# Wand of speed monster

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Name

speed monster

Appearance

random

Abundance

5%

Base price

150 zm

Weight

7

Type

beam

Maximum charges

8

Monster use

May be used by monsters as misc items.

The wand of speed monster is a wand that appears in NetHack.

Contents

1 Generation
2 Effects
3 Strategy
4 History
5 Messages
6 Variants

6.1 SLASH'EM
6.2 NetHack brass
6.3 xNetHack

7 References

Generation
Randomly generated monsters may receive a wand of speed monster as a miscellaneous item, with a 1⁄6 chance of one appearing in a monster's starting inventory if a speed item is chosen.[1]

Effects
Zapping the wand at yourself or a monster gives the target(s) intrinsic speed; gaining intrinsic speed by zapping yourself also exercises dexterity. Monsters can zap the wand at themselves, and observing them doing so will auto-identify it. Monsters that you zap with this wand are capable of resisting its effect, dependent on a check against their magic resistance value, and zapping a peaceful monster will anger it - this check does not occur for monsters zapping the wand at themselves.
Engraving with a wand of speed monster gives a unique message if you are not blind, but does not auto-identify the wand.[2]

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.

Zapping yourself with a wand of speed monster gives 50–74 turns of temporary intrinsic speed and does not give permanent intrinsic speed.  Monsters still get permanent speed.  (commit 95972d71)
Strategy
Once you have zapped yourself with this wand, the intrinsic speed is permanent, and the wand is generally used for speeding up pets and steeds afterward. Backup wands should be kept stashed elsewhere - including at least one in your 'main' inventory - in the event you are subjected to delayed stoning from a footrice or the slowing attacks of skeletons and shades.
Pets may resist the wand's effect like any other monster, particularly if they are a high-have the same chance of resisting as any other monster; if zapping your pet does not generate a message, they may have resisted or else already have intrinsic speed.  If there is no message, the pet probably resisted, or was fast already. You can check to see if a pet has intrinsic speed (fast) by applying a stethoscope to the pet.

History
The wand of speed monster has been present in the game since Hack 1.21, a variant of Jay Fenlason's Hack.

Messages
The bugs on the floor speed up!
You engraved with the wand.
You speed up.
You gained intrinsic speed by zapping yourself.
Your quickness feels more natural.
You gained intrinsic speed while you already had extrinsic speed.

<monster> is suddenly moving faster.
A monster was zapped with this wand and either became fast or is no longer slow.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, two wands of speed monster can be found in the outside area of Grund's Stronghold. This also applies to SlashTHEM.

NetHack brass
In NetHack brass, the wand of speed monster's effects are temporary.

xNetHack
In xNetHack, the effects of the wand instead give you temporary very fast speed, making the wand in general more useful - its effects on monsters are unchanged. The temporary speed can be used to escape from a dire situation, or else close in quickly on a particularly troublesome monster to kill it faster. The potion of speed now grants intrinsic speed, as well as temporary very fast speed.

References

↑ src/muse.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 2034

↑ src/engrave.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 680

</monster>