Polypiling - Revision history

Spinnylights: /* Probability of item transformation */ Add detailed info for armor

2026-01-25T05:55:13Z

‎Probability of item transformation: Add detailed info for armor

Spinnylights: /* Probability of item transformation */ Add info for rings and scrolls

2026-01-25T01:23:02Z

‎Probability of item transformation: Add info for rings and scrolls

Umbire the Phantom: tocright for style

2026-01-10T20:18:29Z

tocright for style

Umbire the Phantom: way more compact lede

2026-01-10T20:14:54Z

way more compact lede

MrSurvivor1997: Added link.

2026-01-10T20:03:48Z

Added link.

MrSurvivor1997: The items are piled not because they combine, but because they all polymorph on the exact same pile, and it lessens waste from the sources of polymorph.

2026-01-10T20:02:59Z

The items are piled not because they combine, but because they all polymorph on the exact same pile, and it lessens waste from the sources of polymorph.

Umbire the Phantom: follow-up

2024-12-20T05:56:15Z

follow-up

Phol ende wodan: /* Forbidden items */ 3.7: amulet of unchanging can't be polymorphed

2024-12-19T23:15:57Z

‎Forbidden items: 3.7: amulet of unchanging can't be polymorphed

Furey: /* When to polypile */ remove an "unlucky" that did not refer to the luck attribute.

2024-06-12T01:54:27Z

‎When to polypile: remove an "unlucky" that did not refer to the luck attribute.

Umbire the Phantom: languages

2024-02-18T15:55:46Z

languages

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 |[[Scroll]] || negligible || 91%
 |}
 All '''rings''' are considered magical.{{refsrc|src/objects.c|543|nethack=3.6.7}} This means that a ring has a near-equal chance of turning into any other ring, with rings of adornment, gain strength, gain constitution, increase accuracy, increase damage, protection, regeneration, and searching being very slightly less likely to occur than the other rings (a 3.5% vs. a 3.6% chance).{{refsrc|src/mkobj.c|265|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/o_init.c|171|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/objects.c|541|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/objects.c|60|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|include/objclass.h|110|nethack=3.6.7}}

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 == Probability of item transformation ==
 When polymorphing a [[magical object]], the game will try to change it into another random magical object, retrying up to two times if the replacement would be non-magical.{{refsrc|zap.c|1215}} The third item generated will be used, regardless if it is magical. The reverse is true when polymorphing a non-magical object. The upshot is that a magical object has a significantly higher probability than a non-magical object of turning into another magical object. So don't expect many magic markers from polypiling pick-axes and mirrors; you will have much better odds polypiling unicorn horns. The exceptions are potions of water, blank scrolls, blank spellbooks, and wands of nothing, all of which have a high chance of becoming more-useful items of the same type. As mentioned above, blessed items have only a 1/12 chance of undergoing system shock, so blessing your polypile items is definitely worth the expenditure if you have a surplus of holy water.
 {|class="prettytable"
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 |-
 |[[Wand]] || negligible || 93%
 |}
 == Forbidden items ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:18, 10 January 2026
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	{{languages}}		{{languages}}
		+	{{tocright}}
	In ''[[NetHack]]'', '''polypiling''' refers to [[polymorph]]ing one or more pile of [[item]]s using the {{+ of\|polymorph}} spell or the [[wand of polymorph]] in hopes of getting some useful items as a result. The objects being polypiled are often referred to as '''polyfodder''' and usually consist of [[junk]] items and [[magical item]]s, piled together to polymorph as many of them as possible for each use of spell [[energy]] or wand [[charge]]s.		In ''[[NetHack]]'', '''polypiling''' refers to [[polymorph]]ing one or more pile of [[item]]s using the {{+ of\|polymorph}} spell or the [[wand of polymorph]] in hopes of getting some useful items as a result. The objects being polypiled are often referred to as '''polyfodder''' and usually consist of [[junk]] items and [[magical item]]s, piled together to polymorph as many of them as possible for each use of spell [[energy]] or wand [[charge]]s.

