Difference between revisions of "Rod"

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A '''rod''' is a magical cudgel, similar to a [[wand]] or [[magical staff]] but with some key differences. While each wand can only cast one spell and has a set number of charges, a rod contains one or more spells that are fueled by the rod's own self-replenishing MP pool. Like a staff, rods can be used as melee weapons, but their performance is only as good as a [[club]] without the [[stabbing]] bonus (though it does benefit from the [[Maces & Flails]] skill). 
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{{obsolete}}
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A '''rod''' is a magical cudgel, similar to a [[wand]] or [[magical staff]], but with some key differences.
  
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Any rod you've identified will be displayed as a "+X rod of descriptive_name (Y/Z)", where X is the recharge rate of the rod, Y is the current MP available for spellcasting, and Z is the maximum MP the rod can hold. Using a [[scroll of recharging]] on a rod will improve both X and Z by 1d2, up to a max of +9 and 17, respectively.  [[Deep dwarf|Deep dwarves]] can use their racial ability for the same effect, although whether or not this is a wise idea is debatable.  The rod's recharge rate does also act like weapon enchantment, so a +9 rod acts like a +9, +9 club; even with this, they are still usually terrible weapons.
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==Useful Info==
 +
Rods are equivalent to [[club]]s in melee (including use of [[Maces & Flails]] skill).  
  
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Rods recharge themselves over time. The recharge rate depends upon both your Evocations skill and the rod's recharge rate. Base recharge rate is about 0.04 MP/turn, meaning that a +0 rod used by a player with 0 Evocations takes about 25 turns to regain 1 MP. Every +1 to a rod's recharge rate adds 0.01 more MP/turn, while every rank in Evocations adds 0.057 more MP/turn. These increases seem small, but add up quickly. A +3 rod and 13 Evocations adds 2 MP/10 turns, while a +9 rod used by a player with 27 Evocations gains 6 MP/10 turns.
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When wielded, a rod can be e'''v'''oked for a variety of magical effects. Unlike spells, rods have their own MP pool. It replenishes and depletes independently from your MP. [[Evocations]] skill increases the strength of cast spells, as well as the MP regeneration rate.
  
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Casting a spell from a rod differs from regular spellcasting in several important ways:
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Rods are displayed as a <code>+X rod of <name> (Y/Z)</code>.
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*Rods must be [[wield]]ed before you can evoke them. Press '''[[v]]''' or click on the wielded rod in your inventory to cast a spell from the currently wielded rod.
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* +X is [[enchant]]ment of the rod. This increases a rods melee damage, as well as its MP recharge rate. A base +0 rod recharges at ~ 0.04 MP/turn, and each +1 adds +0.01 MP/turn. [[Evocations]] also increases recharge rate, by 0.057 MP/turn per level.
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*[[Spell power]] is based upon [[Evocations]], not [[Spellcasting]]: '''Spell Power = 5 + 3 * [[Evocations]]'''.
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* <name> is the type of rod, which determines the spells the rod can cast.
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*The rod spends MP equal to the spell level of the spell cast. This will regenerate over time independent of your MP regeneration.
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* Y is the current MP of the rod, and Z is the maximum MP of the rod.
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*Hunger reduction works differently: rod spells have the same base hunger cost as regular spells, but this is reduced by 10*Evocations, instead of Int*Spellcasting. Additionally, spell hunger from rods cannot quite be eliminated: it is reduced to a minimum of 5, as opposed to a minimum of zero.
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A [[scroll of recharging]] will add +1d2 to enchantment and maximum mana. The [[Deep Dwarf]] recharging ability works in the same way. Rods have a limit of +9 enchantment and 17 max MP.
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[[Spell power]] is solely based on Evocations skill; each spell cast by a rod has a power of <code>5 + 3 * Evocations</code>.
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===Hunger cost===
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Hunger reduction works differently from spells. Rod spells have the same base hunger cost as a spell of its level, but this is reduced by 10 × Evocations, instead of [[Intelligence]] × Spellcasting. Additionally, spell hunger from rods cannot be fully eliminated; there will always be a hunger cost of at least 5.
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The reported hunger cost can be decoded to the following:
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{| class="wikitable"
 +
! Reported cost !! Per-casting cost
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|-
 +
| #...... || 5-20
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|-
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| ##..... || 21-60
 +
|-
 +
| ###.... || 61-120
 +
|-
 +
| ####... || 121-200
 +
|-
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| #####.. || 201-300
 +
|-
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| ######. || 301-420
 +
|-
 +
| ####### || 420+
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
For reference, a flesh chunk gives 1,000 nutrition, and meat ration gives 5,000.
 +
 
