--------------------- The NetHack Code 1.1 --------------------------- Maintained by Raisse the Thaumaturge (irina@rempt.xs4all.nl, in real life: Irina Rempt-Drijfhout) from an idea seeded by Ed Chang and taken up by Dan Shiovitz. Version information: This is a bug-fix release only. Real improvements have to wait until version 2. Forthcoming: inventory, playing speed, variants etcetera. Changes in this version: spelling of Viljo Viitanen's name corrected (with 2 i's, by Crom); some misalignments fixed; minor changes in So and C and major changes in X, all suggested by Viljo Viitanen (vviitane@cc.helsinki.fi) and/or Daniel A. Davis (davis@cc.helsinki.fi); corrected a typo or two (but there might be more :-( ). Acknowledgments: Aero (aero@clark.net) contributed large chunks of $, E, PS, PP, N, b and B, and also gave me the idea to put it into the first person; Ed Chang (changed@sina.eecs.berkeley.edu) contributed I and part of Sp and suggested the short overview, and John Fouhy (jfouhy@actrix.gen.nz) made some helpful suggestions for Sp. Pat Rankin, Adam Atkinson, Jukka Lahtinen, Viljo Viitanen, as well as a number of people whose names were unfortunately vaporized by a scroll of install Linux, told me about platforms. Martin Read (mpr22@hermes.cam.ac.uk) was probably the first person actually to *use* it. Raisse, killed by strangulation 0. Overview Abbreviations [ Armor G Genocide + Death ) Weapons C Conflict P Prayer I Intrinsics S Sacrifice @W The Wizard of Yendor D Donations N Nurses p Pets b Cursed bell $ Gold B Cursed Bell of Opening t Treasure Y PYEC s Shops X Experience W Wishing So Sources E Elbereth Sp Spoilers PS Polymorph self sb Save file backups PP Polypile wb Wizard bones Examples NH 3.1.3L(D) D Raisse-WF HP:150 Pw:150 AC:-20 N /* no L or T as this is a "D" code */ [+ )++ P S+ D+ p++ $ t s++ W+ E PS+ PP+ G C I++ @W(*) N b B !Y X+ So Sp++ sb-- !wb NH 3.1.3D A Ragna-VF HP:304(384) Pw:199(199) AC:-34 L:30 T:121768 N [++ )++ P+ S++ D++ p+ $+ t+ s+ W+ E- PS-- PP++ G+ C I++ @W(*(13)) N+ b- !B !Y X+ So Sp++ sb- !wb +1 1. Preliminaries NH This is just to show that it's not a *geek* code. Version For instance: 3.1.3, +, TNG. If you play more than one version either separate with a slash or put the less often used one in parentheses, e.g. 3.1.3.(--) Platform Your type of machine. This list is still far from exhaustive, but it's being worked on. D DOS U Unix L Linux M Mac V VMS At Atari Am Amiga Ac Acorn O OS/2 W Windows NT Type The type of game that the NHC refers to: D default - your usual or preferred character and playing style A ascension - latest or best ascension C current game F most fun game + silliest, saddest, most stupid or most spectacular death (optionally include cause of death) 2. Status line Name, class, gender - these should be self-evident. Note: if you've got "D" for Type above, you can use the rest of this section to indicate the minimum you want before you feel comfortable. Hit points Maximum hit points; optionally current hit points with max HP in parentheses, as they appear on the status line. Power Maximum power or current power with max Pw in parentheses. AC This is your AC in full (usual) armor. Put intrinsic (naked) AC in parentheses if you're so inclined. This could eventually be refined to include AC with special equipment or a range of AC in different circumstances. Level Self-evident. Could include XP but that would probably be redundant unless you're level 30. Turns If your status line shows them. Same goes for score. Alignment Looks self-evident, but it isn't for priests, and others may have converted or wear a HoOA as a matter of course. Alignment is obviously L, N or C. 3. Equipment --- This section starts a new line of the NHC --- [ Armor [+++ I go for the best and nothing less, if I have to wish for every single thing. I enchant it till it vibrates. Not satisfied with anything worse than AC-40. I enjoy the lengthy discussions on the newsgroup about the relative merits of a +6 mummy wrapping over GDSM versus BDSM and a cloak of magic resistance. [++ My first wish goes on GDSM and you spend quite some time to get properly kitted out (speed boots, shield of reflection, gauntlets of power or dexterity, cloak of displacement), but I don't mind waiting until I can polypile or buy something if I don't have it right away. AC should be at least around -30 before I enter Gehennom. [+ I wear dwarvish mithril, an iron helm and well-enchanted boots, gloves and cloak. I'm satisfied