Wand of locking
| / | |
|---|---|
| Name | locking |
| Appearance | random |
| Abundance | 2.5% |
| Base price | 150 zm |
| Weight | 7 |
| Type | beam |
| Maximum charges | 8 |
| Spell | wizard lock |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
A wand of locking is a type of wand that appears in NetHack.
Contents
Generation
Wizards may be given a wand of locking as the random wand in their starting inventory.[1]
Wands of locking make up 1⁄40 (2.5%) of all randomly-generated wands. General stores and "quality apparel and accessories" shops can sell wands of locking.
Description
Zapping the wand of locking has the same effects as a spell of wizard lock: the wand emits a beam in the prompted direction that closes and/or locks any drawbridges, lockable containers and doors it makes contact with, as well as creating locked doors in doorways within room walls[2]—a door or doorway that has an item or trap in it will not have a locked door created on its square, and a doorway on the Rogue level will be converted to an undiscovered secret door.[3] The wand will repair any broken locks where necessary, but cannot repair destroyed drawbridges.
Zapping the wand downward while over a hole will convert it into a trap door.[4]
The wand will auto-identify if it locks or creates a door, locks a container or is zapped to create a trap door.
Applying a wand of locking to break it has no effect.[5]
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
Per commit 149cb960, a cloaked mimic hit by the wand's beam will uncloak.Strategy
Like the spell of wizard lock, the wand of locking is useful for closing doors at a distance when securing a room (e.g. for nurse dancing or sacrificing at an altar) or escaping from monsters that are not amorphous or phasing, and can be used with with the knock spell or wand of opening to weaponize the Castle drawbridge. Unlike the spells, using one or both wands requires less energy and skill investment or even none at all, making it more feasible for less spellcasting-inclined heroes; instead, it is limited by the amount of charges available for each wand, and the hero may need multiple wands depending on how many monsters they plan to kill this way.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
Some monsters will rummage through unlocked containers, making it much more vital to lock them, and the wand of locking can suffice if you lack an unlocking tool to do so with.History
The wand of locking first appears in NetHack 3.0.0, along with the spellbook of wizard lock.
Messages
- Klunk!
- A container was locked by the wand's beam.
- The door <swings shut, and> locks!
- A door was hit by the wand's beam and locked, with the additional words printed for open doors.
- The broken door reassembles and locks!
- A door that was previously destroyed was reformed by the beam and locked.
- A cloud of dust springs up and assembles itself into a door!
- A locked door was created in a valid door way by the wand's beam.
- A cloud of dust springs up in the older, more primitive doorway.
- The doorway vanishes!
- A secret door was created from a doorway in the Rogue level.
- You hear a swoosh.
- As above, but you did not see it.
- The cloud quickly dissipates.
- The doorway was obstructed by an item.
- A cloud of dust springs up in the doorway, but quickly dissipates.
- The doorway was obstructed by a trap.
- A trapdoor appears beneath you.
- You used the wand to turn a hole into a trap door, auto-identifying it.
- Some dust swirls beneath you.
- As above, but you were blind or not aware of the trap.
- Some frost swirls beneath you.
- As above, while you were blind or not aware of the trap, and it was on an ice square.
Variants
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, a wand of locking can be combined with a wand of opening at a furnace to create a wand of nothing.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, the wand of locking is one of the few ways to lock a cracked iron safe, and is one of a handful of methods that can lock a crystal chest.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, the Locksmith role starts each game with a wand of locking.
