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A Guide to the Mazes of Menace
_✓E_✓r_✓i_✓c _✓S. _✓R_✓a_✓y_✓m_✓o_✓n_✓d
(_✓E_✓x_✓t_✓e_✓n_✓s_✓i_✓v_✓e_✓l_✓y _✓e_✓d_✓i_✓t_✓e_✓d _✓a_✓n_✓d _✓e_✓x_✓p_✓a_✓n_✓d_✓e_✓d _✓f_✓o_✓r _✓3._✓0 _✓b_✓y _✓M_✓i_✓k_✓e _✓T_✓h_✓r_✓e_✓e_✓p_✓o_✓i_✓n_✓t)
_✓T_✓h_✓y_✓r_✓s_✓u_✓s _✓E_✓n_✓t_✓e_✓r_✓p_✓r_✓i_✓s_✓e_✓s
_✓M_✓a_✓l_✓v_✓e_✓r_✓n, _✓P_✓A _✓1_✓9_✓3_✓5_✓5
1. Introduction
You have just finished your years as a student at the local
adventurer's guild. After much practice and sweat you have fi-
nally completed your training and are ready to embark upon a
perilous adventure. To prove your worthiness, the local guild-
masters have sent you into the Mazes of Menace. Your quest is to
return with the Amulet of Yendor. According to legend, the gods
will grant immortality to the one who recovers this artifact;
true or not, its recovery will bring honor and full guild member-
ship (not to mention the attentions of certain wealthy wizards).
Your abilities and strengths for dealing with the hazards of
adventure will vary with your background and training.
_✓A_✓r_✓c_✓h_✓e_✓o_✓l_✓o_✓g_✓i_✓s_✓t_✓s understand dungeons pretty well; this enables
them to move quickly and sneak up on dungeon nasties. They start
equipped with proper tools for a scientific expedition.
_✓B_✓a_✓r_✓b_✓a_✓r_✓i_✓a_✓n_✓s are warriors out of the hinterland, hardened to
battle. They begin their quests with naught but uncommon
strength, a trusty hauberk, and a great two-handed sword.
_✓C_✓a_✓v_✓e_✓m_✓e_✓n and _✓C_✓a_✓v_✓e_✓w_✓o_✓m_✓e_✓n start with exceptional strength and
neolithic weapons.
_✓E_✓l_✓v_✓e_✓s are agile, quick, and sensitive; very little of what
goes on will escape an Elf. The quality of Elven craftsmanship
often gives them an advantage in arms and armor.
_✓H_✓e_✓a_✓l_✓e_✓r_✓s are wise in medicine and the apothecary. They know
the herbs and simples that can restore vitality, ease pain,
anesthetize, and neutralize poisons; and with their instruments,
they can divine a being's state of health or sickness. Their
medical practice earns them quite reasonable amounts of money,
which they enter the dungeon with.
_✓K_✓n_✓i_✓g_✓h_✓t_✓s are distinguished from the common skirmisher by
their devotion to the ideals of chivalry and by the surpassing
excellence of their armor.
NetHack Guidebook 1
NetHack Guidebook 2
_✓P_✓r_✓i_✓e_✓s_✓t_✓s and _✓P_✓r_✓i_✓e_✓s_✓t_✓e_✓s_✓s_✓e_✓s are clerics militant, crusaders ad-
vancing the cause of righteousness with arms, armor, and arts
thaumaturgic. Their ability to commune with deities via prayer
occasionally extricates them from peril-but can also put them in
it.
_✓R_✓o_✓g_✓u_✓e_✓s are agile and stealthy thieves, who carry daggers,
lock picks, and poisons to put on darts.
_✓S_✓a_✓m_✓u_✓r_✓a_✓i are the elite warriors of feudal Nippon. They are
lightly armored and quick, and wear the _✓d_✓a_✓i-_✓s_✓h_✓o, two swords of
the deadliest keenness.
_✓T_✓o_✓u_✓r_✓i_✓s_✓t_✓s start out with lots of gold (suitable for shopping
with), a credit card, lots of food, some maps, and an expensive
camera. Most monsters don't like being photographed.
_✓V_✓a_✓l_✓k_✓y_✓r_✓i_✓e_✓s are hardy warrior women. Their upbringing in the
harsh Northlands makes them strong and inures them to extremes of
cold, and instills in them stealth and cunning.
_✓W_✓i_✓z_✓a_✓r_✓d_✓s start out with a fair selection of magical goodies
and a particular affinity for dweomercraft.
You set out for the dungeon and after several days of
uneventful travel, you see the ancient ruins that mark the en-
trance to the Mazes of Menace. It is late at night, so you make
camp at the entrance and spend the night sleeping under the open
skies. In the morning, you gather your gear, eat what may be
your last meal outside, and enter the dungeon.
