Paralysis
Paralysis is an effect which renders a player or monster unable to move or act for a period of time. Formicids are immune to paralysis due to their stasis.
Sources
There are several sources of paralysis. Some are resistable, while some are not.
Resistable sources of paralysis:
- The spell Paralyse, whether it is cast by a monster or through a wand of paralysis (Must overcome the victim's magic resistance)
- Needles of paralysis (Resistance to these is dependent on the HD of the monster vs. the Throwing skill of the shooter and the enchantment level of the blowgun)
- The melee attack of a hornet or a wasp (Poison resistance grants immunity to this effect)
Other sources are irresistable:
- Severe Charms, Hexes, or Transmutations miscast effects
- Zot traps (when duplicating the above spell school miscasts)
- A giant eyeball's gaze attack
- Zin's wrath
Duration and Effects
In general, paralysis lasts from 2 to 7 turns. During this time, the victim is unable to perform any voluntary actions. Monsters become vulnerable to stabbing and can be hit automatically. Players have their EV reduced to near-zero, meaning monsters will almost always hit them as well. The effect is similar in some ways to sleep and petrification, but the differences are important: unlike sleep, paralysis does not end when the victim takes damage, and unlike petrification, it does not have a delayed onset or provide any defensive bonuses.
Once paralysis ends, the player gets a brief (1-3 turns) period of immunity to paralysis from all sources except for hornets.
Paralysed creatures are still able to teleport if the status is somehow inflicted on them. This means that if you see a source of paralysis you know you can't block (e.g. a giant eyeball), it may be a good idea to trigger a teleport the instant you see it. Just remember that random teleports may drop your paralysed character somewhere even worse.
History
Prior to 0.18, paralysis could be prevented by an amulet of stasis.
