distinguished in your inventory by the presence of the word
``cursed'', ``uncursed'' or ``blessed'' in the description of the
item. In some cases ``uncursed'' will be omitted as being redun-
- dant when enough other information is displayed.
-
-
+ dant when enough other information is displayed. The implic-
+ it_uncursed option can be used to control this; toggle it off to
+ have ``uncursed'' be displayed even when that can be deduced from
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
+ other attributes.
+
7.2. Weapons (`)')
- Given a chance, most monsters in the Mazes of Menace will
- gratuitously try to kill you. You need weapons for self-defense
- (killing them first). Without a weapon, you do only 1-2 hit
- points of damage (plus bonuses, if any). Monk characters are an
+ Given a chance, most monsters in the Mazes of Menace will
+ gratuitously try to kill you. You need weapons for self-defense
+ (killing them first). Without a weapon, you do only 1-2 hit
+ points of damage (plus bonuses, if any). Monk characters are an
exception; they normally do much more damage with bare hands than
they do with weapons.
There are wielded weapons, like maces and swords, and thrown
- weapons, like arrows and spears. To hit monsters with a weapon,
- you must wield it and attack them, or throw it at them. You can
- simply elect to throw a spear. To shoot an arrow, you should
- first wield a bow, then throw the arrow. Crossbows shoot cross-
+ weapons, like arrows and spears. To hit monsters with a weapon,
+ you must wield it and attack them, or throw it at them. You can
+ simply elect to throw a spear. To shoot an arrow, you should
+ first wield a bow, then throw the arrow. Crossbows shoot cross-
bow bolts. Slings hurl rocks and (other) stones (like gems).
Enchanted weapons have a ``plus'' (or ``to hit enhancement''
- which can be either positive or negative) that adds to your
- chance to hit and the damage you do to a monster. The only way
+ which can be either positive or negative) that adds to your
+ chance to hit and the damage you do to a monster. The only way
to determine a weapon's enchantment is to have it magically iden-
- tified somehow. Most weapons are subject to some type of damage
+ tified somehow. Most weapons are subject to some type of damage
like rust. Such ``erosion'' damage can be repaired.
- The chance that an attack will successfully hit a monster,
- and the amount of damage such a hit will do, depends upon many
- factors. Among them are: type of weapon, quality of weapon (en-
+ The chance that an attack will successfully hit a monster,
+ and the amount of damage such a hit will do, depends upon many
+ factors. Among them are: type of weapon, quality of weapon (en-
chantment and/or erosion), experience level, strength, dexterity,
- encumbrance, and proficiency (see below). The monster's armor
- class - a general defense rating, not necessarily due to wearing
- of armor - is a factor too; also, some monsters are particularly
+ encumbrance, and proficiency (see below). The monster's armor
+ class - a general defense rating, not necessarily due to wearing
+ of armor - is a factor too; also, some monsters are particularly
vulnerable to certain types of weapons.
- Many weapons can be wielded in one hand; some require both
- hands. When wielding a two-handed weapon, you can not wear a
- shield, and vice versa. When wielding a one-handed weapon, you
- can have another weapon ready to use by setting things up with
- the `x' command, which exchanges your primary (the one being
- wielded) and alternate weapons. And if you have proficiency in
- the ``two weapon combat'' skill, you may wield both weapons si-
- multaneously as primary and secondary; use the `#twoweapon' ex-
- tended command to engage or disengage that. Only some types of
- characters (barbarians, for instance) have the necessary skill
- available. Even with that skill, using two weapons at once in-
+ Many weapons can be wielded in one hand; some require both
+ hands. When wielding a two-handed weapon, you can not wear a
+ shield, and vice versa. When wielding a one-handed weapon, you
+ can have another weapon ready to use by setting things up with
+ the `x' command, which exchanges your primary (the one being
+ wielded) and alternate weapons. And if you have proficiency in
+ the ``two weapon combat'' skill, you may wield both weapons si-
+ multaneously as primary and secondary; use the `#twoweapon' ex-
+ tended command to engage or disengage that. Only some types of
+ characters (barbarians, for instance) have the necessary skill
+ available. Even with that skill, using two weapons at once in-
curs a penalty in the chance to hit your target compared to using
just one weapon at a time.
- There might be times when you'd rather not wield any weapon
- at all. To accomplish that, wield `-', or else use the `A' com-
- mand which allows you to unwield the current weapon in addition
+ There might be times when you'd rather not wield any weapon
+ at all. To accomplish that, wield `-', or else use the `A' com-
+ mand which allows you to unwield the current weapon in addition
to taking off other worn items.
- Those of you in the audience who are AD&D players, be aware
- that each weapon which existed in AD&D does roughly the same dam-
- age to monsters in NetHack. Some of the more obscure weapons
+
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
+ Those of you in the audience who are AD&D players, be aware
+ that each weapon which existed in AD&D does roughly the same dam-
+ age to monsters in NetHack. Some of the more obscure weapons
(such as the aklys, lucern hammer, and bec-de-corbin) are defined
in an appendix to Unearthed Arcana, an AD&D supplement.
- The commands to use weapons are `w' (wield), `t' (throw),
- `f' (fire, an alternative way of throwing), `Q' (quiver), `x'
+ The commands to use weapons are `w' (wield), `t' (throw),
+ `f' (fire, an alternative way of throwing), `Q' (quiver), `x'
(exchange), `#twoweapon', and `#enhance' (see below).
7.2.1. Throwing and shooting
- You can throw just about anything via the `t' command. It
- will prompt for the item to throw; picking `?' will list things
- in your inventory which are considered likely to be thrown, or
+ You can throw just about anything via the `t' command. It
+ will prompt for the item to throw; picking `?' will list things
+ in your inventory which are considered likely to be thrown, or
picking `*' will list your entire inventory. After you've chosen
- what to throw, you will be prompted for a direction rather than
- for a specific target. The distance something can be thrown de-
+ what to throw, you will be prompted for a direction rather than
+ for a specific target. The distance something can be thrown de-
pends mainly on the type of object and your strength. Arrows can
- be thrown by hand, but can be thrown much farther and will be
+ be thrown by hand, but can be thrown much farther and will be
more likely to hit when thrown while you are wielding a bow.
- You can simplify the throwing operation by using the `Q'
- command to select your preferred ``missile'', then using the `f'
- command to throw it. You'll be prompted for a direction as
- above, but you don't have to specify which item to throw each
+ You can simplify the throwing operation by using the `Q'
+ command to select your preferred ``missile'', then using the `f'
+ command to throw it. You'll be prompted for a direction as
+ above, but you don't have to specify which item to throw each
time you use `f'. There is also an option, autoquiver, which has
NetHack choose another item to automatically fill your quiver (or
- quiver sack, or have at the ready) when the inventory slot used
+ quiver sack, or have at the ready) when the inventory slot used
for `Q' runs out.
- Some characters have the ability to fire a volley of multi-
- ple items in a single turn. Knowing how to load several rounds
+ Some characters have the ability to fire a volley of multi-
+ ple items in a single turn. Knowing how to load several rounds
of ammunition at once -- or hold several missiles in your hand --
- and still hit a target is not an easy task. Rangers are among
- those who are adept at this task, as are those with a high level
- of proficiency in the relevant weapon skill (in bow skill if
- you're wielding one to shoot arrows, in crossbow skill if you're
+ and still hit a target is not an easy task. Rangers are among
+ those who are adept at this task, as are those with a high level
+ of proficiency in the relevant weapon skill (in bow skill if
+ you're wielding one to shoot arrows, in crossbow skill if you're
wielding one to shoot bolts, or in sling skill if you're wielding
one to shoot stones). The number of items that the character has
- a chance to fire varies from turn to turn. You can explicitly
- limit the number of shots by using a numeric prefix before the
- `t' or `f' command. For example, ``2f'' (or ``n2f'' if using
+ a chance to fire varies from turn to turn. You can explicitly
+ limit the number of shots by using a numeric prefix before the
+ `t' or `f' command. For example, ``2f'' (or ``n2f'' if using
number_pad mode) would ensure that at most 2 arrows are shot even
- if you could have fired 3. If you specify a larger number than
+ if you could have fired 3. If you specify a larger number than
would have been shot (``4f'' in this example), you'll just end up
shooting the same number (3, here) as if no limit had been speci-
fied. Once the volley is in motion, all of the items will travel
in the same direction; if the first ones kill a monster, the oth-
ers can still continue beyond that spot.
- 7.2.2. Weapon proficiency
- You will have varying degrees of skill in the weapons avail-
- able. Weapon proficiency, or weapon skills, affect how well you
- can use particular types of weapons, and you'll be able to im-
- prove your skills as you progress through a game, depending on
+
+
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
+ 7.2.2. Weapon proficiency
+
+ You will have varying degrees of skill in the weapons avail-
+ able. Weapon proficiency, or weapon skills, affect how well you
+ can use particular types of weapons, and you'll be able to im-
+ prove your skills as you progress through a game, depending on
your role, your experience level, and use of the weapons.
- For the purposes of proficiency, weapons have been divided
- up into various groups such as daggers, broadswords, and
- polearms. Each role has a limit on what level of proficiency a
- character can achieve for each group. For instance, wizards can
- become highly skilled in daggers or staves but not in swords or
+ For the purposes of proficiency, weapons have been divided
+ up into various groups such as daggers, broadswords, and
+ polearms. Each role has a limit on what level of proficiency a
+ character can achieve for each group. For instance, wizards can
+ become highly skilled in daggers or staves but not in swords or
bows.
- The `#enhance' extended command is used to review current
- weapons proficiency (also spell proficiency) and to choose which
+ The `#enhance' extended command is used to review current
+ weapons proficiency (also spell proficiency) and to choose which
skill(s) to improve when you've used one or more skills enough to
become eligible to do so. The skill rankings are ``none'' (some-
- times also referred to as ``restricted'', because you won't be
- able to advance), ``unskilled'', ``basic'', ``skilled'', and
+ times also referred to as ``restricted'', because you won't be
+ able to advance), ``unskilled'', ``basic'', ``skilled'', and
``expert''. Restricted skills simply will not appear in the list
- shown by `#enhance'. (Divine intervention might unrestrict a
+ shown by `#enhance'. (Divine intervention might unrestrict a
particular skill, in which case it will start at unskilled and be
- limited to basic.) Some characters can enhance their barehanded
- combat or martial arts skill beyond expert to ``master'' or
+ limited to basic.) Some characters can enhance their barehanded
+ combat or martial arts skill beyond expert to ``master'' or
``grand master''.
