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- Path: uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tekred!saab!billr
- From: billr@saab.CNA.TEK.COM (Bill Randle)
- Newsgroups: comp.sources.games
- Subject: v10i028: NetHack3 - display oriented dungeons & dragons (Ver. 3.0), Patch8j
- Message-ID: <5736@tekred.CNA.TEK.COM>
- Date: 5 Jun 90 17:56:17 GMT
- Sender: news@tekred.CNA.TEK.COM
- Lines: 1247
- Approved: billr@saab.CNA.TEK.COM
-
- Submitted-by: Izchak Miller <izchak@linc.cis.upenn.edu>
- Posting-number: Volume 10, Issue 28
- Archive-name: NetHack3/Patch8j
- Patch-To: NetHack3: Volume 7, Issue 56-93
-
-
-
- #! /bin/sh
- # This is a shell archive. Remove anything before this line, then unpack
- # it by saving it into a file and typing "sh file". To overwrite existing
- # files, type "sh file -c". You can also feed this as standard input via
- # unshar, or by typing "sh <file", e.g.. If this archive is complete, you
- # will see the following message at the end:
- # "End of archive 10 (of 24)."
- # Contents: auxil/Guidebook.mss
- # Wrapped by billr@saab on Mon Jun 4 15:27:21 1990
- PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/ucb ; export PATH
- if test -f 'auxil/Guidebook.mss' -a "${1}" != "-c" ; then
- echo shar: Will not clobber existing file \"'auxil/Guidebook.mss'\"
- else
- echo shar: Extracting \"'auxil/Guidebook.mss'\" \(50478 characters\)
- sed "s/^X//" >'auxil/Guidebook.mss' <<'END_OF_FILE'
- X A Guide to the Mazes of Menace
- X
- X Eric S. Raymond
- X (Extensively edited and expanded for 3.0 by Mike Threepoint)
- X Thyrsus Enterprises
- X Malvern, PA 19355
- X
- X*** 1. Introduction
- X
- X You have just finished your years as a student at the local adventurer's
- Xguild. After much practice and sweat you have finally completed your
- Xtraining and are ready to embark upon a perilous adventure. To prove your
- Xworthiness, the local guildmasters have sent you into the Mazes of Menace.
- XYour quest is to return with the Amulet of Yendor. According to legend, the
- Xgods will grant immortality to the one who recovers this artifact; true or
- Xnot, its recovery will bring honor and full guild membership (not to mention
- Xthe attentions of certain wealthy wizards).
- X
- X Your abilities and strengths for dealing with the hazards of adventure
- Xwill vary with your background and training:
- X
- XArcheologists
- X understand dungeons pretty well; this enables them to move quickly
- X and sneak up on dungeon nasties. They start equipped with proper
- X tools for a scientific expedition.
- X
- XBarbarians
- X are warriors out of the hinterland, hardened to battle. They begin
- X their quests with naught but uncommon strength, a trusty hauberk, and
- X a great two-handed sword.
- X
- XCavemen and Cavewomen
- X start with exceptional strength and neolithic weapons.
- X
- XElves
- X are agile, quick, and sensitive; very little of what goes on will
- X escape an Elf. The quality of Elven craftsmanship often gives them
- X an advantage in arms and armor.
- X
- XHealers
- X are wise in medicine and the apothecary. They know the herbs and
- X simples that can restore vitality, ease pain, anesthetize, and
- X neutralize poisons; and with their instruments, they can divine a
- X being's state of health or sickness. Their medical practice earns
- X them quite reasonable amounts of money, which they enter the dungeon
- X with.
- X
- XKnights
- X are distinguished from the common skirmisher by their devotion to the
- X ideals of chivalry and by the surpassing excellence of their armor.
- X
- XPriests and Priestesses
- X are clerics militant, crusaders advancing the cause of righteousness
- X with arms, armor, and arts thaumaturgic. Their ability to commune
- X with deities via prayer occasionally extricates them from peril, but
- X can also put them in it.
- X
- XRogues
- X are agile and stealthy thieves, who carry daggers, lock picks, and
- X poisons to put on darts.
- X
- XSamurai
- X are the elite warriors of feudal Nippon. They are lightly armored
- X and quick, and wear the dai-sho, two swords of the deadliest
- X keenness.
- X
- XTourists
- X start out with lots of gold (suitable for shopping with), a credit
- X card, lots of food, some maps, and an expensive camera. Most
- X monsters don't like being photographed.
- X
- XValkyries
- X are hardy warrior women. Their upbringing in the harsh Northlands
- X makes them strong and inures them to extremes of cold, and instills
- X in them stealth and cunning.
- X
- XWizards
- X start out with a fair selection of magical goodies and a particular
- X affinity for dweomercraft.
- X
- X You set out for the dungeon and after several days of uneventful travel,
- Xyou see the ancient ruins that mark the entrance to the Mazes of Menace. It
- Xis late at night, so you make camp at the entrance and spend the night
- Xsleeping under the open skies. In the morning, you gather your gear, eat
- Xwhat may be your last meal outside, and enter the dungeon.
- X
- X*** 2. What is going on here?
- X
- X You have just begun a game of NetHack. Your goal is to grab as much
- Xtreasure as you can, retrieve the Amulet of Yendor, and escape the Mazes of
- XMenace alive. On the screen is kept a map of where you have been and what
- Xyou have seen on the current dungeon level; as you explore more of the level,
- Xit appears on the screen in front of you.
- X
- X When NetHack's ancestor rogue first appeared, its screen orientation was
- Xalmost unique among computer fantasy games. Since then, screen orientation
- Xhas become the norm rather than the exception; NetHack continues this fine
- Xtradition. Unlike text adventure games that input commands in pseudo-English
- Xsentences and explain the results in words, NetHack commands are all one or
- Xtwo keystrokes and the results are displayed graphically on the screen. A
- Xminimum screen size of 24 lines by 80 columns is recommended; if the screen
- Xis larger, only a 21x80 section will be used for the map.
- X
- X NetHack generates a new dungeon every time you play it; even the authors
- Xstill find it an entertaining and exciting game despite having won several
- Xtimes.
- X
- X*** 3. What do all those things on the screen mean?
