NetHack 3.0.4

NetHack 3.0.4 is the ninth public release of NetHack and the fifth by the DevTeam. Izchak Miller published it to the Usenet newsgroup comp.sources.games and the moderator approved it in September 1989.

Availability
The original Usenet postings are most easily obtained from UUNet at. The partXX.Z files in that directory are NetHack 3.0.0; patch* files are the patches for succeeding versions through NetHack 3.0.10.

Ali Harlow has a NetHack 3.0.4 distribution at.

Significant changes
The NetHack 3.0 series is notable for its frequent releases, and NetHack 3.0.4 came out only weeks after NetHack 3.0.3. This is perhaps because NetHack 3.0.0 so vastly expanded the game that it contained many bugs.

Notable new features include:


 * Objects and monsters have color for the first time.


 * A new port to VAX/VMS is provided.


 * All formerly "grey" creatures are now "gray".


 * Monsters are no longer created in the same room as the player.


 * Lycanthropy may now be cured through prayer.


 * Some artifacts are associated with particular roles.


 * One new object, a silver arrow.


 * Still more bug fixes.

The adventurer
The player may choose from these roles:

All classes permit male and female adventurers, except the Valkyrie which must be female.

The adventurer has experience, hit points, magical energy, armor class, alignment, and the six major attributes. He may advance to experience level 30.

The initial pet is a little dog for Cavemen, a kitten for Wizards, and a random choice of the two for all others.

Dungeon features
The dungeon in NetHack 3.0.4 has no branches; there is one way up and one way down. The first 25 levels or so consist of rooms, and beyond that, the adventurer encounters the Castle and then mazes. The deepest dungeon level is 50.

Medusa appears as on the down-stairs of the level before the Castle. She does not have a special level, and is thus a snare for the unwary adventurer.

Dungeon levels below the Castle are designated as "Hell". Entering hell without fire resistance, or losing it once there, is an instadeath. This may happen by taking off an item that confers fire resistance (ring of fire resistance or red dragon scale mail), losing one's polymorph, or by being hit by a gremlin. One may still be saved if he has some other source of fire resistance. These levels have only up-stairs, and the only way to proceed beyond the first level after the Castle is by level teleportation.

Special rooms are:


 * throne room
 * swamp
 * vault
 * beehive
 * crypt
 * barracks
 * treasure zoo
 * temple
 * shop

Special dungeon features are:
 * pool
 * moat
 * drawbridge
 * door
 * ladder
 * fountain
 * throne
 * sink
 * altar

Traps are:


 * monsters disguised as statues
 * bear trap
 * arrow trap
 * dart trap
 * trapdoor
 * teleportation trap
 * pit
 * sleeping gas trap
 * magic trap
 * squeaky board
 * web
 * spiked pit
 * level teleporter
 * anti-magic field
 * rust trap
 * polymorph trap
 * land mine

The Amulet of Yendor is found in the posession of the Wizard of Yendor in a maze level. He is in a small room in the center of the maze, surrounded by water and accompanied by a hell hound and a vampire lord.

Fake Wizard rooms contain a random demon prince instead of the Wizard and a fake Amulet. If all demon princes have appeared, a demon lord appears instead; if all demon lords have appeared, the room contains a random ordinary demon. All eight modern named demons exist, but their modern lairs do not.

A wand of wishing is guaranteed in the Castle, in its modern position; but it lies exposed on the floor instead of being protected by a chest and Elbereth.

When ascending from level 1 with the Amulet of Yendor, one is transported immediately to the Astral Plane; the Elemental Planes do not yet exist. The Astral Plane is different from the modern game, having mazes and powerful monsters instead of the denizens of the modern version.

Bestiary
NetHack 3.0.4 introduces no new monsters.

As NetHack 3.0.4 is the first version that can show monsters in color, given support on the given platform, this is the first article that will use the color templates to show the symbols.

The following monsters may be encountered:

The attentive reader will note that no monster has the symbol j.

Objects
New objects are indicated in boldface.

Starting with this version, each object will be shown with its symbol, to show the color that the player will see.

Artifacts
Artifacts in NetHack 3.0.4 are:

Mjollnir is lawful, but Valkyries are chaotic; how this apparent conflict is resolved is unclear at this time.

Amulets
All amulets appear as.

Amulets in NetHack 3.0.4 are:


 * amulet of esp
 * amulet of life saving
 * amulet of strangulation
 * amulet of restful sleep
 * amulet versus poison
 * amulet of change
 * amulet of reflection
 * Amulet of Yendor (and cheap plastic imitation)

Food
Food items in NetHack 3.0.4 are:

Weapons
Weapons in NetHack 3.0.4 are:

Tools
Tools in NetHack 3.0.4 are:

Keys have shapes that fit specific locks on chests and large boxes; the skeleton key fits all locks and can also open doors.

