Drain strength

Drain strength is a monster spell in NetHack that reduces your strength attribute.

Effects

The spell is a melee-range mage spell; if cast at you and you do not have magic resistance, the spell will inflict 1d(x − 6) points of strength damage, where x is the monster's level. Any strength drain that would take you below 3 strength is instead subtracted sixfold from your current and maximum hit points. Magic resistance completely negates the effects of this spell; half spell damage will halve the number of points of strength it will attempt to drain.

Strategy

This spell, apart from the touch of death, is a big reason not to face powerful spellcasting monsters without MR - high-level casters can do massive amounts of damage with this spell, and maximum HP lost this way cannot be restored by the usual means (such as a unicorn horn). For example, a 70 HP character with 15 strength being attacked by a level 25 arch-lich will lose d19 strength from the spell - in the worst-case scenario, our character's strength will go to 3 and he will also lose 42 points from his maxHP, leaving him thoroughly hampered at 28 max HP.

Magic resistance will completely prevent strength loss, and half spell damage can mitigate it by lowering the maximum potential reduction. A ring of sustain ability provides partial protection: it will stop the loss of strength, but if the monster would have drained your strength below 3 with its spell, you still suffer the appropriate loss in current and max HP.

Messages

You suddenly feel weaker!

You lost at least one point of strength. This is still displayed even if the stat loss is blocked through a ring of sustain ability.

You feel momentarily weakened.

Nothing happened because you have magic resistance.