11 A Guide to the Mazes of Menace
12 (Guidebook for NetHack)
15 Original version - Eric S. Raymond
16 (Edited and expanded for 3.6 by Mike Stephenson and others)
24 Recently, you have begun to find yourself unfulfilled and
25 distant in your daily occupation. Strange dreams of prospecting,
26 stealing, crusading, and combat have haunted you in your sleep
27 for many months, but you aren't sure of the reason. You wonder
28 whether you have in fact been having those dreams all your life,
29 and somehow managed to forget about them until now. Some nights
30 you awaken suddenly and cry out, terrified at the vivid recollec-
31 tion of the strange and powerful creatures that seem to be lurk-
32 ing behind every corner of the dungeon in your dream. Could
33 these details haunting your dreams be real? As each night pass-
34 es, you feel the desire to enter the mysterious caverns near the
35 ruins grow stronger. Each morning, however, you quickly put the
36 idea out of your head as you recall the tales of those who en-
37 tered the caverns before you and did not return. Eventually you
38 can resist the yearning to seek out the fantastic place in your
39 dreams no longer. After all, when other adventurers came back
40 this way after spending time in the caverns, they usually seemed
41 better off than when they passed through the first time. And who
42 was to say that all of those who did not return had not just kept
45 Asking around, you hear about a bauble, called the Amulet of
46 Yendor by some, which, if you can find it, will bring you great
47 wealth. One legend you were told even mentioned that the one who
48 finds the amulet will be granted immortality by the gods. The
49 amulet is rumored to be somewhere beyond the Valley of Gehennom,
50 deep within the Mazes of Menace. Upon hearing the legends, you
51 immediately realize that there is some profound and undiscovered
52 reason that you are to descend into the caverns and seek out that
53 amulet of which they spoke. Even if the rumors of the amulet's
54 powers are untrue, you decide that you should at least be able to
55 sell the tales of your adventures to the local minstrels for a
56 tidy sum, especially if you encounter any of the terrifying and
57 magical creatures of your dreams along the way. You spend one
58 last night fortifying yourself at the local inn, becoming more
59 and more depressed as you watch the odds of your success being
60 posted on the inn's walls getting lower and lower.
73 In the morning you awake, collect your belongings, and set
74 off for the dungeon. After several days of uneventful travel,
75 you see the ancient ruins that mark the entrance to the Mazes of
76 Menace. It is late at night, so you make camp at the entrance
77 and spend the night sleeping under the open skies. In the morn-
78 ing, you gather your gear, eat what may be your last meal out-
79 side, and enter the dungeon...
81 2. What is going on here?
83 You have just begun a game of NetHack. Your goal is to grab
84 as much treasure as you can, retrieve the Amulet of Yendor, and
85 escape the Mazes of Menace alive.
87 Your abilities and strengths for dealing with the hazards of
88 adventure will vary with your background and training:
90 Archeologists understand dungeons pretty well; this enables
91 them to move quickly and sneak up on the local nasties. They
92 start equipped with the tools for a proper scientific expedition.
94 Barbarians are warriors out of the hinterland, hardened to
95 battle. They begin their quests with naught but uncommon
96 strength, a trusty hauberk, and a great two-handed sword.
98 Cavemen and Cavewomen start with exceptional strength but,
99 unfortunately, with neolithic weapons.
101 Healers are wise in medicine and apothecary. They know the
102 herbs and simples that can restore vitality, ease pain, anes-
103 thetize, and neutralize poisons; and with their instruments, they
104 can divine a being's state of health or sickness. Their medical
105 practice earns them quite reasonable amounts of money, with which
106 they enter the dungeon.
108 Knights are distinguished from the common skirmisher by
109 their devotion to the ideals of chivalry and by the surpassing
110 excellence of their armor.
112 Monks are ascetics, who by rigorous practice of physical and
113 mental disciplines have become capable of fighting as effectively
114 without weapons as with. They wear no armor but make up for it
115 with increased mobility.
117 Priests and Priestesses are clerics militant, crusaders ad-
118 vancing the cause of righteousness with arms, armor, and arts
119 thaumaturgic. Their ability to commune with deities via prayer
120 occasionally extricates them from peril, but can also put them in
123 Rangers are most at home in the woods, and some say slightly
124 out of place in a dungeon. They are, however, experts in archery
125 as well as tracking and stealthy movement.
129 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
139 Rogues are agile and stealthy thieves, with knowledge of
140 locks, traps, and poisons. Their advantage lies in surprise,
141 which they employ to great advantage.
143 Samurai are the elite warriors of feudal Nippon. They are
144 lightly armored and quick, and wear the dai-sho, two swords of
145 the deadliest keenness.
147 Tourists start out with lots of gold (suitable for shopping
148 with), a credit card, lots of food, some maps, and an expensive
149 camera. Most monsters don't like being photographed.
151 Valkyries are hardy warrior women. Their upbringing in the
152 harsh Northlands makes them strong, inures them to extremes of
153 cold, and instills in them stealth and cunning.
155 Wizards start out with a knowledge of magic, a selection of
156 magical items, and a particular affinity for dweomercraft. Al-
157 though seemingly weak and easy to overcome at first sight, an ex-
158 perienced Wizard is a deadly foe.
160 You may also choose the race of your character (within lim-
161 its; most roles have restrictions on which races are eligible for
164 Dwarves are smaller than humans or elves, but are stocky and
165 solid individuals. Dwarves' most notable trait is their great
166 expertise in mining and metalwork. Dwarvish armor is said to be
167 second in quality not even to the mithril armor of the Elves.
169 Elves are agile, quick, and perceptive; very little of what
170 goes on will escape an Elf. The quality of Elven craftsmanship
171 often gives them an advantage in arms and armor.
173 Gnomes are smaller than but generally similar to dwarves.
174 Gnomes are known to be expert miners, and it is known that a se-
175 cret underground mine complex built by this race exists within
176 the Mazes of Menace, filled with both riches and danger.
178 Humans are by far the most common race of the surface world,
179 and are thus the norm to which other races are often compared.
180 Although they have no special abilities, they can succeed in any
183 Orcs are a cruel and barbaric race that hate every living
184 thing (including other orcs). Above all others, Orcs hate Elves
185 with a passion unequalled, and will go out of their way to kill
186 one at any opportunity. The armor and weapons fashioned by the
187 Orcs are typically of inferior quality.
189 3. What do all those things on the screen mean?
191 On the screen is kept a map of where you have been and what
192 you have seen on the current dungeon level; as you explore more
195 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
205 of the level, it appears on the screen in front of you.
207 When NetHack's ancestor rogue first appeared, its screen
208 orientation was almost unique among computer fantasy games.
209 Since then, screen orientation has become the norm rather than
210 the exception; NetHack continues this fine tradition. Unlike
211 text adventure games that accept commands in pseudo-English sen-
212 tences and explain the results in words, NetHack commands are all
213 one or two keystrokes and the results are displayed graphically
214 on the screen. A minimum screen size of 24 lines by 80 columns
215 is recommended; if the screen is larger, only a 21x80 section
216 will be used for the map.
218 NetHack can even be played by blind players, with the assis-
219 tance of Braille readers or speech synthesisers. Instructions
220 for configuring NetHack for the blind are included later in this
223 NetHack generates a new dungeon every time you play it; even
224 the authors still find it an entertaining and exciting game de-
225 spite having won several times.
227 NetHack offers a variety of display options. The options
228 available to you will vary from port to port, depending on the
229 capabilities of your hardware and software, and whether various
230 compile-time options were enabled when your executable was creat-
231 ed. The three possible display options are: a monochrome charac-
232 ter interface, a color character interface, and a graphical in-
233 terface using small pictures called tiles. The two character in-
234 terfaces allow fonts with other characters to be substituted, but
235 the default assignments use standard ASCII characters to repre-
236 sent everything. There is no difference between the various dis-
237 play options with respect to game play. Because we cannot repro-
238 duce the tiles or colors in the Guidebook, and because it is com-
239 mon to all ports, we will use the default ASCII characters from
240 the monochrome character display when referring to things you
241 might see on the screen during your game.
243 In order to understand what is going on in NetHack, first
244 you must understand what NetHack is doing with the screen. The
245 NetHack screen replaces the "You see ..." descriptions of text
246 adventure games. Figure 1 is a sample of what a NetHack screen
247 might look like. The way the screen looks for you depends on
261 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
271 +----------------------------------------------------------------+
275 | |....| ---------- |
276 | |.<..|####...@...$.| |
277 | |....-# |...B....+ |
278 | |....| |.d......| |
279 | ------ -------|-- |
283 |Player the Rambler St:12 Dx:7 Co:18 In:11 Wi:9 Ch:15 Neutral |
284 |Dlvl:1 $:0 HP:9(12) Pw:3(3) AC:10 Exp:1/19 T:257 Weak |
285 +---------------------------Figure-1-----------------------------+
287 3.1. The status lines (bottom)
289 The bottom two lines of the screen contain several cryptic
290 pieces of information describing your current status. If either
291 status line becomes longer than the width of the screen, you
292 might not see all of it. Here are explanations of what the vari-
293 ous status items mean (though your configuration may not have all
294 the status items listed below):
297 Your character's name and professional ranking (based on the
298 experience level, see below).
301 A measure of your character's strength; one of your six ba-
302 sic attributes. A human character's attributes can range
303 from 3 to 18 inclusive; non-humans may exceed these limits
304 (occasionally you may get super-strengths of the form 18/xx,
305 and magic can also cause attributes to exceed the normal
306 limits). The higher your strength, the stronger you are.
307 Strength affects how successfully you perform physical
308 tasks, how much damage you do in combat, and how much loot
312 Dexterity affects your chances to hit in combat, to avoid
313 traps, and do other tasks requiring agility or manipulation
317 Constitution affects your ability to recover from injuries
318 and other strains on your stamina. When strength is low or
319 modest, constitution also affects how much you can carry.
320 With sufficiently high strength, the contribution to carry-
321 ing capacity from your constitution no longer matters.
324 Intelligence affects your ability to cast spells and read
327 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
340 Wisdom comes from your practical experience (especially when
341 dealing with magic). It affects your magical energy.
344 Charisma affects how certain creatures react toward you. In
345 particular, it can affect the prices shopkeepers offer you.
348 Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic. Often, Lawful is taken as good
349 and Chaotic as evil, but legal and ethical do not always co-
350 incide. Your alignment influences how other monsters react
351 toward you. Monsters of a like alignment are more likely to
352 be non-aggressive, while those of an opposing alignment are
353 more likely to be seriously offended at your presence.
356 How deep you are in the dungeon. You start at level one and
357 the number increases as you go deeper into the dungeon.
358 Some levels are special, and are identified by a name and
359 not a number. The Amulet of Yendor is reputed to be some-
360 where beneath the twentieth level.
363 The number of gold pieces you are openly carrying. Gold
364 which you have concealed in containers is not counted.
367 Your current and maximum hit points. Hit points indicate
368 how much damage you can take before you die. The more you
369 get hit in a fight, the lower they get. You can regain hit
370 points by resting, or by using certain magical items or
371 spells. The number in parentheses is the maximum number
372 your hit points can reach.
375 Spell points. This tells you how much mystic energy (mana)
376 you have available for spell casting. Again, resting will
377 regenerate the amount available.
380 A measure of how effectively your armor stops blows from un-
381 friendly creatures. The lower this number is, the more ef-
382 fective the armor; it is quite possible to have negative ar-
386 Your current experience level and experience points. As you
387 adventure, you gain experience points. At certain experi-
388 ence point totals, you gain an experience level. The more
389 experienced you are, the better you fight and withstand mag-
390 ical attacks. Many dungeons show only your experience level
393 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
406 The number of turns elapsed so far, displayed if you have
410 Hunger: your current hunger status. Values are Satiated,
411 Not Hungry (or Normal), Hungry, Weak, and Fainting. Not
414 Encumbrance: an indication of how what you are carrying af-
415 fects your ability to move. Values are Unencumbered, Encum-
416 bered, Stressed, Strained, Overtaxed, and Overloaded. Not
417 shown when Unencumbered.
419 Fatal conditions: Stone (aka Petrifying, turning to stone),
420 Slime (turning into green slime), Strngl (being strangled),
421 FoodPois (suffering from acute food poisoning), TermIll
422 (suffering from a terminal illness).
424 Non-fatal conditions: Blind (can't see), Deaf (can't hear),
425 Stun (stunned), Conf (confused), Hallu (hallucinating).
427 Movement modifiers: Lev (levitating), Fly (flying), Ride
430 Other conditions and modifiers exist, but there isn't enough
431 room to display them with the other status fields. The `^X'
432 command shows all relevant status conditions.
434 3.2. The message line (top)
436 The top line of the screen is reserved for messages that de-
437 scribe things that are impossible to represent visually. If you
438 see a "--More--" on the top line, this means that NetHack has an-
439 other message to display on the screen, but it wants to make cer-
440 tain that you've read the one that is there first. To read the
441 next message, just press the space bar.
443 To change how and what messages are shown on the message
444 line, see "Configuring Message Types" and the verbose option.
446 3.3. The map (rest of the screen)
448 The rest of the screen is the map of the level as you have
449 explored it so far. Each symbol on the screen represents some-
450 thing. You can set various graphics options to change some of
451 the symbols the game uses; otherwise, the game will use default
452 symbols. Here is a list of what the default symbols mean:
455 The walls of a room, or an open door. Or a grave (|).
459 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
469 . The floor of a room, ice, or a doorless doorway.
471 # A corridor, or iron bars, or a tree, or possibly a kitchen
472 sink (if your dungeon has sinks), or a drawbridge.
474 > Stairs down: a way to the next level.
476 < Stairs up: a way to the previous level.
478 + A closed door, or a spellbook containing a spell you may be
481 @ Your character or a human.
485 ^ A trap (once you have detected it).
489 [ A suit or piece of armor.
491 % Something edible (not necessarily healthy).
501 ( A useful item (pick-axe, key, lamp...).
503 " An amulet or a spider web.
505 * A gem or rock (possibly valuable, possibly worthless).
507 ` A boulder or statue.
511 _ An altar, or an iron chain.
515 } A pool of water or moat or a pool of lava.
519 a-zA-Z and other symbols
520 Letters and certain other symbols represent the various in-
521 habitants of the Mazes of Menace. Watch out, they can be
522 nasty and vicious. Sometimes, however, they can be helpful.
525 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
535 I This marks the last known location of an invisible or other-
536 wise unseen monster. Note that the monster could have
537 moved. The `F' and `m' commands may be useful here.
539 You need not memorize all these symbols; you can ask the
540 game what any symbol represents with the `/' command (see the
541 next section for more info).
545 Commands can be initiated by typing one or two characters to
546 which the command is bound to, or typing the command name in the
547 extended commands entry. Some commands, like "search", do not
548 require that any more information be collected by NetHack. Other
549 commands might require additional information, for example a di-
550 rection, or an object to be used. For those commands that re-
551 quire additional information, NetHack will present you with ei-
552 ther a menu of choices or with a command line prompt requesting
553 information. Which you are presented with will depend chiefly on
554 how you have set the menustyle option.
556 For example, a common question, in the form "What do you
557 want to use? [a-zA-Z ?*]", asks you to choose an object you are
558 carrying. Here, "a-zA-Z" are the inventory letters of your pos-
559 sible choices. Typing `?' gives you an inventory list of these
560 items, so you can see what each letter refers to. In this exam-
561 ple, there is also a `*' indicating that you may choose an object
562 not on the list, if you wanted to use something unexpected. Typ-
563 ing a `*' lists your entire inventory, so you can see the inven-
564 tory letters of every object you're carrying. Finally, if you
565 change your mind and decide you don't want to do this command af-
566 ter all, you can press the ESC key to abort the command.
568 You can put a number before some commands to repeat them
569 that many times; for example, "10s" will search ten times. If
570 you have the number_pad option set, you must type `n' to prefix a
571 count, so the example above would be typed "n10s" instead. Com-
572 mands for which counts make no sense ignore them. In addition,
573 movement commands can be prefixed for greater control (see be-
574 low). To cancel a count or a prefix, press the ESC key.
576 The list of commands is rather long, but it can be read at
577 any time during the game through the `?' command, which accesses
578 a menu of helpful texts. Here are the default key bindings for
581 ? Help menu: display one of several help texts available.
583 / The "whatis" command, to tell what a symbol represents. You
584 may choose to specify a location or type a symbol (or even a
585 whole word) to explain. Specifying a location is done by
586 moving the cursor to a particular spot on the map and then
587 pressing one of `.', `,', `;', or `:'. `.' will explain the
588 symbol at the chosen location, conditionally check for "More
591 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
601 info?" depending upon whether the help option is on, and
602 then you will be asked to pick another location; `,' will
603 explain the symbol but skip any additional information, then
604 let you pick another location; `;' will skip additional info
605 and also not bother asking you to choose another location to
606 examine; `:' will show additional info, if any, without ask-
607 ing for confirmation. When picking a location, pressing the
608 ESC key will terminate this command, or pressing `?' will
609 give a brief reminder about how it works.
611 If the autodescribe option is on, a short description of
612 what you see at each location is shown as you move the cur-
613 sor. Typing `#' while picking a location will toggle that
614 option on or off. The whatis_coord option controls whether
615 the short description includes map coordinates.
617 Specifying a name rather than a location always gives any
618 additional information available about that name.
620 You may also request a description of nearby monsters, all
621 monsters currently displayed, nearby objects, or all ob-
622 jects. The whatis_coord option controls which format of map
623 coordinate is included with their descriptions.
625 & Tell what a command does.
627 < Go up to the previous level (if you are on a staircase or
630 > Go down to the next level (if you are on a staircase or lad-
634 Go one step in the direction indicated (see Figure 2). If
635 you sense or remember a monster there, you will fight the
636 monster instead. Only these one-step movement commands
637 cause you to fight monsters; the others (below) are "safe."
644 (if number_pad is set)
649 Go in that direction until you hit a wall or run into some-
653 Prefix: move without picking up objects or fighting (even
654 if you remember a monster there).
657 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
667 A few non-movement commands use the `m' prefix to request
668 operating via menu (to temporarily override the
669 menustyle:Traditional option). Primarily useful for `,'
670 (pickup) when there is only one class of objects present
671 (where there won't be any "what kinds of objects?" prompt,
672 so no opportunity to answer `m' at that prompt).
674 A few other commands (eat food, offer sacrifice, apply tin-
675 ning-kit) use the `m' prefix to skip checking for applicable
676 objects on the floor and go straight to checking inventory,
677 or (for "#loot" to remove a saddle), skip containers and go
678 straight to adjacent monsters. The prefix will make "#trav-
679 el" command show a menu of interesting targets in sight. In
680 debug mode (aka "wizard mode"), the `m' prefix may also be
681 used with the "#teleport" and "#wizlevelport" commands.
684 Prefix: fight a monster (even if you only guess one is
688 Prefix: move far, no pickup.
691 Prefix: move until something interesting is found.
693 G[yuhjklbn] or <CONTROL->[yuhjklbn]
694 Prefix: same as `g', but forking of corridors is not con-
697 _ Travel to a map location via a shortest-path algorithm.
699 The shortest path is computed over map locations the hero
700 knows about (e.g. seen or previously traversed). If there
701 is no known path, a guess is made instead. Stops on most of
702 the same conditions as the `G' command, but without picking
703 up objects, similar to the `M' command. For ports with
704 mouse support, the command is also invoked when a mouse-
705 click takes place on a location other than the current posi-
708 . Wait or rest, do nothing for one turn.
710 a Apply (use) a tool (pick-axe, key, lamp...).
712 If used on a wand, that wand will be broken, releasing its
713 magic in the process. Confirmation is required.
715 A Remove one or more worn items, such as armor.
717 Use `T' (take off) to take off only one piece of armor or
718 `R' (remove) to take off only one accessory.
723 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
733 ^A Redo the previous command.
737 C Call (name) a monster, an individual object, or a type of
740 Same as extended command "#name".
742 ^C Panic button. Quit the game.
746 For example "d7a" means drop seven items of object a.
748 D Drop several things.
750 In answer to the question
752 "What kinds of things do you want to drop? [!%= BUCXaium]"
754 you should type zero or more object symbols possibly fol-
755 lowed by `a' and/or `i' and/or `u' and/or `m'. In addition,
756 one or more of the blessed/uncursed/cursed groups may be
759 DB - drop all objects known to be blessed.
760 DU - drop all objects known to be uncursed.
761 DC - drop all objects known to be cursed.
762 DX - drop all objects of unknown B/U/C status.
763 Da - drop all objects, without asking for confirmation.
764 Di - examine your inventory before dropping anything.
765 Du - drop only unpaid objects (when in a shop).
766 Dm - use a menu to pick which object(s) to drop.
767 D%u - drop only unpaid food.
769 The last example shows a combination. There are three cate-
770 gories of object filtering: class (`!' for potions, `?' for
771 scrolls, and so on), shop status (`u' for unpaid, in other
772 words, owned by the shop), and bless/curse state (`B', `U',
773 `C', and `X' as shown above). If you specify more than one
774 value in a category (such as "!?" for potions and scrolls or
775 "BU" for blessed and uncursed), an inventory object will
776 meet the criteria if it matches any of the specified values
777 (so "!?" means `!' or `?'). If you specify more than one
778 category, an inventory object must meet each of the category
779 criteria (so "%u" means class `%' and unpaid `u'). Lastly,
780 you may specify multiple values within multiple categories:
781 "!?BU" will select all potions and scrolls which are known
782 to be blessed or uncursed. (In versions prior to 3.6, fil-
783 ter combinations behaved differently.)
785 ^D Kick something (usually a door).
