Priest/EvilHack - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: Umbire the Phantom moved page Cleric/EvilHack to Priest/EvilHack over redirect: move back until such time as the variant renames the role (if ever)

2026-05-05T04:03:30Z

Umbire the Phantom moved page Cleric/EvilHack to Priest/EvilHack over redirect: move back until such time as the variant renames the role (if ever)

Umbire the Phantom: Umbire the Phantom moved page Priest/EvilHack to Cleric/EvilHack: same as Cave Dweller, NetHack 5 update

2026-05-05T04:02:43Z

Umbire the Phantom moved page Priest/EvilHack to Cleric/EvilHack: same as Cave Dweller, NetHack 5 update

Umbire the Phantom: /* Special rules */ wand explosions

2026-04-25T11:10:08Z

‎Special rules: wand explosions

Umbire the Phantom: /* Special rules */ mention book gifts

2025-10-27T23:57:39Z

‎Special rules: mention book gifts

Umbire the Phantom: /* Special rules */ body armor

2025-10-27T23:48:43Z

‎Special rules: body armor

Umbire the Phantom: /* Special rules */ word choice

2025-10-27T21:25:37Z

‎Special rules: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Special rules */ word choice

2025-10-27T21:04:18Z

‎Special rules: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Special rules */ word choice

2025-10-25T23:57:58Z

‎Special rules: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: some stuff I missed

2025-10-25T23:47:11Z

some stuff I missed

Umbire the Phantom: create

2025-10-25T22:59:47Z

create

New page

{{tocright}}
{{EvilHack roles}}
In [[EvilHack]], the '''Priest''', or '''Priestess''' is one of the [[role]]s from ''[[NetHack]]'' that is available to the [[hero]].

Priests can be [[Human (starting race)|humans]], [[Elf (starting race)|elves]], [[Dwarf (starting race)|dwarves]], [[Orc (starting race)|orcs]], [[Giant (starting race)|giants]], [[Hobbit (starting race)#EvilHack|hobbits]], [[Centaur (starting race)|centaurs]], [[Illithid (starting race)|illithids]], [[Tortle (starting race)|tortles]], or [[Drow (starting race)#EvilHack|drow]], and can start as any appropriate [[alignment]].

==Starting equipment==
Each Priest starts with the following equipment:

* a [[blessed]] +1 [[mace]] ([[wielded]])
* a +0 [[robe]]
** a +0 pair of [[high boots]] if the hero is a giant
** a +0 [[toque]] if the hero is a tortle
* a +0 [[small shield]]
** a +0 pair of [[dark elven bracers]] if the hero is a drow
* 4 [[potions of holy water]]
* 1-2 cloves of [[garlic]]
* 1-2 [[sprigs of wolfsbane]]
* 2 random [[spellbook]]s for [[clerical]], [[divination]], [[evocation]], or [[healing spells]]
** spellbooks for evocation spells are always level 1, while spellbooks for other spells are level 3 or lower
* an uncursed [[oil lamp]] unless the hero is a drow ({{frac|4}} chance or 25%)

The following racial conditions also apply:

* Drow Priests will have a mace made of [[adamantine]], and are additionally given a random non-[[Magical item|magical]] [[instrument]]. They will also never start with a [[spellbook of light]].
* Dwarf Priests have a {{frac|4}} chance of starting with a +0 [[pick-axe]].
* Elven Priests will have a mace made of [[copper]], and are additionally given a random non-magical instrument.
* Giant Priests may start with some valuable [[gem]]s.
* Hobbit Priests will start with a [[tinning kit]] and two additional stacks of 1-2 random [[comestible]]s.
* Orcish Priests are not given extra food like orcish heroes in most other roles.
* Tortle Priests have a {{frac|4}} chance of starting with an [[oilskin sack]].

Priests start with knowledge of the [[potion of water]] and any applicable racial equipment.

The Priest's default starting [[pet]] is a [[little dog]] or [[kitten]] with equal probability.

