Magic whistle
( 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | magic whistle |
| Appearance | whistle |
| Base price | 10 zm |
| Weight | 3 |
| Material | metal |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
A magic whistle is a type of magical tool that appears in NetHack. It is a non-tonal instrument made of metal, and appears as a whistle when unidentified.
Contents
Generation
Magic whistles make up 3⁄100 (3%) of all tools randomly generated on the ground, in general shops or as death drops. Hardware stores can also stock magic whistles.
Description
A hero applying a magic whistle will cause different effects depending on the item's beatitude:[1][2]
- A non-cursed magic whistle produces a "strange sound" that will warp any pets on the current level next to the hero, which works even on a no-teleport level and will ignore a pet currently serving as the hero's steed, and the magic whistle will be auto-identified if the hero sees a pet warp next to them this way.[3][4] A pet that is hiding (e.g. a cloaked mimic) will be revealed when warped by a magic whistle's effect.
- A cursed magic whistle has a roughly 1⁄2 chance of producing a "high-pitched humming noise" that awakens all sleeping monsters in a roughly-circular area with a radius less than the square root of (20*XL)[5][6][7]—in practice, this gives a radius of about 4 squares at experience level 1, 16 squares at XL 14, and 24 squares at XL 30. This noise will also attract the attention of pets which are close enough to the hero, causing them to follow more closely for about five turns.[8][9] Otherwise, the whistle behaves as a non-cursed magic whistle does.
The magic whistle will print different messages, depending on where it is used and whether or not the hero is deaf. Unlike most other instruments, a hero can apply a magic whistle while underwater.[10] Monsters will not use this item.
A hero cannot apply a magic whistle if they are subjected to strangulation, if they are in the form of a sea monster, or if they are in the form of any monster that is tiny in size, unbreathing, cannot speak, lacks a head, or can only buzz.[11][12]
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 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 652f8576, if the hero applies a cursed magic whistle and produces a "high-pitched humming noise", they have a further 1⁄2 chance of being teleported next to a random pet that is on the current level—per commit cb8de068, this does not work on no-teleport levels.Strategy
Whistles are one of the few items that are safe for use testing and produce very distinct messages, so simply apply them to distinguish between magic and tin whistles. In most cases, it is even safe to apply a whistle found in a shop before buying it—the exceptions primarily consist of heroes with pets that are strong enough to try attacking the shopkeeper, or heroes that want to conserve their apport for other purposes (e.g. finding a shop you want to steal from). If you discover a tin whistle first, name it accordingly—a whistle that does not share the given type-name shall be readily identifiable as a magic whistle. Spare magic whistles may be worth keeping for polypiling fodder to turn into other magical items such as magic markers.
Pacifists will especially appreciate the magic whistle for its ability to keep pets nearby and summon them to ward off danger at a moment's notice. Magic whistles can also be used to more easily polymorph pets using a polymorph trap, including ones such as gremlins and black puddings that are freshly-created from dividing—it can also "save" pets that turn into sessile monsters from stepping on one moving, by moving them from the trap's square to be whistled back onto the trap (and ideally polymorphed into a form that can at least move).
Players that have trouble finding a magic whistle can apply a blessed eucalyptus leaf for the same effect, although blessing a stack of leaves is recommended for this purpose due to the 1⁄100 chance of an applied blessed leaf becoming uncursed with each use.[13][14]
History
The magic whistle first appears in Hack 1.0.
Messages
- You produce a strange <high-pitched> whistling sound.
- You applied a non-cursed magic whistle. If you are underwater, the whistling sound is also described as "high-pitched".[10]
- You produce a strange, sharp vibration.
- As above, while deaf.
- You produce a high-pitched humming noise.
- You applied a cursed magic whistle, which has a roughly 1⁄2 chance of causing a different effect that prints this message instead. If underwater, it will be described as "very high-pitched".
- You produce a high-frequency vibration.
- As above, while deaf.
- You produce a normal whistling sound.
- You applied a magic whistle while hallucinating.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, pet stores can sell magic whistles and have a 3⁄100 chance (3%) of placing one on each square during room creation.[15]
Upgrading a magic whistle successfully will produce a tin whistle, and vice versa[16][17]—this makes magic whistles fairly accessible without breaking any conducts. Dipping a magic whistle into a potion of amnesia will "downgrade" it to a tin whistle.[18]
The Storm Whistle is an artifact whose base item is a magic whistle, and serves as the Ice Mage quest artifact.
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, pet stores and rare instruments shops can sell magic whistles, and both have a 3⁄100 chance (3%) of placing one on each square during room creation.
Magic whistles will auto-identify upon applying one, regardless of whether it warps the hero's pets to them.
NetHack brass
In NetHack brass, magic whistles are chargeable tools, limiting the amount of times they can be applied.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, dipping a magic whistle into a potion of amnesia will "downgrade" it to a tin whistle, as in SLASH'EM.
FIQHack
In FIQHack, a magic whistle will not recall pets on a no-teleport level unless the whistle is blessed.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, in addition to SLASH'EM details, the Golden Whistle of Nora is an artifact magic whistle that serves as the Zookeeper quest artifact.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, upgrading a magic whistle successfully will produce a tin whistle and vice versa, as in Slash'EM. Similarly, dipping a magic whistle into a potion of amnesia will "downgrade" it to a tin whistle.
The Storm Whistle is retained from SLASH'EM and serves as the Ice Mage quest artifact.
Encyclopedia entry
Both magic whistles and tin whistles share the same entry:
There were legends both on the front and on the back of the
whistle. The one read thus:
FLA FUR BIS FLE The other: QUIS EST ISTE QUI VENIT
'I ought to be able to make it out,' he thought;
'but I suppose I am a little rusty in my Latin.
When I come to think of it, I don't believe I even
know the word for a whistle. The long one does seem
simple enough. It ought to mean, "Who is this who is coming?"
Well, the best way to find out is evidently to whistle
for him.'
'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad']
References
- ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 475
- ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 3653
- ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 486
- ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 523
- ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 482-L485
- ↑ src/mon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 3046-L3048
- ↑ src/mon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 3053
- ↑ src/dogmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 564
- ↑ src/dogmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 920
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 490: comment in the line above states that it can function underwater
- ↑ src/music.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 693
- ↑ src/mondata.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 336: MS_BUZZ covers killer bees, queen bees, grid bugs, and xans
- ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 3663
- ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 3666
- ↑ shknam.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 262
- ↑ potion.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 2434
- ↑ potion.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 2437
- ↑ potion.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 2070
