed: Creates 2-6 rocks on the same square as you. Each rock does d3 damage, with the damage capped at two points, if you're wearing a metal helmet.
  • Scroll of fire: Lose one hit point, if not fire resistant.

Controlled confusion

Since confusion causes useful effects when reading certain scrolls, you probably want to be able to become confused in a controlled manner. Note that it may be desirable to do this while locked in a closet so that monsters may not suddenly gang up on you. The following are some ways to start and end confusion:

Starting

Ending

History

In Hack, bats could cause confusion. NetHack has now differentiated this so that stun and confusion are not the same. Bats and trapped doors can stun you; this causes you to move in random directions, like confusion would. However, only confusion will let you obtain different effects from reading scrolls.

This page is based on a spoiler by Dylan O'Donnell. The original license is:

Redistribution, copying, and editing of these spoilers, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

  1. The original contributors to any spoiler must continue to be credited.
  2. Any modifications to the spoiler must be acknowledged and credited.