when ray attacks miss and happy when most other things miss as well. [ I try to get my AC well below zero before I do anything potentially dangerous. Most of my equipment comes from Boyabai's used armor dealership, the Gnomish Mines or soldiers' barracks. [- I wear whatever is handy, as long as I have some kind of gloves to protect myself from carelessly tinning a cockatrice. I'm still wearing that +2 orcish helm that I picked up in the Mines. If something gets damaged I get myself a new one from a passing elf or hill orc. [-- I'm in cursed, rusty, tattered or otherwise deplorable armor. ![ I'm trying to ascend naked. ) Weapons )+++ I know all the damage tables by heart and carry a +7 artifact weapon for every occasion. )++ I have an artifact weapon appropiate for my alignment, enchanted to +6 or so, and wield that by preference unless something comes up that asks for other measures. All my weapons are properly blessed and rustproofed. )+ I have an artifact weapon, but no scroll of enchant weapon yet so it's still at +0. Throwing daggers is not beneath me. ) I have a favourite weapon and I'm so comfortable with it that I don't even know or care what it does extra damage to, if anything. )- I've just been made Hand of Elbereth and wouldn't give up my Excalibur if it became cursed, rusty and -2. )-- I'm wielding a pick-axe. )--- I'm wielding a cursed sling. !) I'm trying to ascend bare-handed. 4. Playing style P Prayer P++ I've hacked the source to have my prayer timeout on the status line so I can get the maximum out of my god. P+ I plan my prayers so as to have the most chance to get my god to do what I want. P I pray whenever I'm in need. All the better if I'm close to an altar and have some potions of water handy. P- I usually forget to pray until it's too late. P-- I've pissed off my god by praying once too often. !P Gods? Who needs them? S Sacrifice S++ I've set up a base in a temple, collected and charged bags of tricks and wands of create monster, and sacrifice until I'm blue in the face and my god finally gives me Grayswandir. S+ I try to convert most altars I come across and hang around for a bit to see if my god feels like giving me something. S I make a sacrifice on every co-aligned altar - just in case. S- I've accidentally converted myself. S-- I've accidentally #offered a white unicorn on a lawful altar. !S I'm an atheist. If it didn't make such a lot of difference in my score I'd rather escape with the Amulet of Yendor than sacrifice it. D Donations D++ I plunder Fort Ludios as well as every vault I can find and donate time and time again for that extra point of protection. D+ I collect enough gold to donate until the priests start appreciating my selfless generosity. D I donate whatever I have to the priest in Mine Town and when I meet another one I'll see if I have some more in store. D- If I happen to have some gold I don't mind giving it to a priest, but mostly it's just too much trouble. D-- I've strayed and need those donations to have the priests absolve me. !D I'd rather wear a cloak of protection, thank you. ?D Do priests need money then? p Pets p+++ I make an art out of taming one pet after another and polymorphing them into ever more powerful creatures. p++ I like to keep a pet or two on hand, preferably powerful, to take care of priests and shopkeepers. p+ I try to keep my pets alive as long as possible and tame some more if I lose them. When they trip a poly trap or obstinately refuse to move off the poly pile it's nice if they turn into something interesting. p Pets are all right to lift things from shops and to spot cursed items, but it's no great loss if they snuff it. p- Pets are a nuisance, but deliberately losing them goes just a little too far. p-- I forget my pet on level 1. p--- I kill that annoying pet on level 1. !p All my pets get killed by falling rocks. $ Gold $++++ I am Croesus. $+++ I hang onto every zorkmid I encounter. When I get identify scrolls, the first thing I do is bless them and identify all my gems, and then sell them all to shopkeepers. I train my pets to steal them back so I can sell them again. Croesus has a bank account with me. $++ When there's a vault on the level, I'll waste as much time as needed with a pick-axe in order to find it. My goal in life is to buy as much protection as I can before I hit level 10. I don't buy from shopkeepers - that's what pets are for! $+ I like the score that money gives me. I burn up potions of object detection just to find vaults. But if I'm carrying so much that I'm stressed, I have no qualms about dropping it. $ I'm a spender, not a saver. If I find an 'ad aerarium' graffiti I'm inclined to go and pick up the loot, but like the cookie says, only leprechauns and shopkeepers care. Let's not forget priests... $- Money is the first thing I drop when I get burdened. I carry just enough for my immediate needs and leave the rest for the dwarves to pick up. $-- I load my sling with zorkmids instead of rocks. !