789 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
801 Normally checks for edible item(s) on the floor, then if
802 none are found or none are chosen, checks for edible item(s)
803 in inventory. Precede `e' with the `m' prefix to bypass at-
804 tempting to eat anything off the floor.
806 If you attempt to eat while already satiated, you might
807 choke to death. If you risk it, you will be asked whether
808 to "continue eating?" if you survive the first bite. You
809 can set the paranoid_confirmation:eating option to require a
810 response of yes instead of just y.
812 E Engrave a message on the floor.
814 E- - write in the dust with your fingers.
816 Engraving the word "Elbereth" will cause most monsters to
817 not attack you hand-to-hand (but if you attack, you will rub
818 it out); this is often useful to give yourself a breather.
820 f Fire (shoot or throw) one of the objects placed in your
821 quiver (or quiver sack, or that you have at the ready). You
822 may select ammunition with a previous `Q' command, or let
823 the computer pick something appropriate if autoquiver is
826 See also `t' (throw) for more general throwing and shooting.
828 i List your inventory (everything you're carrying).
830 I List selected parts of your inventory, usually be specifying
831 the character for a particular set of objects, like `[' for
832 armor or `!' for potions.
834 I* - list all gems in inventory;
835 Iu - list all unpaid items;
836 Ix - list all used up items that are on your shopping bill;
837 IB - list all items known to be blessed;
838 IU - list all items known to be uncursed;
839 IC - list all items known to be cursed;
840 IX - list all items whose bless/curse status is unknown;
841 I$ - count your money.
847 A menu showing the current option values will be displayed.
848 You can change most values simply by selecting the menu en-
849 try for the given option (ie, by typing its letter or click-
850 ing upon it, depending on your user interface). For the
851 non-boolean choices, a further menu or prompt will appear
852 once you've closed this menu. The available options are
855 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
865 listed later in this Guidebook. Options are usually set be-
866 fore the game rather than with the `O' command; see the sec-
867 tion on options below.
871 Shortcut for "#overview": list interesting dungeon levels
874 (Prior to 3.6.0, `^O' was a debug mode command which listed
875 the placement of all special levels. Use "#wizwhere" to run
878 p Pay your shopping bill.
880 P Put on an accessory (ring, amulet, or blindfold).
882 This command may also be used to wear armor. The prompt for
883 which inventory item to use will only list accessories, but
884 choosing an unlisted item of armor will attempt to wear it.
885 (See the `W' command below. It lists armor as the inventory
886 choices but will accept an accessory and attempt to put that
889 ^P Repeat previous message.
891 Subsequent `^P's repeat earlier messages. For some inter-
892 faces, the behavior can be varied via the msg_window option.
894 q Quaff (drink) something (potion, water, etc).
896 Q Select an object for your quiver, quiver sack, or just gen-
897 erally at the ready (only one of these is available at a
898 time). You can then throw this (or one of these) using the
901 (In versions prior to 3.3 this was the command to quit the
902 game, which has been moved to "#quit".)
904 r Read a scroll or spellbook.
906 R Remove a worn accessory (ring, amulet, or blindfold).
908 If you're wearing more than one, you'll be prompted for
909 which one to remove. When you're only wearing one, then by
910 default it will be removed without asking, but you can set
911 the paranoid_confirmation option to require a prompt.
913 This command may also be used to take off armor. The prompt
914 for which inventory item to remove only lists worn acces-
915 sories, but an item of worn armor can be chosen. (See the
916 `T' command below. It lists armor as the inventory choices
917 but will accept an accessory and attempt to remove it.)
921 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
931 ^R Redraw the screen.
933 s Search for secret doors and traps around you. It usually
934 takes several tries to find something.
936 Can also be used to figure out whether there is still a mon-
937 ster at an adjacent "remembered, unseen monster" marker.
939 S Save the game (which suspends play and exits the program).
940 The saved game will be restored automatically the next time
941 you play using the same character name.
943 In normal play, once a saved game is restored the file used
944 to hold the saved data is deleted. In explore mode, once
945 restoration is accomplished you are asked whether to keep or
946 delete the file. Keeping the file makes it feasible to play
947 for a while then quit without saving and later restore
950 There is no "save current game state and keep playing" com-
951 mand, not even in explore mode where saved game files can be
954 t Throw an object or shoot a projectile.
956 There's no separate "shoot" command. If you throw an arrow
957 while wielding a bow, you are shooting that arrow and any
958 weapon skill bonus or penalty for bow applies. If you throw
959 an arrow while not wielding a bow, you are throwing it by
960 hand and it will generally be less effective than when shot.
962 See also `f' (fire) for throwing or shooting an item pre-se-
963 lected via the `Q' (quiver) command.
967 If you're wearing more than one piece, you'll be prompted
968 for which one to take off. (Note that this treats a cloak
969 covering a suit and/or a shirt, or a suit covering a shirt,
970 as if the underlying items weren't there.) When you're only
971 wearing one, then by default it will be taken off without
972 asking, but you can set the paranoid_confirmation option to
975 This command may also be used to remove accessories. The
976 prompt for which inventory item to take off only lists worn
977 armor, but a worn accessory can be chosen. (See the `R'
978 command above. It lists accessories as the inventory choic-
979 es but will accept an item of armor and attempt to take it
982 ^T Teleport, if you have the ability.
987 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
997 v Display version number.
999 V Display the game history.
1003 w- - wield nothing, use your bare (or gloved) hands.
1005 Some characters can wield two weapons at once; use the `X'
1006 command (or the "#twoweapon" extended command) to do so.
1010 This command may also be used to put on an accessory (ring,
1011 amulet, or blindfold). The prompt for which inventory item
1012 to use will only list armor, but choosing an unlisted acces-
1013 sory will attempt to put it on. (See the `P' command above.
1014 It lists accessories as the inventory choices but will ac-
1015 cept an item of armor and attempt to wear it.)
1017 x Exchange your wielded weapon with the item in your alternate
1020 The latter is used as your secondary weapon when engaging in
1021 two-weapon combat. Note that if one of these slots is emp-
1022 ty, the exchange still takes place.
1024 X Toggle two-weapon combat, if your character can do it. Also
1025 available via the "#twoweapon" extended command.
1027 (In versions prior to 3.6 this was the command to switch
1028 from normal play to "explore mode", also known as "discovery
1029 mode", which has now been moved to "#exploremode".)
1031 ^X Display basic information about your character.
1033 Displays name, role, race, gender (unless role name makes
1034 that redundant, such as Caveman or Priestess), and align-
1035 ment, along with your patron deity and his or her opposi-
1036 tion. It also shows most of the various items of informa-
1037 tion from the status line(s) in a less terse form, including
1038 several additional things which don't appear in the normal
1039 status display due to space considerations.
1041 In normal play, that's all that `^X' displays. In explore
1042 mode, the role and status feedback is augmented by the in-
1043 formation provided by enlightenment magic.
1047 z. - to aim at yourself, use `.' for the direction.
1049 Z Zap (cast) a spell.
1053 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1059 NetHack Guidebook 17
1063 Z. - to cast at yourself, use `.' for the direction.
1065 ^Z Suspend the game (UNIX(R) versions with job control only).
1067 : Look at what is here.
1069 ; Show what type of thing a visible symbol corresponds to.
1071 , Pick up some things from the floor beneath you.
1073 May be preceded by `m' to force a selection menu.
1075 @ Toggle the autopickup option on and off.
1077 ^ Ask for the type of an adjacent trap you found earlier.
1079 ) Tell what weapon you are wielding.
1081 [ Tell what armor you are wearing.
1083 = Tell what rings you are wearing.
1085 " Tell what amulet you are wearing.
1087 ( Tell what tools you are using.
1089 * Tell what equipment you are using.
1091 Combines the preceding five type-specific commands into one.
1093 $ Count your gold pieces.
1095 + List the spells you know.
1097 Using this command, you can also rearrange the order in
1098 which your spells are listed, either by sorting the entire
1099 list or by picking one spell from the menu then picking an-
1100 other to swap places with it. Swapping pairs of spells
1101 changes their casting letters, so the change lasts after the
1102 current `+' command finishes. Sorting the whole list is
1103 temporary. To make the most recent sort order persist be-
1104 yond the current `+' command, choose the sort option again
1105 and then pick "reassign casting letters". (Any spells
1106 learned after that will be added to the end of the list
1107 rather than be inserted into the sorted ordering.)
1109 \ Show what types of objects have been discovered.
1111 ` Show discovered types for one class of objects.
1116 (R)UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.
1119 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1125 NetHack Guidebook 18
1129 ! Escape to a shell.
1131 # Perform an extended command.
1135 As you can see, the authors of NetHack used up all the let-
1136 ters, so this is a way to introduce the less frequently used com-
1137 mands. What extended commands are available depends on what fea-
1138 tures the game was compiled with.
1141 Adjust inventory letters (most useful when the fixinv option
1142 is "on"). Autocompletes. Default key is `M-a'.
1144 This command allows you to move an item from one particular
1145 inventory slot to another so that it has a letter which is
1146 more meaningful for you or that it will appear in a particu-
1147 lar location when inventory listings are displayed. You can
1148 move to a currently empty slot, or if the destination is oc-
1149 cupied -- and won't merge -- the item there will swap slots
1150 with the one being moved. "#adjust" can also be used to
1151 split a stack of objects; when choosing the item to adjust,
1152 enter a count prior to its letter.
1154 Adjusting without a count used to collect all compatible
1155 stacks when moving to the destination. That behavior has
1156 been changed; to gather compatible stacks, "#adjust" a stack
1157 into its own inventory slot. If it has a name assigned,
1158 other stacks with the same name or with no name will merge
1159 provided that all their other attributes match. If it does
1160 not have a name, only other stacks with no name are eligi-
1161 ble. In either case, otherwise compatible stacks with a
1162 different name will not be merged. This contrasts with us-
1163 ing "#adjust" to move from one slot to a different slot. In
1164 that situation, moving (no count given) a compatible stack
1165 will merge if either stack has a name when the other doesn't
1166 and give that name to the result, while splitting (count
1167 given) will ignore the source stack's name when deciding
1168 whether to merge with the destination stack.
1171 Allows you to specify one line of text to associate with the
1172 current dungeon level. All levels with annotations are dis-
1173 played by the "#overview" command. Autocompletes. Default
1174 key is `M-A', and also `^N' if number_pad is on.
1177 Apply (use) a tool such as a pick-axe, a key, or a lamp.
1180 If the tool used acts on items on the floor, using the `m'
1181 prefix skips those items.
1185 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1191 NetHack Guidebook 19
1195 If used on a wand, that wand will be broken, releasing its
1196 magic in the process. Confirmation is required.
1199 Show your attributes. Default key is `^X'.
1202 Toggle the autopickup option on/off. Default key is `@'.
1205 Call (name) a monster, or an object in inventory, on the
1206 floor, or in the discoveries list, or add an annotation for
1207 the current level (same as "#annotate"). Default key is
1211 Cast a spell. Default key is `Z'.
1214 Talk to someone. Default key is `M-c'.
1217 Close a door. Default key is `c'.
1220 List voluntary challenges you have maintained. Autocom-
1221 pletes. Default key is `M-C'.
1223 See the section below entitled "Conduct" for details.
1226 Dip an object into something. Autocompletes. Default key
1230 Go down a staircase. Default key is `>'.
1233 Drop an item. Default key is `d'.
1236 Drop specific item types. Default key is `D'.
1239 Eat something. Default key is `e'. The `m' prefix skips
1240 eating items on the floor.
1243 Engrave writing on the floor. Default key is `E'.
1246 Advance or check weapon and spell skills. Autocompletes.
1247 Default key is `M-e'.
1251 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1257 NetHack Guidebook 20
1262 Enter the explore mode.
1264 Requires confirmation; default response is n (no). To real-
1265 ly switch to explore mode, respond with y. You can set the
1266 paranoid_confirmation:quit option to require a response of
1270 Fire ammunition from quiver. Default key is `f'.
1273 Force a lock. Autocompletes. Default key is `M-f'.
1276 Show what type of thing a map symbol corresponds to. De-
1280 Show the help menu. Default key is `?', and also `h' if
1284 Show a menu of possible actions in your current location.
1287 Show long version and game history. Default key is `V'.
1290 Show your inventory. Default key is `i'.
1293 Inventory specific item types. Default key is `I'.
1296 Invoke an object's special powers. Autocompletes. Default
1300 Jump to another location. Autocompletes. Default key is
1301 `M-j', and also `j' if number_pad is on.
1304 Kick something. Default key is `^D', and `k' if number_pad
1308 Show what object types have been discovered. Default key is
1312 Show discovered types for one class of objects. Default key
1317 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1323 NetHack Guidebook 21
1328 Change your experience level. Autocompletes. Debug mode
1332 Show mobile light sources. Autocompletes. Debug mode only.
1335 Look at what is here, under you. Default key is `:'.
1338 Loot a box or bag on the floor beneath you, or the saddle
1339 from a steed standing next to you. Autocompletes. Precede
1340 with the `m' prefix to skip containers at your location and
1341 go directly to removing a saddle. Default key is `M-l', and
1342 also `l' if number_pad is on.
1345 Use a monster's special ability (when polymorphed into mon-
1346 ster form). Autocompletes. Default key is `M-m'.
1349 Name a monster, an individual object, or a type of object.
1350 Same as "#call". Autocompletes. Default keys are `N', `M-
1354 Offer a sacrifice to the gods. Autocompletes. Default key
1357 You'll need to find an altar to have any chance at success.
1358 Corpses of recently killed monsters are the fodder of
1361 The `m' prefix skips offering any items which are on the al-
1365 Open a door. Default key is `o'.
1368 Show and change option settings. Default key is `O'.
1371 Display information you've discovered about the dungeon.
1372 Any visited level (unless forgotten due to amnesia) with an
1373 annotation is included, and many things (altars, thrones,
1374 fountains, and so on; extra stairs leading to another dun-
1375 geon branch) trigger an automatic annotation. If dungeon
1376 overview is chosen during end-of-game disclosure, every vis-
1377 ited level will be included regardless of annotations. Au-
1378 tocompletes. Default keys are `^O', and `M-O'.
1383 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1389 NetHack Guidebook 22
1394 Test the panic routine. Terminates the current game. Auto-
1395 completes. Debug mode only.
1397 Asks for confirmation; default is n (no); continue playing.
1398 To really panic, respond with y. You can set the para-
1399 noid_confirmation:quit option to require a response of yes
1403 Pay your shopping bill. Default key is `p'.
1406 Pick up things at the current location. Default key is `,'.
1407 The `m' prefix forces use of a menu.
1410 Polymorph self. Autocompletes. Debug mode only.
1413 Pray to the gods for help. Autocompletes. Default key is
1416 Praying too soon after receiving prior help is a bad idea.
1417 (Hint: entering the dungeon alive is treated as having re-
1418 ceived help. You probably shouldn't start off a new game by
1419 praying right away.) Since using this command by accident
1420 can cause trouble, there is an option to make you confirm
1421 your intent before praying. It is enabled by default, and
1422 you can reset the paranoid_confirmation option to disable
1426 Show previously displayed game messages. Default key is
1430 Put on an accessory (ring, amulet, etc). Default key is
1434 Quaff (drink) something. Default key is `q'.
1437 Quit the program without saving your game. Autocompletes.
1438 Default key is `M-q'.
1440 Since using this command by accident would throw away the
1441 current game, you are asked to confirm your intent before
1442 quitting. Default response is n (no); continue playing. To
1443 really quit, respond with y. You can set the paranoid_con-
1444 firmation:quit option to require a response of yes instead.
1449 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1455 NetHack Guidebook 23
1460 Select ammunition for quiver. Default key is `Q'.
1463 Read a scroll, a spellbook, or something else. Default key
1467 Redraw the screen. Default key is `^R', and also `^L' if
1471 Remove an accessory (ring, amulet, etc). Default key is
1475 Ride (or stop riding) a saddled creature. Autocompletes.
1476 Default key is `M-R'.
1479 Rub a lamp or a stone. Autocompletes. Default key is `M-
1483 Save the game and exit the program. Default key is `S'.
1486 Search for traps and secret doors around you. Default key
1490 Show all equipment in use. Default key is `*'.
1493 Show the amulet currently worn. Default key is `"'.
1496 Show the armor currently worn. Default key is `['.
1499 Count your gold. Default key is `$'.
1502 Show seen vectors. Autocompletes. Debug mode only.
1505 Show the ring(s) currently worn. Default key is `='.
1508 List and reorder known spells. Default key is `+'.
1511 Show the tools currently in use. Default key is `('.
1515 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1521 NetHack Guidebook 24
1526 Show the type of an adjacent trap. Default key is `^'.
1529 Show the weapon currently wielded. Default key is `)'.
1532 Do a shell escape. Default key is `!'.
1535 Sit down. Autocompletes. Default key is `M-s'.
1538 Show memory usage statistics. Autocompletes. Debug mode
1542 Suspend the game. Default key is `^Z'.
1545 Swap wielded and secondary weapons. Default key is `x'.
1548 Take off one piece of armor. Default key is `T'.
1551 Remove all armor. Default key is `A'.
1554 Teleport around the level. Default key is `^T'.
1557 Show bare map without displaying monsters, objects, or
1558 traps. Autocompletes.
1561 Show a menu of possible actions in a location next to you.
1564 Throw something. Default key is `t'.
1567 Look at the timeout queue. Autocompletes. Debug mode only.
1570 Tip over a container (bag or box) to pour out its contents.
1571 Autocompletes. Default key is `M-T'. The `m' prefix makes
1572 the command use a menu.
1575 Travel to a specific location on the map. Default key is
1576 `_'. Using the "request menu" prefix shows a menu of inter-
1577 esting targets in sight without asking to move the cursor.
1578 When picking a target with cursor and the autodescribe
1581 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1587 NetHack Guidebook 25
1591 option is on, the top line will show "(no travel path)" if
1592 your character does not know of a path to that location.
1595 Turn undead away. Autocompletes. Default key is `M-t'.
1598 Toggle two-weapon combat on or off. Autocompletes. Default
1599 key is `X', and also `M-2' if number_pad is off.
1601 Note that you must use suitable weapons for this type of
1602 combat, or it will be automatically turned off.
1605 Untrap something (trap, door, or chest). Default key is `M-
1606 u', and `u' if number_pad is on.
1608 In some circumstances it can also be used to rescue trapped
1612 Go up a staircase. Default key is `<'.
1615 List vanquished monsters. Autocompletes. Debug mode only.
1618 Print compile time options for this version of NetHack. Au-
1619 tocompletes. Default key is `M-v'.
1622 Show version string. Default key is `v'.
1625 Show vision array. Autocompletes. Debug mode only.
1628 Rest one move while doing nothing. Default key is `.', and
1629 also ` ' if rest_on_space is on.
1632 Wear a piece of armor. Default key is `W'.
1635 Tell what a key does. Default key is `&'.
1638 Show what type of thing a symbol corresponds to. Default
1642 Wield a weapon. Default key is `w'.
1647 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1653 NetHack Guidebook 26
1658 Wipe off your face. Autocompletes. Default key is `M-w'.
1661 Bury objects under and around you. Autocompletes. Debug
1665 Search for hidden things (secret doors or traps or unseen
1666 monsters) within a modest radius. Autocompletes. Debug
1667 mode only. Default key is `^E'.
1670 Create a monster. May be prefixed by a count to create more
1671 than one. Autocompletes. Debug mode only. Default key is
1675 Identify all items in inventory. Autocompletes. Debug mode
1676 only. Default key is `^I'.
1679 Set one or more intrinsic attributes. Autocompletes. Debug
1683 Teleport to another level. Autocompletes. Debug mode only.
1684 Default key is `^V'.
1687 Map the level. Autocompletes. Debug mode only. Default
1691 Verify rumor boundaries. Autocompletes. Debug mode only.
1694 Smell monster. Autocompletes. Debug mode only.
1697 Show locations of special levels. Autocompletes. Debug
1701 Wish for something. Autocompletes. Debug mode only. De-
1705 Show wall modes. Autocompletes. Debug mode only.
1708 Zap a wand. Default key is `z'.
1713 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1719 NetHack Guidebook 27
1724 Help menu: get the list of available extended commands.
1728 If your keyboard has a meta key (which, when pressed in com-
1729 bination with another key, modifies it by setting the "meta"
1730 [8th, or "high"] bit), you can invoke many extended commands by
1731 meta-ing the first letter of the command.
1733 In NT, OS/2, PC and ST NetHack, the "Alt" key can be used in
1734 this fashion; on the Amiga, set the altmeta option to get this
1735 behavior. On other systems, if typing "Alt" plus another key
1736 transmits a two character sequence consisting of an Escape fol-
1737 lowed by the other key, you may set the altmeta option to have
1738 NetHack combine them into meta+key.
1740 M-? #? (not supported by all platforms)
1742 M-2 #twoweapon (unless the number_pad option is enabled)
1779 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1785 NetHack Guidebook 28
1807 If the number_pad option is on, some additional letter com-
1808 mands are available:
1822 5. Rooms and corridors
1824 Rooms and corridors in the dungeon are either lit or dark.
1825 Any lit areas within your line of sight will be displayed; dark
1826 areas are only displayed if they are within one space of you.
1827 Walls and corridors remain on the map as you explore them.
1829 Secret corridors are hidden. You can find them with the `s'
1834 Doorways connect rooms and corridors. Some doorways have no
1835 doors; you can walk right through. Others have doors in them,
1836 which may be open, closed, or locked. To open a closed door, use
1837 the `o' (open) command; to close it again, use the `c' (close)
1840 You can get through a locked door by using a tool to pick
1841 the lock with the `a' (apply) command, or by kicking it open with
1842 the `^D' (kick) command.
1845 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1851 NetHack Guidebook 29
1855 Open doors cannot be entered diagonally; you must approach
1856 them straight on, horizontally or vertically. Doorways without
1857 doors are not restricted in this fashion.
