Wand of create monster
| / | |
|---|---|
| Name | create monster |
| Appearance | random |
| Abundance | 4.5% |
| Base price | 200 zm |
| Weight | 7 |
| Type | non-directional |
| Maximum charges | 15 |
| Spell | create monster |
| Monster use | May be used defensively by monsters. |
A wand of create monster is a type of wand that appears in NetHack.
Contents
Generation
Wizards may be given a wand of create monster as the random wand in their starting inventory.[1][2]
Wands of create monster make up 9⁄200 (4.5%) of all randomly-generated wands. General stores and "quality apparel and accessories" shops can sell wands of create monster.
Randomly generated monsters may be generated with a wand of create monster as a defensive item.[3]
Description
Zapping the wand of create monster or using one to engrave creates one or more monsters near the user, with a 22⁄23 chance of creating a single monster and a 1⁄23 chance of creating 2-9 monsters[4][5]—seeing the wand create monsters will auto-identify it. Normal monster creation is used to generate each monster, meaning that monsters generated in groups count as a single instance. Creating monsters with the wand in wizard mode will prompt the player for what kind of monster(s) to create.
Applying a wand of create monster with charges will break it, causing an explosion that deals anywhere between 1 and (4×<charges>) damage and creates nine monsters around the hero, using normal monster creation as above.[6]
Strategy
A wand of create monster is often a terrible thing to discover in a monster's inventory: while not as immediately perilous as a cursed scroll of create monster, a monster at low health will begin zapping the wand with impunity. While this auto-identifies the wand, it also means that you will have to face down several more monsters unless you can kill its owner quickly, especially if fighting the zapper at a distance. Autopickup exceptions are often set to pick up wands of create monster, if only to keep them out of monsters' hands and reduce the risk of being overwhelmed and killed.
Wands of create monster are ideal to use near altars, especially in a co-aligned temple, and any hero with a source of charging (most ideally the Platinum Yendorian Express Card) can recharge the wands multiple times. The monsters you create and kill can also be used as an alternate food source, especially in later stages of the game—in some cases, it can also be used to farm for specific monsters if done in the quest level.
Maximizing monsters created
If you want to maximize the number of monsters created from a wand, you should break it with one charge left, so long as you are able to survive the onslaught and the damage from the magical blast. Many of the usual tactics apply: stand on a burned Elbereth, have a source of magic resistance for attack wands, and be prepared with escape items in case you get particularly dangerous monsters. In a temple, don't catch the aligned priest in the blast, or you will anger them.
Breaking generates 18.8 monsters per wand on average if you can identify the number of charges. If you don't know the number of charges, the optimal strategy is to zap it 9 times, then break it for an expected 14.0 monsters. Zapping and wresting the last charge produces only 13.2 monsters on average in comparison.
History
The wand of create monster appears in Hack 1.21 and Hack for PDP-11, which are both based on Jay Fenlason's Hack, and is included in the initial item list for Hack 1.0.
Variants
SLASH'EM
SLASH'EM introduces the similar wand of create horde, which is non-directional and always creates several monsters when zapped.
A wand of create monster is placed in the outside area of Grund's Stronghold at level creation.
FIQHack
In FIQHack, the wand of create monster is replaced by the wand of summoning.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, a wand of create monster can be created at a furnace by combining a wand of polymorph with a wand of nothing.