$ I'm trying for a no-intrinsic-protection ascension. Don't even tempt me with money. $? As soon as I pick up a zorkmid that #%@$& lep runs up and robs me! t Treasure t++ I've identified every gem and worked out exactly how much my collection is worth. I intend to polypile rocks before I depart this world for the Elemental Planes. t+ I've identified most gems and keep the most valuable ones to take to the next world. The rest goes to unicorns, or to shopkeepers when I run out of cash or credit. t I've identified all colours of glass by kicking boxes, so I can safely assume that all the rest are gems. Whenever a blessed scroll of identify has a slot left I use it on *. t- I'm not going to waste my precious scrolls of identify on mere baubles. t-- I carry a sack full of unidentified gems. !t I can't be bothered with treasure - it just adds encumbrance that I've got better uses for. s Shops s+++ Shops exist for me to plunder, shopkeepers exist to rob blind or kill as soon as I get a chance. s++ Shops are fun. I can get rid of all those useless items and make some money in the process. Shopkeepers are there for me to outwit and get the merchandise from under their noses. s+ I like to go shopping with my pet, sell something, buy something, steal something, whatever takes my fancy. s I buy a thing or two when I need it and while I'm inside sell some spare items, but I'm not really interested. s- I don't bother searching for shops, they never have the things I need anyway. s-- I'd genocide shopkeepers if I could. !s The only shop in my current game is the lighting store in Mine Town and it only stocks cursed brass lanterns and mimics. s? Who is that person cursing shoplifters? 5. Indulgences and restrictions W Wishing W+++ I'd wish for my own Quest artifact and the Amulet if I'd get away with it. As it is I'll have to settle for other classes' Quest artifacts. W++ I wish for artifact weapons even if they're the wrong alignment. In the early stages of the game I quaff from every fountain until a water demon either kills me or gives me a wish. W+ I consider wishing for artifacts an abuse if not a cheat, but everything else I can get is all right to wish for. W I wish for what I need as and when I need it. W- I wish for a shield of reflection only to find one in the armor shop on the next level down. W-- I wish I could do without wishing. W--- I tend to die with two blessed magic lamps in my BoH. !W I'm on a wishless ascension. W? I have the knack of wishing for exactly the wrong thing. E Elbereth E+++ If I'm not playing a wizard, my first wish is for an athame so I can engrave 4 copies of the E-word on every square. E++ I keep a magic marker or a wand of lightning on hand especially to write the E-word. I also write it in the dust with my fingers on every occasion, if only as an exercise in wisdom. E+ I put at least one E-word on each level, just in case. I'm glad I picked up the athame from that bones pile, or I would have been dead six times over. E I'm a wizard. 'Nuff said. E- I write the E-word only as a last resort. E-- I'd like to be able to use the E-word, but all my daggers have gone dull. E-- The E-word is for wimps. Grayswandir works much better. !E My source code has #define ELBERETH commented out. E? What was it again? "Owlbreath" or "Galadriel"? PS Polymorph self PS+++ I'm a xorn who occasionally polymorphs into a human. PS++ A ring of polymorph control is one of my first priorities. Once I've got it I rarely spend time as anything except a vampire lord. I've genocided humans, just in case. PS+ Wands of polymorph have better uses, but I'll drink from a sink all day. I have a few favourite forms to poly into and know what to use them for. Also, it's sometimes profitable to become a new (wo)man. PS Polymorphing has its uses, but it tends to happen to me at the wrong times. I don't drink from sinks till I have dragon scale mail. PS- I can do a lot more damage in human form. PS-- Polymorphing is just a good way to lose