1859 Doors can be useful for shutting out monsters. Most mon-
1860 sters cannot open doors, although a few don't need to (for exam-
1861 ple, ghosts can walk through doors).
1863 Secret doors are hidden. You can find them with the `s'
1864 (search) command. Once found they are in all ways equivalent to
1869 There are traps throughout the dungeon to snare the unwary
1870 delver. For example, you may suddenly fall into a pit and be
1871 stuck for a few turns trying to climb out. Traps don't appear on
1872 your map until you see one triggered by moving onto it, see some-
1873 thing fall into it, or you discover it with the `s' (search) com-
1874 mand. Monsters can fall prey to traps, too, which can be a very
1875 useful defensive strategy.
1877 There is a special pre-mapped branch of the dungeon based on
1878 the classic computer game "Sokoban." The goal is to push the
1879 boulders into the pits or holes. With careful foresight, it is
1880 possible to complete all of the levels according to the tradi-
1881 tional rules of Sokoban. Some allowances are permitted in case
1882 the player gets stuck; however, they will lower your luck.
1884 5.3. Stairs and ladders (`<', `>')
1886 In general, each level in the dungeon will have a staircase
1887 going up (`<') to the previous level and another going down (`>')
1888 to the next level. There are some exceptions though. For in-
1889 stance, fairly early in the dungeon you will find a level with
1890 two down staircases, one continuing into the dungeon and the oth-
1891 er branching into an area known as the Gnomish Mines. Those
1892 mines eventually hit a dead end, so after exploring them (if you
1893 choose to do so), you'll need to climb back up to the main dun-
1896 When you traverse a set of stairs, or trigger a trap which
1897 sends you to another level, the level you're leaving will be de-
1898 activated and stored in a file on disk. If you're moving to a
1899 previously visited level, it will be loaded from its file on disk
1900 and reactivated. If you're moving to a level which has not yet
1901 been visited, it will be created (from scratch for most random
1902 levels, from a template for some "special" levels, or loaded from
1903 the remains of an earlier game for a "bones" level as briefly de-
1904 scribed below). Monsters are only active on the current level;
1905 those on other levels are essentially placed into stasis.
1907 Ordinarily when you climb a set of stairs, you will arrive
1908 on the corresponding staircase at your destination. However,
1911 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1917 NetHack Guidebook 30
1921 pets (see below) and some other monsters will follow along if
1922 they're close enough when you travel up or down stairs, and occa-
1923 sionally one of these creatures will displace you during the
1924 climb. When that occurs, the pet or other monster will arrive on
1925 the staircase and you will end up nearby.
1927 Ladders serve the same purpose as staircases, and the two
1928 types of inter-level connections are nearly indistinguishable
1931 5.4. Shops and shopping
1933 Occasionally you will run across a room with a shopkeeper
1934 near the door and many items lying on the floor. You can buy
1935 items by picking them up and then using the `p' command. You can
1936 inquire about the price of an item prior to picking it up by us-
1937 ing the "#chat" command while standing on it. Using an item pri-
1938 or to paying for it will incur a charge, and the shopkeeper won't
1939 allow you to leave the shop until you have paid any debt you owe.
1941 You can sell items to a shopkeeper by dropping them to the
1942 floor while inside a shop. You will either be offered an amount
1943 of gold and asked whether you're willing to sell, or you'll be
1944 told that the shopkeeper isn't interested (generally, your item
1945 needs to be compatible with the type of merchandise carried by
1948 If you drop something in a shop by accident, the shopkeeper
1949 will usually claim ownership without offering any compensation.
1950 You'll have to buy it back if you want to reclaim it.
1952 Shopkeepers sometimes run out of money. When that happens,
1953 you'll be offered credit instead of gold when you try to sell
1954 something. Credit can be used to pay for purchases, but it is
1955 only good in the shop where it was obtained; other shopkeepers
1956 won't honor it. (If you happen to find a "credit card" in the
1957 dungeon, don't bother trying to use it in shops; shopkeepers will
1960 The `$' command, which reports the amount of gold you are
1961 carrying (in inventory, not inside bags or boxes), will also show
1962 current shop debt or credit, if any. The "Iu" command lists un-
1963 paid items (those which still belong to the shop) if you are car-
1964 rying any. The "Ix" command shows an inventory-like display of
1965 any unpaid items which have been used up, along with other shop
1968 5.4.1. Shop idiosyncrasies
1970 Several aspects of shop behavior might be unexpected.
1972 * The price of a given item can vary due to a variety of factors.
1977 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
1983 NetHack Guidebook 31
1987 * A shopkeeper treats the spot immediately inside the door as if
1988 it were outside the shop.
1990 * While the shopkeeper watches you like a hawk, he will generally
1991 ignore any other customers.
1993 * If a shop is "closed for inventory," it will not open of its
1996 * Shops do not get restocked with new items, regardless of inven-
2001 Monsters you cannot see are not displayed on the screen.
2002 Beware! You may suddenly come upon one in a dark place. Some
2003 magic items can help you locate them before they locate you
2004 (which some monsters can do very well).
2006 The commands `/' and `;' may be used to obtain information
2007 about those monsters who are displayed on the screen. The com-
2008 mand "#name" (by default bound to `C'), allows you to assign a
2009 name to a monster, which may be useful to help distinguish one
2010 from another when multiple monsters are present. Assigning a
2011 name which is just a space will remove any prior name.
2013 The extended command "#chat" can be used to interact with an
2014 adjacent monster. There is no actual dialog (in other words, you
2015 don't get to choose what you'll say), but chatting with some mon-
2016 sters such as a shopkeeper or the Oracle of Delphi can produce
2021 If you see a monster and you wish to fight it, just attempt
2022 to walk into it. Many monsters you find will mind their own
2023 business unless you attack them. Some of them are very dangerous
2024 when angered. Remember: discretion is the better part of valor.
2026 In most circumstances, if you attempt to attack a peaceful
2027 monster by moving into its location, you'll be asked to confirm
2028 your intent. By default an answer of `y' acknowledges that in-
2029 tent, which can be error prone if you're using `y' to move. You
2030 can set the paranoid_confirmation option to require a response of
2033 If you can't see a monster (if it is invisible, or if you
2034 are blinded), the symbol `I' will be shown when you learn of its
2035 presence. If you attempt to walk into it, you will try to fight
2036 it just like a monster that you can see; of course, if the mon-
2037 ster has moved, you will attack empty air. If you guess that the
2038 monster has moved and you don't wish to fight, you can use the
2039 `m' command to move without fighting; likewise, if you don't re-
2040 member a monster but want to try fighting anyway, you can use the
2043 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2049 NetHack Guidebook 32
2057 You start the game with a little dog (`d'), kitten (`f'), or
2058 pony (`u'), which follows you about the dungeon and fights mon-
2059 sters with you. Like you, your pet needs food to survive. Dogs
2060 and cats usually feed themselves on fresh carrion and other
2061 meats; horses need vegetarian food which is harder to come by.
2062 If you're worried about your pet or want to train it, you can
2063 feed it, too, by throwing it food. A properly trained pet can be
2064 very useful under certain circumstances.
2066 Your pet also gains experience from killing monsters, and
2067 can grow over time, gaining hit points and doing more damage.
2068 Initially, your pet may even be better at killing things than
2069 you, which makes pets useful for low-level characters.
2071 Your pet will follow you up and down staircases if it is
2072 next to you when you move. Otherwise your pet will be stranded
2073 and may become wild. Similarly, when you trigger certain types
2074 of traps which alter your location (for instance, a trap door
2075 which drops you to a lower dungeon level), any adjacent pet will
2076 accompany you and any non-adjacent pet will be left behind. Your
2077 pet may trigger such traps itself; you will not be carried along
2078 with it even if adjacent at the time.
2082 Some types of creatures in the dungeon can actually be rid-
2083 den if you have the right equipment and skill. Convincing a wild
2084 beast to let you saddle it up is difficult to say the least.
2085 Many a dungeoneer has had to resort to magic and wizardry in or-
2086 der to forge the alliance. Once you do have the beast under your
2087 control however, you can easily climb in and out of the saddle
2088 with the "#ride" command. Lead the beast around the dungeon when
2089 riding, in the same manner as you would move yourself. It is the
2090 beast that you will see displayed on the map.
2092 Riding skill is managed by the "#enhance" command. See the
2093 section on Weapon proficiency for more information about that.
2095 Use the `a' (apply) command and pick a saddle in your inven-
2096 tory to attempt to put that saddle on an adjacent creature. If
2097 successful, it will be transferred to that creature's inventory.
2099 Use the "#loot" command while adjacent to a saddled creature
2100 to try to remove the saddle from that creature. If successful,
2101 it will be transferred to your inventory.
2105 You may encounter the shades and corpses of other adventur-
2106 ers (or even former incarnations of yourself!) and their personal
2109 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2115 NetHack Guidebook 33
2119 effects. Ghosts are hard to kill, but easy to avoid, since
2120 they're slow and do little damage. You can plunder the deceased
2121 adventurer's possessions; however, they are likely to be cursed.
2122 Beware of whatever killed the former player; it is probably still
2123 lurking around, gloating over its last victory.
2125 6.5. Persistence of Monsters
2127 Monsters (a generic reference which also includes humans and
2128 pets) are only shown while they can be seen or otherwise sensed.
2129 Moving to a location where you can't see or sense a monster any
2130 more will result in it disappearing from your map, similarly if
2131 it is the one who moved rather than you.
2133 However, if you encounter a monster which you can't see or
2134 sense -- perhaps it is invisible and has just tapped you on the
2135 noggin -- a special "remembered, unseen monster" marker will be
2136 displayed at the location where you think it is. That will per-
2137 sist until you have proven that there is no monster there, even
2138 if the unseen monster moves to another location or you move to a
2139 spot where the marker's location ordinarily wouldn't be seen any
2144 When you find something in the dungeon, it is common to want
2145 to pick it up. In NetHack, this is accomplished automatically by
2146 walking over the object (unless you turn off the autopickup op-
2147 tion (see below), or move with the `m' prefix (see above)), or
2148 manually by using the `,' command.
2150 If you're carrying too many items, NetHack will tell you so
2151 and you won't be able to pick up anything more. Otherwise, it
2152 will add the object(s) to your pack and tell you what you just
2155 As you add items to your inventory, you also add the weight
2156 of that object to your load. The amount that you can carry de-
2157 pends on your strength and your constitution. The stronger and
2158 sturdier you are, the less the additional load will affect you.
2159 There comes a point, though, when the weight of all of that stuff
2160 you are carrying around with you through the dungeon will encum-
2161 ber you. Your reactions will get slower and you'll burn calories
2162 faster, requiring food more frequently to cope with it. Eventu-
2163 ally, you'll be so overloaded that you'll either have to discard
2164 some of what you're carrying or collapse under its weight.
2166 NetHack will tell you how badly you have loaded yourself.
2167 If you are encumbered, one of the conditions "Burdened",
2168 "Stressed", "Strained", "Overtaxed" or "Overloaded" will be shown
2169 on the bottom line status display.
2171 When you pick up an object, it is assigned an inventory let-
2172 ter. Many commands that operate on objects must ask you to find
2175 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2181 NetHack Guidebook 34
2185 out which object you want to use. When NetHack asks you to
2186 choose a particular object you are carrying, you are usually pre-
2187 sented with a list of inventory letters to choose from (see Com-
2190 Some objects, such as weapons, are easily differentiated.
2191 Others, like scrolls and potions, are given descriptions which
2192 vary according to type. During a game, any two objects with the
2193 same description are the same type. However, the descriptions
2194 will vary from game to game.
2196 When you use one of these objects, if its effect is obvious,
2197 NetHack will remember what it is for you. If its effect isn't
2198 extremely obvious, you will be asked what you want to call this
2199 type of object so you will recognize it later. You can also use
2200 the "#name" command, for the same purpose at any time, to name
2201 all objects of a particular type or just an individual object.
2202 When you use "#name" on an object which has already been named,
2203 specifying a space as the value will remove the prior name in-
2204 stead of assigning a new one.
2206 7.1. Curses and Blessings
2208 Any object that you find may be cursed, even if the object
2209 is otherwise helpful. The most common effect of a curse is being
2210 stuck with (and to) the item. Cursed weapons weld themselves to
2211 your hand when wielded, so you cannot unwield them. Any cursed
2212 item you wear is not removable by ordinary means. In addition,
2213 cursed arms and armor usually, but not always, bear negative en-
2214 chantments that make them less effective in combat. Other cursed
2215 objects may act poorly or detrimentally in other ways.
2217 Objects can also be blessed. Blessed items usually work
2218 better or more beneficially than normal uncursed items. For ex-
2219 ample, a blessed weapon will do more damage against demons.
2221 Objects which are neither cursed nor blessed are referred to
2222 as uncursed. They could just as easily have been described as
2223 unblessed, but the uncursed designation is what you will see
2224 within the game. A "glass half full versus glass half empty"
2225 situation; make of that what you will.
2227 There are magical means of bestowing or removing curses upon
2228 objects, so even if you are stuck with one, you can still have
2229 the curse lifted and the item removed. Priests and Priestesses
2230 have an innate sensitivity to this property in any object, so
2231 they can more easily avoid cursed objects than other character
2234 An item with unknown status will be reported in your inven-
2235 tory with no prefix. An item which you know the state of will be
2236 distinguished in your inventory by the presence of the word
2237 "cursed", "uncursed" or "blessed" in the description of the item.
2238 In some cases "uncursed" will be omitted as being redundant when
2241 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2247 NetHack Guidebook 35
2251 enough other information is displayed. The implicit_uncursed op-
2252 tion can be used to control this; toggle it off to have "un-
2253 cursed" be displayed even when that can be deduced from other at-
2258 Given a chance, most monsters in the Mazes of Menace will
2259 gratuitously try to kill you. You need weapons for self-defense
2260 (killing them first). Without a weapon, you do only 1-2 hit
2261 points of damage (plus bonuses, if any). Monk characters are an
2262 exception; they normally do more damage with bare (or gloved)
2263 hands than they do with weapons.
2265 There are wielded weapons, like maces and swords, and thrown
2266 weapons, like arrows and spears. To hit monsters with a weapon,
2267 you must wield it and attack them, or throw it at them. You can
2268 simply elect to throw a spear. To shoot an arrow, you should
2269 first wield a bow, then throw the arrow. Crossbows shoot cross-
2270 bow bolts. Slings hurl rocks and (other) stones (like gems).
2272 Enchanted weapons have a "plus" (or "to hit enhancement"
2273 which can be either positive or negative) that adds to your
2274 chance to hit and the damage you do to a monster. The only way
2275 to determine a weapon's enchantment is to have it magically iden-
2276 tified somehow. Most weapons are subject to some type of damage
2277 like rust. Such "erosion" damage can be repaired.
2279 The chance that an attack will successfully hit a monster,
2280 and the amount of damage such a hit will do, depends upon many
2281 factors. Among them are: type of weapon, quality of weapon (en-
2282 chantment and/or erosion), experience level, strength, dexterity,
2283 encumbrance, and proficiency (see below). The monster's armor
2284 class -- a general defense rating, not necessarily due to wearing
2285 of armor -- is a factor too; also, some monsters are particularly
2286 vulnerable to certain types of weapons.
2288 Many weapons can be wielded in one hand; some require both
2289 hands. When wielding a two-handed weapon, you can not wear a
2290 shield, and vice versa. When wielding a one-handed weapon, you
2291 can have another weapon ready to use by setting things up with
2292 the `x' command, which exchanges your primary (the one being
2293 wielded) and alternate weapons. And if you have proficiency in
2294 the "two weapon combat" skill, you may wield both weapons simul-
2295 taneously as primary and secondary; use the `X' command to engage
2296 or disengage that. Only some types of characters (barbarians,
2297 for instance) have the necessary skill available. Even with that
2298 skill, using two weapons at once incurs a penalty in the chance
2299 to hit your target compared to using just one weapon at a time.
2301 There might be times when you'd rather not wield any weapon
2302 at all. To accomplish that, wield `-', or else use the `A' com-
2303 mand which allows you to unwield the current weapon in addition
2304 to taking off other worn items.
2307 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2313 NetHack Guidebook 36
2317 Those of you in the audience who are AD&D players, be aware
2318 that each weapon which existed in AD&D does roughly the same dam-
2319 age to monsters in NetHack. Some of the more obscure weapons
2320 (such as the aklys, lucern hammer, and bec-de-corbin) are defined
2321 in an appendix to Unearthed Arcana, an AD&D supplement.
2323 The commands to use weapons are `w' (wield), `t' (throw),
2324 `f' (fire, an alternate way of throwing), `Q' (quiver), `x' (ex-
2325 change), `X' (twoweapon), and "#enhance" (see below).
2327 7.2.1. Throwing and shooting
2329 You can throw just about anything via the `t' command. It
2330 will prompt for the item to throw; picking `?' will list things
2331 in your inventory which are considered likely to be thrown, or
2332 picking `*' will list your entire inventory. After you've chosen
2333 what to throw, you will be prompted for a direction rather than
2334 for a specific target. The distance something can be thrown de-
2335 pends mainly on the type of object and your strength. Arrows can
2336 be thrown by hand, but can be thrown much farther and will be
2337 more likely to hit when thrown while you are wielding a bow.
2339 You can simplify the throwing operation by using the `Q'
2340 command to select your preferred "missile", then using the `f'
2341 command to throw it. You'll be prompted for a direction as
2342 above, but you don't have to specify which item to throw each
2343 time you use `f'. There is also an option, autoquiver, which has
2344 NetHack choose another item to automatically fill your quiver (or
2345 quiver sack, or have at the ready) when the inventory slot used
2348 Some characters have the ability to fire a volley of multi-
2349 ple items in a single turn. Knowing how to load several rounds
2350 of ammunition at once -- or hold several missiles in your hand --
2351 and still hit a target is not an easy task. Rangers are among
2352 those who are adept at this task, as are those with a high level
2353 of proficiency in the relevant weapon skill (in bow skill if
2354 you're wielding one to shoot arrows, in crossbow skill if you're
2355 wielding one to shoot bolts, or in sling skill if you're wielding
2356 one to shoot stones). The number of items that the character has
2357 a chance to fire varies from turn to turn. You can explicitly
2358 limit the number of shots by using a numeric prefix before the
2359 `t' or `f' command. For example, "2f" (or "n2f" if using num-
2360 ber_pad mode) would ensure that at most 2 arrows are shot even if
2361 you could have fired 3. If you specify a larger number than
2362 would have been shot ("4f" in this example), you'll just end up
2363 shooting the same number (3, here) as if no limit had been speci-
2364 fied. Once the volley is in motion, all of the items will travel
2365 in the same direction; if the first ones kill a monster, the oth-
2366 ers can still continue beyond that spot.
2373 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2379 NetHack Guidebook 37
2383 7.2.2. Weapon proficiency
2385 You will have varying degrees of skill in the weapons avail-
2386 able. Weapon proficiency, or weapon skills, affect how well you
2387 can use particular types of weapons, and you'll be able to im-
2388 prove your skills as you progress through a game, depending on
2389 your role, your experience level, and use of the weapons.
2391 For the purposes of proficiency, weapons have been divided
2392 up into various groups such as daggers, broadswords, and
2393 polearms. Each role has a limit on what level of proficiency a
2394 character can achieve for each group. For instance, wizards can
2395 become highly skilled in daggers or staves but not in swords or
2398 The "#enhance" extended command is used to review current
2399 weapons proficiency (also spell proficiency) and to choose which
2400 skill(s) to improve when you've used one or more skills enough to
2401 become eligible to do so. The skill rankings are "none" (some-
2402 times also referred to as "restricted", because you won't be able
2403 to advance), "unskilled", "basic", "skilled", and "expert". Re-
2404 stricted skills simply will not appear in the list shown by "#en-
2405 hance". (Divine intervention might unrestrict a particular
2406 skill, in which case it will start at unskilled and be limited to
2407 basic.) Some characters can enhance their barehanded combat or
2408 martial arts skill beyond expert to "master" or "grand master".
2410 Use of a weapon in which you're restricted or unskilled will
2411 incur a modest penalty in the chance to hit a monster and also in
2412 the amount of damage done when you do hit; at basic level, there
2413 is no penalty or bonus; at skilled level, you receive a modest
2414 bonus in the chance to hit and amount of damage done; at expert
2415 level, the bonus is higher. A successful hit has a chance to
2416 boost your training towards the next skill level (unless you've
2417 already reached the limit for this skill). Once such training
2418 reaches the threshold for that next level, you'll be told that
2419 you feel more confident in your skills. At that point you can
2420 use "#enhance" to increase one or more skills. Such skills are
2421 not increased automatically because there is a limit to your to-
2422 tal overall skills, so you need to actively choose which skills
2423 to enhance and which to ignore.
2425 7.2.3. Two-Weapon combat
2427 Some characters can use two weapons at once. Setting things
2428 up to do so can seem cumbersome but becomes second nature with
2429 use. To wield two weapons, you need to use the "#twoweapon" com-
2430 mand. But first you need to have a weapon in each hand. (Note
2431 that your two weapons are not fully equal; the one in the hand
2432 you normally wield with is considered primary and the other one
2433 is considered secondary. The most noticeable difference is after
2434 you stop -- or before you begin, for that matter -- wielding two
2435 weapons at once. The primary is your wielded weapon and the sec-
2436 ondary is just an item in your inventory that's been designated
2439 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2445 NetHack Guidebook 38
2449 as alternate weapon.)
