Difference between revisions of "Wizard of Yendor"
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| − | The '''Wizard of Yendor''' (also informally known as Rodney) is the guardian of the [[Book of the Dead]]. He resides in his [[Wizard's Tower| | + | The '''Wizard of Yendor''' (also informally known as '''Rodney''') is the guardian of the [[Book of the Dead]]. He resides in his [[Wizard's Tower|Tower]] in [[Gehennom]]. You must get the [[Book of the Dead]] from him before you can descend to [[Moloch's Sanctum]] and get the [[Amulet of Yendor]] from the high priest of [[Moloch]]. He is [[Monster_starting_inventory|generated without]] a [[weapon]]. |
In addition to the full complement of arcane [[monster spell]]s, the Wizard has a unique spell, [[Double Trouble]], which creates another incarnation of him, with all his powers. The clone can show up with a different appearance from his normal self<ref>[[wizard.c#line405]]</ref>; one of [[water demon]], [[vampire]], [[red dragon]], [[troll]], [[umber hulk]], [[xorn]], [[xan]], [[cockatrice]], [[floating eye]], [[guardian naga]] or [[trapper]]<ref>[[wizard.c#line38]]</ref>. He will not use this spell if there are already two of him in the world. | In addition to the full complement of arcane [[monster spell]]s, the Wizard has a unique spell, [[Double Trouble]], which creates another incarnation of him, with all his powers. The clone can show up with a different appearance from his normal self<ref>[[wizard.c#line405]]</ref>; one of [[water demon]], [[vampire]], [[red dragon]], [[troll]], [[umber hulk]], [[xorn]], [[xan]], [[cockatrice]], [[floating eye]], [[guardian naga]] or [[trapper]]<ref>[[wizard.c#line38]]</ref>. He will not use this spell if there are already two of him in the world. | ||
| − | The | + | The Wizard can and will follow you up to the [[Elemental Planes]]. However, he will not appear in the [[Astral Plane]], though if he appears on the [[Plane of Water]] he can follow you through the [[magic portal|portal]] to the Astral Plane. |
| − | + | He is incapable of harming monsters, e. g. [[pet]]s or the [[high priest]] of Moloch.<ref>[[Mhitm.c#line1129]]</ref> The latter case is frequent because he may appear right after you perform the [[Invocation]], and will immediately warp into the Sanctum to [[covetous|obtain the Amulet]] from the high priest. | |
==Harassment== | ==Harassment== | ||
| − | After the Wizard dies for the first time, or you perform the [[Invocation]] (by stealing the Book from him without killing him), he will cause you trouble for the rest of the game. 50-299 turns after you first kill the wizard<ref>[[wizard.c#line551]] Specifically, you must not be a [[demigod]] to start this counter</ref>, 2-12 turns after performing the | + | After the Wizard dies for the first time, or you perform the [[Invocation]] (by stealing the Book from him without killing him), he will cause you trouble for the rest of the game. 50-299 turns after you first kill the wizard<ref>[[wizard.c#line551]] Specifically, you must not be a [[demigod]] to start this counter</ref>, 2-12 turns after performing the Invocation<ref>[[spell.c#line256]]</ref> and every 50-249 turns afterwards<ref>[[allmain.c#line267]]</ref>, one of the following effects will happen: |
{|class="prettytable" | {|class="prettytable" | ||
!Probability | !Probability | ||
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On the [[Astral Plane]], the Wizard cannot appear, and every other effect has equal probability. | On the [[Astral Plane]], the Wizard cannot appear, and every other effect has equal probability. | ||
| − | == | + | ==Strategy== |
| − | + | Many players choose to zap a [[wand of death]] at the Wizard instantly every time he reappears. However, if you are low on wand charges, you may want to take him out by conventional means or, for example, [[stoning|stone]] him. Watch for the [[Elvenking]]s the Wizard likes to summon — they are represented by the same {{monsym|elvenking}} symbol as the Wizard. It is annoying to realize that you've squandered a ray of death on the wrong monster. | |
| − | + | ===Coveting=== | |
| + | Being [[covetous]], the Wizard is capable of stealing your own [[quest artifact]] if you have it in your main inventory. If you were relying on that artifact for [[magic resistance]] – look out! You don't have MR any longer, but ''he'' does – so he is now immune to death rays, for instance. Prudent players will arrange for other items to duplicate the vital powers of their quest artifacts prior to beginning the ascension run, and may even wish to carry their own quest artifact in a [[container]] to avoid the Wizard stealing it and making use of it himself. Pity the unprepared [[Caveman]] who has [[the Sceptre of Might]] stolen with no other source of MR, ''and'' no other good melee weapon in inventory. | ||
| − | + | Luckily, he will only steal the player's own quest artifact – those of other roles are immune (so a neutral non-[[wizard]] can get theft-proof MR by [[wish]]ing for [[The Eye of the Aethiopica]]). | |
| − | + | The Wizard will not reappear if he obtains the [[Amulet of Yendor|real Amulet]]. If you are being overwhelmed by the Wizard, you can throw the Amulet away and change levels as he goes to pick it up. If he has used [[Double Trouble]], the two clones will also fight each other for the Amulet, giving you a respite. You will still need to retrieve the Amulet, but this gives you an opportunity to recover pets and equipment. However, the other forms of harassment will continue to affect you. | |
