Magic lamp
( 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | magic lamp |
| Appearance | lamp |
| Base price | 50 zm |
| Weight | 20 |
| Material | copper |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
A magic lamp is a light source that appears in NetHack. It appears as a lamp when unidentified.
Generation
Magic lamps cannot be wished for, and you will instead get an ordinary oil lamp.
Description
While also used to illuminate areas like a normal oil lamp, a magic lamp will never run out of power. Additionally, each time you rub a magic lamp, there is a 1/3 chance that "You see a puff of smoke", and another 1/3 chance that "Nothing happens"; the remaining 1/3 of the time, a djinni appears, and the lamp is auto-identified and turned into an oil lamp of the same BUC with 1000-1500 turns of charges.[1]
One of the following five outcomes occurs at this point, with the relative probability depending on the beatitude of the lamp:[2]
| Blessed | Uncursed | Cursed | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80% | 20% | 5% | Grants one wish, then disappears. "I am in your debt. I will grant one wish!" |
| 5% | 20% | 5% | Remains as a pet. "Thank you for freeing me!" |
| 5% | 20% | 5% | Remains as a peaceful monster. "You freed me!" |
| 5% | 20% | 5% | Speaks, then vanishes. "It is about time!" |
| 5% | 20% | 80% | Remains in its regular state (hostile, or sometimes peaceful, if you are neutral). "You disturbed me, fool!" |
Strategy
Always make sure a magic lamp is blessed before rubbing - an early magic lamp stands a high chance of being wasted if you rub it without knowing its BUC status. Be wary of rubbing unpaid magic lamps as well, as the shopkeeper will charge you a usage fee if you manage to extract the genie. Thankfully, magic lamps are easily distinguished from normal ones via price identification.
Some players prefer an inexhaustible light source to an extra wish, depending on their circumstances; the lamp can always be rubbed for a wish later with no trouble, making it a useful tool to bring into Gehennom and other dark areas. If you reach the Astral Plane with a magic lamp, it may be worth blessing for the chance to wish up a necessary item, though it can also serve as a light source for jumping.
Variants
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, wishes cannot be used on magical items unless they are from a wand of wishing. However, magic lamps are made eligible for wishing.
