Wand of fire
| / | |
|---|---|
| Name | fire |
| Appearance | random |
| Abundance | 4% |
| Base price | 175 zm |
| Weight | 7 |
| Type | ray |
| Maximum charges | 8 |
| Monster use | May be used offensively by monsters. |
The wand of fire is a wand that appears in NetHack.
Contents
Generation
A Wizard may receive a wand of fire as part of their starting inventory.
There is a 4% chance that a randomly-generated wand within the dungeon and its branches will be a wand of fire. Monsters may generate with the wand as a random offensive item.
Asmodeus will always generate with a wand of cold and a wand of fire.[1][2]
Effects
Zapping the wand in a given direction emits a ray of fire that does 6d6 damage to non-fire resistant targets, with a +7 bonus if the monster has cold resistance.[3] Monsters hit with this ray may have their inventory set aflame: potions may boil, scrolls and spellbooks may burn, and organic armor may smoulder. The ray bounces when it hits walls or targets with reflection; it can melt any squares of ice it travels over, destroy any doors it colid and evaporates pools of water.
Engraving with a wand of fire will auto-identify the wand.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.
Rays of fire that partially or completely evaporate pools or moats will generate clouds of steam.Strategy
- See also: Wand strategy
The wand of fire is a useful offensive item against most monsters that can prove just as deadly to you, especially early on where you typically lack a source of reflection or fire resistance. It can be especially deadly against vulnerable monsters if you have a means of rebounding or reflecting the ray back at them.
A wand of fire is a popular means of engraving Elbereth - such engravings are permanent and can only be removed by making it vanish (with a wand of cancellation, wand of cold or make invisible), teleporting it, polymorphing it, or overwriting it (with a wand of lightning or another wand of fire). The wand can also be used to destroy the door to the Sokoban zoo without waking up all of its inhabitants.
In addition to holding off tougher hostiles, wands of fire can also be used to cut them off or dispose of them directly - you can lure an earthbound monster onto ice (e.g. moats frozen with a wand of cold) and then zap a wand of fire to melt it from beneath them, drowning them instantly. Beware, though: monsters using this wand can possibly do the same to you, which is a danger for Valkyries on their quest in particular. A wand of fire can also be used to strand sea monsters and prevent drowning from giant eels or electric eels, though this only works if the monster is in a moat.
In an emergency where you are afflicted with sliming, zapping the wand at yourself can save you - though it may also damage your armor and inventory, it is much preferable to ending your game as a slime.
History
The wand of fire has been present in the game since Hack 1.21, a variant of Jay Fenlason's Hack.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, Flame Mages start the game with a wand of fire.
Grund's Stronghold has a hobgoblin with a wand of fire in the open area, and the soldier that appears in the front corridors has a 60% chance of being generated with a wand of fire.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, on top SLASH'EM changes, all Firefighters start with a wand of fire.
FIQHack
In FIQHack, which incorporates the Wands Balance Patch, unskilled usage of a wand of fire chooses the lesser of two values to deal as damage: 3d6 or 40% max HP damage.
NetHack Fourk
In NetHack Fourk, which incorporates the Wands Balance Patch, unskilled usage of a wand of fire also chooses the lesser of two values to deal as damage: 3d6 or 40% max HP damage.