- X
- X In order to understand what is going on in NetHack, first you must
- Xunderstand what NetHack is doing with the screen. The NetHack screen
- Xreplaces the ``You see...'' descriptions of text adventure games. Figure 1
- Xis a sample of what a NetHack screen might look like.
- X-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- XThe bat bites!
- X
- X ------
- X |....| ----------
- X |.<..|####...@...$.|
- X |....-# |...B....+
- X |....| |.d......|
- X ------ -------|--
- X
- X
- X
- XPlayer the Rambler St:12 Dx:7 Co:18 In:11 Wi:9 Ch:15 Neutral
- XDlvl:1 G:0 HP:9(12) Pw:3(3) AC:10 Xp:1/19 T:257 Weak
- X-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- X Figure 1
- X-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- X
- X*** 3.1. The status lines (bottom)
- X
- X The bottom two lines of the screen contain several cryptic pieces of
- Xinformation describing your current status. If either status line becomes
- Xlonger than the width of the screen, you might not see all of it. Here are
- Xexplanations of what the various status items mean (though your configuration
- Xmay not have all the status items listed below):
- X
- XRank
- X Your character's name and professional ranking (based on the
- X experience level, see below).
- X
- XStrength
- X A measure of your character's strength, one of your six basic
- X attributes. Your attributes can range from 3 to 18 inclusive
- X (occasionally you may get super-strengths of the form 18/xx). The
- X higher your strength, the stronger you are. Strength affects how
- X successfully you perform physical tasks and how much damage you do in
- X combat.
- X
- XDexterity
- X affects your chances to hit in combat, to avoid traps, and do other
- X tasks requiring agility or manipulation of objects.
- X
- XConstitution
- X affects your ability to withstand injury and other strains on your
- X stamina.
- X
- XIntelligence
- X affects your ability to cast spells.
- X
- XWisdom
- X comes from your religious affairs. It affects your magical energy.
- X
- XCharisma
- X affects how certain creatures react toward you. In particular, it
- X can affect the prices shopkeepers offer you.
- X
- XAlignment
- X Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic. Basically, Lawful is good and Chaotic
- X is evil. Your alignment influences how other monsters react toward
- X you.
- X
- XDungeon Level
- X How deep you have gone into the dungeon. It starts at one and
- X increases as you go deeper into the dungeon. The Amulet of Yendor is
- X reputed to be somewhere beneath the twentieth level.
- X
- XGold
- X The number of gold pieces you have.
- X
- XHit Points
- X Your current and maximum hit points. Hit points indicate how much
- X damage you can take before you die. The more you get hit in a fight,
- X the lower they get. You can regain hit points by resting. The
- X number in parentheses is the maximum number your hit points can
- X reach.
- X
- XPower
- X Spell points. This tells you how much mystic energy (mana) you have
- X available for spell casting. When you type `+' to list your spells,
- X each will have a spell point cost beside it in parentheses. You will
- X not see this if your dungeon has been set up without spells.
- X
- XArmor Class
- X A measure of how effectively your armor stops blows from unfriendly
- X creatures. The lower this number is, the more effective the armor;
- X it is quite possible to have negative armor class.
- X
- XExperience
- X Your current experience level and experience points. As you
- X adventure, you gain experience points. At certain experience point
- X totals, you gain an experience level. The more experienced you are,
- X the better you fight and withstand magical attacks. Many dungeons
- X show only your experience level here.
- X
- XTime
- X The number of turns elapsed so far, displayed if you have the time
- X option set.
- X
- XHunger Status
- X Your current hunger status, ranging from Satiated down to Fainting.
- X If your hunger status is normal, it is not displayed.
- X
- X Additional status flags may appear after the hunger status: Conf when
- Xyou're confused, Sick when sick, Blind when you can't see, Stun when stunned,
- Xand Hallu when hallucinating.
- X
- X*** 3.2. The message line (top)
- X
- X The top line of the screen is reserved for messages that describe things
- Xthat are impossible to represent visually. If you see a ``--More--'' on the
- Xtop line, this means that NetHack has another message to display on the
- Xscreen, but it wants to make certain that you've read the one that is there
- Xfirst. To read the next message, just press the space bar.
- X
- X*** 3.3. The map (rest of the screen)
- X
- X The rest of the screen is the map of the level as you have explored it so
- Xfar. Each symbol on the screen represents something. You can set the
- Xgraphics option to change some of the symbols the game uses; otherwise, the
- Xgame will use default symbols. Here is a list of what the default symbols
- Xmean:
- X
- X- and | The walls of a room, or an open door.
- X
- X. The floor of a room, or a doorless doorway.
- X
- X# A corridor, or possibly a kitchen sink or drawbridge (if your dungeon
- X has sinks or drawbridges).
- X
- X< A way to the previous level.
- X
- X> A way to the next level.
- X
- X+ A closed door, or a spell book containing a spell you can learn (if
- X your dungeon has spell books).
- X
- X@ A human (you, usually).
- X
- X$ A pile of gold.
- X
- X^ A trap (once you detect it).
- X
- X) A weapon.
- X
- X[ A suit or piece of armor.
- X
- X% A piece of food (not necessarily healthy).
- X
- X? A scroll.
- X
- X/ A wand.
- X
- X= A ring.
- X
- X! A potion.
- X
- X( A useful item (pick-axe, key, lamp...).
- X
- X" An amulet, or a spider web.
- X
- X* A gem or rock (possibly valuable, possibly worthless).
- X
- X` A boulder or statue.
- X
- X0 An iron ball.
- X
- X_ An altar (if your dungeon has altars), or an iron chain.
- X
- X} A pool of water or moat.
- X
- X{ A fountain (your dungeon may not have fountains).
- X
- X\ An opulent throne (your dungeon may not have thrones either).
- X
- Xa-zA-Z and other symbols. Letters and certain other symbols represent the
- X various inhabitants of the Mazes of Menace. Watch out, they can be
- X nasty and vicious. Sometimes, however, they can be helpful.
- X
- X You need not memorize all these symbols; you can ask the game what any
- Xsymbol represents with the `/' command (see the Commands section for more
- Xinfo).
- X
- X*** 4. Commands
- X
- X Commands are given to NetHack by typing one or two characters; NetHack
- Xthen asks questions to find out what it needs to know to do your bidding.
- X
- X For example, a common question, in the form ``What do you want to use?
