Elbereth - Revision history

NetSysFire: rm excessive rendered whitespace

2026-05-07T08:14:09Z

rm excessive rendered whitespace

Silverwing235: link, SPAG, etc

2025-08-21T14:55:00Z

link, SPAG, etc

Umbire the Phantom: pothole

2025-03-21T01:51:57Z

pothole

Itanic: /* Speed and quality */ Add Fire Brand as a new permanent way to engrave in 3.7

2024-09-20T15:24:47Z

‎Speed and quality: Add Fire Brand as a new permanent way to engrave in 3.7

Furey: Undo revision 168886 by ProgCan (talk) Grammar was fine the first time: "A monster that respects ..."

2024-06-01T17:20:44Z

Undo revision 168886 by ProgCan (talk) Grammar was fine the first time: "A monster that respects ..."

ProgCan: fixed typo

2024-06-01T12:17:15Z

fixed typo

Umbire the Phantom: /* EvilHack */ forgot whispering artifacts

2024-05-22T16:08:20Z

‎EvilHack: forgot whispering artifacts

Umbire the Phantom: potholes et. al.

2024-05-22T12:05:01Z

potholes et. al.

Silverwing235: attempted disambiguation fix

2024-05-03T14:24:57Z

attempted disambiguation fix

Silverwing235: revise

2024-04-25T10:49:52Z

revise

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:14, 7 May 2026
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	If you engrave the word as "ElBereth", there's a 1 in 32 chance that when it degrades, it will degrade to "Elbereth", which will still protect you. This won't exercise wisdom, but has a small chance of saving your life in some desperate situations. Capitalizing other letters is not helpful, as only the capital letter B has a chance of degrading to its lowercase counterpart.		If you engrave the word as "ElBereth", there's a 1 in 32 chance that when it degrades, it will degrade to "Elbereth", which will still protect you. This won't exercise wisdom, but has a small chance of saving your life in some desperate situations. Capitalizing other letters is not helpful, as only the capital letter B has a chance of degrading to its lowercase counterpart.
−

	==History==		==History==

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 ''Parts of this entry were adapted from the NetHack [http://www.steelypips.org/nethack/elbereth_faq.html Elbereth FAQ] by Kate Nepveu.''
-'''Elbereth''' (also called the '''E-word''' or sometimes just '''E''') is, in the writings of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]], the name of a divine being worshipped by elves. In ''[[Nethack]]'', [[engraving]] her name on a square prevents most [[monster]]s from attacking [[you]] while you are on that square. Use of Elbereth is [[Why do I keep dying|a key survival strategy]] for new [[player]]s or characters, and the difference between death and survival in many games.
+'''Elbereth''' (also called the '''E-word''' or sometimes just '''E''') is, in the writings of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]], the name of a divine being worshipped by elves. In ''[[Nethack]]'', [[engraving]] her name on a [[square]] prevents most [[monster]]s from attacking [[you]] while you are on that square. Use of Elbereth is [[Why do I keep dying|a key survival strategy]] for new [[player]]s or characters, and the difference between death and survival in many games.
 ==Effects==
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 ===Blinded monsters===
-A blinded monster that can ordinarily see will not respect Elbereth while it is blind. This makes it unadvisable to use a [[camera]], for instance, while you are hiding behind the power of Elbereth; blind monsters can not read the word anymore and will attack you. This is distinct from [[eyeless]] monsters, such as [[gelatinous cube]]s, which do not have sight in the first place and ''will'' respect Elbereth.
+A blinded monster that can ordinarily see will not respect Elbereth while it is blind. This makes it inadvisable to use a [[camera]], for instance, while you are hiding behind the power of Elbereth; blind monsters cannot read the word anymore and will attack you. This is distinct from [[eyeless]] monsters, such as [[gelatinous cube]]s, which do not have sight in the first place and ''will'' respect Elbereth.
 == Chances of engraving ==
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 You can make a temporary "engraving" (actually just drawing in the dust on the floor, or writing in blood if you are polymorphed into a [[vampire]]) with your fingers by responding "-" when asked what to engrave with, or you can use a soft gemstone, or any wand other than fire, lightning, or digging (certain wands may have undesirable effects on the engraving itself, such as polymorphing it). This is fast, but subject to the {{frac|25}} chance of mis-engraving per letter, and any movement, such as fighting or throwing missiles, will damage the engraving. Even standing still on the engraving will eventually degrade it, as no one stands perfectly still. However, one can levitate after engraving to keep the engraving from being eroded (if it is not already).
-Semi-permanent Elbereths will erode over time as they are walked over or stood upon, but not nearly as quickly as will temporary (finger) engravings. See [[Engraving#Durability]].
+Semi-permanent Elbereths will erode over time, as they are walked over or stood upon, but not nearly as quickly as will temporary (finger) engravings. See [[Engraving#Durability]].
 ===Slow engraving methods===
 Hard gemstones, any ring with a hard gemstone set in it, and bladed weapons can be used to engrave semi-permanent Elbereths, but these techniques are slow and will make weapons dull (other than athames which are fast to engrave and do not dull from it), and is thus generally not recommended.
-If you really want to engrave with a slow method, do it one letter at a time as engraving more than one character at a time is dangerous due to being rendered helpless while engraving.
+If you really want to engrave with a slow method, do it one letter at a time, as engraving more than one character at a time is dangerous due to being rendered helpless while engraving.
-Another drawback of slow engraving was that, if you only have slow ways to do a semi-permanent Elbereth, you have no safe way to repair it once it is eroded, because you can't add a fast dust Elbereth over the top. So you are then forced to use up a charge for a permanent Elbereth, or a wand of digging to update your semi-permanent Elbereth. Hence slow Elbereths are very unsuitable for combat situations.
+Another drawback of slow engraving is that, if you only have slow ways to do a semi-permanent Elbereth, you have no safe way to repair it once it is eroded, because you can't add a fast dust Elbereth over the top, so, you are then forced to use up a charge for a permanent Elbereth, or a wand of digging to update your semi-permanent Elbereth. Hence, slow Elbereths are very unsuitable for combat situations.
 A funny wrinkle in the engraving rules means that an ordinary +0 weapon will not be able to engrave the entire word "Elbereth" at one go&mdash;you will only get as far as "Elberet" before the weapon reaches -3 and is too dull for engraving. It ''will'' work, however, if you engrave first "Elb" (for minus one to the weapon), then add "ereth" to the current engraving (for an additional minus two).

