Miscellaneous item
In NetHack, a miscellaneous item may be created as part of a monster's inventory when the monster is generated. This will happen if the monster's level equals or exceeds the roll of a d100.[1] The following monster types are ineligible for miscellaneous items:
- Animals
- Monsters with explosion attacks
- Mindless monsters
- Ghosts and shades
- Keystone Kops
In addition, regular soldiers have a 12/13 chance of missing out on the miscellaneous item roll.[2]
If the monster's difficulty is 5 or less, it has a 1⁄30 chance to receive a polymorph item, which will be a wand of polymorph 1⁄6th of the time, or else a potion of polymorph. Otherwise, if the monster is living (e.g excluding undead, golems, and vortices among others), it has a 1⁄40 chance to receive an amulet of life saving.
Otherwise, the monster gets an item from one of these sets, with each set equally likely:
- a wand of speed monster (1⁄6th of the time) or a potion of speed
- a wand of make invisible (1⁄6th of the time) or a potion of invisibility; neither if the monster is peaceful and the player cannot currently see invisible
- a potion of gain level
Guards will not use speed-boosting items, and according to the code are not meant to receive them - however, mtmp->isgd is only set after makemon() is called, thus making it possible for them to generate with one. In practice, this only means that you will occasionally find a potion of speed or wand of speed monster in a deceased guard's inventory.[3] [4]
Use
A user has suggested improving this page or section as follows:
"Outline the circumstances under which a monster will make use of a miscellaneous item."
Monsters with hands will attempt to zap the wands at themselves and quaff the potion of gain level immediately.
