Loadstone - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: word choice, potholes

2026-07-20T19:11:39Z

word choice, potholes

JASON10668: Add languages template.

2026-01-29T12:39:58Z

Add languages template.

Umbire the Phantom: un, splice, etc.

2025-03-15T09:55:34Z

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Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ follow-up, thanks for the catch

2025-02-24T06:54:35Z

‎Description: follow-up, thanks for the catch

Supremepaste: Fix a typo

2025-02-23T22:50:22Z

Fix a typo

Umbire the Phantom: copyedit

2025-01-16T13:06:22Z

copyedit

CamelCasedSnivy: added nh 3.7 info

2024-11-26T19:12:01Z

added nh 3.7 info

Umbire the Phantom: /* Generation */ copyedit

2024-09-01T02:07:13Z

‎Generation: copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: formatting + copyedit pass

2024-08-29T21:54:03Z

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Umbire the Phantom: chance to:opportunity::chance of:probability + refsrc + ver + etc.

2023-10-29T08:55:26Z

chance to:opportunity::chance of:probability + refsrc + ver + etc.

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 Naturally, one of the most effective methods for dealing with loadstones is learning how to avoid them in the first place.
-The easiest way to test if a gray stone is a loadstone is to [[kick]] it ''before'' picking it up - loadstones are heavy enough that they cannot be kicked under normal circumstances. In the most "ideal" form of this test, the hero kicks the loadstone without enhanced strength (e.g. from [[gauntlets of power]]) while it is on a non-[[ice]] square, and there hero is in a [[role]] that does not use [[martial arts]] (i.e. [[Monk]] or [[Samurai]]), and is not a form with a kicking bonus (i.e. a [[sasquatch]]).{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|7|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|552|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} A Monk, Samurai, or a hero in the form of a sasquatch can still test for loadstones with this method: a loadstone will travel a much shorter distance than a harmless gray stone or any non-[[fragile]] object of similar weight, like a [[rock]]&mdash;be careful, as some kicking bonuses will add a small random amount to the distance.
+The easiest way to test if a gray stone is a loadstone is to [[Kick (command)|kick]] it ''before'' picking it up: loadstones are heavy enough that they cannot be kicked under normal circumstances. In the most "ideal" form of this test, the hero kicks the loadstone without enhanced strength (e.g. from [[polymorph]] or [[gauntlets of power]]) while it is on a non-[[ice]] square, and there hero is in a [[role]] that does not use [[martial arts]] (i.e., they are not [[Monk]] or [[Samurai]]), and is not polymorphed into a [[sasquatch]] (which has a kicking bonus).{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|7|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|552|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} A Monk, Samurai, or a hero in the form of a sasquatch can still test for loadstones this way: a loadstone will travel a much shorter distance than a harmless gray stone or any non-[[fragile]] object of similar weight, like a [[rock]]&mdash;be careful, as some kicking bonuses will add a small random amount to the distance.
-As a mass majority of loadstones are generated cursed, heroes can also pet-test a suspected loadstone since they will only "reluctantly" move over it. This method also works on stones stuck next to undiggable walls, which occurs most often in [[Mines' End]] - but beware of [[level teleporter]] traps. Loadstones also only autocurse when they are dropped or leave the inventory, so a hero can cancel a suspicious gray stone and pick it up; cancellation has no effect on gray stones beyond rendering them uncursed, and the hero can simply drop it if the stone turns out to be a loadstone.
+As a mass majority of loadstones are generated cursed, heroes can also pet-test a suspected loadstone since they will only "reluctantly" move over it. This method also works on stones stuck next to undiggable walls, which occurs most often in [[Mines' End]], but be wary of [[level teleporter]] traps. Loadstones also only autocurse when they are dropped or leave the inventory, so a hero can cancel a suspicious gray stone and pick it up; cancellation has no effect on gray stones beyond rendering them uncursed, and the hero can simply drop it if the stone turns out to be a loadstone.
 Picking up a container with a loadstone inside will not cause it to stick in the hero's inventory: a <code>pickup_burden</code> that warns about severe encumbrance when lifting a container with a gray stone inside is ''usually'' a sign that the stone is a loadstone, though [[large box]]es and [[chests]] tend to be fairly heavy even when empty. A hero can also #[[tip]] the container after removing all other items from it, then test the gray stone using the other above methods.
-After determining that a gray stone is a loadstone, it should be type-[[named]] or formally [[Identification|identified]] it so that the hero can recognize any future ones. A hero reading a noncursed [[scroll of remove curse]] for other reasons may deliberately pick up a known loadstone. Beware sources of [[amnesia]], since the hero may forget the loadstone's identity!
+After determining that a gray stone is a loadstone, it should be [[type-named]] or formally [[identified]] it so that the hero can recognize any future ones. A hero reading a noncursed [[scroll of remove curse]] for other reasons may deliberately pick up a known loadstone. Beware sources of [[amnesia]], since the hero may forget the loadstone's identity!
 ==History==
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 The loadstone is one of the many "treasures" derived from ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', where it first appears in the 1st Edition ''Dungeon Masters Guide''; it is also known as a "stone of weight". "Loadstone" is a pun on the word [[wikipedia:lodestone|lodestone]], a naturally magnetic mineral (which also alludes to its "sticky" properties).
-A stone of weight causes a 50% reduction in attack and movement rate as soon as its owner has to move quickly in order to avoid an enemy; it also "sticks" to its owner and will always turn up on their person, no matter how they attempt to get rid of it. The stone can only be removed by casting "dispel evil", which causes it to permanently vanish. The loadstone of ''NetHack'' behaves in a similar spirit: it "sticks" to the holder's inventory and inconveniences them by slowing them down with its innate weight; curse removal is similarly required, though it does not destroy the stone, but makes it possible to drop or otherwise get rid of it.
+A stone of weight causes a 50% reduction in attack and movement rate as soon as its owner has to move quickly in order to avoid an enemy; it also "sticks" to its owner and will always turn up on their person, no matter how they attempt to get rid of it. The stone can only be removed by casting "dispel evil", which causes it to permanently vanish. The loadstone of ''NetHack'' behaves in a similar spirit: it "sticks" to the holder's inventory and inconveniences them by slowing them down with its innate weight; curse removal is similarly recommended (but not strictly required), and though it does not destroy the stone, it enables the hero to drop or otherwise get rid of it.
 ==Variants==