Use of a weapon in which you're restricted or unskilled will
incur a modest penalty in the chance to hit a monster and also in
- the amount of damage done when you do hit; at basic level, there
- is no penalty or bonus; at skilled level, you receive a modest
- bonus in the chance to hit and amount of damage done; at expert
- level, the bonus is higher. A successful hit has a chance to
- boost your training towards the next skill level (unless you've
- already reached the limit for this skill). Once such training
- reaches the threshold for that next level, you'll be told that
- you feel more confident in your skills. At that point you can
- use `#enhance' to increase one or more skills. Such skills are
- not increased automatically because there is a limit to your to-
- tal overall skills, so you need to actively choose which skills
+ the amount of damage done when you do hit; at basic level, there
+ is no penalty or bonus; at skilled level, you receive a modest
+ bonus in the chance to hit and amount of damage done; at expert
+ level, the bonus is higher. A successful hit has a chance to
+ boost your training towards the next skill level (unless you've
+ already reached the limit for this skill). Once such training
+ reaches the threshold for that next level, you'll be told that
+ you feel more confident in your skills. At that point you can
+ use `#enhance' to increase one or more skills. Such skills are
+ not increased automatically because there is a limit to your to-
+ tal overall skills, so you need to actively choose which skills
to enhance and which to ignore.
7.2.3. Two-Weapon combat
Some characters can use two weapons at once. Setting things
- up to do so can seem cumbersome but becomes second nature with
- use. To wield two weapons, you need to use the ``#twoweapon''
- command. But first you need to have a weapon in each hand.
- (Note that your two weapons are not fully equal; the one in the
- hand you normally wield with is considered primary and the other
- one is considered secondary. The most noticeable difference is
- after you stop--or before you begin, for that matter--wielding
- two weapons at once. The primary is your wielded weapon and the
- secondary is just an item in your inventory that's been designat-
- ed as alternate weapon.)
-
- If your primary weapon is wielded but your off hand is empty
- or has the wrong weapon, use the sequence 'x', 'w', 'x' to first
- swap your primary into your off hand, wield whatever you want as
+ up to do so can seem cumbersome but becomes second nature with
+ use. To wield two weapons, you need to use the ``#twoweapon''
+ command. But first you need to have a weapon in each hand.
+ (Note that your two weapons are not fully equal; the one in the
+ hand you normally wield with is considered primary and the other
+ one is considered secondary. The most noticeable difference is
+ after you stop--or before you begin, for that matter--wielding
+ two weapons at once. The primary is your wielded weapon and the
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
- secondary weapon, then swap them both back into the intended
+ secondary is just an item in your inventory that's been designat-
+ ed as alternate weapon.)
+
+ If your primary weapon is wielded but your off hand is empty
+ or has the wrong weapon, use the sequence 'x', 'w', 'x' to first
+ swap your primary into your off hand, wield whatever you want as
+ secondary weapon, then swap them both back into the intended
hands. If your secondary or alternate weapon is correct but your
primary one is not, simply use 'w' to wield the primary. Lastly,
- if neither hand holds the correct weapon, use 'w', 'x', 'w' to
+ if neither hand holds the correct weapon, use 'w', 'x', 'w' to
first wield the intended secondary, swap it to off hand, and then
wield the primary.
- The whole process can be simplified via use of the push-
+ The whole process can be simplified via use of the push-
weapon option. When it is enabled, then using 'w' to wield some-
- thing causes the currently wielded weapon to become your alter-
+ thing causes the currently wielded weapon to become your alter-
nate weapon. So the sequence 'w', 'w' can be used to first wield
the weapon you intend to be secondary, and then wield the one you
- want as primary which will push the first into secondary posi-
+ want as primary which will push the first into secondary posi-
tion.
- When in two-weapon combat mode, using the ``#twoweapon''
+ When in two-weapon combat mode, using the ``#twoweapon''
command toggles back to single-weapon mode. Throwing or dropping
- either of the weapons or having one of them be stolen or de-
+ either of the weapons or having one of them be stolen or de-
stroyed will also make you revert to single-weapon combat.
7.3. Armor (`[')
Lots of unfriendly things lurk about; you need armor to pro-
tect yourself from their blows. Some types of armor offer better
- protection than others. Your armor class is a measure of this
+ protection than others. Your armor class is a measure of this
protection. Armor class (AC) is measured as in AD&D, with 10 be-
- ing the equivalent of no armor, and lower numbers meaning better
- armor. Each suit of armor which exists in AD&D gives the same
+ ing the equivalent of no armor, and lower numbers meaning better
+ armor. Each suit of armor which exists in AD&D gives the same
protection in NetHack. Here is an (incomplete) list of the armor
classes provided by various suits of armor:
orcish ring mail 8
leather armor 8
leather jacket 9
- no armor 10
-
- You can also wear other pieces of armor (ex. helmets, boots,
- shields, cloaks) to lower your armor class even further, but you
- can only wear one item of each category (one suit of armor, one
- cloak, one helmet, one shield, and so on) at a time.
- If a piece of armor is enchanted, its armor protection will
- be better (or worse) than normal, and its ``plus'' (or minus)
- will subtract from your armor class. For example, a +1 chain
- mail would give you better protection than normal chain mail,
+ no armor 10
+
+ You can also wear other pieces of armor (ex. helmets, boots,
+ shields, cloaks) to lower your armor class even further, but you
+ can only wear one item of each category (one suit of armor, one
+ cloak, one helmet, one shield, and so on) at a time.
+
+ If a piece of armor is enchanted, its armor protection will
+ be better (or worse) than normal, and its ``plus'' (or minus)
+ will subtract from your armor class. For example, a +1 chain
+ mail would give you better protection than normal chain mail,
lowering your armor class one unit further to 4. When you put on
- a piece of armor, you immediately find out the armor class and
+ a piece of armor, you immediately find out the armor class and
any ``plusses'' it provides. Cursed pieces of armor usually have
negative enchantments (minuses) in addition to being unremovable.
- Many types of armor are subject to some kind of damage like
- rust. Such damage can be repaired. Some types of armor may in-
+ Many types of armor are subject to some kind of damage like
+ rust. Such damage can be repaired. Some types of armor may in-
hibit spell casting.
The commands to use armor are `W' (wear) and `T' (take off).
- The `A' command can also be used to take off armor as well as
+ The `A' command can also be used to take off armor as well as
other worn items.
7.4. Food (`%')
- Food is necessary to survive. If you go too long without
- eating you will faint, and eventually die of starvation. Some
- types of food will spoil, and become unhealthy to eat, if not
+ Food is necessary to survive. If you go too long without
+ eating you will faint, and eventually die of starvation. Some
+ types of food will spoil, and become unhealthy to eat, if not
protected. Food stored in ice boxes or tins (``cans'') will usu-
- ally stay fresh, but ice boxes are heavy, and tins take a while
+ ally stay fresh, but ice boxes are heavy, and tins take a while
to open.
When you kill monsters, they usually leave corpses which are
also ``food.'' Many, but not all, of these are edible; some also
- give you special powers when you eat them. A good rule of thumb
+ give you special powers when you eat them. A good rule of thumb
is ``you are what you eat.''
Some character roles and some monsters are vegetarian. Veg-
- etarian monsters will typically never eat animal corpses, while
- vegetarian players can, but with some rather unpleasant side-ef-
+ etarian monsters will typically never eat animal corpses, while
+ vegetarian players can, but with some rather unpleasant side-ef-
fects.
- You can name one food item after something you like to eat
+ You can name one food item after something you like to eat
with the fruit option.
The command to eat food is `e'.
7.5. Scrolls (`?')
- Scrolls are labeled with various titles, probably chosen by
- ancient wizards for their amusement value (ex. ``READ ME,'' or
+ Scrolls are labeled with various titles, probably chosen by
+ ancient wizards for their amusement value (ex. ``READ ME,'' or
``THANX MAUD'' backwards). Scrolls disappear after you read them
(except for blank ones, without magic spells on them).
- One of the most useful of these is the scroll of identify,
- which can be used to determine what another object is, whether it
- is cursed or blessed, and how many uses it has left. Some ob-
- jects of subtle enchantment are difficult to identify without
- these.
-
-
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
+ One of the most useful of these is the scroll of identify,
+ which can be used to determine what another object is, whether it
+ is cursed or blessed, and how many uses it has left. Some ob-
+ jects of subtle enchantment are difficult to identify without
+ these.
+
A mail daemon may run up and deliver mail to you as a scroll
- of mail (on versions compiled with this feature). To use this
- feature on versions where NetHack mail delivery is triggered by
- electronic mail appearing in your system mailbox, you must let
- NetHack know where to look for new mail by setting the ``MAIL''
- environment variable to the file name of your mailbox. You may
- also want to set the ``MAILREADER'' environment variable to the
- file name of your favorite reader, so NetHack can shell to it
- when you read the scroll. On versions of NetHack where mail is
- randomly generated internal to the game, these environment vari-
- ables are ignored. You can disable the mail daemon by turning
+ of mail (on versions compiled with this feature). To use this
+ feature on versions where NetHack mail delivery is triggered by
+ electronic mail appearing in your system mailbox, you must let
+ NetHack know where to look for new mail by setting the ``MAIL''
+ environment variable to the file name of your mailbox. You may
+ also want to set the ``MAILREADER'' environment variable to the
+ file name of your favorite reader, so NetHack can shell to it
+ when you read the scroll. On versions of NetHack where mail is
+ randomly generated internal to the game, these environment vari-
+ ables are ignored. You can disable the mail daemon by turning
off the mail option.
The command to read a scroll is `r'.
7.6. Potions (`!')
- Potions are distinguished by the color of the liquid inside
+ Potions are distinguished by the color of the liquid inside
the flask. They disappear after you quaff them.
- Clear potions are potions of water. Sometimes these are
+ Clear potions are potions of water. Sometimes these are
blessed or cursed, resulting in holy or unholy water. Holy water
- is the bane of the undead, so potions of holy water are good
- things to throw (`t') at them. It is also sometimes very useful
+ is the bane of the undead, so potions of holy water are good
+ things to throw (`t') at them. It is also sometimes very useful
to dip (``#dip'') an object into a potion.
The command to drink a potion is `q' (quaff).
7.7. Wands (`/')
- Magic wands usually have multiple magical charges. Some
- wands are directional--you must give a direction in which to zap
- them. You can also zap them at yourself (just give a `.' or `s'
+ Magic wands usually have multiple magical charges. Some
+ wands are directional--you must give a direction in which to zap
+ them. You can also zap them at yourself (just give a `.' or `s'
for the direction). Be warned, however, for this is often unwise.
- Other wands are nondirectional--they don't require a direction.
- The number of charges in a wand is random and decreases by one
+ Other wands are nondirectional--they don't require a direction.
+ The number of charges in a wand is random and decreases by one
whenever you use it.
- When the number of charges left in a wand becomes zero, at-
- tempts to use the wand will usually result in nothing happening.
+ When the number of charges left in a wand becomes zero, at-
+ tempts to use the wand will usually result in nothing happening.
Occasionally, however, it may be possible to squeeze the last few
- mana points from an otherwise spent wand, destroying it in the
- process. A wand may be recharged by using suitable magic, but
- doing so runs the risk of causing it to explode. The chance for
- such an explosion starts out very small and increases each time
+ mana points from an otherwise spent wand, destroying it in the
+ process. A wand may be recharged by using suitable magic, but
+ doing so runs the risk of causing it to explode. The chance for
+ such an explosion starts out very small and increases each time
the wand is recharged.
- In a truly desperate situation, when your back is up against
- the wall, you might decide to go for broke and break your wand.
- This is not for the faint of heart. Doing so will almost cer-
- tainly cause a catastrophic release of magical energies.
