Columnar crystal

*
Name	columnar crystal rod
Appearance	columnar crystal rod
Base price	1 zm
Weight	1

*
Name	twin-columnar crystal
Appearance	twin-columnar crystal
Base price	1 zm
Weight	1

*
Name	columnar chunk
Appearance	columnar chunk
Base price	1 zm
Weight	1

*
Name	columnar mass
Appearance	columnar mass
Base price	1 zm
Weight	1

A columnar crystal is a type of crystal gem 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 allow improving an item from +1 to +3
• Twin-columnar crystals allow improving an item from +4 to +6
• Columnar chunks allow improving an item from +7 to +9
• Columnar masses allow improving an item to +10

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.

This page is a stub. Should you wish to do so, you can contribute by expanding this page.