# Scroll of destroy armor
This article is about the scroll, which "destroy armor" redirects to. For the monster spell that shares many similar messages, see Destroy armor (monster spell).

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Name

destroy armor

Appearance

random

Base price

100 zm

Weight

5

Ink to write

5-9

Monster use

Will not be used by monsters.

The scroll of destroy armor is a scroll that appears in NetHack. The random label associated with it in objects.c is JUYED AWK YACC.[1]

Contents

1 Description
2 Strategy
3 History
4 Messages
5 xNetHack
6 References

Description
Reading the scroll of destroy armor will destroy one piece of worn armor as follows: First, the outermost armor on your torso is determined, i.e. cloak, body armor, and shirt in that order. Then the scroll checks in order whether you are wearing a helmet, gloves, boots, and/or a shield. For each one of these four items that you are wearing, there is a 75% chance that it will be selected over the previously selected one (or 100% if no armor has been selected yet).[2]
If you are wearing a full set of armor, the chances of each piece being selected are as follows:

0.39% cloak
1.17% helmet
4.69% gloves
18.75% boots
75.00% shield
If a cursed scroll targets cursed armor in this way, it stuns you for 10-19 turns and lowers that armor's enchantment by one (unless it is at -7) instead of destroying it. 
If you read the scroll while you are not wearing armor, your strength and constitution are abused. If you are not a beginner, the scroll will be identified - otherwise, "you have a strange feeling for a moment, then it passes".
Reading a non-cursed scroll while confused removes erodeproofing on a piece of armor, targeted in the same way as above - reading a cursed scroll while confused instead applies erodeproofing a piece of armor, but does not repair it if damaged the way reading a scroll of enchant armor while confused does.

Strategy
The scroll of destroy armor is a typical example of what makes randomly read-testing scrolls a bad idea without identifying it beforehand in some manner. In terms of price identification, it costs the same base price as the scroll of fire, which is similarly (if not more) perilous to a random scroll reader. Wearing only non-cursed disposable armor makes this scroll safer to read and identify - while wearing none at all will also identify it through its unique message, this may be less preferable depending on how willing to tolerate stat abuse you are at that point.
However, intentionally reading a noncursed scroll can reliably destroy cursed pieces of armor when done after removing all other armor. The confused effect of reading a cursed scroll is also useful for protecting armor - though it does not repair damage, it allows you to save the latter scrolls for actual enchantments if you are only erodeproofing. Writing the cursed scroll with a magic marker can also save ink compared to scrolls of enchant armor.

History
The scroll of destroy armor has been present in the game since the first version of Hack.

Messages
Your cloak crumbles and turns to dust!Your armor turns to dust and falls to the 

<floor>!Your shirt crumbles into tiny threads and falls apart!Your helmet turns to dust and is blown away!Your gloves vanish!Your boots disintegrate!Your shield crumbles away!
One of your worn pieces of armor was destroyed from reading the scroll.
Your <armor> vibrates.
You read a cursed scroll of destroy armor and it targeted a piece of cursed armor you were wearing.
Your skin itches.
You read the scroll while wearing no armor.
Your bones itch.
As above while confused.
Your <armor> glows purple for a moment.
You read the scroll while confused.
Your <armor> vibrates for a moment.
As above, while also blind.
xNetHack
In xNetHack, reading the blessed scroll of destroy armor allows you to select which piece of armor to destroy.

References

↑ src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 829

↑ some_armor in do_wear.c

</armor></armor></armor></floor>