Monster detection - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: potholes

2026-05-19T00:27:21Z

potholes

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2025-11-30T23:47:20Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* dNetHack */ word choice

2025-11-30T23:36:27Z

‎dNetHack: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2025-10-20T10:41:08Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ word choice

2025-07-06T18:16:15Z

‎Description: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ plop 'em here since it's more appropriate

2025-07-06T02:52:31Z

‎Variants: plop 'em here since it's more appropriate

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ word choice

2025-06-24T15:34:57Z

‎Description: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: forgot about fountains... some other stuff to dig out, too

2025-06-24T14:09:14Z

forgot about fountains... some other stuff to dig out, too

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ detail re: adv fire/cold

2025-06-24T13:41:09Z

‎Description: detail re: adv fire/cold

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ hallu

2025-06-24T13:21:44Z

‎Description: hallu

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 ===GruntHack===
-In [[GruntHack]], monster detection can partially "see through" the effects of a monster's [[displacement]]: the screen will display their actual location alongside their displaced image, making it possible for their glyph to show up on two different squares.
+In [[GruntHack]], monster detection can partially "see through" the effects of a monster's [[Displacement (property)|displacement]]: the screen will display their actual location alongside their displaced image, making it possible for their glyph to show up on two different squares.
 ===dNetHack===

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 {{upcoming|3.7.0|Per {{commit|2e43f83db051ef57f2f9dbca89d3e153872153c7}}, enlightenment in wizard mode also reveals the number of turns remaining for monster detection.
-Per {{commit|bf53ff9de58247242cdc60afe448c3f43e4bc097}}, quaffing from a fountain gives proper feedback if the potion effect occurs while the hero is the only monster on the level.
+Per {{commit|bf53ff9de58247242cdc60afe448c3f43e4bc097}}, quaffing from a fountain gives proper feedback if the potion effect occurs while the hero is the only 'monster' on the level.
 Per {{commit|dfac5fbf67ca9b2b147c09a17306202818e35b08}}, quaffing a blessed potion grants passive monster detection for 100-199 more turns if the hero does not have at least 300 turns of the property already.}}
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 The monster detection property first appears with the potion of monster detection in Hack for PDP-11, which is based on [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]]. The property also appears in [[Hack 1.0]] and every version of the game since then.
-From Hack 1.0 to [[NetHack 3.4.3]], including some variants based on those versions, a hero attacking a [[hiding]] monster that they can see via blessed monster detection will uncloak it instead of immediately attacking normally&mdash;this is [[Bugs in NetHack 3.4.3#C343-197|bug #C343-197]], and is fixed in June 2006 via {{commit|c3745836326a1867537786733584de262378d1de}}. Additionally, the <tt>[[hilite_pet]]</tt> option being on causes pets to be shown improperly via blessed monster detection&mdash;this is bug [[Bugs in NetHack 3.4.3#NM343-6|bug NM343-6]], and is fixed for [[NetHack 3.6.0]] in June 2015 via {{commit|86b84568ea7dff0af185641d0fac33855e6d339f}} and {{commit|f86bbca9b648d10a772d73100d8272648a97a7e6}}.
+From Hack 1.0 to [[NetHack 3.4.3]], including some variants based on those versions, a hero that attacks a [[hiding]] monster which they can see via blessed monster detection will "reveal" that monster instead of immediately attacking normally&mdash;this is [[Bugs in NetHack 3.4.3#C343-197|bug #C343-197]], and is fixed in June 2006 via {{commit|c3745836326a1867537786733584de262378d1de}}. Additionally, pets will be displayed improperly via blessed monster detection if the <tt>[[hilite_pet]]</tt> option is set&mdash;this is bug [[Bugs in NetHack 3.4.3#NM343-6|bug NM343-6]], and is fixed for [[NetHack 3.6.0]] in June 2015 via {{commit|86b84568ea7dff0af185641d0fac33855e6d339f}} and {{commit|f86bbca9b648d10a772d73100d8272648a97a7e6}}.
 ==Messages==
@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 {{message|You feel lonely.|You quaffed a blessed potion of monster detection detect monsters spell at Skilled or higher, and there are no monsters currently on the level at that time.}}
-{{upcoming|3.7.0|The following message is added per {{commit|bf53ff9de58247242cdc60afe448c3f43e4bc097}} above.
+{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|The following message is added per {{commit|bf53ff9de58247242cdc60afe448c3f43e4bc097}} above.
 {{message|The water tastes like nothing.|You quaffed from a fountain and got the detect monsters effect, but you are the only monster on the level.}}}}

