Draw blood

Draw blood is a technique that appears in SLASH'EM, SlashTHEM and Hack'EM.

All vampire heroes in SLASH'EM, SlashTHEM, and Hack'EM start the game with access to the technique.

Description

To perform the draw blood technique, the hero must be a vampire of at least experience level 2 that is currently in their base form, and must also be carrying a medical kit that contains at least one phial. Using the technique will use up one of the phials from the medical kit to create a potion of vampire blood of the same beatitude as that phial: this drains a full experience level from the hero, down to the minimum experience for that level. The potion itself has different effects depending on the variant.

In SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM, the technique has a cooldown of 500-1499 turns after a successful use. In Hack'EM, the technique can be used repeatedly as long as phials are available.

Strategy

The technique is generally useful to counteract the relative lack of nutrition sources for vampires. Unlike drain life attacks, which vampires are normally immune to, the level drain from this technique ensures that the level cannot be regained as quickly by just killing weak monsters, especially as the hero gains more experience levels.

Messages

You must be in your natural form to draw blood.

You attempted to use the technique while polymorphed.

You can't seem to find a vein.

You attempted to use the technique at level 1.

Using your <medical kit>, you draw off a phial of your blood.

You successfully used the technique.

You fill, but have to drop, a <potion of vampire blood>!

As above, but there is no room in your inventory and it is placed on the ground.