dNetHack monster spells

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In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, monster spells are generally handled in a much more complex fashion compared to vanilla NetHack: there are several more spells available for monsters, and many of them are exclusive to specific monsters.

Description

Monster spellcasting can be divided into three broad categories: magical casting, divine casting, and psionic casting. In addition to basic spell lists, many spellcasting monsters also have specific lists of spells that they can cast with varying probabilities - these lists are consistent for a given monster type, and vary between monster types; monster spell type is also a factor for interactions with various items and madnesses. While any spell can in theory be compatible with any form of of casting, many spells are exclusive to a single casting category in practice, due to the lists they appear on.

Most regular spellcasting monsters have a cooldown on their ability to cast spells frequently, while much stronger casters (including most unique spellcasters) are able to cast without any cooldown. A character polymorphed into a monster can cast that monster's spells as part of their attack chain if they have the appropriate amount of energy: relatively unique or niche spells are replaced with fallbacks. They can also use #ability to cast that monster's spells without needing to attack in melee, but when casting this way, only untargeted spells and elemental ray spells can be cast.

Spellcasting monsters in dNetHack and notdNetHack can cast most directed monster spells against targets at a distance compared to NetHack, where they can only be cast against adjacent targets.

Magical spellcasting

Magical spellcasters usually include various demon casters and magicians. There are four total spell lists a monster may be generated with — one main list and three alternate spell lists. A monster's spell list is determined at the moment the monster was generated and is immutable, though they may gain access to more spells of their own by increasing their level.

The main list of available mage spells is as follows:

Spell Mininmum level Directed Absolute odds
Psi bolt 0 Yes 4.16%
Cure self 2 No 4.16%
Haste self 3 No 4.16%
Stun 4 Yes 4.16%
Disappear 5 No 8.33%
Drain strength 7 Yes 8.33%
Destroy armor 9 Yes 8.33%
Curse items 11 Yes 12.5%
Aggravate 14 No 8.33%
Summon nasties 16 No 12.5%
Double Trouble 19 No 8.33%
Touch of death 21 Yes 8.33%
Turn to stone 23 Yes 8.33%

Alternate spellcasting list 1

Spell Mininmum level Directed Absolute odds
Psi bolt 0 Yes 4.16%
Cure self 2 No 4.16%
Make web 3 Yes 4.16%
Stun 4 Yes 4.16%
Darkness 5 Yes 8.33%
Drain strength 7 Yes 8.33%
Destroy weapon 9 Yes 8.33%
Drain life 11 Yes 12.5%
Confuse 14 No 8.33%
Weaken stats 16 No 12.5%
Double Trouble 19 No 8.33%
Drain energy 21 Yes 8.33%
Drain life 23 Yes 8.33%

Alternate spellcasting list 2

Spell Mininmum level Directed Absolute odds
Summon sphere 0 Yes 4.16%
Cure self 2 No 4.16%
Haste self 3 No 4.16%
Summon sphere 4 Yes 4.16%
Make visible 5 Yes 4.16%
Evil eye 7 Yes 8.33%
Destroy armor 9 Yes 8.33%
Drop boulder 11 Yes 8.33%
Summon sphere 14 No 8.33%
Summon nasties 16 No 12.5%
Double Trouble 19 No 8.33%
Arrow rain 21 Yes 8.33%
Cure self 23 No 8.33%

Alternate spellcasting list 3

Spell Mininmum level Directed Absolute odds
Psi bolt 0 Yes 4.16%
Confuse 2 No 4.16%
Haste self 3 No 4.16%
Stun 4 Yes 4.16%
Disappear 5 No 4.16%
Make visible 6 Yes 4.16%
Evil eye 7 Yes 8.33%
Destroy armor 9 Yes 4.16%
Destroy weapon 10 Yes 4.16%
Curse items 11 Yes 12.5%
Aggravate 14 No 8.33%
Summon nasties 16 No 12.5%
Double Trouble 19 No 4.16%
Drain life 20 Yes 20.8%

Divine spellcasting

Divine spellcasters largely consist of clerical monsters, including those from NetHack. Clerical spellcasters are assigned either a offensive or defensive spell list when they are generated.

Offensive spellcasting list:

Spell Mininmum level Absolute odds
Open wounds 0 8.33%
Confuse 3 4.16%
Paralyze 4 4.16%
Blind 5 8.33%
Summon insects 7 4.16%
Evil eye 8 4.16%
Drain life 9 4.16%
Lightning 10 4.16%
Ice storm 12 4.16%
Acid rain 13 4.16%
Tremor or Earthquake 14 4.16%
Plague 15 8.33%
Summon devil 17 4.16%
Punish 18 4.16%

Defensive spellcasting list:

Spell Mininmum level Absolute odds
Cure self 0 8.33%
Confuse 3 4.16%
Paralyze 4 4.16%
Blind 5 8.33%
Summon insects 7 4.16%
Curse items 8 4.16%
Drain life 9 4.16%
Lightning 10 4.16%
Fire pillar 12 4.16%
Geyser 13 4.16%
Tremor or Earthquake 14 4.16%
Plague 15 8.33%
Summon angel 17 4.16%
Punish 18 4.16%

Psionic spellcasting

Psionic spellcasters are typically eldritch and/or extraplanar beings such as star spawn and certain insight monsters.