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	{{weapon		{{weapon
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 ===UnNetHack===
-In [[UnNetHack]], a loadstone appears on the square south of the up [[stair]] in [[Asmodeus' Lair (UnNetHack)|Asmodeus' Lair]].
+In [[UnNetHack]], a cursed loadstone is generated next to the up [[stair]] of [[Asmodeus' Lair (UnNetHack)|Asmodeus' Lair]] at level creation.
 ===Vulture===
-When using [[Vulture]], you can see the weight of items, so it is much easier to avoid picking up a loadstone. Drop a junk item on any suspect gray stone: this forces the pickup menu to appear since there are now several items. Gray stones weighing only 10 are harmless to pick up.
+When using [[Vulture]], a player can see the weight of items, so it is much easier to avoid picking up a loadstone. Drop a junk item on any suspect gray stone: this forces the pickup menu to appear, and any gray stone that weigh only 10 aum in the menu are harmless to pick up.
 ===dNetHack===
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 ===SpliceHack===
-In [[SpliceHack]], a loadstone appears on the square south of the up [[stair]] in [[Asmodeus' Lair (SpliceHack)|Asmodeus' Lair]], as in UnNetHack.
+In [[SpliceHack]], a cursed loadstone is generated next to the up [[stair]] of [[Asmodeus' Lair (UnNetHack)|Asmodeus' Lair]] at level creation, as in UnNetHack.
-A loadstone can be combined with a [[scroll of identify]] at a [[furnace]] to create a [[crystal ball]].
+A loadstone can be combined with a [[scroll of identify]] at a [[furnace]] to create a [[crystal ball]]&mdash;this is partly a joke based on the crystal ball's own high weight value.
 ===notdNetHack===