your cloak and armor. PS--- I'm wearing a cursed ring of polymorph. PS? Why do I keep turning into all those monsters? PP Polypiling PP++++ Doctor Efembe, I presume? PP+++ I set up a base in an empty locked room in Mine Town and another one in Fort Ludios and carefully sort, cancel and polypile anything that could yield something. PP++ I've had a few fits of polypiling and now I'm collecting stuff for the next one. PP+ I collect mirrors and tin openers to polypile for magic markers. There's nothing like turning a huge pile of corpses into K-rations. PP I've polypiled once or twice to get those last few items - now I can just leave useless stuff lying around. PP- I never seem to get the right stuff by polypiling, so I'd rather save that wand of polymorph to use on monsters or on myself. PP-- I've been killed by too many iron golems. !PP Polypiling ought to be be disallowed. ?PP Shuddering vibrations? Could that be the famous vibrating square? G Genocide G++ I really go over the top genociding. I've even been known to genocide humans. Reverse-genocide is my hobby. G+ I have a "must-genocide" list, work on that carefully, and keep extra scrolls for when I run into serious trouble. G I genocide purple worms early in the game to let shriekers shriek away all they like. I'll do L and ; when (if?) I get that far. G- I genocide indiscriminately without first checking if the scroll is cursed. G-- I was killed by a genocide spell. !G "Live and let live". C Conflict C+++ I eat my ring of conflict as soon as I get the chance. C++ My ring of conflict is never far out of reach. My preferred weapon is Stormbringer. C+ I use my ring of conflict to create havoc and join the fray. C I use my ring of conflict to create havoc so I can get away. C- I have a ring of conflict in a bag somewhere. C-- My ring of conflict is on my hand - and cursed. !C I do without conflict because I want the XP for myself. I Intrinsics I+++ I keep a checklist of every possible intrinsic from the spoilers and mark them off as I go along. I often spend time as a xorn to eat all those yummy rings. I++ I have a good idea of which intrinsics I need in the different stages of the game, and I know how to get them. I+ I make it a point to eat floating eyes and tengus. I I play Barbarians so I can eat everything. I- I eat leprechaun corpses to get out of shops and have been killed by every shopkeeper in the dungeon. I-- I usually die after attacking floating eyes hand-to-hand. When I played the previous version I used to fry to a crisp in hell. I--- My valkyries choke on white dragon corpses. !I I don't eat corpses and avoid crowning. I? I just felt a chill - who left the door open? 6. @W The Wizard of Yendor This takes arguments in () to indicate what you did to him, what he did to you (alternatively: what you're prepared to do to him once you meet him) and how many times you killed him before you finally got him off your back. p Paralyzed him. w Zapped a wand of death at him. t Tinned him. d He double-troubled you. * (as the only argument except (#)) Anything goes with the Wiz. (#) Killed him # times. !@W I've never even seen him. @W? I've never even heard of him. !@W? I got the Amulet of Yendor and escaped with it - now why didn't I win? 7. Abuses N Nurses N+++ I've crashed the game by overflowing the hit point variable. N++ I don't only dance with nurses, but carefully prepare a room for it on a no-teleport level and work out a wield-and-unwield schedule to get my HP well into the hundreds. N+ I dance with nurses to get into shape for important events, such as killing the Wizard, but let events take their natural course after I've called them in. N I'm willing to strip for a nurse if there's nothing harmful in the vicinity. N- I'd like to try the nurse dance, but I've run out of scrolls of genocide and/or unholy water. N-- I don't take my clothes off for any monster, not even a nurse. !N I avoid nurses like the plague. N? You cannibal! You will regret this! b Cursed bell b+++ I quit the game as soon as I discover that smoky potions aren't !PoOD. b++ I'll pray at a non-coaligned altar to make unholy water if it means getting a cursed bell out of the deal. I wear 2 rings of adornment for protection. I carry a spare bag of holding just for potions and mirrors. b+ If I happen to get a cursed bell, I don't hesitate to use it a dozen times or so. b I use a cursed bell to summon a nymph if I'm punished or need to get rid of some cursed equipment. b- Bells are