In
NetHack, succubi and
incubi are extraordinary
monsters. They are represented by the & symbol (
demon). When you meet one, you have the opportunity to raise your
stats by getting some of that good
demon lovin'! I read somewhere that it's been
scientifically proven that
good sex is
medicine for the
heart,
mind, and
soul...I swear,
the DevTeam Thinks of Everything.
At any rate, the chance of getting a positive effect from laying a succubus (I am male, so I'm going to use the succubus as my example in the following, but it all applies equally to the incubus as well) is equal to your Intelligence plus your Charisma plus one, all over 35:
INT + CHA + 1
-------------
35
...so don't try it unless you've got decent stats. Note that if your
Intelligence and
Charisma are maxed out, your chance of benefitting from the experience is 27/35 = about 77%, which is pretty good. Possessing
caveman Intelligence and
Charisma gives you more like a 40% chance. Let the buyer beware.
Anyways, so you're walking down the corridor, and you see the succubus (I won't speculate on what sort of clothes they probably walk around in), and she sees you. She beckons teasingly, you swagger down the hall. She usually won't jump your bones right away...there'll be some flirting and foreplay first:
if (rn2(20) < ACURR(A_CHA)) {
Sprintf(qbuf,"\"Shall I remove your %s, %s?\"",
str,
(!rn2(2) ? "lover" : !rn2(2) ? "dear" : "sweetheart"));
if (yn(qbuf) == 'n') return;
} else {
char hairbuf[BUFSZ];
Sprintf(hairbuf, "let me run my fingers through your %s",
body_part(HAIR));
verbalize("Take off your %s; %s.", str,
(obj == uarm) ? "let's get a little closer" :
(obj == uarmc || obj == uarms) ? "it's in the way" :
(obj == uarmf) ? "let me rub your feet" :
(obj == uarmg) ? "they're too clumsy" :
#ifdef TOURIST
(obj == uarmu) ? "let me massage you" :
#endif
/* obj == uarmh */
hairbuf);
}
remove_worn_item(obj);
}
#endif /* SEDUCE */
Next, she'll probably murmur sweet nothings into your ear, while helping you undress...hopefully there aren't any hostile monsters nearby for the next step:
/* by this point you have discovered mon's identity, blind or not... */
pline("Time stands still while you and %s lie in each other's arms...",
mon_nam(mon));
if (rn2(35) > ACURR(A_CHA) + ACURR(A_INT)) {
After it's over, the game'll roll up whether you benefitted or suffered from the encounter according to the above formula. If there was a positive effect, the succubus will "act as if she has a headache"; this means you can wait a little while for her to recover and then do it again. If the effect is negative, you'll get the message "The succubus seems to have enjoyed it more than you..." and she'll be ready to go again immediately. Furthermore, after each encounter there is a 4% chance that the succubus will be completely worn out. If this happens, she will say she has a "severe" headache and will no longer be interested in you.
Positive effects are as follows (equal probability):
- "You feel good enough to do it again."
You gain 1 Constitution (and your constitution is excercised).
- "You feel restored to health!"
Your hit points are fully restored and your Strength is excercised.
- "You will always remember the succubus."
You gain 1 Wisdom and your Wisdom is excercised.
- "You feel raised to your full potential."
You will gain 1 to 5 Power points permanently and your Power is fully restored. Your Constitution is excercised.
- "That was a very educational experience."
You gain one experience level. Your Wisdom is also excercised.
Of course, it might not be such a wondeful experience. In the words of
Billy Joel: "There's nothing better than
good sex. But
bad sex? A
peanut butter and jelly sandwich is better than
bad sex."
- "You feel down in the dumps."
You lose 1 Constitution point, and your Constitution is abused.
- "Your senses are dulled."
You lose 1 Wisdom point, and your Wisdom is abused.
- "You feel exhausted."
You lose 10 to 18 hit points and your Strength is abused. Physical damage resistance applies.
- "You feel drained of energy."
You lose all your Power points; 1d10 points are deducted from your maximum. Your Constitution is abused.
- "You feel out of shape."
This is the one you really don't want to hear...you lose one experience level. I mean, it's not that hard to get it back, but it's embarassing. If you are resistant to level-draining effects, you get "a curious feeling" and nothing happens.
From a practical standpoint, you ought not to fool around with succubi if you're nearly
dead, lest you succumb to
sexual exhaustion. Also, remember to put your
armor back on when you're finished -- you'd be surprised how many
adventurers forget and start fighting a
vampire or something completely
naked.
Note: The code quoted is excerpted from the NetHack 3.3.0 source code, copyright the DevTeam 1999, I imagine. All other information comes from my reading of the code and summary/paraphrase of various spoiler documents.