Cloak of displacement
[  [  [  [  cloak of displacement | |
|---|---|
| Appearance | random |
| Slot | cloak |
| AC | 1 |
| Special | |
| Base price | 50 zm |
| Weight | 10 |
| Material | cloth |
A cloak of displacement is a type of magical 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]
Contents
Generation
All non-elven Rangers start the game with a +2 cloak of displacement.[2][3]
Player monsters that are not monks, including those generated on the Astral Plane, have a 7⁄64 chance (effectively ~10.94%) of generating with a cloak of displacement as their initial cloak before role-based replacements.[4][5] Priests have a 3⁄4 chance of forcing a robe instead, reducing their effective chance to ~2.73%, while wizards have a 1⁄2 chance of forcing a cloak of magic resistance, reducing their effective chance to ~5.47%.[6][7]
Description
While worn, the cloak of displacement provides MC1 and displacement; putting on or taking off the cloak will auto-identify it if the character can see themselves or are able to sense monsters, and you are not currently engulfed. The displacement will not affect hostile monsters if you are invisible and they cannot see invisible.
Strategy
The cloak of displacement is the only source of the property in the game, and is a solid defensive item for misdirecting attacks from hostile monsters. In the early game, it is an especially solid tool for escaping fights, though it is somewhat outclassed by invisibility, which inflicts an additional -2 to-hit penalty and similarly causes monsters to attack squares where they think the character is. In the long term, however, more monsters can be fooled by displacement compared to the many later threats that can see invisible.
Characters using a lance or any polearm as their main weapon 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 a monster that has intrinsic displacement, and eating a corpse or tin confers temporary displacement, while polymorph into a displacer beast similarly grants intrinsic displacement for the form's duration.History
The cloak of displacement first appears in NetHack 3.0.0. From this version to NetHack 3.4.3, including some variants based on those versions, the cloak of displacement grants MC2 while worn, and the cloak auto-identifies when worn or removed without a message accompanying either action.
The messages for wearing or removing a cloak of displacement are introduced in NetHack 3.6.0.
Origin
The cloak of displacement is an item that originates from Dungeons & Dragons. It is a black leather cloak fashioned out of the hide of a displacer beast: the displacing effect comes from strands of sinew within the beasts' tentacles that are interwoven with the fabric, distorting and warping light reflected off its surface. This causes the wearer to appear as if they are in a slightly different location up to 6 in (0.15 m) away, offering protection from attacks while the wearer is attuned and conscious; being hit causes the cloak to lose its illusory abilities for a few seconds.
Variants
Some variants make it possible for monsters to gain displacement from wearing this cloak. Shimmering dragons and their scales (and scale mail) may also provide an additional source of displacement.
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, the cloak of displacement grants MC2.
Upgrading a cloak of displacement has a 1⁄2 chance of producing an elven cloak, and upgrading an elven cloak or oilskin cloak has a 1⁄4 chance of producing a cloak of displacement.
Deluder is an artifact cloak of displacement that doubles as a luck item and confers stealth, and is the guaranteed second sacrifice gift for Wizards.
GruntHack
GruntHack implements proper displacement for monsters, making it possible for them to obtain the property by wearing the cloak.
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, the cloak of displacement grants MC2 while worn.
DynaHack
In DynaHack, the cloak of displacement grants MC2 while worn.
Sokoban offers a cloak as one of the three types of prizes, which has a 1⁄2 chance of being a cloak of displacement.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, the cloak of displacement confers 1 AC, 0 DR, MC2, and displacement while worn.
One map of the Grue's Cavern has a treasure pile with a cloak of displacement.
The Mantle of Heaven and The Vestment of Hell are artifact cloaks that always have a specific randomized appearance, making it possible for them to be cloaks of displacement.
A cloak of displacement can be used to repair the active camoflauge system of imperial elven body armor, conferring displacement.
FIQHack
In FIQHack, the cloak of displacement gives MC3 and monsters can gain displacement from wearing it; monster displacement functions somewhat similar to GruntHack, though with various differences (e.g., the displaced images of monsters detected via telepathy or monster detection do not appear).
EvilHack
In EvilHack, monsters can gain displacement by wearing this cloak.