==Intrinsics==
Priests gain the following intrinsic [[properties]] upon reaching the given [[experience level]]s:

* XL 15: [[warning]]
* XL 20: [[fire resistance]]

==Attributes==
The Priest's starting [[attribute]]s are distributed as follows:

{| class="prettytable"
!| Attributes || [[Strength]] || [[Dexterity]] || [[Constitution]] ||[[Intelligence]] || [[Wisdom]] || [[Charisma]] || Remaining
|-
| Minimum attributes || 7 || 7 || 7 || 7 || 10 || 7 || 30
|-
| Distribution percentages || 15% || 15% || 20% || 10% || 30% || 10% ||
|-
| Mean w/ standard deviation (human) || 12.21±2.07 || 11.89±2.01 || 13.47±2.16 || 10.28±1.74 || 17.44±1.08 || 9.95±1.67
|}

The means and standard deviations were calculated via simulation, whose source code can be found on [[Talk:Role#Initial attribute simulation code|the role article's talk page]], and assumes that all given roles are played as humans—non-human races will have different attribute means as a result of different attribute maximums.

==Skills==
Priests have the following [[skill]]s available to them:

{| class="prettytable"
! colspan="2" style="font-size:larger" | Barbarian skills
|-
! Max !! [[Skill]]s
|-
| Basic
|
* ''Weapons:'' [[sling]], [[boomerang]]
* ''Combat:'' [[riding]], [[bare hands]], [[Shield (skill)#EvilHack|shields]]
* ''Spells:'' [[Evocation spells|evocation]]
|-
| Skilled
|
* ''Weapons:'' [[lucern hammer]]
|-
| Expert
|
* ''Weapons:'' [[club]], [[mace]], [[hammer]], [[flail]], [[quarterstaff]]
* ''Spells:'' [[Clerical spells|clerical]], [[Divination spells|divination]], [[Healing spells|healing]]
|}

Priests start with ''Basic'' skill in maces and clerical spells. They use the wisdom stat to cast spells, and their special spell is {{+ of|remove curse}}.

==Special rules==
Priests are forbidden from using edged weapons, preventing them from using any weapon type that deals piercing and/or slashing damage: [[throwing]] or [[firing]] such weapons will incur a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] and abuse wisdom, while using such weapons in melee has a {{frac|7}} chance of causing them to slip from the hero's grasp.

Priests do not receive [[multishot]] bonuses unless they are at Expert level in the appropriate weapon skill: in practice, they cannot reach Expert in any relevant skills, so they can never throw or fire more than one missile per action.

Priests have inherent knowledge of an item's beatitude, whether or not they can see or even touch it. (The <tt>[[implicit_uncursed]]</tt> option is set by default, so an item with no shown beatitude is uncursed—setting <tt>!implicit_uncursed</tt> in your [[options]] will display uncursed beatitude for items.)

Priests only take {{frac|5}} damage from [[breaking wands]] by [[applying]] them.

Priests have a +2 bonus to casting [[emergency spell]]s.

Priests can utilize the [[Turn (command)|#turn]] [[extended command]] to turn away undead, with a chance of pacifying them for chaotic Priests, and a chance of destroying them otherwise. As obtusely alluded to by the guidebook, the command will immobilize the Priest for a few turns afterward.

==Rank titles==
The [[status line]] displays one of the following ranks for the corresponding experience levels:

*XL 1-2: Aspirant
*XL 3-5: Acolyte
*XL 6-9: Adept
*XL 10-13: Priest/Priestess
*XL 14-17: Curate
*XL 18-21: Canon/Canoness
*XL 22-25: Lama
*XL 26-29: Patriarch/Matriarch
*XL 30: High Priest/High Priestess

==Gods==
{{main|Religion}}
The Priest as a role does not have their own pantheon of [[god]]s, with the game instead randomly choosing a pantheon from the other roles.

==Quest==
{{main|Priest quest}}
The Priest's quest sees them fighting [[Nalzok]] for [[The Mitre of Holiness]], an artifact [[helm of brilliance]]. The Mitre of Holiness grants [[fire resistance]] while carried, and while [[worn]] it provides extrinsic [[protection]] (akin to a [[ring of protection]]) in addition to the normal effects of a helm of brilliance—Priests wearing the artifact also take half physical damage from [[undead]] monsters and [[M2_DEMON|demons]]. Wearing The Mitre of Holiness allows [[prayer]] in [[Gehennom (EvilHack)|Gehennom]], including the ability to turn undead. Tortle Priests wearing The Mitre of Holiness are not slowed down while retreating into their shell, though a cursed Mitre will block this ability.

[[Invoking]] The Mitre of Holiness restores [[energy]] up to half the difference between the hero's current power and maximum power, with a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 120.

