Blindfold
( 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | blindfold |
| Appearance | blindfold |
| Base price | 20 zm |
| Weight | 2 |
| Material | cloth |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
A blindfold is a type of tool that appears in NetHack. It is made of cloth.
Contents
Generation
Rogues, Samurai and Wizards each have a 1⁄5 chance of starting the game with a blindfold.[1][2][3]
A blindfold is guaranteed to appear within one of the niches on the first floor of Vlad's Tower.
Description
While worn or put on, a blindfold renders the character blind and unable to see. Removing or taking off the blindfold will allow them to see again unless they are blinded from another source, e.g. a potion of blindness.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.
You cannot wear a blindfold if you are in a headless form.Strategy
Blindfolds are quite useful to manually blind yourself for various purpose, such as avoiding harmful passive and active gaze attacks from monsters like floating eyes, lights and Medusa. Once you have intrinsic and/or extrinsic telepathy, you can blind yourself at will with the blindfold to scan the level for non-mindless monsters.
While a towel can also be used to blind yourself in addition to its many other uses, it is typically more desirable to have the towel free in case you need to wipe your hands or face.
History
The blindfold first appears in NetHack 2.2a.
Origin
A blindfold refers to any type of garment, usually made of cloth, that is tied around someone's head to cover the eyes and disable the wearer's sight. A properly fitted blindfold prevents sight even if the user's eyes are open, while a poorly tied, flimsy or "trick" blindfold may let the wearer see around or even through the blindfold. Blindfolds have various practical applications (e.g. sleep masks, sensory deprivation) as well as recreational uses (e.g. Pin the Tail on the Donkey).
The blindfold is a powerful symbol that occurs in divination and mythology as far back as the 15th century, and can represent objectivity and impartiality, as well as victimhood, resistance to clarity, denial, or limited views. Likewise, the icon of the blindfold can symbolize the dichotomy of the conscious and the unconscious: wearing a blindfold represents a stasis or a lesser state of consciousness, whereas taking off one's blindfold represents a form of awakening or rebirth. It also represents connection to feeling over senses, emphasizing the importance of emotion over perception.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, upgrading a blindfold will produce a towel and vice versa.
Encyclopedia entry
The blindfolding was performed by binding a piece of the
yellowish linen whereof those of the Amahagger who condescended
to wear anything in particular made their dresses tightly round
the eyes. This linen I afterwards discovered was taken from the
tombs, and was not, as I had first supposed, of native
manufacture. The bandage was then knotted at the back of the
head, and finally brought down again and the ends bound under
the chin to prevent its slipping. Ustane was, by the way, also
blindfolded, I do not know why, unless it was from fear that she
should impart the secrets of the route to us.
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 753: Rogue-specific initializations
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 761: Samurai-specific initializations
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 793: Wizard-specific initializations
