Headstone - Revision history

Rivest–Shamir–Adleman: Undo revision 207000 by Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (talk)

2026-07-20T15:14:13Z

Undo revision 207000 by Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (talk)

Rivest–Shamir–Adleman: /* UnNetHack */ couple of origins

2026-07-20T15:09:25Z

‎UnNetHack: couple of origins

Umbire the Phantom: potholes

2026-07-20T06:57:04Z

potholes

Ray Chason: A few more origins

2026-07-19T03:51:40Z

A few more origins

Umbire the Phantom: ugh

2026-07-19T01:39:52Z

ugh

Umbire the Phantom: not sure how I badly formed this previously

2026-07-19T01:39:32Z

not sure how I badly formed this previously

Umbire the Phantom: ending periods aren't always part of the epitaphs; 3.7.X designation was dropped in favor of a major version update, so 3.7 additions are 5.0 additions; body of the article implicitly reflects current info, so history section is phrased accordingly

2026-07-19T01:26:19Z

ending periods aren't always part of the epitaphs; 3.7.X designation was dropped in favor of a major version update, so 3.7 additions *are* 5.0 additions; body of the article implicitly reflects current info, so history section is phrased accordingly

Rivest–Shamir–Adleman: oops wrong alien movie; my bad ^__^ + I still think there is only one epitaph.txt addition.. diff shows no other change in te file between 360-500

2026-07-19T00:54:09Z

oops wrong alien movie; my bad *^__^* + I still think there is only one epitaph.txt addition.. diff shows no other change in te file between 360-500

Umbire the Phantom: re-order lower sections

2026-07-18T20:45:47Z

re-order lower sections

Umbire the Phantom: typo

2026-07-18T20:29:41Z

typo

@@ Line 148: / Line 148: @@
 *I'd rather be sailing.
 *I'm gonna make it!
-*R2D2 -- Rest, Tin Piece. ([[Wikipedia:R2-D2]]|famous Star Wars robot)
+*R2D2 -- Rest, Tin Piece.
 *Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. ''(Latin - "It is sweet and honorable to die for your country").''
 *Go [[Team Ant]]!
@@ Line 162: / Line 162: @@
 *Taking a year dead for tax reasons.
 *...but the blood has stopped pumping and I am left to decay…
-*Applaud, my friends, the comedy is finished. (Latin - ''Plaudite, amici, comedia finita est.'' Famous last words of [[Wikipedia:Death_of_Ludwig_van_Beethoven]]|famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven)
+*Applaud, my friends, the comedy is finished.
 *Beware the ...
 *It wasn't a fair fight.

@@ Line 148: / Line 148: @@
 *I'd rather be sailing.
 *I'm gonna make it!
-*R2D2 -- Rest, Tin Piece.
+*R2D2 -- Rest, Tin Piece. ([[Wikipedia:R2-D2]]|famous Star Wars robot)
 *Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. ''(Latin - "It is sweet and honorable to die for your country").''
 *Go [[Team Ant]]!
@@ Line 162: / Line 162: @@
 *Taking a year dead for tax reasons.
 *...but the blood has stopped pumping and I am left to decay…
-*Applaud, my friends, the comedy is finished.
+*Applaud, my friends, the comedy is finished. (Latin - ''Plaudite, amici, comedia finita est.'' Famous last words of [[Wikipedia:Death_of_Ludwig_van_Beethoven]]|famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven)
 *Beware the ...
 *It wasn't a fair fight.