2. What is going on here?
You have just begun a game of NetHack. Your goal is to grab
as much treasure as you can, retrieve the Amulet of Yendor, and
escape the Mazes of Menace alive. On the screen is kept a map of
where you have been and what you have seen on the current dungeon
level; as you explore more of the level, it appears on the screen
in front of you.
When NetHack's ancestor _✓r_✓o_✓g_✓u_✓e first appeared, its screen
orientation was almost unique among computer fantasy games.
Since then, screen orientation has become the norm rather than
the exception; NetHack continues this fine tradition. Unlike
text adventure games that input commands in pseudo-English sen-
tences and explain the results in words, NetHack commands are all
one or two keystrokes and the results are displayed graphically
on the screen. A minimum screen size of 24 lines by 80 columns
is required; if the screen is larger, only a 21x80 section will
be used for the map.
NetHack generates a new dungeon every time you play it; even
the authors still find it an entertaining and exciting game
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 3
despite having won several times.
3. What do all those things on the screen mean?
In order to understand what is going on in NetHack, first
you must understand what NetHack is doing with the screen. The
NetHack screen replaces the ``You see...'' descriptions of text
adventure games. Figure 1 is a sample of what a NetHack screen
might look like.
3.1. The bottom lines
The bottom two lines of the screen contain several cryptic
pieces of information describing your current status. If either
status line becomes longer than the width of the screen, you
might not see all of it. Here are explanations of what the vari-
ous status items mean (though your configuration may not have all
the status items listed below):
_______________________________________________________________________
The bat bites!
------------
|..........+
|..<..d..$.|
|...@B.....|
|..........|
-----+------
Player the Rambler St:12 Dx:7 Co:18 In:11 Wi:9 Ch:15 Neutral
Level:1 G:0 HP:9(12) Pw:3(3) AC:10 Xp:2/19 T:257 Weak
_______________________________________________________________________
Figure 1
Rank
Your character's name and professional ranking (based on the
experience level, above).
Strength
A measure of your character's strength, one of your six
basic attributes. Your attributes can range from 3 to 18
inclusive (occasionally you may get super-strengths of the
form 18/xx). The higher your strength, the stronger you
are. Strength affects how successfully you perform physical
tasks and how much damage you do in combat.
Dexterity
Dexterity affects your chances to hit in combat, to avoid
traps, and do other tasks requring agility or manipulation
of objects.
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 4
Constitution
Constitution affects your ability to withstand injury and
other strains on your stamina.
Intelligence
Intelligence affects your ability to cast spells.
Wisdom
Wisdom comes from your religious affairs. It affects your
magical energy.
Charisma
Charisma affects how certain creatures react toward you. In
particular, it can affect the prices shopkeepers offer you.
Alignment
Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic. Basically, Lawful is good and
Chaotic is evil. Your alignment influences how other mon-
sters react toward you.
Level
How deep you have gone into the dungeon. It starts at one
and increases as you go deeper into the dungeon. The Amulet
of Yendor is reputed to be somewhere beneath the twentieth
level.
Gold
The number of gold pieces you have.
Hit Points
Your current and maximum hit points. Hit points indicate
how much damage you can take before you die. The more you
get hit in a fight, the lower they get. You can regain hit
points by resting. The number in parentheses is the maximum
number your hit points can reach.
Power
Spell points. This tells you how much mystic energy (_✓m_✓a_✓n_✓a)
you have available for spell casting. When you type `+' to
list your spells, each will have a spell point cost beside
it in parentheses. You will not see this if your dungeon
has been set up without spells.
Armor Class
A measure of how effectively your armor stops blows from un-
friendly creatures. The lower this number is, the more ef-
fective the armor; it is quite possible to have negative ar-
mor class.
Experience
Your current experience level and experience points. As you
adventure, you gain experience points. At certain experi-
ence point totals, you gain an experience level. The more
experienced you are, the better you fight and withstand
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 5
magical attacks. Many dungeons show only your experience
level here.
Time
The number of turns elapsed so far, displayed if you have
the time option set.
Hunger status
Your current hunger status, ranging from Satiated down to
Fainting. If your hunger status is normal, it is not
displayed.
Additional status flags may appear after the hunger status:
Conf when you're confused, Sick when sick, Blind when you can't
see, Stun when stunned, and Hallu when hallucinating.
3.2. The top line
The top line of the screen is reserved for messages that
describe things that are impossible to represent visually. If
you see a ``--More--'' on the top line, this means that NetHack
has another message to display on the screen, but it wants to
make certain that you've read the one that is there first. To
read the next message, just press the space bar.
3.3. The rest of the screen
The rest of the screen is the map of the level as you have
explored it so far. Each symbol on the screen represents some-
thing. You can set the graphics option to change some of the
symbols the game uses; otherwise, the game will use default sym-
bols. Here is a list of what the default symbols mean:
- and |
These form the walls of a room.