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 ===dNetHack===
-In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]], and [[notnotdNetHack]], some monsters have [[Monster detection (vision)|an innate form of monster detection]] as part of their vision.
+In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]], and [[notnotdNetHack]], some monsters have a form of vision that [[Monster detection (vision)|behaves as an innate type of monster detection]].
 Various artifacts can grant monster detection in some form:

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 '''Monster detection''' is a [[property]] in ''[[NetHack]]'' that allows a [[hero]] to see all [[monster]]s on the current [[dungeon level]].
-Monster detection can be obtained by the hero from either [[quaffing]] the [[potion of monster detection]], quaffing from a [[fountain]], or [[Spellcasting|casting]] the {{+ of|detect monsters}} spell. Monsters will not quaff the potion.
+Monster detection can be obtained by the hero from either [[quaffing]] the [[potion of monster detection]], quaffing from a [[fountain]], or [[Spellcasting|casting]] the {{+ of|detect monsters}} spell. Monsters will not use any of these methods.
 ==Description==
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 The monster detection property first appears with the potion of monster detection in Hack for PDP-11, which is based on [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]]. The property also appears in [[Hack 1.0]] and every version of the game since then.
-From Hack 1.0 to [[NetHack 3.4.3]], including some variants based on those versions, a hero attacking a [[hiding]] monster seen via blessed monster detection will uncloak it instead of immediately attacking normally&mdash;this is [[Bugs in NetHack 3.4.3#C343-197|bug #C343-197]], and is fixed in June 2006 via {{commit|c3745836326a1867537786733584de262378d1de}}. Additionally, the <tt>[[hilite_pet]]</tt> option being on causes pets to be shown improperly via blessed monster detection&mdash;this is bug [[Bugs in NetHack 3.4.3#NM343-6|bug NM343-6]], and is fixed for [[NetHack 3.6.0]] in June 2015 via {{commit|86b84568ea7dff0af185641d0fac33855e6d339f}} and {{commit|f86bbca9b648d10a772d73100d8272648a97a7e6}}.
+From Hack 1.0 to [[NetHack 3.4.3]], including some variants based on those versions, a hero attacking a [[hiding]] monster that they can see via blessed monster detection will uncloak it instead of immediately attacking normally&mdash;this is [[Bugs in NetHack 3.4.3#C343-197|bug #C343-197]], and is fixed in June 2006 via {{commit|c3745836326a1867537786733584de262378d1de}}. Additionally, the <tt>[[hilite_pet]]</tt> option being on causes pets to be shown improperly via blessed monster detection&mdash;this is bug [[Bugs in NetHack 3.4.3#NM343-6|bug NM343-6]], and is fixed for [[NetHack 3.6.0]] in June 2015 via {{commit|86b84568ea7dff0af185641d0fac33855e6d339f}} and {{commit|f86bbca9b648d10a772d73100d8272648a97a7e6}}.
 ==Messages==
@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 Various artifacts can grant monster detection in some form:
-* [[Nenya]] is an unaligned, [[Intelligent artifact|intelligent]] and [[Elf (monster attribute)|elf-favoring]] diamond ring that grants blessed monster detection while [[worn]].
+* [[Nenya]] is an unaligned, [[Intelligent artifact|intelligent]] and [[Elf (monster attribute)|elf-favoring]] diamond ring that can be [[put on]] to gain blessed monster detection.
 * [[dNetHack artifacts#The Crown of the Percipient|The Crown of the Percipient]] is a neutral, intelligent artifact [[helm of brilliance]] made of [[flesh]] that is the [[crowning]] gift for [[Drow Healer]]s and other heroes that worship [[Pen'a]], and grants blessed monster detection while worn.
 * [[dNetHack artifacts#The All-seeing Eye of the Fly|The All-seeing Eye of the Fly]] is a lawful, large-sized and [[Intelligent artifact|intelligent]] [[helm of telepathy]] that [[Baalzebub (dNetHack)|Baalzebub]] is [[always generated with]]. A hero wearing the artifact gains blessed monster detection, and using [[far look]] on monsters seen via the property from the artifact will show their [[DR]] breakdown as well as their current inventory.
 ===NetHack Fourk===
-In [[NetHack Fourk]], [[Sylph (starting race)|slyph]] heroes gain intrinsic blessed monster detection at [[experience level]] 16.
+In [[NetHack Fourk]], [[Sylph (starting race)|sylph]] heroes gain intrinsic blessed monster detection at [[experience level]] 16.
 ===FIQHack===

