Magic marker
( 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | magic marker |
| Appearance | magic marker |
| Base price | 50 zm |
| Weight | 2 |
| Material | plastic |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
A magic marker is a type of magical tool that appears in NetHack. It can be used to write on various surfaces and can even create magic scrolls and spellbooks.
Contents
Generation
A magic marker is generated with 30–99 charges.[1]
Various roles have a low chance of starting their game with a magic marker:
- Monks and Wizards have a 1⁄5 chance of starting with a magic marker, which is the highest among roles.[2][3]
- Archeologists have a 27⁄400 chance.[4]
- Priests have a 1⁄10 chance of starting with a magic marker.[5]
- Tourists have a 3.538944% chance (24⁄25*24⁄25*24⁄25*1⁄25=13824⁄390625).[6]
Magic markers have a low probability of being created by polypiling magical tools; it is also possible to create them from non-magical tools, but the probability of this occurring is quite small (roughly a 1⁄20 chance versus 9⁄20 for magical tools).
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
As of commit 9d910773, magic markers generated in starting inventory have only 19–23 charges. Initial inventory chances are also changed: 13.5% of Archeologists, 20% of Priests, 25% of Monks, 4.42368% of Tourists, and all Wizards now start with a magic marker.Description
- Some details borrowed from Sascha Wostmann's "Yet Another NetHack FAQ".
Applying a magic marker will prompt you what to write on, which lets you choose a single scroll or spellbook of blank paper in your inventory followed by the scroll or spellbook you wish to write. You can also engrave with a magic marker, which creates a fast semi-permanent engraving at a cost of 1 charge per two letters.
Writing scrolls and spellbooks
You may enter the full name of a scroll or the short form, e.g. "scroll of light" or "light", or the label of a scroll, provided that label exists in your game - said labels are case-sensitive and must always be written out in all-caps. Type-named scrolls can be written using the name you give them: as an example, if you want to write a scroll of remove curse labeled ZELGO MER and you have not formally identified it, but you have type-named the scroll's label as "removed curses", you can write the scroll using its label or the given type-name.
Writing a scroll by its known label or type-name will always succeed with one exception: If you attempt to write an unidentified scroll using a type-name that matches the exact name of a scroll (e.g. "remove curse" or "enchant weapon"), you will attempt to write that actual scroll rather than the one you type-named. Writing an unidentified scroll has a much lower chance of success, with the normal failure chance of trying to write an unidentified scroll.
Similarly, you may write any spellbook by entering the full name ("spellbook of detect food"), the short form ("detect food"), or the appearance ("indigo spellbook"). Unlike with scrolls, you may not copy a spellbook by appearance unless you have formally identified the spellbook. Attempting to write a novel will produce a random novel; attempting to write the Book of the Dead will always fail.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
Novels can no longer be written with a magic marker, and the blank spellbook you select to write on may be destroyed in the attempt.Beatitude
When you write a scroll or spellbook, the beatitude of the resulting item is a combination of the beatitudes of the used marker and the blank scroll or spellbook, as seen below:
| Marker | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blessed | Uncursed | Cursed | ||
| Blank document |
Blessed | Blessed | Blessed | Uncursed |
| Uncursed | Blessed | Uncursed | Cursed | |
| Cursed | Uncursed | Cursed | Cursed | |
In short: blessed markers produce blessed scrolls, unless the material is cursed, and the reverse is true for cursed markers. Uncursed markers produce scrolls with the same status as the material, and thus are the most versatile.
Ink and charges
Writing with a magic marker uses up charges. A magic marker can be recharged only once with a scroll of charging or The Platinum Yendorian Express Card.[7][8] A blessed charge will add 15–30 charges, then round up to 50 or 75 if able. An uncursed charge will add 10–20 charges, then round up to 50 if able. Charges are capped at 127, but attempting to exceed this will not cause the marker to explode.[9]
Any magic markers created by polypiling come "pre-recharged" and cannot be charged again.
Each scroll or spellbook has an associated "base ink cost". For scrolls, this is an arbitrary number specified in write.c; for spellbooks it is (spell level × 10).[10] (Novels are treated as level 1 spellbooks.)
If the ink cost of a scroll or spellbook is x, then writing it will cost a random number of charges between x2 and x − 1 inclusive. If the marker has fewer than x2 charges remaining, you will not even attempt to write the specified item ("Your marker is too dry to write that!").[11] If it has between x2 and x − 1, however, you will attempt to write. If it turns out that this is not enough, the written item will be useless, and the marker will lose all its remaining charges ("Your marker dries out!").[12] Useless scrolls disappear, while books clear themselves.
| Spellbook | Ink | Charges |
|---|---|---|
| novel | 10 | 5–9 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
Some spells are now different level, as such the ink to write those changed as well:
- confuse monster: 10 ink, 5-9 charges to write
- sleep: 30 ink, 15-29 charges to write
- charm monster: 50 ink, 25-49 charges to write
Writing success chance
You will always successfully write a scroll or spellbook if your marker has enough ink and the scroll or spellbook type is formally known to you. You can check whether it is known if the actual type (in addition to the scroll label or spellbook color) is shown in your discoveries list. Merely having it type-named does not count, even if you have called it the correct name. However, you can use the discoveries list to see the label or color, then enter that at the prompt instead, which also guarantees success.
