Earthquake - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* EvilHack */ pothole

2026-03-25T23:36:02Z

‎EvilHack: pothole

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ eivl

2026-03-25T23:35:52Z

‎Variants: eivl

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ detail

2026-03-25T23:33:16Z

‎Description: detail

Umbire the Phantom: more details

2026-03-25T22:35:13Z

more details

Umbire the Phantom: that's everything what was present on-wiki covered

2026-03-25T21:53:14Z

that's everything what was present on-wiki covered

Umbire the Phantom: finishing touches

2026-03-25T21:32:04Z

finishing touches

Umbire the Phantom: variants and more formatting stuff, and I can de-stub this!

2026-03-25T21:30:32Z

variants and more formatting stuff, and I can de-stub this!

Umbire the Phantom: few more sections...

2026-03-25T21:15:32Z

few more sections...

Umbire the Phantom: establish since there are other earthquake effects outside of vanilla

2026-03-25T21:11:59Z

establish since there are other earthquake effects outside of vanilla

New page

An '''earthquake''' is a very rare type of item effect that occurs in ''[[NetHack]]''. Earthquakes will [[dungeon level]]

The only item that is capable of causing an earthquake is the [[drum of earthquake]].

==Description==
An earthquake has several effects on the current [[dungeon level]]:

* Several [[pit]] traps will occur within the hero's proximity, possibly including on their square—this can occur even on [[undiggable]] levels. [[Moat]]s, pools and [[lava]] will flow into pits made in adjacent squares, and [[boulder]]s on squares where pits are created will immediately fill in those pits.
** Any hero or monster that is dropped into a pit this way, including a pit whose square they were on without being inside the pit itself, takes the usual falling damage and will suffer instant [[stoning]] from any [[footrice]] [[corpse]]s that they were wielding or sharing the pit square with—a hero or monster that is already in a pit will be jostled around violently and suffer damage with the same conditions for instant stoning. [[Flight]], [[levitation]] and clinging will prevent a hero or monster from falling into a created pit.
** A hero that is trapped in a pit at the time of being subjected to an earthquake has a chance of taking reduced damage and "keeping their footing" that is dependent on their [[luck]], [[dexterity]] and whether or not they are an [[Archeologist]], and this chance is much lower if they are currently [[fumbling]]{{refsrc|src/music.c|406-L424|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}—a hero that keeps their footing exercises dexterity, and will not be subjected to stoning from footrice corpses that are in the pit or currently being wielded by them.{{refsrc|src/music.c|416-L424|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
* [[Door]]s, [[altar]]s, [[fountain]]s, [[sink]]s, [[grave]]s and [[throne]]s in the affected area will be destroyed, with the exception of high altars in [[Moloch's Sanctum]] and on the [[Astral Plane]]. Damage incurred to a [[shop]] door from an earthquake caused by the hero will anger the [[shopkeeper]].
* All immobile [[monster]]s on the dungeon level will regain their mobility, and awaken all [[sleeping]] monsters on the level, shake loose monsters that are [[hiding]] on the [[ceiling]], and [[scare]] any monsters that are within a Euclidean distance of 23.7 [[square]]s from the hero's position and fail a check versus their [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]].{{refsrc|src/music.c|61|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>awaken_monsters()</tt> function}}{{refsrc|src/music.c|652|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=calls <tt>awaken_monsters()</tt> for drum of earthquake}}

Additionally, if the hero caused the earthquake (which is always the case for ''NetHack'' in practice), the following applies:

* Monsters within a distance of 4*[(XL - 1) / 3 + 1]+1 which are awakened by the earthquake will become hostile.{{refsrc|src/music.c|265|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=call to <tt>wakeup()</tt> from <tt>do_earthquake()</tt>}}{{refsrc|src/mon.c|3027|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>wakeup()</tt> function; the call sets <tt>via_attack</tt> to TRUE}}
* Any peaceful monsters that are dropped into a pit due to the earthquake will also become hostile.
* Any monsters that are killed from falling into pits created by an earthquake will be attributed to the hero, breaking [[pacifist]] [[conduct]] and incurring any appropriate penalties (e.g. to [[alignment record]] or [[luck]]) for peaceful monsters or pets that die this way.
{{stub}}
{{nethack-367}}
[[Category:Properties]]