. This is the floor of a room.
# This is a corridor, or possibly a kitchen sink or drawbridge
(if your dungeon has sinks or drawbridges).
> This is the staircase to the next level.
< The staircase to the previous level.
@ You (usually) or another human.
) A weapon of some sort.
[ A suit or piece of armor.
% A piece of food (not necessarily healthy...).
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 6
? A scroll.
/ A wand.
= A ring.
! A potion.
( Some other useful object (pick-axe, key, lamp...).
$ A pile of gold.
* A gem or rock (possibly valuable, possibly worthless).
+ A doorway, or a spell book containing a spell you can learn
(if your dungeon has spell books).
^ A trap (once you detect it).
" An amulet, or a spider web.
0 An iron ball.
_ An altar (if your dungeon has altars), or an iron chain.
} A pool of water or moat.
{ A fountain (your dungeon may not have fountains).
\ An opulent throne (your dungeon may not have thrones ei-
ther).
` A boulder or statue.
a-zA-Z and other symbols
Letters and certain other symbols represent the various in-
habitants of the Mazes of Menace. Watch out, they can be
nasty and vicious. Sometimes, however, they can be helpful.
4. Commands
Commands are given to NetHack by typing one or two charac-
ters; NetHack then asks questions to find out what it needs to
know to do your bidding.
For example, a common question, in the form ``What do you
want to use? [a-zA-Z ?*]'', asks you to choose an object you are
carrying. Here, ``a-zA-Z'' are the inventory letters of your
possible choices. Typing `?' gives you an inventory list of
these items, so you can see what each letter refers to. In this
example, there is also a `*' indicating that you may choose an
object not on the list, if you wanted to use something unexpect-
ed. Typing a `*' lists your entire inventory, so you can see the
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 7
inventory letters of every object you're carrying. Finally, if
you change your mind and decide you don't want to do this command
after all, you can press the ESC key to abort the command.
You can put a number before most commands to repeat them
that many times; for example, ``10s'' will search ten times. If
you have the number_pad option set, you must type `n' to prefix a
count, so the example above would be typed ``n10s'' instead.
Commands for which counts make no sense ignore them. In addi-
tion, movement commands can be prefixed for greater control (see
below). To cancel a count or a prefix, press the ESC key.
The list of commands is rather long, but it can be read at
any time during the game through the `?' command, which accesses
a menu of helpful texts. Here are the commands for your refer-
ence:
? help menu: display one of several help texts available.
/ tell what a symbol represents. You may choose to specify a
location or type a symbol to define.
& tell what a command does.
< go up a staircase to the previous level (if you are on the
stairs).
> go down a staircase to the next level (if you are on the
stairs).
[yuhjklbn]
go one step in the direction indicated (see Figure 2). If
there is a monster there, you will fight the monster in-
stead. Only these one-step movement commands cause you to
fight monsters; the others (below) are ``safe.''
y k u 7 8 9
\ | / \ | /
h- . -l 4- . -6
/ | \ / | \
b j n 1 2 3
(if number_pad is set)
Figure 2
[YUHJKLBN]
Go in that direction until you hit a wall or run into some-
thing.
m[yuhjklbn]
prefix: move without picking up any objects.
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 8
M[yuhjklbn]
prefix: move far, no pickup.
g[yuhjklbn]
prefix: move until something interesting is found.
G[yuhjklbn]
prefix: same as `g', but forking of corridors is not con-
sidered interesting.
. rest, do nothing for one turn.
a apply (use) a tool (pick-axe, key, lamp...).
A remove all armor. Use `T' (take off) to take off only one
piece of armor.
^A redo the previous command.
c close a door.
C Call (name) an individual monster.
^C panic button. Quit the game.
d drop something. Ex. ``d7a'' means drop seven items of ob-
ject _✓a.
D Drop several things. In answer to the question ``What kinds
of things do you want to drop? [!%= au]'' you should type
zero or more object symbols possibly followed by `a' and/or
`u'.
Da - drop all objects, without asking for confirmation.
Du - drop only unpaid objects (when in a shop).
D%u - drop only unpaid food.
^D kick something (usually a door).
e eat food.
E Engrave a message on the floor. Engraving the word ``El-
bereth'' will cause most monsters to not attack you hand-
to-hand (but if you attack, you will rub it out); this is
often useful to give yourself a breather. (This feature may
be compiled out of the game, so your version might not
necessarily have it.)
E- - write in the dust with your fingers.
i list your inventory (everything you're carrying).
I list selected parts of your inventory.
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 9
I* - list all gems in inventory;
Iu - list all unpaid items;
Ix - list all used up items that are on your shopping bill;
I$ - count your money.
o open a door.
