Cursed reflection - contains spoilers

[Kris]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

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Hi,

Despite playing for 5 or so years now on and off, I still consider
myself a relative noob, and am currently playing my most successful
character yet - first time I've completed the quest / got to Medusa
etc. I've made lots of mistakes along the way which I've managed to
play thru, which will probably be detailed once I attain YASD status.

I'm now quite a way further down and have encountered someone called
Orcus after falling through a trapdoor and then climbing the stairs
back up to his level. I now have a bunch of cursed things including
most worryingly my amulet of reflection. Now I've realised how
annoying he is, I'm set to go back up the stairs with my wands of death
to try and toast him, but I'm unsure about the cursed amulet of
reflection. If I get zapped by something, will it still reflect? will
it amplify whatever I get hit with instead? etc.

I've got a lot of cursed things and only one remove curse scroll, so I
can't be sure of uncursing the amulet, so am figuring deathing orcus
and then getting somewhere where I can pray safely is probably the best
plan for now. Any advice on the behaviour of cursed reflection greatly
appreciated as I haven't been able to find anything by searching this
group / the net.

Thanks
Kris

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

kris@compsoc.man.ac.uk wrote:
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> Hi,
>
> Despite playing for 5 or so years now on and off, I still consider
> myself a relative noob, and am currently playing my most successful
> character yet - first time I've completed the quest / got to Medusa
> etc. I've made lots of mistakes along the way which I've managed to
> play thru, which will probably be detailed once I attain YASD status.
>
Your attitude is healthy! My first character to ascend was, in
hindsight, quite overprepared, but I was almost convinced all the way
through the endgame that I was going to do something fatal right before
getting in sight of the ultimate goal. Keep yourself prepared against
tedium, because that's a part of the game in the stage you've reached.

> I'm now quite a way further down and have encountered someone called
> Orcus after falling through a trapdoor and then climbing the stairs
> back up to his level. I now have a bunch of cursed things including
> most worryingly my amulet of reflection. Now I've realised how
> annoying he is, I'm set to go back up the stairs with my wands of death
> to try and toast him, but I'm unsure about the cursed amulet of
> reflection. If I get zapped by something, will it still reflect? will
> it amplify whatever I get hit with instead? etc.
>
Your question seems logical, but in general the only drawback to wearing
cursed armor, rings and amulets in Nethack is that you cannot remove
them without getting rid of their curses (or having them stolen from you
by creatures capable of doing so). Any benefits or drawbacks intrinsic
to the worn item in question remain intact and operate the same
regardless of B/U/C status.

> I've got a lot of cursed things and only one remove curse scroll, so I
> can't be sure of uncursing the amulet, so am figuring deathing orcus
> and then getting somewhere where I can pray safely is probably the best
> plan for now. Any advice on the behaviour of cursed reflection greatly
> appreciated as I haven't been able to find anything by searching this
> group / the net.
>
It is said that even just one remove curse scroll can be sufficient to
remove all curses for items you are wearing. There is even greater power
inherent in blessed scrolls. But you need not worry that your cursed
amulet of reflection will fail you should you be in the path of some
unfriendly magic ray or breath. Good luck!

-Ken

 

[Kris]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

That's great news, thanks for your reply - I'll soldier onwards (in
continued paranoid fashion ) and keep you posted as to how I get on.

Cheers
Kris

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

> Your question seems logical, but in general the only drawback to wearing
> cursed armor, rings and amulets in Nethack is that you cannot remove
> them without getting rid of their curses (or having them stolen from you
> by creatures capable of doing so). Any benefits or drawbacks intrinsic
> to the worn item in question remain intact and operate the same
> regardless of B/U/C status.

That's not _entirely_ correct.
IIRC, grease won't always protect cursed armor.


Greetings,
Benjamin

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

kris@compsoc.man.ac.uk wrote:

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> I'm now quite a way further down and have encountered someone called
> Orcus after falling through a trapdoor and then climbing the stairs
> back up to his level. I now have a bunch of cursed things including
> most worryingly my amulet of reflection. Now I've realised how
> annoying he is, I'm set to go back up the stairs with my wands of
> death to try and toast him, but I'm unsure about the cursed amulet of
> reflection. If I get zapped by something, will it still reflect?
> will it amplify whatever I get hit with instead? etc.

In general, a good rule of thumb is that cursedness does the following
two things:

1. It makes it impossible to stop using things.
2. It changes the behaviour of things.

(1) goes for permanent items, like armour, rings, weapons, and amulets.
(2) goes for single-use items, like potions and scrolls.

For most other items, cursedness does not seriously influence how an
item functions (for example, the effect on wands is almost none). Also,
(1) and (2) don't both appear at the same time.

There is a non-negligable number of items that does not follow this rule
of thumb, but *in general*, it is correct.

--
Boudewijn Waijers (kroisos at home.nl).

The garden of happiness is surrounded by a wall so low only children
can look over it. - "the Orphanage of Hits", former Dutch radio show.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

On 5/7/05 10:40 AM, kris@compsoc.man.ac.uk wrote:
> getting somewhere where I can pray safely is probably the best
> plan for now.

Based on where you've described that you are, you're not likely to be
close to anywhere you can pray safely. (Well, *one* place, possibly.
There will be a change of atmosphere if you find it.)

--
Kevin Wayne

"I came to Casablanca for the waters."
"Waters? What waters? We're in the desert?"
"I was misinformed."

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Two days later: I'm sure it's too late to warn you about this one, but
demons are immune to wand/finger of death unless I'm very mistaken.

 

[Kris]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

rmcne...@andrew.cmu.edu wrote:
> Two days later: I'm sure it's too late to warn you about this one,
but
> demons are immune to wand/finger of death unless I'm very mistaken.

Thanks for the heads up, but I've had chance now to find that one out
the unspoiled way after a couple of zaps of the wand of death.

Orcus is dead now anyway. He kept reflecting death off my amulet back
at himself, and then he reflected a wand of sleep off me when death ran
out. Sleep appeared to affect him, as a couple of smites with Cleaver
then killed him off.

Thanks for everyone's advice above. More news soon no doubt...

Cheers
Kris