- X[a-zA-Z ?*]'', asks you to choose an object you are carrying. Here,
- X``a-zA-Z'' are the inventory letters of your possible choices. Typing `?'
- Xgives you an inventory list of these items, so you can see what each letter
- Xrefers to. In this example, there is also a `*' indicating that you may
- Xchoose an object not on the list, if you wanted to use something unexpected.
- XTyping a `*' lists your entire inventory, so you can see the inventory
- Xletters of every object you're carrying. Finally, if you change your mind
- Xand decide you don't want to do this command after all, you can press the ESC
- Xkey to abort the command.
- X
- X You can put a number before most commands to repeat them that many times;
- Xfor example, ``10s'' will search ten times. If you have the number_pad
- Xoption set, you must type `n' to prefix a count, so the example above would
- Xbe typed ``n10s'' instead. Commands for which counts make no sense ignore
- Xthem. In addition, movement commands can be prefixed for greater control
- X(see below). To cancel a count or a prefix, press the ESC key.
- X
- X The list of commands is rather long, but it can be read at any time
- Xduring the game through the `?' command, which accesses a menu of helpful
- Xtexts. Here are the commands for your reference:
- X
- X? Help menu: display one of several help texts available.
- X
- X/ Tell what a symbol represents. You may choose to specify a location
- X or type a symbol (or even a whole word) to define. If the help
- X option is on, and NetHack has some special information about an
- X object or monster that you looked at, you'll be asked if you want
- X ``More info?''. If help is off, then you'll only get the special
- X information if you explicitly ask for it by typing in the name of the
- X monster or object.
- X
- X& Tell what a command does.
- X
- X< Go up a staircase to the previous level (if you are on the stairs).
- X
- X> Go down a staircase to the next level (if you are on the stairs).
- X
- X[yuhjklbn]
- X Go one step in the direction indicated (see Figure 2). If there is a
- X monster there, you will fight the monster instead. Only these
- X one-step movement commands cause you to fight monsters; the others
- X (below) are ``safe.''
- X
- X-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- X y k u 7 8 9
- X \ | / \ | /
- X h- . -l 4- . -6
- X / | \ / | \
- X b j n 1 2 3
- X (if number_pad is set)
- X-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- X Figure 2
- X-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- X
- X[YUHJKLBN]
- X Go in that direction until you hit a wall or run into something.
- X
- Xm[yuhjklbn]
- X Prefix: move without picking up any objects.
- X
- XM[yuhjklbn]
- X Prefix: move far, no pickup.
- X
- Xg[yuhjklbn]
- X Prefix: move until something interesting is found.
- X
- XG[yuhjklbn]
- X Prefix: same as `g', but forking of corridors is not considered
- X interesting.
- X
- X. Rest, do nothing for one turn.
- X
- Xa Apply (use) a tool (pick-axe, key, lamp...).
- X
- XA Remove all armor. Use `T' (take off) to take off only one piece of
- X armor.
- X
- X^A Redo the previous command.
- X
- Xc Close a door.
- X
- XC Call (name) an individual monster.
- X
- X^C Panic button. Quit the game.
- X
- Xd Drop something. Ex. ``d7a'' means drop seven items of object a.
- X
- XD Drop several things. In answer to the question ``What kinds of
- X things do you want to drop? [!%= au]'' you should type zero or more
- X object symbols possibly followed by `a' and/or `u'.
- X
- X Da - drop all objects, without asking for confirmation.
- X Du - drop only unpaid objects (when in a shop).
- X D%u - drop only unpaid food.
- X
- X^D Kick something (usually a door).
- X
- Xe Eat food.
- X
- XE Engrave a message on the floor. Engraving the word ``Elbereth'' will
- X cause most monsters to not attack you hand-to-hand (but if you
- X attack, you will rub it out); this is often useful to give yourself a
- X breather. (This feature may be compiled out of the game, so your
- X version might not necessarily have it.)
- X
- X E- - write in the dust with your fingers.
- X
- Xi List your inventory (everything you're carrying).
- X
- XI List selected parts of your inventory.
- X
- X I* - list all gems in inventory;
- X Iu - list all unpaid items;
- X Ix - list all used up items that are on your shopping bill;
- X I$ - count your money.
- X
- Xo Open a door.
- X
- XO Set options. You will be asked to enter an option line. If you
- X enter a blank line, the current options are reported. Entering `?'
- X will get you explanations of the various options. Otherwise, you
- X should enter a list of options separated by commas. The available
- X options are listed later in this Guidebook. Options are usually set
- X before the game, not with the `O' command; see the section on options
- X below.
- X
- Xp Pay your shopping bill.
- X
- XP Put on a ring.
- X
- X^P Repeat previous message (subsequent ^P's repeat earlier messages).
- X
- Xq uaff (drink) a potion.
- X
- XQ Quit the game.
- X
- Xr Read a scroll or spell book.
- X
- XR Remove a ring.
- X
- X^R Redraw the screen.
- X
- Xs Search for secret doors and traps around you. It usually takes
- X several tries to find something.
- X
- XS Save the game. The game will be restored automatically the next time
- X you play.
- X
- Xt Throw an object or shoot a projectile.
- X
- XT Take off armor.
- X
- X^T Teleport, if you have the ability.
- X
- Xv Display version number.
- X
- XV Display the game history.
- X
- Xw Wield weapon. w- means wield nothing, use your bare hands.
- X
- XW Wear armor.
- X
- Xx List the spells you know (same as `+').
- X
- XX Enter explore (discovery) mode.
- X
- Xz Zap a wand.
- X
- XZ Zap (cast) a spell.
- X
- X^Z Suspend the game (UNIX(R) versions with job control only).
- X (R)UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T.
- X
- X: Look at what is here.
- X
- X, Pick up some things.
- X
- X@ Toggle the pickup option on and off.
- X
- X^ Ask for the type of a trap you found earlier.
- X
- X) Tell what weapon you are wielding.
- X
- X[ Tell what armor you are wearing.
- X
- X= Tell what rings you are wearing.
- X
- X" Tell what amulet you are wearing.
- X
- X( Tell what tools you are using.
- X
- X$ Count your gold pieces.
- X
- X+ List the spells you know (same as `x').
- X
- X\ Show what types of objects have been discovered.
