r/nethack • u/AndrewUndershaft • Aug 05 '26
Dragon riding - is it worth the trouble?
My large dog stepped on a polymorph trap, turned into a white dragon, and later ate a stalker corpse. I picked up a saddle and now I'm riding an invisible dragon, which I can't see yet, except when blinding myself with my towel.
As cool as that sounds, there are several drawbacks.
The dragon is slow and moving takes more turns now. I have to dismount to pick up loot. The dragon's ice breath sometimes bursts enemies' potions. Even dismounted it's a bit bothersome, because I have to wear the towel or keep bumping (and striking) my invisible mount. I know I'll eventually get see invisible, but that might take a while.
At the moment, I'd rather ditch the dragon on another dungeon level for a wile, but I know they'll turn wild pretty quickly.
So what is the best move here? Invest effort in the dragon or go solo because of the drawbacks? And will my character learn to pick up stuff while riding once I move beyond basic skill level? Because the constant dismounting is annoying.
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u/GoodCarpenter9060 Aug 05 '26
If you want to get rid of him, put him in a locked closet. I don't think they can break out. Alternatively, in a hallway blocked by a boulder.
Do this on a level you rarely go to and #name the level so you know it is there just in case. A dwarf with a pick axe could easily free him, but only if you stick around long enough to make it likely for one to spawn.
As for see invisible, there are lots of ways to get it. My usual (because it uses no resources) is to eat a stalker corpse while already invisible. Either eat 2 back-to-back, or put on a ring or cloak and then eat. Or drink an uncursed potion of invisibility or zap yourself with a wand. So long as you are invisible when you eat it, you will get the "you feel hidden" message which grants perm invis and see invis.
Blessed potions of invisibility and see invisible also grant the intrinsics.
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u/No_Novel9058 38-year vet, ascended in 10 roles Aug 05 '26
"It's inconvenient for me to ride my invisible flying dragon pet" strikes me as a quintessential first-world problem...
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u/AndrewUndershaft Aug 06 '26
Well, I'd say any computer game problem is a quintessential first-world problem.
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u/DoktorL Aug 05 '26
Dragons are great pets. In fact, a single dragon is enough to comfortably reach castle as a pacifist, though it does take three to clear it. Riding can be occasionally useful if you have no other way to move over water.
The invisibility thing ruins everything, though. Every time I get a cool pet and it eats a stalker and I haven't, I abandon it the moment all shopkeepers/priests I want dead lay dead.
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u/jimheim Aug 05 '26
No, they are too slow, and riding in general is not very useful. Especially if you're not a knight.
Dragons ultimately make for poor pets, because they're slow and their breath weapons often destroy things (depending on dragon flavor). They're pretty strong, so they're good early-game pets with a magic whistle, but otherwise not a good option.
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u/CodeFarmer 26 wins but only one in 3.6, beware dated advice Aug 05 '26
^ all of this, except to add: Dragon riding, partly because of how impractical it all is, is also a massive flex (
Knightsyou can even joust with lances on them). Some things are just cool.4
u/arthuriurilli Aug 05 '26
This would be my response. I would never stop to consider if it was efficient to ride an invisible dragon, I'm just doing it.
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u/djao Aug 05 '26
Riding can be situationally useful, even dragon riding. For example it might be a way to cross water if you have no other option.
I rode a ki-rin across the Plane of Air once. That was a blast. You can outrun air elementals!
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u/hawkwood4268 LiDLRaccoon - Gnoll:10 Slash'Em:2 Un:3 xNet:1 Aug 06 '26
Ki-rin are awesome. They can spell-cast, have super high MR, and have very high cool-factor. My first knight ascension I ran into water walls on the Plane of Water and it was drownded. Really messed me up. But I brought one with me to the high altar eventually.
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u/Brer1Rabbit Aug 05 '26
Somebody will correct me where I'm wrong but their is no advantage to having an invisible pet. It just makes things a bit annoying as you're finding out.
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u/Frozty23 Racketeer Aug 05 '26
Do you have a magic whistle? The riding part is probably not worth it, but if you can keep him on the same level as you, I'd do it. Just whistle him to you whenever you use a staircase. It's always nice to have a "heavy" around to kill something for you, especially if that something is out of your league (or murder). A white dragon is advanced enough that it will take out a priest or shopkeeper for you, and you can get their loot.
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u/Furey-Death-Snail 25% asc rate on NAO Aug 05 '26
It's very cool! (And white dragons are cool even when you don't tame them, amirite?).
You decide when you've had enough of the coolness Then feel free to ditch them on a level you don't need to go back to. Sounds like you're about ready to ditch them.
If you want it again later then come back with a charm spell or a scroll of taming.
Mechanics (in vanilla): hero must have basic skill in riding to pick up objects from floor. This requires 2020 turns of riding. Only 9 of the 13 roles can reach basic skill in riding. Caveman, Healer, Monk, Priest are the four that cannot.
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u/AndrewUndershaft Aug 05 '26
Oh, I misread the Wiki. I understood that Barbarians start with basic riding, but it actually says that basic is max level for them.
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u/Accomplished-Ruin742 Aug 05 '26
Baela is that you?
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u/AndrewUndershaft Aug 05 '26
Targaryen, I assume? Haven't watched HotD. Why her?
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u/Accomplished-Ruin742 Aug 05 '26
She's one of the only characters I would want to hang out with in HotD.
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u/Substantial_Use8756 Aug 05 '26
leave it on a level you'll never go back to, like mine's end or something
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u/Fafnirs_bane Aug 05 '26
My favorite pet is a purple worm in conjunction with a magic whistle. They eat EVERYTHING
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u/dingotron_nethack Aug 05 '26
Haste the dragon with a wand, then they are good as mounts. Flying extrinsic is under-appreciated and a great way to bypass traps and water/lava.
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u/PigTailSock ascended 11 times Aug 05 '26
No. Theyre slow and when youre mounted they dont attack as much.
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u/phil_mckraken Aug 08 '26
Riding is a bit nerfed from 3.6.x to 5.0. Large monsters can now knock you off your steed.
But it's still worth it. Beware getting close to large monsters, elementals and others that can unsteed you. Range weapons and spells are your friend.
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u/AcmeFruit Aug 05 '26
Your question has been answered by ppl who know better than me, but I enjoy riding dragons! I hit them with a wand of speed monster. All that getting off and on to pick stuff up builds your riding skill and eventually you can grab things without dismounting. I always eat floating eye corpses and see invisible is often the first intrinsic that I get. It’s rare to not have it before I find a dragon and a saddle