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 {{languages}}
-In ''[[NetHack]]'', '''polypiling''' is the action of [[polymorph]]ing a pile of [[item]]s in hopes of getting some useful items as a result. Objects polypiled are often referred to as '''polyfodder''' and usually consist of [[junk]]. Polymorph can be caused by a [[Spellbook of polymorph|spell]], [[wand of polymorph|wand]], or [[potion of polymorph|potion]] of polymorph.
+In ''[[NetHack]]'', '''polypiling''' refers to [[polymorph]]ing one or more pile of [[item]]s using the {{+ of|polymorph}} spell or the [[wand of polymorph]] in hopes of getting some useful items as a result. The objects being polypiled are often referred to as '''polyfodder''' and usually consist of [[junk]] items and [[magical item]]s, piled together to polymorph as many of them as possible for each use of spell [[energy]] or wand [[charge]]s.
-Polypiling has its drawbacks: Polyfodder may be destroyed, and hostile [[golem]]s may be generated. The exact mechanics of item destruction are rather complex, but understanding them is important if you want to get the most out of your resources - see [[#Probability of item loss and golem generation|the next section]] for more details.
+Polypiling can produce a lot of useful items, but it can also destroy polyfodder and may even form hostile [[golem]]s. The exact mechanics are rather complex, but understanding them is important if you want to get the most out of your resources&mdash;see [[#Probability of item loss and golem generation|the next section]] for more details.
 ==Introduction==
 When considering polypiling, it is important to distinguish ''stacks'' of items, which are all of one type (e.g., "4 [[blessed]] [[scroll of blank paper|scrolls of blank paper]]"), from ''piles'' of items, which are all of the items on the floor in one [[square]]. The terms ''stack'' and ''pile'' will be used rigorously on this page.
-The spell and wand supply a beam with a random range between 6 and 13 (long enough to hit 3 to 7 piles if they are all in line and contiguous and you are adjacent to the first) so you can work on several piles at once. A [[potion of polymorph]] works on one item stack at a time, the item stack you dip into it.
+The spell and wand supply a beam with a random range between 6 and 13 (long enough to hit 3 to 7 piles if they are all in line and contiguous and you are adjacent to the first) so you can work on several piles at once. A [[potion of polymorph]] works on a singular item stack at a time, and dipping an item stack into a potion uses it up.
 Polymorphed items do not change item class: Potions will always yield potions, scrolls will yield scrolls, armor will always yield armor, etc. - the exception to this is polymorphing a [[crocodile]] [[corpse]], which will yield a pair of non-[[cursed]] [[fireproof]] +0 [[low boots]] instead of another [[comestible]]. [[Stackable]] [[weapons]] and [[tools]] can "merge" into non-stackable ones (e.g. a stack of 4 daggers morphing into a single long sword); other stackable objects are not subject to this.{{refsrc|zap.c|1234}}{{refsrc|zap.c|1312}}{{refsrc|objclass.h|15}} [[Unicorn horn]]s are especially popular polyfodder because they may polymorph into other [[magical tool]]s, such as [[magic marker]]s. Another useful thing to do if you gain polymorph in the early game is to polypile [[spellbook]]s. Polymorphing retains the [[charge]]s and [[enchantment]] of polymorphed items.