2451 If your primary weapon is wielded but your off hand is empty
2452 or has the wrong weapon, use the sequence `x', `w', `x' to first
2453 swap your primary into your off hand, wield whatever you want as
2454 secondary weapon, then swap them both back into the intended
2455 hands. If your secondary or alternate weapon is correct but your
2456 primary one is not, simply use `w' to wield the primary. Lastly,
2457 if neither hand holds the correct weapon, use `w', `x', `w' to
2458 first wield the intended secondary, swap it to off hand, and then
2461 The whole process can be simplified via use of the push-
2462 weapon option. When it is enabled, then using `w' to wield some-
2463 thing causes the currently wielded weapon to become your alter-
2464 nate weapon. So the sequence `w', `w' can be used to first wield
2465 the weapon you intend to be secondary, and then wield the one you
2466 want as primary which will push the first into secondary posi-
2469 When in two-weapon combat mode, using the `X' command tog-
2470 gles back to single-weapon mode. Throwing or dropping either of
2471 the weapons or having one of them be stolen or destroyed will al-
2472 so make you revert to single-weapon combat.
2476 Lots of unfriendly things lurk about; you need armor to pro-
2477 tect yourself from their blows. Some types of armor offer better
2478 protection than others. Your armor class is a measure of this
2479 protection. Armor class (AC) is measured as in AD&D, with 10 be-
2480 ing the equivalent of no armor, and lower numbers meaning better
2481 armor. Each suit of armor which exists in AD&D gives the same
2482 protection in NetHack. Here is an (incomplete) list of the armor
2483 classes provided by various suits of armor:
2486 crystal plate mail 3
2490 dwarvish mithril-coat 4
2491 elven mithril-coat 5
2496 studded leather armor 7
2505 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2511 NetHack Guidebook 39
2515 You can also wear other pieces of armor (for example hel-
2516 mets, boots, shields, cloaks) to lower your armor class even fur-
2517 ther, but you can only wear one item of each category (one suit
2518 of armor, one cloak, one helmet, one shield, and so on) at a
2521 If a piece of armor is enchanted, its armor protection will
2522 be better (or worse) than normal, and its "plus" (or minus) will
2523 subtract from your armor class. For example, a +1 chain mail
2524 would give you better protection than normal chain mail, lowering
2525 your armor class one unit further to 4. When you put on a piece
2526 of armor, you immediately find out the armor class and any
2527 "plusses" it provides. Cursed pieces of armor usually have nega-
2528 tive enchantments (minuses) in addition to being unremovable.
2530 Many types of armor are subject to some kind of damage like
2531 rust. Such damage can be repaired. Some types of armor may in-
2532 hibit spell casting.
2534 The commands to use armor are `W' (wear) and `T' (take off).
2535 The `A' command can also be used to take off armor as well as
2540 Food is necessary to survive. If you go too long without
2541 eating you will faint, and eventually die of starvation. Some
2542 types of food will spoil, and become unhealthy to eat, if not
2543 protected. Food stored in ice boxes or tins ("cans") will usual-
2544 ly stay fresh, but ice boxes are heavy, and tins take a while to
2547 When you kill monsters, they usually leave corpses which are
2548 also "food." Many, but not all, of these are edible; some also
2549 give you special powers when you eat them. A good rule of thumb
2550 is "you are what you eat."
2552 Some character roles and some monsters are vegetarian. Veg-
2553 etarian monsters will typically never eat animal corpses, while
2554 vegetarian players can, but with some rather unpleasant side-ef-
2557 You can name one food item after something you like to eat
2558 with the fruit option.
2560 The command to eat food is `e'.
2564 Scrolls are labeled with various titles, probably chosen by
2565 ancient wizards for their amusement value (for example "READ ME,"
2566 or "THANX MAUD" backwards). Scrolls disappear after you read
2567 them (except for blank ones, without magic spells on them).
2571 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2577 NetHack Guidebook 40
2581 One of the most useful of these is the scroll of identify,
2582 which can be used to determine what another object is, whether it
2583 is cursed or blessed, and how many uses it has left. Some ob-
2584 jects of subtle enchantment are difficult to identify without
2587 A mail daemon may run up and deliver mail to you as a scroll
2588 of mail (on versions compiled with this feature). To use this
2589 feature on versions where NetHack mail delivery is triggered by
2590 electronic mail appearing in your system mailbox, you must let
2591 NetHack know where to look for new mail by setting the "MAIL" en-
2592 vironment variable to the file name of your mailbox. You may al-
2593 so want to set the "MAILREADER" environment variable to the file
2594 name of your favorite reader, so NetHack can shell to it when you
2595 read the scroll. On versions of NetHack where mail is randomly
2596 generated internal to the game, these environment variables are
2597 ignored. You can disable the mail daemon by turning off the mail
2600 The command to read a scroll is `r'.
2604 Potions are distinguished by the color of the liquid inside
2605 the flask. They disappear after you quaff them.
2607 Clear potions are potions of water. Sometimes these are
2608 blessed or cursed, resulting in holy or unholy water. Holy water
2609 is the bane of the undead, so potions of holy water are good
2610 things to throw (`t') at them. It is also sometimes very useful
2611 to dip ("#dip") an object into a potion.
2613 The command to drink a potion is `q' (quaff).
2617 Wands usually have multiple magical charges. Some types of
2618 wands require a direction in which to zap them. You can also zap
2619 them at yourself (just give a `.' or `s' for the direction). Be
2620 warned, however, for this is often unwise. Other types of wands
2621 don't require a direction. The number of charges in a wand is
2622 random and decreases by one whenever you use it.
2624 When the number of charges left in a wand becomes zero, at-
2625 tempts to use the wand will usually result in nothing happening.
2626 Occasionally, however, it may be possible to squeeze the last few
2627 mana points from an otherwise spent wand, destroying it in the
2628 process. A wand may be recharged by using suitable magic, but
2629 doing so runs the risk of causing it to explode. The chance for
2630 such an explosion starts out very small and increases each time
2631 the wand is recharged.
2633 In a truly desperate situation, when your back is up against
2634 the wall, you might decide to go for broke and break your wand.
2637 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2643 NetHack Guidebook 41
2647 This is not for the faint of heart. Doing so will almost cer-
2648 tainly cause a catastrophic release of magical energies.
2650 When you have fully identified a particular wand, inventory
2651 display will include additional information in parentheses: the
2652 number of times it has been recharged followed by a colon and
2653 then by its current number of charges. A current charge count of
2654 -1 is a special case indicating that the wand has been cancelled.
2656 The command to use a wand is `z' (zap). To break one, use
2657 the `a' (apply) command.
2661 Rings are very useful items, since they are relatively per-
2662 manent magic, unlike the usually fleeting effects of potions,
2665 Putting on a ring activates its magic. You can wear only
2666 two rings, one on each ring finger.
2668 Most rings also cause you to grow hungry more rapidly, the
2669 rate varying with the type of ring.
2671 The commands to use rings are `P' (put on) and `R' (remove).
2673 7.9. Spellbooks (`+')
2675 Spellbooks are tomes of mighty magic. When studied with the
2676 `r' (read) command, they transfer to the reader the knowledge of
2677 a spell (and therefore eventually become unreadable) -- unless
2678 the attempt backfires. Reading a cursed spellbook or one with
2679 mystic runes beyond your ken can be harmful to your health!
2681 A spell (even when learned) can also backfire when you cast
2682 it. If you attempt to cast a spell well above your experience
2683 level, or if you have little skill with the appropriate spell
2684 type, or cast it at a time when your luck is particularly bad,
2685 you can end up wasting both the energy and the time required in
2688 Casting a spell calls forth magical energies and focuses
2689 them with your naked mind. Some of the magical energy released
2690 comes from within you. Casting temporarily drains your magical
2691 power, which will slowly be recovered, and causes you to need ad-
2692 ditional food. Casting of spells also requires practice. With
2693 practice, your skill in each category of spell casting will im-
2694 prove. Over time, however, your memory of each spell will dim,
2695 and you will need to relearn it.
2697 Some spells require a direction in which to cast them, simi-
2698 lar to wands. To cast one at yourself, just give a `.' or `s'
2699 for the direction. A few spells require you to pick a target lo-
2700 cation rather than just specify a particular direction. Other
2703 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2709 NetHack Guidebook 42
2713 spells don't require any direction or target.
2715 Just as weapons are divided into groups in which a character
2716 can become proficient (to varying degrees), spells are similarly
2717 grouped. Successfully casting a spell exercises its skill group;
2718 using the "#enhance" command to advance a sufficiently exercised
2719 skill will affect all spells within the group. Advanced skill
2720 may increase the potency of spells, reduce their risk of failure
2721 during casting attempts, and improve the accuracy of the estimate
2722 for how much longer they will be retained in your memory. Skill
2723 slots are shared with weapons skills. (See also the section on
2724 "Weapon proficiency".)
2726 Casting a spell also requires flexible movement, and wearing
2727 various types of armor may interfere with that.
2729 The command to read a spellbook is the same as for scrolls,
2730 `r' (read). The `+' command lists each spell you know along with
2731 its level, skill category, chance of failure when casting, and an
2732 estimate of how strongly it is remembered. The `Z' (cast) com-
2737 Tools are miscellaneous objects with various purposes. Some
2738 tools have a limited number of uses, akin to wand charges. For
2739 example, lamps burn out after a while. Other tools are contain-
2740 ers, which objects can be placed into or taken out of.
2742 The command to use a tool is `a' (apply).
2746 You may encounter bags, boxes, and chests in your travels.
2747 A tool of this sort can be opened with the "#loot" extended com-
2748 mand when you are standing on top of it (that is, on the same
2749 floor spot), or with the `a' (apply) command when you are carry-
2750 ing it. However, chests are often locked, and are in any case
2751 unwieldy objects. You must set one down before unlocking it by
2752 using a key or lock-picking tool with the `a' (apply) command, by
2753 kicking it with the `^D' command, or by using a weapon to force
2754 the lock with the "#force" extended command.
2756 Some chests are trapped, causing nasty things to happen when
2757 you unlock or open them. You can check for and try to deactivate
2758 traps with the "#untrap" extended command.
2762 Amulets are very similar to rings, and often more powerful.
2763 Like rings, amulets have various magical properties, some benefi-
2764 cial, some harmful, which are activated by putting them on.
2769 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2775 NetHack Guidebook 43
2779 Only one amulet may be worn at a time, around your neck.
2781 The commands to use amulets are the same as for rings, `P'
2782 (put on) and `R' (remove).
2786 Some gems are valuable, and can be sold for a lot of gold.
2787 They are also a far more efficient way of carrying your riches.
2788 Valuable gems increase your score if you bring them with you when
2791 Other small rocks are also categorized as gems, but they are
2792 much less valuable. All rocks, however, can be used as projec-
2793 tile weapons (if you have a sling). In the most desperate of
2794 cases, you can still throw them by hand.
2796 7.13. Large rocks (``')
2798 Statues and boulders are not particularly useful, and are
2799 generally heavy. It is rumored that some statues are not what
2802 Very large humanoids (giants and their ilk) have been known
2803 to use boulders as weapons.
2805 For some configurations of the program, statues are no
2806 longer shown as ``' but by the letter representing the monster
2807 they depict instead.
2811 Gold adds to your score, and you can buy things in shops
2812 with it. There are a number of monsters in the dungeon that may
2813 be influenced by the amount of gold you are carrying (shopkeepers
2816 7.15. Persistence of Objects
2818 Normally, if you have seen an object at a particular map lo-
2819 cation and move to another location where you can't directly see
2820 that object any more, if will continue to be displayed on your
2821 map. That remains the case even if it is not actually there any
2822 more -- perhaps a monster has picked it up or it has rotted away
2823 -- until you can see or feel that location again. One notable
2824 exception is that if the object gets covered by the "remembered,
2825 unseen monster" marker. When that marker is later removed after
2826 you've verified that no monster is there, you will forget that
2827 there was any object there regardless of whether the unseen mon-
2828 ster actually took the object. If the object is still there,
2829 then once you see or feel that location again you will re-discov-
2830 er the object and resume remembering it.
2835 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2841 NetHack Guidebook 44
2845 The situation is the same for a pile of objects, except that
2846 only the top item of the pile is displayed. The hilite_pile op-
2847 tion can be enabled in order to show an item differently when it
2848 is the top one of a pile.
2852 As if winning NetHack were not difficult enough, certain
2853 players seek to challenge themselves by imposing restrictions on
2854 the way they play the game. The game automatically tracks some
2855 of these challenges, which can be checked at any time with the
2856 #conduct command or at the end of the game. When you perform an
2857 action which breaks a challenge, it will no longer be listed.
2858 This gives players extra "bragging rights" for winning the game
2859 with these challenges. Note that it is perfectly acceptable to
2860 win the game without resorting to these restrictions and that it
2861 is unusual for players to adhere to challenges the first time
2864 Several of the challenges are related to eating behavior.
2865 The most difficult of these is the foodless challenge. Although
2866 creatures can survive long periods of time without food, there is
2867 a physiological need for water; thus there is no restriction on
2868 drinking beverages, even if they provide some minor food bene-
2869 fits. Calling upon your god for help with starvation does not
2870 violate any food challenges either.
2872 A strict vegan diet is one which avoids any food derived
2873 from animals. The primary source of nutrition is fruits and veg-
2874 etables. The corpses and tins of blobs (`b'), jellies (`j'), and
2875 fungi (`F') are also considered to be vegetable matter. Certain
2876 human food is prepared without animal products; namely, lembas
2877 wafers, cram rations, food rations (gunyoki), K-rations, and C-
2878 rations. Metal or another normally indigestible material eaten
2879 while polymorphed into a creature that can digest it is also con-
2880 sidered vegan food. Note however that eating such items still
2881 counts against foodless conduct.
2883 Vegetarians do not eat animals; however, they are less se-
2884 lective about eating animal byproducts than vegans. In addition
2885 to the vegan items listed above, they may eat any kind of pudding
2886 (`P') other than the black puddings, eggs and food made from eggs
2887 (fortune cookies and pancakes), food made with milk (cream pies
2888 and candy bars), and lumps of royal jelly. Monks are expected to
2889 observe a vegetarian diet.
2891 Eating any kind of meat violates the vegetarian, vegan, and
2892 foodless conducts. This includes tripe rations, the corpses or
2893 tins of any monsters not mentioned above, and the various other
2894 chunks of meat found in the dungeon. Swallowing and digesting a
2895 monster while polymorphed is treated as if you ate the creature's
2896 corpse. Eating leather, dragon hide, or bone items while poly-
2897 morphed into a creature that can digest it, or eating monster
2898 brains while polymorphed into a mind flayer, is considered eating
2901 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2907 NetHack Guidebook 45
2911 an animal, although wax is only an animal byproduct.
2913 Regardless of conduct, there will be some items which are
2914 indigestible, and others which are hazardous to eat. Using a
2915 swallow-and-digest attack against a monster is equivalent to eat-
2916 ing the monster's corpse. Please note that the term "vegan" is
2917 used here only in the context of diet. You are still free to
2918 choose not to use or wear items derived from animals (e.g.
2919 leather, dragon hide, bone, horns, coral), but the game will not
2920 keep track of this for you. Also note that "milky" potions may
2921 be a translucent white, but they do not contain milk, so they are
2922 compatible with a vegan diet. Slime molds or player-defined
2923 "fruits", although they could be anything from "cherries" to
2924 "pork chops", are also assumed to be vegan.
2926 An atheist is one who rejects religion. This means that you
2927 cannot #pray, #offer sacrifices to any god, #turn undead, or
2928 #chat with a priest. Particularly selective readers may argue
2929 that playing Monk or Priest characters should violate this con-
2930 duct; that is a choice left to the player. Offering the Amulet
2931 of Yendor to your god is necessary to win the game and is not
2932 counted against this conduct. You are also not penalized for be-
2933 ing spoken to by an angry god, priest(ess), or other religious
2934 figure; a true atheist would hear the words but attach no special
2937 Most players fight with a wielded weapon (or tool intended
2938 to be wielded as a weapon). Another challenge is to win the game
2939 without using such a wielded weapon. You are still permitted to
2940 throw, fire, and kick weapons; use a wand, spell, or other type
2941 of item; or fight with your hands and feet.
2943 In NetHack, a pacifist refuses to cause the death of any
2944 other monster (i.e. if you would get experience for the death).
2945 This is a particularly difficult challenge, although it is still
2946 possible to gain experience by other means.
2948 An illiterate character cannot read or write. This includes
2949 reading a scroll, spellbook, fortune cookie message, or t-shirt;
2950 writing a scroll; or making an engraving of anything other than a
2951 single "X" (the traditional signature of an illiterate person).
2952 Reading an engraving, or any item that is absolutely necessary to
2953 win the game, is not counted against this conduct. The identity
2954 of scrolls and spellbooks (and knowledge of spells) in your
2955 starting inventory is assumed to be learned from your teachers
2956 prior to the start of the game and isn't counted.
2958 There are several other challenges tracked by the game. It
2959 is possible to eliminate one or more species of monsters by geno-
2960 cide; playing without this feature is considered a challenge.
2961 When the game offers you an opportunity to genocide monsters, you
2962 may respond with the monster type "none" if you want to decline.
2963 You can change the form of an item into another item of the same
2964 type ("polypiling") or the form of your own body into another
2967 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
2973 NetHack Guidebook 46
2977 creature ("polyself") by wand, spell, or potion of polymorph;
2978 avoiding these effects are each considered challenges. Polymor-
2979 phing monsters, including pets, does not break either of these
2980 challenges. Finally, you may sometimes receive wishes; a game
2981 without an attempt to wish for any items is a challenge, as is a
2982 game without wishing for an artifact (even if the artifact imme-
2983 diately disappears). When the game offers you an opportunity to
2984 make a wish for an item, you may choose "nothing" if you want to
2989 Due to variations in personal tastes and conceptions of how
2990 NetHack should do things, there are options you can set to change
2991 how NetHack behaves.
2993 9.1. Setting the options
2995 Options may be set in a number of ways. Within the game,
2996 the `O' command allows you to view all options and change most of
2997 them. You can also set options automatically by placing them in
2998 a configuration file, or in the NETHACKOPTIONS environment vari-
2999 able. Some versions of NetHack also have front-end programs that
3000 allow you to set options before starting the game or a global
3001 configuration for system administrators.
3003 9.2. Using a configuration file
3005 The default name of the configuration file varies on differ-
3006 ent operating systems.
3008 On UNIX, Linux, and Mac OS X it is ".nethackrc" in the us-
3009 er's home directory. The file may not exist, but it is a normal
3010 ASCII text file and can be created with any text editor.
3012 On Windows, it is ".nethackrc" in the folder "\%USERPRO-
3013 FILE%\NetHack\3.6". The file may not exist, but it is a normal
3014 ASCII text file can can be created with any text editor. After
3015 running NetHack for the first time, you should find a default
3016 template for the configuration file named ".nethackrc.template"
3017 in "\%USERPROFILE%\NetHack\3.6". If you had not created the con-
3018 figuration file, NetHack will create the configuration file for
3019 you using the default template file.
3021 On MS-DOS, it is "defaults.nh" in the same folder as
3024 Any line in the configuration file starting with `#' is
3025 treated as a comment. Empty lines are ignored.
3027 Any line beginning with `[' and ending in `]' is considered
3028 a section marker. The text between the square brackets is the
3029 section name. Lines after a section marker belong to that sec-
3030 tion, and are ignored unless a CHOOSE statement was used to
3033 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3039 NetHack Guidebook 47
3043 select that section. Section names are case insensitive.
3045 You can use different configuration statements in the file,
3046 some of which can be used multiple times. In general, the state-
3047 ments are written in capital letters, followed by an equals sign,
3048 followed by settings particular to that statement.
3050 Here is a list of allowed statements:
3053 There are two types of options, boolean and compound options.
3054 Boolean options toggle a setting on or off, while compound op-
3055 tions take more diverse values. Prefix a boolean option with
3056 "no" or `!' to turn it off. For compound options, the option
3057 name and value are separated by a colon. Some options are per-
3058 sistent, and apply only to new games. You can specify multiple
3059 OPTIONS statements, and multiple options separated by commas in
3060 a single OPTIONS statement. (Comma separated options are pro-
3061 cessed from right to left.)
3065 OPTIONS=dogname:Fido
3066 OPTIONS=!legacy,autopickup,pickup_types:$"=/!?+
3069 Default location of files NetHack needs. On Windows HACKDIR
3070 defaults to the location of the NetHack.exe or NetHackw.exe
3071 file so setting HACKDIR to override that is not usually neces-
3072 sary or recommended.
3075 The location that in-progress level files are stored. Defaults
3076 to HACKDIR, must be writable.
3079 The location where saved games are kept. Defaults to HACKDIR,
3083 The location that bones files are kept. Defaults to HACKDIR,
3087 The location that file synchronization locks are stored.
3088 Defaults to HACKDIR, must be writable.
3091 The location that a record of game aborts and self-diagnosed
3092 game problems is kept. Defaults to HACKDIR, must be writable.
3095 Enable or disable an extended command autocompletion. Autocom-
3096 pletion has no effect for the X11 windowport. You can specify
3099 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3105 NetHack Guidebook 48
3109 multiple autocompletions. To enable autocompletion, list the
3110 extended command. Prefix the command with "!" to disable the
3111 autocompletion for that command.
3115 AUTOCOMPLETE=zap,!annotate
3117 AUTOPICKUP_EXCEPTION
3118 Set exceptions to the pickup_types option. See the "Configur-
3119 ing Autopickup Exceptions" section.
3122 Change the key bindings of some special keys, menu accelera-
3123 tors, or extended commands. You can specify multiple bindings.
3124 Format is key followed by the command, separated by a colon.
3125 See the "Changing Key Bindings" section for more information.
3129 BIND=^X:getpos.autodescribe
3132 Chooses at random one of the comma-separated parameters as an
3133 active section name. Lines in other sections are ignored.
