View source for Oracle (level)

{{level|Delphi|
 |branch=Dungeons of Doom
 |from=5
 |to=9
 |bones=yes
 |mapping=yes
 |teleport=yes
 |digfloor=yes
 |digwalls=yes
}}
{{for|the monster found on this level|Oracle (monster)}}

The '''Oracle Level''', also known as '''Delphi''', is a [[special level]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]'', and is the home of the [[Oracle (monster)|Oracle]], who can provide hints about the game and its mechanics for a fee.

==Generation==
The Oracle level is always generated somewhere from [[dungeon level]] 5 to 9 inclusive in the [[Dungeons of Doom]]. It is eligible to leave [[bones]], and monster creation is biased towards [[neutral]] monsters. The level below this one will always have the entrance to [[Sokoban]].

==Description==
{|class="prettytable" style="width: 50px" class="wikitable floatright"
|
<div class="ttymap"><replacecharsblock>
default={{lightgray|$1}}
newline=<br>
|={{lightgray|&#124;}}
 ={{lightgray|&nbsp;}}
{=[[fountain|{{blue|<nowiki>{</nowiki>}}]]
@={{monsym|oracle}}
C=[[statue|{{white|C}}]]

-------------
|C.........C|
......C.....|
|...-----...|
|.....{.|...|
|..C|{@{|C...
|...|.{.|...|
|...-----...|
|.....C.....|
|C.........C|
-------------
</replacecharsblock></div>
|-
|The Oracle's room, with [[fountain]]s and centaur [[statue]]s.
|}

The level is a standard rooms-and-corridors level, with the Oracle's room (shown above) placed in the center of the level - there are usually five other rooms on the level, though the game will sometimes run out of space when creating them. The rooms outside of the Oracle have a total of five random [[monster]]s, three random [[trap]]s, and six random [[item]]s placed within them: one room has two items and a monster inside, two rooms have an item along with a trap and a monster, the room with the down stair has two monsters along with a trap and an item, and the the room with the up stairs will have a single item.

The Oracle is at the center of the [[fountain]]s in the 3x3 room (called "Delphi"), with a random empty [[doorway]] in one of the [[wall]]s; two random monsters are generated in the larger room surrounding Delphi. The marked historic [[statue]]s in the larger room are:

* two [[forest centaur]]s (northwest and southeast)
* two [[mountain centaur]]s (northeast and southwest)
* four [[plains centaur]]s (north, west, south, and east)

If any type of centaur is [[genocided]] or [[extinct]], their statues will be replaced with statues of random monsters.

==Strategy==
The presence of [[naga hatchling]]s and [[baby dragon]]s on a main dungeon level typically indicates that a character has found the Oracle level. The statues can be useful for [[spellbook]]-hunting characters in roles other than early [[Archeologist]]s, who take an [[Alignment record|alignment]] penalty for breaking historic statues. The guaranteed fountains also make the Oracle a common target level to dip for [[Excalibur]] with lawful characters that obtain a long sword (or start with one in the case of [[Knight]]s and [[Valkyrie]]s).

==History==
The Oracle level first appears in [[NetHack 3.0.0]].

==Origin==
{{wikipedia|Pythia}}
{{wikipedia|Internet Oracle}}
The Oracle and her level are primarily based on the [[wikipedia:Pythia|Pythia]], the priestess who presided over the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi; the ''NetHack'' Oracle will welcome the character to "Delphi" upon seeing them.

The [[#Messages|Oracle-level sound effects]] reference several different oracles - the "strange wind" alludes to the Oracle of Jupiter at Dodona; "conclusive ravings" refers to the Oracle of Apollo; and "snoring snakes" is derived from the Oracle of Aesculapius at Epidaurus. The two additional [[hallucination]] sounds both reference the Internet Oracle from [news://rec.humor.oracle rec.humor.oracle], which first appeared in 1989, particularly the taboo question ''"How much wood would a [[woodchuck]] chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"'' The Oracle was added to ''NetHack'' the same year.

==Messages==
{{message|You hear a strange wind.<br>You hear convulsive ravings.<br>You hear snoring snakes.|The Oracle is present on the level.}}
{{message|You hear someone say "No more woodchucks!"<br>You hear a loud ZOT!|As above, while hallucinating.}}

==Variants==
===xNetHack===
[[xNetHack]] adds two other variations of the room in the center of the Oracle level. In both of them, the Oracle sits amid a ring of [[pool]]s instead of a smaller room. One variant has several [[tree]]s and only three fountains; the other has statues of snakes, nagas, sea monsters and elementals.

===SpliceHack===
[[SpliceHack]] adds the new Delphi variations from xNetHack, but the pools have a small chance of being replaced with lava. The original Delphi variation from ''NetHack'' is also changed to have different statues:

* {{frac|2|3}} chance of [[Centaur (monster class)|centaur]] statues
* {{frac|12}} chance of [[Manticore (SpliceHack)|manticore]] statues
* {{frac|12}} chance of [[chimera]] statues
* {{frac|12}} chance of random [[quadruped]] statues
* {{frac|24}} chance of [[woodchuck]] statues
* {{frac|24}} chance of [[archaeologist]] statues

===EvilHack===
[[EvilHack]] includes the map variations for the Oracle level present in xNetHack.

==References==
<references />
{{DOD}}
{{nethack-367}}
[[Category:Special levels|Oracle]]