Displacement (property) - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: hatnote still

2026-05-19T03:03:56Z

hatnote still

Umbire the Phantom: hatnote

2026-05-19T03:03:44Z

hatnote

Umbire the Phantom: fix hat note

2026-05-18T22:56:14Z

fix hat note

Umbire the Phantom: Umbire the Phantom moved page Displacement to Displacement (property): disambig

2026-05-18T21:50:13Z

Umbire the Phantom moved page Displacement to Displacement (property): disambig

Umbire the Phantom: fix hatnote to reflect changes about to be made

2026-05-18T21:19:42Z

fix hatnote to reflect changes about to be made

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2025-06-24T12:19:08Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: copyedit, add messages

2024-04-22T16:12:15Z

copyedit, add messages

Umbire the Phantom: detailing, variants, etc.

2023-05-28T17:37:12Z

detailing, variants, etc.

Umbire the Phantom: evil, upcoming

2022-10-10T11:40:16Z

evil, upcoming

Umbire the Phantom: bleh

2022-10-10T10:28:45Z

bleh

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:03, 19 May 2026
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−	{{otheruses\|the property known as "displacement"\|other uses related to switching places with monsters ~~that are not hostile~~\|displacement}}	+	{{otheruses\|the property known as "displacement"\|other uses related to switching places with monsters\|displacement}}
	'''Displacement''' is a [[property]] in ''[[NetHack]]'' that causes your image to appear a tile or two away from where you actually are, which can misdirect the attacks of [[hostile]] [[monster]]s. The [[cloak of displacement]] is the only source of the property, and no monsters have intrinsic displacement.		'''Displacement''' is a [[property]] in ''[[NetHack]]'' that causes your image to appear a tile or two away from where you actually are, which can misdirect the attacks of [[hostile]] [[monster]]s. The [[cloak of displacement]] is the only source of the property, and no monsters have intrinsic displacement.

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:03, 19 May 2026
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−	{{otheruses\|the property known as "displacement"\|switching places with monsters that are not hostile\|~~displacing monsters~~}}	+	{{otheruses\|the property known as "displacement"\|other uses related to switching places with monsters that are not hostile\|displacement}}
	'''Displacement''' is a [[property]] in ''[[NetHack]]'' that causes your image to appear a tile or two away from where you actually are, which can misdirect the attacks of [[hostile]] [[monster]]s. The [[cloak of displacement]] is the only source of the property, and no monsters have intrinsic displacement.		'''Displacement''' is a [[property]] in ''[[NetHack]]'' that causes your image to appear a tile or two away from where you actually are, which can misdirect the attacks of [[hostile]] [[monster]]s. The [[cloak of displacement]] is the only source of the property, and no monsters have intrinsic displacement.

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:56, 18 May 2026
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−	{{otheruses\|the property known as "displacement"\|switching places with monsters that are not hostile\|~~displace~~}}	+	{{otheruses\|the property known as "displacement"\|switching places with monsters that are not hostile\|displacing monsters}}
	'''Displacement''' is a [[property]] in ''[[NetHack]]'' that causes your image to appear a tile or two away from where you actually are, which can misdirect the attacks of [[hostile]] [[monster]]s. The [[cloak of displacement]] is the only source of the property, and no monsters have intrinsic displacement.		'''Displacement''' is a [[property]] in ''[[NetHack]]'' that causes your image to appear a tile or two away from where you actually are, which can misdirect the attacks of [[hostile]] [[monster]]s. The [[cloak of displacement]] is the only source of the property, and no monsters have intrinsic displacement.

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:19, 18 May 2026
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−	{{otheruses\|the property\|~~displacing pets by~~ switching places\|~~Pet#Speed~~}}	+	{{otheruses\|the property known as "displacement"\|switching places with monsters that are not hostile\|displace}}
−
	'''Displacement''' is a [[property]] in ''[[NetHack]]'' that causes your image to appear a tile or two away from where you actually are, which can misdirect the attacks of [[hostile]] [[monster]]s. The [[cloak of displacement]] is the only source of the property, and no monsters have intrinsic displacement.		'''Displacement''' is a [[property]] in ''[[NetHack]]'' that causes your image to appear a tile or two away from where you actually are, which can misdirect the attacks of [[hostile]] [[monster]]s. The [[cloak of displacement]] is the only source of the property, and no monsters have intrinsic displacement.