O set options. You will be asked to enter an option line. If
you enter a blank line, the current options are reported.
Entering `?' will get you explanations of the various op-
tions. Otherwise, you should enter a list of options
separated by commas. The available options are listed later
in this Guidebook. Options are usually set before the game,
not with the `O' command; see the section on options below.
p pay your shopping bill.
P Put on a ring.
^P repeat previous message (subsequent ^P's repeat earlier mes-
sages).
q quaff (drink) a potion.
Q Quit the game.
r read a scroll or spell book.
R Remove a ring.
^R redraw the screen.
s search for secret doors and traps around you. It usually
takes several tries to find something.
S Save the game. The game will be restored automatically the
next time you play.
t throw an object or shoot a projectile.
T Take off armor.
^T teleport, if you have the ability.
v display version number.
V display the game history.
w wield weapon. w- means wield nothing, use your bare hands.
W Wear armor.
z zap a wand.
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 10
Z Zap (cast) a spell.
^Z suspend the game (UNIX* versions with job control only).
: look at what is here.
, pick up some things.
@ toggle the pickup option on and off.
^ ask for the type of a trap you found earlier.
) tell what weapon you are wielding.
[ tell what armor you are wearing.
= tell what rings you are wearing.
" tell what amulet you are wearing.
( tell what tools you are using.
$ count your gold pieces.
+ list the spells you know.
\ show what types of objects have been discovered.
! escape to a shell.
# perform an extended command. As you can see, the authors of
NetHack used up all the letters, so this is a way to intro-
duce the less useful commands, or commands used under limit-
ed circumstances. You may obtain a list of them by entering
`?'. What extended commands are available depend on what
features the game was compiled with.
If your keyboard has a meta key (which, when pressed in com-
bination with another key, modifies it by setting the `meta'
[8th, or `high'] bit), you can invoke the extended commands by
meta-ing the first letter of the command. In PC NetHack and ST
NetHack, the `Alt' key can be used in this fashion.
M-c talk to someone.
M-d dip an object into something.
M-f force a lock.
M-j jump to another location.
__________
*UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T.
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 11
M-l loot a box on the floor.
M-m use a monster's special ability.
M-N Name an item or type of object.
M-o offer a sacrifice to the gods.
M-p pray to the gods for help.
M-r rub a lamp.
M-s sit down.
M-t turn undead.
M-u untrap something (usually a trapped object).
M-w wipe off your face.
If the number_pad option is on, some additional letter com-
mands are available:
j jump to another location. Same as ``#jump'' or ``M-j''.
k kick something (usually a door). Same as `^D'.
l loot a box on the floor. Same as ``#loot'' or ``M-l''.
N name an item or type of object. Same as ``#name'' or ``M-
N''.
u untrap a trapped object or door. Same as ``#untrap'' or
``M-u''.
5. Rooms and corridors
Rooms in the dungeon are either lit or dark. If you walk
into a lit room, the entire room will be drawn on the screen. If
you walk into a dark room, only the areas you can see will be
displayed. In darkness, you can only see one space in all direc-
tions. Corridors are always dark, but remain on the map as you
explore them.
5.1. Doorways (`+')
Doorways connect rooms and corridors. Some doorways have no
doors; you can walk right through. Others have doors in them,
which may be open, closed, or locked. To open a closed door, use
the `o' (open) command; to close it again, use the `c' (close)
command.
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 12
You can get through a locked door by using a tool to pick
the lock with the `a' (apply) command, or by kicking it open with
the `^D' (kick) command.
Secret doors [and corridors] are hidden. You can find them
with the `s' (search) command.
5.2. Traps (`^')
There are traps throughout the dungeon to snare the unwary
delver. For example, you may suddenly fall into a pit and be
stuck for a few turns. Traps don't appear on your map until you
trigger one by moving onto it, or you discover it with the `s'
(search) command. Monsters can fall prey to traps, too.
6. Monsters
Monsters you cannot see are not displayed on the screen.
Beware! You may suddenly come upon one in a dark place. Some
magic items can help you locate them before they locate you,
which some monsters do very well.
6.1. Fighting
If you see a monster and you wish to fight it, just attempt
to walk into it. Many monsters you find will mind their own
business unless you attack them. Some of them are very dangerous
when angered. Remember: Discretion is the better part of valor.
6.2. Your pet
You start the game with a little dog or cat, which follows
you about the dungeon and fights monsters with you. Like you,
your pet needs food to survive. It usually feeds itself on fresh
carrion and other meats. If you're worried about it or want to
train it, you can feed it, too, by throwing it food.
Your pet also gains experience from killing monsters, and
can grow over time, gaining hit points and doing more damage.
Initially, your pet may even be better at killing things than
you, which makes pets useful for low-level characters.
Your pet will follow you up and down staircases, if it is
next to you when you move. Otherwise, your pet will be stranded,
and may become wild.
