Scroll of remove curse
? 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | remove curse |
| Appearance | random |
| Base price | 80 zm |
| Weight | 5 |
| Ink to write | 8-15 |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
A scroll of remove curse is a type of magical scroll that appears in NetHack.
Contents
Generation
Monks may be given a scroll of remove curse as the random scroll in their starting inventory.[1] Wizards may be given a scroll of remove curse as any of the three random scrolls in their starting inventory.[2]
Scrolls of remove curse make up 13⁄200 (6.5%) of all randomly-generated scrolls. General stores, second-hand bookstores and rare books shops can sell scrolls of remove curse.
Writing a scroll of remove curse with a magic marker takes up 8 to 15 charges.
Description
Reading a scroll of remove curse ends any punishment the hero is subjected to by destroying the iron chain connected to the heavy iron ball, and has additional effects depending on the scroll's beatitude:[3] a blessed scroll will uncurse all cursed items in the hero's inventory; an uncursed scroll uncurses all equipped items, specifically the hero's wielded item(s), worn armor, loadstones, quivered projectiles, and applied leashes; and a cursed scroll will simply disintegrate with no additional effects.
Reading a scroll of remove curse while confused instead targets all uncursed items in the inventory for a blessed scroll, or all equipped items as above for an uncursed scroll:[4] there is a 1⁄4 chance of each targeted item being blessed, and a 1⁄4 chance of each targeted item being cursed, and all targeted items have their beatitude status hidden. A cursed scroll that is read while confused disintegrates with no other effect as normal.
In all cases, reading the scroll will prompt the player to type-name it if they have not done so already. Monsters will not read this scroll.
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 e13b1833, the scroll of remove curse will auto-identify if it uncurses any items. Per commit cf626876, a non-cursed scroll of remove curse also affects the saddle of a steed that the hero is currently riding.Strategy
Scrolls of remove curse are an essential part of most kits due to the value of curse removal, especially when dealing with hostile spellcasters through the mid- and late game stages. For a hero not observing illiterate conduct, it is almost always worth keeping at least one blessed scroll of remove curse in an emergency sack or oilskin sack outside any bag of holding they are carrying to tip out or pull out at a moment's notice. Even uncursed scrolls are more than sufficient for the purpose of quickly uncursing worn armor and weapons: a hero that does not have a cursed melee weapon can also wield a miscellaneous item and/or quiver a stack of projectile weapons within their inventory, then use the scroll to uncurse them alongside any affected armor.
Identification
The scroll of remove curse is mostly trivial to identify: it is one of two scrolls with a base cost of 80zm alongside the scroll of enchant armor, prints a distinct message when read, and has no adverse effects even if read while cursed.
Reading blessed scrolls while confused
Confused readings of blessed scrolls of remove curse can be used to create holy water and unholy water without the use of altars or prayer, particularly for atheist heroes. This is done by amassing a stack of potions of water, then adjusting them all so that they each occupy a separate inventory letter - once done, the hero should then drop other items that they do not want to randomly bless or curse, confuse themselves, and read the blessed scroll. Afterward, drop the potions and pick them back up or use the adjust command to re-stack them.
To reveal the beatitude of the water without formal identification, non-atheist heroes can use an altar to verify the beatitude of their water. For atheist heroes, it may be wise to set aside a potion of water beforehand that is known to be uncursed, but not formally identified as such, so that it can be used to test for holy water versus uncursed water; excess scrolls may be worth using to test for holy water versus uncursed as well, since at worst you will end up with a blank scroll to reuse later. Atheists and other heroes can also take the potions to a shop for price identification, and/or use any pets they have to test for unholy water.
Some players also use the blessed scroll this way to mass-bless ascension kit items or certain types of polypile fodder, casting remove curse at Skilled to uncurse items as necessary; the light blue aura boon from prayer can also be used for mass uncursing, though this is naturally less reliable. The blessed scroll is generally one of the more resource-efficient methods of blessing much of the hero's inventory, with 12.25 items blessed per scroll on average—one of the few more efficient methods is to successfully pray on a co-aligned altar while wielding a weapon, which can bless it. The water engine that can be created by invoking the Platinum Yendorian Express Card to repeatedly recharge a horn of plenty, apply the horn to produce potions, then dilute and bless those potions technically consumes no deplete-able resources as well, but is also very slow to make use of (especially if the hero is not a Tourist).
History
The scroll of remove curse first appears in Hack 1.21 and Hack for PDP-11, which are based on Jay Fenlason's Hack, and is included in the initial item list for Hack 1.0. In Hack for PDP-11, the scroll reverses the effect of a scroll of curse levels, and is itself unaffected by cursing effects.
Messages
- You feel like someone is helping you.
- You read a scroll of remove curse.
- You feel like you need some help.
- You read the scroll while confused.
- You feel in touch with the Universal Oneness.
- You read a scroll of remove curse while hallucinating.
- You feel the power of the Force against you!
- As above, while also confused.
- The scroll disintegrates.
- This message will be appended to any of the above lines if the scroll being read is cursed.
Variants
GruntHack
In GruntHack, monsters can read the scroll of remove curse to uncurse inventory items as the hero would.
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, the scroll of remove curse will auto-identify if reading it changes the beatitude of any identified items.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, reading a non-cursed scroll of remove curse also cures mummy rot.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, the scroll of remove curse will auto-identify if reading it changes the beatitude of any identified items, and monsters can read the scroll of remove curse to uncurse inventory items. This also applies to Hack'EM.
