Dark One Wimps Out

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

I was on the bottom level of the wizard quest. I had
teleportitus and TC and tried to teleport somewhere I
couldn't, got the "Sorry" message and ended up 3 spaces from
the Dark One. I walked over, checked him with my stethoscope
and he was meditating. I didn't think he picked up the Eye
until his first move so I shot him the finger (of death) and
it was over that quick!

Why didn't he take any action? I took three moves in his
inner chamber.
--
Wes
The early bird may get the worm,
but the second mouse gets the cheese.

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

jorge estrada <jestrada5@yahoo.com> writes:
> Wes Irby wrote:
>
> > I was on the bottom level of the wizard quest. I had
> > teleportitus and TC and tried to teleport somewhere I
> > couldn't, got the "Sorry" message and ended up 3 spaces from
> > the Dark One. I walked over, checked him with my stethoscope
> > and he was meditating. I didn't think he picked up the Eye
> > until his first move so I shot him the finger (of death) and
> > it was over that quick!
> >
> > Why didn't he take any action? I took three moves in his
> > inner chamber.
>
> This isn't unique to the dark one. I have done the same on the Sam
> quest. I had stealth and was invisible and i think that unless you
> make any noise, some spellcaster wakes him or pet mind flayer blasts
> him the quest nemesis stays in meditation mode even if you walk
> circles around him.

Stealth's not relevant except for Cavemen; invisibility is. _Seeing_
you breaks meditation, your presence alone doesn't. Of the Quest
Nemeses, the Minion of Huhetotl, Ixoth, Master Kaen, and Nalzok can
see invisible, and Thoth Amon, the Cyclops, Scorpius, the Master
Assassin, Ashikaga Takauji, the Master of Thieves, Lord Surtur, and
the Dark One cannot; the Chromatic Dragon can, but she starts asleep
in addition to meditating.

--
: Dylan O'Donnell http://www.spod-central.org/~psmith/ :
: "Nothing matters very much, and few things matter at all." :
: -- A.J. Balfour :