Columnar crystal
A columnar crystal is a type of crystal rock that appears in dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack. It is a soft and has a base material of hemargyos.
There are four types of columnar crystals: the columnar crystal rod, twin-columnar crystal, columnar chunk and columnar mass.
Generation
Columnar crystals do not naturally generate. For Undead Hunters, corpses may rot away into columnar crystals:
- The index wolf corpse leaves behind a columnar chunk.
- Ghoul-queen Nitocris's corpse leaves behind a columnar mass.
- Baalphegor leaves behind a columnar mass.
- Asmodeus leaves behind a columnar mass.
- Pale Night leaves behind a columnar mass.
- The Good Neighbor leaves behind a columnar mass.
- The Hmnyw-Pharaoh leaves behind a columnar mass.
- The Moon's Chosen leaves behind a columnar mass.
All corpses with blood have a certain chance to leave behind columnar crystals:
- 1⁄20 if the hero currently has neither the lumen nor eye thought slotted or active.
- 1⁄13 if the hero currently has the weed thought slotted and active.
- 1⁄10 if the hero currently has the eye thought slotted and active.
- 1⁄7 if the hero currently has both the weed and eye thoughts slotted and active.
The type of columnar crystal created depends on the monster's difficulty:
- A columnar crystal rod is created from a corpse of a monster of difficulty below 5.
- A twin-columnar crystal is created from a corpse of a monster of difficulty 5–13.
- A columnar chunk is created from a corpse of a monster of difficulty 14–19.
- A columnar mass is created from a corpse of a monster of difficulty above 19.
Description
Columnar crystals can be broken down by dipping them in a forge while wielding a smithing hammer:
- Twin-columnar crystals split apart into two columnar crystal rods.
- Columnar chunks break apart into 2–3 twin-columnar crystal rods and 2–3 columnar crystal rods.
- Columnar masses break apart into 2–4 columnar chunks, 4–8 twin-columnar crystals and 4–12 columnar crystal rods.
Undead Hunters who are wielding a smithing hammer and have a columnar crystal in open inventory can improve an applicable item past their regular limit. Weapons, weapon-tools, armor and tools that use a weapon skill are eligible, and can be improved by dipping them into a forge while wielding a smithing hammer:
- Columnar crystal rods enchant equipment from +1 to +3
- Twin-columnar crystals enchant equipment from +4 to +6
- Columnar chunks enchant equipment from +7 to +9
- Columnar masses enchant equipment to +10
Undead Hunters increase their Smithing skill limit to Skilled when they use a twin-columnar crystal to enchant an item for the first time, and will increase it further to Expert once they have used a columnar chunk. Simultaneously, after they have used the twin-columnar crystal, they also become able to reach Expert in one randomly chosen weapon skill, and unlock two more when using a columnar chunk. When a skill associated with a trick weapon is unlocked in this manner, it also unlocks all skills associated with the weapon's transformed state and teaches the hero the weapon's identified appearance, as well as the appearance of its transformed state:
- Beast crusher: Unlocking either the club or flail skill may also unlock the other. Clubs have a 1⁄3 chance of also unlocking club, while flail always also unlocks club.
- Blade of mercy: Unlocking either the short sword or dagger skills may also unlock the other. Unlocking daggers has a 1⁄2 chance, while short sword only has a 1⁄3 chance. In either case, two-weapon combat is also unlocked to Expert.
- Bow-blade: Unlocking the scimitar, quarterstaff or bow skill also unlocks the other two.
- Cane: Unlocking the whip skill also unlocks long sword, though the reverse does not occur.
- Church blade: Unlocking the two-handed sword skill also unlocks long sword, though the reverse does not occur.
- Church-pick: Unlocking either the pick-axe or short sword skills may also unlock the other. Unlocking pick-axe has a 1⁄2 chance, while short sword only has a 1⁄3 chance.
- Church-hammer: Unlocking either the hammer or short sword skills may also unlock the other. Unlocking hammer always also unlocks short sword, while short sword only has a 1⁄3 chance of unlocking hammer.
- Devil fist: Unlocking either the pick-axe or mace skill may also unlock the other, each with a 1⁄2.
- Rakuyo: Unlocking either the dagger or saber skill may also unlock the other. Unlocking daggers has a 1⁄2 chance, while short sword only has a 1⁄3 chance. In either case, two-weapon combat is also unlocked to Expert.
- Saw spear: Unlocking the spear skill may also unlock farm implements. Unlocking spear always also unlocks farm implements, while farm implements only has a 1⁄2 chance of unlocking spear.
- Shanta-pata: Unlocking firearms skill has a 1⁄2 chance of also unlocking bare-handed combat.
- Soldier's rapier: Unlocking either the saber or firearms skill may also unlock the other, each with a 1⁄2.
- Other trick weapons that do not use different skills in their transformed state may still have their appearance taught.
- Breaking wheel: 1⁄3 of being taught when the club skill is unlocked.
- Hunter's axe: Taught when the axe skill is unlocked.
- Isamusei: Taught when the short sword skill is unlocked.
- Tonitrus: 1⁄2 of being taught when the mace skill is unlocked.
Strategy
Chaotic Undead Hunters, and to a lesser extent also lawful Undead Hunters, may want to spend an early wish on the eye thought, especially if they plan to advance along the rot research path to increase their chances of receiving columnar crystals.
While other roles can obtain columnar crystals (bones, wishing), they cannot make use of them, even if they have some skill in smithing.
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