Scroll of charging - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ more upcoming tailoring

2026-01-11T16:44:47Z

‎Strategy: more upcoming tailoring

Umbire the Phantom: /* dNetHack */ word choice

2026-01-11T16:30:29Z

‎dNetHack: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ word choice

2026-01-11T16:29:44Z

‎Strategy: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Generation */ tweak

2026-01-10T22:10:03Z

‎Generation: tweak

Umbire the Phantom: upcoming re: charging menu, detailing

2026-01-10T22:05:10Z

upcoming re: charging menu, detailing

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2026-01-10T10:57:59Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: detailing, pothole, move FIQ info to charge article

2026-01-09T22:23:23Z

detailing, pothole, move FIQ info to charge article

Umbire the Phantom: /* FIQHack */ pothole

2026-01-09T20:54:48Z

‎FIQHack: pothole

Umbire the Phantom: upcoming, *dnh

2026-01-09T20:44:36Z

upcoming, *dnh

Umbire the Phantom: clarify charging cancelled items

2026-01-09T17:38:48Z

clarify charging cancelled items

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 {{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|615edb1c7625c0c00a1e2817e4efc8aa575d02e6}}, wands of wishing only generate with one charge, and charging the wand only adds a singular charge. This is done as part of spreading wishes out through the late stages of the game, and thus means that a hero will have to prioritize wishing for different items over the course of a game.
-Among other things, this means that wands of wishing give 3 wishes each, so the scroll of charging is not as high-priority of a wish candidate for players: the lowered cap on charges mean that fewer wishes can be obtained from a singular wand, but they provide their wishes more consistently (one before recharging, a second after charging and a third via [[wresting]]), and such wishes should be tailored towards the hero's most immediate needs&mdash;though this is ''already'' the case with prioritizing wishes in [[NetHack 3.6.7]] (and previous stable versions), the nature of the upcoming changes mean that a hero is much less likely to "solve" their ideal kit immediately upon finding a wand of wishing or be left with several "spare" wishes after using some of the charges.
+Among other things, this means that the scroll of charging is not likely to be as high-priority of a wish candidate for players: the lowered cap on charges mean that fewer wishes can be obtained from a singular wand of wishing, but at 3 wishes each they provide their wishes more consistently (one before recharging, a second after charging and a third via [[wresting]]), and such wishes should be tailored towards the hero's most immediate needs. Though this is ''already'' the case with prioritizing wishes in [[NetHack 3.6.7]] (and previous stable versions), the nature of the upcoming changes mean that a hero is much less likely to "solve" their ideal kit immediately upon finding a wand of wishing or be left with several "spare" wishes after using some of the charges.
 Combined with several other changes made to specifically balance wishes and the game's difficulty in general, a hero that reaches the Castle should usually still have sufficient enough resources to proceed into the later stages of the game, and players should adjust their strategies accordingly in order to lean much less on having an excess of wishes to ascend. Additionally, this gives an incentive to use the wand's wish on a good/necessary item immediately and then wait for a source of charging to use the other wishes later, depending on how urgently they need it&mdash;in the case of a hero finding a random wand of wishing, if they have no pressing needs and do not know the scroll's label, wishing for 2-3 uncursed or blessed scrolls of charging can be sufficient.

@@ Line 67: / Line 67: @@
 ===dNetHack===
-In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]], the scroll of charging still works on "future tech", which are items normally only found on [[Anachrononaut]]s and [[Android]]s or in the [[Anachrononaut quest|Anachrononaut]] and [[Android quest]]s&mdash;these items can also be charged with a [[power pack]], which also functions the same for "present" magical items.
+In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]], the scroll of charging still works on "future tech", which are items normally only found on [[Anachrononaut]]s and [[Android]]s or in the [[Anachrononaut quest|Anachrononaut]] and [[Android quest]]s&mdash;these items can also be charged with a [[power pack]], a form of future tech which also functions the same for "present" magical items.
 [[Preservative engine]]s interact with the scroll of charging differently from most other tools: a ''cursed'' scroll of charging used on a preservative engine will set its charges to the maximum of 8, while a blessed scroll instead ''removes'' all charges, and an uncursed scroll will add one charge up to the maximum of 8.