@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 ===EvilHack===
-In [[EvilHack]], harassment from the Wizard of Yendor can cause an earthquake unless it occurs when the hero is on the [[Elemental Planes]], similar to UnNetHack.
+In [[EvilHack]], harassment from the Wizard of Yendor can cause an earthquake unless it occurs when the hero is on the Elemental Planes, similar to UnNetHack.
 ===Hack'EM===

@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 * A hero invoking [[dNetHack artifacts#The Silence Glaive|The Silence Glaive]] and selecting down ({{kbd|>}}) when prompted for a direction will trigger three earthquakes in sequence after killing all [[genocide]]-vulnerable monsters on the level including the hero (which [[life saving]] can rescue them from).
 * After the hero either kills the Wizard of Yendor or picks up the [[Amulet of Yendor]] for the first time, an earthquake will occur the next time they visit a level containing the sepulcher of a [[dread seraph]], and a chasm will open that frees the seraph from its sepulcher.
 ===Hack'EM===

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 An earthquake has several effects on the current [[dungeon level]]:
-* Several [[pit]] traps will occur within the hero's proximity, possibly including on their square&mdash;this can occur even on [[undiggable]] levels. [[Moat]]s, pools and [[lava]] will flow into pits made in adjacent squares, and [[boulder]]s on squares where pits are created will immediately fill in those pits.
+* Several [[pit]] traps will occur within the hero's proximity, possibly including on their square&mdash;this can occur even on [[undiggable]] levels. [[Moat]]s, pools and [[lava]] will flow into pits made in adjacent squares, and [[boulder]]s on squares where pits are created will immediately fill in those pits and bury any items on the boulder's square (interestingly including other boulders).
 ** Any hero or monster that is dropped into a pit this way, including a pit whose square they were on without being inside the pit itself, takes the usual falling damage and will suffer instant [[stoning]] from any [[footrice]] [[corpse]]s that they were wielding or sharing the pit square with&mdash;a hero or monster that is already in a pit will be jostled around violently and suffer damage with the same conditions for instant stoning. This damage is subject to [[half physical damage]], and [[flight]], [[levitation]] or clinging to the ceiling will prevent a hero or monster from falling into any pits this way.
 ** A hero that has a pit opened on their position while they are tethered to a [[heavy iron ball]] that is buried on their square will have the [[iron chain]] tethering them broken.{{refsrc|src/music.c|380-L390|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 * Several [[pit]] traps will occur within the hero's proximity, possibly including on their square&mdash;this can occur even on [[undiggable]] levels. [[Moat]]s, pools and [[lava]] will flow into pits made in adjacent squares, and [[boulder]]s on squares where pits are created will immediately fill in those pits.
-** Any hero or monster that is dropped into a pit this way, including a pit whose square they were on without being inside the pit itself, takes the usual falling damage and will suffer instant [[stoning]] from any [[footrice]] [[corpse]]s that they were wielding or sharing the pit square with&mdash;a hero or monster that is already in a pit will be jostled around violently and suffer damage with the same conditions for instant stoning. [[Flight]], [[levitation]] and clinging will prevent a hero or monster from falling into a created pit.
+** Any hero or monster that is dropped into a pit this way, including a pit whose square they were on without being inside the pit itself, takes the usual falling damage and will suffer instant [[stoning]] from any [[footrice]] [[corpse]]s that they were wielding or sharing the pit square with&mdash;a hero or monster that is already in a pit will be jostled around violently and suffer damage with the same conditions for instant stoning. This damage is subject to [[half physical damage]], and [[flight]], [[levitation]] or clinging to the ceiling will prevent a hero or monster from falling into any pits this way.
 ** A hero that is trapped in a pit at the time of being subjected to an earthquake has a chance of taking reduced damage and "keeping their footing" that is dependent on their [[luck]], [[dexterity]] and whether or not they are an [[Archeologist]], and this chance is much lower if they are currently [[fumbling]]{{refsrc|src/music.c|406-L424|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}&mdash;a hero that keeps their footing exercises dexterity, and will not be subjected to stoning from footrice corpses that are in the pit or currently being wielded by them.{{refsrc|src/music.c|416-L424|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 * [[Door]]s, [[altar]]s, [[fountain]]s, [[sink]]s, [[grave]]s and [[throne]]s in the affected area will be destroyed, with the exception of high altars in [[Moloch's Sanctum]] and on the [[Astral Plane]]. Damage incurred to a [[shop]] door from an earthquake caused by the hero will anger the [[shopkeeper]].
@@ Line 17: / Line 18: @@
 * Monsters within a distance of 4*[(XL - 1) / 3 + 1]+1 to the hero that are awakened by the earthquake will become hostile.{{refsrc|src/music.c|265|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=call to <tt>wakeup()</tt> from <tt>do_earthquake()</tt>}}{{refsrc|src/mon.c|3027|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>wakeup()</tt> function; the call sets <tt>via_attack</tt> to TRUE}}
 * Any peaceful monsters that are dropped into a pit due to the earthquake will also become hostile.
-* Any monsters that are killed from falling into pits created by an earthquake will be attributed to the hero, breaking [[pacifist]] [[conduct]] and incurring any appropriate penalties (e.g. to [[alignment record]] or [[luck]]) for peaceful monsters or pets that die this way.
+* Any monsters that are killed from falling into pits as a result of the earthquake will be attributed to the hero, breaking [[pacifist]] [[conduct]] and incurring any appropriate penalties (e.g. to [[alignment record]] or [[luck]]) for peaceful monsters or pets that die this way.
 ==History==

