Open wounds
Open wounds[1] is a monster spell that appears in NetHack.
Description
Open wounds is a melee-range spell that can be used by any monster that casts clerical spells, and is only used against the hero.[2] It deals damage depending on the caster's level, as with most standard calculations for monster spell damage: the damage is (ML⁄2 + 1)d6 of damage unless the monster's casting attack specifies any dice, in which can it deals (ML⁄2 + x)dy damage, where (x, y) is the amount and size of the damage dice.[3][4] The open wounds spell has its damage halved if the hero have either half spell damage or magic resistance, and is reduced to 1⁄4 if they have both properties (rounded up in both cases).[5][6]
The relative frequency of open wounds being cast decreases as the monster's level increases from 1 to 14, but increases again from monster levels 14 to 49.[7][8]
Damage calculation shorthand
Since most monsters have either zero damage dice or 2d8 for their clerical spellcasting attacks, the "base" damage of this spell can reliably be expressed as (ml⁄2 + 2)d8 when cast by a high priest, the Grand Master or the Arch Priest, and (ml⁄2 + 1)d6 damage otherwise.
Strategy
Due to monster spell selection, higher-level clerical casters such as Master Kaen will favor the spell more often against a hero.
Messages
| Message | Damage dealt |
|---|---|
| "Your skin itches badly for a moment." | 0-5 |
| "Wounds appear on your body!" | 6-10 |
| "Severe wounds appear on your body!" | 11-20 |
| "Your body is covered with painful wounds!" | 21+ |
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, there are many new monsters that can cast clerical spells - using the shorthand methods described above, the damage dealt by this spell is: (ml⁄2 + 2)d17 for High-elves, (ml⁄2 + 2)d6 for movanic devas, (ml⁄2 + 3)d4 for monadic devas and astral devas, and (ml⁄2 + 1)d6 for gnoll shamans.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, the open wounds spell can now be cast at a distance, and can also be used against other monsters.
References
- ↑ src/mcastu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 26: the spell's name is never used in-game
- ↑ src/mcastu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 173
- ↑ src/mcastu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 288: calculations for monster spells cast with damage dice
- ↑ src/mcastu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 290: calculations for monsters spells cast without dice
- ↑ src/mcastu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 711
- ↑ src/mcastu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 292
- ↑ src/mcastu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 142
- ↑ src/mcastu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 147
