Draft:Wand of fear
| / | |
| Type | Wand |
|---|---|
| Base value (Au) | 500 |
| Item level | 2 |
| Weight | 80 |
| Unidentified appearance | Random wand appearance |
| Cursed name | Wand of fear |
A wand of fear can make a monster drop its possessions and retreat. It also accelerates the target before checking fear immunity, so an immune opponent can become more dangerous without fleeing.[1]
Generation
This item-level-2 random wand normally has 1–20 charges, random blessing and +0 enchantment. Random loot, pawn-shop stock and acquirement can supply it. Enchantment does not strengthen its fear effect.[2]
Description
One charge is spent before aiming, and the type is revealed. Noncursed copies affect the selected square; cursed copies force the target back to the player after the aiming prompt. Positive blessing adds no extra strength or area.[3]
| Target | Result |
|---|---|
| Creature without fear immunity | Reduces its action interval by one, to a minimum of two; drops its possessions; if mobile, changes to retreating movement |
| Fear-immune creature | Still receives the faster action interval, but keeps its possessions and movement behavior |
| Player, including forced cursed use | Adds ten fear counts unless the player has fear immunity |
| Empty square | No creature is affected; charge remains spent |
The monster response does not clear hostility, disable its attacks or give it the player's timed fear counter. An immobile susceptible creature drops its belongings but cannot gain the retreating movement. Repeated uses can further shorten the action interval until the minimum is reached.[4]
The target is selected directly rather than hit by a travelling bolt; there is no separate hit roll in this effect. Escape at the aiming prompt is not safely checked before target lookup. Cancel at the earlier item-selection prompt instead.[5]
Strategy
Use the wand on a susceptible mobile enemy when separation is more valuable than immediate damage. Its dropped possessions can be collected without killing it, but the faster, still-hostile creature remains a threat. Consult the creature's immunity card before spending another charge on an opponent that did not flee.
A cursed copy is particularly poor emergency equipment: once it frightens you, fear itself prevents further wand use, ordinary spellcasting and scroll reading. A potion of banishing fear clears existing fear; this wand does not. Positive blessing offers no stronger monster control than an unblessed copy.[6]
References
- ↑ iinit.h in Omega 0.90.4, line 386; effect3.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 1195–1225.
- ↑ item.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 7–41; item.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 254–262; site1.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 1043–1052; effect1.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 699–705; itemf3.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 94–107.
- ↑ command2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 459–488; itemf3.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 94–107.
- ↑ effect3.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 1195–1225; mmove.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 24–74.
- ↑ itemf3.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 94–107; aux1.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 532–558; effect3.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 1195–1225.
- ↑ command2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 38–49; command2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 466–497; itemf1.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 569–583.