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 {{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|615edb1c7625c0c00a1e2817e4efc8aa575d02e6}}, wands of wishing only generate with one charge, and charging the wand only adds a singular charge. This is done as part of spreading wishes out through the late stages of the game, and thus means that a hero will have to prioritize wishing for different items over the course of a game.
-Among other things, this means that wands of wishing give 3 wishes each, so the scroll of charging is not as high-priority of a wish candidate for players: the lowered cap on charges mean that fewer wishes can be obtained from a singular wand (though they can still provide a maximum of three including [[wresting]]), and such wishes should be tailored towards the hero's most immediate needs&mdash;though this is ''already'' the case with prioritizing wishes in [[NetHack 3.6.7]] (and previous stable versions), the changes mean that a hero is much less likely to "solve" their ideal kit immediately upon finding a wand of wishing or end up with several "spare" wishes after using some of the charges.
+Among other things, this means that wands of wishing give 3 wishes each, so the scroll of charging is not as high-priority of a wish candidate for players: the lowered cap on charges mean that fewer wishes can be obtained from a singular wand, but they provide their wishes more consistently (one before recharging, a second after charging and a third via [[wresting]]), and such wishes should be tailored towards the hero's most immediate needs&mdash;though this is ''already'' the case with prioritizing wishes in [[NetHack 3.6.7]] (and previous stable versions), the nature of the upcoming changes mean that a hero is much less likely to "solve" their ideal kit immediately upon finding a wand of wishing or be left with several "spare" wishes after using some of the charges.
 Combined with several other changes made to specifically balance wishes and the game's difficulty in general, a hero that reaches the Castle should usually still have sufficient enough resources to proceed into the later stages of the game, and players should adjust their strategies accordingly in order to lean much less on having an excess of wishes to ascend. Additionally, this gives an incentive to use the wand's wish on a good/necessary item immediately and then wait for a source of charging to use the other wishes later, depending on how urgently they need it&mdash;in the case of a hero finding a random wand of wishing, if they have no pressing needs and do not know the scroll's label, wishing for 2-3 uncursed or blessed scrolls of charging can be sufficient.

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 Writing a scroll of charging with a [[magic marker]] takes up 8 to 15 charges.
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|10a5e6747846ff4f855de381a5f7572524937e68}}, some [[shopkeeper]]s can [[generate with]] scrolls of charging: shopkeepers of general stores have a {{frac|4|5}} chance of generating with a scroll, while shopkeepers of jewelry stores have a {{frac|2}} chance, and shopkeepers of hardware stores and quality apparel and accessories stores always generate with the scroll. This is partly a pun on shopkeepers "charging" their customers.}}
+{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|10a5e6747846ff4f855de381a5f7572524937e68}}, some [[shopkeeper]]s can be [[generated with]] scrolls of charging: shopkeepers of general stores have a {{frac|4|5}} chance of generating with a scroll, while shopkeepers of jewelry stores have a {{frac|2}} chance, and shopkeepers of hardware stores and quality apparel and accessories stores always generate with the scroll. This is partly a pun on shopkeepers "charging" their customers.}}
 ==Description==

