Astaroth
Astaroth, the Broken Clockmaker is a spirit that appears in dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack.
Ritual, seal and taboo
An eroded item must be placed in Astaroth's seal: the item is repaired as part of the ritual regardless of its outcome, and any negative enchantment is also fixed by setting it to +0. For a hero binding Astaroth into the Pen of the Void, the Pen itself must be rusty or corroded. Using the Bell of Opening will always succeed, but results in the binding duration being 1⁄10 of the usual length.
To remain bound to Astaroth, a hero must not deliberately break items in their inventory, including mulching thrown or fired ammunition—breaking non-inventory items such as doors and iron bars is permitted.
Mark
A hero that has Astaroth bound weeps tears of black oil that can be easily seen from a distance, and they must wear a blindfold, towel or a mask to keep them hidden.
Benefits
While Astaroth is bound, the hero gainst shock resistance and magical breathing and is granted skill in crossbows and shuriken.
Astaroth's active powers are as follows:
- Astaroth's Assembly: The hero projects an invisible beam up to 5 spaces in the chosen direction, creating a 3x3 explosion centered on the first target struck. This explosion deals shock damage and loses 1 die of damage for each square the beam travels, with a minimum of 1 die and a maximum of 5 dice. The hero then gains 1 point of extrinsic protection similar to the spell for each square that the beam travels without exploding, up to a maximum of 5 points—this protection decreases by 1 point every 5 turns.
- Astaroth's Shards: The hero fires a barrage of shuriken equal to the hero's spirit die size + XL/10 + 1 along random ranks, and the heroes takes damage equal to their spirit die size. The barrage may be 'concentrated' by activating it while standing in a corridor or other narrow space.
His passive powers are as follows:
- Rusting: The hero takes 1 damage per turn while they are underwater.
As a monster
| & Astaroth (No tile) | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 15 |
| Attacks | |
| Base level | 13 |
| Base experience | 452 |
| Speed | 14 |
| Base AC | 5 |
| Base MR | 40 |
| Alignment | 0 (neutral) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 0 (Not randomly generated) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 3000 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | large |
| Resistances | fire resistance, shock resistance
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Astaroth:
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In notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, Astaroth, &, also appears as a monster that can be summoned by an Illithanachronounbinder. He is a humanoid major demon that can be seen via infravision, will pick up and collect items, and can follow a hero to other levels if he is adjacent. Like many summoned spirits, Astaroth cannot be tamed.
Astaroth has a weapon attack and will create hostile gizmos during each of his turns if he is close enough to a target—the gizmo created will be a firework cart 1⁄10 of the time, and will otherwise be a clockwork soldier, clockwork dwarf or faberge sphere with an equal probability of each. He possesses fire resistance, shock resistance and death resistance.
Astaroth is poisonous to consume, which primarily comes up if he is digested by another monster.
Generation
Astaroth is first generated when summoned from his seal by an Illithanachronounbinder. He is always created hostile, and is not a valid polymorph form or genocide target.
Astaroth is always generated with 2-3 upgrade kits.
Astaroth does not leave a corpse upon death.
Strategy
Below this point, there are major spoilers for the Illithanachronounbinder role. They can be accessed by selecting the "Role spoiler" tab.
Astaroth can be encountered again in the Void, which is accessed by opening the high altar of Ilsensine the Fallen as an Illithanachronounbinder using the invoke effect of The Elder Cerebral Fluid. Astaroth is generated along with many other spirits of the near void on the first floor of the branch, and is generated with the "whispers" template, which makes him nonliving.
Messages
- A hand of worn and broken clockwork on a rusted metal arm reaches into the seal.
- The hand gently touches the <eroded item>, then rests on the seal's surface as its unseen owner shifts his weight onto that arm.
- There is the sound of shrieking metal, and a cracked porcelain face swings into view on a metallic armature.
- You attempted to bind Astaroth.
- A voice speaks to you, as the immobile white face weeps tears of black oil onto the floor.
- *I am Astaroth, the Clockmaker. You shall be my instrument, to repair this broken world.*
- The item was repaired and you successfully bound Astaroth to yourself.
- A voice speaks to you, as the immobile white face studies you and weeps tears of black oil.
- *I am Astaroth, the Clockmaker. You shall hold my instrument, to repair this broken world.*
- The hand catches a teardrop and anoints the Pen of the Void with the glistening oil.
- The item was repaired and you successfully bound Astaroth to The Pen of the Void.
- A hand of worn and broken clockwork on a rusted metal arm reaches into the seal and rings the bell.
- *Sometimes, what was broken cannot be restored.*
- You attempted to use the Bell of Opening as part of the binding ritual, causing it to ring.
- Black oil falls like teardrops into the seal.
- But nothing else occurs.
- You failed to bind Astaroth due to a lack of open slots for spirits of the Near Void, but the item placed in the seal is still repaired.
- Black oil falls like teardrops into the seal.
- The Pen of the Void drips black oil, as if in sympathy.
- You failed to bind Astaroth into The Pen of the Void, but the item placed in the seal is still repaired.
- You think of all the loyal items used up and thrown away each day, and shed a tear.
- You performed the binding ritual incorrectly.
Encyclopedia entry
He is very old. He is hurting very badly. He is underwater, in space, and everywhere else. He cannot get off his chair. He is stuck there forever because he is so badly hurt.
…not afraid of The Lord, for He is as we are, broken and scattered. As we restore the body of God, so we restore ourselves. To join with the Lord is good. As we give honor and worship to the Lord, so does He honor us. To serve the Lord is good. As we guard the Lord from harm, so does He…