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 ==Description==
-Headstones can be destroyed by either [[digging]] down on them or [[kicking]] them over from an adjacent square. Kicking a headstone while not [[levitating]] has one of three possible results:{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|1098-L1130|nethack=5.0.0}} a {{frac|3|4}} chance of inflicting [[physical damage]] and briefly causing a [[wounded leg]] (regardless of whether the attempt was successful);{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|1101-L1103|nethack=5.0.0}} a {{frac|8}} chance of summoning a [[ghoul]], which can only occur once per grave regardless of the method;{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|1104-L1107|nethack=5.0.0|comment=calls <tt>disturb_grave()</tt>}}{{refsrc|src/engrave.c|1705-L1720|nethack=5.0.0|name="disturb"|comment=<tt>disturb_grave()</tt> function}} and a {{frac|8}} chance of destroying the headstone and leaving a normal floor square in its place (with any contents placed during initial creation left untouched).{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|1109-L1111|nethack=5.0.0}}{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|1116-L1126|nethack=5.0.0}} Digging always creates a [[pit]] on the former grave's square, even if the source was something instantaneous like a [[wand of digging]], and any items buried within will be at the bottom of the resulting pit.{{refsrc|src/dig.c|1083-L1087|nethack=5.0.0}}
+Headstones can be destroyed by either [[digging]] down on them or [[Kick (command)|kicking]] them over from an adjacent square. Kicking a headstone while not [[levitating]] has one of three possible results:{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|1098-L1130|nethack=5.0.0}} a {{frac|3|4}} chance of inflicting [[physical damage]] and briefly causing a [[wounded leg]] (regardless of whether the attempt was successful);{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|1101-L1103|nethack=5.0.0}} a {{frac|8}} chance of summoning a [[ghoul]], which can only occur once per grave regardless of the method;{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|1104-L1107|nethack=5.0.0|comment=calls <tt>disturb_grave()</tt>}}{{refsrc|src/engrave.c|1705-L1720|nethack=5.0.0|name="disturb"|comment=<tt>disturb_grave()</tt> function}} and a {{frac|8}} chance of destroying the headstone and leaving a normal floor square in its place (with any contents placed during initial creation left untouched).{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|1109-L1111|nethack=5.0.0}}{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|1116-L1126|nethack=5.0.0}} Digging always creates a [[pit]] on the former grave's square, even if the source was something instantaneous like a [[wand of digging]], and any items buried within will be at the bottom of the resulting pit.{{refsrc|src/dig.c|1083-L1087|nethack=5.0.0}}
 Destroying a headstone by kicking it [[abuses]] [[wisdom]] and also incurs a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] for [[Archeologist]]s, [[Samurai]] or any [[lawful]] hero with an alignment record above -10.{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|1112-L1115|nethack=5.0.0}} Destroying a grave by digging may result in a different penalty, similarly depending on the hero's alignment and role:{{refsrc|src/dig.c|1043-L1055|nethack=5.0.0}}

@@ Line 94: / Line 94: @@
 * Don't be daft, they couldn't hit an elephant at this dist- ''(Alleged last words of [[wikipedia:John Sedgwick|General John Sedgwick]], killed at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, May 9, 1864; in fact, he completed the sentence)''
 * Audi Partem Alteram ''(Latin: "Listen to the other side")
-* Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori ''(Horace: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country"; quoted as "the old Lie" by Wilfred Owen in "Dulce et Decorum Est)''
+* Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori ''(Horace: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country"; quoted as "the old Lie" by Wilfred Owen in "Dulce et Decorum Est")''
-* Auri sacra fames ''(Latin: "Accursed hunger for gold")''
+* Auri sacra fames ''(Latin: "Accursed hunger for gold"; from the [https://la.wikisource.org/wiki/Aeneis/Liber_III#55 Aeneid])''
 * Auribus teneo lupum ''(Latin: "I hold a wolf by the ears", or a tiger by the tail)''
 * Obesa Cantavit ''(Latin: "The fat lady has sung")''
@@ Line 144: / Line 144: @@
 *Go away!  I'm trying to take a nap in here!  Bloody adventurers...
 *Sparky -- he was a very good dog.
-*Tu quoque, Brute? ''(Latin - "You too, Brutus?")''
+*Tu quoque, Brute? ''(Latin - "You too, Brutus?" Allegedly [[wikipedia:Et tu, Brute?|Julius Caesar's last words]])''
 *At last... a nice long sleep.
 *I'd rather be sailing.
@@ Line 153: / Line 153: @@
 *[[wikipedia:Night of the Living Dead (film series)|Brains... Brains... Fresh human brains…]]
 *...for famous men have the whole earth as their memorial.
-*NetHack 1987-2003?
+*NetHack 1987-2003? ''([[NetHack 3.4.3]] was released in 2003, and was the current version for twelve years afterward)''
 *Et in Arcadia ego. ''(Latin - "And in Arcadia I am").''
 *And they said it couldn't be done!
@@ Line 186: / Line 186: @@
 *Out to Lunch.
 *All's well that end well
-*Algernon
+*[[wikipedia:Flowers for Algernon|Algernon]]
 *<Expletive Deleted>
 *Here lies a programmer.  Killed by a fatal error.
@@ Line 195: / Line 195: @@
 *SporkHack 2007-2010
 *For sale: One soul, slightly used. Asking for 3 wishes.
-*Res omnia mea culpa est
+*Res omnia mea culpa est ''(Latin: "Everything is my fault")''
-*Basil, assaulted by bears
+*Basil, assaulted by bears ''([https://edwardgoreyhouse.org/gct The Gashlycrumb Tinies])''
 *Not again!

