Wand

Wands are limited-use magical devices. Any character can zap a wand, but all wands have a specific number of charges. When all charges have been used, the wand does nothing, until recharged.

A wand's effect is not known before it is identified: they only appear by description, such as "an ivory wand".

All wands have a weight of 7.

Generation
Wands comprise 4% of all randomly-generated items in the main dungeon, 6% in containers, 5% on the Rogue level, and 8% in Gehennom. The Prob column above is the relative probability of each subtype. They appear 1/34 (~3%) cursed, 16/17 (~94%) uncursed, and 1/34 (~3%) blessed.

Wands of wishing start with 1 to 3 charges; otherwise, the wand starts with a number of charges at least 4 less than its maximum.

Orcus always carries a wand of death, while Asmodeus always carries wands of fire and cold. Minotaurs usually carry wands of digging. The Castle always contains a wand of wishing in one of its tower rooms.

The above probabilities do not completely predict the relative frequency of wands, because wands can appear in monster inventories as well as on the dungeon floor. In particular, monsters are often given wands of digging, striking, magic missile, and create monster.

Direction, beams, and rays
The type of wand denotes the behavior when it is zapped. Non-directional wands do not ask for a direction. Beam wands ask for a direction, but do not show a visibly animated effect when zapped. Ray wands produce a ray which is animated on the screen; if you are unblind when you zap the wand, you will also identify that type of wand. Rays may bounce off walls, or be reflected.

Note that a directional wand (or spell) may affect not only the first object or creature it hits, but several others behind it. An example of this is healing your pet and a few hostile monsters as well -- or zapping not only your pet with a wand of speed monster, but also a shopkeeper, angering him.

Using wands
Each time you zap or Engrave with a wand, you use one charge. A wand with zero charges left has a 1 in 121 chance of wresting a last charge and then turning to dust each time it is zapped (this won't happen if the wand was cancelled but not recharged). Cancelling a wand will make it uncursed and (except for wands of cancellation) it will get zero charges. Cursed wands have a 1% chance of exploding if zapped, but otherwise function as normal.

Recharging wands
Wands may be recharged by scrolls of charging or by the Platinum Yendorian Express Card. Previously-recharged wands have a chance of exploding (up to a maximum of 100% for a 7:x wand or a wand of wishing); see scroll of charging.

A cursed scroll will have no effect on a blessed wand or a wand with no charges; otherwise, "Your vibrates briefly" and it gets zero charges. An uncursed scroll will bring the number of charges to a random number from 1 to a random number between 5 and the maximum charges shown above (or for a wand of wishing a random number from 1 to 3); a blessed scroll will bring the number of charges in the wand to a random number from 5 to the maximum charges shown above, or for a wand of wishing to three charges. If it already has that number of charges, it gains one more charge. A wand of wishing charged beyond three charges will explode. "Your  briefly." if the new enchantment is below the maximum; "Your  for a moment." otherwise.

Appearance
The appearances of wands are randomized from the following descriptions: glass      balsa       crystal     maple       pine oak        ebony       marble      tin         brass copper     silver      platinum    iridium     zinc aluminum   uranium     iron        steel       hexagonal short      runed       long        curved      forked spiked     jeweled

Breaking wands
You can destroy a wand by applying it. You will be prompted for confirmation, and you must have hands and a strength of at least 10. Wands with no charges and some wands listed below have no effect ("But nothing else happens...").

Most wands will produce an explosion when broken. The explosion causes damage to yourself and any monsters that were in the adjacent squares when you broke the wand. This damage can be reduced or eliminated if you (or the monster) has an appropriate resistance. Damage is also reduced to 1/2 for Healers and Knights and to 1/5 for Monks, Priests and Wizards. Further effects can occur as if you had zapped yourself with the wand. The explosion can also affect objects in your inventory, on your square, and on adjacent squares, and affect locations as if they were zapped. Finally, some types of wands have explosions that make you identify the wand. Specific effects are detailed below. In any case, you destroy the wand and owe the cost if it was unpaid.

Engrave-identification
The easiest and safest way to identify with a wand is to engrave with it. To do so, first write something in the dust with your fingers ("Elbereth" is a good safe default choice; illiterate characters can use "x"), then engrave something else with the wand. You may get a message or effect giving a clue as to what the wand is.

This won't work if you are blind, levitating, or not on a writable floor.

Engraving with a wand uses up one charge (possibly wresting the last), but if the wand is nondirectional, it performs its usual effect.

Create monster, enlightenment, light, and wishing perform their usual effect and self-identify when engraved with. Wands of secret door detection self-identify if they find anything; otherwise, no effect or message.

This technique can be dangerous with wands of create monster and lightning, summoning a monster or making you blind, thus adding "Elbereth" to your existing engraving can be helpful. Lightning will burn it into the floor making an erodeproof Elbereth square to wait out your blindness.

Price-identification
Almost any class of items can be price-identified, but there are two groups of wands for which this is exceptionally useful. Wands of wishing and wands of death are covered in the price identification article; both have base cost 500. In addition, the four wands with base cost 175 are all very useful in the early or middle game. Wands of cold, fire, and lightning provide a powerful ranged attack. Wands of fire and lightning offer an instant method of engraving Elbereth. Freezing water with a wand of cold is one way to cross it or to deal with sea monsters and their dreaded instakill. And wands of sleep are great all the time.

Encyclopedia entry
'Saruman!' he cried, and his voice grew in power and authority. 'Behold, I am not Gandalf the Grey, whom you betrayed. I am Gandalf the White, who has returned from death. You have no colour now, and I cast you from the order and from the Council.' He raised his hand, and spoke slowly in a clear cold voice. 'Saruman, your staff is broken.' There was a crack, and the staff split asunder in Saruman's hand, and the head of it fell down at Gandalf's feet. 'Go!' said Gandalf. With a cry Saruman fell back and crawled away. [ The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]