# Potion of paralysis

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Name

paralysis

Appearance

random

Base price

300 zm

Weight

20

Monster use

May be used offensively by monsters.

The potion of paralysis causes paralysis.

Effects
Quaffing it will paralyze you; 13-22 turns if blessed, 25-34 turns if uncursed, and 37-46 turns if cursed. Breathing the vapors from a potion of paralysis that shatters near you will paralyze you for 1-5 turns. Like most forms of paralysis, having free action makes this potion harmless.
Potions of paralysis may be thrown at monsters or wielded and smashed on their head. Both methods paralyze the monster for 1-25 turns (the potion's beatitude doesn't affect this). If the monster is already paralyzed, the potion doesn't increase the duration; it just has no effect.[1] Other than that, monsters cannot resist this paralysis in any way.
Monsters may also throw these at you, but this only causes paralysis for the 1-5 turns from inhaling the vapors.[2]
Though this is a harmful potion, dipping a unicorn horn in it does not convert it to water.

Strategy
This potion can be a great way to take down a powerful monster such as a quest nemesis, a demon lord, or the Wizard of Yendor.
Missing with a thrown potion wastes it, unlike a wielded one. However, smashing one in melee will make you inhale the vapors, so this is dangerous unless you have free action or are polymorphed into a monster that is both breathless and eyeless.[3]

References

↑ potion.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 1070

↑ potion.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 1267

↑ src/dothrow.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 1983

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