Crystal skull

A crystal skull is a very rare item in dNetHack and notdNetHack that allows summoning a pet.

Generation

Crystal skulls do not spawn naturally as objects, and are only found on mind flayers (¹⁄₁₂₀ chance), master mind flayers (¹⁄₉₀ chance), or alhoons (guaranteed). The master mind flayers that spawn at level generation in R'lyeh are guaranteed to have crystal skulls as well, making R'lyeh have a total of 5 guaranteed crystal skulls, as well as 2 earlier in the Lost Cities on the alhoons.

The first alhoon, found in the second throne room of the Depths, is guaranteed to drop a crystal skull.

Effects

Applying the skull immediately summons a tame pet. The type of the pet is always fixed and can not be changed. Leaving the level without it being able to follow you will unsummon the pet.

When it is being killed or unsummoned, it can be resummoned after the timeout of the crystal skull has expired, making the pet effectively immortal.

By using a trephination kit on the skull, one can change the inventory of the summoned pet. Resummoning the pet makes it receive a new copy of all the items in the crystal skull. So inserting e.g a potion of full healing makes the pet start with said potion, but if it is consumed and pet is resummoned, it will still appear again at no cost.

Messages

You awaken the imprisoned mind!

You used a crystal skull to summon the pet inside.

The imprisoned mind is dreaming.

You tried summoning the pet, but it is already summoned.

The imprisoned mind is exhausted.

You tried summoning the pet, but the timeout is not over yet.