- X
- X! Escape to a shell.
- X
- X# Perform an extended command. As you can see, the authors of NetHack
- X used up all the letters, so this is a way to introduce the less
- X useful commands, or commands used under limited circumstances. You
- X may obtain a list of them by entering `?'. What extended commands
- X are available depend on what features the game was compiled with.
- X
- X If your keyboard has a meta key (which, when pressed in combination
- X with another key, modifies it by setting the `meta' [8th, or `high']
- X bit), you can invoke the extended commands by meta-ing the first
- X letter of the command. In PC and ST NetHack, the `Alt' key can be
- X used in this fashion.
- X
- XM-a Adjust inventory letters (the fixinvlet option must be ``on'' to do
- X this).
- X
- XM-c Talk to someone.
- X
- XM-d Dip an object into something.
- X
- XM-f Force a lock.
- X
- XM-j Jump to another location.
- X
- XM-l Loot a box on the floor.
- X
- XM-m Use a monster's special ability.
- X
- XM-N Name an item or type of object.
- X
- XM-o Offer a sacrifice to the gods.
- X
- XM-p Pray to the gods for help.
- X
- XM-r Rub a lamp.
- X
- XM-s Sit down.
- X
- XM-t Turn undead.
- X
- XM-u Untrap something (usually a trapped object).
- X
- XM-v Print compile time options for this version of NetHack.
- X
- XM-w Wipe off your face.
- X
- X If the number_pad option is on, additional letter commands are available:
- X
- Xj Jump to another location. Same as ``#jump'' or ``M-j''.
- X
- Xk Kick something (usually a door). Same as `^D'.
- X
- Xl Loot a box on the floor. Same as ``#loot'' or ``M-l''.
- X
- XN Name an item or type of object. Same as ``#name'' or ``M-N''.
- X
- Xu Untrap a trapped object or door. Same as ``#untrap'' or ``M-u''.
- X
- X*** 5. Rooms and corridors
- X
- X Rooms in the dungeon are either lit or dark. If you walk into a lit
- Xroom, the entire room will be drawn on the screen. If you walk into a dark
- Xroom, only the areas you can see will be displayed. In darkness, you can
- Xonly see one space in all directions. Corridors are always dark, but remain
- Xon the map as you explore them.
- X
- X Secret corridors are hidden. You can find them with the `s' (search)
- Xcommand.
- X
- X*** 5.1. Doorways
- X
- X Doorways connect rooms and corridors. Some doorways have no doors; you
- Xcan walk right through. Others have doors in them, which may be open,
- Xclosed, or locked. To open a closed door, use the `o' (open) command; to
- Xclose it again, use the `c' (close) command.
- X
- X You can get through a locked door by using a tool to pick the lock with
- Xthe `a' (apply) command, or by kicking it open with the `^D' (kick) command.
- X
- X Open doors cannot be entered diagonally; you must approach them straight
- Xon, horizontally or vertically. Doorways without doors are not restricted.
- X
- X Doors can be useful for shutting out monsters. Most monsters cannot open
- Xdoors, although a few don't need to (ex. ghosts can walk through doors).
- X
- X Secret doors are hidden. You can find them with the `s' (search)
- Xcommand.
- X
- X*** 5.2. Traps (`^')
- X
- X There are traps throughout the dungeon to snare the unwary delver. For
- Xexample, you may suddenly fall into a pit and be stuck for a few turns.
- XTraps don't appear on your map until you trigger one by moving onto it, or
- Xyou discover it with the `s' (search) command. Monsters can fall prey to
- Xtraps, too.
- X
- X*** 6. Monsters
- X Monsters you cannot see are not displayed on the screen. Beware! You
- Xmay suddenly come upon one in a dark place. Some magic items can help you
- Xlocate them before they locate you, which some monsters do very well.
- X
- X*** 6.1. Fighting
- X
- X If you see a monster and you wish to fight it, just attempt to walk into
- Xit. Many monsters you find will mind their own business unless you attack
- Xthem. Some of them are very dangerous when angered. Remember: Discretion
- Xis the better part of valor.
- X
- X*** 6.2. Your pet
- X
- X You start the game with a little dog (`d') or cat (`f'), which follows
- Xyou about the dungeon and fights monsters with you. Like you, your pet needs
- Xfood to survive. It usually feeds itself on fresh carrion and other meats.
- XIf you're worried about it or want to train it, you can feed it, too, by
- Xthrowing it food.
- X
- X Your pet also gains experience from killing monsters, and can grow over
- Xtime, gaining hit points and doing more damage. Initially, your pet may even
- Xbe better at killing things than you, which makes pets useful for low-level
- Xcharacters.
- X
- X Your pet will follow you up and down staircases, if it is next to you
- Xwhen you move. Otherwise, your pet will be stranded, and may become wild.
- X
- X*** 6.3. Ghost levels
- X
- X You may encounter the shades and corpses of other adventurers (or even
- Xformer incarnations of yourself!) and their personal effects. Ghosts are
- Xhard to kill, but easy to avoid, since they're slow and do little damage.
- XYou can plunder the deceased adventurer's possessions; however, they are
- Xlikely to be cursed. Beware of whatever killed the former player.
- X
- X*** 7. Objects
- X
- X When you find something in the dungeon, it is common to want to pick it
- Xup. In NetHack, this is accomplished automatically by walking over the
- Xobject (unless you turn off the pickup option (see below), or move with the
- X`m' prefix (see above)), or manually by using the `,' command. If you're
- Xcarrying too many things, NetHack will tell you so and won't pick up anything
- Xmore. Otherwise, it will add the object(s) to your pack and tell you what
- Xyou just picked up.
- X
- X When you pick up an object, it is assigned an inventory letter. Many
- Xcommands that operate on objects must ask you to find out which object you
- Xwant to use. When NetHack asks you to choose a particular object you are
- Xcarrying, you are usually presented with a list of inventory letters to
- Xchoose from (see Commands, above).
- X
- X Some objects, such as weapons, are easily differentiated. Others, like
- Xscrolls and potions, are given descriptions which vary according to type.
- XDuring a game, any two objects with the same description are the same type.
- XHowever, the descriptions will vary from game to game.
