NetHack 3.1.0

NetHack 3.1.0 is the 16th public release of NetHack and the twelfth by the DevTeam. Izchak Miller published it to the Usenet newsgroup comp.sources.games and the moderator approved it in January 1993.

Availability
The original Usenet postings are most easily obtained from UUNet at. The part*.Z files in that directory are NetHack 3.1.0; patch*.Z files are the patches for succeeding versions through NetHack 3.1.3.

Ali Harlow has a NetHack 3.1.0 distribution at.

Significant changes
NetHack 3.1.0 significantly revises the dungeon and adds many new monsters and objects:


 * A branched dungeon is introduced, adding the Gnomish Mines, a revised Oracle level, a Bigroom, the Quests, Fort Ludios, Medusa's Lair, the Elemental Planes, and a revised Astral Plane. Vlad's Tower is relocated into its own branch.


 * Hell is revised and is now called Gehennom. Entering Gehennom without fire resistance, while still not exactly wise, is no longer an instadeath.  Levels in Gehennom now have stairs going both up and down.


 * Gehennom now has special levels for Asmodeus, Juiblex, Baalzebub, and Orcus. The Wizard's Tower and the Fake Towers take their modern forms.


 * The Wizard of Yendor no longer has the Amulet of Yendor, but the Book of the Dead; the Amulet is now in the Sanctum, requiring the invocation ritual to retrieve it.


 * Dungeon lighting now uses line-of-sight calculations.


 * Moloch is introduced, along with a new background mythology.


 * The alignments of some roles are revised.


 * Strength, dexterity, constitution, and wisdom can now be exercised or abused.


 * The encumbrance system is redone, giving the modern statuses of Burdened, Stressed, Strained, Overtaxed, and Overloaded.


 * In addition to the existing MS-DOS port using overlays, a new port is provided for 386-based computers, using DJGPP.

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 main trunk of the dungeon begins at level 1, where the game begins, and proceeds down stairs to Medusa's Lair and the Castle. From there, it is necessary to enter a trap door to the Valley of the Dead. Further stairs down eventually lead to the invocation level. Performing the invocation ritual at the vibrating square opens the stairs to the Sanctum.

With the Amulet of Yendor in hand, the adventurer may ascend from level 1 into the Plane of Earth; thence s/he may proceed through magic portals to the planes of Air, Fire, and Water, and thence to the Astral Plane. Offering the Amulet of Yendor on the correct high altar wins the game.

Along the way, one will encounter these branches and special levels:


 * A second stair to the Gnomish Mines. Therein, one will find Mine Town and, at the end, the bottom level with a luckstone.


 * The Oracle level.


 * A possible Bigroom.


 * The Rogue level.


 * The magic portal to the Quest.


 * A possible magic portal, inside a vault, to Fort Ludios.


 * Medusa's Lair.


 * The Castle.


 * The Valley of the Dead. Gehennom begins here, and it is no longer safe to pray.


 * The lairs of Asmodeus, Juiblex, Baalzebub, and Orcus.


 * A second upward staircase to Vlad's Tower.


 * The Wizard's Tower; it is visible but not accessible from here.


 * A Fake Tower containing a random Amulet.


 * A Fake Tower containing a magic portal by which the Wizard's Tower may be entered.

To win the game, it is necessary to complete these tasks:


 * Gather seven candles, possibly in the lighting shop (not yet tended by Izchak) in Mine Town.


 * Complete the Quest and get the Bell of Opening.


 * Kill Vlad the Impaler and get the Candelabrum of Invocation.


 * Kill the Wizard of Yendor and get the Book of the Dead.


 * Proceed to the vibrating square and perform the invocation ritual.


 * Kill the high priest of Moloch and get the Amulet of Yendor.


 * Escape from the dungeon.


 * Pass through the Elemental Planes.


 * Arrive at the correct altar in the Astral Plane.


 * Offer the Amulet of Yendor to the god of your alignment.

Special rooms are:


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

Special dungeon features are:
 * pool
 * moat
 * water
 * drawbridge
 * lava
 * door
 * ladder
 * fountain
 * throne
 * sink
 * altar
 * ice
 * air
 * cloud

Traps are:


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

A wand of wishing is guaranteed in the Castle, in its modern position, and protected by Elbereth, but not tucked inside a chest.

Bestiary
New monsters are indicated in boldface.

The following monsters may be encountered:

The INFERNO symbol no longer controls any game feature, and so the generic demon is removed.

Objects
New objects are indicated in boldface.

Artifacts
Artifacts in NetHack 3.1.0 are:

The following are Quest artifacts and appear only if MULDGN is defined at compile time.

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

Amulets
All amulets appear as.

Amulets in NetHack 3.1.0 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 magical breathing
 * Amulet of Yendor (and cheap plastic imitation)

Food
Food items in NetHack 3.1.0 are:

Weapons
Weapons in NetHack 3.1.0 are:

Tools
Tools in NetHack 3.1.0 are:

The shaped keys are removed; the skeleton key takes over their function.

Armor
Armor items in NetHack 3.1.0 are:

Potions
Potions in NetHack 3.1.0 have randomized appearances (except for water), occurring as one of. They are:


 * potion of gain ability
 * potion of restore ability
 * 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 gain energy
 * potion of booze
 * potion of sickness
 * potion of fruit juice
 * potion of water (always )

Holy and unholy water are now obtained by prayer.

Scrolls
All scrolls appear as.

Scrolls in NetHack 3.1.0 are:


 * scroll of enchant armor
 * scroll of destroy armor
 * scroll of confuse monster
 * scroll of scare monster
 * 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
 * scroll of mail (if MAIL defined at compile time)
 * scroll of blank paper

Wands
Wands in NetHack 3.1.0 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
Spellbooks in NetHack 3.1.0 have randomized appearances (except for blank paper and the Book of the Dead), occurring as one of. They are:


 * spellbook of dig
 * spellbook of magic missile
 * spellbook of fireball
 * spellbook of cone of cold
 * spellbook of sleep
 * 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 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 blank paper (always )
 * Book of the Dead (always )

The spellbook of genocide is removed.

Rings
Rings in NetHack 3.1.0 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 3.1.0 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.