Spellbook of identify

English

 • 中文（中国大陆）‎

spellbook of +   identify
Appearance	random
Abundance	2%
Base price	300 zm
Weight	50
Turns to read	14
Ink to write	15–29
Spell type	divination
Level	3
Power cost	15 Pw
Direction	non-directional
Equivalent	scroll of identify

In NetHack, the spellbook of identify can be read to learn the spell of identify. It is a level 3 divination spell, and the spellbook takes 14 actions to read, which is the longest among level 3 spells.

Generation

Priests may be given a spellbook of identify as one of the two spellbooks in their starting inventory. Wizards may be given a spellbook of identify as the secondary spellbook in their starting inventory.

Spellbooks of identify make up ¹⁄₅₀ (2%) of all randomly-generated spellbooks. General stores, second-hand bookstores and rare books stores can stock spellbooks of identify.

Writing a spellbook of identify with a magic marker uses up 15 to 29 charges.

Description

When successfully cast, the spell of identify replicates the effect of reading a scroll of identify and identifies at least one item for the hero, with the exact effects dependend on the hero's skill in divination spells:

• At Basic skill or lower, the spell has the same effect as reading an uncursed scroll and will identify at least one item in the hero's open inventory that is not fully identified, with a ¹⁄₂₅ chance each (4%) of identifying two, three, four, or all items that are not fully identified.
• At Skilled or higher level, the spell has the same effect as reading a blessed scroll, with a ¹⁄₅ chance each (20%) of identifying one, two, three, four, or all items in open inventory that are not fully identified. The odds of multiple items being identified are increased by positive luck.

The full odds are summarized in the table below:

Skill level	Number of items
	1	2	3	4	all
Skilled or Expert	1⁄5	1⁄5	1⁄5	1⁄5	1⁄5
Unskilled or Basic	21⁄25	1⁄25	1⁄25	1⁄25	1⁄25

Strategy

The spell of identify is considered to be the most useful utility spell in the game, as it can easily supplant scrolls of identify, and even players using heroes who are not primary spellcasters will often seek out the book. Being able to completely identify your inventory reduces the amount of management required for it throughout the game, including (but not remotely limited to) the following benefits:

• Identifying wands saves extra charges that would be spent on engraving or zapping most of them, while showing the amount of charges they have left.
• You can discern the beatitude of any item without an altar.
• Magical items can be more easily distinguished from mundane ones.

The spellbook is a serious boon for early-game Wizards and any character build with high intelligence or wisdom and good power reserves—early-game Wizards and Priests sometimes start scum for the spellbook, while late-game Wizards and other casters often try to write the spellbook (if they are Wizards or willing to try their in-game luck) or even wish for it if they have not yet discovered it.

However, a notable drawback is that getting the most out of the spell requires both efficient energy management to avoid being low on power when you need it most, as well as enough skill in divination spells (usually at least Basic) and/or enough spellcasting supplements such as a robe or helm of brilliance to offset failure rates for less casting-capable heroes. Another drawback is that it does not aid as directly in a hero's survival as many other items that a player can seek out—although it can make finding such items much easier, the ability to quickly deal with threats or else evade them should generally be prioritized, especially if the player otherwise lacks experience.

The spell is ultimately powerful, but optional and not at all mandatory to take a given game to ascension: a hero that does not have the spell and lacks the resources to make the most of it should not go too far out of their way, and players that develop their ability to recognize items through other means (e.g. price identification) will be somewhat less reliant on the spell. With this in mind, any hero that obtains the spell and can reliably cast it should prioritize what to identify according to their needs—heavier items for those with low carrying capacity, projectiles for ranged fighters, other spellbooks for casters, and so on.

The specifics of what should take priority when identifying items with the spell will vary from hero to hero, especially for Wizards capable of writing the spellbook successfully; in any case, and as with many other non-combat spells, finding a relatively safe spot to cast is ideal, particularly if your worn armor needs to be adjusted or removed for casting.

History

The spellbook of identify and its spell first appear in NetHack 1.3d.

Messages

What do you want to identify <first/next>?

You are prompted to select an item in your inventory that is not fully identified.

Choose an item; use ESC to decline.

You made an invalid selection.

That was all.

You identified at least one item and ran out of eligible options, but did so without immediately identifying the entire inventory.

You have already identified all of your possessions.

You cast the spell without anything in your open inventory that is unidentified.

Variants

Several variants of NetHack modify the identify spell, often as part of a re-balancing attempt to make it less 'over-powered' but still useful.

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, the spell of identify has its level raised to a level 5 divination spell.

FIQHack

In FIQHack, the spell of identify has its level lowered to a level 2 divination spell, but to compensate it is also more limited in scope, only identifying object types—casting the spell with higher skill in divination spells will reveal more qualities of the items that it identifies.

xNetHack

In xNetHack, the spell is removed entirely due to balance issues conflicting with the variant's revamped spellcasting system, and scrolls of identify are made much more effective to compensate.