==Strategy==
{{todo|Detail to match the layout of other NetHack role strategy sections and distinguish it from those.}}
[[Category:EvilHack roles]]

@@ Line 93: / Line 93: @@
 As primary casters, Priests wearing any form of [[body armor]] are only penalized when casting spells of level 4 or higher. They may also receive [[spellbook]]s as [[sacrifice]] gifts from their deity.
-Priests only take {{frac|5}} damage from [[breaking wands]] by [[applying]] them.
+Priests only take {{frac|5}} damage from [[explosion]]s caused by destroyed wands.
 Priests have a +2 bonus to casting [[emergency spell]]s.

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 Priests have inherent knowledge of an item's beatitude, whether or not they can see or even touch it. (The <tt>[[implicit_uncursed]]</tt> option is set by default, so an item with no shown beatitude is uncursed&mdash;setting <tt>!implicit_uncursed</tt> in your [[options]] will display uncursed beatitude for items.)
-As primary casters, Priests wearing any form of [[body armor]] are only penalized when casting spells of level 4 or higher.
+As primary casters, Priests wearing any form of [[body armor]] are only penalized when casting spells of level 4 or higher. They may also receive [[spellbook]]s as [[sacrifice]] gifts from their deity.
 Priests only take {{frac|5}} damage from [[breaking wands]] by [[applying]] them.

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:48, 27 October 2025
Line 90:		Line 90:

	Priests have inherent knowledge of an item's beatitude, whether or not they can see or even touch it. (The <tt>[[implicit_uncursed]]</tt> option is set by default, so an item with no shown beatitude is uncursed—setting <tt>!implicit_uncursed</tt> in your [[options]] will display uncursed beatitude for items.)		Priests have inherent knowledge of an item's beatitude, whether or not they can see or even touch it. (The <tt>[[implicit_uncursed]]</tt> option is set by default, so an item with no shown beatitude is uncursed—setting <tt>!implicit_uncursed</tt> in your [[options]] will display uncursed beatitude for items.)
		+
		+	As primary casters, Priests wearing any form of [[body armor]] are only penalized when casting spells of level 4 or higher.

	Priests only take {{frac\|5}} damage from [[breaking wands]] by [[applying]] them.		Priests only take {{frac\|5}} damage from [[breaking wands]] by [[applying]] them.

@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 Priests are forbidden from using edged weapons, preventing them from using any weapon type that deals piercing and/or slashing damage: a -40 [[to-hit]] penalty is applied for attacking with such weapons; [[throwing]], [[firing]] or using them in melee will [[abuse]] wisdom and has a {{frac|10}} chance to incur a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] for melee with non-[[artifact]] weapons (or {{frac|4}} for non-melee); and using them in melee also has a {{frac|7}} chance of causing them to slip from the hero's grasp. This also means that tortle Priests are restricted in [[trident]]s unlike tortle heroes in other roles. Priests also cannot receive edged weapons as [[sacrifice]] gifts from [[altar]]s or unrestrict weapon skills for piercing or slashing weapons. While Priests can train skill in [[polearms]], the [[lucern hammer]] is the only one that they can use without incurring penalties (as noted in the skill table above).
-The above restrictions on edged weapons also apply to [[crowning]]: the Priest's crowning gift is changed to [[Mjollnir]], which is a heavy war hammer in EvilHack, and they will not unrestrict the weapon skills for their alignment's standard crowning gift (since they can already train hammers to Expert). A lawful Priest must be wielding a heavy war hammer when being crowned to transform it into Mjollnir, while Priests of other alignments will have it placed at their feet. Mjollnir will always be blessed, [[rustproof]] and +1 when gifted by crowning&mdash;if a Priest being crowned is already wielding the artifact, it will become blessed, rustproofed and have its [[enchantment]] set to +1 if it is currently lower.
+The above restrictions on edged weapons also apply to [[crowning]]: the Priest's crowning gift is changed to [[Mjollnir]], which is a heavy war hammer in EvilHack, and they will not unrestrict the weapon skills for their alignment's standard crowning gifts. A lawful Priest must be wielding a heavy war hammer when being crowned to transform it into Mjollnir, while Priests of other alignments will have it placed at their feet. Mjollnir will always be blessed, [[rustproof]] and +1 when gifted by crowning&mdash;if a Priest being crowned is already wielding the artifact, it will become blessed, rustproofed and have its [[enchantment]] set to +1 if it is currently lower.
 Priests do not receive [[multishot]] bonuses unless they are at Expert level in the appropriate weapon skill: in practice, they cannot reach Expert in any relevant skills, so they can never throw or fire more than one missile per action.

