Potion of monster detection
! 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | monster detection |
| Appearance | random |
| Base price | 150 zm |
| Weight | 20 |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
A potion of monster detection is a type of potion that appears in NetHack.
Contents
Generation
Wizards can generate with a potion of monster detection as any of their three random starting potions.[1]
Potions of monster detection make up 1⁄25 (4%) of all randomly-generated potions. General stores and liquor emporiums can stock potions of monster detection.
Description
A hero quaffing a potion of monster detection will display all monsters on the current level, exercise wisdom and auto-identify the potion, with the exact effects dependent on its beatitude:[2][3][4]
- An uncursed potion displays the current position of all monsters on a black map, similar to object detection.[5][6] The hero can navigate this screen by moving their cursor to highlight particular monsters, and any other key that does not perform a navigation action will exit this screen[7][8]—the locations of monsters are not recorded when returning to normal play.
- A cursed potion behaves the same as an uncursed one and will additionally aggravate all monsters on the level, waking all sleeping monsters and un-paralyzing all immobile monsters.[9] This does not clear the meditating state for such monsters.
- A blessed potion grants passive monster detection, continually updating the screen with the position of all monsters on the level[10][11]—the property lasts for 21–60 (more) turns, and stacks with passive monster detection from the detect monsters spell being cast while at Skilled or higher in divination spells, though it will only add 1 more turn if the hero already has at least 300 turns of passive monster detection.[2][12][13]
Quaffing the potion while hallucinating will have the same effects as described above, but will print different messages and display monsters as their hallucinated identities. Monsters will not use this potion.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
Per commit dfac5fbf, quaffing a blessed potion grants passive monster detection for 100-199 more turns if the hero does not have at least 300 turns of the property already.Strategy
The potion is useful to get the quick lay of a particular level upon entering it: while blinding yourself to use intrinsic telepathy can achieve much of the same, monster detection will also reveal mindless monsters as well, including annoying or dangerous ones such as gelatinous cubes and air elementals. Monsters seen via blessed monster detection are also valid targets for advanced fireball and cone of cold spells, as long as they are already in the effective range of the spell. Some players save a few potions to bless and drink on the Astral Plane in order to locate and keep track of the monsters there and plot which high altars they should seek out first.
While a cursed potion of monster detection can be used to awaken monsters remotely, it will not clear the "waiting" state of a quest nemesis or other covetous monster that is meditating as the cursed potion of invisibility does—the cursed potion is still useful for this purpose, e.g. Knights can avoid penalties to their alignment record from attacking 'helpless' hostiles.
History
The potion of monster detection first appears in Hack for PDP-11, which is based on Jay Fenlason's Hack, and is included in the initial item list for Hack 1.0.
Messages
- You sense the presence of monsters.
- You quaffed a non-blessed potion of monster detection.
- Monsters sense the presence of you.
- You quaffed a cursed potion and woke up some monsters.
- You feel threatened.
- You quaffed a non-blessed potion, but there were no monsters on the current level, and you are not a beginner.
- You get the heebie jeebies.
- As above, while hallucinating.
- You feel lonely.
- You quaffed a blessed potion of monster detection, and there are no monsters currently on the level.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, Flame Mages, Ice Mages, Necromancers, and Wizards may be given a potion of monster detection as any of the random potions in their starting inventories.[14][15][16][17]
ZAPM
In ZAPM, the equivalent to the potion of monster detection from NetHack is the floppy disk of lifeform detection.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, in addition to SLASH'EM details, Drunks may start with a potion of monster detection as any of the 15 non-booze potions in their starting inventory.
References
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 166
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 816: both the spell and potion use the same code
- ↑ src/spell.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1161
- ↑ src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 847
- ↑ src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 845: calls monster_detect() in detect.c
- ↑ src/detect.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 783: monster_detect() function
- ↑ src/detect.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 807: temporary map is drawn using this code
- ↑ src/detect.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 837: temporary map navigation
- ↑ src/detect.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 821
- ↑ src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 818
- ↑ src/detect.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 834
- ↑ src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 825
- ↑ src/spell.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1165
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 66
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 96
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 137
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 246
