Cloak of displacement

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[ Tattered cape.png[ Opera cloak.png[ Ornamental cope.png[ Piece of cloth.png
cloak of displacement
Appearance random
Slot cloak
AC 1
Special
Base price 50 zm
Weight 10
Material cloth

The cloak of displacement is a cloak that appears in NetHack. It is made of cloth, and has a randomized appearance; the default one associated with it is a piece of cloth.[1]

Generation

All non-elven Rangers start the game with a +2 cloak of displacement; for elven Rangers, this is replaced with a a +2 elven cloak.[2]

Most non-monk player monsters on the Astral Plane have a 87.5% chance of receiving a random magical cloak in their starting inventory, and a further 12.5% chance of that cloak being a cloak of displacement - effectively a ~10.94% chance.[3][4] For priests, there is a 75% chance the cloak will be made into a robe instead, reducing this effective chance to ~2.73%;[5] Wizards have a 12 chance of forcing a cloak of magic resistance, resulting in a ~5.47% chance of one generating with a cloak of displacement.[6]

Description

When worn, the cloak of displacement provides MC1 and displacement; putting on or taking off the cloak will auto-identify it if you can see yourself or are able to sense monsters, and you are not currently engulfed. The displacement will not affect monsters if you are invisible and they cannot see invisible.

Strategy

The cloak of displacement is the only source of displacement in the game, and is a solid defensive item for misdirecting attacks. In the early game it is somewhat outclassed by invisibility, which similarly causes monsters to attack squares where they think you are and inflicts an additional -2 to-hit penalty on them.

However, displacement can be the more powerful effect at times, as it still fools monsters that can see invisible. Players making extensive use of lances or polearms may especially benefit from monsters wasting turns striking at their image while remaining within pounding range.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

The displacer beast is now an alternative source of displacement - the beast (and thus its polyform) has the property naturally, and eating its corpse grants temporary displacement.

History

The cloak of displacement was introduced in NetHack 3.0.0.

Messages

You feel that monsters have difficulty pinpointing your location.
You put on a cloak of displacement. The cloak is identified.
You feel that monsters no longer have difficulty pinpointing your location.
You removed a cloak of displacement. The cloak is identified.

Variants

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, the cloak of displacement grants MC2 instead of MC1. There are no additional messages are given for wearing or removing the cloak, though it will still auto-identify in either case. A cloak of displacement can be created by upgrading an elven cloak or oilskin cloak.

Deluder is an artifact cloak of displacement that also doubles as a luck item and confers stealth, and is the guaranteed second sacrifice gift for Wizards.

UnNetHack

In UnNetHack, Sokoban offers a cloak as one of the three types of prizes, which has a 50% chance of being a cloak of displacement.

dNetHack

The Mantle of Heaven and The Vestment of Hell are artifact cloaks that always appear as ornamental copes, making it possible for them to be cloaks of displacement.

FIQHack

In FIQHack, the cloak of displacement gives MC3.

References