Energy drain
Energy drain is a damage type in NetHack that drains energy from the hero in lieu of dealing actual damage to their HP, and uses the flag AD_DREN. The only monster with the energy drain damage type is the energy vortex, which uses it as part of its second engulfing attack to drain energy from an already-engulfed hero.
This is one of only three sources of energy loss in NetHack, along with cursed potion of gain energy and the anti-magic field.
Contents
Description
If a hero is engulfed by an energy vortex, they have a 3⁄4 chance of losing an amount of energy dependent on their experience level:[1][2] the base damage dice used is 2d6, with adjustments made depending on their current and maximum energy—the outcomes can range from 1d3 points of energy drain for heroes with very low energy, up to 3d9 for heroes with very high energy. If a hero is hit by the energy vortex's energy-draining attack during the grace period where they cannot be re-engulfed, the engulfing attack is converted to a claw attack which has a 1⁄4 chance of the hero's energy being drained on hit, with the same rules applied.[3][4]
AC and magic cancellation can block the latter instance of the attack, but not the former. Canceling the energy vortex can nullify its energy-draining ability.
Strategy
Energy drain is a rare ability and one of a few features of energy vortices that make them annoying and potentially harrowing to face.
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History
The energy drain damage type is introduced in NetHack 3.6.0—in this version, it drains 4d6 energy, which can have severe effects on low-energy heroes. NetHack 3.6.1 introduces the energy drain attack's current mechanics.
Messages
- You feel your magical energy drain away.
- Your energy was drained from being engulfed by an energy vortex.
Variants
Variants of NetHack may introduce other monsters that have energy-draining attacks, some of which occur prior to the damage type's introduction to NetHack.
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SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, fire vampires possess an energy-draining touch attack.
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, weeping angels and weeping archangels have energy-draining claw attacks.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, Greed is a monster in previous versions that has a energy-draining touch attack.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, multiple monsters have attacks that drain energy:
- weeping angels via touch attack
- gray devourers via bite
- Malcanthet via claw attack
- incantifiers via touch attacks
- kuo toa via touch attack
- kuo toa whips via touch attack