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 Monster detection can occur in multiple forms, depending on the source of the property:{{refsrc|src/potion.c|816|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=both potion and spell use the same code}}
-* Quaffing a non-blessed potion of monster detection, quaffing from a non-magical fountain with a {{frac|30}} chance or casting the spell of detect monsters cast at Basic or lower skill will reveal the current location of all monsters that on the dungeon level.{{refsrc|src/potion.c|845|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=calls <tt>monster_detect()</tt> in detect.c}}{{refsrc|src/detect.c|783|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>monster_detect()</tt> function}} This will display the monsters and their locations against a blank map similar to [[object detection]]:{{refsrc|src/detect.c|807|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=temporary map is drawn using this code}}{{refsrc|src/detect.c|837|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=temporary map navigation}} the hero can navigate this screen by moving their cursor to highlight particular monsters, and any other key that does not perform a navigation action will exit this screen. Monster locations are not recorded when returning to normal play.
+* Quaffing a non-blessed potion of monster detection, quaffing from a non-magical fountain with a {{frac|30}} chance or casting the spell of detect monsters cast at Basic or lower skill will reveal the current location of all monsters that on the dungeon level.{{refsrc|src/potion.c|845|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=calls <tt>monster_detect()</tt> in detect.c}}{{refsrc|src/detect.c|783|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<tt>monster_detect()</tt> function}} This will display the monsters and their locations against a blank map similar to a [[potion of object detection]]:{{refsrc|src/detect.c|807|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=temporary map is drawn using this code}}{{refsrc|src/detect.c|837|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=temporary map navigation}} the hero can navigate this screen by moving their cursor to highlight particular monsters, and any other key that does not perform a navigation action will exit this screen. Monster locations are not recorded when returning to normal play.
 * Quaffing a blessed potion of monster detection, or casting the spell of detect monsters cast at Skilled or higher, will grant monster detection as an intrinsic property and continuously display the position of all monsters on the current level for several turns.{{refsrc|src/potion.c|818|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/detect.c|834|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} This form of the property is sometimes informally referred to as "blessed monster detection" or "passive monster detection" and lasts for 21–60 turns per usage of the Skilled (or better) spell or the blessed potion, and additional uses will only add 1 more turn to the duration if the hero already has at least 300 turns of passive monster detection.{{refsrc|src/potion.c|817|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=both the spell and potion use the same code}}{{refsrc|src/potion.c|825|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 * In [[wizard mode]], the #wizintrinsic [[extended command]] can be used to grant 30 (more) turns of monster detection as from the blessed potion or the Skilled (or better) spell. The property's current duration can be seen via the #timeout extended command.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 * In [[wizard mode]], the #wizintrinsic [[extended command]] can be used to grant 30 (more) turns of monster detection as from the blessed potion or the Skilled (or better) spell.
-The hero [[exercises]] [[wisdom]] when quaffing the potion or casting the spell, and the locations of [[invisible]] monsters are always revealed even if the hero cannot [[see invisible]] normally.{{refsrc|src/potion.c|847|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} A [[large box]] containing [[Schroedinger's Cat]] cannot have its contents revealed indirectly by monster detection. Using the spell or potion while [[hallucinating]] will have the same effects as described above, but will print different messages and display monsters as their hallucinated identities.
+The hero [[exercises]] [[wisdom]] when quaffing the potion or casting the spell, and the locations of [[invisible]] monsters are always revealed even if the hero cannot [[see invisible]] normally.{{refsrc|src/potion.c|847|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} Using the spell or potion while [[hallucinating]] will have the same effects as described above, but will print different messages and display monsters as their hallucinated identities.
 {{upcoming|3.7.0|Per {{commit|dfac5fbf67ca9b2b147c09a17306202818e35b08}}, quaffing a blessed potion grants passive monster detection for 100-199 more turns if the hero does not have at least 300 turns of the property already.}}