@@ Line 83: / Line 83: @@
 ==Special rules==
-Priests are forbidden from using edged weapons, preventing them from using any weapon type that deals piercing and/or slashing damage: a -40 [[to-hit]] penalty is applied for attacking with such weapons; [[throwing]], [[firing]] or using them in melee will [[abuse]] wisdom and has a {{frac|10}} chance to incur a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] for melee with non-[[artifact]] weapons (or {{frac|4}} for non-melee); and using them in melee also has a {{frac|7}} chance of causing them to slip from the hero's grasp. This also means that tortle Priests are restricted in [[trident]]s unlike tortle heroes in other roles. Priests also cannot receive edged weapons as [[sacrifice]] gifts from [[altar]]s or unrestrict weapon skills for piercing or slashing weapons. While Priests can train their skill in [[polearms]], the [[lucern hammer]] is the only one that they can use without incurring penalties.
+Priests are forbidden from using edged weapons, preventing them from using any weapon type that deals piercing and/or slashing damage: a -40 [[to-hit]] penalty is applied for attacking with such weapons; [[throwing]], [[firing]] or using them in melee will [[abuse]] wisdom and has a {{frac|10}} chance to incur a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] for melee with non-[[artifact]] weapons (or {{frac|4}} for non-melee); and using them in melee also has a {{frac|7}} chance of causing them to slip from the hero's grasp. This also means that tortle Priests are restricted in [[trident]]s unlike tortle heroes in other roles. Priests also cannot receive edged weapons as [[sacrifice]] gifts from [[altar]]s or unrestrict weapon skills for piercing or slashing weapons. While Priests can train skill in [[polearms]], the [[lucern hammer]] is the only one that they can use without incurring penalties (as noted in the skill table above).
 The above restrictions on edged weapons also apply to [[crowning]]: the Priest's crowning gift is changed to [[Mjollnir]], which is a heavy war hammer in EvilHack, and they will not unrestrict the weapon skills for their alignment's standard crowning gift (since they can already train hammers to Expert). A lawful Priest must be wielding a heavy war hammer when being crowned to transform it into Mjollnir, while Priests of other alignments will have it placed at their feet. Mjollnir will always be blessed, [[rustproof]] and +1 when gifted by crowning&mdash;if a Priest being crowned is already wielding the artifact, it will become blessed, rustproofed and have its [[enchantment]] set to +1 if it is currently lower.

← Older revision	Revision as of 04:03, 5 May 2026
(No difference)

← Older revision	Revision as of 04:02, 5 May 2026
(No difference)

@@ Line 83: / Line 83: @@
 ==Special rules==
-Priests are forbidden from using edged weapons, preventing them from using any weapon type that deals piercing and/or slashing damage: [[throwing]] or [[firing]] such weapons will incur a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] and abuse wisdom, while using such weapons in melee has a {{frac|7}} chance of causing them to slip from the hero's grasp.
+Priests are forbidden from using edged weapons, preventing them from using any weapon type that deals piercing and/or slashing damage: a -40 [[to-hit]] penalty is applied for attacking with such weapons; [[throwing]], [[firing]] or using them in melee will [[abuse]] wisdom and has a {{frac|10}} chance to incur a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] for melee with non-[[artifact]] weapons (or {{frac|4}} for non-melee); and using them in melee also has a {{frac|7}} chance of causing them to slip from the hero's grasp. This also means that tortle Priests are restricted in [[trident]]s unlike tortle heroes in other roles. Priests also cannot receive edged weapons as [[sacrifice]] gifts from [[altar]]s, and cannot unrestrict weapon skills for piercing or slashing weapons through sacrifice gifts. While Priests can train their skill in [[polearms]], the [[lucern hammer]] is the only one that they can use without incurring penalties.
 Priests do not receive [[multishot]] bonuses unless they are at Expert level in the appropriate weapon skill: in practice, they cannot reach Expert in any relevant skills, so they can never throw or fire more than one missile per action.
@@ Line 110: / Line 112: @@
 ==Gods==
 {{main|Religion}}
-The Priest as a role does not have their own pantheon of [[god]]s, with the game instead randomly choosing a pantheon from the other roles.
+The Priest as a role does not have their own pantheon of [[god]]s, with the game instead randomly choosing a pantheon from the other roles. Their first gift is [[Demonbane]], and their crowning gift is [[Mjollnir]].
 ==Quest==