• Spoilers
• Skills
• Symbiosis

General Info

Strategic Recommendations

Suitable symbiotes:

Code-Related Information

Symbiotes may snap out of hypnosis if your CL*2 + symbiosis skill is less than the monster's level:

if ((randint(1000) < r_ptr->level - ((p_ptr->lev * 2) + get_skill(SKILL_SYMBIOTIC)))) 
{
    msg_format("%s thinks you are not enough in symbiosis.",
        symbiote_name(TRUE));
    carried_make_attack_normal(o_ptr->pval);

}

The chance of your symbiote taking damage instead of you is 5% + 1% * symbiosis skill: if ((o_ptr->k_idx) && (magik(5 + get_skill(SKILL_SYMBIOTIC))) && (!carried_monster_hit))

Chatter

ScrawnyCat: We need a page spoiling the symbiotic powers (from use_symbiotic_power), but what should it be named? Keep in mind that possessors use them too.

AndreyEgoshin: Sorry, but uniques are not subject to charm, as of 2.3.+. I suggest that they were resistant to charm even in 2.2.+

So, how you can get that Qlzqqlzuup, Lord of Flesh to become your pet without altering r_info.txt and/or code? May be there is some workaround of which I don't know? Uniques are subject to GF_STAR_CHARM. There are no objects with *charm* on them. Can junkarts generate with that activation? I don't know.

ScrawnyCat: No such junkarts, but "summon never-moving pet" sometimes gives you uniques. It's probably a good idea to turn joke monsters on if you want to try this, as qlz is the only one left otherwise.

AndreyEgoshin: Code in spells1.c:

case GF_CHARM_UNMOVING:
                {
                        if (seen) obvious = TRUE;

                        /* Attempt a saving throw */
                        if ((r_ptr->flags1 & RF1_UNIQUE) ||
                                        (m_ptr->mflag & MFLAG_QUEST) ||
                                        (!(r_ptr->flags1 & RF1_NEVER_MOVE)) ||
                                        (m_ptr->level > randint((dam - 10) < 1 ? 1 : (dam - 10)) + 10))
                        {
                                /* Resist */
                                /* No obvious effect */
                                note = " is unaffected!";
                                obvious = FALSE;
                        }

And, (uniques OR quest monsters OR not never_moving) OR (chance to resist) = unaffected. Or my logic faults to read that if to the end of the day...

So, that 'sometimes gives you uniques' are just some sort of a bug.

Also, somewhere in the code I have seen routine that prevents pet and companion uniques that do not have PET flag.

Can anyone with more code knowledge (Neil?) comment on that situation? This turns to be very strange...

ScrawnyCat: I don't really see what the charm code has to do with this. Obviously whatever you summon is already a pet. The hypnotize code doesn't prevent uniques (only specially generated ones). You're right in that they do turn hostile, the code is in process_monster():

/* Paranoia... no friendly uniques outside wizard mode -- TY */ 
if ((m_ptr->status > MSTATUS_NEUTRAL) && (m_ptr->status < MSTATUS_COMPANION) && !(wizard) &&
        (r_ptr->flags1 & (RF1_UNIQUE)) && !(r_ptr->flags7 & RF7_PET))
    gets_angry = TRUE;

which is called by process_monsters() iff the monster has enough energy to make a move. So the trick is to be fast enough.

AndreyEgoshin: But in order to hypnotize one, you must first charm it! And GF_CHARM_UNMOVING is what you get from that symbiotic power. As for summoning... Yes, they are summoned as pets. And you must depend on RNG to receive one. Do you really think that after venturing to the 79+ dlvl (that is where Qlzqqlzuup, Lord of Flesh can be actually summoned from, right?) you really need that type of symbiote? As a symbiant, I'll prefer * druj instead. Why? Because of my gameplay style. I think that free unpenalized summons are broken. And they ARE free and unpenalized. Playing as symbiant and swarming others with dragons (or high undead) will quickly lead to chain-summon also.

So, if someone manages to penalize symbiotic summons, it would be ok. But now... For me - it is broken.

ScrawnyCat: I always assumed that the symbiote is summoned by the "summon never-moving pet" power or scroll. If you go looking for them in other ways you will usually need a way to charm them, yes. And obviously that's not going to work with uniques.

A Greater Draconic/Demonic/Rotting or Master Quylthulg is much easier to get and will also let you summon lots of creatures easily and with low mana cost (and no upkeep), and FWIW I agree that it's not "balanced". But this page isn't really about what is fun or ethical to do, that's up to each player to decide.

MrConceit: Just for fun I've been trying to get Qlzqqlzuup. I'm doing version 2.3.4, and I'm starting to wonder if it's still possible. I've had 75+ speed both times I've got him via summon never-moving pet scroll, and he instantly has turned hostile before I can hypno him twice already. Not that that's statistically significant, but still. Anybody know if you can still hypno him if your speed is high before he turns hostile?

• blahpers: Yup, it's still possible. I got him with 49 speed. Luck of the turn count, I guess. I was using the SNMP ability instead of scroll, but that probably doesn't matter.

TheremHarth: Someone forgot Deathmold among the "suitable symbiotes"... IIRC it's 2000 HP, but the melee attacks really make it worth it.