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 ==Description==
-{{main|Charging}}
+{{main|Charge#Charging mechanics|l1=Charging mechanics}}
 A [[hero]] [[reading]] the scroll of charging will [[auto-identify]] if it is not known and be used up, followed by different effects that depend on the scroll's [[beatitude]] and whether or not the hero is [[confused]].{{refsrc|src/read.c|1514|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/read.c|1531|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/read.c|1538|nethack=3.6.7}} [[Monster]]s will not read this scroll.
-If the hero is not confused and reads a scroll of charging, the player is prompted to choose an item in their inventory, and the game may additionally list only items that are chargeable depending on the player's settings.{{refsrc|src/read.c|1540|nethack=3.6.7}} If the chosen item can be [[charged]], then the scroll will increment its charge counter by 1{{refsrc|src/read.c|1542|nethack=3.6.7|comment=calls <tt>recharge()</tt>}}{{refsrc|src/read.c|467|nethack=3.6.7|comment=<tt>recharge()</tt> fuction}}&mdash;a non-cursed scroll will grant one or more additional charges, with a blessed scroll having a much higher probability of setting the item's charges to the maximum, while a cursed scroll will instead set the number of charges on the item to zero, and these effects apply even if the item is [[cancelled]] (i.e. at -1).{{refsrc|src/read.c|483|nethack=3.6.7}} See the charging article linked at the top of the section for more precise details on its effects.
+If the hero is not confused and reads a scroll of charging, the player is prompted to choose an item to charge from their inventory, which will list either all items or only chargeable items (other than [[oil lamp]]s and [[brass lantern]]s) depending on the player's settings.{{refsrc|src/read.c|1540|nethack=3.6.7}} If the chosen item can be charged, then the scroll will increment its charge counter by 1{{refsrc|src/read.c|1542|nethack=3.6.7|comment=calls <tt>recharge()</tt>}}{{refsrc|src/read.c|467|nethack=3.6.7|comment=<tt>recharge()</tt> fuction}}&mdash;a non-cursed scroll will grant one or more additional charges, with a blessed scroll having a much higher probability of setting the item's charges to the maximum, while a cursed scroll will instead set the number of charges on the item to zero, and these effects apply even if the item is [[cancelled]] (i.e. at -1).{{refsrc|src/read.c|483|nethack=3.6.7}} See the linked sub-section of the article on charging for more precise details on its effects.
 If the hero is confused and reads a scroll of charging, a non-cursed scroll will set their current [[energy]] to its maximum:{{refsrc|src/read.c|1519-L1526|nethack=3.6.7}} if the hero was at or near full energy when reading the scroll, they will also have their current energy increased by 6d4 for a blessed scroll or 4d4 for an uncursed scroll and have their maximum energy set to that amount. If the hero is confused and reads a cursed scroll, their current energy is set to 0.{{refsrc|src/read.c|1516|nethack=3.6.7}}
 ==Strategy==
 The scroll of charging is invaluable for re-using [[tool]]s, [[wand]]s and other similar items: if a hero comes across a [[wand of wishing]], either randomly or from making it to the guaranteed one in the [[Castle]], and they have not yet identified the scroll, 2-3 blessed scrolls of charging are a highly-recommended first [[wish]] for the wand; if the hero knows the scroll and also has a way to make [[scrolls of blank paper]] and bless them, then a [[magic marker]] may be a more sensible wish.