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{features}}
 {{distinguish|Options#tombstone{{!}}the ASCII tombstone that the game prints when a character dies}}
-A '''headstone''' is a type of [[dungeon feature]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]'', and it is represented by the [[vertical bar]] or "pipe" symbol, {{white|&#124;}}. Random headstones can be encountered in the dungeon and may also contain some treasure, but grave-robbing carries the risk of summoning an [[undead]] monster. If the [[hero]] [[Death (character)|dies]] and leaves a [[bones]], there is a chance of a headstone being created that bears an inscription describing their cause of death.
+A '''headstone''' is a type of [[dungeon feature]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]'', and it is represented by the [[vertical bar]] or "pipe" symbol, {{white|&#124;}}. Random headstones can be encountered in the dungeon and may also contain some treasure, but grave-robbing carries the risk of summoning an [[undead]] monster. If the [[hero]] [[Death (character)|dies]] and leaves a [[bones]] file, there is a chance of a headstone being created that bears an inscription describing their cause of death.
 ==Generation==

@@ Line 68: / Line 68: @@
 * Be careful, or this could happen to you!
 * [[wikipedia:Beetlejuice|Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice]]
-* Beware of Electric Third Rail.
+* Beware of Electric Third Rail
-* Caution! This grave contains toxic waste.
+* Caution! This grave contains toxic waste
-* Here lies an [[Atheist]], all dressed up and no place to go. ''(Thurmont, Maryland)''
+* Here lies an [[Atheist]], all dressed up and no place to go ''(Thurmont, Maryland)''
 * Here lies Ezekiel, age 102. The good die young. ''(East Dalhousie, Nova Scotia)''
 * Here lies Johnny Yeast. Pardon me for not rising. ''(Ruidoso, New Mexico)''
 * Here lies my wife: Here let her lie! Now she's at rest and so am I. ''([[wikipedia:John Dryden|John Dryden]]'s epitaph for his wife)''
 * Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake. Stepped on the gas instead of the brake. ''(Uniontown, Pennsylvania)''
-* I made an ash of myself. ''(Julian Skaggs of West Virginia, who was cremated)''
+* I made an ash of myself ''(Julian Skaggs of West Virginia, who was cremated)''
 * Look out below!
-* Made in Taiwan.
+* Made in Taiwan
-* Note -- there are NO valuable items in this grave.
+* Note -- there are NO valuable items in this grave
-* Og friend. Og good dude. Og died. Og now food ''(possibly a reference to [[wikipedia:Internet Oracle|Internet Oracle]] lore, or to [[Cavemen]]'s ability to commit cannibalism without penalty)''
+* Og friend. Og good dude. Og died. Og now food. ''(possibly a reference to [[wikipedia:Internet Oracle|Internet Oracle]] lore, or to [[Cavemen]]'s ability to commit cannibalism without penalty)''
 * He always lied while on the earth and now he's lying in it
 * Please don't dig me up. I'm perfectly happy down here. -- Resident
 * Postman, please note forwarding address: [[Gehennom]], [[Asmodeus]]'s Fortress, fifth [[lemure]] on the left
 * Mary had a little lamb/Its fleece was white as snow/When Mary was in trouble/The lamb was first to go
-* Rest in peace.
+* Rest in peace
-* Rest In Pieces.
+* Rest In Pieces
 * R.I.P.
 * Soon ripe. Soon rotten. Soon gone. But not forgotten.
 * Soon you'll join this fellow in hell! -- the [[Wizard of Yendor]]
 * Sum quod eris ''(Latin: "I am what you will be"&mdash;dead.)''
-* The Grave of the Unknown Hacker.
+* The Grave of the Unknown Hacker
 * We weren't sure who this was, but we buried him here anyway
-* Don't be daft, they couldn't hit an elephant at this dist- ''(Alleged last words of [[wikipedia:John Sedgwick|General John Sedgwick]], killed at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, May 9, 1864; in fact he completed the sentence)''
+* Don't be daft, they couldn't hit an elephant at this dist- ''(Alleged last words of [[wikipedia:John Sedgwick|General John Sedgwick]], killed at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, May 9, 1864; in fact, he completed the sentence)''
 * Audi Partem Alteram ''(Latin: "Listen to the other side")
 * Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori ''(Horace: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country"; quoted as "the old Lie" by Wilfred Owen in "Dulce et Decorum Est)''
@@ Line 99: / Line 99: @@
 * Obesa Cantavit ''(Latin: "The fat lady has sung")''
 * I didn't mean it when I said 'Bite me'
-* Curse god and die.
+* Curse god and die
 * Dear wife of mine.  Died of a broken heart, after I took it out of her.
 * Check enclosed.
@@ Line 108: / Line 108: @@
 * Don't tread on me!
 * Come Monday, I'll be all right.
-* De'Ath.
+* De'Ath
 * Forget about the dog, Beware of my wife.
-* I have all the time in the world.
+* I have all the time in the world
 * And sometimes the bear eats you.
 * I have reached Mine's End (This is a [[pun]] on "reached my end")
@@ Line 121: / Line 121: @@
 NetHack 5.0.0 also implements the following fixes and code adjustments:
-* New epitaph is added via commit {{commit|9821caf984b5a407589f1f6c0cd9b72a7581ca4b}}.
+* Several new epitaphs are added via commits such as {{commit|9821caf984b5a407589f1f6c0cd9b72a7581ca4b}}.
-* You can now remember inscriptions when using the [[far look]] tool as per {{commit|389f03e90e1e58e78d5ab2f6df7def7274bd3111}}.
+* The ability to read a headstone using the far look command is added via {{commit|389f03e90e1e58e78d5ab2f6df7def7274bd3111}}.
 * A long-standing bug in the distribution of randomly-chosen epitaphs is fixed via {{commit|03476a7c78f267934a6a527699bdb3cdf9d022cf}}.
 ==Variants==
 ===UnNetHack===
-[[UnNetHack]] includes a large number of new headstone messages, non-exhaustively listed below:
+[[UnNetHack]] includes a large number of new headstone messages, which are non-exhaustively listed below&mdash;some of these were added to UnNetHack first prior to their inclusion in later versions of ''NetHack'':
 *Apres moi, le deluge. ''("After me, the flood"; attributed to Louis XV, also the motto of 617 Squadron, RAF "The Dam Busters"). This grave will always have a [[scroll of flood]] on top of it.
@@ Line 134: / Line 134: @@
 *Nobody believed her when she said her feet were killing her.
 *On the whole, I'd rather be in [[Minetown]].
-*[[Wikipedia:Aliens_(film)|Game over, man.  Game over.]]
+*[[Wikipedia:Aliens (film)|Game over, man.  Game over.]]
-*Attempted suicide.
+*Attempted suicide
 *Always attack a [[floating eye]] from behind!
 *Killed by a [[black dragon]] -- This grave is empty.
@@ Line 186: / Line 186: @@
 *Out to Lunch.
 *All's well that end well
-*Algernon.
+*Algernon
 *<Expletive Deleted>
 *Here lies a programmer.  Killed by a fatal error.
-*He farmed his way here.
+*He farmed his way here
-*One corpse, sans head.
+*One corpse, sans head
 *Forget Disney World, I'm going to Hell!
 *I will survive!