If the scroll or spellbook type is currently unknown to you, your chance of success depends on your Luck and whether you are a wizard.[13] Regardless of whether or not you succeed or fail, you will still use an appropriate amount of ink for that scroll or spellbook.[14][15]
| Luck | Wizard | Non-Wizard |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ −2 | <1% | <1% |
| −1 to 1 | 20% | 6.7% |
| 2 to 4 | 39% | 13% |
| 5 to 7 | 59% | 20% |
| 8 to 10 | 78% | 26% |
| ≥ 11 | 98% | 33% |
If you successfully write an unknown scroll or spellbook type, you must read it or identify it to place it in your discoveries list. This will enable you to write it again later with 100% success.
If you try to write something without enough ink, or fail at an unknown scroll or book, a scroll will disappear, but a spellbook will just blank.[16]
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
If you know a spell without having learned its spellbook (e.g. divine knowledge of the spell), you will be able to write the spellbook if your memory of the spell is reasonably fresh, and have a decreasing chance of writing it if it's going stale.
Per commit 319dfbda, Wizards no longer have a bonus to writing unknown spellbooks, but can instead learn spellbook identities by increasing their skill level in a specific school of magic: Basic skill level in a school of magic grants knowledge of spells up to level 2 in that skillset, while skilled grants knowledge of spells up to level, and Expert skill grants knowledge of spells up to level 7 (i.e. all spells in that school).Writing while blind
Spellbooks cannot be written while blind ("Your magic marker can't create braille text").
You may attempt to write a scroll while blind, but this is subject to fail depending on your luck, with the message "You fail to write the scroll correctly and it disappears." You have the same chance of successfully writing the scroll as a non-blind Wizard does to write an unknown scroll, so maximizing your Luck will give you a high chance of success. The game tests this after checking whether you failed to write an unknown scroll, so it is doubly hard to write an unknown scroll while blind.
Strategy
The magic marker is a highly sought-after item, especially for Wizards; with Luck, you have a good chance of writing scrolls and spellbooks that you have not even identified yet. Magic markers also have several other applicable strategies regarding their use.
Engraving
Engraving Elbereth with a magic marker is generally viewed as a waste of charges, since the same effect can be achieved using an athame or a wand of digging. However, if these or other similar methods are unavailable, it is more than worth it to use the marker, since you will prefer being alive with four less charges to dying with an unused marker. This scenario tends to occur most often with a character that is lucky enough to start the game with one.
Charging
Because of the total gain of 50 charges, it is best to recharge your magic marker when it is totally empty. Blessed charging in this case gives no advantage over uncursed. An exception would be if you want to write a level 6 or 7 spellbook, in which case you may want to use a blessed charging scroll to push a marker to 75 charges.
Writing
Provided your Luck is maximized, it may be worthwhile to attempt to write unknown scrolls or spellbooks even if you are a non-Wizard, depending on the number of charges on your magic marker. For example, if you have a magic marker with a high number of charges, you are very likely to be able to write a scroll of charging and save a wish on the Castle wand. It is also useful to write a low-level unknown spellbook that can teach a powerful utility or offensive spell, such as the spellbook of sleep or spellbook of jumping; the spellbook of magic missile is also a less easy possibility.
Assuming maximized Luck, the following table gives approximate probabilities of successfully writing at least one of the specified scrolls or spellbooks, attempting repeatedly until the item is written or the marker goes dry, as a non-Wizard, given an initial number of magic marker charges:
| # of charges | Any 8-ink scroll | Any level 1 spellbook | Scroll of charging | Any level 2 spellbook | Scroll of genocide or any level 3 spellbook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 94% | 88% | 70% | 60% | 40% |
| 50 | 97% | 93% | 79% | 70% | 52% |
| 60 | 98%+ | 96% | 85% | 77% | 59% |
| 70 | 99%+ | 98% | 90% | 83% | 66% |
| 80 | 99%+ | 99%+ | 92% | 87% | 72% |
| 90 | 99%+ | 99%+ | 95% | 90% | 77% |
Obviously, the lower the number of charges on the marker or the greater the ink cost of the item, the less likely you are to write it successfully.
The ink 8 scrolls include gold detection and magic mapping, and can almost certainly be written unless your marker is nearly dry.
If you have a source of charging and your marker has not been recharged, you have 50 more charges to attempt to write; therefore (for example) a Knight gunning for a spellbook of magic missile starting with a (0:40) magic marker, and willing to spend the entire marker if necessary, has about an 88% chance of obtaining it in total with maxed Luck. (Specifically, it is about a 60% chance of getting it without recharging, plus 70% times 40% probability that they get it after recharging. This is not quite the same probability as a marker with 90 charges, since typically a few leftover charges are "wasted" after the last attempt before recharging.)
History
The magic marker first appears in NetHack 1.3d.
