What's the point of hold/sleep monster?

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  • will_asher
    DaJAngband Maintainer
    • Apr 2007
    • 1124

    What's the point of hold/sleep monster?

    It is me, or are hold/sleep monster effects completely useless? It seems like they wear off almost immediately.
    Will_Asher
    aka LibraryAdventurer

    My old variant DaJAngband:
    http://sites.google.com/site/dajangbandwebsite/home (defunct and so old it's forked from Angband 3.1.0 -I think- but it's probably playable...)
  • archolewa
    Swordsman
    • Feb 2019
    • 400

    #2
    Hold monster wears off as soon as you attack an enemy, which might be why it's wearing off so fast for you.

    I've found Hold Monster to be situational but useful in the early game if I need to put some distance between myself and a powerful enemy, but either want to save Phase Door scrolls (because I'm playing without the town) or don't feel safe phasing, for fear of ending up someplace nasty. It's especially useful to get some distance from orc uniques in a long corridor. It's basically an early game escape.

    Never used Sleep Monster.

    Comment

    • ewert
      Knight
      • Jul 2009
      • 707

      #3
      Both can be used to run away from packs in corridors. Neither one is for fighting. A stave of either one in a corridor is pretty strong escape, also if you happen to be caught in a large room where phase door has trouble getting you out, a stave of either one can be an easier escape.

      Nowadays with no-selling, I do often carry a sleep one with stealthy characters during the early levels.

      Comment

      • Selkie
        Swordsman
        • Aug 2020
        • 434

        #4
        Originally posted by will_asher
        It is me, or are hold/sleep monster effects completely useless? It seems like they wear off almost immediately.
        I vote for useless simply because I don't use them. Save the inventory slots for slow and stun

        Comment

        • AceRimmer
          Scout
          • Dec 2007
          • 45

          #5
          I like them as an early-game escape, too. But I do wonder why both exist. Does somebody remember why Hold Monster was added, when Sleep Monster already existed?

          Comment

          • sffp
            Swordsman
            • Apr 2020
            • 434

            #6
            Originally posted by will_asher
            It is me, or are hold/sleep monster effects completely useless? It seems like they wear off almost immediately.
            If you get caught in a room with a mob, a staff of sleep monsters could be your only salvation
            They show up far earlier than teleport-level or destruction

            Comment

            • Sky
              Veteran
              • Oct 2016
              • 2321

              #7
              sleep monsters (staff) only works against breeders. sleep monsters the targeted spell is garbage.
              mass sleep comes at a time when you can fireball, so again, useless.
              hold monsters can hold 1 mob long enough for you to run away, if you have a corridor you can run to. It also works on the horrible Smeagol.
              "i can take this dracolich"

              Comment

              • gglibertine
                Adept
                • Dec 2007
                • 234

                #8
                Sleep monster is incredibly useful for monsters that breed or TP. Hold monster is really only useful in the early game.

                Comment

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