@@ Line 209: / Line 209: @@
 |[ Three Songs to the Same Tune, by W.B. Yeats ]
 }}
 ==See also==
@@ Line 217: / Line 214: @@
 ** <tt>[[engrave.c#make_grave|make_grave()]]</tt>
 ** <tt>[[mklev.c#mkgrave|mkgrave()]]</tt>
 {{nethack-500}}
 [[Category:Dungeon features]]

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 ===Headstone epitaphs===
-The inscriptions of randomly-generated graves is selected from one of various epitaphs within a list in <tt>dat/epitaph.txt</tt>, which is much too long to present in its entirety here.{{refsrc|dat/epitaph.txt|7|nethack=5.0.0|comment=beginning of file entires}} Using the [[far look]] command on a known headstone will display the engraving.{{refsrc|src/pager.c|1629-L1667|nethack=5.0.0}}{{refsrc|src/pager.c|2141-L2228|nethack=5.0.0}}
+The inscriptions of randomly-generated graves is selected from one of various epitaphs within a list in <tt>dat/epitaph.txt</tt>, which is much too long to present in its entirety here.{{refsrc|dat/epitaph.txt|7|nethack=5.0.0|comment=beginning of file entries}} Using the [[far look]] command on a known headstone will display the engraving.{{refsrc|src/pager.c|1629-L1667|nethack=5.0.0}}{{refsrc|src/pager.c|2141-L2228|nethack=5.0.0}}
 A non-exhaustive list of epitaphs is given below: