Novel - Revision history

Phol ende wodan: update to 5.0.0, resolve upcomings and add Messages section

2026-06-28T14:57:48Z

update to 5.0.0, resolve upcomings and add Messages section

Umbire the Phantom: citations and touch-ups

2026-02-17T11:59:54Z

citations and touch-ups

Umbire the Phantom: upcoming tweak

2026-02-16T21:32:39Z

upcoming tweak

Umbire the Phantom: tweak

2026-02-15T04:24:38Z

tweak

Umbire the Phantom: lede

2026-02-15T04:07:01Z

lede

Umbire the Phantom: tweaks

2025-10-28T18:24:08Z

tweaks

JASON10668: Add languages template.

2025-10-28T12:28:10Z

Add languages template.

Phol ende wodan: /* Strategy */ turning a novel into a blank spellbook is strategically valid

2024-12-23T22:48:07Z

‎Strategy: turning a novel into a blank spellbook is strategically valid

Umbire the Phantom: FCU pass

2024-11-24T00:46:36Z

FCU pass

Cathartes: /* Generation */ link commit for upcoming

2024-11-23T23:09:54Z

‎Generation: link commit for upcoming

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
   |appearance=paperback book
   |cost=20
-  |weight=1
+  |weight=10
   |color=brightblue
 }}
-A '''novel''' is a special type of [[item]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. Though they do not teach spells, novels are considered [[spellbook]] items. A novel appears as a '''paperback book''' when [[Identification|unidentified]].
+A '''novel''' is a special type of [[item]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. Though they do not teach spells, novels are considered [[spellbook]] items. A novel appears as a '''paperback book''' when [[Identification|unidentified]] and is always named with the title of a ''Discworld'' book.
 ==Generation==
-Novels are not randomly generated, though they can be [[wish]]ed for or found in [[bones]]. The first second-hand bookstore or rare books [[shop]] generated is guaranteed to have a novel among its wares.{{refsrc|src/shknam.c|461|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/shknam.c|751|nethack=3.6.7}}
+Novels comprise 0.1% of randomly generated [[spellbook]]s, and can also be [[wish]]ed for or found in [[bones]]. The first second-hand bookstore or rare books [[shop]] generated is guaranteed to have a novel among its wares.{{refsrc|src/shknam.c|461|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/shknam.c|751|nethack=3.6.7}}
-Writing a novel with a [[magic marker]] uses up 5&ndash;9 charges, subject to the usual chance of failure if novels have not been identified.
+Spellbooks in the hero's starting inventory will never be novels, nor will spellbooks generated as part of monster starting inventory be novels, nor will your [[god]] give you novels as a [[prayer]] boon.
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|87749392b0f8f3194ffb62bcf7215a932e0b86cb}}, novels can no longer be written with a [[magic marker]], and the [[spellbook of blank paper]] that the hero writes on may be used up in the attempt.
+Novels cannot be written. If you attempt to use a [[magic marker]] to write one, you will merely be given a [[YAFM]] and have a {{frac|1|3}} chance of destroying the blank spellbook you used, though it will not use up any charges from the marker.
-Per {{commit|caaf1b375a29360acba1a4e4dd64ed0b4be17bd5}}, novels comprise 0.1% of randomly generated spellbooks. Heroes and monsters cannot generate with a novel, nor will one be given as a [[prayer]] boon.}}
+==Description==
-==Description==
+The list of possible titles is:
 <div class="div-col columns column-width" style="-moz-column-width: 14em; -webkit-column-width: 14em; column-width: 14em;">
@@ Line 69: / Line 67: @@
 </div>
-The first novel that a hero reads also grants 20 points of [[experience]] and a score bonus, while subsequent novels have no additional effect.{{refsrc|src/spell.c|491-L496|nethack=3.6.7|comment=experience for novels}}
+The first novel that a hero reads also grants 20 points of [[experience]] and a [[score]] bonus, while subsequent novels have no additional effect.{{refsrc|src/spell.c|491-L496|nethack=3.6.7|comment=experience for novels}}
 ==Strategy==
 Novels are among the many sources of experience that a low-level hero can make use of early on, and is one of few such sources that are available to [[pacifist]]s. Outside of this, they tend to have little practical use, other than wetting or cancelling them into [[blank spellbook]]s to [[write]] spells in.
 ==History==
@@ Line 86: / Line 95: @@
 ==References==
 <references/>
-{{nethack-367}}
+{{nethack-500}}
 [[Category:Spellbooks]]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
   |tile=[[image:paperback novel.png]]
   |appearance=paperback book
   |cost=20
   |weight=1
   |color=brightblue
 }}
-A '''novel''' is a special type of [[book]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. Though they do not teach spells, novels are considered [[spellbook]] items. A novel appears as a '''paperback book''' when [[identification|unidentified]].
+A '''novel''' is a special type of [[item]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. Though they do not teach spells, novels are considered [[spellbook]] items. A novel appears as a '''paperback book''' when [[Identification|unidentified]].
 {{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|ed6b78e227d37e0674e1355cd4cb1d9283f9681a}}, novels weigh 10 [[aum]] instead of 1.}}
@@ Line 24: / Line 23: @@
 ==Description==
-A [[hero]] [[reading]] a novel breaks [[illiterate]] conduct and displays a quote from a random ''Discworld'' book listed below:
+A [[hero]] [[reading]] a novel breaks [[illiterate]] conduct and displays a quote from a random ''Discworld'' book listed below:{{refsrc|src/spell.c|488|nethack=3.6.7|comment=conduct for novels is handled separately from other books and scrolls}}
 <div class="div-col columns column-width" style="-moz-column-width: 14em; -webkit-column-width: 14em; column-width: 14em;">
@@ Line 70: / Line 69: @@
 </div>
-The first novel that a hero reads also grants 20 points of [[experience]], while subsequent novels have no additional effect.
+The first novel that a hero reads also grants 20 points of [[experience]] and a score bonus, while subsequent novels have no additional effect.{{refsrc|src/spell.c|491-L496|nethack=3.6.7|comment=experience for novels}}
 ==Strategy==
-Novels are among the many sources of experience that a low-level hero should make use of early on, and is one of few sources available to a [[pacifist]]. Outside of this, they tend to have little practical use, other than wetting or cancelling them into [[blank spellbook]]s to [[write]] spells in.
+Novels are among the many sources of experience that a low-level hero can make use of early on, and is one of few such sources that are available to [[pacifist]]s. Outside of this, they tend to have little practical use, other than wetting or cancelling them into [[blank spellbook]]s to [[write]] spells in.
 ==History==