- When you have fully identified a particular wand, inventory
- display will include additional information in parentheses: the
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
- number of times it has been recharged followed by a colon and
+ In a truly desperate situation, when your back is up against
+ the wall, you might decide to go for broke and break your wand.
+ This is not for the faint of heart. Doing so will almost cer-
+ tainly cause a catastrophic release of magical energies.
+
+ When you have fully identified a particular wand, inventory
+ display will include additional information in parentheses: the
+ number of times it has been recharged followed by a colon and
then by its current number of charges. A current charge count of
-1 is a special case indicating that the wand has been cancelled.
- The command to use a wand is `z' (zap). To break one, use
+ The command to use a wand is `z' (zap). To break one, use
the `a' (apply) command.
7.8. Rings (`=')
- Rings are very useful items, since they are relatively per-
- manent magic, unlike the usually fleeting effects of potions,
+ Rings are very useful items, since they are relatively per-
+ manent magic, unlike the usually fleeting effects of potions,
scrolls, and wands.
- Putting on a ring activates its magic. You can wear only
+ Putting on a ring activates its magic. You can wear only
two rings, one on each ring finger.
- Most rings also cause you to grow hungry more rapidly, the
+ Most rings also cause you to grow hungry more rapidly, the
rate varying with the type of ring.
The commands to use rings are `P' (put on) and `R' (remove).
7.9. Spellbooks (`+')
Spellbooks are tomes of mighty magic. When studied with the
- `r' (read) command, they transfer to the reader the knowledge of
- a spell (and therefore eventually become unreadable) -- unless
- the attempt backfires. Reading a cursed spellbook or one with
+ `r' (read) command, they transfer to the reader the knowledge of
+ a spell (and therefore eventually become unreadable) -- unless
+ the attempt backfires. Reading a cursed spellbook or one with
mystic runes beyond your ken can be harmful to your health!
- A spell (even when learned) can also backfire when you cast
- it. If you attempt to cast a spell well above your experience
- level, or if you have little skill with the appropriate spell
- type, or cast it at a time when your luck is particularly bad,
- you can end up wasting both the energy and the time required in
+ A spell (even when learned) can also backfire when you cast
+ it. If you attempt to cast a spell well above your experience
+ level, or if you have little skill with the appropriate spell
+ type, or cast it at a time when your luck is particularly bad,
+ you can end up wasting both the energy and the time required in
casting.
- Casting a spell calls forth magical energies and focuses
- them with your naked mind. Some of the magical energy released
- comes from within you, and casting several spells in a row may
- tire you. Casting of spells also requires practice. With prac-
- tice, your skill in each category of spell casting will improve.
- Over time, however, your memory of each spell will dim, and you
+ Casting a spell calls forth magical energies and focuses
+ them with your naked mind. Some of the magical energy released
+ comes from within you, and casting several spells in a row may
+ tire you. Casting of spells also requires practice. With prac-
+ tice, your skill in each category of spell casting will improve.
+ Over time, however, your memory of each spell will dim, and you
will need to relearn it.
- Some spells are directional--you must give a direction in
- which to cast them. You can also cast them at yourself (just
- give a `.' or `s' for the direction). Be warned, however, for
- this is often unwise. Other spells are nondirectional--they
- don't require a direction.
-
- Just as weapons are divided into groups in which a character
- can become proficient (to varying degrees), spells are similarly
- grouped. Successfully casting a spell exercises its skill group;
- using the `#enhance' command to advance a sufficiently exercised
+ Some spells are directional--you must give a direction in
+ which to cast them. You can also cast them at yourself (just
+ give a `.' or `s' for the direction). Be warned, however, for
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
- skill will affect all spells within the group. Advanced skill
- may increase the potency of spells, reduce their risk of failure
+ this is often unwise. Other spells are nondirectional--they
+ don't require a direction.
+
+ Just as weapons are divided into groups in which a character
+ can become proficient (to varying degrees), spells are similarly
+ grouped. Successfully casting a spell exercises its skill group;
+ using the `#enhance' command to advance a sufficiently exercised
+ skill will affect all spells within the group. Advanced skill
+ may increase the potency of spells, reduce their risk of failure
during casting attempts, and improve the accuracy of the estimate
- for how much longer they will be retained in your memory. Skill
- slots are shared with weapons skills. (See also the section on
+ for how much longer they will be retained in your memory. Skill
+ slots are shared with weapons skills. (See also the section on
``Weapon proficiency''.)
Casting a spell also requires flexible movement, and wearing
various types of armor may interfere with that.
- The command to read a spellbook is the same as for scrolls,
+ The command to read a spellbook is the same as for scrolls,
`r' (read). The `+' command lists each spell you know along with
its level, skill category, chance of failure when casting, and an
- estimate of how strongly it is remembered. The `Z' (cast) com-
+ estimate of how strongly it is remembered. The `Z' (cast) com-
mand casts a spell.
7.10. Tools (`(')
Tools are miscellaneous objects with various purposes. Some
- tools have a limited number of uses, akin to wand charges. For
- example, lamps burn out after a while. Other tools are contain-
+ tools have a limited number of uses, akin to wand charges. For
+ example, lamps burn out after a while. Other tools are contain-
ers, which objects can be placed into or taken out of.
The command to use tools is `a' (apply).
7.10.1. Containers
- You may encounter bags, boxes, and chests in your travels.
- A tool of this sort can be opened with the ``#loot'' extended
- command when you are standing on top of it (that is, on the same
- floor spot), or with the `a' (apply) command when you are carry-
- ing it. However, chests are often locked, and are in any case
- unwieldy objects. You must set one down before unlocking it by
+ You may encounter bags, boxes, and chests in your travels.
+ A tool of this sort can be opened with the ``#loot'' extended
+ command when you are standing on top of it (that is, on the same
+ floor spot), or with the `a' (apply) command when you are carry-
+ ing it. However, chests are often locked, and are in any case
+ unwieldy objects. You must set one down before unlocking it by
using a key or lock-picking tool with the `a' (apply) command, by
- kicking it with the `^D' command, or by using a weapon to force
+ kicking it with the `^D' command, or by using a weapon to force
the lock with the ``#force'' extended command.
Some chests are trapped, causing nasty things to happen when
7.11. Amulets (`"')
- Amulets are very similar to rings, and often more powerful.
+ Amulets are very similar to rings, and often more powerful.
Like rings, amulets have various magical properties, some benefi-
cial, some harmful, which are activated by putting them on.
- Only one amulet may be worn at a time, around your neck.
-
- The commands to use amulets are the same as for rings, `P'
- (put on) and `R' (remove).
-
-
-
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
+ Only one amulet may be worn at a time, around your neck.
+
+ The commands to use amulets are the same as for rings, `P'
+ (put on) and `R' (remove).
+
7.12. Gems (`*')
- Some gems are valuable, and can be sold for a lot of gold.
- They are also a far more efficient way of carrying your riches.
+ Some gems are valuable, and can be sold for a lot of gold.
+ They are also a far more efficient way of carrying your riches.
Valuable gems increase your score if you bring them with you when
you exit.
Other small rocks are also categorized as gems, but they are
- much less valuable. All rocks, however, can be used as projec-
- tile weapons (if you have a sling). In the most desperate of
+ much less valuable. All rocks, however, can be used as projec-
+ tile weapons (if you have a sling). In the most desperate of
cases, you can still throw them by hand.
7.13. Large rocks (``')
- Statues and boulders are not particularly useful, and are
- generally heavy. It is rumored that some statues are not what
+ Statues and boulders are not particularly useful, and are
+ generally heavy. It is rumored that some statues are not what
they seem.
- Very large humanoids (giants and their ilk) have been known
+ Very large humanoids (giants and their ilk) have been known
to use boulders as weapons.
7.14. Gold (`$')
- Gold adds to your score, and you can buy things in shops
- with it. There are a number of monsters in the dungeon that may
+ Gold adds to your score, and you can buy things in shops
+ with it. There are a number of monsters in the dungeon that may
be influenced by the amount of gold you are carrying (shopkeepers
aside).
8. Conduct
- As if winning NetHack were not difficult enough, certain
- players seek to challenge themselves by imposing restrictions on
- the way they play the game. The game automatically tracks some
- of these challenges, which can be checked at any time with the
- #conduct command or at the end of the game. When you perform an
- action which breaks a challenge, it will no longer be listed.
+ As if winning NetHack were not difficult enough, certain
+ players seek to challenge themselves by imposing restrictions on
+ the way they play the game. The game automatically tracks some
+ of these challenges, which can be checked at any time with the
+ #conduct command or at the end of the game. When you perform an
+ action which breaks a challenge, it will no longer be listed.
This gives players extra ``bragging rights'' for winning the game
- with these challenges. Note that it is perfectly acceptable to
- win the game without resorting to these restrictions and that it
- is unusual for players to adhere to challenges the first time
+ with these challenges. Note that it is perfectly acceptable to
+ win the game without resorting to these restrictions and that it
+ is unusual for players to adhere to challenges the first time
they win the game.
- Several of the challenges are related to eating behavior.
- The most difficult of these is the foodless challenge. Although
+ Several of the challenges are related to eating behavior.
+ The most difficult of these is the foodless challenge. Although
creatures can survive long periods of time without food, there is
- a physiological need for water; thus there is no restriction on
- drinking beverages, even if they provide some minor food bene-
- fits. Calling upon your god for help with starvation does not
- violate any food challenges either.
-
- A strict vegan diet is one which avoids any food derived
- from animals. The primary source of nutrition is fruits and veg-
- etables. The corpses and tins of blobs (`b'), jellies (`j'), and
+ a physiological need for water; thus there is no restriction on
+ drinking beverages, even if they provide some minor food bene-
+ fits. Calling upon your god for help with starvation does not
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
- fungi (`F') are also considered to be vegetable matter. Certain
- human food is prepared without animal products; namely, lembas
- wafers, cram rations, food rations (gunyoki), K-rations, and C-
- rations. Metal or another normally indigestible material eaten
+ violate any food challenges either.
+
+ A strict vegan diet is one which avoids any food derived
+ from animals. The primary source of nutrition is fruits and veg-
+ etables. The corpses and tins of blobs (`b'), jellies (`j'), and
+ fungi (`F') are also considered to be vegetable matter. Certain
+ human food is prepared without animal products; namely, lembas
+ wafers, cram rations, food rations (gunyoki), K-rations, and C-
+ rations. Metal or another normally indigestible material eaten
while polymorphed into a creature that can digest it is also con-
- sidered vegan food. Note however that eating such items still
+ sidered vegan food. Note however that eating such items still
counts against foodless conduct.
- Vegetarians do not eat animals; however, they are less se-
- lective about eating animal byproducts than vegans. In addition
+ Vegetarians do not eat animals; however, they are less se-
+ lective about eating animal byproducts than vegans. In addition
to the vegan items listed above, they may eat any kind of pudding
(`P') other than the black puddings, eggs and food made from eggs
- (fortune cookies and pancakes), food made with milk (cream pies
+ (fortune cookies and pancakes), food made with milk (cream pies
and candy bars), and lumps of royal jelly. Monks are expected to
observe a vegetarian diet.