6.3. Ghost levels
You may encounter the shades and corpses of other adventur-
ers (or even former incarnations of yourself!) and their personal
effects. Ghosts are hard to kill, but easy to avoid, since
they're slow and do little damage. You can plunder the deceased
adventurer's possessions; however, they are likely to be cursed.
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 13
Beware of whatever killed the former player.
7. Objects
When you find something in the dungeon, it is common to want
to pick it up. In NetHack, this is accomplished automatically by
walking over the object (unless you turn off the pickup option
(see below), or move with the `m' prefix (see above)), or manual-
ly by using the `,' command. If you're carrying too many things,
NetHack will tell you so and won't pick up anything more. Other-
wise, it will add the object(s) to your pack and tell you what
you just picked up.
When you pick up an object, it is assigned an inventory
letter. Many commands that operate on objects must ask you to
find out which object you want to use. When NetHack asks you to
choose a particular object you are carrying, you are usually
presented with a list of inventory letters to choose from (see
Commands, above).
Some objects, such as weapons, are easily differentiated.
Others, like scrolls and potions, are given descriptions which
vary according to type. During a game, any two objects with the
same description are the same type. However, the descriptions
will vary from game to game.
When you use one of these objects, if its effect is obvious,
NetHack will remember what it is for you. If its effect isn't
extremely obvious, you will be asked what you want to call this
type of object so you will recognize it later. You can also use
the ``#name'' command for the same purpose at any time, to name
all objects of a particular type or just an individual object.
7.1. Curses and blessings
Any object that you find may be cursed, even if the object
is otherwise helpful. The most common effect of a curse is being
stuck with (and to) the item. Cursed weapons weld themselves to
your hand when wielded, so you cannot unwield them. Any cursed
item you wear is not removable by ordinary means. In addition,
cursed arms and armor usually, but not always, bear negative en-
chantments that make them less effective in combat. Other cursed
objects may act poorly or detrimentally in other ways.
Objects can also become blessed. Blessed items usually work
better or more beneficially than normal uncursed items. For ex-
ample, a blessed weapon will do more damage against demons.
There are magical means of bestowing or removing curses upon
objects, so even if you are stuck with one, you can still have
the curse lifted and the item removed. Priests and Priestesses
have an innate sensitivity to curses and blessings, so they can
more easily avoid cursed objects than other character classes.
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 14
An item with unknown curse status, and an item which you
know to be uncursed, will be distinguished in your inventory by
the presence of the word ``uncursed'' in the description of the
latter. The exception is if this description isn't needed; you
can look at the inventory description and know that you have
discovered whether it's cursed. This applies to items which have
``plusses,'' and items with charges.
7.2. Weapons (`)')
Given a chance, almost all monsters in the Mazes of Menace
will gratuitously 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).
There are wielded weapons, like maces and swords, and thrown
weapons, like arrows. To hit monsters with a weapon, you must
wield it and attack them, or throw it at them. To shoot an arrow
out of a bow, you must first wield the bow, then throw the arrow.
Crossbows shoot crossbow bolts. Slings hurl rocks and (other)
gems. You can wield only one weapon at a time, but you can
change weapons unless you're wielding a cursed one.
Enchanted weapons have a ``plus'' (which can also be a
minus) that adds to your chance to hit and the damage you do to a
monster. The only way to find out if a weapon is enchanted is to
have it magically identified somehow.
Those of you in the audience who are AD&D players, be aware
that each weapon which exists in AD&D does the same damage to
monsters in NetHack. Some of the more obscure weapons (such as
the _✓a_✓k_✓l_✓y_✓s, _✓l_✓u_✓c_✓e_✓r_✓n _✓h_✓a_✓m_✓m_✓e_✓r, and _✓b_✓e_✓c-_✓d_✓e-_✓c_✓o_✓r_✓b_✓i_✓n) are defined in an
appendix to _✓U_✓n_✓e_✓a_✓r_✓t_✓h_✓e_✓d _✓A_✓r_✓c_✓a_✓n_✓a, an AD&D supplement.
The commands to use weapons are `w' (wield) and `t' (throw).
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. 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
protection in NetHack. Here is an (incomplete) list of the armor
classes provided by various suits of armor:
plate mail 3
bronze plate mail 4
splint mail 4
banded mail 4
elven mithril-coat 5
chain mail 5
scale mail 6
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NetHack Guidebook 15
ring mail 7
studded leather armor 7
leather armor 8
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).
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
any ``plusses'' it provides. Cursed pieces of armor usually have
negative enchantments (minuses) in addition to being unremovable.
The commands to use armor are `W' (wear) and `T' (take off).
