wands.txt  Final version 2 for NetHack 3.2.2
Compiled by Kevin Hugo <hugo@cae.wisc.edu>.
   Quoted for NetHack 3.2.3, with commentary on the effects
of zapping wands by Jonathan Ellis.
   Note that the old "polymorphing" section has gone away 
into a separate file.

WAND                    COST  WGT  PROB   CHG  TYPE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ : ~~~~  ~~~  ~~~~ : ~~~  ~~~~
light                 : $100   7    95  : 15   NODIR
nothing               :  100   7    25  : 15   NODIR
digging               :  150   7    55  :  8   RAY
locking               :  150   7    25  :  8   IMMED
magic missile         :  150   7    50  :  8   RAY
make invisible        :  150   7    45  :  8   IMMED
opening               :  150   7    25  :  8   IMMED
probing               :  150   7    30  :  8   IMMED
secret door detection :  150   7    50  : 15   NODIR
slow monster          :  150   7    55  :  8   IMMED
speed monster         :  150   7    55  :  8   IMMED
striking              :  150   7    75  :  8   IMMED
undead turning        :  150   7    55  :  8   IMMED
cold                  :  175   7    40  :  8   RAY
fire                  :  175   7    40  :  8   RAY
lightning             :  175   7    40  :  8   RAY
sleep                 :  175   7    50  :  8   RAY
cancellation          :  200   7    45  :  8   IMMED
create monster        :  200   7    45  : 15   NODIR
polymorph             :  200   7    45  :  8   IMMED
teleportation         :  200   7    45  :  8   IMMED
death                 :  500   7     5  :  8   RAY
wishing               :  500   7     5  :  3!  NODIR

Wands are listed above by increasing price, then alphabetically.  The
COST field denotes the base price of each item.  WGT specifies the weight
(100 zorkmids weighs 1).

Wands comprise 4% of all randomly-generated items in the main dungeon,
6% in containers, 5% in Roguelike bones piles, and 8% in hell.  PROB is
the relative probability of each subtype.  They appear 1/34 cursed,
16/17 uncursed, and 1/34 blessed.

The CHG field specifies the maximum number of charges that a wand
normally has.  An exclamation (!) denotes that a wand of wishing may only
be rechaged once.  Wands of wishing start with 1 to 3 charges; otherwise,
the wand gets from 5 to its maximum number of charges.

Each time you (z)ap or (E)ngrave with a wand, you use one charge.  A wand
with zero charges left has a 1 in 121 chance of wresting a last charge
and then turning to dust each time it is zapped (this won't happen if the
wand was cancelled but not recharged).  Cancelling a wand will make it
uncursed and (except for wands of cancellation) it will get zero charges.

Wands may be recharged by scrolls of charging or by the Platinum Yendorian
Express Card.  A cursed scroll will have no effect on a blessed wand or a
wand with no charges; otherwise, "Your <wand> vibrates briefly" and it
gets zero charges.  An uncursed scroll will add one charge to the wand
("Your <wand> <glows/vibrates> briefly.").  A blessed scroll will bring
the number of charges in the wand to a random number from 5 to the
maximum charges shown above ("Your <wand> <glows blue/vibrates> for a
moment"); if it already has that number of charges, it gains one more
charge.  A blessed scroll gives a wand of wishing three charges.  Except
for a wand of wishing, there is no limit to the number of charges or the
number of times that a wand is charged.

The TYPE of wand denotes the behavior when it is zapped.  NODIR wands do
not ask for a direction.  IMMED wands ask for a direction, but do not
show a beam when zapped.  RAY wands produce a beam which is animated on
the screen; if you are unblind when you zap the wand, you will also
identify that type of wand.

The appearances of wands are randomized from the following descriptions:
    glass       balsa       maple       pine        oak
    ebony       marble      tin         brass       copper
    silver      platinum    iridium     zinc        aluminum
    uranium     iron        steel       hexagonal   short
    runed       long        curved      forked      spiked
    jeweled


Identifying wands
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are 3 ways to identify wands: by price, engraving with them, and
zapping them.  You can drop a wand in most shops to learn its price, and
then compare it to the bast costs listed above.

Use the (E)ngrave command to engrave with a wand.  It will use one charge
(possibly wresting the last) from the wand.  Depending on the type of the
wand, you can get one of the messages below if you are unblinded, not
levitating, and over a writable floor.  Some messages are the same for
different types of wands, some messages require an engraving already on
that square, and some wands will not provide any means of identification
this way.  Nondirectional wands will act as if they were zapped.  If you
didn't wrest the last charge from the wand, you can write a message in
the dust (or engrave if specified below).