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 ===GruntHack===
-[[GruntHack]] implements proper displacement for monsters: Monsters can appear in a different location from where they actually are, including inside walls, or on another monster's square. [[Telepathy]] or [[monster detection]] will reveal their actual location, making it possible for the displaced monster's glyph to show up on two different squares. Trying to walk onto a displaced monster's square will not attack it.
+[[GruntHack]] implements proper displacement for monsters: Monsters can appear in a different location from where they actually are, including inside walls, or on another monster's square. [[Telepathy]] or [[monster detection]] will reveal their actual location, making it possible for the displaced monster's glyph to show up on two different squares. Trying to move into a square occupied by a monster's displaced image will not cause the hero to automatically attack.
 [[Shimmering dragon (GruntHack)|Adult shimmering dragons]] have intrinsic displacement, and their scales confer displacement.
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 [[FIQHack]] implements monster displacement that is somewhat similar to GruntHack, with the following differences:
-* If a character can sense the monster with telepathy, monster detection or similar, the displaced image will never be shown. A character that cannot see the displaced image, but is able to see the square where their true location is, will see the monster's true location as normal.
+* If a character can sense the monster with telepathy, monster detection or similar, the displaced image will never be shown. A character that cannot see the displaced image, but is able to see the square where their true location is, will see that monster's location as normal.
 * The displaced image will never appear on a square the monster cannot normally inhabit (e.g. inside walls).
 * A character moving onto a square where a monster's displaced image is will try to attack that square, including other monsters that happen to occupy the square, and the same is true of monsters attacking a displaced image in a square occupied by another monster.

← Older revision	Revision as of 21:50, 18 May 2026
(No difference)