3138 CHOOSE=char A,char B
3140 OPTIONS=role:arc,race:dwa,align:law,gender:fem
3142 OPTIONS=role:wiz,race:elf,align:cha,gender:mal
3145 Highlight menu lines with different colors. See the "Configur-
3146 ing Menu Colors" section.
3149 Change the way messages are shown in the top status line. See
3150 the "Configuring Message Types" section.
3153 Custom symbols for for the rogue level's symbol set. See SYM-
3157 Define a sound mapping. See the "Configuring User Sounds" sec-
3161 Define the directory that contains the sound files. See the
3162 "Configuring User Sounds" section.
3165 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3171 NetHack Guidebook 49
3176 Override one or more symbols in the symbol set used for all
3177 dungeon levels except for the special rogue level. See the
3178 "Modifying NetHack Symbols" section.
3182 # replace small punctuation (tick marks) with digits
3183 SYMBOLS=S_boulder:0,S_golem:7
3186 Debug mode only: extra items to add to initial inventory.
3187 Value is the name of a text file containing a list of item
3188 names, one per line, up to a maximum of 128 lines. Each line
3189 is processed by the function that handles wishing.
3197 Here is an example of configuration file contents:
3199 # Set your character's role, race, gender, and alignment.
3200 OPTIONS=role:Valkyrie, race:Human, gender:female, align:lawful
3202 # Turn on autopickup, set automatically picked up object types
3203 OPTIONS=autopickup,pickup_types:$"=/!?+
3206 OPTIONS=color # Display things in color if possible
3207 OPTIONS=lit_corridor # Show lit corridors differently
3208 OPTIONS=hilite_pet,hilite_pile
3209 # Replace small punctuation (tick marks) with digits
3210 SYMBOLS=S_boulder:0,S_golem:7
3212 # No startup splash screen. Windows GUI only.
3213 OPTIONS=!splash_screen
3217 9.3. Using the NETHACKOPTIONS environment variable
3219 The NETHACKOPTIONS variable is a comma-separated list of
3220 initial values for the various options. Some can only be turned
3221 on or off. You turn one of these on by adding the name of the
3222 option to the list, and turn it off by typing a `!' or "no" be-
3223 fore the name. Others take a character string as a value. You
3224 can set string options by typing the option name, a colon or
3225 equals sign, and then the value of the string. The value is ter-
3226 minated by the next comma or the end of string.
3231 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3237 NetHack Guidebook 50
3241 For example, to set up an environment variable so that color
3242 is on, legacy is off, character name is set to "Blue Meanie", and
3243 named fruit is set to "lime", you would enter the command
3245 % setenv NETHACKOPTIONS "color,\!leg,name:Blue Meanie,fruit:lime"
3247 in csh (note the need to escape the `!' since it's special to
3248 that shell), or the pair of commands
3250 $ NETHACKOPTIONS="color,!leg,name:Blue Meanie,fruit:lime"
3251 $ export NETHACKOPTIONS
3253 in sh, ksh, or bash.
3255 The NETHACKOPTIONS value is effectively the same as a single
3256 OPTIONS statement in a configuration file. The "OPTIONS=" prefix
3257 is implied and comma separated options are processed from right
3258 to left. Other types of configuration statements such as BIND or
3259 MSGTYPE are not allowed.
3261 Instead of a comma-separated list of options, NETHACKOPTIONS
3262 can be set to the full name of a configuration file you want to
3263 use. If that full name doesn't start with a slash, precede it
3264 with `@' (at-sign) to let NetHack know that the rest is intended
3265 as a file name. If it does start with `/', the at-sign is op-
3268 9.4. Customization options
3270 Here are explanations of what the various options do. Char-
3271 acter strings that are too long may be truncated. Some of the
3272 options listed may be inactive in your dungeon.
3274 Some options are persistent, and are saved and reloaded
3275 along with the game. Changing a persistent option in the config-
3276 uration file applies only to new games.
3279 Enable messages about what your character hears (default on).
3280 Note that this has nothing to do with your computer's audio ca-
3281 pabilities. Persistent.
3284 Your starting alignment (align:lawful, align:neutral, or
3285 align:chaotic). You may specify just the first letter. The
3286 default is to randomly pick an appropriate alignment. If you
3287 prefix the value with `!' or "no", you will exclude that align-
3288 ment from being picked randomly. Cannot be set with the `O'
3289 command. Persistent.
3292 Automatically describe the terrain under cursor when asked to
3293 get a location on the map (default true). The whatis_coord op-
3294 tion controls whether the description includes map coordinates.
3297 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3303 NetHack Guidebook 51
3308 Automatically dig if you are wielding a digging tool and moving
3309 into a place that can be dug (default false). Persistent.
3312 Walking into a door attempts to open it (default true). Persis-
3316 Automatically pick up things onto which you move (default on).
3317 Persistent. See pickup_types to refine the behavior.
3320 This option controls what happens when you attempt the `f'
3321 (fire) command when nothing is quivered or readied (default
3322 false). When true, the computer will fill your quiver or
3323 quiver sack or make ready some suitable weapon. Note that it
3324 will not take into account the blessed/cursed status, enchant-
3325 ment, damage, or quality of the weapon; you are free to manual-
3326 ly fill your quiver or quiver sack or make ready with the `Q'
3327 command instead. If no weapon is found or the option is false,
3328 the `t' (throw) command is executed instead. Persistent.
3331 Start the character permanently blind (default false). Persis-
3335 Allow saving and loading bones files (default true). Persis-
3339 Set the character used to display boulders (default is the
3340 "large rock" class symbol, ``').
3343 Name your starting cat (for example "catname:Morris"). Cannot
3344 be set with the `O' command.
3347 Synonym for "role" to pick the type of your character (for ex-
3348 ample "character:Monk"). See role for more details.
3351 Save game state after each level change, for possible recovery
3352 after program crash (default on). Persistent.
3355 Check free disk space before writing files to disk (default
3356 on). You may have to turn this off if you have more than 2 GB
3357 free space on the partition used for your save and level files
3358 (because too much space might overflow the calculation and end
3359 up looking like insufficient space). Only applies when MFLOPPY
3360 was defined during compilation.
3363 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3369 NetHack Guidebook 52
3374 Allows looking at things on the screen by navigating the mouse
3375 over them and clicking the right mouse button (default off).
3378 Have the game provide some additional command assistance for
3379 new players if it detects some anticipated mistakes (default
3383 Have user confirm attacks on pets, shopkeepers, and other
3384 peaceable creatures (default on). Persistent.
3387 Show out-of-sight areas of lit rooms (default on). Persistent.
3390 Controls what information the program reveals when the game
3391 ends. Value is a space separated list of prompting/category
3392 pairs (default is "ni na nv ng nc no", prompt with default re-
3393 sponse of `n' for each candidate). Persistent. The possibili-
3396 i - disclose your inventory;
3397 a - disclose your attributes;
3398 v - summarize monsters that have been vanquished;
3399 g - list monster species that have been genocided;
3400 c - display your conduct;
3401 o - display dungeon overview.
3403 Each disclosure possibility can optionally be preceded by a
3404 prefix which lets you refine how it behaves. Here are the
3407 y - prompt you and default to yes on the prompt;
3408 n - prompt you and default to no on the prompt;
3409 + - disclose it without prompting;
3410 - - do not disclose it and do not prompt.
3412 The listing of vanquished monsters can be sorted, so there are
3413 two additional choices for `v':
3415 ? - prompt you and default to ask on the prompt;
3416 # - disclose it without prompting, ask for sort order.
3418 Asking refers to picking one of the orderings from a menu. The
3419 `+' disclose without prompting choice, or being prompted and
3420 answering `y' rather than `a', will default to showing monsters
3421 in the traditional order, from high level to low level.
3423 Omitted categories are implicitly added with `n' prefix. Spec-
3424 ified categories with omitted prefix implicitly use `+' prefix.
3425 Order of the disclosure categories does not matter, program
3426 display for end-of-game disclosure follows a set sequence.
3429 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3435 NetHack Guidebook 53
3439 (for example "disclose:yi na +v -g o") The example sets inven-
3440 tory to prompt and default to yes, attributes to prompt and de-
3441 fault to no, vanquished to disclose without prompting, genocid-
3442 ed to not disclose and not prompt, conduct to implicitly prompt
3443 and default to no, and overview to disclose without prompting.
3445 Note that the vanquished monsters list includes all monsters
3446 killed by traps and each other as well as by you. And the dun-
3447 geon overview shows all levels you had visited but does not re-
3448 veal things about them that you hadn't discovered.
3451 Name your starting dog (for example "dogname:Fang"). Cannot be
3452 set with the `O' command.
3455 Changes the extended commands interface to pop-up a menu of
3456 available commands. It is keystroke compatible with the tradi-
3457 tional interface except that it does not require that you hit
3458 Enter. It is implemented for the tty interface (default off).
3460 For the X11 interface, which always uses a menu for choosing an
3461 extended command, it controls whether the menu shows all avail-
3462 able commands (on) or just the subset of commands which have
3463 traditionally been considered extended ones (off).
3466 An obsolete synonym for "gender:female". Cannot be set with
3470 An object's inventory letter sticks to it when it's dropped
3471 (default on). If this is off, dropping an object shifts all
3472 the remaining inventory letters. Persistent.
3475 Commands asking for an inventory item show a menu instead of a
3476 text query with possible menu letters. Default is off.
3479 Name a fruit after something you enjoy eating (for example
3480 "fruit:mango") (default "slime mold"). Basically a nostalgic
3481 whimsy that NetHack uses from time to time. You should set
3482 this to something you find more appetizing than slime mold.
3483 Apples, oranges, pears, bananas, and melons already exist in
3484 NetHack, so don't use those.
3487 Your starting gender (gender:male or gender:female). You may
3488 specify just the first letter. Although you can still denote
3489 your gender using the "male" and "female" options, the "gender"
3490 option will take precedence. The default is to randomly pick
3491 an appropriate gender. If you prefix the value with `!' or
3492 "no", you will exclude that gender from being picked randomly.
3495 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3501 NetHack Guidebook 54
3505 Cannot be set with the `O' command. Persistent.
3508 When filtering objects based on bless/curse state (BUCX),
3509 whether to treat gold pieces as X (unknown bless/curse state,
3510 when "on") or U (known to be uncursed, when "off", the de-
3511 fault). Gold is never blessed or cursed, but it is not de-
3512 scribed as "uncursed" even when the implicit_uncursed option is
3516 If more information is available for an object looked at with
3517 the `/' command, ask if you want to see it (default on). Turn-
3518 ing help off makes just looking at things faster, since you
3519 aren't interrupted with the "More info?" prompt, but it also
3520 means that you might miss some interesting and/or important in-
3521 formation. Persistent.
3524 When using a windowport that supports mouse and clicking on
3525 yourself or next to you, show a menu of possible actions for
3526 the location. Same as "#herecmdmenu" and "#therecmdmenu" com-
3530 Visually distinguish pets from similar animals (default off).
3531 The behavior of this option depends on the type of windowing
3532 you use. In text windowing, text highlighting or inverse video
3533 is often used; with tiles, generally displays a heart symbol
3536 With the curses interface, the petattr option controls how to
3537 highlight pets and setting it will turn the hilite_pet option
3538 on or off as warranted.
3541 Visually distinguish piles of objects from individual objects
3542 (default off). The behavior of this option depends on the type
3543 of windowing you use. In text windowing, text highlighting or
3544 inverse video is often used; with tiles, generally displays a
3545 small plus-symbol beside the object on the top of the pile.
3548 Show a hit point bar graph behind your name and title. Only
3549 available for TTY and Windows GUI, and only when statushilites
3553 Name your starting horse (for example "horsename:Trigger").
3554 Cannot be set with the `O' command.
3557 Ignore interrupt signals, including breaks (default off). Per-
3561 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3567 NetHack Guidebook 55
3572 Omit "uncursed" from inventory lists, if possible (default on).
3575 Display an introductory message when starting the game (default
3579 Show corridor squares seen by night vision or a light source
3580 held by your character as lit (default off). Persistent.
3583 When using a menu to interact with a container, use the old
3584 `a', `b', and `c' keyboard shortcuts rather than the mnemonics
3585 `o', `i', and `b' (default off). Persistent.
3588 Enable mail delivery during the game (default on). Persistent.
3591 An obsolete synonym for "gender:male". Cannot be set with the
3595 Give feedback when walking against a wall (default off).
3598 Enable coloring menu lines (default off). See "Configuring
3599 Menu Colors" on how to configure the colors.
3602 Controls the interface used when you need to choose various ob-
3603 jects (in response to the Drop command, for instance). The
3604 value specified should be the first letter of one of the fol-
3605 lowing: traditional, combination, full, or partial. Tradi-
3606 tional was the only interface available for early versions; it
3607 consists of a prompt for object class characters, followed by
3608 an object-by-object prompt for all items matching the selected
3609 object class(es). Combination starts with a prompt for object
3610 class(es) of interest, but then displays a menu of matching ob-
3611 jects rather than prompting one-by-one. Full displays a menu
3612 of object classes rather than a character prompt, and then a
3613 menu of matching objects for selection. Partial skips the ob-
3614 ject class filtering and immediately displays a menu of all ob-
3618 Menu character accelerator to deselect all items in a menu.
3619 Implemented by the Amiga, Gem, X11 and tty ports. Default `-'.
3622 Menu character accelerator to deselect all items on this page
3623 of a menu. Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. De-
3627 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3633 NetHack Guidebook 56
3638 Menu character accelerator to jump to the first page in a menu.
3639 Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default `^'.
3642 Controls how the headings in a menu are highlighted. Values
3643 are "none", "bold", "dim", "underline", "blink", or "inverse".
3644 Not all ports can actually display all types.
3647 Menu character accelerator to invert all items in a menu. Im-
3648 plemented by the Amiga, Gem, X11 and tty ports. Default `@'.
3651 Menu character accelerator to invert all items on this page of
3652 a menu. Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default
3656 Menu character accelerator to jump to the last page in a menu.
3657 Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default `|'.
3660 Menu character accelerator to goto the next menu page. Imple-
3661 mented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default `>'.
3664 Show object symbols in menu headings in menus where the object
3665 symbols act as menu accelerators (default off).
3668 Do not clear the screen before drawing menus, and align menus
3669 to the right edge of the screen. Only for the tty port. (de-
3673 Menu character accelerator to goto the previous menu page. Im-
3674 plemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default `<'.
3677 Menu character accelerator to search for a menu item. Imple-
3678 mented by the Amiga, Gem, X11 and tty ports. Default `:'.
3681 Menu character accelerator to select all items in a menu. Im-
3682 plemented by the Amiga, Gem, X11 and tty ports. Default `.'.
3685 Menu character accelerator to select all items on this page of
3686 a menu. Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default
3690 Prompt for new form whenever any monster changes shape (default
3693 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3699 NetHack Guidebook 57
3703 off). Debug mode only.
3706 Allow use of the mouse for input and travel. Valid settings
3710 1 - enabled and make OS adjustments to support mouse use
3711 2 - like 1 but does not make any OS adjustments
3713 Omitting a value is the same as specifying 1 and negating
3714 mouse_support is the same as specifying 0.
3717 The number of top line messages to keep (and be able to recall
3718 with `^P') (default 20). Cannot be set with the `O' command.
3721 Allows you to change the way recalled messages are displayed.
3722 Currently it is only supported for tty (all four choices) and
3723 for curses (`f' and `r' choices, default `r'). The possible
3726 s - single message (default; only choice prior to 3.4.0);
3727 c - combination, two messages as "single", then as "full";
3728 f - full window, oldest message first;
3729 r - full window reversed, newest message first.
3731 For backward compatibility, no value needs to be specified
3732 (which defaults to "full"), or it can be negated (which
3733 defaults to "single").
3736 Set your character's name (defaults to your user name). You
3737 can also set your character's role by appending a dash and one
3738 or more letters of the role (that is, by suffixing one of -A -B
3739 -C -H -K -M -P -Ra -Ro -S -T -V -W). If -@ is used for the
3740 role, then a random one will be automatically chosen. Cannot
3741 be set with the `O' command.
3744 Read the NetHack news file, if present (default on). Since the
3745 news is shown at the beginning of the game, there's no point in
3746 setting this with the `O' command.
3749 Start the character with no armor (default false). Persistent.
3752 Send padding nulls to the terminal (default on). Persistent.
3755 Use digit keys instead of letters to move (default 0 or off).
3759 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3765 NetHack Guidebook 58
3769 0 - move by letters; "yuhjklbn"
3770 1 - move by numbers; digit `5' acts as `G' movement prefix
3771 2 - like 1 but `5' works as `g' prefix instead of as `G'
3772 3 - by numbers using phone key layout; 123 above, 789 below
3773 4 - combines 3 with 2; phone layout plus MS-DOS compatibility
3774 -1 - by letters but use `z' to go northwest, `y' to zap wands
3776 For backward compatibility, omitting a value is the same as
3777 specifying 1 and negating number_pad is the same as specifying
3778 0. (Settings 2 and 4 are for compatibility with MS-DOS or old
3779 PC Hack; in addition to the different behavior for `5', `Alt-5'
3780 acts as `G' and `Alt-0' acts as `I'. Setting -1 is to accommo-
3781 date some QWERTZ keyboards which have the location of the `y'
3782 and `z' keys swapped.) When moving by numbers, to enter a
3783 count prefix for those commands which accept one (such as "12s"
3784 to search twelve times), precede it with the letter `n'
3788 Specify the order to list object types in (default
3789 "")[%?+!=/(*`0_"). The value of this option should be a string
3790 containing the symbols for the various object types. Any omit-
3791 ted types are filled in at the end from the previous order.
3793 paranoid_confirmation
3794 A space separated list of specific situations where alternate
3795 prompting is desired. The default is paranoid_confirma-
3798 Confirm - for any prompts which are set to require "yes"
3799 rather than `y', also require "no" to reject in-
3800 stead of accepting any non-yes response as no
3801 quit - require "yes" rather than `y' to confirm quitting
3802 the game or switching into non-scoring explore
3804 die - require "yes" rather than `y' to confirm dying
3805 (not useful in normal play; applies to explore
3807 bones - require "yes" rather than `y' to confirm saving
3808 bones data when dying in debug mode;
3809 attack - require "yes" rather than `y' to confirm attack-
3810 ing a peaceful monster;
3811 wand-break - require "yes" rather than `y' to confirm breaking
3813 eating - require "yes" rather than `y' to confirm whether
3815 Were-change - require "yes" rather than `y' to confirm changing
3816 form due to lycanthropy when hero has polymorph
3818 pray - require `y' to confirm an attempt to pray rather
3819 than immediately praying; on by default;
3820 Remove - require selection from inventory for `R' and `T'
3821 commands even when wearing just one applicable
3825 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3831 NetHack Guidebook 59
3835 all - turn on all of the above.
3837 By default, the pray choice is enabled, the others disabled.
3838 To disable it without setting any of the other choices, use
3839 "paranoid_confirmation:none". To keep it enabled while setting
3840 any of the others, include it in the list, such as "para-
3841 noid_confirmation:attack pray Remove".
3844 If true, always display your current inventory in a window.
3845 This only makes sense for windowing system interfaces that im-
3846 plement this feature.
3849 Specifies one or more text highlighting attributes to use when
3850 showing pets on the map. Effectively a superset of the
3851 hilite_pet boolean option. Curses interface only; value is one
3852 or more of the following letters.
3854 n - Normal text (no highlighting)
3855 i - Inverse video (default)
3861 l - Left line indicator
3862 r - Right line indicator
3864 Some of those choices might not work, particularly the final
3865 three, depending upon terminal hardware or terminal emulation
3868 Currently multiple highlight-style letters can be combined by
3869 simply stringing them together (for example, "bk"), but in the
3870 future they might require being separated by plus signs (such
3871 as "b+k", which works already). When using the `n' choice, it
3872 should be specified on its own, not in combination with any of
3876 Specify the type of your initial pet, if you are playing a
3877 character class that uses multiple types of pets; or choose to
3878 have no initial pet at all. Possible values are "cat", "dog",
3879 "horse", and "none". If the choice is not allowed for the role
3880 you are currently playing, it will be silently ignored. For
3881 example, "horse" will only be honored when playing a knight.
3882 Cannot be set with the `O' command.
3885 When you pick up an item that would exceed this encumbrance
3886 level (Unencumbered, Burdened, streSsed, straiNed, overTaxed,
3887 or overLoaded), you will be asked if you want to continue.
3888 (Default `S'). Persistent.
3891 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3897 NetHack Guidebook 60
3902 If this option is on and autopickup is also on, try to pick up
3903 things that you threw, even if they aren't in pickup_types or
3904 match an autopickup exception. Default is on. Persistent.
3907 Specify the object types to be picked up when autopickup is on.
3908 Default is all types. You can use autopickup_exception config-
3909 uration file lines to further refine autopickup behavior. Per-
3913 When walking across a pile of objects on the floor, threshold
3914 at which the message "there are few/several/many objects here"
3915 is given instead of showing a popup list of those objects. A
3916 value of 0 means "no limit" (always list the objects); a value
3917 of 1 effectively means "never show the objects" since the pile
3918 size will always be at least that big; default value is 5.
3922 Values are "normal", "explore", or "debug". Allows selection
3923 of explore mode (also known as discovery mode) or debug mode
3924 (also known as wizard mode) instead of normal play. Debug mode
3925 might only be allowed for someone logged in under a particular
3926 user name (on multi-user systems) or specifying a particular
3927 character name (on single-user systems) or it might be disabled
3928 entirely. Requesting it when not allowed or not possible re-
3929 sults in explore mode instead. Default is normal play.
3932 Using the `w' (wield) command when already wielding something
3933 pushes the old item into your alternate weapon slot (default
3934 off). Likewise for the `a' (apply) command if it causes the
3935 applied item to become wielded. Persistent.
3938 Selects your race (for example, "race:human"). Default is ran-
3939 dom. If you prefix the value with `!' or "no", you will ex-
3940 clude that race from being picked randomly. Cannot be set with
3941 the `O' command. Persistent.
3944 Make the space bar a synonym for the `.' (#wait) command (de-
3945 fault off). Persistent.
3948 Pick your type of character (for example "role:Samurai"); syn-
3949 onym for "character". See "name" for an alternate method of
3950 specifying your role. Normally only the first letter of the
3951 value is examined; `r' is an exception with "Rogue", "Ranger",
3952 and "random" values. If you prefix the value with `!' or "no",
3953 you will exclude that role from being picked randomly. Cannot
3954 be set with the `O' command. Persistent.
3957 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
3963 NetHack Guidebook 61
3968 This option may be used to select one of the named symbol sets
3969 found within "symbols" to alter the symbols displayed on the
3970 screen on the rogue level.
3973 When writing out a save file, perform run length compression of
3974 the map. Not all ports support run length compression. It has
3975 no effect on reading an existing save file.
3978 Controls the amount of screen updating for the map window when
3979 engaged in multi-turn movement (running via shift+direction or
3980 control+direction and so forth, or via the travel command or
3981 mouse click). The possible values are:
3983 teleport - update the map after movement has finished;
3984 run - update the map after every seven or so steps;
3985 walk - update the map after each step;
3986 crawl - like walk, but pause briefly after each step.
3988 This option only affects the game's screen display, not the ac-
3989 tual results of moving. The default is "run"; versions prior
3990 to 3.4.1 used "teleport" only. Whether or not the effect is
3991 noticeable will depend upon the window port used or on the type
3992 of terminal. Persistent.
3995 Prevent you from (knowingly) attacking your pets (default on).
3999 Evaluate monsters, objects, and map prior to each turn (default
4000 off). Debug mode only.
4003 Control what parts of the score list you are shown at the end
4004 (for example "scores:5 top scores/4 around my score/own
4005 scores"). Only the first letter of each category (`t', `a', or
4006 `o') is necessary. Persistent.
4009 Show your accumulated experience points on bottom line (default
4013 Display yourself as the glyph for your race, rather than the
4014 glyph for your role (default off). Note that this setting af-
4015 fects only the appearance of the display, not the way the game
4016 treats you. Persistent.
4019 Show your approximate accumulated score on bottom line (default
4023 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4029 NetHack Guidebook 62
4034 Suppress terminal beeps (default on). Persistent.
4037 Controls the sorting behavior of the pickup lists for inventory
4038 and #loot commands and some others. Persistent. The possible
4041 full - always sort the lists;
4042 loot - only sort the lists that don't use inventory letters,
4043 like with the #loot and pickup commands;
4044 none - show lists the traditional way without sorting.
4047 Sort the pack contents by type when displaying inventory (de-
4048 fault on). Persistent.
4051 Display a sparkly effect when a monster (including yourself) is
4052 hit by an attack to which it is resistant (default on). Per-
4056 Boldface monsters and "--More--" (default off). Persistent.
4059 Controls how many turns status hilite behaviors highlight the
4060 field. If negated or set to zero, disables status hiliting.
4061 See "Configuring Status Hilites" for further information.
4064 Allow updates to the status lines at the bottom of the screen
4068 This option may be set to a NetHack version level to suppress
4069 alert notification messages about feature changes for that and
4070 prior versions (for example "suppress_alert:3.3.1").
4073 This option may be used to select one of the named symbol sets
4074 found within "symbols" to alter the symbols displayed on the
4075 screen. Use "symset:default" to explicitly select the default
4079 Show the elapsed game time in turns on bottom line (default
4083 When pausing momentarily for display effect, such as with ex-
4084 plosions and moving objects, use a timer rather than sending
4085 extra characters to the screen. (Applies to "tty" interface
4086 only; "X11" interface always uses a timer based delay. The
4089 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4095 NetHack Guidebook 63
4099 default is on if configured into the program.) Persistent.
4102 Draw a tombstone graphic upon your death (default on). Persis-
4106 Put the ending display in a NetHack window instead of on stdout
4107 (default off). Setting this option makes the score list visi-
4108 ble when a windowing version of NetHack is started without a
4109 parent window, but it no longer leaves the score list around
4110 after game end on a terminal or emulating window.
4113 Allow the travel command (default on). Turning this option off
4114 will prevent the game from attempting unintended moves if you
4115 make inadvertent mouse clicks on the map window. Persistent.
4118 Provide more commentary during the game (default on). Persis-
4122 When using the `/' or `;' commands to look around on the map
4123 with autodescribe on, display coordinates after the descrip-
4124 tion. Also works in other situations where you are asked to
4127 The possible settings are:
4129 c - compass ("east" or "3s" or "2n,4w");
4130 f - full compass ("east" or "3south" or "2north,4west");
4131 m - map <x,y> (map column x=0 is not used);
4132 s - screen [row,column] (row is offset to match tty usage);
4133 n - none (no coordinates shown) [default].
4135 The whatis_coord option is also used with the "/m", "/M", "/o",
4136 and "/O" sub-commands of `/', where the "none" setting is over-
4140 When getting a location on the map, and using the keys to cycle
4141 through next and previous targets, allows filtering the possi-
4144 n - no filtering [default]
4146 a - in same area only
4148 The area-filter tries to be slightly predictive -- if you're
4149 standing on a doorway, it will consider the area on the side of
4150 the door you were last moving towards.
4155 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4161 NetHack Guidebook 64
4165 Filtering can also be changed when getting a location with the
4166 "getpos.filter" key.
4169 When getting a location on the map, and using a key to cycle
4170 through next and previous targets, use a menu instead to pick a
4171 target. (default off)
4174 When getting a location on the map, and using shifted movement
4175 keys or meta-digit keys to fast-move, instead of moving 8 units
4176 at a time, move by skipping the same glyphs. (default off)
4179 When the program has been built to support multiple interfaces,
4180 select which one to use, such as "tty" or "X11" (default de-
4181 pends on build-time settings; use "#version" to check). Cannot
4182 be set with the `O' command.
4184 When used, it should be the first option set since its value
4185 might enable or disable the availability of various other op-
4186 tions. For multiple lines in a configuration file, that would
4187 be the first non-comment line. For a comma-separated list in
4188 NETHACKOPTIONS or an OPTIONS line in a configuration file, that
4189 would be the rightmost option in the list.
4192 Augment object descriptions with their objects' weight (default
4193 off). Debug mode only.
4196 When writing out a save file, perform zero-comp compression of
4197 the contents. Not all ports support zero-comp compression. It
4198 has no effect on reading an existing save file.
4200 9.5. Window Port Customization options
4202 Here are explanations of the various options that are used
4203 to customize and change the characteristics of the windowtype
4204 that you have chosen. Character strings that are too long may be
4205 truncated. Not all window ports will adjust for all settings
4206 listed here. You can safely add any of these options to your
4207 configuration file, and if the window port is capable of adjust-
4208 ing to suit your preferences, it will attempt to do so. If it
4209 can't it will silently ignore it. You can find out if an option
4210 is supported by the window port that you are currently using by
4211 checking to see if it shows up in the Options list. Some options
4212 are dynamic and can be specified during the game with the `O'
4216 Where to align or place the message window (top, bottom, left,
4221 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4227 NetHack Guidebook 65
4232 Where to align or place the status window (top, bottom, left,
4236 If NetHack can, it should display an ascii character map if it
4240 If NetHack can, it should display color if it can for different
4241 monsters, objects, and dungeon features.
4244 If NetHack can, it should pass eight-bit character values (for
4245 example, specified with the traps option) straight through to
4246 your terminal (default off).
4249 if NetHack can, it should use a font by the chosen name for the
4253 If NetHack can, it should use a font by the chosen name for
4257 If NetHack can, it should use a font by the chosen name for the
4261 If NetHack can, it should use a font by the chosen name for the
4265 If NetHack can, it should use a font by the chosen name for
4269 If NetHack can, it should use this size font for the map win-
4273 If NetHack can, it should use this size font for menu windows.
4276 If NetHack can, it should use this size font for the message
4280 If NetHack can, it should use this size font for the status
4284 If NetHack can, it should use this size font for text windows.
4287 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4293 NetHack Guidebook 66
4298 If NetHack can, it should try and display on the entire screen
4299 rather than in a window.
4302 Use color text and/or highlighting attributes when displaying
4303 some non-map data (such as menu selector letters). Curses in-
4304 terface only; default is on.
4307 If NetHack can, it should use a large font.
4310 If NetHack can, it should display the map in the manner speci-
4314 If NetHack can, it should pop up dialog boxes, or use prompts
4315 for character selection.
4318 If NetHack can, it should pop up dialog boxes for input.
4321 If NetHack can, it should preload tiles into memory. For exam-
4322 ple, in the protected mode MS-DOS version, control whether
4323 tiles get pre-loaded into RAM at the start of the game. Doing
4324 so enhances performance of the tile graphics, but uses more
4325 memory. (default on). Cannot be set with the `O' command.
4328 If NetHack can, it should scroll the display by this number of
4329 cells when the hero reaches the scroll_margin.
4332 If NetHack can, it should scroll the display when the hero or
4333 cursor is this number of cells away from the edge of the win-
4337 If NetHack can, it should display a menu of existing saved
4338 games for the player to choose from at game startup, if it can.
4339 Not all ports support this option.
4342 Display an onscreen keyboard. Handhelds are most likely to
4343 support this option.
4346 If NetHack can, it should display an opening splash screen when
4347 it starts up (default yes).
4350 Number of lines for traditional below-the-map status display.
4353 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4359 NetHack Guidebook 67
4363 Acceptable values are 2 and 3 (default is 2). Curses and tty
4369 Curses interface only. Number of columns and rows to use for
4370 the display. Curses will attempt to resize to the values spec-
4371 ified but will settle for smaller sizes if they are too big.
4372 Default is the current window size.
4375 If NetHack can, it should display a tiled map if it can.
4378 Specify the name of an alternative tile file to override the
4382 Specify the preferred height of each tile in a tile capable
4386 Specify the preferred width of each tile in a tile capable port
4389 Use bold black instead of blue for black glyphs (TTY only).
4392 If NetHack can, it should display inverse when the game speci-
4396 If NetHack can, it should display this number of messages at a
4397 time in the message window.
4400 Whether to draw boxes around the map, status area, message
4401 area, and persistent inventory window if enabled. Curses in-
4402 terface only. Acceptable values are
4404 0 - off, never show borders
4405 1 - on, always show borders
4406 2 - auto, on if display is at least (24+2)x(80+2) (default)
4408 (The 26x82 size threshold for `2' refers to number of rows and
4409 columns of the display. A width of at least 110 columns
4410 (80+2+26+2) is needed for align_status set to left or right.)
4413 If NetHack can, it should display windows with the specified
4414 foreground/background colors. Windows GUI only. The format is
4419 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4425 NetHack Guidebook 68
4429 OPTION=windowcolors:wintype foreground/background
4431 where wintype is one of "menu", "message", "status", or
4432 "text", and foreground and background are colors, either a hexa-
4433 decimal \'#rrggbb', one of the named colors (black, red, green,
4434 brown, blue, magenta, cyan, orange, brightgreen, yellow, bright-
4435 blue, brightmagenta, brightcyan, white, trueblack, gray, purple,
4436 silver, maroon, fuchsia, lime, olive, navy, teal, aqua), or one
4437 of Windows UI colors (activeborder, activecaption, appworkspace,
4438 background, btnface, btnshadow, btntext, captiontext, graytext,
4439 greytext, highlight, highlighttext, inactiveborder, inactivecap-
4440 tion, menu, menutext, scrollbar, window, windowframe, window-
4444 If NetHack can, it should wrap long lines of text if they don't
4445 fit in the visible area of the window.
4447 9.6. Platform-specific Customization options
4449 Here are explanations of options that are used by specific
4450 platforms or ports to customize and change the port behavior.
4453 Select an alternate keystroke handler dll to load (Win32 tty
4454 NetHack only). The name of the handler is specified without
4455 the .dll extension and without any path information. Cannot be
4456 set with the `O' command.
4459 On Amiga, this option controls whether typing "Alt" plus anoth-
4460 er key functions as a meta-shift for that key (default on).
4463 On other (non-Amiga) systems where this option is available, it
4464 can be set to tell NetHack to convert a two character sequence
4465 beginning with ESC into a meta-shifted version of the second
4466 character (default off).
4468 This conversion is only done for commands, not for other input
4469 prompts. Note that typing one or more digits as a count prefix
4470 prior to a command -- preceded by n if the number_pad option is
4471 set -- is also subject to this conversion, so attempting to
4472 abort the count by typing ESC will leave NetHack waiting for
4473 another character to complete the two character sequence. Type
4474 a second ESC to finish cancelling such a count. At other
4475 prompts a single ESC suffices.
4478 Use BIOS calls to update the screen display quickly and to read
4479 the keyboard (allowing the use of arrow keys to move) on ma-
4480 chines with an IBM PC compatible BIOS ROM (default off, OS/2,
4481 PC, and ST NetHack only).
4485 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4491 NetHack Guidebook 69
4496 (default off, Amiga NetHack only).
4499 (default on, Mac NetHack only).
4502 (default on, Mac NetHack only).
4505 Force raw (non-cbreak) mode for faster output and more bullet-
4506 proof input (MS-DOS sometimes treats `^P' as a printer toggle
4507 without it) (default off, OS/2, PC, and ST NetHack only).
4508 Note: DEC Rainbows hang if this is turned on. Cannot be set
4509 with the `O' command.
4512 (default on, PC NetHack only). Cannot be set with the `O' com-
4516 (Win32 tty NetHack only). May be used to alter the value of
4517 keystrokes that the operating system returns to NetHack to help
4518 compensate for international keyboard issues. OPTIONS=subkey-
4519 value:171/92 will return 92 to NetHack, if 171 was originally
4520 going to be returned. You can use multiple subkeyvalue state-
4521 ments in the configuration file if needed. Cannot be set with
4525 Set the video mode used (PC NetHack only). Values are "autode-
4526 tect", "default", or "vga". Setting "vga" (or "autodetect"
4527 with vga hardware present) will cause the game to display
4528 tiles. Cannot be set with the `O' command.
4531 Set the color palette for PC systems using NO_TERMS (default
4532 4-2-6-1-5-3-15-12-10-14-9-13-11, (PC NetHack only). The order
4533 of colors is red, green, brown, blue, magenta, cyan,
4534 bright.white, bright.red, bright.green, yellow, bright.blue,
4535 bright.magenta, and bright.cyan. Cannot be set with the `O'
4539 Set the intensity level of the three gray scales available (de-
4540 fault dark normal light, PC NetHack only). If the game display
4541 is difficult to read, try adjusting these scales; if this does
4542 not correct the problem, try !color. Cannot be set with the
4545 9.7. Regular Expressions
4547 Regular expressions are normally POSIX extended regular ex-
4548 pressions. It is possible to compile NetHack without regular
4551 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4557 NetHack Guidebook 70
4561 expression support on a platform where there is no regular ex-
4562 pression library. While this is not true of any modern platform,
4563 if your NetHack was built this way, patterns are instead glob
4564 patterns. This applies to Autopickup exceptions, Message types,
4565 Menu colors, and User sounds.
4567 9.8. Configuring Autopickup Exceptions
4569 You can further refine the behavior of the autopickup option
4570 beyond what is available through the pickup_types option.
4572 By placing autopickup_exception lines in your configuration
4573 file, you can define patterns to be checked when the game is
4574 about to autopickup something.
4576 autopickup_exception
4577 Sets an exception to the pickup_types option. The autopick-
4578 up_exception option should be followed by a regular expression
4579 to be used as a pattern to match against the singular form of
4580 the description of an object at your location.
4582 In addition, some characters are treated specially if they oc-
4583 cur as the first character in the pattern, specifically:
4585 < - always pickup an object that matches rest of pattern;
4586 > - never pickup an object that matches rest of pattern.
4588 The autopickup_exception rules are processed in the order in
4589 which they appear in your configuration file, thus allowing a
4590 later rule to override an earlier rule.
4592 Exceptions can be set with the `O' command, but because they
4593 are not included in your configuration file, they won't be in
4594 effect if you save and then restore your game. autopickup_ex-
4595 ception rules and not saved with the game.
4597 Here are some examples:
4599 autopickup_exception="<*arrow"
4600 autopickup_exception=">*corpse"
4601 autopickup_exception=">* cursed*"
4603 The first example above will result in autopickup of any
4604 type of arrow. The second example results in the exclusion of
4605 any corpse from autopickup. The last example results in the ex-
4606 clusion of items known to be cursed from autopickup.
4608 9.9. Changing Key Bindings
4610 It is possible to change the default key bindings of some
4611 special commands, menu accelerator keys, and extended commands,
4612 by using BIND stanzas in the configuration file. Format is key,
4613 followed by the command to bind to, separated by a colon. The
4614 key can be a single character ("x"), a control key ("^X", "C-x"),
4617 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4623 NetHack Guidebook 71
4627 a meta key ("M-x"), or a three-digit decimal ASCII code.
4631 BIND=^X:getpos.autodescribe
4632 BIND={:menu_first_page
4635 Extended command keys
4636 You can bind multiple keys to the same extended command. Un-
4637 bind a key by using "nothing" as the extended command to bind
4638 to. You can also bind the "<esc>", "<enter>", and "<space>"
4641 Menu accelerator keys
4642 The menu control or accelerator keys can also be rebound via
4643 OPTIONS lines in the configuration file. You cannot bind ob-
4644 ject symbols into menu accelerators.
4646 Special command keys
4647 Below are the special commands you can rebind. Some of them
4648 can be bound to same keys with no problems, others are in the
4649 same "context", and if bound to same keys, only one of those
4650 commands will be available. Special command can only be bound
4654 Prefix key to start a count, to repeat a command this many
4655 times. With number_pad only. Default is `n'.
4658 Show inventory. With number_pad only. Default is `0'.
4661 Prefix key to force fight a direction. Default is `F'.
4664 Prefix key to force fight a direction. With number_pad only.
4668 When asked for a direction, the key to show the help. Default
4672 When asked for a direction, the key to target yourself. De-
4676 When asked for a direction, the key to target yourself. De-
4680 When asked for a location, the key to toggle autodescribe.
4683 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4689 NetHack Guidebook 72
4696 When asked for a location, the key to go to next closest inter-
4697 esting thing. Default is `a'.
4700 When asked for a location, the key to go to previous closest
4701 interesting thing. Default is `A'.
4704 When asked for a location, the key to go to next closest door
4705 or doorway. Default is `d'.
4708 When asked for a location, the key to go to previous closest
4709 door or doorway. Default is `D'.
4712 When asked for a location, the key to show help. Default is
4716 When asked for a location, the key to go to next closest mon-
4717 ster. Default is `m'.
4720 When asked for a location, the key to go to previous closest
4721 monster. Default is `M'.
4724 When asked for a location, the key to go to next closest ob-
4725 ject. Default is `o'.
4728 When asked for a location, the key to go to previous closest
4729 object. Default is `O'.
4732 When asked for a location, and using one of the next or previ-
4733 ous keys to cycle through targets, toggle showing a menu in-
4734 stead. Default is `!'.
4737 When asked for a location, and using the shifted movement keys
4738 or meta-digit keys to fast-move around, move by skipping the
4739 same glyphs instead of by 8 units. Default is `*'.
4742 When asked for a location, change the filtering mode when using
4743 one of the next or previous keys to cycle through targets.
4744 Toggles between no filtering, in view only, and in the same
4745 area only. Default is `"'.
4749 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4755 NetHack Guidebook 73
4760 When asked for a location, the key to choose the location, and
4761 possibly ask for more info. Default is `.'.
4764 When asked for a location, the key to choose the location, and
4765 skip asking for more info. Default is `,'.
4768 When asked for a location, the key to choose the location, skip
4769 asking for more info, and exit the location asking loop. De-
4773 When asked for a location, the key to choose the location, and
4774 show more info without asking. Default is `:'.
4777 When asked for a location, the key to go to your location. De-
4780 getpos.unexplored.next
4781 When asked for a location, the key to go to next closest unex-
4782 plored location. Default is `x'.
4784 getpos.unexplored.prev
4785 When asked for a location, the key to go to previous closest
4786 unexplored location. Default is `X'.
4789 When asked for a location, the key to go to show valid target
4790 locations. Default is `$'.
4793 When asked for a location, the key to go to next closest valid
4794 location. Default is `z'.
4797 When asked for a location, the key to go to previous closest
4798 valid location. Default is `Z'.
4801 Prefix key to move without picking up items. Default is `m'.
4804 Key to redraw the screen. Default is `^R'.
4807 Key to redraw the screen. With number_pad only. Default is
4811 Key to repeat previous command. Default is `^A'.
4815 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4821 NetHack Guidebook 74
4826 Prefix key to request menu from some commands. Default is `m'.
4829 Prefix key to run towards a direction. Default is `G'.
4832 Prefix key to run towards a direction without picking up items
4833 on the way. Default is `M'.
4836 Prefix key to run towards a direction. With number_pad only.
4840 Prefix key to rush towards a direction. Default is `g'.
4842 9.10. Configuring Message Types
4844 You can change the way the messages are shown in the message
4845 area, when the message matches a user-defined pattern.
4847 In general, the configuration file entries to describe the
4848 message types look like this: MSGTYPE=type "pattern"
4850 type - how the message should be shown;
4851 pattern - the pattern to match.
4853 The pattern should be a regular expression.
4857 show - show message normally;
4858 hide - never show the message;
4859 stop - wait for user with more-prompt;
4860 norep - show the message once, but not again if no other mes-
4861 sage is shown in between.
