Open wounds
Open wounds[1] is a monster spell that appears in NetHack.
Contents
Damage
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. 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.[2][3] 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).[4][5]
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.[6]
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 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 148