heavy and there's no guarantee that you can get a cursed one. By the time you get one, you probably don't really need it anymore. b-- I don't need a hundred mirrors for polypiling. b--- I am a wood nymph, and I'm sick of being summoned! !b The Dev Team ought to make it impossible. b? Help! Where did all those come from? They're stealing my stuff! B Cursed Bell of Opening B+++ I inspired the Undead Slayer class in NH+. B++ I'm level 30 and have three times the required XP. I've genocided V and Z just to have more wraiths appear. B+ I use the cursed BoO to reach level 30, then ditch it after I've invoked the vibrating square because the thing is too heavy to lug around. B If the BoO happens to be cursed I ring it before uncursing it, just to see if I can get something out of it. B- My BoO is cursed, but only because I've run out of holy water. B-- If you ascend with (BoO abuse, I won't speak to you again. !B I only use the Bell of Opening to open Moloch's Sanctum with. B? Help! Where did all those come from? Is is midnight yet? Y PYEC Y++ I use my first wish to get the PYEC and only play neutral characters for that express purpose. Y+ I wish for the PYEC if I'm neutral and have everything else I want. Y I'm a tourist. I've justly deserved it. Y- I've tried to get the PYEC, but it slipped through my hands. Y-- I found the PYEC on a bones pile. Great thing for opening doors! !Y I don't wish for quest artifacts. Y? "Please, Mr. Asidonhopo, may I charge it?" 8. Experience and knowledge X Experience X+++ I've ascended every class and I've done a few vegetarians and atheists too. Now for the really challenging handicaps. X++ I've ascended most classes and am now trying to do without some things that make it too easy. X+ I've ascended a few classes, but I'm not up to a handicap game yet. X I've been in Gehennom and got swallowed by Juiblex. X- I've seen Medusa, worse luck. X-- I can't seem to be able to get past the Oracle level. !X I can't seem to be able to leave level 1. Or figure out what the keys do, for that matter. X? HEY ALL YOU HACKERS DO YOU KNOW A HACK FOR ms wORD??????? So Sources So++++ I'm on the Dev Team. So+++ I've memorized large chunks of the source code and have hacked my own version of NH. So++ I have the sources on-line and refer to them frequently. So+ I've looked at the source and understood most of it. So I've looked at the sources, but my C isn't what it used to be. So- I don't bother with the sources. Let the real wizards do that if they like. So-- I can't figure out what the .h files are for. !So Reading source takes the fun out of the game. Sp Spoilers Sp++++ I've written ftp-available public spoiler files. Sp+++ I know most public spoiler files practically by heart and have written some for my own personal use. Sp++ I know all sorts of esoteric stuff, but I still get surprised every now and again. I know what weapons and armour to use, and which monster corpses do what. Sp+ I've read all the spoilers and occasionally refer to them if I'm not sure what a message means. Sp I don't mind reading spoilers posted to the newsgroup. Sp- I rely on the Oracle. If I can't afford a consultation, I tend to die from being poisoned or wearing the wrong armor. Sp-- I rely on fortune cookies. !Sp I'm going to solve this d**n game by myself, no matter how long it takes. 8. Cheats sb Save file backups sb++ Of course I back up save files. It's the only way to win. sb+ I back up save files to insure against particularly stupid deaths. I've even been tempted to use them on occasion. sb I make backups to insure against typos. sb- I back up save files, but I've never used one. sb-- I make backups to insure against game crashes, because my recover program doesn't work. !sb I don't make backups on principle. sb? I don't know where the save files are on my system. wb Wizard bones wb++ I deliberately create bones files in wizard mode so I can cheat without actually doing anything illegal. wb+ I save bones files created in wizard mode, never mind what's in them. wb I use wizard bones when I find them and silently thank whoever left them. wb- There seem to be no wizard bones on our system. wb-- I delete all wizard bones from the system. !wb I object to using wizard bones files and if I do find one I leave all the stuff well alone. wb? I don't know how to get into wizard mode, let alone how to leave a bones file. 9. Death (yours) +# Number of times you died. N/A in a "D" code - everybody hopes to die 0 times, of course.