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 Polypiling has its drawbacks: Polyfodder may be destroyed, and hostile [[golem]]s may be generated. The exact mechanics of item destruction are rather complex, but understanding them is important if you want to get the most out of your resources - see [[#Probability of item loss and golem generation|the next section]] for more details.
-The main reason that the polymorphed items are piled together is that all the items in one pile can each be polymorphed at once to avoid wasting too many charges of a wand, power from the spell, or the potion altogether.
+The main reason that the polymorphed items are piled together is that all the items in one pile can each be polymorphed at once to avoid wasting too many charges of a wand, [[power]] from the spell, or the potion altogether.
 ==Introduction==

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:02, 10 January 2026
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	Polypiling has its drawbacks: Polyfodder may be destroyed, and hostile [[golem]]s may be generated. The exact mechanics of item destruction are rather complex, but understanding them is important if you want to get the most out of your resources - see [[#Probability of item loss and golem generation\|the next section]] for more details.		Polypiling has its drawbacks: Polyfodder may be destroyed, and hostile [[golem]]s may be generated. The exact mechanics of item destruction are rather complex, but understanding them is important if you want to get the most out of your resources - see [[#Probability of item loss and golem generation\|the next section]] for more details.
		+
		+	The main reason that the polymorphed items are piled together is that all the items in one pile can each be polymorphed at once to avoid wasting too many charges of a wand, power from the spell, or the potion altogether.

	==Introduction==		==Introduction==

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 * [[spellbook of polymorph]]
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|The [[amulet of unchanging]] is added to this list. That has a minor strategic implications when polypiling amulets which should be noted below: eventually, all your amulets will become unchanging.}}
+{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|The [[amulet of unchanging]] is added to this list, which has minor strategic implications when polypiling amulets which should be noted below: eventually, all your amulets will become unchanging.}}
 ==Strategy==

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 |37.41
 |}
-* '''[[Ring]]s''' can help finish off an [[ascension kit]], particularly with rings of {{= of|levitation|slow digestion|or=1|free action}}, if you're unlucky and haven't found them before [[Medusa's Island]]. Most other rings are only useful in specific situations, polypiling or not.
+* '''[[Ring]]s''' can help finish off an [[ascension kit]], particularly with rings of {{= of|levitation|slow digestion|or=1|free action}}, if you haven't found them before [[Medusa's Island]]. Most other rings are only useful in specific situations, polypiling or not.
 ** One cheesy trick is to polypile for rings of {{= of|protection|or=1|increase damage}}, with the intention of [[eating jewelry|eating]] them. It's possible to get a ridiculously low [[AC]] <!-- AC does not overflow below −127--> or ridiculously high damage. The former is pointless, other than to sound impressive, because you can reasonably get to &minus;40AC without such mind-numbing busywork, and that is enough to make even a [[minotaur]] barely scrape the polish on your armor. The latter may be for [[Death farming]] to a ludicrously high score.
 * '''[[Spellbook]]s''', if you are happy with any random book and accept you cannot re-read it. Early in the game, when you don't know many spells yet, you can get dozens of new ones out of a few spellbooks.  In [[3.6.0]] the bug allowing to always learn new spells from overpolymorphed spellbooks has been fixed; a non-blank polymorphed spellbook will be counted as read 1&ndash;3 times, and you can only learn a new spell from it if this number is lower than 3. Otherwise, it will turn blank on reading. Thus, it is advised to formally [[identify]] unknown polymorphed spellbooks before reading, so you could overwrite them with a [[magic marker]] in the latter case.  Newbies might carry books and rings along (unencumbered) into a [[Minetown]] shop in the early game and polymorph there.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:55, 18 February 2024
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		+	{{languages}}
	In ''[[NetHack]]'', '''polypiling''' is the action of [[polymorph]]ing a pile of [[item]]s in hopes of getting some useful items as a result. Objects polypiled are often referred to as '''polyfodder''' and usually consist of [[junk]]. Polymorph can be caused by a [[Spellbook of polymorph\|spell]], [[wand of polymorph\|wand]], or [[potion of polymorph\|potion]] of polymorph.		In ''[[NetHack]]'', '''polypiling''' is the action of [[polymorph]]ing a pile of [[item]]s in hopes of getting some useful items as a result. Objects polypiled are often referred to as '''polyfodder''' and usually consist of [[junk]]. Polymorph can be caused by a [[Spellbook of polymorph\|spell]], [[wand of polymorph\|wand]], or [[potion of polymorph\|potion]] of polymorph.