Alistair's Intoxication

Alistair's Intoxication is a level 5 Alchemy spell which attempts to confuse all monsters in your line of sight.

Useful Info

Alistair's Intoxication attempts to confuse every monster in sight. It can only affect monsters that are all of the following:

• Natural, demonic, or holy.
• Of human intelligence ("it is intelligent").
• Do not have poison immunity or clarity.

It has a 40 + power/3% chance (max. 90%) to confuse each valid monster without poison resistance. Monsters with rPois are only x33% as likely to be confused (i.e., a 66% chance to resist).

If this spell has confused at least one monster, you have a 60 - power/3% chance (min. 10%) to gain the Vertigo status. Poison resistance offers no benefit to players when casting this spell.

Strategy

This spell faces competition from Mephitic Cloud, a level 3 spell which confuses monsters. Since Mephitic Cloud has multiple chances to confuse an enemy, it is often more MP and turn-efficient despite Intoxication having a higher confusion chance. Still, this spell has multiple benefits over Mephitic Cloud:

• It affects everything in LOS. Intoxication has better range, and can affect multiple enemies that are spread out.
• It has a chance to affect monsters with poison resistance.
• It does not check willpower or HD. Unlike Hexes like Cause Fear, Intoxication has the same chance to affect any vulnerable monster, whether it be a goblin or Antaeus.

This spell can be useful in branches like Shoals, the Vaults, or Depths, which have a high number of intelligent ranged enemies. Being able to confuse a squad of yaktaurs from full range is a notable advantage. In Zot, it can help manage draconian packs and Killer Klowns. Can be used to tackle Vaults:5 in particular, since the vault guards surrounding you can all be confused by this spell.

If you want to get later Alchemy spells like Eringya's Noxious Bog or Irradiate, Alistair's Intoxication practically costs no XP. If you got the spell levels, you might as well use it.

History

• Prior to 0.31, Alistair's Intoxication was a dual-school, level 5 Poison Magic / Transmutations spell.
• Prior to 0.28, Alistair's Intoxication could not affect demonic or holy monsters.
• Prior to 0.26, Alistair's Intoxication had a power cap of 100.
• Prior to 0.18, Alistair's Intoxication was level 4 Poison/Transmutations spell, could never affect rPois monsters, and could confuse or int-drain the player instead of causing vertigo. Also, mummies and lichform characters were unable to cast this spell.
• In versions 0.9.2 and earlier, susceptible monsters would be affected 100% of the time.