- Eating any kind of meat violates the vegetarian, vegan, and
- foodless conducts. This includes tripe rations, the corpses or
- tins of any monsters not mentioned above, and the various other
- chunks of meat found in the dungeon. Swallowing and digesting a
+ Eating any kind of meat violates the vegetarian, vegan, and
+ foodless conducts. This includes tripe rations, the corpses or
+ tins of any monsters not mentioned above, and the various other
+ chunks of meat found in the dungeon. Swallowing and digesting a
monster while polymorphed is treated as if you ate the creature's
- corpse. Eating leather, dragon hide, or bone items while poly-
- morphed into a creature that can digest it, or eating monster
+ corpse. Eating leather, dragon hide, or bone items while poly-
+ morphed into a creature that can digest it, or eating monster
brains while polymorphed into a mind flayer, is considered eating
an animal, although wax is only an animal byproduct.
- Regardless of conduct, there will be some items which are
- indigestible, and others which are hazardous to eat. Using a
+ Regardless of conduct, there will be some items which are
+ indigestible, and others which are hazardous to eat. Using a
swallow-and-digest attack against a monster is equivalent to eat-
ing the monster's corpse. Please note that the term ``vegan'' is
- used here only in the context of diet. You are still free to
- choose not to use or wear items derived from animals (e.g.
- leather, dragon hide, bone, horns, coral), but the game will not
+ used here only in the context of diet. You are still free to
+ choose not to use or wear items derived from animals (e.g.
+ leather, dragon hide, bone, horns, coral), but the game will not
keep track of this for you. Also note that ``milky'' potions may
be a translucent white, but they do not contain milk, so they are
- compatible with a vegan diet. Slime molds or player-defined
- ``fruits'', although they could be anything from ``cherries'' to
+ compatible with a vegan diet. Slime molds or player-defined
+ ``fruits'', although they could be anything from ``cherries'' to
``pork chops'', are also assumed to be vegan.
An atheist is one who rejects religion. This means that you
- cannot #pray, #offer sacrifices to any god, #turn undead, or
- #chat with a priest. Particularly selective readers may argue
- that playing Monk or Priest characters should violate this con-
- duct; that is a choice left to the player. Offering the Amulet
- of Yendor to your god is necessary to win the game and is not
+ cannot #pray, #offer sacrifices to any god, #turn undead, or
+ #chat with a priest. Particularly selective readers may argue
+ that playing Monk or Priest characters should violate this con-
+ duct; that is a choice left to the player. Offering the Amulet
+ of Yendor to your god is necessary to win the game and is not
counted against this conduct. You are also not penalized for be-
- ing spoken to by an angry god, priest(ess), or other religious
+ ing spoken to by an angry god, priest(ess), or other religious
figure; a true atheist would hear the words but attach no special
meaning to them.
- Most players fight with a wielded weapon (or tool intended
- to be wielded as a weapon). Another challenge is to win the game
- without using such a wielded weapon. You are still permitted to
- throw, fire, and kick weapons; use a wand, spell, or other type
-
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
+ Most players fight with a wielded weapon (or tool intended
+ to be wielded as a weapon). Another challenge is to win the game
+ without using such a wielded weapon. You are still permitted to
+ throw, fire, and kick weapons; use a wand, spell, or other type
of item; or fight with your hands and feet.
- In NetHack, a pacifist refuses to cause the death of any
- other monster (i.e. if you would get experience for the death).
- This is a particularly difficult challenge, although it is still
+ In NetHack, a pacifist refuses to cause the death of any
+ other monster (i.e. if you would get experience for the death).
+ This is a particularly difficult challenge, although it is still
possible to gain experience by other means.
An illiterate character cannot read or write. This includes
- reading a scroll, spellbook, fortune cookie message, or t-shirt;
+ reading a scroll, spellbook, fortune cookie message, or t-shirt;
writing a scroll; or making an engraving of anything other than a
single ``x'' (the traditional signature of an illiterate person).
Reading an engraving, or any item that is absolutely necessary to
- win the game, is not counted against this conduct. The identity
- of scrolls and spellbooks (and knowledge of spells) in your
- starting inventory is assumed to be learned from your teachers
+ win the game, is not counted against this conduct. The identity
+ of scrolls and spellbooks (and knowledge of spells) in your
+ starting inventory is assumed to be learned from your teachers
prior to the start of the game and isn't counted.
- There are several other challenges tracked by the game. It
+ There are several other challenges tracked by the game. It
is possible to eliminate one or more species of monsters by geno-
- cide; playing without this feature is considered a challenge.
+ cide; playing without this feature is considered a challenge.
When the game offers you an opportunity to genocide monsters, you
- may respond with the monster type ``none'' if you want to de-
- cline. You can change the form of an item into another item of
- the same type (``polypiling'') or the form of your own body into
- another creature (``polyself'') by wand, spell, or potion of
+ may respond with the monster type ``none'' if you want to de-
+ cline. You can change the form of an item into another item of
+ the same type (``polypiling'') or the form of your own body into
+ another creature (``polyself'') by wand, spell, or potion of
polymorph; avoiding these effects are each considered challenges.
- Polymorphing monsters, including pets, does not break either of
- these challenges. Finally, you may sometimes receive wishes; a
- game without an attempt to wish for any items is a challenge, as
- is a game without wishing for an artifact (even if the artifact
+ Polymorphing monsters, including pets, does not break either of
+ these challenges. Finally, you may sometimes receive wishes; a
+ game without an attempt to wish for any items is a challenge, as
+ is a game without wishing for an artifact (even if the artifact
immediately disappears). When the game offers you an opportunity
- to make a wish for an item, you may choose ``nothing'' if you
+ to make a wish for an item, you may choose ``nothing'' if you
want to decline.
9. Options
- Due to variations in personal tastes and conceptions of how
+ Due to variations in personal tastes and conceptions of how
NetHack should do things, there are options you can set to change
how NetHack behaves.
9.1. Setting the options
- Options may be set in a number of ways. Within the game,
+ Options may be set in a number of ways. Within the game,
the `O' command allows you to view all options and change most of
- them. You can also set options automatically by placing them in
- the NETHACKOPTIONS environment variable or in a configuration
+ them. You can also set options automatically by placing them in
+ the NETHACKOPTIONS environment variable or in a configuration
file. Some versions of NetHack also have front-end programs that
- allow you to set options before starting the game or a global
+ allow you to set options before starting the game or a global
configuration for system administrators.
-
-
-
-
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
9.2. Using the NETHACKOPTIONS environment variable
- The NETHACKOPTIONS variable is a comma-separated list of
- initial values for the various options. Some can only be turned
- on or off. You turn one of these on by adding the name of the
+ The NETHACKOPTIONS variable is a comma-separated list of
+ initial values for the various options. Some can only be turned
+ on or off. You turn one of these on by adding the name of the
option to the list, and turn it off by typing a `!' or ``no'' be-
- fore the name. Others take a character string as a value. You
- can set string options by typing the option name, a colon or
+ fore the name. Others take a character string as a value. You
+ can set string options by typing the option name, a colon or
equals sign, and then the value of the string. The value is ter-
minated by the next comma or the end of string.
For example, to set up an environment variable so that ``au-
- toquiver'' is on, ``autopickup'' is off, the name is set to
- ``Blue Meanie'', and the fruit is set to ``papaya'', you would
+ toquiver'' is on, ``autopickup'' is off, the name is set to
+ ``Blue Meanie'', and the fruit is set to ``papaya'', you would
enter the command
% setenv NETHACKOPTIONS "autoquiver,\!autopickup,name:Blue Meanie,fruit:papaya"
- in csh (note the need to escape the ! since it's special to the
+ in csh (note the need to escape the ! since it's special to the
shell), or
$ NETHACKOPTIONS="autoquiver,!autopickup,name:Blue Meanie,fruit:papaya"
9.3. Using a configuration file
- Any line in the configuration file starting with `#' is
- treated as a comment. Any line in the configuration file start-
- ing with ``OPTIONS='' may be filled out with options in the same
+ Any line in the configuration file starting with `#' is
+ treated as a comment. Any line in the configuration file start-
+ ing with ``OPTIONS='' may be filled out with options in the same
syntax as in NETHACKOPTIONS. Any line starting with ``SYMBOLS=''
is taken as defining the corresponding symbol in a different syn-
- tax, a sequence of decimal numbers giving the character position
- in the current font to be used in displaying each entry. Such a
- sequence can be continued to multiple lines by putting a `\' at
+ tax, a sequence of decimal numbers giving the character position
+ in the current font to be used in displaying each entry. Such a
+ sequence can be continued to multiple lines by putting a `\' at
the end of each line to be continued.
Any line starting with ``AUTOPICKUP_EXCEPTION='' is taken as
- defining an exception to the pickup_types option. There is a
+ defining an exception to the pickup_types option. There is a
section of this Guidebook that discusses that.
The default name of the configuration file varies on differ-
- ent operating systems, but NETHACKOPTIONS can also be set to the
- full name of a file you want to use (possibly preceded by an
+ ent operating systems, but NETHACKOPTIONS can also be set to the
+ full name of a file you want to use (possibly preceded by an
`@').
9.4. Customization options
Here are explanations of what the various options do. Char-
- acter strings that are too long may be truncated. Some of the
+ acter strings that are too long may be truncated. Some of the
options listed may be inactive in your dungeon.
- Some options are persistent, and are saved and reloaded
+ Some options are persistent, and are saved and reloaded
along with the game. Changing a persistent option in the config-
uration file applies only to new games.
acoustics
- Enable messages about what your character hears (default on).
+ Enable messages about what your character hears (default on).
Note that this has nothing to do with your computer's audio ca-
pabilities. Persistent.
align
- Your starting alignment (align:lawful, align:neutral, or
- align:chaotic). You may specify just the first letter. The
- default is to randomly pick an appropriate alignment. If you
- prefix a `!' or ``no'' to the value, you can exclude that
- alignment from being picked randomly. Cannot be set with the
+ Your starting alignment (align:lawful, align:neutral, or
+ align:chaotic). You may specify just the first letter. The
+ default is to randomly pick an appropriate alignment. If you
+ prefix a `!' or ``no'' to the value, you can exclude that
+ alignment from being picked randomly. Cannot be set with the
`O' command. Persistent.
autodig
tent.
autopickup
- Automatically pick up things onto which you move (default on).
+ Automatically pick up things onto which you move (default on).