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 * [[shopkeeper]]s in their [[shop]]s
 * [[aligned priest]]s in their [[temple]]s
-* the [[Watcher in the Water]]
+* [[Watcher in the Water (UnNetHack)|the Watcher in the Water]]
 * [[Cthulhu]]
 * [[Vlad the Impaler]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:24, 20 September 2024
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	For a permanent Elbereth, use a [[wand of fire]] or [[wand of lightning]] to burn it. The wand of lightning can blind you, but that is an acceptable risk during an emergency. (Note that the blindness takes effect ''after'' the engraving is completed—you will not increase your risk of misengraving through blindness.) Otherwise, unless you can easily [[cure blindness]] or protect your [[eyes]], avoid any engraving with the wand of lightning. Permanent Elbereths are useful in combat situations, but because they always require a wand charge, it is best to save them for difficult situations rather than using them routinely. Permanent Elbereths will not erode from being stood on or walked over, but can be eliminated through techniques such as engraving over them or engraving with a [[wand of polymorph]].		For a permanent Elbereth, use a [[wand of fire]] or [[wand of lightning]] to burn it. The wand of lightning can blind you, but that is an acceptable risk during an emergency. (Note that the blindness takes effect ''after'' the engraving is completed—you will not increase your risk of misengraving through blindness.) Otherwise, unless you can easily [[cure blindness]] or protect your [[eyes]], avoid any engraving with the wand of lightning. Permanent Elbereths are useful in combat situations, but because they always require a wand charge, it is best to save them for difficult situations rather than using them routinely. Permanent Elbereths will not erode from being stood on or walked over, but can be eliminated through techniques such as engraving over them or engraving with a [[wand of polymorph]].
		+
		+	{{upcoming\|3.7.0\|Per {{commit\|928677c810fa56ee1b838238e6ee0d5ac13aae79}}, engraving with Fire Brand will also create a permanent Elbereth without dulling the blade.}}