4863 Here's an example of message types using NetHack's internal
4864 pattern matching facility:
4866 MSGTYPE=stop "You feel hungry."
4867 MSGTYPE=hide "You displaced *."
4869 specifies that whenever a message "You feel hungry" is shown,
4870 the user is prompted with more-prompt, and a message matching
4871 "You displaced <something>." is not shown at all.
4873 The order of the defined MSGTYPE lines is important; the last
4874 matching rule is used. Put the general case first, exceptions
4881 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4887 NetHack Guidebook 75
4891 9.11. Configuring Menu Colors
4893 Some platforms allow you to define colors used in menu lines
4894 when the line matches a user-defined pattern. At this time the
4895 tty, curses, win32tty and win32gui interfaces support this.
4897 In general, the configuration file entries to describe the
4898 menu color mappings look like this:
4900 MENUCOLOR="pattern"=color&attribute
4902 pattern - the pattern to match;
4903 color - the color to use for lines matching the pat-
4905 attribute - the attribute to use for lines matching the
4906 pattern. The attribute is optional, and if
4907 left out, you must also leave out the preced-
4908 ing ampersand. If no attribute is defined,
4909 no attribute is used.
4911 The pattern should be a regular expression.
4913 Allowed colors are black, red, green, brown, blue, magenta,
4914 cyan, gray, orange, light-green, yellow, light-blue, light-ma-
4915 genta, light-cyan, and white. And no-color, the default fore-
4916 ground color, which isn't necessarily the same as any of the
4919 Allowed attributes are none, bold, dim, underline, blink, and
4920 inverse. "Normal" is a synonym for "none". Note that the
4921 platform used may interpret the attributes any way it wants.
4923 Here's an example of menu colors using NetHack's internal pat-
4924 tern matching facility:
4926 MENUCOLOR="* blessed *"=green
4927 MENUCOLOR="* cursed *"=red
4928 MENUCOLOR="* cursed *(being worn)"=red&underline
4930 specifies that any menu line with " blessed " contained in it
4931 will be shown in green color, lines with " cursed " will be
4932 shown in red, and lines with " cursed " followed by "(being
4933 worn)" on the same line will be shown in red color and under-
4934 lined. You can have multiple MENUCOLOR entries in your config-
4935 uration file, and the last MENUCOLOR line that matches a menu
4936 line will be used for the line.
4938 Note that if you intend to have one or more color specifica-
4939 tions match " uncursed ", you will probably want to turn the im-
4940 plicit_uncursed option off so that all items known to be uncursed
4941 are actually displayed with the "uncursed" description.
4947 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
4953 NetHack Guidebook 76
4957 9.12. Configuring User Sounds
4959 Some platforms allow you to define sound files to be played
4960 when a message that matches a user-defined pattern is delivered
4961 to the message window. At this time the Qt port and the win32tty
4962 and win32gui ports support the use of user sounds.
4964 The following configuration file entries are relevant to
4965 mapping user sounds to messages:
4968 The directory that houses the sound files to be played.
4971 An entry that maps a sound file to a user-specified message
4972 pattern. Each SOUND entry is broken down into the following
4975 MESG - message window mapping (the only one supported in
4977 pattern - the pattern to match;
4978 sound file - the sound file to play;
4979 volume - the volume to be set while playing the sound file.
4981 The pattern should be a POSIX extended regular expression.
4983 9.13. Configuring Status Hilites
4985 Your copy of NetHack may have been compiled with support for
4986 "Status Hilites". If so, you can customize your game display by
4987 setting thresholds to change the color or appearance of fields in
4990 The format for defining status colors is:
4992 OPTION=hilite_status:field-name/behavior/color&attributes
4994 For example, the following line in your configuration file
4995 will cause the hitpoints field to display in the color red if
4996 your hitpoints drop to or below a threshold of 30%:
4998 OPTION=hilite_status:hitpoints/<=30%/red/normal
5000 (That example is actually specifying red&normal for <=30% and no-
5001 color&normal for >30%.)
5003 For another example, the following line in your configura-
5004 tion file will cause wisdom to be displayed red if it drops and
5007 OPTION=hilite_status:wisdom/down/red/up/green
5009 Allowed colors are black, red, green, brown, blue, magenta,
5010 cyan, gray, orange, light-green, yellow, light-blue, light-
5013 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5019 NetHack Guidebook 77
5023 magenta, light-cyan, and white. And "no-color", the default
5024 foreground color on the display, which is not necessarily the
5025 same as black or white or any of the other colors.
5027 Allowed attributes are none, bold, dim, underline, blink,
5028 and inverse. "Normal" is a synonym for "none"; they should not
5029 be used in combination with any of the other attributes.
5031 To specify both a color and an attribute, use `&' to combine
5032 them. To specify multiple attributes, use `+' to combine those.
5033 For example: "magenta&inverse+dim".
5035 Note that the display may substitute or ignore particular
5036 attributes depending upon its capabilities, and in general may
5037 interpret the attributes any way it wants. For example, on some
5038 display systems a request for bold might yield blink or vice ver-
5039 sa. On others, issuing an attribute request while another is al-
5040 ready set up will replace the earlier attribute rather than com-
5041 bine with it. Since NetHack issues attribute requests sequen-
5042 tially (at least with the tty interface) rather than all at once,
5043 the only way a situation like that can be controlled is to speci-
5044 fy just one attribute.
5046 You can adjust the appearance of the following status
5048 title dungeon-level experience-level
5049 strength gold experience
5050 dexterity hitpoints HD
5051 constitution hitpoints-max time
5052 intelligence power hunger
5053 wisdom power-max carrying-capacity
5054 charisma armor-class condition
5057 The pseudo-field "characteristics" can be used to set all six
5058 of Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, and Cha at once. "HD" is "hit
5059 dice", an approximation of experience level displayed when
5060 polymorphed. "experience", "time", and "score" are condition-
5061 ally displayed depending upon your other option settings.
5063 Instead of a behavior, "condition" takes the following condi-
5064 tion flags: stone, slime, strngl, foodpois, termill, blind,
5065 deaf, stun, conf, hallu, lev, fly, and ride. You can use "ma-
5066 jor_troubles" as an alias for stone through termill, "mi-
5067 nor_troubles" for blind through hallu, "movement" for lev, fly,
5068 and ride, and "all" for every condition.
5070 Allowed behaviors are "always", "up", "down", "changed", a per-
5071 centage or absolute number threshold, or text to match against.
5073 * "always" will set the default attributes for that field.
5075 * "up", "down" set the field attributes for when the field
5076 value changes upwards or downwards. This attribute times
5079 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5085 NetHack Guidebook 78
5089 out after statushilites turns.
5091 * "changed" sets the field attribute for when the field val-
5092 ue changes. This attribute times out after statushilites
5093 turns. (If a field has both a "changed" rule and an "up"
5094 or "down" rule which matches a change in the field's val-
5095 ue, the "up" or "down" one takes precedence.)
5097 * percentage sets the field attribute when the field value
5098 matches the percentage. It is specified as a number be-
5099 tween 0 and 100, followed by `%' (percent sign). If the
5100 percentage is prefixed with `<=' or `>=', it also matches
5101 when value is below or above the percentage. Use prefix
5102 `<' or `>' to match when strictly below or above. (The
5103 numeric limit is relaxed slightly for those: >-1% and
5104 <101% are allowed.) Only four fields support percentage
5105 rules. Percentages for "hitpoints" and "power" are
5106 straightforward; they're based on the corresponding maxi-
5107 mum field. Percentage highlight rules are also allowed
5108 for "experience level" and "experience points" (valid when
5109 the showexp option is enabled). For those, the percentage
5110 is based on the progress from the start of the current ex-
5111 perience level to the start of the next level. So if lev-
5112 el 2 starts at 20 points and level 3 starts at 40 points,
5113 having 30 points is 50% and 35 points is 75%. 100% is
5114 unattainable for experience because you'll gain a level
5115 and the calculations will be reset for that new level, but
5116 a rule for =100% is allowed and matches the special case
5117 of being exactly 1 experience point short of the next lev-
5120 * absolute value sets the attribute when the field value
5121 matches that number. The number must be 0 or higher, ex-
5122 cept for "armor-class' which allows negative values, and
5123 may optionally be preceded by `='. If the number is pre-
5124 ceded by `<=' or `>=' instead, it also matches when value
5125 is below or above. If the prefix is `<' or `>', only
5126 match when strictly above or below.
5128 * text match sets the attribute when the field value matches
5129 the text. Text matches can only be used for "alignment",
5130 "carrying-capacity", "hunger", "dungeon-level", and "ti-
5131 tle". For title, only the role's rank title is tested;
5132 the character's name is ignored.
5134 The in-game options menu can help you determine the correct
5135 syntax for a configuration file.
5137 The whole feature can be disabled by setting option sta-
5145 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5151 NetHack Guidebook 79
5155 OPTION=hilite_status: gold/up/yellow/down/brown
5156 OPTION=hilite_status: characteristics/up/green/down/red
5157 OPTION=hilite_status: hitpoints/100%/gray&normal
5158 OPTION=hilite_status: hitpoints/<100%/green&normal
5159 OPTION=hilite_status: hitpoints/<66%/yellow&normal
5160 OPTION=hilite_status: hitpoints/<50%/orange&normal
5161 OPTION=hilite_status: hitpoints/<33%/red&bold
5162 OPTION=hilite_status: hitpoints/<15%/red&inverse
5163 OPTION=hilite_status: condition/major/orange&inverse
5164 OPTION=hilite_status: condition/lev+fly/red&inverse
5166 9.14. Modifying NetHack Symbols
5168 NetHack can load entire symbol sets from the symbol file.
5170 The options that are used to select a particular symbol set
5171 from the symbol file are:
5174 Set the name of the symbol set that you want to load.
5177 Set the name of the symbol set that you want to load for dis-
5178 play on the rogue level.
5180 You can also override one or more symbols using the SYMBOLS
5181 and ROGUESYMBOLS configuration file options. Symbols are speci-
5182 fied as name:value pairs. Note that NetHack escape-processes the
5183 value string in conventional C fashion. This means that \ is a
5184 prefix to take the following character literally. Thus \ needs
5185 to be represented as \\. The special prefix form \m switches on
5186 the meta bit in the symbol value, and the ^ prefix causes the
5187 following character to be treated as a control character.
5190 Symbol Name Description
5191 -----------------------------------------------------------------
5195 A S_angel (angelic being)
5196 a S_ant (ant or other insect)
5197 ^ S_anti_magic_trap (anti-magic field)
5198 [ S_armor (suit or piece of armor)
5199 [ S_armour (suit or piece of armor)
5200 ^ S_arrow_trap (arrow trap)
5201 0 S_ball (iron ball)
5202 # S_bars (iron bars)
5203 B S_bat (bat or bird)
5204 ^ S_bear_trap (bear trap)
5205 - S_blcorn (bottom left corner)
5207 + S_book (spellbook)
5211 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5217 NetHack Guidebook 80
5221 ) S_boomleft (boomerang open left)
5222 ( S_boomright (boomerang open right)
5223 ` S_boulder (boulder)
5224 - S_brcorn (bottom right corner)
5225 C S_centaur (centaur)
5226 _ S_chain (iron chain)
5228 c S_cockatrice (cockatrice)
5229 $ S_coin (pile of coins)
5232 # S_darkroom (dark room)
5233 ^ S_dart_trap (dart trap)
5234 & S_demon (major demon)
5235 * S_digbeam (dig beam)
5236 > S_dnladder (ladder down)
5237 > S_dnstair (staircase down)
5238 d S_dog (dog or other canine)
5240 ; S_eel (sea monster)
5241 E S_elemental (elemental)
5242 / S_explode1 (explosion top left)
5243 - S_explode2 (explosion top center)
5244 \ S_explode3 (explosion top right)
5245 | S_explode4 (explosion middle left)
5246 S_explode5 (explosion middle center)
5247 | S_explode6 (explosion middle right)
5248 \ S_explode7 (explosion bottom left)
5249 - S_explode8 (explosion bottom center)
5250 / S_explode9 (explosion bottom right)
5251 e S_eye (eye or sphere)
5252 ^ S_falling_rock_trap (falling rock trap)
5253 f S_feline (cat or other feline)
5254 ^ S_fire_trap (fire trap)
5255 ! S_flashbeam (flash beam)
5256 % S_food (piece of food)
5257 { S_fountain (fountain)
5258 F S_fungus (fungus or mold)
5259 * S_gem (gem or rock)
5261 H S_giant (giant humanoid)
5265 g S_gremlin (gremlin)
5266 - S_hbeam (horizontal beam [zap animation])
5267 # S_hcdbridge (horizontal raised drawbridge)
5268 + S_hcdoor (closed door in horizontal wall)
5269 . S_hodbridge (horizontal lowered drawbridge)
5270 | S_hodoor (open door in horizontal wall)
5272 @ S_human (human or elf)
5273 h S_humanoid (humanoid)
5277 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5283 NetHack Guidebook 81
5287 - S_hwall (horizontal wall)
5289 i S_imp (imp or minor demon)
5290 I S_invisible (invisible monster)
5291 J S_jabberwock (jabberwock)
5294 K S_kop (Keystone Kop)
5295 ^ S_land_mine (land mine)
5296 } S_lava (molten lava)
5297 l S_leprechaun (leprechaun)
5298 ^ S_level_teleporter (level teleporter)
5301 # S_litcorr (lit corridor)
5303 \ S_lslant (diagonal beam [zap animation])
5304 ^ S_magic_portal (magic portal)
5305 ^ S_magic_trap (magic trap)
5307 ] S_mimic_def (mimic)
5310 . S_ndoor (doorway without door)
5314 p S_piercer (piercer)
5316 # S_poisoncloud (poison cloud)
5317 ^ S_polymorph_trap (polymorph trap)
5320 P S_pudding (pudding or ooze)
5321 q S_quadruped (quadruped)
5322 Q S_quantmech (quantum mechanic)
5324 ` S_rock (boulder or statue)
5326 ^ S_rolling_boulder_trap (rolling boulder trap)
5327 . S_room (floor of a room)
5328 / S_rslant (diagonal beam [zap animation])
5329 ^ S_rust_trap (rust trap)
5330 R S_rustmonst (rust monster or disenchanter)
5333 ^ S_sleeping_gas_trap (sleeping gas trap)
5335 s S_spider (arachnid or centipede)
5336 ^ S_spiked_pit (spiked pit)
5337 ^ S_squeaky_board (squeaky board)
5338 0 S_ss1 (magic shield 1 of 4)
5339 # S_ss2 (magic shield 2 of 4)
5343 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5349 NetHack Guidebook 82
5353 @ S_ss3 (magic shield 3 of 4)
5354 * S_ss4 (magic shield 4 of 4)
5355 ^ S_statue_trap (statue trap)
5356 S_stone (solid rock or unexplored terrain
5357 or dark part of a room)
5358 ] S_strange_obj (strange object)
5359 - S_sw_bc (swallow bottom center)
5360 \ S_sw_bl (swallow bottom left)
5361 / S_sw_br (swallow bottom right)
5362 | S_sw_ml (swallow middle left)
5363 | S_sw_mr (swallow middle right)
5364 - S_sw_tc (swallow top center)
5365 / S_sw_tl (swallow top left)
5366 \ S_sw_tr (swallow top right)
5368 ^ S_teleportation_trap (teleportation trap)
5369 \ S_throne (opulent throne)
5370 - S_tlcorn (top left corner)
5372 ( S_tool (useful item (pick-axe, key, lamp...))
5373 ^ S_trap_door (trap door)
5374 t S_trapper (trapper or lurker above)
5375 - S_trcorn (top right corner)
5380 U S_umber (umber hulk)
5381 u S_unicorn (unicorn or horse)
5382 < S_upladder (ladder up)
5383 < S_upstair (staircase up)
5384 V S_vampire (vampire)
5385 | S_vbeam (vertical beam [zap animation])
5386 # S_vcdbridge (vertical raised drawbridge)
5387 + S_vcdoor (closed door in vertical wall)
5388 . S_venom (splash of venom)
5389 ^ S_vibrating_square (vibrating square)
5390 . S_vodbridge (vertical lowered drawbridge)
5391 - S_vodoor (open door in vertical wall)
5393 | S_vwall (vertical wall)
5399 ~ S_worm_tail (long worm tail)
5401 x S_xan (xan or other extraordinary insect)
5403 Y S_yeti (apelike creature)
5409 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5415 NetHack Guidebook 83
5419 S_pet_override (any pet if ACCESSIBILITY=1 is set)
5420 S_hero_override (hero if ACCESSIBILITY=1 is set)
5424 * Several symbols in this table appear to be blank. They are the
5425 space character, except for S_pet_override and S_hero_override
5426 which don't have any default value and can only be used if en-
5427 abled in the "sysconf" file.
5429 * S_rock is misleadingly named; rocks and stones use S_gem.
5430 Statues and boulders are the rock being referred to, but since
5431 version 3.6.0, statues are displayed as the monster they de-
5432 pict. So S_rock is only used for boulders and not used at all
5433 if overridden by the more specific S_boulder.
5435 9.15. Configuring NetHack for Play by the Blind
5437 NetHack can be set up to use only standard ASCII characters
5438 for making maps of the dungeons. This makes the MS-DOS versions
5439 of NetHack completely accessible to the blind who use speech
5440 and/or Braille access technologies. Players will require a good
5441 working knowledge of their screen-reader's review features, and
5442 will have to know how to navigate horizontally and vertically
5443 character by character. They will also find the search capabili-
5444 ties of their screen-readers to be quite valuable. Be certain to
5445 examine this Guidebook before playing so you have an idea what
5446 the screen layout is like. You'll also need to be able to locate
5447 the PC cursor. It is always where your character is located.
5448 Merely searching for an @-sign will not always find your charac-
5449 ter since there are other humanoids represented by the same sign.
5450 Your screen-reader should also have a function which gives you
5451 the row and column of your review cursor and the PC cursor.
5452 These co-ordinates are often useful in giving players a better
5453 sense of the overall location of items on the screen.
5455 NetHack can also be compiled with support for sending the
5456 game messages to an external program, such as a text-to-speech
5457 synthesizer. If the "#version" extended command shows "external
5458 program as a message handler", your NetHack has been compiled
5459 with the capability. When compiling NetHack from source on Linux
5460 and other POSIX systems, define MSGHANDLER to enable it. To use
5461 the capability, set the environment variable NETHACK_MSGHANDLER
5462 to an executable, which will be executed with the game message as
5463 the program's only parameter.
5465 While it is not difficult for experienced users to edit the
5466 defaults.nh file to accomplish this, novices may find this task
5467 somewhat daunting. Included within the "symbols" file of all of-
5468 ficial distributions of NetHack is a symset called NHAccess. Se-
5469 lecting that symset in your configuration file will cause the
5470 game to run in a manner accessible to the blind. After you have
5471 gained some experience with the game and with editing files, you
5472 may want to alter settings via SYMBOLS= and ROGUESYMBOLS= in your
5475 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5481 NetHack Guidebook 84
5485 configuration file to better suit your preferences. See the pre-
5486 vious section for the special symbols S_pet_override to force a
5487 consistent symbol for all pets and S_hero_override to force a
5488 unique symbol for the player character if accessibility is en-
5489 abled in the sysconf file.
5491 The most crucial settings to make the game more accessible
5495 Load a symbol set appropriate for use by blind players.
5497 roguesymset:NHAccess
5498 Load a symbol set for the rogue level that is appropriate for
5499 use by blind players.
5501 menustyle:traditional
5502 This will assist in the interface to speech synthesizers.
5505 Show menus on a cleared screen and aligned to the left edge.
5508 A lot of speech access programs use the number-pad to review
5509 the screen. If this is the case, disable the number_pad option
5510 and use the traditional Rogue-like commands.
5513 Automatically describe the terrain under the cursor when tar-
5517 Give feedback messages when walking towards a wall or when
5518 travel command was interrupted.
5520 whatis_coord:compass
5521 When targeting with cursor, describe the cursor position with
5522 coordinates relative to your character.
5525 When targeting with cursor, filter possible locations so only
5526 those in the same area (eg. same room, or same corridor) are
5530 When targeting with cursor and using fast-move, skip the same
5531 glyphs instead of moving 8 units at a time.
5534 Prevent updates to the status lines at the bottom of the
5535 screen, if your screen-reader reads those lines. The same in-
5536 formation can be seen via the "#attributes" command.
5541 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5547 NetHack Guidebook 85
5551 9.16. Global Configuration for System Administrators
5553 If NetHack is compiled with the SYSCF option, a system ad-
5554 ministrator should set up a global configuration; this is a file
5555 in the same format as the traditional per-user configuration file
5556 (see above). This file should be named sysconf and placed in the
5557 same directory as the other NetHack support files. The options
5558 recognized in this file are listed below. Any option not set us-
5559 es a compiled-in default (which may not be appropriate for your
5562 WIZARDS = A space-separated list of user names who are allowed
5563 to play in debug mode (commonly referred to as wizard mode). A
5564 value of a single asterisk (*) allows anyone to start a game in
5567 SHELLERS = A list of users who are allowed to use the shell es-
5568 cape command (!). The syntax is the same as WIZARDS.
5570 EXPLORERS = A list of users who are allowed to use the explore
5571 mode. The syntax is the same as WIZARDS.
5573 MAXPLAYERS = Limit the maximum number of games that can be run-
5574 ning at the same time.
5576 SUPPORT = A string explaining how to get local support (no de-
5579 RECOVER = A string explaining how to recover a game on this
5580 system (no default value).
5582 SEDUCE = 0 or 1 to disable or enable, respectively, the SEDUCE
5583 option. When disabled, incubi and succubi behave like nymphs.