Persistent. See pickup_types to refine the behavior.
autoquiver
- This option controls what happens when you attempt the `f'
- (fire) command with an empty quiver (or quiver sack or have
- nothing at the ready). When true, the computer will fill your
+ This option controls what happens when you attempt the `f'
+ (fire) command with an empty quiver (or quiver sack or have
+ nothing at the ready). When true, the computer will fill your
quiver or quiver sack or make ready some suitable weapon. Note
- that it will not take into account the blessed/cursed status,
- enchantment, damage, or quality of the weapon; you are free to
+ that it will not take into account the blessed/cursed status,
+ enchantment, damage, or quality of the weapon; you are free to
manually fill your quiver or quiver sack or make ready with the
- `Q' command instead. If no weapon is found or the option is
- false, the `t' (throw) command is executed instead. Persis-
+ `Q' command instead. If no weapon is found or the option is
+ false, the `t' (throw) command is executed instead. Persis-
tent. (default false)
blind
- Start the character permanently blind. Persistent. (default
+ Start the character permanently blind. Persistent. (default
false)
bones
- Allow saving and loading bones files. Persistent. (default
+ Allow saving and loading bones files. Persistent. (default
true)
boulder
- Set the character used to display boulders (default is rock
+ Set the character used to display boulders (default is rock
class symbol).
with the `O' command.
character
- Pick your type of character (ex. ``character:Monk''); synonym
+ Pick your type of character (ex. ``character:Monk''); synonym
for ``role''. See ``name'' for an alternate method of specify-
- ing your role. Normally only the first letter of the value is
+ ing your role. Normally only the first letter of the value is
examined; the string ``random'' is an exception.
checkpoint
- Save game state after each level change, for possible recovery
+ Save game state after each level change, for possible recovery
after program crash (default on). Persistent.
checkspace
- Check free disk space before writing files to disk (default
- on). You may have to turn this off if you have more than 2 GB
+ Check free disk space before writing files to disk (default
+ on). You may have to turn this off if you have more than 2 GB
free space on the partition used for your save and level files.
Only applies when MFLOPPY was defined during compilation.
clicklook
- Allows looking at things on the screen by navigating the mouse
+ Allows looking at things on the screen by navigating the mouse
over them and clicking the right mouse button (default off).
cmdassist
- Have the game provide some additional command assistance for
- new players if it detects some anticipated mistakes (default
+ Have the game provide some additional command assistance for
+ new players if it detects some anticipated mistakes (default
on).
confirm
- Have user confirm attacks on pets, shopkeepers, and other
+ Have user confirm attacks on pets, shopkeepers, and other
peaceable creatures (default on). Persistent.
dark_room
- Show out-of-sight areas of lit rooms (default off). Persis-
+ Show out-of-sight areas of lit rooms (default off). Persis-
tent.
disclose
- Controls what information the program reveals when the game
- ends. Value is a space separated list of prompting/category
- pairs (default is `ni na nv ng nc no', prompt with default re-
+ Controls what information the program reveals when the game
+ ends. Value is a space separated list of prompting/category
+ pairs (default is `ni na nv ng nc no', prompt with default re-
sponse of `n' for each candidate). Persistent. The possibili-
ties are:
c - display your conduct;
o - display dungeon overview.
- Each disclosure possibility can optionally be preceded by a
- prefix which lets you refine how it behaves. Here are the
+ Each disclosure possibility can optionally be preceded by a
+ prefix which lets you refine how it behaves. Here are the
valid prefixes:
Omitted categories are implicitly added with `n' prefix. Spec-
ified categories with omitted prefix implicitly use `+' prefix.
- Order of the disclosure categories does not matter, program
+ Order of the disclosure categories does not matter, program
display for end-of-game disclosure follows a set sequence.
- (ex. ``disclose:yi na +v -g o'') The example sets inventory to
- prompt and default to yes, attributes to prompt and default to
- no, vanquished to disclose without prompting, genocided to not
- disclose and not prompt, conduct to implicitly prompt and de-
+ (ex. ``disclose:yi na +v -g o'') The example sets inventory to
+ prompt and default to yes, attributes to prompt and default to
+ no, vanquished to disclose without prompting, genocided to not
+ disclose and not prompt, conduct to implicitly prompt and de-
fault to no, and overview to disclose without prompting.
- Note that the vanquished monsters list includes all monsters
+ Note that the vanquished monsters list includes all monsters
killed by traps and each other as well as by you. And the dun-
geon overview shows all levels you had visited but does not re-
veal things about them that you hadn't discovered.
dogname
- Name your starting dog (ex. ``dogname:Fang''). Cannot be set
+ Name your starting dog (ex. ``dogname:Fang''). Cannot be set
with the `O' command.
extmenu
- Changes the extended commands interface to pop-up a menu of
+ Changes the extended commands interface to pop-up a menu of
available commands. It is keystroke compatible with the tradi-
- tional interface except that it does not require that you hit
- Enter. It is implemented only by the tty port (default off),
+ tional interface except that it does not require that you hit
+ Enter. It is implemented only by the tty port (default off),
when the game has been compiled to support tty graphics.
female
- An obsolete synonym for ``gender:female''. Cannot be set with
+ An obsolete synonym for ``gender:female''. Cannot be set with
the `O' command.
fixinv
- An object's inventory letter sticks to it when it's dropped
- (default on). If this is off, dropping an object shifts all
+ An object's inventory letter sticks to it when it's dropped
+ (default on). If this is off, dropping an object shifts all
the remaining inventory letters. Persistent.
fruit
Name a fruit after something you enjoy eating (ex. ``fruit:man-
- go'') (default ``slime mold''). Basically a nostalgic whimsy
- that NetHack uses from time to time. You should set this to
- something you find more appetizing than slime mold. Apples,
- oranges, pears, bananas, and melons already exist in NetHack,
+ go'') (default ``slime mold''). Basically a nostalgic whimsy
+ that NetHack uses from time to time. You should set this to
+ something you find more appetizing than slime mold. Apples,
+ oranges, pears, bananas, and melons already exist in NetHack,
so don't use those.
gender
- Your starting gender (gender:male or gender:female). You may
- specify just the first letter. Although you can still denote
- your gender using the ``male'' and ``female'' options, the
- ``gender'' option will take precedence. The default is to
+ Your starting gender (gender:male or gender:female). You may
+ specify just the first letter. Although you can still denote
+ your gender using the ``male'' and ``female'' options, the
+ ``gender'' option will take precedence. The default is to
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
- randomly pick an appropriate gender. If you prefix a `!' or
- ``no'' to the value, you can exclude that gender from being
- picked randomly. Cannot be set with the `O' command. Persis-
+ randomly pick an appropriate gender. If you prefix a `!' or
+ ``no'' to the value, you can exclude that gender from being
+ picked randomly. Cannot be set with the `O' command. Persis-
tent.
help
- If more information is available for an object looked at with
- the `/' command, ask if you want to see it (default on). Turn-
- ing help off makes just looking at things faster, since you
- aren't interrupted with the ``More info?'' prompt, but it also
+ If more information is available for an object looked at with
+ the `/' command, ask if you want to see it (default on). Turn-
+ ing help off makes just looking at things faster, since you
+ aren't interrupted with the ``More info?'' prompt, but it also
means that you might miss some interesting and/or important in-
formation. Persistent.
hilite_pet
- Visually distinguish pets from similar animals (default off).
- The behavior of this option depends on the type of windowing
+ Visually distinguish pets from similar animals (default off).
+ The behavior of this option depends on the type of windowing
you use. In text windowing, text highlighting or inverse video
- is often used; with tiles, generally displays a heart symbol
+ is often used; with tiles, generally displays a heart symbol
near pets.
hilite_pile
- Visually distinguish piles of objects from individual objects
+ Visually distinguish piles of objects from individual objects
(default off). The behavior of this option depends on the type
- of windowing you use. In text windowing, text highlighting or
- inverse video is often used; with tiles, generally displays a
+ of windowing you use. In text windowing, text highlighting or
+ inverse video is often used; with tiles, generally displays a
small plus-symbol beside the object on the top of the pile.
horsename
- Name your starting horse (ex. ``horsename:Trigger''). Cannot
+ Name your starting horse (ex. ``horsename:Trigger''). Cannot
be set with the `O' command.
ignintr
on). Persistent.
lit_corridor
- Show corridor squares seen by night vision or a light source
+ Show corridor squares seen by night vision or a light source
held by your character as lit (default off). Persistent.
lootabc
- Use the old `a', `b', and `c' keyboard shortcuts when looting,
- rather than the mnemonics `o', `i', and `b' (default off).
+ Use the old `a', `b', and `c' keyboard shortcuts when looting,
+ rather than the mnemonics `o', `i', and `b' (default off).
Persistent.
mail
male
- An obsolete synonym for ``gender:male''. Cannot be set with
+ An obsolete synonym for ``gender:male''. Cannot be set with
the `O' command.
mention_walls
Give feedback when walking against a wall (default off).
menucolors
- Enable coloring menu lines (default off). See ``Configuring
+ Enable coloring menu lines (default off). See ``Configuring
Menu Colors'' on how to configure the colors.
menustyle
Controls the interface used when you need to choose various ob-
- jects (in response to the Drop command, for instance). The
- value specified should be the first letter of one of the fol-
- lowing: traditional, combination, full, or partial. Tradi-
- tional was the only interface available for early versions; it
- consists of a prompt for object class characters, followed by
- an object-by-object prompt for all items matching the selected
- object class(es). Combination starts with a prompt for object
+ jects (in response to the Drop command, for instance). The
+ value specified should be the first letter of one of the fol-
+ lowing: traditional, combination, full, or partial. Tradi-
+ tional was the only interface available for early versions; it
+ consists of a prompt for object class characters, followed by
+ an object-by-object prompt for all items matching the selected
+ object class(es). Combination starts with a prompt for object
class(es) of interest, but then displays a menu of matching ob-
- jects rather than prompting one-by-one. Full displays a menu
- of object classes rather than a character prompt, and then a
- menu of matching objects for selection. Partial skips the ob-
+ jects rather than prompting one-by-one. Full displays a menu
+ of object classes rather than a character prompt, and then a
+ menu of matching objects for selection. Partial skips the ob-
ject class filtering and immediately displays a menu of all ob-
jects. Persistent.
menu_deselect_all
- Menu character accelerator to deselect all items in a menu.
+ Menu character accelerator to deselect all items in a menu.
Implemented by the Amiga, Gem, X11 and tty ports. Default '-'.
menu_deselect_page
- Menu character accelerator to deselect all items on this page
- of a menu. Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. De-
+ Menu character accelerator to deselect all items on this page
+ of a menu. Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. De-
fault '\'.
menu_first_page
Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default '^'.
menu_headings
- Controls how the headings in a menu are highlighted. Values
- are 'none', 'bold', 'dim', 'underline', 'blink', or 'inverse'.
+ Controls how the headings in a menu are highlighted. Values
+ are 'none', 'bold', 'dim', 'underline', 'blink', or 'inverse'.
Not all ports can actually display all types.
menu_invert_all
- Menu character accelerator to invert all items in a menu. Im-
+ Menu character accelerator to invert all items in a menu. Im-
plemented by the Amiga, Gem, X11 and tty ports. Default '@'.
menu_invert_page
- Menu character accelerator to invert all items on this page of
- a menu. Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default
+ Menu character accelerator to invert all items on this page of
+ a menu. Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default
'~'.
menu_last_page
- Menu character accelerator to jump to the last page in a menu.
+ Menu character accelerator to jump to the last page in a menu.
Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default '|'.
menu_next_page
- Menu character accelerator to goto the next menu page. Imple-
+ Menu character accelerator to goto the next menu page. Imple-
mented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default '>'.
menu_objsyms
- Show object symbols in menu headings in menus where the object
+ Show object symbols in menu headings in menus where the object
symbols act as menu accelerators (default off).
menu_previous_page
plemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default '<'.
menu_search
- Menu character accelerator to search for a menu item. Imple-
+ Menu character accelerator to search for a menu item. Imple-
mented by the Amiga, Gem, X11 and tty ports. Default ':'.
menu_select_all
- Menu character accelerator to select all items in a menu. Im-
+ Menu character accelerator to select all items in a menu. Im-
plemented by the Amiga, Gem, X11 and tty ports. Default '.'.
menu_select_page
- Menu character accelerator to select all items on this page of
- a menu. Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default
+ Menu character accelerator to select all items on this page of
+ a menu. Implemented by the Amiga, Gem and tty ports. Default
','.
msghistory
- The number of top line messages to save (and recall with ^P)
+ The number of top line messages to save (and recall with ^P)
(default 20). Cannot be set with the `O' command.
msg_window
- Allows you to change the way recalled messages are displayed.
- (It is currently implemented for tty only.) The possible val-
+ Allows you to change the way recalled messages are displayed.
+ (It is currently implemented for tty only.) The possible val-
ues are:
s - single message (default; only choice prior to 3.4.0);
f - full window, oldest message first;
r - full window reversed, newest message first.
- For backward compatibility, no value needs to be specified
- (which defaults to `full'), or it can be negated (which de-
+ For backward compatibility, no value needs to be specified
+ (which defaults to `full'), or it can be negated (which de-
faults to `single').
name
- Set your character's name (defaults to your user name). You
- can also set your character's role by appending a dash and one
+ Set your character's name (defaults to your user name). You
+ can also set your character's role by appending a dash and one
or more letters of the role (that is, by suffixing one of -A -B
- -C -H -K -M -P -Ra -Ro -S -T -V -W). If -@ is used for the
- role, then a random one will be automatically chosen. Cannot
+ -C -H -K -M -P -Ra -Ro -S -T -V -W). If -@ is used for the
+ role, then a random one will be automatically chosen. Cannot
be set with the `O' command.
Send padding nulls to the terminal (default on). Persistent.
number_pad
- Use digit keys instead of letters to move (default 0 or off).
+ Use digit keys instead of letters to move (default 0 or off).
Valid settings are:
0 - move by letters; `yuhjklbn'
4 - combines 3 with 2; phone layout plus MSDOS compatibility
-1 - by letters but use `z' to go northwest, `y' to zap wands
- For backward compatibility, omitting a value is the same as
- specifying 1 and negating number_pad is the same as specifying
- 0. (Settings 2 and 4 are for compatibility with MSDOS or old
+ For backward compatibility, omitting a value is the same as
+ specifying 1 and negating number_pad is the same as specifying
+ 0. (Settings 2 and 4 are for compatibility with MSDOS or old
PC Hack; in addition to the different behavior for `5', `Alt-5'
acts as `G' and `Alt-0' acts as `I'. Setting -1 is to accommo-
- date some German keyboards which have the location of the `y'
- and `z' keys swapped.) When moving by numbers, to enter a
- count prefix for those commands which accept one (such as
+ date some German keyboards which have the location of the `y'
+ and `z' keys swapped.) When moving by numbers, to enter a
+ count prefix for those commands which accept one (such as
``12s'' to search twelve times), precede it with the letter `n'
(``n12s'').
packorder
- Specify the order to list object types in (default
- ``")[%?+!=/(*`0_''). The value of this option should be a
- string containing the symbols for the various object types.
- Any omitted types are filled in at the end from the previous
+ Specify the order to list object types in (default
+ ``")[%?+!=/(*`0_''). The value of this option should be a
+ string containing the symbols for the various object types.
+ Any omitted types are filled in at the end from the previous
order.
paranoid_confirmation
- A space separated list of specific situations where alternate
- prompting is desired. The default is paranoid_confirma-
+ A space separated list of specific situations where alternate
+ prompting is desired. The default is paranoid_confirma-
tion:pray.
Confirm - for any prompts which are set to require "yes" rather
- than 'y', also require "no" to reject instead of ac-
+ than 'y', also require "no" to reject instead of ac-
cepting any non-yes response as no
quit - require "yes" rather than 'y' to confirm quitting the
game or switching into non-scoring explore mode;
- die - require "yes" rather than 'y' to confirm dying (not
+ die - require "yes" rather than 'y' to confirm dying (not
useful in normal play; applies to explore mode);
bones - require "yes" rather than 'y' to confirm saving bones
data when dying in debug mode;
- attack - require "yes" rather than 'y' to confirm attacking a
+ attack - require "yes" rather than 'y' to confirm attacking a
peaceful monster;
pray - require 'y' to confirm an attempt to pray rather than
immediately praying; on by default;
- wand - require "yes" rather than 'y' to confirm breaking a
+ wand - require "yes" rather than 'y' to confirm breaking a
wand;
Remove - require selection from inventory for 'R' and 'T' com-
mands even when wearing just one applicable item.
- By default, the pray choice is enabled, the others disabled.
- To disable it without setting any of the other choices, use
- ``paranoid_confirmation:none''. To keep it enabled while set-
+ By default, the pray choice is enabled, the others disabled.
+ To disable it without setting any of the other choices, use
+ ``paranoid_confirmation:none''. To keep it enabled while set-
ting any of the others, include it in the list, such as ``para-
noid_confirmation:attack pray Remove''.
perm_invent
- If true, always display your current inventory in a window.
- This only makes sense for windowing system interfaces that im-
+ If true, always display your current inventory in a window.
+ This only makes sense for windowing system interfaces that im-
plement this feature. Persistent.
pettype
- Specify the type of your initial pet, if you are playing a
- character class that uses multiple types of pets; or choose to
- have no initial pet at all. Possible values are ``cat'',
+ Specify the type of your initial pet, if you are playing a
+ character class that uses multiple types of pets; or choose to
+ have no initial pet at all. Possible values are ``cat'',
``dog'', ``horse'', and ``none''. If the choice is not allowed
for the role you are currently playing, it will be silently ig-
- nored. For example, ``horse'' will only be honored when play-
+ nored. For example, ``horse'' will only be honored when play-
ing a knight. Cannot be set with the `O' command.
pickup_burden
- When you pick up an item that would exceed this encumbrance
- level (Unencumbered, Burdened, streSsed, straiNed, overTaxed,
- or overLoaded), you will be asked if you want to continue.
+ When you pick up an item that would exceed this encumbrance
+ level (Unencumbered, Burdened, streSsed, straiNed, overTaxed,
+ or overLoaded), you will be asked if you want to continue.
(Default `S'). Persistent.
pickup_thrown
- If this option is on and autopickup is also on, try to pick up
- things that you threw, even if they aren't in pickup_types or
+ If this option is on and autopickup is also on, try to pick up
+ things that you threw, even if they aren't in pickup_types or
match an autopickup exception. Default is on. Persistent.
pickup_types
sistent.
pile_limit
- When walking across a pile of objects on the floor, threshold
- at which the message "there are few/several/many objects here"
- is given instead of showing a popup list of those objects. A
- value of 0 means "no limit" (always list the objects); a value
- of 1 effectively means "never show the objects" since the pile
- size will always be at least that big; default value is 5.
+ When walking across a pile of objects on the floor, threshold
+ at which the message "there are few/several/many objects here"
+ is given instead of showing a popup list of those objects. A
+ value of 0 means "no limit" (always list the objects); a value
+ of 1 effectively means "never show the objects" since the pile
+ size will always be at least that big; default value is 5.
Persistent.
playmode
- Values are `normal', `explore', or `debug'. Allows selection
- of explore mode (also known as discovery mode) or debug mode
+ Values are `normal', `explore', or `debug'. Allows selection
+ of explore mode (also known as discovery mode) or debug mode
(also known as wizard mode) instead of normal play. Debug mode
- might only be allowed for someone logged in under a particular
- user name (on multi-user systems) or specifying a particular
+ might only be allowed for someone logged in under a particular
+ user name (on multi-user systems) or specifying a particular
character name (on single-user systems) or it might be disabled
- entirely. Requesting it when not allowed or not possible re-
+ entirely. Requesting it when not allowed or not possible re-
sults in explore mode instead. Default is normal play.
pushweapon
- Using the `w' (wield) command when already wielding something
- pushes the old item into your alternate weapon slot (default
- off). Likewise for the `a' (apply) command if it causes the
+ Using the `w' (wield) command when already wielding something
+ pushes the old item into your alternate weapon slot (default
+ off). Likewise for the `a' (apply) command if it causes the
applied item to become wielded. Persistent.
race
- Selects your race (for example, ``race:human''). Default is
- random. If you prefix a `!' or ``no'' to the value, you can
- exclude that race from being picked randomly. Cannot be set
+ Selects your race (for example, ``race:human''). Default is
+ random. If you prefix a `!' or ``no'' to the value, you can
+ exclude that race from being picked randomly. Cannot be set
with the `O' command. Persistent.
rest_on_space
- Make the space bar a synonym for the `.' (rest) command (de-
+ Make the space bar a synonym for the `.' (rest) command (de-
fault off). Persistent.
role
Pick your type of character (ex. ``role:Samurai''); synonym for
- ``character''. See ``name'' for an alternate method of speci-
- fying your role. Normally only the first letter of the value
- is examined; `r' is an exception with ``Rogue'', ``Ranger'',
- and ``random'' values. If you prefix a `!' or ``no'' to the
- value, you can exclude that role from being picked randomly.
+ ``character''. See ``name'' for an alternate method of speci-
+ fying your role. Normally only the first letter of the value
+ is examined; `r' is an exception with ``Rogue'', ``Ranger'',
+ and ``random'' values. If you prefix a `!' or ``no'' to the
+ value, you can exclude that role from being picked randomly.
Persistent.
roguesymset
- This option may be used to select one of the named symbol sets
- found within ``symbols'' to alter the symbols displayed on the
+ This option may be used to select one of the named symbol sets
+ found within ``symbols'' to alter the symbols displayed on the
screen on the rogue level.
rlecomp
When writing out a save file, perform run length compression of
- the map. Not all ports support run length compression. It has
+ the map. Not all ports support run length compression. It has
no effect on reading an existing save file.
runmode
- Controls the amount of screen updating for the map window when
- engaged in multi-turn movement (running via shift+direction or
- control+direction and so forth, or via the travel command or
+ Controls the amount of screen updating for the map window when
+ engaged in multi-turn movement (running via shift+direction or
+ control+direction and so forth, or via the travel command or
mouse click). The possible values are:
teleport - update the map after movement has finished;
crawl - like walk, but pause briefly after each step.
This option only affects the game's screen display, not the ac-
- tual results of moving. The default is `run'; versions prior
- to 3.4.1 used `teleport' only. Whether or not the effect is
+ tual results of moving. The default is `run'; versions prior
+ to 3.4.1 used `teleport' only. Whether or not the effect is
noticeable will depend upon the window port used or on the type
of terminal. Persistent.
safe_pet
- Prevent you from (knowingly) attacking your pets (default on).
+ Prevent you from (knowingly) attacking your pets (default on).
Persistent.
scores
- Control what parts of the score list you are shown at the end
- (ex. ``scores:5 top scores/4 around my score/own scores'').
