Squint
From Discworld MUD Wiki
| Squint | |
|---|---|
| Command information | |
| GP Cost | Variable |
| Learnt At | Unknown |
| Skills Used | magic.methods.mental.charming |
| Items Needed | None |
| Guild | Witches' Guild |
Witches are renowned for a having an array of terrible and terrifying ocular afflictions envied by even the most well-practiced member of the Ankh-Morpork Guild of Beggars, but it's not all just for show. Witches use their squinty eyeballs for a range of practical purposes. The squint ability is used to create 'squints', which are amalgamations of the different methods available.
The base squint command is learned from Millie Hopgood in Slice. Every method of squinting has a different skill requirement and a different teacher.
Dubbed squints can be taught to other witches using the teach command. You probably need to know the appropriate methods for this to work right.
Contents |
[edit] Syntax
- squint research by {eyeing|blinking|scathing|squinching|glancing} [at] <target>
- squint research by {winking|peering|ogling} [at] <target>
- squint <squint> at <target>
- squint from scratch
- squint at <target>
- squint dub <new name>
- squint info <squint>
- squint info [current squint]
[edit] Researching and Dubbing Squints
The command squint and its multiple syntax forms can be daunting. Unlike the soul squint, the ability squint is a development tool. To build a squint for combat, training or boosting, a witch must first learn the squint methods as described below.
Typing syntax squint will bring up a very scary list of commands. However, it will also show what methods are available for research.
Researching is the process of setting a method into a squint. When research is finished, squint info will show the squint's composition. If you don't like your squint you can clear the research with squint from scratch.
To lock in the composition of a squint, dub it with a name you are comfortable typing. The newly named squint will appear in the squints command.
Now for the moment of truth. To use the created squint, use squint <name> at <target> with the name of the dubbed squint and your target in their specified places.
[edit] Head space
Squints take up 4 units of Head space each. Using more or less squint methods does not seem to change this amount.
If you do not have enough Head space left when dubbing the squint it will fail:
You don't have the mental capacity for memorising yet another squint.
To avoid using Head space for squints using only one method, you can simply make an alias like the following:
alias sc squint research by scathing at opponent;squint from scratch
You may need to tell your client to send the line intact without breaking the like at the ";", possibly by adding "\" without the quotes at the start of the line.
If however you stop before the squint from scratch is performed, the next time you use squint it will contain the previous squint method. Thus for aliases for non-offensive squints you might want to put a squint from scratch before it as well just in case.
To remove a squint from memory and reclaim the head space you can forget the dubbed squint.
[edit] Methods
Except where noted, the witches teaching the squint methods speak morporkian.
You need to know the spoken part of the appropriate language rather well (around level 60) to successfully ask them to teach you the method.
[edit] Blink
- Blink increases the target's strength by 1.
- Taught by Ethel Applebaum in Scrogden.
- To learn it you need 50 levels of magic.methods.spiritual.conjuring and 200 levels of magic.methods.mental.charming.
[edit] Eye
- Eyeing prepares the target for scathing mockery.
- Taught by Millie Hopgood in Slice.
- To learn it you need 20 levels of magic.methods.mental.cursing.
- The evil eye on the eyeing target last a number of seconds equal to your magic.spells.special bonus. During that time the witnessed actions of the target can be mocked until you lose interest.
[edit] Glance
- Glancing makes a squint faster.
- Taught by Agnes Nitt in a cottage just northeast of Mad Stoat.
- To learn it you might not need any skill.
[edit] Ogle
- Ogling causes the target's nose to drop off.
- It is PK-checked.
- Taught by Mad Gammer Nudity in Razorback.
- To learn it you need 150 levels of magic.methods.mental.cursing.
[edit] Peer
- Peering shows the witch the target's hit points and guild points as a coloured aura.
- Taught by Mum Blithesome in her cottage on Grave's Hope road in northeast Sto Lat.
- To learn it you need 50 levels of magic.methods.spiritual.divining.
[edit] Scathe
- Scathe causes a small amount of damage to the target.
- It is PK-checked.
- Taught by Millie Hopgood in Slice.
- To learn it you need 11 levels of magic.spells.offensive.
- Mocking reveals it uses Magic.methods.mental.channeling, Magic.methods.elemental.fire and Magic.methods.mental.cursing. Damage may also depend on the Intelligence and Wisdom stats (yours vs theirs).
[edit] Squinch
- Squinch causes a moderate amount of damage to the target.
- It is PK-checked.
- Taught by Khin-bin-lap in the witch caravan (curious caravan) that travels inside the city of Djelibeybi.
- Khin-bin-lap speaks djelian, you need djelian spoken skills to successfully ask her to teach you.
- To learn it you need 200 levels of magic.methods.mental.channeling.
- Mocking reveals it uses Magic.methods.mental.channeling and Magic.methods.elemental.fire.
[edit] Wink
- Winking switches the target's attitude to defensive.
- It is PK-checked.
- Taught by Mama Diksha in the shelter above Ming Lane in Bes Pelargic.
- Mama Diksha speaks agatean, you need agatean spoken skills to successfully ask her to teach you.
- To learn it you probably need some levels of magic.methods.mental.charming and/or magic.methods.mental.cursing.
[edit] Mixing Squints
Squints can be mixed together using the "squint research" command. As a witch mixes squints, she might find them becoming faster, or more powerful.
There is currently no alert as to when a mixed squint is ready to be dubbed. There is also currently no information as to the minimum number of times a squint has to be researched before being dubbed. (Anecdotal observations suggests at least 3 times or more.) Therefore a witch might have to research the mix of squints several times to find the mix and effectiveness that she is satisfied with.
For example, mixing lots of "ogle" with a little of "glance" and dubbing it makes the resulting squint work faster than if the witch was only using ogling at the cost of it sometimes doing nothing as if you used glancing.
Typing "squint info" when a squint is being researched will tell a witch the mix and how often she has researched it.
Your squint consists of a very large part of glancing and a small part of ogling.
After dubbing this squint as "Ogl", typing "squint info Ogl" will tell the witch:
Ogl consists of a very large part of glancing and a small part of ogling.
Another popular squint mix is mixing scathe with squinch to make a more powerful squint.
Usually just 2 squints are mixed together, as mixing more squints together defeats the purpose. Mixing "ogle", "peer" and "glance" for example, gives a squint that occassionally peers or ogles, and is generally considered useless.
