Spellweaver goddess-mocker
| s spellweaver goddess-mocker (No tile) | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 43 |
| Attacks |
Cast 0d0 mage, cast 0d0 mage, cast 0d0 mage, cast 0d0 mage, cast 0d0 mage, cast 0d0 mage, on-death explosion 20d4 physical |
| Base level | 30 |
| Base experience | 1612 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | -22 |
| Base MR | 99 |
| Alignment | -5 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 1 (Very rare) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 3300 |
| Nutritional value | 0 |
| Size | large |
| Resistances | sleep resistance, poison resistance, magic resistance |
| Resistances conveyed | poison resistance |
|
A spellweaver goddess-mocker:
| |
A spellweaver goddess-mocker, s, is a type of monster that appears in dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack. The spellweaver goddess-mocker is a strong and oviparous spider-like entity with a humanoid torso and a long head shape that is arachnid, demihuman, extra-terrestrial and primordial in nature, and is an overlord to their kind. Spellweaver goddess-mockers cannot be made tame.
Spellweaver goddess-mockers have 32 points of 'special' AC and 20 points of 'special' DR. They possess teleport control along with enhanced regeneration, are capable of levitation and phasing, and will seek out magical items to pick up. Spellweaver goddess-mockers are covetous and desire the Amulet of Yendor, though they lack a means of stealing the Amulet directly. Seeing a spellweaver goddess-mocker can lower the hero's sanity and raise their insight.
A spellweaver goddess-mocker has a powerful on-death explosion attack, and possesses the ability to cast spells up to six times per round with no cooldown period. Spellweaver goddess-mockers are capable of arcane casting from either the mage or clerical spell pools, with a 2⁄3 chance of selecting a mage spell and otherwise using a clerical spell, and will cast the same spell for six turns in a row: the spellweaver goddess-mocker will cast one spell initially, then on the next turn casts a new spell and re-casts the first-turn spell, then on the third turn it will cast a new spell and re-cast the first and second turn spells, and so on—on the seventh turn, the spellweaver goddess-mocker will then pick a new spell, and re-casts the spells from turn two through six. Spellweaver goddess-mockers will also create a silverfire shadow's wraith with each spell that is successfully cast at the hero, which circumvents both normal summoning methods and effects that block them, and the wraith will be able to "echo" or cast the same spell that spurred their creation.
Spellweaver goddess-mockers can also perform sneak attacks on incapacitated targets, and have a base attack bonus of +0.5 to-hit per monster level. They possess sleep resistance, poison resistance and magic resistance. Spellweaver goddess-mockers are poisonous to consume, which primarily comes up if they are digested by another monster or subjected to Ahazu (which ignores harmful effects from consuming monsters via its "Abduction" ability).
Generation
Spellweaver goddess-mockers are always generated hostile, require at least 45 insight to physically interact with, and will not normally appear in Gehennom. Spellweaver goddess-mockers are not a valid polymorph form or genocide target, and their statues and figurines cannot be wished for.
Spellweaver goddess-mockers never leave a corpse upon death.
Strategy
Between their wraith-summoning abilities and the severe ramping effects of their spellcasting, spellweaver goddess-mockers are highly lethal enemies to encounter for higher-insight heroes on the ascension run. Their magic resistance and stellar MR score also make them highly resistant to most forms of magic themselves.
Counter-play options
Below is a list of counter-play options to handle a hostile spellweaver goddess-mocker, which are focused primarily on either blocking their spellcasting or preventing their spells from targeting the hero:
- A wage of wrath works against a hostile spellweaver goddess-mocker since they are not unbreathing, though they typically have more than 99 HP and will require either a cursed wage of wrath or multiple uncursed wages to kill.
- Applying an antimagic rift or using another means of creating a dead magic zone will completely disable the use of arcane spells for spellweaver goddess-mockers and other monsters (including the hero).
- A scroll of scare monster or appropriate ward on the ground will prevent spellweaver goddess-mockers from directly targeting a warded hero or monster with spells, restricting them to summoning and healing spells—remember that goddess-mockers are covetous spellcasters and so will hang back out of melee range if scared or warded, requiring this to be combined with a means of forcing them into melee range.
