👉 Same-race sacrifice occurs when you sacrifice a corpse of your own race on an altar. This dangerous act is heavily frowned upon by the gods and usually has dire consequences, but it can also be used as a risky method to summon demon lords.
📖 Overview
Sacrificing a member of your own race is considered a severe offense in GnollHack. The exact consequences depend on the alignment of the altar where the sacrifice takes place.
ℹ️ Note: A same-race sacrifice is determined by your character's race. For example, a human sacrificing a human corpse, or an elf sacrificing an elf corpse.
🛕 High Altars
Same-race sacrifice on a High Altar is treated as a desecration of the most sacred site. Unless both you and the altar are Chaotic, or it is Moloch's altar, the owning god will directly smite you with devastating force—the same punishment as trying to convert a high altar, which is often instantly fatal.
⚠️ Warning: Never perform a same-race sacrifice on a high altar unless you are Chaotic and the altar is also Chaotic or Moloch's. The smite is one of the most lethal events in the game.
⚡ The Non-Chaotic Penalty
Regardless of the altar you use, if your character's alignment is Lawful or Neutral, the act of a same-race sacrifice immediately incurs severe divine punishment:
- You instantly lose 1 Wisdom.
- Your alignment record and Luck are both decreased by 5.
- Your god's anger increases by 3, which triggers an immediate divine smite1.
1 The divine smite is skipped if you are inside Gehennom.
⚖️ Lawful and Neutral Altars
If you perform a same-race sacrifice on a Lawful or Neutral altar, the gods will immediately intervene to punish you. No demon lord is summoned in this scenario.
The consequences for the altar are severe:
- The altar is instantly desecrated and converted into a Chaotic altar. It is stained with blood.
- Any attending priest becomes hostile.
😈 Chaotic and Moloch Altars
Sacrificing your own race on a Chaotic or Moloch altar is treated as a demonic summoning ritual. This ritual will always attempt to summon a Chaotic demon lord.
🕯️ Demonic Summoning Ritual
Terror Effect
The sheer terror of the summoning will paralyze you for 3 turns ("You are terrified, and unable to move.") unless you possess Fear Resistance.
The Summoned Demon
| Sacrifice Location | Primary Summon | Fallback Summon (if primary exists) |
|---|---|---|
| In Gehennom | Demogorgon | Random Chaotic Demon Lord |
| Outside Gehennom | Random Chaotic Demon Lord | None |
☯️ Alignment-Based Outcomes
The consequences of the ritual depend heavily on your character's alignment:
| Player Alignment | Altar Effects & Messages | Demon Lord Hostility | Luck Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Non-Chaotic (Lawful/Neutral) |
Chaotic Altar: Destroyed (vanishes in a black cloud). Moloch Altar: Intact, covered in blood. |
100% Hostile, attacking immediately. | -5 (from severe divine punishment) |
| Chaotic | Altar remains intact, covered in blood. | Variable (see below). | +2 (Chaotic Altar) -2 (Moloch Altar) |
ℹ️ Note: Non-Chaotic characters will also suffer the standard severe divine punishment (Wisdom loss, alignment loss, and a divine smite) in addition to fighting a hostile demon lord.
⚔️ Chaotic Character Demon Hostility
If you are a Chaotic character, the Chaotic demon lord may be appeased by your sacrifice.
- First Summon: The first time you successfully summon a demon lord this way, it is guaranteed to be peaceful (0% chance of being hostile).
- Subsequent Summons: The chance that subsequent demon lords will be hostile increases significantly, scaling with your alignment record.
The approximate hostility chances for your subsequent demon lord summons are detailed below:
| Alignment Record Rank | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pious (20) | ~13.3% | ~18.8% | ~26.7% | ~41.7% |
| Devout (14) | ~16.7% | 25.0% | 40.0% | ~83.3% |
| Fervent (9) | ~22.2% | 37.5% | 80.0% | ~83.3% |
| Strident (4) | ~33.3% | 75.0% | 80.0% | ~83.3% |
| Normal (0) | ~66.7% | 75.0% | 80.0% | ~83.3% |
| Negative (< 0) | 80.0% | ~85.7% | ~88.9% | ~90.9% |
👹 Demons Sacrificing Demons
If you are currently in demon form (e.g., via polymorph), sacrificing your own race does not incur the standard penalties. Instead, you find the act highly satisfying, which exercises your Wisdom ("You find the idea very satisfying.").