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 Writing a novel with a [[magic marker]] uses up 5&ndash;9 charges, subject to the usual chance of failure if novels have not been identified.
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|87749392b0f8f3194ffb62bcf7215a932e0b86cb}}, novels can no longer be written with a [[magic marker]], and the [[blank spellbook]] the hero writes on may be used up in the attempt.
+{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|87749392b0f8f3194ffb62bcf7215a932e0b86cb}}, novels can no longer be written with a [[magic marker]], and the [[spellbook of blank paper]] that the hero writes on may be used up in the attempt.
 Per {{commit|caaf1b375a29360acba1a4e4dd64ed0b4be17bd5}}, novels comprise 0.1% of randomly generated spellbooks. Heroes and monsters cannot generate with a novel, nor will one be given as a [[prayer]] boon.}}

@@ Line 76: / Line 76: @@
 ==History==
-Novels first appear in [[NetHack 3.6.0]], where they are added a tribute to [[Terry Pratchett]], the author of the ''[[Wikipedia:Discworld|Discworld]]'' series: Pratchett passed away in 2015, the year of NetHack 3.6.0's release.
+Novels first appear in [[NetHack 3.6.0]]. They are added as a tribute to [[Terry Pratchett]], the author of the ''[[Wikipedia:Discworld|Discworld]]'' series who passed away in 2015 (the year of NetHack 3.6.0's release).
 ==Variants==

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
   |color=brightblue
 }}
-A '''novel''' is a special type of [[book]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. Though they do not teach spells, novels are considered [[spellbook]]s.
+A '''novel''' is a special type of [[book]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. Though they do not teach spells, novels are considered [[spellbook]] items. A novel appears as a '''paperback book''' when [[identification|unidentified]].
 {{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|ed6b78e227d37e0674e1355cd4cb1d9283f9681a}}, novels weigh 10 [[aum]] instead of 1.}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:28, 28 October 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	{{languages}}
	{{item		{{item
	\|symbol=+		\|symbol=+