| − | + | ===Obtaining the Book of the Dead=== | |
| − | + | It is possible to [[dig]] into the Wizard's tower without waking him up: standing in a corner of the room, zap a [[wand of digging]] diagonally at the tower. This will remove a bit of the tower, but will not wake up the Wizard. If you then shoot a death ray in through this newly created gap you will kill him without giving him the chance to cast spells at you. If you dig in any other way, you will wake him up. | |
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| − | + | If you kill him over the [[moat]], you can get the Book of the Dead by zapping a [[wand of cold]] over the water (the Book is immune to blanking). The Book will end up on top of the ice. Alternately, you can wear an [[amulet of magical breathing]] to go into the water and pick it up. If you choose to do this, remember to leave your water-damageable items (potions, spellbooks, scrolls, non-rustproof weapons) on the dry land. | |
| − | |||
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| − | + | If you have a [[drum of earthquake]], you can reliably wake him up from ''outside'' the [[Wizard's Tower]]. You can then kill him and obtain the Book without having to enter the Tower at all. | |
| − | + | ===Avoiding harassment=== | |
| + | Once you have killed the Wizard or performed the [[Invocation ritual]], the harassment will begin and will last for the remainder of the game. Thus it is usually a good idea to prepare for the ascension run before killing him to reduce the number of turns – and thus the amount of harassment – needed to finish the game. Finding the [[vibrating square]] and creating paths through the [[Gehennom]] mazes are always beneficial. Stealing the [[Book of the Dead]] without killing him will allow you to continue preparations without risk of harassment; this is especially useful for [[pacifist]]s trying to [[Book of the Dead#Raising the dead|raise the dead]] to obtain a level 49 [[purple worm]]. | ||
| − | If you | + | [[Level drain]]ing the Wizard will permanently reduce his level, although it will still increase when he revives. If you are able to reduce his level to 0 he will lose all spellcasting abilities, and his melee damage becomes unremarkable. Reducing his level without killing him is best done with a negatively enchanted [[Stormbringer]] (enchantment can be easily reduced to -3 through engraving). Reducing his level will also make him [[monster MR|more susceptible]] to [[polymorph]]; polymorphing him will prevent his [[covetous]] teleportation and remove most of his abilities. Your [[pet]]s can also begin to attack him on their own initiative once he approaches their level. [[Sliming]] is also an option. |
| − | + | [[Teleport]]ing the Wizard will always move him to the upstairs, or the down [[ladder]] if you are within [[Wizard's Tower|his tower]]<ref>{{sourcecode|teleport.c|993}}</ref>. As he is [[covetous]], this is rarely a concern as he can simply warp himself back to your position, but if you managed to polymorph or slime the Wizard first you will not be able to teleport him away from the staircase. | |
| − | + | The Wizard normally cannot be made tame or peaceful, but there are a handful of methods to pacify him if you are able to [[polymorph]] him. The Wizard will always be made hostile when he next revives, so these methods cannot be used to permanently pacify him. | |
| + | *Polymorph him into a [[unicorn]] and throw him a gem. (It is not necessary to use a co-aligned unicorn nor a valuable gem.) | ||
| + | *Polymorph him into a [[snake]] and successfully use a [[wooden flute]]. | ||
| + | *Polymorph him into a [[nymph]] and successfully use a [[wooden harp]]. | ||
| + | *Polymorph him into any [[undead]] monster and read the blessed [[Book of the Dead]]. | ||
| + | *As a chaotic [[priest]] or [[knight]] outside of Gehennom, polymorph him into any undead and successfully [[turn undead]]. | ||
| + | *Polymorph him into any non-human, non-mindless monster and #[[untrap]] it from a pit that you did not create. Failure from the monster weighing too much, or success, both have chances of pacifying the wizard, but failure will leave him trapped, allowing you to try again. | ||
| + | *In [[SLASH'EM]], polymorph him into any monster and hit it with a [[potion of amnesia]]. This effect can be resisted by the monster's [[monster MR|MR]]. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
Revision as of 18:06, 17 March 2011
@ Wizard of Yendor 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 34 |
| Attacks |
Claw 2d12 amulet-stealing, spell-casting |
| Base level | 30 |
| Base experience | 1386 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | -8 |
| Base MR | 100 |
| Alignment | unaligned[1] |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Unique |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | Medium |
| Resistances | Fire, Poison |
| Resistances conveyed |
Fire (25%), Poison (25%), teleport control (25%), causes teleportitis (25%) |
|
Wizard of Yendor:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line2481 |
The Wizard of Yendor (also informally known as Rodney) is the guardian of the Book of the Dead. He resides in his Tower in Gehennom. You must get the Book of the Dead from him before you can descend to Moloch's Sanctum and get the Amulet of Yendor from the high priest of Moloch. He is generated without a weapon.