Wand                   Effects when zapping or engraving
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

light                  The room lights up if you are in a room, or
                         an area 4-5 squares radius around the player 
                         if you are in corridors or mines, whether 
                         the wand is zapped or used for writing.

nothing                Nothing happens, no message, whatever you do.

digging                (Zap) You dig a hole in the wall or floor.
                         If you are inside a monster which is engulfing
                         you, you literally dig your way out in one turn.
                         The monster is reduced to 1 hit point. Vortices
                         are seemingly not affected this way, but 
                         Juiblex, purple worms and ochre jellies are.
                       (Engrave) "This wand is a wand of digging. 
                         Gravel flies up from the floor!" You can 
                         engrave a message.

locking                (Zap) If zapped at a door or a broken doorway, the
                         door is mended (if it has been kicked down) and 
                         locked. Otherwise, no message.
                       (Engrave) No message.

magic missile          (Zap) You fire a magic missile.
                       (Engrave) You can write a message in the dust, 
                         after which "The <floor> is riddled by bullet 
                         holes!"

make invisible         (Zap) If zapped at a monster (including you)
                         the monster disappears (if you have not got
                         see invisible), or becomes invisible, 
                         identifying the wand.
                       (Engrave) If there already is an engraving, 
                         it is erased: "The engraving on the <floor> 
                         vanishes!" If there is no engraving, no effect. 
                         You may engrave a new message in the dust.

opening                (Zap) If pointed at a closed door or container, 
                         that door or container opens. If not, no effect 
                         and no message.
                       (Engrave) No message.

probing                (Zap) If zapped at a monster, you learn some 
                         information about it. Otherwise, no message.
                       (Engrave) No message.

secret door detection  You detect all nearby secret doors, whether
                         zapping or engraving this wand. If one is
                         detected, the wand is identified for you.

slow monster           (Zap) Any monsters in line of zap are slowed.
                       (Engrave) "The bugs on the <floor> slow down!"

speed monster          (Zap) Any monsters in line of zap are hasted.
                       (Engrave)"The bugs on the <floor> speed up!"

striking               (Zap) Monsters in line of zap are struck by
                         a force bolt - it may miss, or they may 
                         resist, but generally damage is done.
                       (Engrave) "The wand unsuccessfully fights 
                         your attempt to write!"

undead turning         (Zap) Undead in line of zap flee. Corpses
                         wake up as undead creatures if there is
                         an undead creature of that type.
                       (Engrave) No message.

cold                   (Zap) A bolt of cold shoots towards monsters
                         in line with the zap.
                       (Engrave) If a burned-in engraving exists, it 
                         is erased: "The engraving on the <floor> 
                         vanishes!" 
                         In any case, after writing in the dust:
                         "A few ice cubes drop from the wand."

fire                   (Zap) A fire bolt shoots towards monsters in 
                          line with the zap.
                       (Engrave) "This <wand> is a wand of fire!"
                         You can burn a message, which will never be 
                         scuffed out.  

lightning              (Zap) Lightning bolt towards monsters in line
                         with the zap.
                       (Engrave) "This <wand> is a wand of lightning!"
                         You can burn a message which will never be 
                         scuffed out, and you are blinded.

sleep                  (Zap) A sleep ray shoots towards monsters which
                         are in line with the zap.
                       (Engrave) "The bugs on the <floor> stop moving!"
                       (Same as death.)

cancellation           (Zap) Monsters in line with the zap are cancelled.
                       (Engrave) If there already is an engraving, it is 
                         erased: "The engraving on the <floor> vanishes!"

create monster         One or more monsters are created around the 
                         player, whether engraving or zapping.

polymorph              (Zap) Monsters and objects in line with the zap
                         are polymorphed.
                       (Engrave) If an engraving already exists, it 
                         becomes a randomly chosen engraving; otherwise, 
                         no message.

teleportation          (Zap) Monsters in line with the zap are teleported.
                       (Engrave) If there already is an engraving, it is 
                         teleported: "The engraving on the <floor> vanishes!"

death                  (Zap) A death ray shoots towards monsters in line
                         with the zap.
                       (Engrave) "The bugs on the <floor> stop moving!"
                       (Same as sleep.)

wishing                Whether zapping or engraving, you may wish for 
                         an object. Whether you will get it is another
                         matter entirely...


