# Vlad's Tower

Vlad's Tower

Location

Level 9–13 of Gehennom

Bones

middle level only

Mappable

Yes

Teleportable

No

Diggable floor

No

Diggable walls

varies

Vlad's Tower is the home of Vlad the Impaler in NetHack. It consists of three levels connected by ladders, all of which are no-teleport and undiggable. Because it is not part of Gehennom, prayer is permitted in the Tower.

Contents

1 Generation
2 Description

2.1 Bottom level

3 Middle level
4 Top level
5 History
6 Variants

6.1 SLASH'EM
6.2 UnNetHack
6.3 dNetHack
6.4 SpliceHack

7 References

Generation
The entrance appears as a a second up stair, located on any floor between the 9th and 13th levels of Gehennom; counting the Valley as 1, this places it roughly between dungeon levels 34 and 42 (inclusive).  Only the middle level is eligible to leave bones files.
Monster generation is biased toward chaotic monsters in this branch.

Description
Each level contains many secret doors, traps, and several guaranteed items, and Vlad the Impaler is located at the top level. You can directly level teleport from the tower to each of its three levels, to the Gehennom levels above it, and to the Dungeons of Doom, but not to levels below the tower. However, quaffing a cursed potion of gain level on the uppermost floor will only result in an "uneasy feeling".

Bottom level
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;|x|&nbsp;|x|&nbsp;|x|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;---S---S---S---&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;|xS.........Sx|&nbsp;&nbsp;----|.........|----|.&gt;.|.........+...||.--|.........|--.||.|xS&lt;........Sx|.||.---S---S---S---.||...|x|.|x|.|x|...|---.---.---.---.---&nbsp;&nbsp;|.............|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;---------------&nbsp;&nbsp;
There is a random dragon immediately inside the main door of the courtyard, and eight other random monsters are placed on the level. Four of the ten niches marked 'x' will contain the following:

long sword
lock pick
elven cloak
blindfold
These niches may also contain random traps.

Middle level
&nbsp;&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;|x|&nbsp;|x|&nbsp;|x|&nbsp;&nbsp;---S---S---S---|xS.........Sx|--|.------+----&nbsp;&nbsp;|......|.&lt;|&nbsp;&nbsp;--------.|-----|xS&gt;.....+..Sx|---S---S---S---&nbsp;&nbsp;|x|&nbsp;|x|&nbsp;|x|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;&nbsp;
The ten niches marked 'x' each contain the following, with one monster or item per niche:

two hell hound pups
a winter wolf
two random demons
amulet of life saving inside a chest
amulet of strangulation inside a chest
water walking boots
crystal plate mail
spellbook of invisibility
Top level
&nbsp;&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;&nbsp;---S---S---S---|.......+.+...|---+----|.|----&nbsp;&nbsp;|...\(|.+&gt;|&nbsp;&nbsp;---+----|.|----|.......+.+...|---S---S---S---&nbsp;&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;&nbsp;
Vlad the Impaler occupies the throne in the center of the top floor, carrying the Candelabrum of Invocation; a chest sits behind the throne. Each of the six marked niches contains a random vampire and a chest; if vampires are extinct or genocided, they will be replaced with random monsters. Two of the six chests in the closets are guaranteed to contain stacks of 4–8 candles; one chest contains wax candles and the other contains tallow candles.[1]

History
As early as NetHack 3.0.0, a different form of Vlad's Tower appeared embedded in Hell (which was later replaced by Gehennom): Each of the three levels appeared embedded in a maze, much as the modern Wizard's Tower is, except that the lower level was directly accessible from the maze. The Candelabrum of Invocation did not yet exist, and the Wizard still carried the Amulet of Yendor, meaning that Vlad was strictly optional from this version until NetHack 3.1.0, when the Tower became its own branch and took on its modern design.
The guaranteed candles of the top level were added in NetHack 3.6.0 to ensure that the player will have more than enough candles to perform the invocation without resorting to wishing or polypiling.

Variants
SLASH'EM
&nbsp;&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;&nbsp;---S---S---S---|.......+.+...|---+-+--|.|----&nbsp;&nbsp;|....V|.+&gt;|&nbsp;&nbsp;---+-+--|.|----|.......+.+...|---S---S---S---&nbsp;&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;|V|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;---&nbsp;&nbsp;
In SLASH'EM, Vlad's tower became even more complicated, when his room was locked behind six indestructible doors(marked orange, real color is brown), that would have to be opened using keys from alignment quests. At least two of the keys would have to be acquired before approaching Vlad would be possible, but you can sometimes do without them.
Vlad, the throne and the chest occupy the same square now. There are no guaranteed candles in the chests here.

UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, there is now a magic portal that leads directly into the courtyard of the tower; the down stair leading out into Gehennom is still present.  The chests on the top floor are now large boxes that double as coffins; each contains a vampire and vampire lord that normally occupies the niche in vanilla NetHack, and they will awaken when you open the boxes.

dNetHack
Main articles: User:Chris/dNetHack/Windowless_Tower and User:Chris/dNetHack/dNethack_Windowless_Tower_Monsters
In dNetHack, Vlad's tower is redesigned: it is now located above the Gnomish Mines, which extend upward for another level, and there is an additional base floor to the tower itself that is set in a desolate field, with a moat and drawbridge surrounding the actual tower entrance. While a low-level character can attempt to get the Candelabrum early and use the candles provided in and around Minetown, actually facing Vlad and his cronies may prove a bad idea for the unprepared. Even so, players capable of defeating Cerberus, who is somewhat but still quite formidable, can access a hidden section in the middle level (now the third floor of the tower) contains holy water, which is extremely useful for atheists or anachrononauts; Cerberus can be repelled with the Circle of Acheron ward, and fire resistance provides a defense against its breath attack.

SpliceHack
Main article: Vlad's Castle (SpliceHack)
In SpliceHack, the bottom floor of Vlad's Tower has been replaced with a castle surrounded by a large courtyard.

References

↑ tower.des in NetHack 3.4.3, line 48

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