7.4. Food (`%')
Food is necessary to survive. If you go too long without
eating you will faint, and eventually die of starvation. Unpro-
tected food does not stay fresh indefinitely; after a while it
will spoil, and be unhealthy to eat. Food stored in ice boxes or
tins (``cans'' to you Americans) will usually 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
is ``you are what you eat.''
You can name one food item after something you like to eat
with the fruit option, if your dungeon has it.
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 (i.e. ``READ ME,'' or
``HOLY BIBLE'' 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 _✓s_✓c_✓r_✓o_✓l_✓l _✓o_✓f _✓i_✓d_✓e_✓n_✓t_✓i_✓f_✓y,
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.
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NetHack Guidebook 16
If you receive mail while you are playing (on UNIX versions
compiled with this feature), a mail daemon may run up and deliver
it to you as a _✓s_✓c_✓r_✓o_✓l_✓l _✓o_✓f _✓m_✓a_✓i_✓l. To use this feature, 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.
The command to read a scroll is `r'.
7.6. Potions (`!')
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
blessed or cursed, resulting in holy or unholy water. Holy water
is the bane of the undead, so potions of holy water are good
thing to throw (`t') at them. It also is very useful when you
dip (``#dip'') other objects in it.
The command to drink a potion is `q' (quaff).
7.7. Wands (`/')
Magic wands have multiple magical charges. Some wands are
directional-you must give a direction to zap them in. You can
also zap them at yourself (just give a `.' or `s' for the direc-
tion), but it is often unwise. Other wands are nondirectional-
they don't ask for directions. The number of charges in a wand
is random, and decreases by one whenever you use it.
The command to use a wand is `z' (zap).
7.8. Rings (`=')
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
two rings, one on each ring finger.
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. Spell books (`+')
Spell books are tomes of mighty magic. When studied with
the `r' (read) command, they bestow the knowledge of a spell-
unless the attempt backfires. Successful or not, books of magic
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disappear after they are studied. Reading a cursed spell book,
or one with mystic runes beyond your ken can be harmful to your
health!
A spell can also backfire when you cast it. If you attempt
to cast a spell well above your experience level, 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. Releasing the magical energy releases
some of your memory of the spell with it. Each time you cast a
spell, your familiarity with it will dwindle, until you eventual-
ly forget the details completely and must relearn it.
The command to read a spell book is the same as for scrolls,
`r' (read). The `+' command lists your current spells and the
number of spell points they require. The `Z' (cast) command
casts a spell.
7.10. Tools (`(')
Tools are miscellaneous objects with various purposes. Some
tools, like wands, have a limited number of uses. For example,
lamps burn out after a while. Other tools are containers, which
objects can be placed into or taken out of.
The command to use tools is `a' (apply).
7.10.1. Chests and boxes
You may encounter chests or boxes in your travels. These
can be opened with the ``#loot'' extended command when they are
on the floor, or with the `a' (apply) command when you are carry-
ing one. However, chests are often locked, and require you to
either use a key to unlock it, a tool to pick the lock, or to
break it open with brute force. Chests are unwieldy objects, and
must be set down to be unlocked (by kicking them, using a key or
lock picking tool with the `a' (apply) 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
you unlock or open them. You can check for and try to deactivate
traps with the ``#untrap'' extended command.
7.11. Amulets (`"')
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.
The commands to use amulets are the same as for rings, `P'
(put on) and `R' (remove).
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NetHack Guidebook 18
7.12. Gems (`*')
Some gems are valuable, and can be sold for a lot of gold
pieces. 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.
7.13. Large rocks (``')
Statues and boulders are not particularly useful, and are
generally heavy.
7.14. Gold (`$')
Gold adds to your score, and you can buy things in shops
with it. Your version of NetHack may display how much gold you
have on the status line. If not, you can just hit `$' to count
it.
8. Options
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.
8.1. Setting the options
There are two ways to set the options. The first is with
the `O' command in NetHack; the second is with the ``NETHACKOP-
TIONS'' environment variable.
8.2. Using the NETHACKOPTIONS environment variable
The NETHACKOPTIONS variable is a comma-separated list of in-
itial 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 op-
tion 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, and
then the value of the string. The value is terminated by the
next comma or the end of string.
For example, to set up an environment variable so that ``fe-
male'' is on, ``pickup'' is off, the name is set to ``Blue
Meanie'', and the fruit is set to ``papaya'', you would enter the
command
% setenv NETHACKOPTIONS "female,!pickup,name:Blue Meanie,fruit:papaya"
in _✓c_✓s_✓h, or
$ NETHACKOPTIONS="female,!pickup,name:Blue Meanie,fruit:papaya"
$ export NETHACKOPTIONS
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NetHack Guidebook 19
in _✓s_✓h or _✓k_✓s_✓h.
