Wand of probing

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Name	probing
Appearance	random
Abundance	3%
Base price	150 zm
Weight	7
Type	beam
Maximum charges	8
Monster use	Will not be used by monsters.

A wand of probing can give you information about a monster, or the contents of a container. It also has other uses.

In general, wands of probing act much like stethoscopes. Zapping one prompts the player for a direction, and if there is a suitable target, shows the name, alignment, level, HP, AC, and status of the target. Like a stethoscope, it does not anger peaceful targets. Unlike a stethoscope, it is a directional beam, allowing the remote assessment of the target, and it will also show the inventory of the target. This leads to situational usages such as:

• Checking the inventory of your pet when supplying it with equipment.
• Determining if you are at the correct Astral Plane temple by probing the high priest.
• Checking the inventory of peaceful monsters for useful items before taking an alignment penalty for killing them.
• Checking the inventory of monsters with predefined magic items to identify those items.
• Checking a bag of holding in a bones pile to decide if you would benefit from uncursing it right away.
• Checking historical statues for useful items before taking an alignment penalty for breaking into them as an Archeologist.
• Checking for buried objects when zapped downwards, for example while on top of a grave.
• To locate and identify an invisible creature causing you distress.
• To identify which creature is wearing the amulet of life saving or reflection you know is on the level, so that you may charm and perhaps polymorph it into a powerful pet instead of merely killing it (twice).
• In principle, zen players could make objects seen. However, identifying it is hard.

Otherwise a wand of probing is inferior to a stethoscope, being heavier, slower, and having only limited charges.