- X
- X When you use one of these objects, if its effect is obvious, NetHack will
- Xremember what it is for you. If its effect isn't extremely obvious, you will
- Xbe asked what you want to call this type of object so you will recognize it
- Xlater. You can also use the ``#name'' command for the same purpose at any
- Xtime, to name all objects of a particular type or just an individual object.
- X
- X*** 7.1. Curses and blessings
- X
- X Any object that you find may be cursed, even if the object is otherwise
- Xhelpful. The most common effect of a curse is being stuck with (and to) the
- Xitem. Cursed weapons weld themselves to your hand when wielded, so you
- Xcannot unwield them. Any cursed item you wear is not removable by ordinary
- Xmeans. In addition, cursed arms and armor usually, but not always, bear
- Xnegative enchantments that make them less effective in combat. Other cursed
- Xobjects may act poorly or detrimentally in other ways.
- X
- X Objects can also become blessed. Blessed items usually work better or
- Xmore beneficially than normal uncursed items. For example, a blessed weapon
- Xwill do more damage against demons.
- X
- X There are magical means of bestowing or removing curses upon objects, so
- Xeven if you are stuck with one, you can still have the curse lifted and the
- Xitem removed. Priests and Priestesses have an innate sensitivity to curses
- Xand blessings, so they can more easily avoid cursed objects than other
- Xcharacter classes.
- X
- X An item with unknown curse status, and an item which you know to be
- Xuncursed, will be distinguished in your inventory by the presence of the word
- X``uncursed'' in the description of the latter. The exception is if this
- Xdescription isn't needed; you can look at the inventory description and know
- Xthat you have discovered whether it's cursed. This applies to items which
- Xhave ``plusses,'' and items with charges.
- X
- X*** 7.2. Weapons (`)')
- X
- X Given a chance, almost all monsters in the Mazes of Menace will
- Xgratuitously kill you. You need weapons for self-defense (killing them
- Xfirst). Without a weapon, you do only 1-2 hit points of damage (plus
- Xbonuses, if any).
- X
- X There are wielded weapons, like maces and swords, and thrown weapons,
- Xlike arrows. To hit monsters with a weapon, you must wield it and attack
- Xthem, or throw it at them. To shoot an arrow out of a bow, you must first
- Xwield the bow, then throw the arrow. Crossbows shoot crossbow bolts. Slings
- Xhurl rocks and (other) gems. You can wield only one weapon at a time, but
- Xyou can change weapons unless you're wielding a cursed one.
- X
- X Enchanted weapons have a ``plus'' (which can also be a minus) that adds
- Xto your chance to hit and the damage you do to a monster. The only way to
- Xfind out if a weapon is enchanted is to have it magically identified somehow.
- X
- X Those of you in the audience who are AD&D players, be aware that each
- Xweapon which exists in AD&D does the same damage to monsters in NetHack.
- XSome of the more obscure weapons (such as the aklys, lucern hammer, and
- Xbec-de-corbin) are defined in an appendix to Unearthed Arcana, an AD&D
- Xsupplement.
- X
- X The commands to use weapons are `w' (wield) and `t' (throw).
- X
- X*** 7.3. Armor (`[')
- X
- X Lots of unfriendly things lurk about; you need armor to protect yourself
- Xfrom their blows. Some types of armor offer better protection than others.
- XYour armor class is a measure of this protection. Armor class (AC) is
- Xmeasured as in AD&D, with 10 being the equivalent of no armor, and lower
- Xnumbers meaning better armor. Each suit of armor which exists in AD&D gives
- Xthe same protection in NetHack. Here is an (incomplete) list of the armor
- Xclasses provided by various suits of armor:
- X dragon scale mail 1
- X plate mail 3
- X bronze plate mail 4
- X splint mail 4
- X banded mail 4
- X elven mithril-coat 5
- X chain mail 5
- X scale mail 6
- X ring mail 7
- X studded leather armor 7
- X leather armor 8
- X no armor 10
- X
- X You can also wear other pieces of armor (ex. helmets, boots, shields,
- Xcloaks) to lower your armor class even further, but you can only wear one
- Xitem of each category (one suit of armor, one cloak, one helmet, one shield,
- Xand so on).
- X
- X If a piece of armor is enchanted, its armor protection will be better (or
- Xworse) than normal, and its ``plus'' (or minus) will subtract from your armor
- Xclass. For example, a +1 chain mail would give you better protection than
- Xnormal chain mail, lowering your armor class one unit further to 4. When you
- Xput on a piece of armor, you immediately find out the armor class and any
- X``plusses'' it provides. Cursed pieces of armor usually have negative
- Xenchantments (minuses) in addition to being unremovable.
- X
- X The commands to use armor are `W' (wear) and `T' (take off).
- X
- X*** 7.4. Food (`%')
- X
- X Food is necessary to survive. If you go too long without eating you will
- Xfaint, and eventually die of starvation. Unprotected food does not stay
- Xfresh indefinitely; after a while it will spoil, and be unhealthy to eat.
- XFood stored in ice boxes or tins (``cans'' to you Americans) will usually
- Xstay fresh, but ice boxes are heavy, and tins take a while to open.
- X
- X When you kill monsters, they usually leave corpses which are also
- X``food.'' Many, but not all, of these are edible; some also give you special
- Xpowers when you eat them. A good rule of thumb is ``you are what you eat.''
- X
- X You can name one food item after something you like to eat with the fruit
- Xoption, if your dungeon has it.
- X
- X The command to eat food is `e'.
- X
- X*** 7.5. Scrolls (`?')
- X
- X Scrolls are labeled with various titles, probably chosen by ancient
- Xwizards for their amusement value (ex. ``READ ME,'' or ``HOLY BIBLE''
- Xbackwards). Scrolls disappear after you read them (except for blank ones,
- Xwithout magic spells on them).
- X
- X One of the most useful of these is the scroll of identify, which can be
- Xused to determine what another object is, whether it is cursed or blessed,
- Xand how many uses it has left. Some objects of subtle enchantment are
- Xdifficult to identify without these.
- X
- X If you receive mail while you are playing (on versions compiled with this
- Xfeature), a mail daemon may run up and deliver it to you as a scroll of mail.
- XTo use this feature, you must let NetHack know where to look for new mail by
- Xsetting the ``MAIL'' environment variable to the file name of your mailbox.