8.3. Customization options
Here are explanations of the various options do. Character
strings longer than fifty characters are truncated. Some of the
options listed may be inactive in your dungeon.
catname
name your starting cat (ex. ``catname:Morris''). Cannot be
set with the `O' command.
confirm
(default on) have user confirm attacks on pets, shopkeepers,
and other peaceable creatures.
DEC_Rainbow
(default off, PC NetHack only) send escape codes to use the
line-drawing alternate character set on DEC Rainbow
machines.
dogname
name your starting dog (ex. ``dogname:Fang''). Cannot be
set with the `O' command.
endgame
control what parts of the score list you are shown at the
end (ex. ``endgame:5 top scores/4 around my score/own
scores''). Only the first letter of each category (`t',
`a', or `o') is necessary.
female
(default off) set your sex. Cannot be set with the `O' com-
mand.
fixinvlet
(default on) an object's inventory letter sticks to it when
it's dropped. If this is off, dropping an object shifts all
the remaining inventory letters.
fruit
(default ``slime mold'') name a fruit after something you
enjoy eating (ex. ``fruit:mango''). 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.
graphics
(default `` |--------|||-\/+.#<>^"}{#\_<>##'') set the
graphics symbols for screen displays. The graphics option
(if used) should come last, followed by a string of up to 32
characters to be used instead of the default map-drawing
characters. The dungeon map will use the characters you
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NetHack Guidebook 20
specify instead of the default symbols.
Note that this option string is now escape-processed in con-
ventional C fashion. This means that `\' is a prefix to
take the following character literally, and not as a special
prefix. Your graphics strings for NetHack 2.2 and older
versions may contain a `\'; it must be doubled for the same
effect now. The special escape form `\m' switches on the
meta bit in the following character, and the `^' prefix
causes the following character to be treated as a control
character (so any `^' in your old graphics strings should be
changed to `\^' now).
Alternate line-drawing character sets can be used on termi-
nals that support them. A graphics string of
`` \mx\mq\ml\mk\mm\mj\mn\mv\mw\mu\mt\mx\mq\\/+\m~\ma'' will
take advantage of the ANSI line-drawing character set
(available on some VT100 and higher terminals) if it is
loaded as the alternate set. If it doesn't work, your ter-
minal may not support alternate character sets, or the
termcap entry for your terminal doesn't have the appropriate
escape sequences. For the record, the sequences to add to
the termcap entry are ``:as=^N:ae=^O:ti=\E)0:''.
The order of the symbols is: solid rock, vertical wall,
horizontal wall, upper left corner, upper right corner,
lower left corner, lower right corner, cross wall, upward T
wall, downward T wall, leftward T wall, rightward T wall,
vertical beam, horizontal beam, left slant, right slant,
door, floor of a room, corridor, stairs up, stairs down,
trap, web, pool or moat, fountain, kitchen sink, throne, al-
tar, ladder up, ladder down, vertical drawbridge, horizontal
drawbridge. You might want to use `+' for the corners and T
walls for a more esthetic, boxier display. Note that in the
next release, new symbols may be added, or the present ones
rearranged.
Cannot be set with the `O' command.
IBM_BIOS
(default off, PC NetHack only) use BIOS calls to update the
screen display quickly and to read the keyboard (allowing
the use of arrow keys to move) on machines with an IBM PC
compatible BIOS ROM.
ignintr
(default off) ignore interrupt signals, including breaks.
male
(default on, most hackers are male) set your sex. Cannot be
set with the `O' command.
name
(defaults to your user name) set your character's name. You
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NetHack Guidebook 21
can also set your character class by appending a dash and
the first letter of the character class (that is, by suffix-
ing one of -A -B -C -E -H -K -P -R -S -T -V -W). Cannot be
set with the `O' command.
news
(default on) read the NetHack news file, if present. Since
the news is shown at the beginning of the game, there's no
point in setting this with the `O' command.
number_pad
(default off) use the number keys to move instead of
[yuhjklbn].
null
(default off) send padding nulls to the terminal.
packorder
(default ``\")[%?+/=!(*'0_'') specify the order to list ob-
ject types in. The value of this option should be a string
containing the symbols for the various object types.
pickup
(default on) pick up things you move onto by default.
rawio
(default off) force raw (non-cbreak) mode for faster output
and more bulletproof input (MS-DOS sometimes treats `^P' as
a printer toggle without it). Note: DEC Rainbows hang if
this is turned on. Cannot be set with the `O' command.
rest_on_space
(default off) make the space bar a synonym for the `.'
(rest) command.
safe_pet
(default on) prevent you from (knowingly) attacking your
pets.
silent
(default on) suppress terminal beeps.
sortpack
(default on) sort the pack contents by type when displaying
inventory.
standout
(default off) boldface monsters and ``--More--''.
time
(default off) show the elapsed game time in turns on bottom
line.
