Magic marker
A magic marker is a tool item in NetHack. It is one of the most useful writing items as it can be used to write magic scrolls or spellbooks. Of course, to do this, you must have a blank scroll or blank spellbook upon which to write. Magic markers can also be used to scribble a message on the floor (which is about as permanent as an engraving) at a cost of two letters per charge (thus writing Elbereth costs 4 charges). Magic markers can only be recharged once.
Archeologists, Monks, Priests, Tourists, and Wizards all have a chance of starting with a magic marker.
Wizards (especially those with high Luck) have a good chance of writing scrolls and spellbooks that they have not identified yet.
If the ink cost of a scroll or spellbook is X, then writing it will cost a random number of charges between X/2 and X-1 inclusive.
Ink and charges
Scrolls
Scroll | Ink | Charges |
---|---|---|
2 | 1 | |
amnesia | 8 | 4-7 |
earth | 8 | 4-7 |
fire | 8 | 4-7 |
gold detection | 8 | 4-7 |
food detection | 8 | 4-7 |
light | 8 | 4-7 |
magic mapping | 8 | 4-7 |
create monster | 10 | 5-9 |
destroy armor | 10 | 5-9 |
punishment | 10 | 5-9 |
confuse monster | 12 | 6-11 |
identify | 14 | 7-13 |
charging | 16 | 8-15 |
enchant armor | 16 | 8-15 |
enchant weapon | 16 | 8-15 |
remove curse | 16 | 8-15 |
scare monster | 20 | 10-19 |
stinking cloud | 20 | 10-19 |
taming | 20 | 10-19 |
teleportation | 20 | 10-19 |
genocide | 30 | 15-29 |
Spellbooks
Spellbook | Ink | Charges |
---|---|---|
detect monsters | 10 | 5-9 |
force bolt | 10 | 5-9 |
healing | 10 | 5-9 |
jumping | 10 | 5-9 |
knock | 10 | 5-9 |
light | 10 | 5-9 |
protection | 10 | 5-9 |
sleep | 10 | 5-9 |
confuse monster | 20 | 10-19 |
create monster | 20 | 10-19 |
cure blindness | 20 | 10-19 |
detect food | 20 | 10-19 |
drain life | 20 | 10-19 |
magic missile | 20 | 10-19 |
slow monster | 20 | 10-19 |
wizard lock | 20 | 10-19 |
cause fear | 30 | 15-29 |
charm monster | 30 | 15-29 |
clairvoyance | 30 | 15-29 |
cure sickness | 30 | 15-29 |
detect unseen | 30 | 15-29 |
extra healing | 30 | 15-29 |
haste self | 30 | 15-29 |
identify | 30 | 15-29 |
remove curse | 30 | 15-29 |
stone to flesh | 30 | 15-29 |
cone of cold | 40 | 20-39 |
detect treasure | 40 | 20-39 |
fireball | 40 | 20-39 |
invisibility | 40 | 20-39 |
levitation | 40 | 20-39 |
restore ability | 40 | 20-39 |
dig | 50 | 25-49 |
magic mapping | 50 | 25-49 |
create familiar | 60 | 30-59 |
polymorph | 60 | 30-59 |
teleport away | 60 | 30-59 |
turn undead | 60 | 30-59 |
cancellation | 70 | 35-69 |
finger of death | 70 | 35-69 |