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From: Ron Nazarov <ron@noisytoot.org>
Newsgroups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack
Subject: Re: [nndnh] Wage of wrath?
Date: Wed, 07 Aug 2024 04:06:54 +0100
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Janis Papanagnou <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> writes:

> Just found a "red-eyed coin" (according to the source code it's a
> "wage of wrath"). I couldn't find it used in the source code, nor
> found a hint in the Wiki. - Any idea what that is; its purpose?

The wages are all documented on
<https://nethackwiki.com/wiki/User:Chris/dNethack/dNethack_Items#Hellish_Items>,
although the description there isn't very detailed.  The in-game lookup
also provides some information.

Wages of wrath in particular cause the target to drown in blood.  When
an uncursed or cursed wage of wrath is used against a monster the
effects are:

- Blood damage (water damage + cursing) to inventory.
- A chance of berserking the monster (forces it to roll MR to resist as
  if against a ring).
- If uncursed: min(99, max HP/2) damage.
- If cursed: min(99, max HP) damage and makes the monster drown in blood
  for the next 100 turns (or +9 turns if it's already drowning in blood).

While a monster is drowning in blood it takes 99 damage every turn,
along with inventory damage and another chance of becoming berserk.

Everything is resisted if the target is unbreathing, except for the
inventory damage.