	You can engrave a fast semi-permanent Elbereth using a non-cursed [[athame]], a [[wand of digging]] or a charged [[magic marker]] (consuming four charges). Athames are the best way to engrave Elbereth in routine combat as they engrave semi-permanently and are not reliant on charges. Unfortunately, athames are difficult to find. They are never randomly generated, so you need to pick one up from a [[master lich]]'s or [[arch-lich]]'s inventory, get gifted [[Magicbane]] from your [[god]] or [[wish]] for one. Wizards' first sacrifice gift is Magicbane so they have the easiest time getting hold of an athame.		You can engrave a fast semi-permanent Elbereth using a non-cursed [[athame]], a [[wand of digging]] or a charged [[magic marker]] (consuming four charges). Athames are the best way to engrave Elbereth in routine combat as they engrave semi-permanently and are not reliant on charges. Unfortunately, athames are difficult to find. They are never randomly generated, so you need to pick one up from a [[master lich]]'s or [[arch-lich]]'s inventory, get gifted [[Magicbane]] from your [[god]] or [[wish]] for one. Wizards' first sacrifice gift is Magicbane so they have the easiest time getting hold of an athame.

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 ==Effects==
-A monster that ''respect'' Elbereth will not attack you in melee combat (hand to hand) or cast a directed spell at you while you are standing on a square where the word "Elbereth" is written. The word must be by itself on the square, with no extra characters before or after it. Elbereth has no effect on squares you are not occupying, making [[scrolls of scare monster]] more attractive for purposes such as protecting a [[stash]]. Additionally, monsters that respect Elbereth will be [[scare]]d if they are next to you and while you are standing on Elbereth.{{refsrc|monmove.c|240}} This causes them to flee. Most monsters in the game respect Elbereth; [[#Monsters that do not respect Elbereth|see below]] for exceptions.
+A monster that ''respects'' Elbereth will not attack you in melee combat (hand to hand) or cast a directed spell at you while you are standing on a square where the word "Elbereth" is written. The word must be by itself on the square, with no extra characters before or after it. Elbereth has no effect on squares you are not occupying, making [[scrolls of scare monster]] more attractive for purposes such as protecting a [[stash]]. Additionally, monsters that respect Elbereth will be [[scare]]d if they are next to you and while you are standing on Elbereth.{{refsrc|monmove.c|240}} This causes them to flee. Most monsters in the game respect Elbereth; [[#Monsters that do not respect Elbereth|see below]] for exceptions.
 Elbereth will ''not'' protect you from any missile or spell attack, nor anything else that allows a monster to inflict damage from a distance, such as a [[dragon]]'s breath attack. It will not make monsters peaceful, or protect anything on another square (such as your pet); hostile monsters will still want to kill you, and will do anything they will ordinarily do to harm you, ''except'' attack you hand-to-hand. It will also not work in [[Gehennom]] or the [[endgame]]. ("The power of the Valar extends only so far.")

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 * [[Mines End]], which contains an Elbereth engraving in some layouts
 * [[Oracle (monster)|The Oracle]], who can reveal the use of Elbereth via consultations
 ===Hack'EM===

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 * [[Sokoban]], where Elbereth is engraved under each of the prizes
 * [[Mines End]], which contains an Elbereth engraving in some layouts
-* The [[Oracle]], who can reveal the use of Elbereth via consultations
+* [[Oracle (monster)|The Oracle]], who can reveal the use of Elbereth via consultations
 ===Hack'EM===
-In [[Hack'EM]], Elbereth must be learned from another source as in EvilHack, and can occur via the additional sources below:
+In [[Hack'EM]], Elbereth must be learned from one of the above sources as in EvilHack, and can occur via the additional sources below:
-* Player [[Elf (starting race)|elves]] and [[Hobbit (starting race)|hobbits]] start with knowledge of Elbereth.
+* [[Elf (starting race)|Elven]] and [[Hobbit (starting race)|hobbit]] characters start with knowledge of Elbereth.
 * A lawful character that is [[crowned]] will be taught Elbereth if they have not learned of it already.
-Conflict negates Elbereth, and orcs cannot learn or use it even if polymorphed.
+Conflict negates Elbereth, and [[Orc (monster class)|orcs]] cannot learn or use it even if they are polymorphed.
 ==Encyclopedia entry==

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-{{Wikipedia|Varda}}
+{{Wikipedia|Varda (Middle-earth)}}
 [[Image:Elbereth three scripts.JPG|thumb|right|The name "Elbereth" rendered in three of the writing systems created by J.R.R. Tolkien. From top to bottom: 1. The "tehta mode" of the [[wikipedia:Tengwar|Tengwar]] script; 2. The "Mode of Beleriand," another Tengwar script; 3. The [[wikipedia:Cirth|"Angerthas Moria"]] or "runic" script. The degradation patterns seem to imply the Latin alphabet is used for engravings by ''NetHack'' characters rather than any of these writing systems.]]
 ''Parts of this entry were adapted from the NetHack [http://www.steelypips.org/nethack/elbereth_faq.html Elbereth FAQ] by Kate Nepveu.''