Primary spell choice Alternate spell choice Peaceful monsters Mininmum level Absolute odds
Psi bolt Psi bolt Psi bolt 0 8.33%
Confuse Babble bolt Psi bolt 3 8.33%
Stun Sanity bolt Psi bolt 5 8.33%
Paralyze Barf bolt Paralyze or Barf bolt 8 8.33%
Nightmare Nightmare Psi bolt 10 8.33%
Vulnerability Vulnerability Vulnerability 13 8.33%
Pain bolt Pain bolt Pain bolt 15 8.33%
Warp space Warp space Warp space 18 8.33%

List of spells

Attack spells

  • psi bolt
  • open wounds
  • magic missile
  • drain life
  • arrow rain
  • cone of cold
  • lightning
  • lightning bolt
  • fire pillar
  • geyser
  • acid rain
  • ice storm
  • hail flury
  • summon mons
  • summon devil
  • death touch

Healing spells

  • cure self
  • mass cure close
  • mass cure far
  • recover

Divination spells

  • make visible

Enchantment spells

  • haste self
  • stun you
  • confuse you
  • paralyze
  • blind you
  • sleep
  • drain energy
  • weaken stats
  • weaken you
  • destry armr
  • destry wepn
  • evil eye

Clerical spells

  • curse items
  • insects
  • raise dead
  • summon angel
  • summon alien
  • summon young
  • plague
  • punish
  • aggravation

Escape spells

  • disappear

Matter spells

  • darkness
  • summon sphere
  • make web
  • drop boulder
  • earthquake
  • slimify
  • turn to stone

Unique monster spells

  • nightmare
  • filth
  • clone wiz
  • strangle
  • mon fira
  • mon firaga
  • mon blizzara
  • mon blizzaga
  • mon thundara
  • mon thundaga
  • mon flare
  • mon warp
  • mon poison gas
  • mon protection
  • solid fog
  • acid blast
  • prismatic spray
  • silver rays
  • golden wave
  • vulnerability
  • mass haste
  • mon time stop
  • time duplicate
  • nail to the sky
  • sterility curse
  • disint ray
  • mon warp throw
  • summon tannin
  • disintegration
  • tremor
  • incarcerate
  • mummy curse
  • yellow dead
  • mon cancel
  • starfall
  • earth crack
  • mon aura bolt
  • rain
  • blood rain
  • steam geyser
  • mother s gaze
  • pain bolt
  • san bolt
  • doubt bolt
  • barf bolt
  • babble bolt
  • mon spe beartrap
  • pyro storm
  • god ray
  • mon red word
  • hypnotic colors
  • crush bolt
  • madf burst
  • holy bolt
  • mist wolves
  • force spheres
  • pest threads
  • burn into life
  • summon rogue halos
  • panic bolt
  • sandstorm
  • moon beam

Strategy

Blocking spellcasting

As in NetHack, cancellation can remove a monster's casting ability if successful. Monster spellcasting can also be blocked via the following methods:

  • Antimagic rifts block magical casting for several turns, which includes the character's own casting if they use intelligence as their spellcasting attribute. The base duration of an antimagic rift is 50 turns, with additional rifts adding an amount of turns equal to 1⁄10 of the previous duration rounded down, i.e. 50 turns, then 55, 60, 66, etc.
  • Catapsi vortices block psionic casting for several turns, which includes the character's own casting if they use charisma as their spellcasting attribute. The base duration of a catapsi vortex is 100 turns, with additional vortices adding an amount of turns equal to 1⁄10 of the previous duration.
  • Misotheistic pyramids and misotheistic fragments block clerical casting for several turns, which includes the character's own casting if they use wisdom as their spellcasting attribute. The base duration of misotheistic pyramids and fragments are 33 turns, and additional pyramids and fragments add an amount of turns equal to 1⁄10 of the previous item's duration, which is shared between both item types. If a misotheistic item is used anywhere that your god's influence can be felt normally, your god will have their anger increased by 1 and smite you. If used by a Binder that is Void-aligned (i.e., not using a helm of opposite alignment), or else it is used within Gehennom or another area where the gods' influence is already blocked, your god will not be angered; the Void in particular cannot become angry by any means.
    • If a misotheistic pyramid is used, you are given a form of darkvision that overrides all other sight-based intrinsic forms of vision for that duration, while excluding x-ray vision and other senses such as smell.
    • If a misotheistic fragment is used, it will cause 'Shattering' for the duration of that effect, which gives monsters that are killed a 1⁄2 chance of "fracturing": this resurrects the monster and applies the 'fractured' monster template, making them unbreathing, undead and always hostile while boosting their current level by 4, and also gives them a weakness to the Elder Sign ward. Fractured monsters will remain fractured regardless of whether Shattering is active, and have the same 1⁄2 chance of resurrecting when killed unless they are cancelled.
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