Spellbook of magic mapping
| spellbook of + magic mapping 
| |
|---|---|
| Appearance | random |
| Abundance | 1.8% |
| Base price | 500 zm |
| Weight | 50 |
| Turns to read | 37 |
| Ink to write | 25–49 |
| Spell type | divination |
| Level | 5 |
| Power cost | 25 Pw |
| Direction | non-directional |
| Equivalent | scroll of magic mapping |
| Special for | archaeologist |
In NetHack, the spellbook of magic mapping can be read to learn the spell of magic mapping. It is a level 5 divination spell, and the spellbook takes 37 actions to read. It is the special spell for Archeologists.[1][2]
Generation
Spellbooks of magic mapping make up 9⁄500 (1.8%) of all randomly-generated spellbooks. General stores, second-hand bookstores and rare books stores can stock spellbooks of magic mapping.
Writing a spellbook of magic mapping with a magic marker uses up 25 to 49 charges.
Description
When successfully cast at any skill level, the spell of magic mapping replicates the effect of reading an uncursed scroll of magic mapping:[3][4][5] the hero will gain knowledge of the current dungeon level's layout, with all walls, corridors, stairs, and secret corridors displayed.[6][7][8] The spell will also reveal the current location of the magic portal on the Plane of Water if it was formally located it prior to the hero detecting it through other means, e.g. using a crystal ball or reading a scroll of gold detection while confused. Casting the spell successfully on a non-mappable level will instead cause the hero to become confused for 30 more turns.[9]
Successfully mapping the level by casting the spell exercises wisdom.[10]
Strategy
The spell of magic mapping requires Basic skill in divination spells (if not higher) to reliably cast, restricting the amount of heroes who will attempt to learn the spell, and the scroll is generally very easy to write with a magic marker once identified (e.g. for Tourists who can obtain said marker from a wish or a fortunate shop find). With this in mind, a hero finding the spellbook after raising their divination spells skill through other means may be better-positioned to make use of it rather than selling or blanking it.
Archeologists, primary casters and other heroes that can reliably cast the spell after opting to learn it will have little trouble navigating through dungeon floors from that point forward, especially when it comes to Gehennom and locating stairways and hazards within, and can combine the spell with several other items or forms of magic:
- The detect monsters spell or potion of monster detection can highlight monsters that you wish to confront or avoid.
- The detect unseen spell or wand of secret door detection can reveals traps in a wide area around you, making it less dangerous to traverse the level, and can be used for magic portal hunting.
- The detect treasure and detect food spells, as well as their equivalents in the scroll of food detection and potion of object detection, highlight item locations that you can prioritize.
- Teleportation paired with teleport control, when employed in tandem with this spell, allows you to quickly traverse the entirety of floors that do not block either, and cover any points of interest en route to a stairway or portal.
The spell can also alert you to potential bones levels if either the mapped level itself or anything detected within it seems distinctly out of the ordinary: e.g., non-randomly generated items, clusters of rocks and discarded armor or weapons, out-of-depth monsters, normally-guaranteed spawns not being present, and so on. Magic mapping is also fairly useful for the ascension run in games where the hero has skipped past multiple levels by falling through holes or trapdoors (e.g. speed ascensions or digging for victory).
History
The spellbook of magic mapping and its spell first appear in NetHack 1.3d.
The ability of the spell to reveal the magic portal on the Plane of Water is added in NetHack 3.6.1 via commit 084d2ab8.
Messages
- A map coalesces in your mind!
- You cast the magic mapping spell.
- Your <head> spins as <something> blocks the spell!
- As above, but you were on a non-mappable level.
References
- ↑ src/spell.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 73
- ↑ src/role.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 68
- ↑ src/spell.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1153: case calls seffects() in read.c
- ↑ src/spell.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1155: all spells with scroll equivalents fall through to this line
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 999: seffects() function
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1565
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1576
- ↑ src/detect.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1283
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1566
- ↑ src/detect.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1301