- Only the first letter of each category (`t', `a', or `o') is
+ Control what parts of the score list you are shown at the end
+ (ex. ``scores:5 top scores/4 around my score/own scores'').
+ Only the first letter of each category (`t', `a', or `o') is
necessary. Persistent.
showexp
off). Persistent.
showrace
- Display yourself as the glyph for your race, rather than the
- glyph for your role (default off). Note that this setting af-
- fects only the appearance of the display, not the way the game
+ Display yourself as the glyph for your race, rather than the
+ glyph for your role (default off). Note that this setting af-
+ fects only the appearance of the display, not the way the game
treats you. Persistent.
showscore
sortloot
Controls the sorting behavior of the pickup lists for inventory
- and #loot commands and some others. Persistent. The possible
+ and #loot commands and some others. Persistent. The possible
values are:
full - always sort the lists;
- loot - only sort the lists that don't use inventory letters,
+ loot - only sort the lists that don't use inventory letters,
like with the #loot and pickup commands;
none - show lists the traditional way without sorting.
sortpack
- Sort the pack contents by type when displaying inventory (de-
+ Sort the pack contents by type when displaying inventory (de-
fault on). Persistent.
sparkle
Display a sparkly effect when a monster (including yourself) is
- hit by an attack to which it is resistant (default on). Per-
+ hit by an attack to which it is resistant (default on). Per-
sistent.
standout
- Boldface monsters and ``--More--'' (default off). Persistent.
+ Boldface monsters and ``--More--'' (default off). Persistent.
statushilites
- Enable coloring of status fields (default off). See ``Config-
+ Enable coloring of status fields (default off). See ``Config-
uring Status Hilites'' for futher information.
suppress_alert
- This option may be set to a NetHack version level to suppress
- alert notification messages about feature changes for that and
+ This option may be set to a NetHack version level to suppress
+ alert notification messages about feature changes for that and
prior versions (ex. ``suppress_alert:3.3.1'').
symset
- This option may be used to select one of the named symbol sets
- found within ``symbols'' to alter the symbols displayed on the
+ This option may be used to select one of the named symbol sets
+ found within ``symbols'' to alter the symbols displayed on the
screen.
time
- Show the elapsed game time in turns on bottom line (default
+ Show the elapsed game time in turns on bottom line (default
off). Persistent.
timed_delay
- When pausing momentarily for display effect, such as with ex-
- plosions and moving objects, use a timer rather than sending
- extra characters to the screen. (Applies to ``tty'' interface
- only; ``X11'' interface always uses a timer based delay. The
+ When pausing momentarily for display effect, such as with ex-
+ plosions and moving objects, use a timer rather than sending
+ extra characters to the screen. (Applies to ``tty'' interface
+ only; ``X11'' interface always uses a timer based delay. The
default is on if configured into the program.) Persistent.
tombstone
toptenwin
Put the ending display in a NetHack window instead of on stdout
- (default off). Setting this option makes the score list visi-
- ble when a windowing version of NetHack is started without a
- parent window, but it no longer leaves the score list around
+ (default off). Setting this option makes the score list visi-
+ ble when a windowing version of NetHack is started without a
+ parent window, but it no longer leaves the score list around
after game end on a terminal or emulating window.
travel
Allow the travel command (default on). Turning this option off
- will prevent the game from attempting unintended moves if you
+ will prevent the game from attempting unintended moves if you
make inadvertent mouse clicks on the map window. Persistent.
verbose
- Provide more commentary during the game (default on). Persis-
+ Provide more commentary during the game (default on). Persis-
tent.
windowtype
- Select which windowing system to use, such as ``tty'' or
- ``X11'' (default depends on version). Cannot be set with the
+ Select which windowing system to use, such as ``tty'' or
+ ``X11'' (default depends on version). Cannot be set with the
`O' command.
zerocomp
- When writing out a save file, perform zero-comp compression of
- the contents. Not all ports support zero-comp compression. It
+ When writing out a save file, perform zero-comp compression of
+ the contents. Not all ports support zero-comp compression. It
has no effect on reading an existing save file.
9.5. Window Port Customization options
- Here are explanations of the various options that are used
- to customize and change the characteristics of the windowtype
+ Here are explanations of the various options that are used
+ to customize and change the characteristics of the windowtype
that you have chosen. Character strings that are too long may be
- truncated. Not all window ports will adjust for all settings
- listed here. You can safely add any of these options to your
- config file, and if the window port is capable of adjusting to
- suit your preferences, it will attempt to do so. If it can't it
- will silently ignore it. You can find out if an option is sup-
- ported by the window port that you are currently using by check-
- ing to see if it shows up in the Options list. Some options are
- dynamic and can be specified during the game with the `O' com-
+ truncated. Not all window ports will adjust for all settings
+ listed here. You can safely add any of these options to your
+ config file, and if the window port is capable of adjusting to
+ suit your preferences, it will attempt to do so. If it can't it
+ will silently ignore it. You can find out if an option is sup-
+ ported by the window port that you are currently using by check-
+ ing to see if it shows up in the Options list. Some options are
+ dynamic and can be specified during the game with the `O' com-
mand.
align_message
- Where to align or place the message window (top, bottom, left,
+ Where to align or place the message window (top, bottom, left,
or right)
align_status
- Where to align or place the status window (top, bottom, left,
+ Where to align or place the status window (top, bottom, left,
or right).
ascii_map
NetHack should display an ascii character map if it can.
color
- NetHack should display color if it can for different monsters,
+ NetHack should display color if it can for different monsters,
objects, and dungeon features
eight_bit_tty
- NetHack should pass eight-bit character values (for example,
- specified with the traps option) straight through to your ter-
+ NetHack should pass eight-bit character values (for example,
+ specified with the traps option) straight through to your ter-
minal (default off).
font_map
- NetHack should use a font by the chosen name for the map win-
+ NetHack should use a font by the chosen name for the map win-
dow.
font_menu
- NetHack should use a font by the chosen name for menu windows.
+ NetHack should use a font by the chosen name for menu windows.
font_message
- NetHack should use a font by the chosen name for the message
+ NetHack should use a font by the chosen name for the message
window.
font_status
- NetHack should use a font by the chosen name for the status
+ NetHack should use a font by the chosen name for the status
window.
font_text
- NetHack should use a font by the chosen name for text windows.
+ NetHack should use a font by the chosen name for text windows.
font_size_map
NetHack should use this size font for the map window.
Allow use of the mouse for input and travel.
player_selection
- NetHack should pop up dialog boxes, or use prompts for charac-
+ NetHack should pop up dialog boxes, or use prompts for charac-
ter selection.
popup_dialog
NetHack should pop up dialog boxes for input.
preload_tiles
- NetHack should preload tiles into memory. For example, in the
- protected mode MSDOS version, control whether tiles get pre-
- loaded into RAM at the start of the game. Doing so enhances
- performance of the tile graphics, but uses more memory. (de-
+ NetHack should preload tiles into memory. For example, in the
+ protected mode MSDOS version, control whether tiles get pre-
+ loaded into RAM at the start of the game. Doing so enhances
+ performance of the tile graphics, but uses more memory. (de-
fault on). Cannot be set with the `O' command.
scroll_amount
- NetHack should scroll the display by this number of cells when
+ NetHack should scroll the display by this number of cells when
the hero reaches the scroll_margin.
scroll_margin
- NetHack should scroll the display when the hero or cursor is
+ NetHack should scroll the display when the hero or cursor is
this number of cells away from the edge of the window.
selectsaved
- NetHack should display a menu of existing saved games for the
+ NetHack should display a menu of existing saved games for the
player to choose from at game startup, if it can. Not all ports
support this option.
softkeyboard
- Display an onscreen keyboard. Handhelds are most likely to
+ Display an onscreen keyboard. Handhelds are most likely to
support this option.
splash_screen
- NetHack should display an opening splash screen when it starts
+ NetHack should display an opening splash screen when it starts
up (default yes).
tiled_map
NetHack should display a tiled map if it can.
tile_file
- Specify the name of an alternative tile file to override the
+ Specify the name of an alternative tile file to override the
default.
tile_height
- Specify the preferred height of each tile in a tile capable
+ Specify the preferred height of each tile in a tile capable
port.
tile_width
message window.
windowcolors
- NetHack should display windows with the specified fore-
+ NetHack should display windows with the specified fore-
ground/background colors if it can.
wraptext
- NetHack port should wrap long lines of text if they don't fit
+ NetHack port should wrap long lines of text if they don't fit
in the visible area of the window.
9.6. Platform-specific Customization options
- Here are explanations of options that are used by specific
+ Here are explanations of options that are used by specific
platforms or ports to customize and change the port behavior.
altkeyhandler
- Select an alternate keystroke handler dll to load (Win32 tty
- NetHack only). The name of the handler is specified without
+ Select an alternate keystroke handler dll to load (Win32 tty
+ NetHack only). The name of the handler is specified without
the .dll extension and without any path information. Cannot be
altmeta
On other (non-Amiga) systems where this option is available, it
- can be set to tell nethack to convert a two character sequence
- beginning with ESC into a meta-shifted version of the second
+ can be set to tell nethack to convert a two character sequence
+ beginning with ESC into a meta-shifted version of the second
character (default off).
- This conversion is only done for commands, not for other input
+ This conversion is only done for commands, not for other input
prompts. Note that typing one or more digits as a count prefix
- prior to a command--preceded by n if the number_pad option is
+ prior to a command--preceded by n if the number_pad option is
set--is also subject to this conversion, so attempting to abort
- the count by typing ESC will leave nethack waiting for another
- character to complete the two character sequence. Type a sec-
- ond ESC to finish cancelling such a count. At other prompts a
+ the count by typing ESC will leave nethack waiting for another
+ character to complete the two character sequence. Type a sec-
+ ond ESC to finish cancelling such a count. At other prompts a
single ESC suffices.
BIOS
Use BIOS calls to update the screen display quickly and to read
- the keyboard (allowing the use of arrow keys to move) on ma-
- chines with an IBM PC compatible BIOS ROM (default off, OS/2,
+ the keyboard (allowing the use of arrow keys to move) on ma-
+ chines with an IBM PC compatible BIOS ROM (default off, OS/2,
PC, and ST NetHack only).
flush
(default on, Mac NetHack only).
rawio
- Force raw (non-cbreak) mode for faster output and more bullet-
- proof input (MS-DOS sometimes treats `^P' as a printer toggle
- without it) (default off, OS/2, PC, and ST NetHack only).
- Note: DEC Rainbows hang if this is turned on. Cannot be set
+ Force raw (non-cbreak) mode for faster output and more bullet-
+ proof input (MS-DOS sometimes treats `^P' as a printer toggle
+ without it) (default off, OS/2, PC, and ST NetHack only).