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 ==Description==
-A loadstone weighs slightly more than an [[iron ball]] at 500 [[aum]], and ultimately serves as a "gotcha" item for the unwary: if the [[hero]] pick a cursed loadstone up, they cannot [[drop]] it or place it into a [[container]]. Settings for the <code>[[Options#pickup_burden|pickup_burden]]</code> option will be ignored if the character attempts to pick up a loadstone, and other inventory restrictions may be ignored as well: if a character's [[inventory]] has already reached the 52-item limit, the loadstone will still be picked up and assigned {{white|[[Hash mark|#]]}} as the inventory position. A loadstone will [[autocurse]] once it is dropped or leaves the main [[inventory]] in any other way.
+A loadstone weighs slightly more than an [[iron ball]] at 500 [[aum]], and ultimately serves as a "gotcha" item for the unwary: if the [[hero]] has a cursed loadstone in their [[inventory]], they cannot [[drop]] it or place it into a [[container]]. Settings for the <code>[[Options#pickup_burden|pickup_burden]]</code> option will be ignored if the hero attempts to pick up a loadstone, and other inventory restrictions may be ignored as well: if a hero has already reached the 52-item limit for their inventory, the loadstone will still be picked up and assigned {{white|[[Hash mark|#]]}} as the inventory position.
 Despite its weight, a loadstone does not deal any more damage than a [[flint stone]] when [[thrown]], including shooting from a [[sling]].
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|86cbf9366aa1058ac85018131f4f7b7065a11624}}, carrying a loadstone in your inventory confers steadfastness, just like wielding [[Giantslayer]].}}
+{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|86cbf9366aa1058ac85018131f4f7b7065a11624}}, carrying a loadstone in the open inventory confers steadfastness, just like wielding [[Giantslayer]].}}
 ==Strategy==

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 ==Strategy==
-Loadstones severely hinder the hero's movement and often renders them [[stressed]] or worse, which will prevent them from goin up [[stairway]]s. There are several methods to dispose of a cursed loadstone:
+Loadstones severely hinder the hero's movement and often renders them [[stressed]] or worse, which will prevent them from going up [[stairway]]s. There are several methods to dispose of a cursed loadstone:
 * [[Curse removal|Uncurse]] the stone, then drop it.

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 * Similarly, they can drop ''all'' objects that the do not want [[cancelled]], then either [[zap]] a [[wand of cancellation]] or cast the {{+ of|cancellation}} spell at themselves.
 * Dip the stone in a [[potion of polymorph]] to transform it.
-* Have a monster such as a [[nymph]] steal it&mdash;this is very unreliable unless the hero can ''safely'' ensure no other desirable inventory is targeted.
+* Have a [[Nymph (monster class)|nymph]] or other monster steal it&mdash;this is very unreliable unless the hero can ''safely'' ensure no other desirable inventory is targeted.
 Be careful not to throw a loadstone if you have [[autopickup]] on!

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	Despite its weight, a loadstone does not deal any more damage than a [[flint stone]] when [[thrown]], including shooting from a [[sling]].		Despite its weight, a loadstone does not deal any more damage than a [[flint stone]] when [[thrown]], including shooting from a [[sling]].
		+
		+	{{upcoming\|NetHack 3.7.0\|Per {{commit\|86cbf9366aa1058ac85018131f4f7b7065a11624}}, carrying a loadstone in your inventory confers steadfastness, just like wielding [[Giantslayer]].}}