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 * The [[Earthquake (monster spell)|earthquake]] [[dNetHack monster spells|monster spell]] will naturally cause an earthquake when cast.
-* A hero [[invoking]] [[dNetHack artifacts#The Silence Glaive|The Silence Glaive]] and selecting down ({{kbd|>}}) when prompted for a direction will trigger three earthquakes in sequence after killing all [[genocide]]-vulnerable monsters on the level including the hero (which [[life saving]] can rescue them from).
+* A hero [[invoking]] [[The Earth Crystal]] will cause an earthquake to occur.
 * After the hero either kills the Wizard of Yendor or picks up the [[Amulet of Yendor]] for the first time, an earthquake will occur the next time they visit a level containing the sepulcher of a [[dread seraph]], and a chasm will open that frees the seraph from its sepulcher.
 ==References==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{tocright}}
-An '''earthquake''' is a very rare type of item effect that occurs in ''[[NetHack]]''. Earthquakes will [[dungeon level]]
+An '''earthquake''' is a very rare type of item effect that occurs in ''[[NetHack]]''. Earthquakes will often affect most or all of a given [[dungeon level]], and can alter or destroy [[dungeon feature]]s even when they are normally resistant in other cases.
 The only item that is capable of causing an earthquake is the [[drum of earthquake]].
@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 ==Variants==
-Some ''NetHack'' [[variants]] make earthquakes possible through other means besides the drum of earthquake.
+Some ''NetHack'' [[variants]] make earthquakes possible through other means besides the drum of earthquake, and may alter how earthquakes affect the dungeon.
 ===UnNetHack===

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 An '''earthquake''' is a very rare type of item effect that occurs in ''[[NetHack]]''. Earthquakes will [[dungeon level]]
@@ Line 22: / Line 23: @@
 ==Messages==
-{{main|Drum of earthquake#Messages|Drum of earthquake messages}}
+{{main|Drum of earthquake#Messages|l1=Drum of earthquake messages}}
 ==References==
 <references/>
 {{nethack-367}}
 [[Category:Properties]]