+ Note: DEC Rainbows hang if this is turned on. Cannot be set
with the `O' command.
soundcard
mand.
subkeyvalue
- (Win32 tty NetHack only). May be used to alter the value of
+ (Win32 tty NetHack only). May be used to alter the value of
keystrokes that the operating system returns to NetHack to help
- compensate for international keyboard issues. OPTIONS=subkey-
- value:171/92 will return 92 to NetHack, if 171 was originally
- going to be returned. You can use multiple subkeyvalue state-
+ compensate for international keyboard issues. OPTIONS=subkey-
+ value:171/92 will return 92 to NetHack, if 171 was originally
+ going to be returned. You can use multiple subkeyvalue state-
ments in the config file if needed. Cannot be set with the `O'
video
Set the video mode used (PC NetHack only). Values are `autode-
- tect', `default', or `vga'. Setting `vga' (or `autodetect'
- with vga hardware present) will cause the game to display
+ tect', `default', or `vga'. Setting `vga' (or `autodetect'
+ with vga hardware present) will cause the game to display
tiles. Cannot be set with the `O' command.
videocolors
- Set the color palette for PC systems using NO_TERMS (default
- 4-2-6-1-5-3-15-12-10-14-9-13-11, (PC NetHack only). The order
- of colors is red, green, brown, blue, magenta, cyan,
- bright.white, bright.red, bright.green, yellow, bright.blue,
- bright.magenta, and bright.cyan. Cannot be set with the `O'
+ Set the color palette for PC systems using NO_TERMS (default
+ 4-2-6-1-5-3-15-12-10-14-9-13-11, (PC NetHack only). The order
+ of colors is red, green, brown, blue, magenta, cyan,
+ bright.white, bright.red, bright.green, yellow, bright.blue,
+ bright.magenta, and bright.cyan. Cannot be set with the `O'
command.
videoshades
Set the intensity level of the three gray scales available (de-
fault dark normal light, PC NetHack only). If the game display
- is difficult to read, try adjusting these scales; if this does
- not correct the problem, try !color. Cannot be set with the
+ is difficult to read, try adjusting these scales; if this does
+ not correct the problem, try !color. Cannot be set with the
`O' command.
9.7. Regular Expressions
- Regular expressions are normally POSIX extended regular ex-
- pressions. It is possible to compile NetHack without regular ex-
- pression support on a platform where there is no regular expres-
- sion library. While this is not true of any modern platform, if
- your NetHack was built this way, patterns are instead glob pat-
+ Regular expressions are normally POSIX extended regular ex-
+ pressions. It is possible to compile NetHack without regular ex-
+ pression support on a platform where there is no regular expres-
+ sion library. While this is not true of any modern platform, if
+ your NetHack was built this way, patterns are instead glob pat-
terns.
9.8. Configuring Autopickup Exceptions
You can further refine the behavior of the autopickup option
beyond what is available through the pickup_types option.
- By placing autopickup_exception lines in your configuration
- file, you can define patterns to be checked when the game is
+ By placing autopickup_exception lines in your configuration
+ file, you can define patterns to be checked when the game is
about to autopickup something.
autopickup_exception
- Sets an exception to the pickup_types option. The autopick-
- up_exception option should be followed by a regular expression
- to be used as a pattern to match against the singular form of
+ Sets an exception to the pickup_types option. The autopick-
+ up_exception option should be followed by a regular expression
+ to be used as a pattern to match against the singular form of
the description of an object at your location.
- In addition, some characters are treated specially if they oc-
+ In addition, some characters are treated specially if they oc-
cur as the first character in the pattern, specifically:
< - always pickup an object that matches rest of pattern;
> - never pickup an object that matches rest of pattern.
- A `never pickup' rule takes precedence over an `always pickup'
+ A `never pickup' rule takes precedence over an `always pickup'
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
rule if both match.
- Exceptions can be set with the `O' command, but ones set that
+ Exceptions can be set with the `O' command, but ones set that
way will not be preserved across saves and restores.
Here are some examples:
autopickup_exception=">*corpse"
autopickup_exception=">* cursed*"
- The first example above will result in autopickup of any
- type of arrow. The second example results in the exclusion of
- any corpse from autopickup. The last example results in the ex-
+ The first example above will result in autopickup of any
+ type of arrow. The second example results in the exclusion of
+ any corpse from autopickup. The last example results in the ex-
clusion of items known to be cursed from autopickup.
9.9. Configuring Message Types
stop - wait for user with more-prompt.
norep - show the message once, but not again if no other message is shown in between.
- Here's an example of message types using NetHack's internal
+ Here's an example of message types using NetHack's internal
pattern matching facility:
MSGTYPE=stop "You feel hungry."
MSGTYPE=hide "You displaced *."
- specifies that whenever a message "You feel hungry" is shown,
- the user is prompted with more-prompt, and a message matching
+ specifies that whenever a message "You feel hungry" is shown,
+ the user is prompted with more-prompt, and a message matching
"You displaced <something>." is not shown at all.
- The order of the defined MSGTYPE-lines is important; the last
- matching rule is used. Put the general case first, exceptions
+ The order of the defined MSGTYPE-lines is important; the last
+ matching rule is used. Put the general case first, exceptions
below them.
9.10. Configuring Menu Colors
Some platforms allow you to define colors used in menu lines
- when the line matches a user-defined pattern. At this time the
+ when the line matches a user-defined pattern. At this time the
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
tty, win32tty and win32gui support this.
- In general, the config file entries to configure the menu
+ In general, the config file entries to configure the menu
color mappings look like this:
MENUCOLOR="pattern"=color&attribute
pattern - the pattern to match;
- color - the color to use for lines matching the pat-
+ color - the color to use for lines matching the pat-
tern;
- attribute - the attribute to use for lines matching the
- pattern. The attribute is optional, and if
+ attribute - the attribute to use for lines matching the
+ pattern. The attribute is optional, and if
left out, you must also leave out the preced-
- ing ampersand. If no attribute is defined,
+ ing ampersand. If no attribute is defined,
no attribute is used.
The pattern should be a regular expression.
- Allowed colors are black, red, green, brown, blue, magenta,
- cyan, gray, orange, lightgreen, yellow, lightblue, lightmagen-
+ Allowed colors are black, red, green, brown, blue, magenta,
+ cyan, gray, orange, lightgreen, yellow, lightblue, lightmagen-
ta, lightcyan, and white.
- Allowed attributes are none, bold, dim, underline, blink, and
- inverse. Note that the platform used may interpret the at-
+ Allowed attributes are none, bold, dim, underline, blink, and
+ inverse. Note that the platform used may interpret the at-
tributes any way it wants.
- Here's an example of menu colors using NetHack's internal pat-
+ Here's an example of menu colors using NetHack's internal pat-
tern matching facility:
MENUCOLOR="* blessed *"=green
MENUCOLOR="* cursed *"=red
MENUCOLOR="* cursed *(being worn)"=red&underline
- specifies that any menu line with " blessed " contained in it
- will be shown in green color, lines with " cursed " will be
- shown in red, and lines with " cursed " followed by "(being
- worn)" on the same line will be shown in red color and under-
- lined. You can have multiple MENUCOLOR entries in your config
- file, and the last MENUCOLOR-line in your config file that
+ specifies that any menu line with " blessed " contained in it
+ will be shown in green color, lines with " cursed " will be
+ shown in red, and lines with " cursed " followed by "(being
+ worn)" on the same line will be shown in red color and under-
+ lined. You can have multiple MENUCOLOR entries in your config
+ file, and the last MENUCOLOR-line in your config file that
matches a menu line will be used for the line.
+ Note that if you intend to have one or more color specifica-
+ tions match " uncursed ", you will probably want to turn the im-
+ plicit_uncursed option off so that all items known to be uncursed
+ are actually displayed with the ``uncursed'' description.
+
9.11. Configuring User Sounds
Some platforms allow you to define sound files to be played
to the message window. At this time the Qt port and the win32tty
and win32gui ports support the use of user sounds.
- The following config file entries are relevant to mapping
- user sounds to messages:
-
- SOUNDDIR
- The directory that houses the sound files to be played.
+ The following config file entries are relevant to mapping
+ user sounds to messages:
+
+ SOUNDDIR
+ The directory that houses the sound files to be played.
+
SOUND
An entry that maps a sound file to a user-specified message
pattern. Each SOUND entry is broken down into the following
Allowed attributes are bold, inverse, normal. Note that the
platform used may interpret the attributes any way it wants.
- Behaviours can occur based on percentage thresholds, updown, or
- absolute values. The in-game options menu can help you deter-
- mine the correct syntax for a config file.
-
-
-
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
+ Behaviours can occur based on percentage thresholds, updown, or
+ absolute values. The in-game options menu can help you deter-
+ mine the correct syntax for a config file.
+
The whole feature can be disabled by setting option sta-
tushilites off.
( S_boomright (boomerang open right)
` S_boulder (boulder)
- S_brcorn (bottom right corner)
- C S_centaur (centaur)
- _ S_chain (iron chain)
- # S_cloud (cloud)
- c S_cockatrice (cockatrice)
+ C S_centaur (centaur)
+ _ S_chain (iron chain)
+ # S_cloud (cloud)
+ c S_cockatrice (cockatrice)
$ S_coin (pile of coins)
# S_corr (corridor)
- S_crwall (wall)
j S_jelly (jelly)
k S_kobold (kobold)
K S_kop (Keystone Kop)
- ^ S_land_mine (land mine)
- } S_lava (molten lava)
- l S_leprechaun (leprechaun)
- ^ S_level_teleporter (level teleporter)
+ ^ S_land_mine (land mine)
+ } S_lava (molten lava)
+ l S_leprechaun (leprechaun)
+ ^ S_level_teleporter (level teleporter)
L S_lich (lich)
y S_light (light)
# S_litcorr (lit corridor)
| S_sw_ml (swallow middle left)
| S_sw_mr (swallow middle right)
- S_sw_tc (swallow top center)
- / S_sw_tl (swallow top left)
- `\' S_sw_tr (swallow top right)
- - S_tdwall (wall)
- ^ S_teleportation_trap (teleportation trap)
+ / S_sw_tl (swallow top left)
+ `\' S_sw_tr (swallow top right)
+ - S_tdwall (wall)
+ ^ S_teleportation_trap (teleportation trap)
S_throne (opulent throne)
- S_tlcorn (top left corner)
| S_tlwall (wall)
examine this Guidebook before playing so you have an idea what
the screen layout is like. You'll also need to be able to locate
the PC cursor. It is always where your character is located.
- Merely searching for an @-sign will not always find your charac-
- ter since there are other humanoids represented by the same sign.
- Your screen-reader should also have a function which gives you
- the row and column of your review cursor and the PC cursor.
- These co-ordinates are often useful in giving players a better
+ Merely searching for an @-sign will not always find your
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
+ character since there are other humanoids represented by the same
+ sign. Your screen-reader should also have a function which gives
+ you the row and column of your review cursor and the PC cursor.
+ These co-ordinates are often useful in giving players a better
sense of the overall location of items on the screen.
While it is not difficult for experienced users to edit the
EXPLORERS A list of users who are allowed to use the explore
mode. The syntax is the same as WIZARDS.
- MAXPLAYERS Limit the maximum number of games that can be run-
- ning at the same time.
-
-
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
+ MAXPLAYERS Limit the maximum number of games that can be run-
+ ning at the same time.
+
SUPPORT A string explaining how to get local support (no de-
fault value).
-
-
-
NetHack 3.6 June 22, 2015
projects / nethack / commitdiff