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 Elbereth will ''not'' protect you from any missile or spell attack, nor anything else that allows a monster to inflict damage from a distance, such as a [[dragon]]'s breath attack. It will not make monsters peaceful, or protect anything on another square (such as your pet); hostile monsters will still want to kill you, and will do anything they will ordinarily do to harm you, ''except'' attack you hand-to-hand. It will also not work in [[Gehennom]] or the [[endgame]]. ("The power of the Valar extends only so far.")
-Elbereth stops working when it degrades into a different word, so if you are writing in the dust ({{kbd|E}}{{kbd|-}}), you might want to continually check on it with the {{kbd|:}} key. Attacking a monster by any means or performing certain other hostile actions will immediately erase any Elbereth engraving under you and reduce your [[alignment record]] by 5. ("'''You feel like a hypocrite.'''")
+Elbereth stops working when it degrades into a different word, so if you are writing in the dust ({{kbd|E}}{{kbd|-}}), you might want to continually check on it with the {{kbd|:}} key. Attacking a monster by any means, or performing certain other hostile actions, will immediately erase any Elbereth engraving under you and reduce your [[alignment record]] by 5. ("'''You feel like a hypocrite.'''")
 Partial exceptions exist where Elbereth will still protect you from non-melee; no monster already ''fleeing'' from you due to Elbereth can use its [[ranged attack]]s while adjacent, and are much less likely to do so even when not adjacent. Any [[dragon]] will choose [[melee]] over its [[breath]] weapon if it is adjacent to you, and if it cannot engage you because of Elbereth, it will not attack you at all.
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 Engravings may be classified as permanent (will not degrade), semi-permanent (will degrade slowly), or temporary (will degrade very quickly).
-For a permanent Elbereth, use a [[wand of fire]] or [[wand of lightning]] to burn it. The wand of lightning can blind you, but that is an acceptable risk during an emergency. (Note that the blindness takes effect ''after'' the engraving is completed&mdash;you will not increase your risk of misengraving through blindness.) Otherwise, unless you can easily [[cure blindness]] or protect your [[eyes]], avoid any engraving with the wand of lightning.  Permanent Elbereths are useful in combat situations, but because they always require a wand charge it is best to save them for difficult situations rather than using them routinely. Permanent Elbereths will not erode from being stood on or walked over, but can be eliminated through techniques such as engraving over them or engraving with a [[wand of polymorph]].
+For a permanent Elbereth, use a [[wand of fire]] or [[wand of lightning]] to burn it. The wand of lightning can blind you, but that is an acceptable risk during an emergency. (Note that the blindness takes effect ''after'' the engraving is completed&mdash;you will not increase your risk of misengraving through blindness.) Otherwise, unless you can easily [[cure blindness]] or protect your [[eyes]], avoid any engraving with the wand of lightning.  Permanent Elbereths are useful in combat situations, but because they always require a wand charge, it is best to save them for difficult situations rather than using them routinely. Permanent Elbereths will not erode from being stood on or walked over, but can be eliminated through techniques such as engraving over them or engraving with a [[wand of polymorph]].
 You can engrave a fast semi-permanent Elbereth using a non-cursed [[athame]], a [[wand of digging]] or a charged [[magic marker]] (consuming four charges). Athames are the best way to engrave Elbereth in routine combat as they engrave semi-permanently and are not reliant on charges. Unfortunately, athames are difficult to find. They are never randomly generated, so you need to pick one up from a [[master lich]]'s or [[arch-lich]]'s inventory, get gifted [[Magicbane]] from your [[god]] or [[wish]] for one. Wizards' first sacrifice gift is Magicbane so they have the easiest time getting hold of an athame.