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NetHack Guidebook 22
tombstone
(default on) draw a tombstone graphic upon your death.
verbose
(default on) provide more commentary during the game.
In the PC NetHack version, options may be set in a confi-
guration file on disk as well as from NETHACKOPTIONS.
9. Scoring
NetHack maintains a list of the top scores or scorers on
your machine, depending on how it is set up. In the latter case,
each account on the machine can post only one non-winning score
on this list. If you score higher than someone else on this
list, or better your previous score, you will be inserted in the
proper place under your current name. How many scores are kept
can also be set up when NetHack is compiled.
Your score is chiefly based upon how much experience you
gained, how much loot you accumulated, how deep you explored, and
how the game ended. If you quit the game, you escape with all of
your gold intact. If, however, you get killed in the Mazes of
Menace, the guild will only hear about 90% of your gold when your
corpse is discovered (adventurers have been known to collect
finder's fees). So, consider whether you want to take one last
hit at that monster and possibly live, or quit and stop with
whatever you have. If you quit, you keep all your gold, but if
you swing and live, you might find more.
If you just want to see what the current top players/games
list is, you can type nethack -s all.
10. Explore mode
NetHack is an intricate and difficult game. Novices might
falter in fear, aware of their ignorance of the means to survive.
Well, fear not. Your dungeon may come equipped with an ``ex-
plore'' or ``discovery'' mode, that enables you to keep old save
files and cheat death, at the paltry cost of not getting on the
high score list.
There are two ways of enabling explore mode. One is to
start the game with the -X switch. The other is to answer yes to
the question ``Do you want to create a non-scoring, restartable
save file?'' upon saving the game. The other benefits of explore
mode are left for the trepid reader to discover.
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 23
11. Credits
The original _✓h_✓a_✓c_✓k game was modeled on the Berkeley UNIX _✓r_✓o_✓-
_✓g_✓u_✓e game. Large portions of this paper were shamelessly cribbed
from _✓A _✓G_✓u_✓i_✓d_✓e _✓t_✓o _✓t_✓h_✓e _✓D_✓u_✓n_✓g_✓e_✓o_✓n_✓s _✓o_✓f _✓D_✓o_✓o_✓m, by Michael C. Toy and Ken-
neth C. R. C. Arnold. Small portions were adapted from _✓F_✓u_✓r_✓t_✓h_✓e_✓r
_✓E_✓x_✓p_✓l_✓o_✓r_✓a_✓t_✓i_✓o_✓n _✓o_✓f _✓t_✓h_✓e _✓D_✓u_✓n_✓g_✓e_✓o_✓n_✓s _✓o_✓f _✓D_✓o_✓o_✓m, by Ken Arromdee.
NetHack is the product of literally dozens of people's work.
A list of _✓s_✓o_✓m_✓e of those who made major additions to the game ap-
pears below:
Jay Fenlason wrote the original release of Hack, with help
from Kenny Woodland, Mike Thome and Jon Payne.
Andries Brouwer did a major re-write, transforming Hack into
a very different game, and published (at least) three versions
(1.0.1, 1.0.2, and 1.0.3) for UNIX machines to the Usenet.
Don G. Kneller ported Hack 1.0.3 to Microsoft C and MS-DOS,
producing PC HACK 1.01e, added support for DEC Rainbow graphics
in version 1.03g, and went on to produce at least four more ver-
sions (3.0, 3.2, 3.51, and 3.6).
R. Black ported PC HACK to Lattice C and the Atari
520/1040ST, producing ST Hack 1.03.
Mike Stephenson merged these various versions back together,
incorporating many of the added features, and produced NetHack
1.4. He later coordinated a cast of thousands throughout the
Usenet in adding and debugging features, and released NetHack
versions 2.2 and 2.3. Later, he coordinated a major rewrite of
the game, heading a team which included Ken Arromdee, Jean-
Christophe Collet, Steve Creps, Eric Hendrickson, Izchak Miller,
John Rupley, Mike Threepoint, and Janet Walz, to produce NetHack
3.0.
Olaf Siebert ported NetHack 2.3 and 3.0 to the Amiga.
Eric R. Smith ported NetHack 3.0 to the Atari.
Timo Hakulinen ported NetHack 3.0 to OS/2.
The following folks have made significant contributions to
the playability of the game:
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
NetHack Guidebook 24
Tom Almy Bruce Holloway Izchak Miller
Ken Arromdee Richard P. Hughey Gil Neiger
Eric Backus Del Lamb Eric S. Raymond
John S. Bien Greg Laskin John Rupley
Ralf Brown Steve Linhart Kevin Sweet
Jean-Christophe Collet Benson I. Margulies Scott R. Turner
Steve Creps Roland McGrath Janet Walz
Eric Hendrickson Bruce Mewborne
Brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective holders.
NetHack Version 3.0 September 6, 1989