- Since spellweaver goddess-mockers cannot see invisible, a hero can use invisibility to draw them into melee range and also cause their spells to potentially miss. This is highly dangerous to rely on alone, and should be combined with measures such as the aforementioned scroll of scare monster or burnt ward.
- A spellweaver goddess-mocker's low-light vision is no better than that of a human, so a hero can also use darkness sources to lure goddess-mockers into melee range where they cannot see well.
- Reading a non-cursed scroll of earth to produce boulders can block the spellweaver goddess-mocker's line of sight and impede their spellcasting—since they are phasing and capable of covetous warping, they will typically teleport adjacent to the hero on their next turn if possible. Remember that scrolls of earth are ineffective on any Elemental Planes other than the Plane of Earth, and spellweaver goddess-mockers have access to the earthquake spell, which can open pits beneath the boulders and use them up.
- Reading a cursed scroll of genocide to generate monsters that can block line of sight, such as giant turtles or siege ogres, can work decently in circumstances where scrolls of earth are unusable.
Origin
Spellweaver goddess-mockers are derived from the spellweavers of Dungeons & Dragons, which are introduced as part of a 2nd Edition supplement in issue #163 of Dragon Magazine (Nov. 1990) and are later included in the 1994 accessory Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One—their ecology is further fleshed out in Dragon Magazine issue #338 during the 3.5e era.
Spellweavers, also known as Weavers, are a race of highly intelligent humanoids originating from an alternate Prime Material plane. A spellweaver is an alien-looking creature with a frail, androgynous body that is humanoid and vaguely birdlike, sporting six arms, large and dark eyes, and an exceptionally long neck which allows them to turn their head completely around themselves. Their smooth, hairless skin starts as a dark shade of gray and becomes lighter as the spellweaver ages, and is usually accompanied by patches of beige, pink or yellow.
A spellweaver's body and mind are incredibly attuned to arcane magic, with their mastery granting them the use of powerful telepathy, invisibility, magic and invisibility detection that extended up to 100 feet, and the ability to cast up to six spells at once—age has no effect on their natural abilities, which are akin to that of sorcerers, and they can disregard the use of verbal and material components when casting spells. This is partly reflected in dNetHack and its variants by the spellweaver goddess-mocker's many spellcasting abilities, stellar MR score, intrinsic magic resistance, and lack of cooldown for casting, although they cannot see invisible monsters normally.
Spellweavers are strict atheists that actively shun any religious practice, believing themselves above the gods and denying their divinity while mysteriously hinting at some undermining secret behind their powers—this is the basis for the specific moniker of the spellweaver goddess-mockers. The closest thing spellweaver society has to religious ritual is a pious reverence towards their ancestors, and they often meditate to reminisce about the golden age of their empire and better understand the will of the previous generations.
Numbers are sacred to spellweavers, especially the number six:
- Their numbering system is senary rather than decimal (i.e. based on 6 instead of 10).
- One channel of the three-channel communication performed between weavers uses their six arms and long neck to perform a complex sign language.
- Their natural lifespan is six centuries, and they can extend it six times by entering a ritualistic hibernation trance that uses a near-priceless amount of magical items to create a magical "coffin", which they will inhabit during their trance—nothing can awaken them from this trance, and they will be physically restored and rejuvenated upon awakening. while this usually lasts one month, it can sometimes last for centuries.
- Elder weavers that have "regenerated" six times will perform a final ritual of self-sacrifice that requires a very rare and special-made breeding vessel, and causes their body to decay and disappear into nothingness, giving "birth" to six new adult weavers that share their memories and mental abilities.
Spellweavers rarely work together in groups unless it is for the purpose of form a raiding party to seize particular magic items, which they continuously seek out for use in their power sources and rituals, as well the rebuilding of their ancient civilization's empire. While they are open to trading, weavers are not opposed to using force or persuasion to accomplish their goals. Though all spellweavers are masters of magic, some specialize in particular types of combat such as wielding multiple blades or dominating enemies with psychic powers. Both their regenerative ritual and reproductive rituals are closely guarded secrets that they never reveal to other races.
Encyclopedia entry
Spell weavers have no religion and actively shun the worship
of deities, refuting these beings' divinity and mysteriously
hinting at some undermining secret of their powers.
