Scroll of light
? 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | light |
| Appearance | random |
| Base price | 50 zm |
| Weight | 5 |
| Ink to write | 4–7 |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
A scroll of light is a type of scroll that appears in NetHack.
Contents
Generation
Monks may be given a scroll of light as the random scroll in their starting inventory.[1] Wizards may be given a scroll of light as any of the three random scrolls in their starting inventory.[2]
Scrolls of light make up 9⁄100 (9%) of all randomly-generated scrolls. General stores, second-hand bookstores and rare books shops can stock scrolls of light.
Writing a scroll of light with a magic marker takes up 4 to 7 charges.
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.
Per commit 5d3e237f, Izchak may stock scrolls of light in his shop. This originates from xNetHack.Description
A hero reading a non-cursed scroll of light will create a radius of permanent light around them:[3] an uncursed scroll creates light in a 5-square radius, while a blessed scroll creates a 9-unit radius of light, and gremlins caught in the light will take up to 5 points of damage.[4][5][6] Reading a cursed scroll of light instead darkens a 5-square area around the hero, extinguishing any light sources other than a wielded Sunsword.[7][8] In either case, the scroll will auto-identify.[9][10] Monsters will not read this scroll.
...xxxxx... Area lit by uncursed scroll |
...xxxxx... Area darkened by cursed scroll |
......xxxxxxx...... Area lit by blessed scroll |
Reading the scroll will not light or darken anything if the hero is engulfed, underwater or on the Plane of Water, though a cursed scroll will still extinguish most active light sources as above.[8][11] On the Rogue level, reading the non-cursed scroll in an unlit room will always light the entire room, while reading the cursed scroll in a lit room will fully darken it.[12]
Reading a scroll of light while confused has a 4⁄5 chance of creating a radius of darkness corresponding to the scroll's beatitude around the hero, and otherwise will generate a light monster adjacent to them:[13][14] the monster summoned by the scroll will be a black light if the scroll was cursed and a yellow light otherwise. The scroll will not auto-identify for the hero if it creates a monster, but will prompt the player to type-name it.[15]
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.
Per commit 1ba1422e, reading the scroll while confused summons multiple tame and cancelled lights. An uncursed scroll will summon 3–4 yellow lights, a blessed scroll will summon 5–6 yellow lights, and a cursed scroll will summon 3–4 black lights. Nothing will be summoned if the appropriate type of light is genocided.
Per commit e8341dc9, reading cursed and blessed scrolls of light while not confused may respectively decrease or increase the light radius of Sunsword, gold dragon scales, and gold dragon scale mail.Strategy
Scrolls of light are generally used to light up singular dark rooms and areas such as the Gnomish Mines, though light sources are relied on more often for long term use, and the wand of light and the light spell can be used repeatedly to light up multiple areas. While learning the spell of light is often cause for some players to reserve scrolls of light for blanking or polypiling later on, blessed scrolls of light can still be occasionally useful for lighting up dark squares more thoroughly or quickly. Blessed scrolls can also be useful supplements for aiding in jumping or pounding, though they are generally less efficient for this purpose than standard light sources or even the spell and wand.
Identification
Scrolls of light are trivial to identify due to being the only scroll type with a base price of 50zm.
History
The scroll of light first appears in Hack 1.21 and Hack for PDP-11, which are both based on Jay Fenlason's Hack, and is included in the initial item list for Hack 1.0.
From NetHack 3.1.0 to NetHack 3.4.3, including some variants based on those versions, a blind and engulfed hero that reads a cursed scroll of light will darken the room they are currently in. This is fixed in NetHack 3.6.0 https://github.com/NetHack/NetHack/commit/e995d889974435455f16ea3547a0ddb6b1a93475 The effect of the scroll to create a light monster when read while confused is added in NetHack 3.6.0 via commit f65d0710—a bug in NetHack 3.6.0 prompts the player to type-name the scroll after reading it while confused, even if the scroll was already identified; this is fixed in NetHack 3.6.1 via commit eb22f7f5.
Messages
- A lit field surrounds you!
- You read a blessed or uncursed scroll.
- <The monster's> <stomach> is lit.
- As above, while you are engulfed by an animal.
- <The monster> shines briefly.
- As above, while you are engulfed by a whirly monster.
- <The monster> glistens.
- As above, while you are engulfed by any other type of monster.
- You are surrounded by darkness!
- You read a cursed scroll, or a scroll of any beatitude while confused.
- It seems even darker in here than before.
- As above, while you are engulfed.
- Your <light source> goes out!
- Your lit lamp or lantern went out as a result of the above.
- Your <candle>'s flame is extinguished.
- Your lit candle went out as a result of the above.
- Suddenly, the only light left comes from Sunsword!
- As above, while you are wielding Sunsword.
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.
The following messages are added as part of commit 1ba1422e and commit e8341dc9.
- Lights appear all around you!
- You read the scroll while confused and summoned lights. This auto-identifies the scroll if you can see any of the lights.
- Tiny lights sparkle in the air momentarily.
- You read the scroll while confused, but lights could not be summoned because they are genocided.
- The ambient light seems dimmer.
- You read a cursed scroll of light while not confused. This replaces the Sunsword message above.
Variants
Some variants of NetHack based on NetHack 3.4.3 and earlier versions may or may not adopt the ability to summon lights by reading the scroll while confused that is introduced in later versions.
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, several roles can start with a scroll of light in addition to the Monk and Wizard:[16][17]
- Archeologists may be given a scroll of light as any of the two random starting scrolls.[18]
- Flame Mages may be given a scroll of light as their random starting scroll.[19]
- Ice Mages may be given a scroll of light as their random starting scroll.[20]
- Necromancers may be given a scroll of light as any of the three random scrolls in their starting inventory.[21]
- Priests may be given a scroll of light as their random starting scroll.[22]
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, reading a scroll of light while confused has a different effect: If the scroll is blessed or uncursed, it will summon 5–10 yellow lights scattered throughout the level, while if the scroll is cursed it will instead summon up to 15 black lights.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, a hero that has the spirit Tenebrous bound will unbind it if they create permanent light by reading the non-cursed scroll (unless confused) or any other means.
xNetHack
In xNetHack, scrolls of light use the same behavior as NetHack 3.7.0, with two exceptions: an uncursed scroll of light illuminates a radius of 11 squares rather than 5, while a blessed scroll illuminates the entire level.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, the uncursed and blessed scroll of light behave as they do in NetHack 3.7.0 and xNetHack, and otherwise behaves as it does in NetHack 3.6.7.
References
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 89
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 167
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1450
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1957
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1998
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2018
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1938
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1954
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1453
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1457
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1973
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1983
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1451
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1459
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1460
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 121
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 247
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 36
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 67
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 97
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 138
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 159
