Difference between revisions of "Spellbook"

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(Strategy)
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Alternatively, use the ';' command to identify the '+'.
 
Alternatively, use the ';' command to identify the '+'.
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== Strategy ==
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Do not attempt to read a spellbook unless you know it isn't cursed (easily determined at an [[altar]]).  Unless you are a [[wizard]], do not attempt to read a spellbook unless you know which level it is (easily determined at the appropriate [[shop]]).
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Whenever you successfully read a spellbook:
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*Type-[[name]] it with the current turn number, so that you will know when you need to rememorize it.  You can review the type-names of identified items with the '\' key.
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*Individual-name it '1', or increment the existing number, so you know how many times you have read it.
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Polymorphing a non-blank spellbook will increment its read counter, possibly to the point where it blanks when you try to read it.  Polymorphing a blank spellbook will produce a spellbook good for three more reads, so consider blanking your spellbooks before [[polypiling]] them.
  
 
== List of spellbooks ==
 
== List of spellbooks ==

Revision as of 04:07, 8 July 2007

A spellbook + is a book containing runes describing some spell. To attempt to memorise the spell, you must read the spellbook. (This obviously breaks the illiterate conduct.) If the spellbook is too difficult, you will not learn the spell, and instead harmful effects will happen: you might become blind, or you might lose all of your gold.

A cursed spellbook can also cause these harmful effects. Thus in general, never read a cursed spellbook. You can use holy water or a blessed scroll of remove curse to uncurse the spellbook. You could also wield it and read an uncursed scroll of remove curse or cast remove curse.

If you have a blank spellbook and a magic marker, then you can try to write the spellbook of any spell that you know. Dipping a spellbook into water or a fountain will blank it. Spellbooks made blank this way will retain their BUC status.

Note that you will forget spells 20,000 turns after you read the respective spellbook the last time and spellbooks will fade after reading them a few times, making spellbook-management quite important. If you polymorph a spellbook into one which have already studied and learnt, upon reading it again may induce a greater chance of it fading.

Spellbooks versus closed doors

It is possible to drop one or more items in a doorway, with the top item being a brown spellbook. If your tty has color, than a brown spellbook looks like a closed door, because both use a brown plus sign.

If your tty does not have color, you might confuse any spellbook with a closed door.

Either way, attempting to use the [o] command on a doorway that contains a spellbook will fail with, "You see no door there." The [o] command only opens doors, not spellbooks. Furthermore, the spellbook will not stop monsters from crossing the doorway.

Alternatively, use the ';' command to identify the '+'.

Strategy

Do not attempt to read a spellbook unless you know it isn't cursed (easily determined at an altar). Unless you are a wizard, do not attempt to read a spellbook unless you know which level it is (easily determined at the appropriate shop).

Whenever you successfully read a spellbook:

  • Type-name it with the current turn number, so that you will know when you need to rememorize it. You can review the type-names of identified items with the '\' key.
  • Individual-name it '1', or increment the existing number, so you know how many times you have read it.

Polymorphing a non-blank spellbook will increment its read counter, possibly to the point where it blanks when you try to read it. Polymorphing a blank spellbook will produce a spellbook good for three more reads, so consider blanking your spellbooks before polypiling them.

List of spellbooks

The following is a list of all spellbooks, listed alphabetically by the school of magic they represent and then again alphabetically inside the schools.

Attack

Clerical

Divination

Enchantment

Escape

Healing

Matter

Other