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
   |color=brightblue
 }}
-Though they do not teach spells, novels are considered [[spellbook]]s and can be written with a [[magic marker]], taking 5&ndash;9 charges to do so. This is subject to failure if novels have not been identified.
+A '''novel''' is a special type of [[book]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. It appears as a '''paperback book''' when [[identification|unidentified]]. Though they do not teach spells, novels are considered [[spellbook]]s.
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|As of {{commit|87749392b0f8f3194ffb62bcf7215a932e0b86cb}}, novels can no longer be written with a [[magic marker]], and the [[blank spellbook]] you select to write on may be destroyed in the attempt.
+{{upcoming|3.7.0|Per {{commit|ed6b78e227d37e0674e1355cd4cb1d9283f9681a}}, novels weigh 10 aum instead of 1.}}
-As of {{commit|ed6b78e227d37e0674e1355cd4cb1d9283f9681a}}, novels weigh 10 aum instead of 1.
+==Generation==
-}}
+Novels are not randomly generated, though they can be [[wish]]ed for or found in [[bones]]. The first second-hand bookstore or rare books [[shop]] generated is guaranteed to have a novel among its wares.{{refsrc|src/shknam.c|461|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/shknam.c|751|nethack=3.6.7}}
-==Generation==
+Writing a novel with a [[magic marker]] uses up 5&ndash;9 charges, subject to the usual chance of failure if novels have not been identified.
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|As of {{commit|caaf1b375a29360acba1a4e4dd64ed0b4be17bd5}}, novels additionally comprise 0.1% of randomly generated spellbooks. Players and monsters cannot start with a novel, nor will one be granted as a [[prayer]] boon.}}
+{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|87749392b0f8f3194ffb62bcf7215a932e0b86cb}}, novels can no longer be written with a [[magic marker]], and the [[blank spellbook]] the hero writes on may be used up in the attempt.
-==Effect==
+Per {{commit|caaf1b375a29360acba1a4e4dd64ed0b4be17bd5}}, novels comprise 0.1% of randomly generated spellbooks. Heroes and monsters cannot generate with a novel, nor will one be given as a [[prayer]] boon.}}
-===List of novels===
+==Description==
 <div class="div-col columns column-width" style="-moz-column-width: 14em; -webkit-column-width: 14em; column-width: 14em;">
@@ Line 71: / Line 69: @@
 *''Wyrd Sisters''
 </div>
 ==Strategy==
-Novels are among the many sources of experience that a [[pacifist]] player should make use of early on. Outside of this, they tend to have little practical use.
+Novels are among the many sources of experience that a low-level hero should make use of early on, and is one of few sources available to a [[pacifist]]. Outside of this, they tend to have little practical use.
 ==History==
-Novels were introduced in [[NetHack 3.6.0]] as a tribute to [[Terry Pratchett]], the author of the ''[[Wikipedia:Discworld|Discworld]]'' series, who passed away in 2015, the year of NetHack 3.6.0's release.
+Novels first appear in [[NetHack 3.6.0]], where they are added a tribute to [[Terry Pratchett]], the author of the ''[[Wikipedia:Discworld|Discworld]]'' series: Pratchett passed away in 2015, the year of NetHack 3.6.0's release.
 ==Variants==
 ===EvilHack===
-In [[EvilHack]], new novels are added that can be found in some of the branches introduced to the variant:
+In [[EvilHack]], two new novels are added that can be found in some of the branches introduced to the variant:
 * [[The Blacksmith's Cookbook]] can be found in a [[chest]] within the [[Goblin Town]] branch, and details what can be done with the #[[forge]] [[extended command]].
 * [[The Adventurer's Journal]] is found on the first floor of the [[Ice Queen's Realm]], and contains hints on what can be encountered in that branch.
-{{nethack-366}}
 [[Category:Spellbooks]]

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 The first [[shop|book or scroll shop]] to be generated in the dungeon is guaranteed to stock a novel.
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Novels additionally comprise 0.1% of randomly generated spellbooks. Players and monsters cannot start with a novel, nor will one be granted as a [[prayer]] boon.}}
+{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|As of {{commit|caaf1b375a29360acba1a4e4dd64ed0b4be17bd5}}, novels additionally comprise 0.1% of randomly generated spellbooks. Players and monsters cannot start with a novel, nor will one be granted as a [[prayer]] boon.}}
 ==Effect==