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 ==Description==
-Displacement will make a particular given monster think you are at a random square within a 5&times;5 area centered on the player; in other words, the monster will think you are 0&ndash;2 squares away from where you are. If you do not have a clear line of sight to the monster, it will only generate the image in a 3&times;3 square around you; this is presumably to prevent monsters being alerted to your presence from well around corners, or from the other side of a closed door.
+A particular hostile monster will perceive a character with displacement as occupying a random square within a 5&times;5 area centered on them, i.e. they will think the character is 1 or 2 squares away from their actual location. This is reduced to a 3&times;3 area around the character if they do not have a clear line of sight to the monster, presumably to prevent monsters being alerted to their presence from well around corners or the other side of a closed door.
-A monster that does not know your location has a {{frac|4}} chance of figuring out where you actually are during each of its turns; a monster that knows your location is not affected by displacement, but you must be 'found' again each time you move, similar to [[invisibility]]. A monster fooled by your displaced image will often attack it instead of you - the monster may even move in the wrong direction entirely, with the odds of this varying widely depending on your surroundings and movement.<!--Old revision claimed a range of 0-28%, with odds "generally 8.7% in an open room if you're moving away from the monster"; citation + math check would be lovely.--> Shopkeepers and aligned priests are not fooled by displacement if you are generating [[conflict]], and they will not hesitate to attack you.
+A monster that does not know the location of a character with displacement has a {{frac|4}} chance of discovering it during each of its turns, and a monster that learns the character's location is unaffected by their displacement until the character moves again, similar to [[invisibility]]. A monster fooled by a character's displaced image will often attack it instead, and may even move in the wrong direction entirely, with the odds of this varying widely depending on the character's surroundings and movement.<!--Old revision claimed a range of 0-28%, with odds "generally 8.7% in an open room if you're moving away from the monster"; citation + math check would be lovely.--> Shopkeepers and aligned priests are not fooled by displacement if you are generating [[conflict]], and they will not hesitate to attack you.
-Displacement is done per-monster, so your displaced image will generally be in two different locations for two different monsters. This makes it possible for one monster to see your image in the square of another monster - monster melee attacks that target such a square will miss, but breath weapons, ranged weapons and the like will still deal damage.
+Displacement is done per-monster, so a character's displaced image will generally be in two different locations for two different monsters. This makes it possible for one monster to see the character's image in the square of another monster: monster melee attacks that target such a square will miss, but breath weapons, ranged weapons and the like will still deal damage.
 ===Bribery===
-If a lawful [[demon prince]] teleports to you to demand a bribe while you have displacement, they may warp next to your displaced image; this will cause them to become hostile without a chance of being pacified.
+If a lawful [[demon prince]] teleports to demand a bribe from a character with displacement, they may warp next to their displaced image - this will cause them to become hostile without a chance of being pacified.
 ==Strategy==
-Displacement is invaluable when running from a fight you are ill-equipped for, especially in the early game. Non-[[Elf (starting race)|elven]] [[Ranger]]s notably start with a +2 cloak of displacement - elven rangers are given an [[elven cloak]] instead to counterbalance their better weapons.
+Displacement is invaluable when running from a fight that the character are ill-equipped for, especially in the early game. Non-[[Elf (starting race)|elven]] [[Ranger]]s notably start with a +2 cloak of displacement - elven rangers are given an [[elven cloak]] instead to counterbalance their better weapons.{{refsrc|src/u_init.c|200|nethack=3.6.7|comment=A comment explains "the weaker cloak for elven rangers is intentional--they shoot better"}}{{refsrc|src/u_init.c|211|nethack=3.6.7|comment=Elven substitutions for initial inventory}}
-In terms of combat, invisibility is a property of somewhat similar use that applies a &minus;2 to-hit penalty to monsters that cannot see you, and tends to be far more common and accessible than displacement. Even if you are discovered, moving will cause them to lose track of your presence and attack the square you previously occupied; displacement does not affect monster awareness of your presence so much as their ability to pinpoint you. However, the odds of discovery are more likely for invisibility, with a {{frac|3}} chance during each of their turns compared to {{frac|4}} with displacement. Since both properties function on a per-monster-turn basis, fast monsters such as [[soldier ants]] are likely to find you quickly no matter which of them you use - invisibility will also override displacement if you have both properties, unless you are fighting monsters that can see invisible. On a somewhat lesser note, being invisible will cause [[shopkeeper]]s to block the entrances to their [[shop]] - they can also see invisible and will not be fooled by displacement if angered.
