Magical Items in the Dungeons (2025)

Magical Items in the Dungeons (1)

Back to the Rogue Main PageBack to my home pageThere are a 5 different kinds of magical items in the Dungeons:Potions, Scrolls,Rings, Wands, and Staves. For those items that, when used, provide an immediate effect(Potions, Scrolls and Wands/Staves), I've tried to match up the effect with the correcttype of item.
Save versus magic deserves a note on most pages, but this is the magic page so here goes:Whenever you might be adversely effected by a magicitem, your character (and monsters too) gets a saving throw (1 die of 20 sides),if the throw is high enough, you resist the effect. Your saving throw improves asyou go up in level. You can save vs. Poison, Paralyzation, luck, death, breath andmagic.

Magical Items in the Dungeons (2)

Potions:
Potions come in the following colours, assigned randomly when a game is started:
amber aquamarine black blue brown clear crimson cyan ecru gold green grey magentaorange pink plaid purple red silver tan tangerine topaz turquoise vermilion violetwhite yellow

To use a potion, you (q)uaff it. Quaffing an unknown potion isn't necessarily a goodidea, but the only really nasty potion you often encounter on earlier levels is the potion of blindness. However,if you've already discovered most of the useful potions, there is a decent chancethat a new unknown potion is a bad one, and it may be worth using an identify scrollon it.

Potion type

Effect

Blindness

a cloak of darkness falls around you

Confusion

wait, what's going on? Huh? What? Who?

Extra healing

you begin to feel much better

Gain strength

you feel stronger. What bulging muscles!
you feel stronger, now. What bulging muscles!

haste self

you feel yourself moving much faster

healing

you begin to feel better

magic detection

you sense the presence of magic.
you sense the presence of magic on this level.
OR
you have a strange feeling for a moment, then it passes if there are no magic items on this level

monster detection

monster appears on map
OR
you have a strange feeling
you have a strange feeling for a moment if there are no monsters on the current level.

paralysis

you can't move

poison

you feel very sick now.
you feel momentarily sick

raise level

you suddenly feel much more skilful

restore strength

you feel warm all over.
hey, this tastes great. It makes you feel warm all over

see invisible

this potion tastes like mango juice

thirst quenching

this potion tastes extremely dull

other potion (does nothing)

what an odd tasting potion!

Magical Items in the Dungeons (3)Scrolls:
When you find a type of scroll for the first time, it will have a very odd name(see the Guide to the Dungeons for an explanation) consisting of random syllables.

To use a scroll, you have to (r)ead it. Most of the scrolls in the Dungeons aren'tvery dangerous, and quite often even the worst ones are no more than a nuisance.However, the really useful ones (like the identify scroll, which you can use to identify an unknownmagical item) are often very rare. The motto, therefore, is to use them wisely.

KSlack9898 points out the following on scare monster scrolls:
  • Dragons can still shoot flame at you even while scared from a scare monster scroll. Very annoying if you cant even attack the dragons because other monsters are blocking them.
  • If you step on a scare monster scroll, and can't pick it up because your inventory is full, the scroll is activated until you move.But since you didn't touch it, it doesn't crumble when you step back on it again. This can be repeated over and over until you actually pick up the scroll.

Scroll type

Effect

aggravate monsters

you hear a high pitched humming noise
Every monster in the level is looking for you!

create monster

you hear a faint cry of anguish
you hear a faint cry of anguish in the distance

enchant armor

your armor glows faintly
your armor glows faintly for a moment

enchant weapon

your weapon glows blue
your weapon glows blue for a moment
OR
you feel a strange sense of loss if you are not wielding a weapon

food detection

your nose tingles as you sense food
OR
you hear a growling noise close by
you hear a growling noise very close to you if there is no food on this level
BONUS:Also detects Amulets!

hold monster

holds all monsters within 1 or 2 spaces of the hero

identify

this scroll is an identify scroll

magic mapping

oh, now this scroll has a map on it

monster confusion

your hands begin to glow red

Scare Monster

you hear maniacal laughter
you hear maniacal laughter in the distance
You just read a Scare Monster scroll! If you drop it instead, no monster will attackyou (great for treasure rooms). Once you step off it, you can't use it again.