-For general usage, the scroll is best suited to charging valuable wands (such as a [[wand of death]]) and magic markers. Most [[ring]]s that can be charged are usually not kept for [[ascension kit]]s, and also have an annoyingly high chance of exploding depending on their current [[enchantment]]{{refsrc|src/read.c|542|nethack=3.6.7|comment=rings that are -5, or else roll a number from 0-6 that is lower than their enchantment, will explode when charged}}&mdash;some rings like the [[ring of protection]] and [[ring of increase damage]] are still useful enough to occasionally spend a scroll on (e.g. [[putting on]] the latter ring to boost [[dagger]]- and [[arrow]]-[[storm]]s).
+For general usage, the scroll is most often used to charge valuable wands (such as a [[wand of death]] or [[wand of polymorph]]) and magic markers. Most [[ring]]s that can be charged are usually not kept for [[ascension kit]]s, and also have [[Charge#Rings|an annoyingly high chance of exploding]] at lower enchantments: a ring being charged has its current enchantment checked first, with a {{frac|''n''|7}} probability of exploding instead of changing its enchantment if 0 < ''n'' < 7, and the ring will always explode if the ring's enchantment is a value that is either -5 or less, or +7 or greater.{{refsrc|src/read.c|541|nethack=3.6.7|comment="destruction depends on current state, not adjustment"}}{{refsrc|src/read.c|542-L546|nethack=3.6.7}} Even so, some rings like the [[ring of protection]] and [[ring of increase damage]] are still useful enough to occasionally spend a scroll on (e.g. [[putting on]] the latter ring to boost [[dagger]]- and [[arrow]]-[[storm]]s).
-[[Tourist]]s that obtain their [[quest artifact]], [[The Platinum Yendorian Express Card]], can usually [[invoke]] the blessed [[artifact]] over intervals of a few hundred turns for the purposes described above, though they can still make use of the scroll of charging to restore energy or else charge items if the artifact is currently ignoring them. The Platinum Yendorian Express Card is also important for some [[illiterate]] [[conduct]] builds, since it can replicate the effects of the scroll without breaking that conduct.
+[[Tourist]]s that obtain their [[quest artifact]], [[The Platinum Yendorian Express Card]], can usually [[invoke]] the blessed [[artifact]] over intervals of a few hundred turns for the purposes described above: they can still make use of the scroll of charging to charge items if the artifact is currently ignoring them, and the scroll can also be read while confused to restore energy for casting-focused Tourists. The Platinum Yendorian Express Card is also important for some [[illiterate]] [[conduct]] builds, since it can replicate the effects of the scroll without breaking that conduct.
 Players with [[spellcasting]]-focused heroes, particularly those who are foregoing artifact wishes or going [[wishless]] in general, will gain a lot from the effects of reading scrolls of charging while confused; this is especially true during the [[ascension run]], when their power is being drained by the [[Amulet of Yendor]]. Spellcasting heroes who are not committed to such conducts can possibly wish for [[the Mitre of Holiness]] or [[the Eye of the Aethiopica]] depending on their own role and alignment.

