# Scroll of confuse monster
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Name

confuse monster

Appearance

random

Base price

100 zm

Weight

5

Ink to write

6-11

Monster use

Will not be used by monsters.

A scroll of confuse monster is a scroll that appears in NetHack.

Contents

1 Description
2 Strategy
3 Messages
4 References

Description
Reading a noncursed scroll of confuse monster causes your hands to glow red, and will also prompt you to name the scroll. The red glow signifies that your next non-lethal hit will confuse the target monster unless you are in a form that lacks hands; the intensity of the glow represents how many uses of the ability you have. A blessed scroll will cause them to glow "a brilliant red" when read, which adds 2-9 (more) uses. Upon hitting a monster using your hands or a wielded weapon, a use is consumed and the monster must pass a check against its magic resistance, becoming confused if they fail the check. This does not occur if the target monster is already confused.[1]
While there is no upper limit on uses that can be added, once at least 40 uses are stored, reading a noncursed scroll will only grant one additional use.[2] The spell of confuse monster has similar effects, depending on your skill level in enchantment spells; enlightenment after using either source will display "You are going to confuse monsters" in the status list.
Reading a cursed scroll of confuse monster will instead confuse you for d100 (more) turns. The same occurs if you read a non-blessed scroll while already confused; reading a blessed scroll while confused will instead cure your confusion. If you are polymorphed into any non-@ monster form, reading a scroll of any beatitude will also confuse you for d100 (more) turns.

Strategy
Main article: Confusion#Monster confusion
The scroll of confuse monster can be a decent early-game supplement: confused monsters will fail to cast spells properly, move erratically, and may even attack other hostile monsters nearby; they will also experience alternate effects from reading scrolls. Confusing a monster generally makes it much less likely to attack you directly, However, they are also unpredictable and not to be taken lightly, and will still try to use ranged abilities.
The scroll is typically unlikely to see much use beyond that point, and tends to be a good candidate for blanking. The monster magic resistance of hostile monsters generally increases as you progress, making them generally less effective; while still somewhat useful, confusion also takes a backseat to other incapacitating spells and effects. A cursed scroll (or any scroll for non-@ polyforms) can still serve as a source of confusion if you lack potions of booze, confusion or a forgotten spell. Conversely, the confusion-removal effect of a blessed scroll that is read while confused is situational at best, and is often superseded by a unicorn horn.

Messages
Your hands begin to glow red 

<even more="">.
You read an uncursed scroll of confuse monster, with the latter appended if you already have uses stored.
Your hands begin to tingle <even more="">.
As above, while blind; this also applies if you are blind and confused.
Your hands glow a brilliant red.
You read a blessed scroll of confuse monster.
Your hands tingle very sharply.
As above, while blind.
Your hands glow an even more brilliant red.
You read a blessed scroll with at least one use in store.
Your hands tingle even more.
As above, while blind.
Your hands no longer glow so brightly red.
You hit a monster in melee and consumed a usage of the ability, and you still have uses remaining.
The tingling in your hands lessens.
As above, while blind.
Your hands stop glowing red.
You hit a monster in melee and consumed your remaining use of the ability.
Your hands stop tingling.
As above, while blind.
<target> appears confused.
Your attack successfully confused the hit monster.
You feel confused.
You read a cursed scroll of confusion, or a scroll of any beatitude when polymorphed into a non-@ monster form.
Your hands begin to glow purple.
You read an uncursed scroll while confused.
A red glow surrounds your head.
You read a blessed scroll while confused and cured your confusion.
A faint buzz surrounds your head.
As above, while blind.
References

↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.1, line 2788

↑ read.c in NetHack 3.6.0, line 1177: after a while, repeated uses become less effective

This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.
It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.6.0. Information on this page may be out of date.
Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-360}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.

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