- XYou may also want to set the ``MAILREADER'' environment variable to the file
- Xname of your favorite reader, so NetHack can shell to it when you read the
- Xscroll.
- X
- X The command to read a scroll is `r'.
- X
- X*** 7.6. Potions (`!')
- X
- X Potions are distinguished by the color of the liquid inside the flask.
- XThey disappear after you quaff them.
- X
- X Clear potions are potions of water. Sometimes these are blessed or
- Xcursed, resulting in holy or unholy water. Holy water is the bane of the
- Xundead, so potions of holy water are good thing to throw (`t') at them. It
- Xalso is very useful when you dip (``#dip'') other objects in it.
- X
- X The command to drink a potion is `q' (quaff).
- X
- X*** 7.7. Wands (`/')
- X
- X Magic wands have multiple magical charges. Some wands are directional,
- Xyou must give a direction to zap them in. You can also zap them at yourself
- X(just give a `.' or `s' for the direction), but it is often unwise. Other
- Xwands are nondirectional, they don't ask for directions. The number of
- Xcharges in a wand is random, and decreases by one whenever you use it.
- X
- X The command to use a wand is `z' (zap).
- X
- X*** 7.8. Rings (`=')
- X
- X Rings are very useful items, since they are relatively permanent magic,
- Xunlike the usually fleeting effects of potions, scrolls, and wands.
- X
- X Putting on a ring activates its magic. You can wear only two rings, one
- Xon each ring finger.
- X
- X Most rings also cause you to grow hungry more rapidly, the rate varying
- Xwith the type of ring.
- X
- X The commands to use rings are `P' (put on) and `R' (remove).
- X
- X*** 7.9. Spell books (`+')
- X
- X Spell books are tomes of mighty magic. When studied with the `r' (read)
- Xcommand, they bestow the knowledge of a spell, unless the attempt backfires.
- XReading a cursed spell book, or one with mystic runes beyond your ken can be
- Xharmful to your health!
- X
- X A spell can also backfire when you cast it. If you attempt to cast a
- Xspell well above your experience level, or cast it at a time when your luck
- Xis particularly bad, you can end up wasting both the energy and the time
- Xrequired in casting.
- X
- X Casting a spell calls forth magical energies and focuses them with your
- Xnaked mind. Releasing the magical energy releases some of your memory of the
- Xspell with it. Each time you cast a spell, your familiarity with it will
- Xdwindle, until you eventually forget the details completely and must relearn
- Xit.
- X
- X The command to read a spell book is the same as for scrolls, `r' (read).
- XThe `+' command lists your current spells and the number of spell points they
- Xrequire. The `Z' (cast) command casts a spell.
- X
- X*** 7.10. Tools (`(')
- X
- X Tools are miscellaneous objects with various purposes. Some tools are
- Xlike wands in that they have a limited number of uses. For example, lamps
- Xburn out after a while. Other tools are containers, which objects can be
- Xplaced into or taken out of.
- X
- X The command to use tools is `a' (apply).
- X
- X*** 7.10.1. Chests and boxes
- X
- X You may encounter chests or boxes in your travels. These can be opened
- Xwith the ``#loot'' extended command when they are on the floor, or with the
- X`a' (apply) command when you are carrying one. However, chests are often
- Xlocked, and require you to either use a key to unlock it, a tool to pick the
- Xlock, or to break it open with brute force. Chests are unwieldy objects, and
- Xmust be set down to be unlocked (by kicking them, using a key or lock picking
- Xtool with the `a' (apply) command, or by using a weapon to force the lock
- Xwith the ``#force'' extended command).
- X
- X Some chests are trapped, causing nasty things to happen when you unlock
- Xor open them. You can check for and try to deactivate traps with the
- X``#untrap'' extended command.
- X
- X*** 7.11. Amulets (`"')
- X
- X Amulets are very similar to rings, and often more powerful. Like rings,
- Xamulets have various magical properties, some beneficial, some harmful, which
- Xare activated by putting them on.
- X
- X The commands to use amulets are the same as for rings, `P' (put on) and
- X`R' (remove).
- X
- X*** 7.12. Gems (`*')
- X
- X Some gems are valuable, and can be sold for a lot of gold pieces.
- XValuable gems increase your score if you bring them with you when you exit.
- XOther small rocks are also categorized as gems, but they are much less
- Xvaluable.
- X
- X*** 7.13. Large rocks (``')
- X
- X Statues and boulders are not particularly useful, and are generally
- Xheavy. It is rumored that some statues are not what they seem.
- X
- X*** 7.14. Gold (`$')
- X
- X Gold adds to your score, and you can buy things in shops with it. Your
- Xversion of NetHack may display how much gold you have on the status line. If
- Xnot, the `$' command will count it.
- X
- X*** 8. Options
- X
- X Due to variations in personal tastes and conceptions of how NetHack
- Xshould do things, there are options you can set to change how NetHack
- Xbehaves.
- X
- X*** 8.1. Setting the options
- X
- X There are two ways to set the options. The first is with the `O' command
- Xin NetHack; the second is with the ``NETHACKOPTIONS'' environment variable.
- X
- X*** 8.2. Using the NETHACKOPTIONS environment variable
- X
- X The NETHACKOPTIONS variable is a comma-separated list of initial values
- Xfor the various options. Some can only be turned on or off. You turn one of
- Xthese on by adding the name of the option to the list, and turn it off by
- Xtyping a `!' or ``no'' before the name. Others take a character string as a
- Xvalue. You can set string options by typing the option name, a colon, and
- Xthen the value of the string. The value is terminated by the next comma or
- Xthe end of string.
- X
- X For example, to set up an environment variable so that ``female'' is on,
- X``pickup'' is off, the name is set to ``Blue Meanie'', and the fruit is set
- Xto ``papaya'', you would enter the command:
- X
- X % setenv NETHACKOPTIONS "female,!pickup,name:Blue Meanie,fruit:papaya"
- X
- X in csh, or
- X
- X $ NETHACKOPTIONS="female,!pickup,name:Blue Meanie,fruit:papaya"
- X $ export NETHACKOPTIONS
- X
- X in sh or ksh.
- X
- X*** 8.3. Customization options
- X
- X Here are explanations of what the various options do. Character strings
- Xlonger than fifty characters are truncated. Some of the options listed may
- Xbe inactive in your dungeon.