 +
==List of rods==
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''See also: [[List of rods]], for both rods and their spells''
 +
 
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* [[Rod of clouds]]
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* [[Rod of ignition]]
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* [[Rod of inaccuracy]]
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* [[Iron rod]]
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* [[Rod of shadows]]
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===Removed rods===
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* [[Rod of destruction]] - removed in [[0.18]]
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* [[Rod of the swarm]] - removed in [[0.18]]
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* [[Rod of striking]] - removed in [[0.16]]
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* [[Rod of demonology]] - removed in [[0.14]]
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* [[Rod of fiery destruction]] - removed in [[0.14]], replaced with rod of ignition
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* [[Rod of frigid destruction]] - removed in [[0.14]]
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* [[Rod of venom]] - removed in [[0.14]]
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* [[Rod of warding]] - removed in [[0.14]]
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* [[Rod of Summoning]] - removed in [[0.12]], replaced with rod of the swarm
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* [[Rod of smiting]] - removed in [[0.11]]
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* [[Rod of discovery]] - removed in [[0.8]]
  
 
==Tips & Tricks==
 
==Tips & Tricks==
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*Maxing out rods may require more scrolls of recharging than you have on hand or aren't saving for useful wands. Nonetheless, it helps to at least tune useful rods up so that their max MP is an even multiple of the cost of the most frequently used spell.
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*Rods are generally ineffectual as melee weapons. While a +9 rod may seem as an appealing weapon, it only hits as hard as a club.
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*Most rods found laying around in the dungeon have mediocre or even negative recharge rates, but a rod generated by a [[scroll of acquirement]] will usually have a high recharge rate. So long as Evocations is your best magic skill, you are almost guaranteed to get a rod you don't already own if you request a staff.
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*Maxing out rods may require more scrolls of recharging than you have on hand, and you may wish to save some of those for useful wands. Nonetheless, it helps to at least tune useful rods up so that their max MP is an even multiple of the cost of the most frequently used spell.
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*Most rods found laying around in the dungeon have mediocre or even negative recharge rates, but a rod generated by a [[scroll of acquirement]] will usually have a high recharge rate. So long as Evocations higher than all your other magic skills, you have 80% chance to get a rod you don't already own if you request a staff. [[Trog]] worshipers who select a staff from an [[acquirement]] will either receive a rod or a [[staff of energy]].
  
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==As compared to spellcasting==
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==Comparison to Spellcasting==
 
Rods do have advantages over regular spellcasting, but they also have several shortcomings.
 
Rods do have advantages over regular spellcasting, but they also have several shortcomings.
  
 
===Advantages===
 
===Advantages===
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*Rod use is independent of your stats.  This allows a character which has focused entirely on Dex or Str to successfully cast some higher-level spells without having to resort to means such as [[wizardry]] or [[Ashenzari]].
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* Rods rely entirely on [[Evocations]]. Heavy [[body armour]], [[shields]], and low intelligence will not penalize casting. Many species are bad at magic, but at least competent at Evocations.
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*Rod use only ever depends on one skill: Evocations.  Moreover, most races have a decent aptitude for it (average of +1).
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* Rods are not subject to the [[Spell Power#Formula|spellpower stepdown]], so it is easier to train rods past 50 spellpower.
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*Rod use is not negatively impacted by your EV penalty. Heavy armour users can use rods to gain access to some very useful spells if they're willing to train Evocations.
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* Rods do not drain your own MP, leaving it free for other things.
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*Rod spell power is not subject to stepdowns: it simply scales with your Evocations skill.
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* Rods can be used while [[silence]]d.
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*Rods do not drain your MP, leaving it free for other things.
 
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*Spells from rods need not be memorized, leaving your spell levels free for other things.
 
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*Rods can be used while [[silence]]d.
 
