Digging - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* Non-diggable levels */ copyedit

2024-12-16T07:26:04Z

‎Non-diggable levels: copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: monsters and undiggable floors

2024-09-12T07:11:47Z

monsters and undiggable floors

Umbire the Phantom: todo

2024-09-12T06:54:39Z

todo

Umbire the Phantom: lede + reorg + etc.

2024-09-12T06:54:08Z

lede + reorg + etc.

Umbire the Phantom: knock out the copyedit

2024-09-12T06:45:45Z

knock out the copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: /* Messages */ plane of earth

2024-09-12T06:28:12Z

‎Messages: plane of earth

Umbire the Phantom: section rename

2024-09-12T06:27:29Z

section rename

Umbire the Phantom: snip redundant stuff, note altar, specific section todo as a reminder

2024-09-12T06:14:01Z

snip redundant stuff, note altar, specific section todo as a reminder

Umbire the Phantom: todo

2024-09-12T06:09:06Z

todo

Umbire the Phantom: move plane section to bottom of its level 2 header

2024-09-12T06:07:44Z

move plane section to bottom of its level 2 header

@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 The ground or the walls of certain levels or sections of a level can be set as '''non-diggable''' (or informally "'''undiggable'''"), which prevents them from being completely dug through: a non-diggable wall completely blocks digging tools and stops rays from the wand of digging and spell of dig, while a non-diggable floor prevents holes from being made in them by any means (i.e. wands and spells will have no effect, but digging tools can still create pits).
-Non-diggable floors and walls can affect other dungeon features in the area: [[Iron bars]] on a non-diggable level or section cannot be dissolved by [[acid]], and [[tree]]s on a non-diggable level or section cannot be chopped down with any [[axe]] weapon. Doors can still be destroyed by digging through them even if the walls are non-diggable.
+Non-diggable floors and walls can affect other dungeon features in the area: [[Iron bars]] in a non-diggable level or section cannot be dissolved by [[acid]], and [[tree]]s on a non-diggable level or section cannot be chopped down with any [[axe]] weapon. Doors in non-diggable areas can still be destroyed by digging through them.
 The following levels have non-diggable walls and/or floors:

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 * The [[Elemental Planes]] have non-diggable floors, and the [[Astral Plane]] has non-diggable floors and walls.
-{{upcoming|3.7.0|Zapping a wand of digging or spell of digging at a non-diggable floor will create a pit instead of having no effect.}}
+{{upcoming|3.7.0|Zapping a wand of digging or spell of digging at a non-diggable floor will create a pit instead of having no effect. Per {{commit|82f0b1e8ea4e54fefdcf97978fe8e0ae713c4b05}}, this also applies to monsters, who will fall into the pit they create this way unless they are flying.}}
 ===Digging-resistant walls===