5585 CHECK_PLNAME = Setting this to 1 will make the EXPLORERS, WIZ-
5586 ARDS, and SHELLERS check for the player name instead of the us-
5589 CHECK_SAVE_UID = 0 or 1 to disable or enable, respectively, the
5590 UID (used identification number) checking for save files (to
5591 verify that the user who is restoring is the same one who
5594 The following options affect the score file:
5596 PERSMAX = Maximum number of entries for one person.
5598 ENTRYMAX = Maximum number of entries in the score file.
5600 POINTSMIN = Minimum number of points to get an entry in the
5603 PERS_IS_UID = 0 or 1 to use user names or numeric userids, re-
5604 spectively, to identify unique people for the score file.
5607 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5613 NetHack Guidebook 86
5617 MAX_STATUENAME_RANK = Maximum number of score file entries to
5618 use for random statue names (default is 10).
5620 ACCESSIBILITY = 0 or 1 to disable or enable, respectively, the
5621 ability for players to set S_pet_override and S_hero_override
5622 symbols in their configuration file.
5624 PORTABLE_DEVICE_PATHS = 0 or 1 Windows OS only, the game will
5625 look for all of its external files, and write to all of its
5626 output files in one place rather than at the standard loca-
5629 DUMPLOGFILE = A filename where the end-of-game dumplog is
5630 saved. Not defining this will prevent dumplog from being cre-
5631 ated. Only available if your game is compiled with DUMPLOG. Al-
5632 lows the following placeholders:
5635 %v - version (eg. "3.6.3-0")
5637 %t - game start time, UNIX timestamp format
5638 %T - current time, UNIX timestamp format
5639 %d - game start time, YYYYMMDDhhmmss format
5640 %D - current time, YYYYMMDDhhmmss format
5642 %N - first character of player name
5646 NetHack maintains a list of the top scores or scorers on
5647 your machine, depending on how it is set up. In the latter case,
5648 each account on the machine can post only one non-winning score
5649 on this list. If you score higher than someone else on this
5650 list, or better your previous score, you will be inserted in the
5651 proper place under your current name. How many scores are kept
5652 can also be set up when NetHack is compiled.
5654 Your score is chiefly based upon how much experience you
5655 gained, how much loot you accumulated, how deep you explored, and
5656 how the game ended. If you quit the game, you escape with all of
5657 your gold intact. If, however, you get killed in the Mazes of
5658 Menace, the guild will only hear about 90% of your gold when your
5659 corpse is discovered (adventurers have been known to collect
5660 finder's fees). So, consider whether you want to take one last
5661 hit at that monster and possibly live, or quit and stop with
5662 whatever you have. If you quit, you keep all your gold, but if
5663 you swing and live, you might find more.
5665 If you just want to see what the current top players/games
5666 list is, you can type nethack -s all on most versions.
5673 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5679 NetHack Guidebook 87
5685 NetHack is an intricate and difficult game. Novices might
5686 falter in fear, aware of their ignorance of the means to survive.
5687 Well, fear not. Your dungeon comes equipped with an "explore" or
5688 "discovery" mode that enables you to keep old save files and
5689 cheat death, at the paltry cost of not getting on the high score
5692 There are two ways of enabling explore mode. One is to
5693 start the game with the -X command-line switch or with the play-
5694 mode:explore option. The other is to issue the "#exploremode"
5695 extended command while already playing the game. Starting a new
5696 game in explore mode provides your character with a wand of wish-
5697 ing in initial inventory; switching during play does not. The
5698 other benefits of explore mode are left for the trepid reader to
5703 Debug mode, also known as wizard mode, is undocumented aside
5704 from this brief description and the various "debug mode only"
5705 commands listed among the command descriptions. It is intended
5706 for tracking down problems within the program rather than to pro-
5707 vide god-like powers to your character, and players who attempt
5708 debugging are expected to figure out how to use it themselves.
5709 It is initiated by starting the game with the -D command-line
5710 switch or with the playmode:debug option.
5712 For some systems, the player must be logged in under a par-
5713 ticular user name to be allowed to use debug mode; for others,
5714 the hero must be given a particular character name (but may be
5715 any role; there's no connection between "wizard mode" and the
5716 Wizard role). Attempting to start a game in debug mode when not
5717 allowed or not available will result in falling back to explore
5722 The original hack game was modeled on the Berkeley UNIX
5723 rogue game. Large portions of this paper were shamelessly
5724 cribbed from A Guide to the Dungeons of Doom, by Michael C. Toy
5725 and Kenneth C. R. C. Arnold. Small portions were adapted from
5726 Further Exploration of the Dungeons of Doom, by Ken Arromdee.
5728 NetHack is the product of literally dozens of people's work.
5729 Main events in the course of the game development are described
5732 Jay Fenlason wrote the original Hack, with help from Kenny
5733 Woodland, Mike Thome and Jon Payne.
5735 Andries Brouwer did a major re-write, transforming Hack into
5736 a very different game, and published (at least) three versions
5739 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5745 NetHack Guidebook 88
5749 (1.0.1, 1.0.2, and 1.0.3) for UNIX machines to the Usenet.
5751 Don G. Kneller ported Hack 1.0.3 to Microsoft C and MS-DOS,
5752 producing PC HACK 1.01e, added support for DEC Rainbow graphics
5753 in version 1.03g, and went on to produce at least four more ver-
5754 sions (3.0, 3.2, 3.51, and 3.6).
5756 R. Black ported PC HACK 3.51 to Lattice C and the Atari
5757 520/1040ST, producing ST Hack 1.03.
5759 Mike Stephenson merged these various versions back together,
5760 incorporating many of the added features, and produced NetHack
5761 1.4. He then coordinated a cast of thousands in enhancing and
5762 debugging NetHack 1.4 and released NetHack versions 2.2 and 2.3.
5764 Later, Mike coordinated a major rewrite of the game, heading
5765 a team which included Ken Arromdee, Jean-Christophe Collet, Steve
5766 Creps, Eric Hendrickson, Izchak Miller, John Rupley, Mike Threep-
5767 oint, and Janet Walz, to produce NetHack 3.0c.
5769 NetHack 3.0 was ported to the Atari by Eric R. Smith, to
5770 OS/2 by Timo Hakulinen, and to VMS by David Gentzel. The three
5771 of them and Kevin Darcy later joined the main NetHack Development
5772 Team to produce subsequent revisions of 3.0.
5774 Olaf Seibert ported NetHack 2.3 and 3.0 to the Amiga. Norm
5775 Meluch, Stephen Spackman and Pierre Martineau designed overlay
5776 code for PC NetHack 3.0. Johnny Lee ported NetHack 3.0 to the
5777 Macintosh. Along with various other Dungeoneers, they continued
5778 to enhance the PC, Macintosh, and Amiga ports through the later
5781 Headed by Mike Stephenson and coordinated by Izchak Miller
5782 and Janet Walz, the NetHack Development Team which now included
5783 Ken Arromdee, David Cohrs, Jean-Christophe Collet, Kevin Darcy,
5784 Matt Day, Timo Hakulinen, Steve Linhart, Dean Luick, Pat Rankin,
5785 Eric Raymond, and Eric Smith undertook a radical revision of 3.0.
5786 They re-structured the game's design, and re-wrote major parts of
5787 the code. They added multiple dungeons, a new display, special
5788 individual character quests, a new endgame and many other new
5789 features, and produced NetHack 3.1.
5791 Ken Lorber, Gregg Wonderly and Greg Olson, with help from
5792 Richard Addison, Mike Passaretti, and Olaf Seibert, developed
5793 NetHack 3.1 for the Amiga.
5795 Norm Meluch and Kevin Smolkowski, with help from Carl Sche-
5796 lin, Stephen Spackman, Steve VanDevender, and Paul Winner, ported
5797 NetHack 3.1 to the PC.
5799 Jon W{tte and Hao-yang Wang, with help from Ross Brown, Mike
5800 Engber, David Hairston, Michael Hamel, Jonathan Handler, Johnny
5801 Lee, Tim Lennan, Rob Menke, and Andy Swanson, developed NetHack
5802 3.1 for the Macintosh, porting it for MPW. Building on their
5805 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5811 NetHack Guidebook 89
5815 development, Bart House added a Think C port.
5817 Timo Hakulinen ported NetHack 3.1 to OS/2. Eric Smith port-
5818 ed NetHack 3.1 to the Atari. Pat Rankin, with help from Joshua
5819 Delahunty, was responsible for the VMS version of NetHack 3.1.
5820 Michael Allison ported NetHack 3.1 to Windows NT.
5822 Dean Luick, with help from David Cohrs, developed NetHack
5823 3.1 for X11. Warwick Allison wrote a tiled version of NetHack
5824 for the Atari; he later contributed the tiles to the NetHack De-
5825 velopment Team and tile support was then added to other plat-
5828 The 3.2 NetHack Development Team, comprised of Michael Alli-
5829 son, Ken Arromdee, David Cohrs, Jessie Collet, Steve Creps, Kevin
5830 Darcy, Timo Hakulinen, Steve Linhart, Dean Luick, Pat Rankin, Er-
5831 ic Smith, Mike Stephenson, Janet Walz, and Paul Winner, released
5832 version 3.2 in April of 1996.
5834 Version 3.2 marked the tenth anniversary of the formation of
5835 the development team. In a testament to their dedication to the
5836 game, all thirteen members of the original NetHack Development
5837 Team remained on the team at the start of work on that release.
5838 During the interval between the release of 3.1.3 and 3.2, one of
5839 the founding members of the NetHack Development Team, Dr. Izchak
5840 Miller, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. That release
5841 of the game was dedicated to him by the development and porting
5844 During the lifespan of NetHack 3.1 and 3.2, several enthusi-
5845 asts of the game added their own modifications to the game and
5846 made these "variants" publicly available:
5848 Tom Proudfoot and Yuval Oren created NetHack++, which was
5849 quickly renamed NetHack--. Working independently, Stephen White
5850 wrote NetHack Plus. Tom Proudfoot later merged NetHack Plus and
5851 his own NetHack-- to produce SLASH. Larry Stewart-Zerba and War-
5852 wick Allison improved the spell casting system with the Wizard
5853 Patch. Warwick Allison also ported NetHack to use the Qt inter-
5856 Warren Cheung combined SLASH with the Wizard Patch to pro-
5857 duce Slash'EM, and with the help of Kevin Hugo, added more fea-
5858 tures. Kevin later joined the NetHack Development Team and in-
5859 corporated the best of these ideas in NetHack 3.3.
5861 The final update to 3.2 was the bug fix release 3.2.3, which
5862 was released simultaneously with 3.3.0 in December 1999 just in
5863 time for the Year 2000.
5865 The 3.3 NetHack Development Team, consisting of Michael Al-
5866 lison, Ken Arromdee, David Cohrs, Jessie Collet, Steve Creps,
5867 Kevin Darcy, Timo Hakulinen, Kevin Hugo, Steve Linhart, Ken Lor-
5868 ber, Dean Luick, Pat Rankin, Eric Smith, Mike Stephenson, Janet
5871 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5877 NetHack Guidebook 90
5881 Walz, and Paul Winner, released 3.3.0 in December 1999 and 3.3.1
5884 Version 3.3 offered many firsts. It was the first version to
5885 separate race and profession. The Elf class was removed in pref-
5886 erence to an elf race, and the races of dwarves, gnomes, and orcs
5887 made their first appearance in the game alongside the familiar
5888 human race. Monk and Ranger roles joined Archeologists, Barbar-
5889 ians, Cavemen, Healers, Knights, Priests, Rogues, Samurai,
5890 Tourists, Valkyries and of course, Wizards. It was also the
5891 first version to allow you to ride a steed, and was the first
5892 version to have a publicly available web-site listing all the
5893 bugs that had been discovered. Despite that constantly growing
5894 bug list, 3.3 proved stable enough to last for more than a year
5897 The 3.4 NetHack Development Team initially consisted of
5898 Michael Allison, Ken Arromdee, David Cohrs, Jessie Collet, Kevin
5899 Hugo, Ken Lorber, Dean Luick, Pat Rankin, Mike Stephenson, Janet
5900 Walz, and Paul Winner, with Warwick Allison joining just before
5901 the release of NetHack 3.4.0 in March 2002.
5903 As with version 3.3, various people contributed to the game
5904 as a whole as well as supporting ports on the different platforms
5905 that NetHack runs on:
5907 Pat Rankin maintained 3.4 for VMS.
5909 Michael Allison maintained NetHack 3.4 for the MS-DOS plat-
5910 form. Paul Winner and Yitzhak Sapir provided encouragement.
5912 Dean Luick, Mark Modrall, and Kevin Hugo maintained and en-
5913 hanced the Macintosh port of 3.4.
5915 Michael Allison, David Cohrs, Alex Kompel, Dion Nicolaas,
5916 and Yitzhak Sapir maintained and enhanced 3.4 for the Microsoft
5917 Windows platform. Alex Kompel contributed a new graphical inter-
5918 face for the Windows port. Alex Kompel also contributed a Win-
5919 dows CE port for 3.4.1.
5921 Ron Van Iwaarden was the sole maintainer of NetHack for OS/2
5922 the past several releases. Unfortunately Ron's last OS/2 machine
5923 stopped working in early 2006. A great many thanks to Ron for
5924 keeping NetHack alive on OS/2 all these years.
5926 Janne Salmijarvi and Teemu Suikki maintained and enhanced
5927 the Amiga port of 3.4 after Janne Salmijarvi resurrected it for
5930 Christian "Marvin" Bressler maintained 3.4 for the Atari af-
5931 ter he resurrected it for 3.3.1.
5933 The release of NetHack 3.4.3 in December 2003 marked the be-
5934 ginning of a long release hiatus. 3.4.3 proved to be a remarkably
5937 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
5943 NetHack Guidebook 91
5947 stable version that provided continued enjoyment by the community
5948 for more than a decade. The NetHack Development Team slowly and
5949 quietly continued to work on the game behind the scenes during
5950 the tenure of 3.4.3. It was during that same period that several
5951 new variants emerged within the NetHack community. Notably
5952 sporkhack by Derek S. Ray, unnethack by Patric Mueller, nitrohack
5953 and its successors originally by Daniel Thaler and then by Alex
5954 Smith, and Dynahack by Tung Nguyen. Some of those variants con-
5955 tinue to be developed, maintained, and enjoyed by the community
5958 In September 2014, an interim snapshot of the code under de-
5959 velopment was released publicly by other parties. Since that code
5960 was a work-in-progress and had not gone through the process of
5961 debugging it as a suitable release, it was decided that the ver-
5962 sion numbers present on that code snapshot would be retired and
5963 never used in an official NetHack release. An announcement was
5964 posted on the NetHack Development Team's official nethack.org
5965 website to that effect, stating that there would never be a
5966 3.4.4, 3.5, or 3.5.0 official release version.
5968 In January 2015, preparation began for the release of
5971 At the beginning of development for what would eventually
5972 get released as 3.6.0, the NetHack Development Team consisted of
5973 Warwick Allison, Michael Allison, Ken Arromdee, David Cohrs,
5974 Jessie Collet, Ken Lorber, Dean Luick, Pat Rankin, Mike Stephen-
5975 son, Janet Walz, and Paul Winner. In early 2015, ahead of the
5976 release of 3.6.0, new members Sean Hunt, Pasi Kallinen, and Derek
5977 S. Ray joined the NetHack Development Team.
5979 Near the end of the development of 3.6.0, one of the signif-
5980 icant inspirations for many of the humorous and fun features
5981 found in the game, author Terry Pratchett, passed away. NetHack
5982 3.6.0 introduced a tribute to him.
5984 3.6.0 was released in December 2015, and merged work done by
5985 the development team since the release of 3.4.3 with some of the
5986 beloved community patches. Many bugs were fixed and some code was
5989 The NetHack Development Team, as well as Steve VanDevender
5990 and Kevin Smolkowski, ensured that NetHack 3.6 continued to oper-
5991 ate on various UNIX flavors and maintained the X11 interface.
5993 Ken Lorber, Haoyang Wang, Pat Rankin, and Dean Luick main-
5994 tained the port of NetHack 3.6 for Mac OSX.
5996 Michael Allison, David Cohrs, Bart House, Pasi Kallinen,
5997 Alex Kompel, Dion Nicolaas, Derek S. Ray and Yitzhak Sapir main-
5998 tained the port of NetHack 3.6 for Microsoft Windows.
6003 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
6009 NetHack Guidebook 92
6013 Pat Rankin attempted to keep the VMS port running for
6014 NetHack 3.6, hindered by limited access. Kevin Smolkowski has up-
6015 dated and tested it for the most recent version of OpenVMS (V8.4
6016 as of this writing) on Alpha and Integrity (aka Itanium aka IA64)
6019 Ray Chason resurrected the msdos port for 3.6 and contrib-
6020 uted the necessary updates to the community at large.
6022 In late April 2018, several hundred bug fixes for 3.6.0 and
6023 some new features were assembled and released as NetHack 3.6.1.
6024 The NetHack Development Team at the time of release of 3.6.1 con-
6025 sisted of Warwick Allison, Michael Allison, Ken Arromdee, David
6026 Cohrs, Jessie Collet, Pasi Kallinen, Ken Lorber, Dean Luick,
6027 Patric Mueller, Pat Rankin, Derek S. Ray, Alex Smith, Mike
6028 Stephenson, Janet Walz, and Paul Winner.
6030 In early May 2019, another 320 bug fixes along with some en-
6031 hancements and the adopted curses window port, were released as
6034 Bart House, who had contributed to the game as a porting
6035 team participant for decades, joined the NetHack Development Team
6038 NetHack 3.6.3 was released on December 5, 2019 containing
6039 over 190 bug fixes to NetHack 3.6.2.
6041 NetHack 3.6.4 was released on December 18, 2019 containing a
6042 security fix and a few bug fixes.
6044 NetHack 3.6.5 was released on January 27, 2020 containing
6045 some security fixes and a small number of bug fixes.
6047 NetHack 3.6.6 was released on March 8, 2020 containing a se-
6048 curity fix and some bug fixes.
6050 The official NetHack web site is maintained by Ken Lorber at
6051 https://www.nethack.org/.
6053 12.1. SPECIAL THANKS
6055 On behalf of the NetHack community, thank you very much once
6056 again to M. Drew Streib and Pasi Kallinen for providing a public
6057 NetHack server at nethack.alt.org. Thanks to Keith Simpson and
6058 Andy Thomson for hardfought.org. Thanks to all those unnamed dun-
6059 geoneers who invest their time and effort into annual NetHack
6060 tournaments such as Junethack, The November NetHack Tournament
6061 and in days past, devnull.net (gone for now, but not forgotten).
6065 From time to time, some depraved individual out there in
6066 netland sends a particularly intriguing modification to help out
6069 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
6075 NetHack Guidebook 93
6079 with the game. The NetHack Development Team sometimes makes note
6080 of the names of the worst of these miscreants in this, the list
6082 Adam Aronow J. Ali Harlow Mikko Juola
6083 Alex Kompel Janet Walz Nathan Eady
6084 Alex Smith Janne Salmijarvi Norm Meluch
6085 Andreas Dorn Jean-Christophe Collet Olaf Seibert
6086 Andy Church Jeff Bailey Pasi Kallinen
6087 Andy Swanson Jochen Erwied Pat Rankin
6088 Andy Thomson John Kallen Patric Mueller
6089 Ari Huttunen John Rupley Paul Winner
6090 Bart House John S. Bien Pierre Martineau
6091 Benson I. Margulies Johnny Lee Ralf Brown
6092 Bill Dyer Jon W{tte Ray Chason
6093 Boudewijn Waijers Jonathan Handler Richard Addison
6094 Bruce Cox Joshua Delahunty Richard Beigel
6095 Bruce Holloway Karl Garrison Richard P. Hughey
6096 Bruce Mewborne Keizo Yamamoto Rob Menke
6097 Carl Schelin Keith Simpson Robin Bandy
6098 Chris Russo Ken Arnold Robin Johnson
6099 David Cohrs Ken Arromdee Roderick Schertler
6100 David Damerell Ken Lorber Roland McGrath
6101 David Gentzel Ken Washikita Ron Van Iwaarden
6102 David Hairston Kevin Darcy Ronnen Miller
6103 Dean Luick Kevin Hugo Ross Brown
6104 Del Lamb Kevin Sitze Sascha Wostmann
6105 Derek S. Ray Kevin Smolkowski Scott Bigham
6106 Deron Meranda Kevin Sweet Scott R. Turner
6107 Dion Nicolaas Lars Huttar Sean Hunt
6108 Dylan O'Donnell Leon Arnott Stephen Spackman
6109 Eric Backus M. Drew Streib Stefan Thielscher
6110 Eric Hendrickson Malcolm Ryan Stephen White
6111 Eric R. Smith Mark Gooderum Steve Creps
6112 Eric S. Raymond Mark Modrall Steve Linhart
6113 Erik Andersen Marvin Bressler Steve VanDevender
6114 Fredrik Ljungdahl Matthew Day Teemu Suikki
6115 Frederick Roeber Merlyn LeRoy Tim Lennan
6116 Gil Neiger Michael Allison Timo Hakulinen
6117 Greg Laskin Michael Feir Tom Almy
6118 Greg Olson Michael Hamel Tom West
6119 Gregg Wonderly Michael Sokolov Warren Cheung
6120 Hao-yang Wang Mike Engber Warwick Allison
6121 Helge Hafting Mike Gallop Yitzhak Sapir
6122 Irina Rempt-Drijfhout Mike Passaretti
6123 Izchak Miller Mike Stephenson
6125 Brand and product names are trademarks or registered trade-
6126 marks of their respective holders.
6135 NetHack 3.6 March 8, 2020
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