  
 
===Disadvantages===
 
===Disadvantages===
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*Rod use is independent of your stats. Thus, high-stat races such as elves and demigods enjoy no advantage in spell power or hunger costs when using them.
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* Rods are independent of your stats. High-stat races such as elves and [[Demigod]]s enjoy no advantage in spell power, failure rate, or hunger costs when using them.
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*Rods have a somewhat limited selection of spells.
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* Rods must be wielded. This significantly decreases tactical flexibility in using rods, is annoying for weapon-wielders and can prove a real danger if the rod should end up [[curse]]d somehow.
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*Rods are ultimately capped at 86 power.  This has a significant impact on higher-level spells like Iron Shot.
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* Rods are ultimately capped at 86 power (at Evocations 27). This has a significant impact on higher-level spells like [[Iron Shot]].
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*Rods must be wielded to evoke spells from them. This significantly decreases tactical flexibility in using rods, and can prove a real danger if the rod should end up cursed somehow.
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* The hunger cost of rod use can be significant for some races. [[Spriggan]]s in particular may want to use rods sparingly.
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*The hunger cost of rod use can be very significant for some races. [[Troll]]s and [[spriggan]]s in particular may want to use rods very sparingly, and any character should be cautious using them in [[branch]]es which produce no edible corpses.
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** Rod hunger can never be entirely eliminated. While the 5 nutrition minimum is generally ignorable, the minimum costs for level 5 and 6 spells (80 and 280, respectively) from rods are not.
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*Rod hunger can never be entirely eliminated. While the 5 nutrition minimum is generally ignorable, the minimum costs for L5 and L6 spells (80 and 280, respectively) from rods are not.
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* Rods have a fairly small pool of mana, capped at 17, which can limit the usefulness of spells that you will want to cast repeatedly, such as [[Abjuration]].
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*Rods have a fairly small pool of mana, capped at 17, which can limit the usefulness of spells that you will want to cast repeatedly, such as [[Abjuration]].
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* Rods have a somewhat limited selection of spells, and you must obtain the relevant rods first.
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*Rods take up weight and space in your inventory, whereas spells do not.
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* Rods take up space in your inventory, whereas spells do not.
  
 
===Images===
 
===Images===
 
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:auto; padding:0; text-align: center"
 
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:auto; padding:0; text-align: center"
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| [[File:Rod 1.png]] || [[File:Rod 2.png]] || [[File:Rod 3.png]] || [[File:Rod 4.png]] || [[File:Rod 5.png]]
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| [[File:Rod00.png]] || [[File:Rod01.png]] || [[File:Rod02.png]] || [[File:Rod03.png]] || [[File:Rod04.png]]
 
|-
 
|-
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| [[File:Rod 6.png]] || [[File:Rod 7.png]] || [[File:Rod 8.png]] || [[File:Rod 9.png]] || [[File:Rod 10.png]]
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| [[File:Rod05.png]] || [[File:Rod06.png]] || [[File:Rod07.png]] || [[File:Rod08.png]] || [[File:Rod09.png]]
 
|}
 
|}
  
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*[[Wands]]
 
*[[Wands]]
  
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==History==
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*All rod items were removed in [[0.20]]. The [[lightning rod]] was converted into an evocable, while the [[rod of clouds]] and [[iron rod]] were converted into wands.
 +
*Prior to [[0.16]], [[stab]]bing an enemy with a club/rod would inflict brief [[confusion]].
  
 
{{weapons}}
 
{{weapons}}
 
[[Category:Items]]  
 
[[Category:Items]]  
 
[[Category:Rod]]
 
[[Category:Rod]]

Latest revision as of 16:28, 30 September 2023

Obsolete: This article refers to an aspect of the game which has been removed. It is retained for historical reference only.

A rod is a magical cudgel, similar to a wand or magical staff, but with some key differences.

Useful Info

Rods are equivalent to clubs in melee (including use of Maces & Flails skill).

When wielded, a rod can be evoked for a variety of magical effects. Unlike spells, rods have their own MP pool. It replenishes and depletes independently from your MP. Evocations skill increases the strength of cast spells, as well as the MP regeneration rate.

Rods are displayed as a +X rod of <name> (Y/Z).

  • +X is enchantment of the rod. This increases a rods melee damage, as well as its MP recharge rate. A base +0 rod recharges at ~ 0.04 MP/turn, and each +1 adds +0.01 MP/turn. Evocations also increases recharge rate, by 0.057 MP/turn per level.
  • <name> is the type of rod, which determines the spells the rod can cast.
  • Y is the current MP of the rod, and Z is the maximum MP of the rod.