- X
- Xcatname
- X Name your starting cat (ex. ``catname:Morris''). Cannot be set with
- X the `O' command.
- X
- Xcolor
- X Use color for different monsters, objects, and dungeon features
- X (default on).
- X
- Xconfirm
- X Have user confirm attacks on pets, shopkeepers, and other peaceable
- X creatures (default on).
- X
- XDECgraphics
- X Use a predefined selection of characters from the DEC VTxxx/DEC
- X Rainbow/ ANSI line-drawing character set to display the dungeon
- X instead of having to define a full graphics set yourself (default
- X off). Cannot be set with the `O' command.
- X
- Xdogname
- X Name your starting dog (ex. ``dogname:Fang''). Cannot be set with
- X the `O' command.
- X
- Xendgame
- X Control what parts of the score list you are shown at the end
- X (ex. ``endgame:5 top scores/4 around my score/own scores'').
- X Only the first letter of each category (`t', `a', or `o') is
- X necessary.
- X
- Xfemale
- X Set your sex (default off). Cannot be set with the `O' command.
- X
- Xfixinvlet
- X An object's inventory letter sticks to it when it's dropped (default
- X on). If this is off, dropping an object shifts all the remaining
- X inventory letters.
- X
- Xfruit
- X Name a fruit after something you enjoy eating (ex. ``fruit:mango'')
- X (default ``slime mold''. Basically a nostalgic whimsy that NetHack
- X uses from time to time. You should set this to something you find
- X more appetizing than slime mold. Apples, oranges, pears, bananas,
- X and melons already exist in NetHack, so don't use those.
- X
- Xgraphics
- X Set the graphics symbols for screen displays (default
- X ``|--------|||-\\/.-|+.#<>^"}{#\\_<>##''). The graphics option (if
- X used) should come last, followed by a string of up to 35 characters
- X to be used instead of the default map-drawing characters. The
- X dungeon map will use the characters you specify instead of the
- X default symbols.
- X
- X The DECgraphics and IBMgraphics options use predefined selections of
- X graphics symbols, so you need not go to the trouble of setting up a
- X full graphics string for these common cases.
- X
- X Note that this option string is now escape-processed in conventional
- X C fashion. This means that `\' is a prefix to take the following
- X character literally, and not as a special prefix. Your graphics
- X strings for NetHack 2.2 and older versions may contain a `\'; it must
- X be doubled for the same effect now. The special escape form `\m'
- X switches on the meta bit in the following character, and the `^'
- X prefix causes the following character to be treated as a control
- X character (so any `^' in your old graphics strings should be changed
- X to `\^' now).
- X
- X The order of the symbols is: solid rock, vertical wall, horizontal
- X wall, upper left corner, upper right corner, lower left corner, lower
- X right corner, cross wall, upward T wall, downward T wall, leftward T
- X wall, rightward T wall, vertical beam, horizontal beam, left slant,
- X right slant, no door, vertical open door, horizontal open door,
- X closed door, floor of a room, corridor, stairs up, stairs down, trap,
- X web, pool or moat, fountain, kitchen sink, throne, altar, ladder up,
- X ladder down, vertical drawbridge, horizontal drawbridge. You might
- X want to use `+' for the corners and T walls for a more esthetic,
- X boxier display. Note that in the next release, new symbols may be
- X added, or the present ones rearranged.
- X
- X Cannot be set with the `O' command.
- X
- Xhelp
- X If more information is available for an object looked at with the `/'
- X command, ask if you want to see it (default on). Turning help off
- X makes just looking at things faster, since you aren't interrupted
- X with the ``More info?'' prompt, but it also means that you might miss
- X some interesting and/or important information.
- X
- XIBM_BIOS
- X Use BIOS calls to update the screen display quickly and to read the
- X keyboard (allowing the use of arrow keys to move) on machines with an
- X IBM PC compatible BIOS ROM (default off, PC and ST NetHack only).
- X
- XIBMgraphics
- X Use a predefined selection of IBM extended ASCII characters to
- X display the dungeon instead of having to define a full graphics set
- X yourself (default off). Cannot be set with the `O' command.
- X
- Xignintr
- X Ignore interrupt signals, including breaks (default off).
- X
- Xmale
- X Set your sex (default on, most hackers are male). Cannot be set with
- X the `O' command.
- X
- Xname
- X Set your character's name (defaults to your user name). You can also
- X set your character class by appending a dash and the first letter of
- X the character class (that is, by suffixing one of -A -B -C -E -H -K
- X -P -R -S -T -V -W). Cannot be set with the `O' command.
- X
- Xnews
- X Read the NetHack news file, if present (default on). Since the news
- X is shown at the beginning of the game, there's no point in setting
- X this with the `O' command.
- X
- Xnumber_pad
- X Use the number keys to move instead of [yuhjklbn] (default off).
- X
- Xnull
- X Send padding nulls to the terminal (default off).
- X
- Xpackorder
- X Specify the order to list object types in (default
- X ``\")[%?+/=!(*'0_''). The value of this option should be a string
- X containing the symbols for the various object types.
- X
- Xpickup
- X Pick up things you move onto by default (default on).
- X
- Xrawio
- X Force raw (non-cbreak) mode for faster output and more bulletproof
- X input (MS-DOS sometimes treats `^P' as a printer toggle without it)
- X (default off). Note: DEC Rainbows hang if this is turned on.
- X Cannot be set with the `O' command.
- X
- Xrest_on_space
- X Make the space bar a synonym for the `.' (rest) command (default
- X off).
- X
- Xsafe_pet
- X Prevent you from (knowingly) attacking your pets (default on).
- X
- Xsilent
- X Suppress terminal beeps (default on).
- X
- Xsortpack
- X Sort the pack contents by type when displaying inventory (default
- X on).
- X
- Xstandout
- X Boldface monsters and ``--More--'' (default off).
- X
- Xtime
- X Show the elapsed game time in turns on bottom line (default off).
- X
- Xtombstone
- X Draw a tombstone graphic upon your death (default on).
- X
- Xverbose
- X Provide more commentary during the game (default on).
- X
- X In some versions, options may be set in a configuration file on disk as
- Xwell as from NETHACKOPTIONS.