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 Digging with a pick-axe or dwarvish mattock takes several [[turn]]s, while the spell of dig and wand of digging generally take a single turn - see the section below on {{sa|Digging speed|the speed of digging actions}} for details.
-{{todo|List more undiggable levels, including particulars of the Castle; cover digging sideways while within pits; mention what other dungeon features can and cannot be dug through; and add citations where necessary, among other things}}
+{{todo|List more undiggable levels, including particulars of the Castle; cover digging sideways while within pits; mention what other dungeon features can and cannot be dug through; consider adjusting the digging speed table's cells; and add citations where necessary, among other things}}
 ==Description==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{tocright}}
-In ''[[NetHack]]'', '''digging''' is the act of tunneling through the [[solid rock]] walls or floor of the dungeon level.
+In ''[[NetHack]]'', '''digging''' is the act of tunneling through the [[solid rock]] walls or floor of the dungeon level. There are multiple methods of digging:
-{{todo|List more undiggable levels, including particulars of the Castle; cover digging sideways while within pits; mention what other dungeon features can and cannot be dug through; and add citations where necessary, among other things}}
+* Using a [[pick-axe]] or a [[dwarvish mattock]], which are considered '''digging tools'''
+** Non-[[undead]] [[Dwarf (monster attribute)|dwarves]] will automatically dig around the level if they have a tool on hand.
 * [[Zapping]] a [[wand of digging]], whose [[ray]] can either blast through walls or create a hole in the floor
 * [[Cast]]ing the [[spell of dig]], whose ray has the same effect as the wand
-* [[Polymorph]]ing into any of the listed [[tunneling monster]]s that do not need digging tools:
+* Being any one of the [[tunneling monster]]s that does not need digging tools, including becoming one via [[polymorph]]:
 ** {{monsymlink|rock mole}}
 ** {{monsymlink|woodchuck}}
 ** {{monsymlink|umber hulk}}
-Digging with a pick-axe or dwarvish mattock takes several [[turn]]s, while the spell of dig and wand of digging generally take a single turn.
+Digging with a pick-axe or dwarvish mattock takes several [[turn]]s, while the spell of dig and wand of digging generally take a single turn - see the section below on {{sa|Digging speed|the speed of digging actions}} for details.
 The [[hero]] and monsters can dig in any of the eight directions, and the hero can also dig downwards using a tool, the wand or the spell - attempting to dig upwards only works with the wand or spell, and will only cause a [[rock]] to fall on the hero's head. Tunneling monsters can dig in eight directions, but monsters can only dig downward with the wand. Digging through a door with a tool or magic will destroy it, while digging through a [[boulder]] with a tool will shatter it into several [[rock]]s - the spell of dig and wand of digging cannot destroy boulders.
@@ Line 56: / Line 55: @@
 ==Digging speed==
-While digging with a wand of digging or the dig spell always takes exactly one action, a pick-axe or mattock takes roughly 5 turns to dig horizontally through solid rock, and 20 turns to dig through the floor - the exact time required to dig using digging tools varies depending on a number of variables:
+While digging with a wand of digging or the dig spell always takes exactly one action, a pick-axe or mattock takes roughly 5 turns to dig horizontally through solid rock, and 20 turns to dig through the floor - the exact amount of actions required to dig using digging tools depends on a number of variables:
 * Having high [[dexterity]] and [[strength]] makes digging faster, applying the same bonuses as they do to [[to-hit]].

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 In ''[[NetHack]]'', '''digging''' is the act of tunneling through the [[solid rock]] walls or floor of the dungeon level.
-{{todo|Copyedit digging speed section; list more undiggable levels, including particulars of the Castle; cover digging sideways while within pits; mention what other dungeon features can and cannot be dug through; and add citations where necessary, among other things}}
+{{todo|List more undiggable levels, including particulars of the Castle; cover digging sideways while within pits; mention what other dungeon features can and cannot be dug through; and add citations where necessary, among other things}}
 ==Description==
@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 ==Digging speed==
-The following discussion of digging speed only applies to the hero digging with pick-axes and dwarvish mattocks, as digging with a wand of digging or the dig spell always takes exactly one action.
+While digging with a wand of digging or the dig spell always takes exactly one action, a pick-axe or mattock takes roughly 5 turns to dig horizontally through solid rock, and 20 turns to dig through the floor - the exact time required to dig using digging tools varies depending on a number of variables:
-{{todo|Copyedit so that it remains technical while also being concise.}}
+* Having high [[dexterity]] and [[strength]] makes digging faster, applying the same bonuses as they do to [[to-hit]].
+* Being a [[Dwarf (starting race)|dwarf]] makes digging faster.
-===Summary of factors===
+* Wielding a digging tool by [[apply]]ing it does not use up any time, but ''only'' if the player selects a direction to dig in when prompted to.{{refsrc|src/dig.c|972|nethack=3.6.7|comment=<code>res</code> is set to 1 if you wielded the pick}}{{refsrc|src/dig.c|1016|nethack=3.6.7|comment=<code>res</code> is returned if you declined to specify a direction}}{{refsrc|src/dig.c|1018|nethack=3.6.7|comment=The value of <code>res</code> is discarded before timing calculations, so the rest of the code doesn't know whether you wielded the pick at that point}}
-A pick-axe or mattock takes roughly 5 turns to dig horizontally, and 20 turns to dig through the floor. However, the actual time varies depending on a number of factors.
+* A positively enchanted pick-axe or mattock and/or a worn [[ring of increase damage]] with positive enchantment makes digging with the tools faster, while a negatively enchanted or eroded pick-axe or mattock, or a worn ring of increase damage with negative enchantment, ''slows'' digging with those tools.{{refsrc|src/dig.c|300|nethack=3.6.7|name="dig rate"|comment=note that <code>10 + [[rn2]](5)</code> is 9 + d5}}
+** Note that pick-axes are lower in [[weight]] and are always generated at +0, while the heavier mattocks have a base to-hit penalty and can be generated with either positive or negative enchantment.
-The following things impact the speed of digging:
+* Having intrinsic or extrinsic [[speed]] indirectly speeds up digging, since the digging ''actions'' will be complete in fewer ''turns''.
-* Having high dexterity and strength makes digging faster.
+The following traits and actions have no impact on digging speed, although they might be expected to:
-The following things have no impact on digging speed, although they might be expected to:
+* Having a higher pick-axe [[skill]] has no effect.
-* Having higher pick-axe [[skill]]
+Each move that the hero spends digging up rock walls, boulders and statues with a pick-axe or a dwarvish mattock, or else chopping down non-petrified trees with an axe, generates a certain amount of "digging effort" - this is calculated with the equation below, and the result is doubled if the character started the game as a dwarf:<ref name="dig rate"/>
-===Full explanation and calculations===
++ d5 + STR and DEX to-hit bonuses + enchantment - erosion + increase damage bonus
-Each move you spend digging, you generate
+The outcomes for certain strength, erosion and enchantment benchmarks are displayed in the table below:
 {| class="wikitable"
@@ Line 94: / Line 92: @@
 |statue, boulder, wall, solid rock, (secret) door; chop down tree||101||8.9||11.7||6.3||5.6
 |}
 ==Strategy==