A scroll of recharging will add +1d2 to enchantment and maximum mana. The Deep Dwarf recharging ability works in the same way. Rods have a limit of +9 enchantment and 17 max MP.

Spell power is solely based on Evocations skill; each spell cast by a rod has a power of 5 + 3 * Evocations.

Hunger cost

Hunger reduction works differently from spells. Rod spells have the same base hunger cost as a spell of its level, but this is reduced by 10 × Evocations, instead of Intelligence × Spellcasting. Additionally, spell hunger from rods cannot be fully eliminated; there will always be a hunger cost of at least 5.

The reported hunger cost can be decoded to the following:

Reported cost Per-casting cost
#...... 5-20
##..... 21-60
###.... 61-120
####... 121-200
#####.. 201-300
######. 301-420
####### 420+

For reference, a flesh chunk gives 1,000 nutrition, and meat ration gives 5,000.

List of rods

See also: List of rods, for both rods and their spells

Removed rods

Tips & Tricks

  • Rods are generally ineffectual as melee weapons. While a +9 rod may seem as an appealing weapon, it only hits as hard as a club.
  • Maxing out rods may require more scrolls of recharging than you have on hand, and you may wish to save some of those for useful wands. Nonetheless, it helps to at least tune useful rods up so that their max MP is an even multiple of the cost of the most frequently used spell.
  • Most rods found laying around in the dungeon have mediocre or even negative recharge rates, but a rod generated by a scroll of acquirement will usually have a high recharge rate. So long as Evocations higher than all your other magic skills, you have 80% chance to get a rod you don't already own if you request a staff. Trog worshipers who select a staff from an acquirement will either receive a rod or a staff of energy.

Comparison to Spellcasting

Rods do have advantages over regular spellcasting, but they also have several shortcomings.

Advantages

  • Rods rely entirely on Evocations. Heavy body armour, shields, and low intelligence will not penalize casting. Many species are bad at magic, but at least competent at Evocations.
  • Rods are not subject to the spellpower stepdown, so it is easier to train rods past 50 spellpower.
  • Rods do not drain your own MP, leaving it free for other things.
  • Rods can be used while silenced.

Disadvantages

  • Rods are independent of your stats. High-stat races such as elves and Demigods enjoy no advantage in spell power, failure rate, or hunger costs when using them.
  • Rods must be wielded. This significantly decreases tactical flexibility in using rods, is annoying for weapon-wielders and can prove a real danger if the rod should end up cursed somehow.
  • Rods are ultimately capped at 86 power (at Evocations 27). This has a significant impact on higher-level spells like Iron Shot.
  • The hunger cost of rod use can be significant for some races. Spriggans in particular may want to use rods sparingly.
    • Rod hunger can never be entirely eliminated. While the 5 nutrition minimum is generally ignorable, the minimum costs for level 5 and 6 spells (80 and 280, respectively) from rods are not.
  • Rods have a fairly small pool of mana, capped at 17, which can limit the usefulness of spells that you will want to cast repeatedly, such as Abjuration.
  • Rods have a somewhat limited selection of spells, and you must obtain the relevant rods first.
  • Rods take up space in your inventory, whereas spells do not.

Images

Rod00.png Rod01.png Rod02.png Rod03.png Rod04.png
Rod05.png Rod06.png Rod07.png Rod08.png Rod09.png

See Also

History

Weapons
Axes Battleaxe • Broad axe • Executioner's axe • Hand axe • War axe
Maces & Flails Club • Demon whip • Dire flail • Eveningstar • Flail • Giant club • Giant spiked club • Great mace • Mace (Hammer) • Morningstar • Sacred scourge • Whip
Long Blades Demon blade • Double sword • Eudemon blade • Falchion • Great sword • Long sword • Scimitar • Triple sword
Polearms Bardiche • Demon trident • Glaive • Halberd (Scythe) • Spear • Trident • Trishula
Ranged Weapons Arbalest • Hand cannon • Longbow • Orcbow • Shortbow • Sling • Triple crossbow
Short Blades Dagger • Quick blade • Rapier • Short sword
Staves Lajatang • Magical staff • Quarterstaff
Throwing Boomerang • Dart • Javelin • Large rock • Stone • Throwing net
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