Armor
Armor items in NetHack 3.0.4 are:

Potions
Potions in NetHack 3.0.4 have randomized appearances (except for water), occurring as one of. They are:


 * potion of fruit juice
 * potion of booze
 * potion of gain energy (if SPELLS defined at compile time)
 * potion of gain ability
 * potion of restore ability
 * potion of sickness
 * potion of confusion
 * potion of blindness
 * potion of paralysis
 * potion of speed
 * potion of levitation
 * potion of hallucination
 * potion of invisibility
 * potion of see invisible
 * potion of healing
 * potion of extra healing
 * potion of gain level
 * potion of enlightenment
 * potion of monster detection
 * potion of object detection
 * potion of water (always )

The method of obtaining holy or unholy water is different from modern versions. One drops a potion of water on an altar and it immediately becomes blessed, uncursed, or cursed for lawful, neutral, or chaotic altars, respectively.

Scrolls
All scrolls appear as.

Scrolls in NetHack 3.0.4 are:


 * scroll of mail (if MAIL defined at compile time)
 * scroll of enchant armor
 * scroll of destroy armor
 * scroll of confuse monster
 * scroll of scare monster
 * scroll of blank paper
 * scroll of remove curse
 * scroll of enchant weapon
 * scroll of create monster
 * scroll of taming
 * scroll of genocide
 * scroll of light
 * scroll of teleportation
 * scroll of gold detection
 * scroll of food detection
 * scroll of identify
 * scroll of magic mapping
 * scroll of amnesia
 * scroll of fire
 * scroll of punishment
 * scroll of charging

Wands
Wands in NetHack 3.0.4 have randomized appearances, occurring as one of. They are:


 * wand of light
 * wand of secret door detection
 * wand of create monster
 * wand of wishing
 * wand of striking
 * wand of nothing
 * wand of make invisible
 * wand of slow monster
 * wand of speed monster
 * wand of undead turning
 * wand of polymorph
 * wand of cancellation
 * wand of teleportation
 * wand of opening
 * wand of locking
 * wand of probing (if PROBING defined at compile time)
 * wand of digging
 * wand of magic missile
 * wand of fire
 * wand of sleep
 * wand of cold
 * wand of death
 * wand of lightning

Spellbooks
All spellbooks are present if and only if SPELLS is defined at compile time.

Spellbooks in NetHack 3.0.4 have randomized appearances, occurring as one of. They are:


 * spellbook of magic missile
 * spellbook of fireball
 * spellbook of sleep
 * spellbook of cone of cold
 * spellbook of finger of death
 * spellbook of light
 * spellbook of detect monsters
 * spellbook of healing
 * spellbook of knock
 * spellbook of force bolt
 * spellbook of confuse monster
 * spellbook of cure blindness
 * spellbook of slow monster
 * spellbook of wizard lock
 * spellbook of create monster
 * spellbook of detect food
 * spellbook of cause fear
 * spellbook of clairvoyance
 * spellbook of cure sickness
 * spellbook of charm monster
 * spellbook of haste self
 * spellbook of detect unseen
 * spellbook of levitation
 * spellbook of extra healing
 * spellbook of restore ability
 * spellbook of invisibility
 * spellbook of detect treasure
 * spellbook of remove curse
 * spellbook of dig
 * spellbook of magic mapping
 * spellbook of identify
 * spellbook of turn undead
 * spellbook of polymorph
 * spellbook of teleport away
 * spellbook of create familiar
 * spellbook of cancellation
 * spellbook of genocide

Rings
Rings in NetHack 3.0.4 have randomized appearances, occurring as one of. They are:


 * ring of adornment
 * ring of gain strength
 * ring of increase damage
 * ring of protection
 * ring of regeneration
 * ring of searching
 * ring of stealth
 * ring of levitation
 * ring of hunger
 * ring of aggravate monster
 * ring of conflict
 * ring of warning
 * ring of poison resistance
 * ring of fire resistance
 * ring of cold resistance
 * ring of shock resistance
 * ring of teleportation
 * ring of teleport control
 * ring of polymorph (if POLYSELF defined at compile time)
 * ring of polymorph control (if POLYSELF defined at compile time)
 * ring of invisibility
 * ring of see invisible
 * ring of protection from shape changers

Stones
Stones in NetHack 3.0.4 are:

and worthless pieces of white, blue, red, yellowish brown, green, and violet glass.

Other items
Other items not appearing in the above categories are:

Blinding and acid venom (both ) are also listed as objects, but they only exist while in flight, or when a wizard mode wish requests them.