In addition to the full complement of arcane monster spells, the Wizard has a unique spell, Double Trouble, which creates another incarnation of him, with all his powers. The clone can show up with a different appearance from his normal self[2]; one of water demon, vampire, red dragon, troll, umber hulk, xorn, xan, cockatrice, floating eye, guardian naga or trapper[3]. He will not use this spell if there are already two of him in the world.
The Wizard can and will follow you up to the Elemental Planes. However, he will not appear in the Astral Plane, though if he appears on the Plane of Water he can follow you through the portal to the Astral Plane.
He is incapable of harming monsters, e. g. pets or the high priest of Moloch.[4] The latter case is frequent because he may appear right after you perform the Invocation, and will immediately warp into the Sanctum to obtain the Amulet from the high priest.
Contents
Harassment
After the Wizard dies for the first time, or you perform the Invocation (by stealing the Book from him without killing him), he will cause you trouble for the rest of the game. 50-299 turns after you first kill the wizard[5], 2-12 turns after performing the Invocation[6] and every 50-249 turns afterwards[7], one of the following effects will happen:
| Probability | Effect | Message |
|---|---|---|
| 1/3 | No effect | "You feel vaguely nervous." |
| 1/6 | Curse items | "You notice a black glow surrounding you." (if not blind) |
| 1/6 | Aggravate monsters, as per the monster spell | "You feel that monsters are aware of your presence." |
| 1/6 | Summon nasties | No message |
| 1/6 | If there is currently no living Wizard, he returns to life near you, one monster level higher than his previous incarnation. If the Wizard is alive on a different dungeon level, and doesn't have the real Amulet, he is brought to you. | "A voice booms out... 'So thou thought thou couldst <kill/elude> me, fool.'" |
On the Astral Plane, the Wizard cannot appear, and every other effect has equal probability.
Strategy
Many players choose to zap a wand of death at the Wizard instantly every time he reappears. However, if you are low on wand charges, you may want to take him out by conventional means or, for example, stone him. Watch for the Elvenkings the Wizard likes to summon — they are represented by the same @ symbol as the Wizard. It is annoying to realize that you've squandered a ray of death on the wrong monster.
Coveting
Being covetous, the Wizard is capable of stealing your own quest artifact if you have it in your main inventory. If you were relying on that artifact for magic resistance – look out! You don't have MR any longer, but he does – so he is now immune to death rays, for instance. Prudent players will arrange for other items to duplicate the vital powers of their quest artifacts prior to beginning the ascension run, and may even wish to carry their own quest artifact in a container to avoid the Wizard stealing it and making use of it himself. Pity the unprepared Caveman who has the Sceptre of Might stolen with no other source of MR, and no other good melee weapon in inventory.
Luckily, he will only steal the player's own quest artifact – those of other roles are immune (so a neutral non-wizard can get theft-proof MR by wishing for The Eye of the Aethiopica).
The Wizard will not reappear if he obtains the real Amulet. If you are being overwhelmed by the Wizard, you can throw the Amulet away and change levels as he goes to pick it up. If he has used Double Trouble, the two clones will also fight each other for the Amulet, giving you a respite. You will still need to retrieve the Amulet, but this gives you an opportunity to recover pets and equipment. However, the other forms of harassment will continue to affect you.
Obtaining the Book of the Dead
It is possible to dig into the Wizard's tower without waking him up: standing in a corner of the room, zap a wand of digging diagonally at the tower. This will remove a bit of the tower, but will not wake up the Wizard. If you then shoot a death ray in through this newly created gap you will kill him without giving him the chance to cast spells at you. If you dig in any other way, you will wake him up.