- X
- X*** 9. Scoring
- X
- X NetHack maintains a list of the top scores or scorers on your machine,
- Xdepending on how it is set up. In the latter case, each account on the
- Xmachine can post only one non-winning score on this list. If you score
- Xhigher than someone else on this list, or better your previous score, you
- Xwill be inserted in the proper place under your current name. How many
- Xscores are kept can also be set up when NetHack is compiled.
- X
- X Your score is chiefly based upon how much experience you gained, how much
- Xloot you accumulated, how deep you explored, and how the game ended. If you
- Xquit the game, you escape with all of your gold intact. If, however, you get
- Xkilled in the Mazes of Menace, the guild will only hear about 90% of your
- Xgold when your corpse is discovered (adventurers have been known to collect
- Xfinder's fees). So, consider whether you want to take one last hit at that
- Xmonster and possibly live, or quit and stop with whatever you have. If you
- Xquit, you keep all your gold, but if you swing and live, you might find more.
- X
- X If you just want to see what the current top players/games list is, you
- Xcan type nethack -s all.
- X
- X*** 10. Explore mode
- X
- X NetHack is an intricate and difficult game. Novices might falter in
- Xfear, aware of their ignorance of the means to survive. Well, fear not.
- XYour dungeon may come equipped with an ``explore'' or ``discovery'' mode that
- Xenables you to keep old save files and cheat death, at the paltry cost of not
- Xgetting on the high score list.
- X
- X There are two ways of enabling explore mode. One is to start the game
- Xwith the -X switch. The other is to issue the `X' command while already
- Xplaying the game. The other benefits of explore mode are left for the trepid
- Xreader to discover.
- X
- X*** 11. Credits
- X
- X The original hack game was modeled on the Berkeley UNIX rogue game.
- XLarge portions of this paper were shamelessly cribbed from A Guide to the
- XDungeons of Doom, by Michael C. Toy and Kenneth C. R. C. Arnold. Small
- Xportions were adapted from Further Exploration of the Dungeons of Doom, by
- XKen Arromdee.
- X
- X NetHack is the product of literally dozens of people's work. Main events
- Xin the course of the game development are described below:
- X
- X Jay Fenlason wrote the original Hack, with help from Kenny Woodland, Mike
- XThome and Jon Payne.
- X
- X Andries Brouwer did a major re-write, transforming Hack into a very
- Xdifferent game, and published (at least) three versions (1.0.1, 1.0.2, and
- X1.0.3) for UNIX machines to the Usenet.
- X
- X Don G. Kneller ported Hack 1.0.3 to Microsoft C and MS-DOS, producing PC
- XHACK 1.01e, added support for DEC Rainbow graphics in version 1.03g, and went
- Xon to produce at least four more versions (3.0, 3.2, 3.51, and 3.6).
- X
- X R. Black ported PC HACK 3.51 to Lattice C and the Atari 520/1040ST,
- Xproducing ST Hack 1.03.
- X
- X Mike Stephenson merged these various versions back together,
- Xincorporating many of the added features, and produced NetHack 1.4. He then
- Xcoordinated a cast of thousands in enhancing and debugging NetHack 1.4 and
- Xreleased NetHack versions 2.2 and 2.3.
- X
- X Later, Mike coordinated a major rewrite of the game, heading a team which
- Xincluded Ken Arromdee, Jean-Christophe Collet, Steve Creps, Eric Hendrickson,
- XIzchak Miller, John Rupley, Mike Threepoint, and Janet Walz, to produce
- XNetHack 3.0c.
- X
- X NetHack 3.0 was ported to the Atari by Eric R. Smith, to OS/2 by Timo
- XHakulinen, and to VMS by David Gentzel. The three of them and Kevin Darcy
- Xlater joined the main development team to produce subsequent revisions of
- X3.0.
- X
- X Olaf Seibert ported NetHack 2.3 and 3.0 to the Amiga. Norm Meluch,
- XStephen Spackman and Pierre Martineau designed overlay code for PC NetHack
- X3.0. Johnny Lee ported NetHack 3.0 to the Macintosh. Along with various
- Xother Dungeoneers, they continued to enhance the PC, Macintosh, and Amiga
- Xports through the later revisions of 3.0.
- X
- X From time to time, some depraved individual out there in netland sends a
- Xparticularly intriguing modification to help out with the game. The Gods of
- Xthe Dungeon sometimes make note of the names of the worst of these miscreants
- Xin this, the list of Dungeoneers:
- XRichard Addison Bruce Holloway Pat Rankin
- XTom Almy Richard P. Hughey Eric S. Raymond
- XKen Arromdee Ari Huttunen John Rupley
- XEric Backus Del Lamb Olaf Seibert
- XJohn S. Bien Greg Laskin Kevin Sitze
- XRalf Brown Johnny Lee Eric R. Smith
- XJean-Christophe Collet Steve Linhart Kevin Smolkowski
- XSteve Creps Ken Lorber Michael Sokolov
- XKevin Darcy Benson I. Margulies Stephen Spackman
- XMatthew Day Pierre Martineau Andy Swanson
- XJoshua Delahunty Roland McGrath Kevin Sweet
- XJochen Erwied Norm Meluch Scott R. Turner
- XDavid Gentzel Bruce Mewborne Janet Walz
- XMark Gooderum Izchak Miller Jon Watte
- XDavid Hairston Gil Neiger Tom West
- XTimo Hakulinen Greg Olson Gregg Wonderly
- XEric Hendrickson Mike Passaretti
- X
- X Brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
- Xrespective holders.
- END_OF_FILE
- if test 50478 -ne `wc -c <'auxil/Guidebook.mss'`; then
- echo shar: \"'auxil/Guidebook.mss'\" unpacked with wrong size!
- fi
- # end of 'auxil/Guidebook.mss'
- fi
- echo shar: End of archive 10 \(of 24\).
- cp /dev/null ark10isdone
- MISSING=""
- for I in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ; do
- if test ! -f ark${I}isdone ; then
- MISSING="${MISSING} ${I}"
- fi
- done
- if test "${MISSING}" = "" ; then
- echo You have unpacked all 24 archives.
- rm -f ark[1-9]isdone ark[1-9][0-9]isdone
- else
- echo You still need to unpack the following archives:
- echo " " ${MISSING}
- fi
- ## End of shell archive.
- exit 0
-