@@ Line 121: / Line 121: @@
 {{message|You start digging downward. You dig a pit in the floor.|You dug downward with a digging tool.}}
 {{message|This <door/wall> seems too hard to dig.|You are attempting to dig through a shop wall or door.}}
 ==References==

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 {{upcoming|3.7.0|Per {{commit|075844b4d624d0cf249d1c2bc851a6484984a06b}}, shopkeepers will magically repair pits and holes in their shop as they do damaged walls and doors.}}
-===Undiggable levels===
+===Non-diggable levels===
 The ground or the walls of certain levels or sections of a level can be set as '''non-diggable''' (or informally "'''undiggable'''"), which prevents them from being completely dug through: a non-diggable wall completely blocks digging tools and stops rays from the wand of digging and spell of dig, while a non-diggable floor prevents holes from being made in them by any means (i.e. wands and spells will have no effect, but digging tools can still create pits).

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 The [[hero]] and monsters can dig in any of the eight directions, and the hero can also dig downwards using a tool, the wand or the spell - attempting to dig upwards only works with the wand or spell, and will only cause a [[rock]] to fall on the hero's head. Tunneling monsters can dig in eight directions, but monsters can only dig downward with the wand. Digging through a door with a tool or magic will destroy it, while digging through a [[boulder]] with a tool will shatter it into several [[rock]]s - the spell of dig and wand of digging cannot destroy boulders.
-Digging downwards with a digging tool will eventually create a pit in the floor; digging downwards with a tool while in a pit will turn the pit into a hole, causing the hero to fall through it immediately unless they have [[flying]]. Digging downwards when standing on a [[sink]] will turn it into a non-magical [[fountain]], and digging downwards when standing on a fountain will most likely create several [[pool]]s of water. [[Stairway]]s cannot be dug through.
+Digging downwards with a digging tool will eventually create a pit in the floor; digging downwards with a tool while in a pit will turn the pit into a hole, causing the hero to fall through it immediately unless they have [[flying]]. Digging downwards when standing on a [[sink]] will turn it into a non-magical [[fountain]], and digging downwards when standing on a fountain will most likely create several [[pool]]s of water. [[Stairway]]s and [[altar]]s cannot be dug through.
 Zapping the wand of digging or spell of dig downwards instantly creates a hole beneath the hero in most circumstances, causing them to immediately fall through unless they have flying or [[levitation]]. Monsters will only zap a wand of digging when trying to escape the hero, and will always aim downward to create a hole that they will fall through; a monster that can fly will immediately swoop through the hole instead.
@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 ==Digging speed==
 The following discussion of digging speed only applies to the hero digging with pick-axes and dwarvish mattocks, as digging with a wand of digging or the dig spell always takes exactly one action.
 ===Summary of factors===
@@ Line 115: / Line 117: @@
 {{main|Digging for victory}}
 Players that are daring or willing to try their luck can use digging as a [[metastrategy]] to try and gain entrance to the Castle as soon as possible.
 ==Messages==