Squint

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Squint
Command information
GP Cost Variable
Learnt At Unknown
Skills Used magic.methods.mental.charming

magic.methods.mental.cursing

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 need to know the appropriate methods for this to work.

Syntax

  • squint research by {ogling|glaring|squinching|blinking|peering} [at] <target> Build on your squint research by applying a certain squinting method on your current research and using it on a target.
  • squint research by {scathing|winking|glancing|eyeing} [at] <target> Build on your squint research by applying a certain squinting method on your current research and using it on a target.
  • squint <squint> at <target> Squint at a target using a squint you have remembered.
  • squint from scratch Abandon your current squint research and start anew.
  • squint at <target> Squint at a target using the same technique as the last time you squinted.
  • squint dub <new name> Give the squint you are currently researching a name and store it in your memory.
  • squint info <squint> Check what squinting methods a squint you have remembered consists of.
  • squint info [current squint] Check what squinting methods the squint you last used consists of.
  • squints Show what squints you have memorised.
  • forget <squint> Forget a spell or squint you have remembered.
  • forget all squints Forget all squints you have remembered.

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.

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.

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.

Blink

Blink increases the target's strength by 1.
It is 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.
Works on dwarfs, gnomes, gnolls, golems, humans, merpersons, nymphs, sprites, trolls, zombies, and skeleton warriors summoned with Grisald's Reanimated Guardian.
Does not seem to work on werewolves, snakes, giant fruitbats, and dogs.

Eye

Eyeing prepares the target for scathing mockery.
It is 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.
Eyeing someone already under the evil eye will mention one thing you saw them do that you could mock into doing better. This is useful when you have no idea what the verb to mock would be.

Glance

Glancing makes a squint faster.
It is taught by Agnes Nitt in a cottage just northeast of Mad Stoat.
To learn it you might not need any skill.

Glaring

Glaring unbalances the mind of the weak, making them wander off a few rooms.
It is taught by Decate the Dreadful in Ephebe.
To learn it, you need 60 levels of spoken Ephebian and 300 levels of magic.methods.mental.cursing.
Mocking reveals it uses magic.methods.mental.charming and magic.methods.mental.cursing.
Glaring works on dwarfs, gnolls, humans, merpersons, nymphs, trolls, yetis, and zombies.
Trolls, rather than leave the room, turn into boulders.
Yetis (and possibly other npcs) can bounce back into your room while in the mountains, possibly due to small number of non-climbing exits.
Glaring does not work on sprites, werewolves, animals, gnomes, little old ladies, trees or grflxen.
It works during combat and on beings you are currently fighting.
This method does not make the target aggressive.
  • The target moves backward on the first glare, then forward twice (if the appropriate exits are available).
    • If the target is glared a second time (without moving on its own) then they instead move forward, then forward twice (if the appropriate exits are available).
    • You can tell which direction npcs are facing with the facing <living> command.
    • If they cannot move in the preferred directions they seem to choose a random direction.
Decate the Dreadful looks at you appraisingly before focussing a terrifying glare at your forehead.

Ogle

Ogling causes the target's nose to drop off.
It is PK-checked.
It is taught by Mad Gammer Nudity in Razorback.
To learn it you need 150 levels of magic.methods.mental.cursing.
Ogling can TM magic.methods.mental.channeling.
This method does not make the target aggressive.
Trunks can drop off elephants with enough skill. Most other forms of noses (beak, snout, etc) will not drop off.

Peer

Peering shows the witch a two-color aura representing the target's hit points and guild points respectively.
It is taught by Mum Blithesome in (or near) her cottage on Grave's Hope road in northeast Sto Lat.
To learn it you need 50 levels of magic.methods.spiritual.divining.
If an aura is white, the hit/guild points are at 100% full. As the points get lower, the colors descend from purple, to blue, green, yellow, orange, and finally red and near black near 0%. (Your skill in divining will determine how accurate your peering is.)

Scathe

Scathe causes a small amount of damage to the target.
It is PK-checked.
It is 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).
The target's Magic.methods.elemental.water skill may defend against it. You may TM ma.me.el.wa when an NPC witch uses scathe on you.

Squinch

Squinch causes a moderate amount of damage to the target.
It is PK-checked.
It is taught by Khin-bin-lap in the witch caravan (curious caravan) that travels inside the city of Djelibeybi.
To learn it you need 60 levels of spoken Djelian, 200 levels of magic.methods.mental.channeling, and 50 levels of magic.methods.elemental.fire.
Mocking reveals it uses Magic.methods.mental.channeling and Magic.methods.elemental.fire.

Wink

Winking switches the target's attitude to defensive.
It is PK-checked.
It is taught by Mama Diksha in the shelter above Ming Lane in Bes Pelargic.
To learn it you need 60 levels of spoken Agatean. You probably also need some levels of magic.methods.mental.charming and/or magic.methods.mental.cursing. (200 charming and 110 cursing was enough; lower may be ok.)

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. A squint can be dubbed after at least one "squint research" command. For a pure squint, you must do at least one "squint research" command. For a mixed squint, you must do at least one of each of the basic squint techniques you want to use. If you have not done any "squint research" commands, "squint dub" will fail with the message "You haven't practised any squint!", and "squint info" will say "You're not practising a squint at the moment."

Extra "squint research" commands allow you to get the balance between the basic techniques to be how you want. 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.

Examples

Setting up a squint with one method

Here are the steps to follow to set up a squint with one squint method, in this case, scathing. First find a rat or some other target. Then use these commands:

  • squint from scratch
  • squint research by scathing at rat
  • squint info
  • squint dub superscathe

Now you have a squint called superscathe, so you can use it like this:

  • squint superscathe at rat

Setting up a squint with more than one method

Here is how to set up a squint with more than one method, in this case ogle mixed with glance. First find a target, such as a rat for example. Then use these commands. You can repeat the "squint research" and "squint info" commands as many times as you want to get the mix just how you want it.

  • squint from scratch
  • squint research by ogling at rat
  • squint research by glancing at rat
  • squint info
  • squint dub nosedropper

Now you have a squint called nosedropper which is made up of glancing and ogling. You can use it like this:

  • squint nosedropper at rat

External links