+In terms of combat, invisibility is a property of somewhat similar use that applies a &minus;2 to-hit penalty to monsters that cannot see you, and tends to be far more common and accessible than displacement. Even if you are discovered, moving will cause them to lose track of your presence and attack the square you previously occupied; displacement does not affect monster awareness of your presence so much as their ability to pinpoint you. However, the odds of discovery are more likely for invisibility, with a {{frac|3}} chance during each of their turns compared to {{frac|4}} with displacement. Since both properties function on a per-monster-turn basis, fast monsters such as [[soldier ants]] are likely to find you quickly no matter which of them you use - invisibility will also override displacement if you have both properties, unless you are fighting monsters that can [[see invisible]]. On a somewhat lesser note, being invisible will cause [[shopkeeper]]s to block the entrances to their [[shop]] - they can also see invisible and will not be fooled by displacement if angered.
-In the long term, monsters that can [[see invisible]] become more common as you progress; fewer monsters are unaffected by displacement, and even demon lords and princes can be fooled by it, though beware of this if you intend to bribe the lawful ones!
+In the long term, monsters that can see invisible become more common as you progress; fewer monsters are unaffected by displacement, and even demon lords and princes can be fooled by it, though beware of this if you intend to bribe the lawful ones!
 ==Variants==
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 ===SLASH'EM===
-In [[SLASH'EM]], monster displacement exists: only [[displacer beast]]s have the property intrinsically. Shimmering dragons and their babies instead have a much lower [[AC]] than other dragons, simulating "displacement" by making them harder to hit.
+In [[SLASH'EM]], monster displacement exists, with [[displacer beast]]s possessing the property intrinsically. Shimmering dragons and their babies instead have a much lower [[AC]] than other dragons, simulating "displacement" by making them harder to hit.
 ===GruntHack===
-[[GruntHack]] implements proper displacement for monsters. Monsters can appear in a different location from where they actually are, including inside walls, or on another monster's location. Monster displacement will only fool the player character's vision - [[telepathy]] or [[monster detection]] will reveal their actual location, making it possible for the displaced monster to show up on two different squares. Trying to walk onto a displaced monster's square will not attack it.
+[[GruntHack]] implements proper displacement for monsters: Monsters can appear in a different location from where they actually are, including inside walls, or on another monster's square. [[Telepathy]] or [[monster detection]] will reveal their actual location, making it possible for the displaced monster's glyph to show up on two different squares. Trying to walk onto a displaced monster's square will not attack it.
-[[Dragon (GruntHack)|Adult shimmering dragons]] have intrinsic displacement, and their scales confer displacement.
+[[Shimmering dragon (GruntHack)|Adult shimmering dragons]] have intrinsic displacement, and their scales confer displacement.
 ===FIQHack===
 [[FIQHack]] implements monster displacement that is somewhat similar to GruntHack, with the following differences:
-* If you can sense the monster with telepathy, monster detection or similar, the displaced image will never be shown. If you can't see the displaced image, but would be able to see the true location, you will see the monster's true location.
+* If a character can sense the monster with telepathy, monster detection or similar, the displaced image will never be shown. A character that cannot see the displaced image, but is able to see the square where their true location is, will see the monster's true location as normal.
-* The displaced image will never appear in a spot the monster couldn't normally be on, such as inside walls.
+* The displaced image will never appear on a square the monster cannot normally inhabit (e.g. inside walls).
-* You will (try to) attack displaced images if moving onto them. If there is another monster there, you will attack it. The same thing now happens if a monster tries to attack your (or another monster's) displaced image that is on another monster.
+* A character moving onto a square where a monster's displaced image is will try to attack that square, including other monsters that happen to occupy the square, and the same is true of monsters attacking a displaced image in a square occupied by another monster.
-Shimmering dragons, their baby forms and their scales are also present; unlike in GruntHack, baby shimmering dragons have intrinsic displacement as well as adults.
+Shimmering dragons, their baby forms and their scales are also present - unlike in GruntHack, baby shimmering dragons have intrinsic displacement as well as adults.
 ===xNetHack===
-In [[xNetHack]], eating a displacer beast corpse will confer intrinsic displacement for a short time. [[Displacer beast]]s have the displacement property, which is implemented similar to some other variants: fighting them may cause you to displace them instead of attacking, and force-fighting via {{kbd|F}} may similarly cause you to attack thin air. The [[corpse]] or [[tin]] of a displacer beast confers temporary intrinsic displacement when eaten.
+In [[xNetHack]], displacer beasts have the displacement property, which is implemented similar to some other variants: fighting them may cause the character to displace them instead of attacking, and force-fighting via {{kbd|F}} may similarly cause them to attack thin air. The [[corpse]] or [[tin]] of a displacer beast confers temporary intrinsic displacement when eaten.
 ===EvilHack===
-In [[EvilHack]], monsters can gain displacement via wearing the cloak or the shimmering dragon's scales/scale mail, and monster displacement functions somewhat similarly to xNetHack and GruntHack.
+In [[EvilHack]], monsters can gain displacement from the same sources as the player character, and monster displacement functions somewhat similarly to xNetHack and GruntHack. A message is also printed if the monster discovers a displaced character's actual location.
-{{nethack-366}}
 [[Category:Properties]]