sleep

you fall asleep

teleportation

remove curse

somebody is watching over you
you feel as if somebody is watching over you

vorpalize weapon

your weapon gives off a flash
your weapon gives off a flash of bright light
Vorpalized weapon, gives an additional +1 +1 to all, and a +4 +4 and the abilityto zap a particual type of monster. Sometimes (1-20) Vorpalize will curse your weaponunless you save versus magic (see top of page), then it will tell you what monsterthe weapon is vorpalized for (what monster you can zap and get the +4 +4 against)
OR
you feel a sudden desire to kill ???.
This is the vorpalize where you save versus magic (see top of page)
OR
your weapon vanishes in a puff of smoke
You vorpalized the same weapon twice (and overcharged it)
Also see vorpalized weapon in the staves/wands section.

blank paper

this scroll seems to be blank

Magical Items in the Dungeons (4)Rings:
Although the effect of most rings is difficult (if not impossible) to work out withoutan identify scroll, some (such as stealth or sustain strength) aren't too difficultto identify.

To use a ring, (P)ut it on. Rogue will ask you if you want to wear it on your leftor right hand (unless you're already wearing one). Rings are often not the most usefulmagical items, and most of them should not be worn permanently because they costfood points (except, of course, the ring of slow digestion) and food often becomesscarce on later levels.

When a new game is started, the materials listed below are assigned randomly to thering types:
agate, alexandrite, amethyst, carnelian, diamond, emerald, germanium, granite, garnet,jade, kryptonite, lapis lazuli, moonstone, obsidian, onyx, opal, pearl, peridot,ruby, sapphire, stibotantalite, tiger eye, taaffeite, zircon.

Ring type

Cost in food points (per turn)

add strength

1

adornment

aggravate monster

dexterity

1-3

increase damage

1-3

maintain armor

1

protection

1

regeneration

2

searching

1-4

slow digestion

adds 0-1

stealth

1

sustain strength

1

Magical Items in the Dungeons (5)Staves/wands:
Like rings and potions, the staff and wand materials are assigned randomly uponstartup.

To use a staff or wand, you (z)ap it and tell Rogue in which direction you want itzapped. Even wands or staves that have an area effect (like a wand of light) mustbe zapped in a direction.

Unlike most magical items, a staff or wand is often identified once used. However,the number of charges left can only be determined with an identify scroll. Also includedhere are vorpalized weapons (since you must zap with them for full effect).

Staff woods:
avocadowood, balsa, bamboo, banyan, birch, cedar, cherry, cinnabar, cypress, dogwood,driftwood, ebony, elm, eucalyptus, fall, hemlock, holly, ironwood, kukui wood, mahogany,manzanita, maple, oaken, persimmon wood, pecan, pine, poplar, redwood, rosewood,spruce, teak, walnut, zebrawood.

Wand materials:
aluminum, beryllium, bone, brass, bronze, copper, electrum, iron, lead, magnesium,mercury, nickel, pewter, platinum, steel, silicon, tin, titanium, tungsten, zinc.

Staff/Wand type

Effect

cancellation

Reveals invisible or disguised monsters

cold

ice

drain life

you are too weak to use it You used it when you had less than 2 hit points
OR
you have a tingling feeling You used it with no monsters around

fire

flame

haste monster

speeds monster up

light

the room is lit by a shimmering blue light
OR
the corridor glows and then fades you used a wand of light in a corridor
OR
you feel a warm glow around you You used a wand of light when blind

lightning

bolt of lightning

magic missile

The missile vanishes in a puff of smoke Only if the monster saved versus magic (see top of page)

polymorph

Turns monster into another monster (and not necessarily a monster that's easier tokill!)

slow monster

slows monster down

striking

does serious damage to monster (2d8 w/ +4 to hit, 5% chance of 3d8 w/+9 to hit)

teleport away

moves monster to a different room

teleport to

moves monster right next to you

vorpalized weapon

the monster vanishes in a puff of smoke Used a vorpalized weapon on the correct monster (guaranteed kill)
OR
you hear a maniacal chuckle in the distance Used a vorpalized weapon on the wrong monster

nothing (used up)

nothing happens

undefined

what a bizarre schtick!

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Magical Items in the Dungeons (2025)

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