	==Strategy==		==Strategy==

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 ==Generation==
-Normally-generated loadstones on the dungeon's floor are always generated [[cursed]]. {{frac|10|11}} of loadstones inside [[container]]s are generated cursed; the other {{frac|11}} of those are generated non-cursed.
+Normally-generated loadstones on the dungeon's floor are always generated [[cursed]]. {{frac|10|11}} of loadstones inside [[container]]s are generated as cursed, and the remainder are generated as non-cursed.
-Player monsters generated on the [[Astral Plane]] have a {{frac|30}} chance of being generated carrying a loadstone.{{refsrc|src/mplayer.c|283|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
+Player monsters on the [[Astral Plane]] have a {{frac|30}} chance of being generated with a loadstone.{{refsrc|src/mplayer.c|283|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 ==Description==

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 Normally-generated loadstones on the dungeon's floor are always generated [[cursed]]. {{frac|10|11}} of loadstones inside [[container]]s are generated cursed; the other {{frac|11}} of those are generated non-cursed.
-Player monsters generated on the [[Astral Plane]] have a {{frac|30}} chance to be generated carrying a loadstone.{{refsrc|src/mplayer.c|283|version=NetHack 3.6.6}}
+Player monsters generated on the [[Astral Plane]] have a {{frac|30}} chance of being generated carrying a loadstone.{{refsrc|src/mplayer.c|283|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 ==Description==
@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 Naturally, one of the most effective methods for dealing with loadstones is learning how to avoid them in the first place.
-The easiest way to test if a gray stone is a loadstone is to [[kick]] it ''before'' you pick it up - loadstones are heavy enough that they cannot be kicked under normal circumstancesny (i.e. with unenhanced strength, on non-[[ice]] squares, and without a kicking bonus). When testing this way, be sure to take off any [[gauntlets of power]] and [[kicking boots]] first, and make sure you are not a [[role]] that uses martial arts ([[Samurai]] or [[Monk]]) or in [[polymorph|the form]] of a creature with a bonus to kicking (e.g. a [[sasquatch]]).{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|7|version=NetHack 3.6.6}}{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|552|version=NetHack 3.6.6}}
+The easiest way to test if a gray stone is a loadstone is to [[kick]] it ''before'' you pick it up - loadstones are heavy enough that they cannot be kicked under normal circumstancesny (i.e. with unenhanced strength, on non-[[ice]] squares, and without a kicking bonus). When testing this way, be sure to take off any [[gauntlets of power]] and [[kicking boots]] first, and make sure you are not a [[role]] that uses martial arts ([[Samurai]] or [[Monk]]) or in [[polymorph|the form]] of a creature with a bonus to kicking (e.g. a [[sasquatch]]).{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|7|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/dokick.c|552|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 If removing armor is not possible or desired, you can also compare kicking ranges: A loadstone should travel a much shorter distance than a harmless gray stone or any non-fragile object of similar [[weight]], like a [[rock]]. Be careful though&mdash;some bonuses add a small random amount to the distance.
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 ===dNetHack===
-In [[dNetHack]], the [[Center of All]] has a special projectile attack that launches a loadstone at the target; these thrown loadstones deal 1d30 damage and have a {{frac|3}} chance of adding themselves to the target's inventory instead of dropping to the floor, which can quickly weigh down and immobilize targets. Loadstones generated this way are always cursed.
+In [[dNetHack]], [[Center of All]] has a special projectile attack that launches a loadstone at the target; these thrown loadstones deal 1d30 damage and have a {{frac|3}} chance of adding themselves to the target's inventory instead of dropping to the floor, which can quickly weigh down and immobilize targets. Loadstones generated this way are always cursed.
 ===xNetHack===
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 ===EvilHack===
 In [[EvilHack]], [[Infidel]]s can freely drop or remove cursed items, including loadstones.
 ==Reference==
 <references/>
-{{nethack-366}}
+{{nethack-367}}
 [[Category:Gems]]