Another means of identifying wands is to simply zap them.  Nondirectional
wands will be identified if you saw their effect (e.g., you found a
secret door with a wand of secret door detection).  If the wand produces
a ray, you will identify the wand if you were unblind.  Most immediate
wands, however, require you to zap them at an object, monster, corpse, or
doorway and note the effect.

Sometimes combining two or more techniques is helpful.  For example, if
engraving with a wand causes existing writing to disappear, it may be
make invisible, cancellation, or teleportation.  If you then zap it at a
(preferably worthless) cursed object, then the object will become
uncursed if it was cancellation, disappear to another spot on the level
if it was teleportation, and remain unchanged if it was make invisibile.
Finally, you can also identify some wands by breaking them (see next
section); however, this is usually a bad idea.


Breaking wands
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Adapted from a spoiler by Jeffrey Robertson <jeffr@nortel.ca>.)

You can destroy a wand by (a)pplying it.  You will be prompted for
confirmation, and you must have hands and a strength of at least 10.
Wands with no charges and some wands listed below have no effect ("But
nothing else happens...").

Most wands will produce an explosion when broken.  The explosion causes
damage to yourself and any monsters that were in the adjacent squares
when you broke the wand.  This damage can be reduced or eliminated if
you (or the monster) has an appropriate resistance.  Damage is also
reduced to 1/2 for Healers and Knights and to 1/5 for Priests and
Wizards.  Further effects can occur as if you had zapped yourself with
the wand.  The explosion can also affect objects in your inventory, on
your square, and on adjacent squares.  Finally, some types of wands
have explosions that make you identify the wand.

Specific effects are detailed below.  In any case, you destroy the wand
and owe the cost if it was unpaid.

WAND                   EFFECTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~
light                  There is an explosion from 1 to (4*charges) damage.
                       You and surrounding monsters can be blinded,
                       taking (charges+1)d25 damage.
                       The room is lit.

nothing                No effects.

digging                There is an explosion from 1 to (4*charges) damage.
                       You are surrounded by pits and holes.

locking                No effects.

magic missile          There is an explosion of magic missiles with
                       (4 * charges) damage.
                       You identify the wand.

make invisible         There is an explosion from 1 to (4*charges) damage.
                       You and surrounding monsters are made invisible.

opening                No effects.

probing                No effects.

secret door detection  No effects.

slow monster           There is an explosion from 1 to (4*charges) damage.
                       You and surrounding monsters are slowed.

speed monster          There is an explosion from 1 to (4*charges) damage.
                       You and surrounding monsters are sped up.

striking               "A wall of force smashes down around you!"
                       There is an explosion from 1 to (charges+1)d6
                       damage.
                       You and surrounding monsters are hit by a force
                       bolt.
                       Fragile objects in your and adjacent squares may
                       be destroyed.

undead turning         There is an explosion from 1 to (4*charges) damage.
                       Monsters and objects in the affected squares are
                       turned.

cold                   There is an explosion of cold with (8 * charges)
                       damage.
                       Potions may freeze.
                       You identify the wand.

fire                   There is an explosion of fire with (8 * charges)
                       damage.
                       Armor, scrolls and spellbooks may burn.
                       Potions may boil.
                       You identify the wand.

lightning              There is an explosion of lightning with (16 *
                       charges) damage.
                       Rings and other wands may explode.
                       You are blinded.
                       You identify the wand.

sleep                  There is an explosion from 1 to (4*charges) damage.
                       You and surrounding monsters may be put to sleep.

cancellation           There is an explosion from 1 to (4*charges) damage.
                       Monsters and objects in the affected squares are
                       cancelled.

create monster         There is an explosion from 1 to (4*charges) damage.
                       You are surrounded by monsters.

polymorph              There is an explosion from 1 to (4*charges) damage.
                       Monsters and objects in the affected squares are
                       polymorphed.

teleportation          There is an explosion from 1 to (4*charges) damage.
                       Monsters and objects in the affected squares are
                       teleported.

death                  There is an explosion of death with (16 * charges)
                       damage.
                       Monsters in the affected area may be immediately
                       killed.
                       You identify the wand.

wishing                No effects.  Not really a good idea.


Acknowledgements
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to Bruce Cox <bruce@maths.usyd.edu.au> for proofreading this file.
Clarification for polypiling rocks due to Oberon <oberon@nospam.erols.com>.
Jason Parker <ph330812@student.uq.edu.au> inquired about polypiling charges.