If you kill him over the moat, you can get the Book of the Dead by zapping a wand of cold over the water (the Book is immune to blanking). The Book will end up on top of the ice. Alternately, you can wear an amulet of magical breathing to go into the water and pick it up. If you choose to do this, remember to leave your water-damageable items (potions, spellbooks, scrolls, non-rustproof weapons) on the dry land.
If you have a drum of earthquake, you can reliably wake him up from outside the Wizard's Tower. You can then kill him and obtain the Book without having to enter the Tower at all.
Avoiding harassment
Once you have killed the Wizard or performed the Invocation ritual, the harassment will begin and will last for the remainder of the game. Thus it is usually a good idea to prepare for the ascension run before killing him to reduce the number of turns – and thus the amount of harassment – needed to finish the game. Finding the vibrating square and creating paths through the Gehennom mazes are always beneficial. Stealing the Book of the Dead without killing him will allow you to continue preparations without risk of harassment; this is especially useful for pacifists trying to raise the dead to obtain a level 49 purple worm.
Level draining the Wizard will permanently reduce his level, although it will still increase when he revives. If you are able to reduce his level to 0 he will lose all spellcasting abilities, and his melee damage becomes unremarkable. Reducing his level without killing him is best done with a negatively enchanted Stormbringer (enchantment can be easily reduced to -3 through engraving). Reducing his level will also make him more susceptible to polymorph; polymorphing him will prevent his covetous teleportation and remove most of his abilities. Your pets can also begin to attack him on their own initiative once he approaches their level. Sliming is also an option.
Teleporting the Wizard will always move him to the upstairs, or the down ladder if you are within his tower[8]. As he is covetous, this is rarely a concern as he can simply warp himself back to your position, but if you managed to polymorph or slime the Wizard first you will not be able to teleport him away from the staircase.
The Wizard normally cannot be made tame or peaceful, but there are a handful of methods to pacify him if you are able to polymorph him. The Wizard will always be made hostile when he next revives, so these methods cannot be used to permanently pacify him.
- Polymorph him into a unicorn and throw him a gem. (It is not necessary to use a co-aligned unicorn nor a valuable gem.)
- Polymorph him into a snake and successfully use a wooden flute.
- Polymorph him into a nymph and successfully use a wooden harp.
- Polymorph him into any undead monster and read the blessed Book of the Dead.
- As a chaotic priest or knight outside of Gehennom, polymorph him into any undead and successfully turn undead.
- Polymorph him into any non-human, non-mindless monster and #untrap it from a pit that you did not create. Failure from the monster weighing too much, or success, both have chances of pacifying the wizard, but failure will leave him trapped, allowing you to try again.
- In SLASH'EM, polymorph him into any monster and hit it with a potion of amnesia. This effect can be resisted by the monster's MR.
History
The Wizard of Yendor first appeared in Hack 1.0.2.
Through NetHack 2.3e, he appeared in a 1x2 room in the center of the maze, which also contained a hell hound (that did not have a breath weapon) and the Amulet of Yendor. The room had no doors and was surrounded by a moat. His symbol was 1, rather than @. These versions of NetHack did not have color.
Fake Wizard rooms had a demon (generic in this version) instead of the Wizard, and a fake Amulet.
From NetHack 3.0.0 through 3.0.10, the Wizard lived in a larger tower, now also accompanied by a vampire lord. NetHack acquired color display in version 3.0.4.
Fake Wizard rooms had a randomly chosen demon prince, or demon lord if no demon prince was available, or a random demon if demon lords are also gone. (All eight modern named demons existed, and occurred only in fake Wizard rooms or when summoned.)
Starting with NetHack 3.1.0, the Amulet is now given to the high priest of Moloch, and the Wizard instead carries the Book of the Dead. The 3.0.x-style Wizard room still exists as the room in which the Wizard lives, and as the two "fake Wizard" levels.
Encyclopedia entry
No one knows how old this mighty wizard is, or from whence he
came. It is known that, having lived a span far greater than
any normal man's, he grew weary of lesser mortals; and so,
spurning all human company, he forsook the dwellings of men
and went to live in the depths of the Earth. He took with
him a dreadful artifact, the Book of the Dead, which is said
to hold great power indeed. Many have sought to find the
wizard and his treasure, but none have found him and lived to
tell the tale. Woe be to the incautious adventurer who
disturbs this mighty sorcerer!
References
- ↑ monst.c#line2482 The Wizard is the only unaligned monster in NetHack.
- ↑ wizard.c#line405
- ↑ wizard.c#line38
- ↑ Mhitm.c#line1129
- ↑ wizard.c#line551 Specifically, you must not be a demigod to start this counter
- ↑ spell.c#line256
- ↑ allmain.c#line267
- ↑ teleport.c, line 993