Origin
The Magic Marker is a popular brand of marker pen created by Sidney Rosenthal in 1953, and consists of a glass or plastic tube of ink with a wick (or nib) made of felt which is used to transfer the ink to the writing surface. The upper part of the marker also contains a cap to prevent the marker from drying out. The magic marker of NetHack is based on a pun, as its ink contains actual magic.
Messages
- It reads: "Magic Marker(TM) Red Ink Marker Pen. Water Soluble."
- You read a magic marker.[17]
- You can't feel any Braille writing.
- As above, but you were blind.[18]
- Your marker is too dry to write that!
- You attempted to write something with a marker, but the marker lacks the minimum charges of ink required, and the writing attempt is aborted.[19]
- Your marker dries out!
- Your marker ran out of ink while writing.[20]
- The spellbook is left unfinished and your writing fades.
- As above while writing a spellbook; the spellbook will remain blank.[21]
- The scroll is now useless and disappears!
- As above while writing a scroll; this uses up the scroll.[22]
- You don't know how to write that.
- You tried to write an unknown scroll or spellbook and failed.[23]
- You fail to write that.
- You tried to write a scroll by description, and failed[24]; this can only fail if you have not identified or type-named the scroll, and it is not in your inventory.[25]
- You write "<playername> was here!" and the scroll disappears.
- You failed to write a scroll, and it disappeared.[26]
- You write in your best handwriting "My Diary", but it quickly fades.
- You failed to write a spellbook, which remained blank.[27]
- Your marker seems permanently dried out.
- You attempted to charge a magic marker that was already recharged once.[28]
Variants
SLASH'EM
SLASH'EM incorporates a balance patch to ink costs that increases the amount required to write more useful scrolls. Scrolls of enchant armor, enchant weapon, stinking cloud, remove curse, and charging require 24 ink (12–23 charges) to write, while scrolls of scare monster cost less, requiring 14 ink.[29]
| 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 |
| scare monster | 14 | 7–13 |
| taming | 20 | 10–19 |
| teleportation | 20 | 10–19 |
| charging | 24 | 12–23 |
| enchant armor | 24 | 12–23 |
| enchant weapon | 24 | 12–23 |
| remove curse | 24 | 12–23 |
| stinking cloud | 24 | 12–23 |
| genocide | 30 | 15–29 |
GruntHack
GruntHack adds the felt marker, which can be used to engrave graffiti but cannot write scrolls or spellbooks; both the felt and magic markers appear as simply "markers" when unidentified.
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, a magic marker can be found within the chest furthest behind the throne of the Executioner on the final level of Sheol. The lair of Dispater also has a 3⁄4 chance of containing a magic marker.
AceHack
In AceHack, you are no longer guaranteed to write scrolls and books that you have type-named but not formally identified. This is considered a tradeoff for the ability to type-name items you do not have.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, wizards can no longer start the game with a magic marker. The ruined library at the top of the Lost Cities branch of the Neutral Quest always contains a magic marker.
Markers subjected to water damage from Lethe water, e.g. from falling into Lethe waters or being hit by a rust trap with Lethe water, lose several charges.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, magic markers will not generate randomly or appear in a player's starting inventory, and cannot be polypiled for as a result. They can still be obtained through normal play, though you are not guaranteed to get one outside of wishes; their increased rarity makes them even more popular as wishes for constructing an ascension kit.
Outside of bones files, a magic marker may appear in the following locations:
- The prize tool for Sokoban will either be a bag of holding or a magic marker.
- The Goblin King's chest within his dwelling in Goblin Town has a a 1⁄10 chance of containing a magic marker among his treasures.
- A particular crystal chest within the castle of Kathryn the Ice Queen in the Ice Queen's Realm also has a 1⁄10 chance of containing a magic marker.
- A crystal chest in the Hidden Dungeon has a 3⁄20 chance of containing a magic marker.
- A crystal chest on the last level of Vecna's Domain has a 1⁄10 chance of containing a magic marker.
- A crystal chest on the last level of the Wizard's Tower has a 1⁄4 chance of containing a magic marker
- Finally, a magic marker is guaranteed to appear in a crystal chest in the temple within Moloch's Sanctum, which is guarded by the high priest of Moloch.
Encyclopedia entry
The pen is mightier than the sword.
References
- ↑ src/mkobj.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 933
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 717: Marker odds for monks
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 791: Marker odds for wizards
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 673: Marker odds for archeologists
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 729: Marker odds for priests
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 777: Marker odds for tourists
- ↑ read.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 312
- ↑ read.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 318
- ↑ read.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 344
- ↑ write.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 17
- ↑ write.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 169
- ↑ write.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 181
- ↑ write.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 201
- ↑ write.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 175
- ↑ write.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 198: Ink cost calculated before logic of whether item is known
- ↑ write.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 203
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 287
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 281
- ↑ src/write.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 237
- ↑ src/write.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 250
- ↑ src/write.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 253
- ↑ src/write.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 256
- ↑ src/write.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 293
- ↑ src/write.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 293
- ↑ src/write.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 65
- ↑ src/write.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 305
- ↑ src/write.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 297
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 599
- ↑ write.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 51: "more useful scrolls cost more"
This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.
It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.6.4. Information on this page may be out of date.
Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-364}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.