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 ==Messages==
-{{main|Charging#Messages|l1=Charging messages}}
+{{main|Charge#Messages|l1=Charging messages}}
 {{message|This is a charging scroll.|You read a scroll of any beatitude.}}
 {{message|You feel charged up!|You read a noncursed scroll, while confused.}}
@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 ===UnNetHack===
 In [[UnNetHack]], charging an applicable item with a blessed scroll of charging will also reveal its current charges and charge counter.
 ===AceHack===
@@ Line 71: / Line 73: @@
 ===FIQHack===
 In [[FIQHack]], a hero reading a non-cursed scroll of charging while confused can undo [[Cancellation#FIQHack|cancellation]] afflicting them.
 ===EvilHack===

@@ Line 72: / Line 72: @@
 In [[FIQHack]], a hero reading a non-cursed scroll of charging while confused can undo [[Cancellation#FIQHack|cancellation]] afflicting them.
-FIQHack also adds the [[spellbook of charging]], whose enchantment spell can be cast to replicate the effects of an uncursed scroll of charging.
+FIQHack also adds the [[spellbook of charging]], whose [[enchantment spell]] can be cast to replicate the effects of an uncursed scroll of charging.
 ===EvilHack===

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 Writing a scroll of charging with a [[magic marker]] takes up 8 to 15 charges.
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|10a5e6747846ff4f855de381a5f7572524937e68}}, some [[shopkeeper]]s can [[generate with]] scrolls of charging: shopkeepers of general stores have a {{frac|4|5}} chance of generating with a scroll, while shopkeepers of jewelry stores have a {{frac|2}} chance, and shopkeepers of hardware stores and quality apparel and accessories stores always generate with the scroll.}}
+{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|10a5e6747846ff4f855de381a5f7572524937e68}}, some [[shopkeeper]]s can [[generate with]] scrolls of charging: shopkeepers of general stores have a {{frac|4|5}} chance of generating with a scroll, while shopkeepers of jewelry stores have a {{frac|2}} chance, and shopkeepers of hardware stores and quality apparel and accessories stores always generate with the scroll. This is partly a pun on shopkeepers "charging" their customers.}}
 ==Description==
@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 {{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|615edb1c7625c0c00a1e2817e4efc8aa575d02e6}}, wands of wishing only generate with one charge, and charging the wand only adds a singular charge. This is done as part of spreading wishes out through the late stages of the game, and thus means that a hero will have to prioritize wishing for different items over the course of a game.
-Among other things, this means that the scroll of charging is not as high-priority of a wish candidate for players: the lowered cap on charges mean that fewer wishes can be obtained from a singular wand (though they can still provide a maximum of three including [[wresting]]), and such wishes should be tailored towards the hero's most immediate needs&mdash;though this is ''already'' the case with prioritizing wishes in [[NetHack 3.6.7]] (and previous stable versions), the changes mean that a hero is much less likely to "solve" their ideal kit immediately upon finding a wand of wishing or end up with several "spare" wishes after using some of the charges.
+Among other things, this means that wands of wishing give 3 wishes each, so the scroll of charging is not as high-priority of a wish candidate for players: the lowered cap on charges mean that fewer wishes can be obtained from a singular wand (though they can still provide a maximum of three including [[wresting]]), and such wishes should be tailored towards the hero's most immediate needs&mdash;though this is ''already'' the case with prioritizing wishes in [[NetHack 3.6.7]] (and previous stable versions), the changes mean that a hero is much less likely to "solve" their ideal kit immediately upon finding a wand of wishing or end up with several "spare" wishes after using some of the charges.
-Combined with several other changes made to specifically balance wishes and the game's difficulty in general, a hero that reaches the Castle should usually still have sufficient enough resources to proceed into the later stages of the game, and players should adjust their strategies accordingly in order to lean much less on having an excess of wishes to ascend. In the case of a hero finding a random wand of wishing without knowing the scroll's label, wishing for 2-3 uncursed scrolls is sufficient.
+Combined with several other changes made to specifically balance wishes and the game's difficulty in general, a hero that reaches the Castle should usually still have sufficient enough resources to proceed into the later stages of the game, and players should adjust their strategies accordingly in order to lean much less on having an excess of wishes to ascend. Additionally, this gives an incentive to use the wand's wish on a good/necessary item immediately and then wait for a source of charging to use the other wishes later, depending on how urgently they need it&mdash;in the case of a hero finding a random wand of wishing, if they have no pressing needs and do not know the scroll's label, wishing for 2-3 uncursed or blessed scrolls of charging can be sufficient.
-Additionally, the aforementiones changed include spreading out items that heroes usually make wishes for: shopkeepers generating with scrolls of charging is one such example that provides a source of the scroll for heroes willing to take them on directly and risk [[murder]] penalties or (much more likely) use strong [[pet]]s to kill them.}}
+The aforementioned changes include spreading out items that heroes usually make wishes for: shopkeepers generating with scrolls of charging is one such example that provides a source of the scroll for heroes willing to take them on directly and risk [[murder]] penalties or (much more likely) use strong [[pet]]s to kill them.}}
 ==History==
@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 ===dNetHack===
-[[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]] add the [[power pack]], a tool that can be used to charge items as the scroll of charging does&mdash;both the scroll and the power pack can be used to charge normal items and "future tech" (which are items normally only found on [[Anachrononaut]]s and [[Android]]s or in the [[Anachrononaut quest|Anachrononaut]] and [[Android quest]]s.
+In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]], the scroll of charging still works on "future tech", which are items normally only found on [[Anachrononaut]]s and [[Android]]s or in the [[Anachrononaut quest|Anachrononaut]] and [[Android quest]]s&mdash;these items can also be charged with a [[power pack]], which also functions the same for "present" magical items.
 [[Preservative engine]]s interact with the scroll of charging differently from most other tools: a ''cursed'' scroll of charging used on a preservative engine will set its charges to the maximum of 8, while a blessed scroll instead ''removes'' all charges, and an uncursed scroll will add one charge unless it is already at its maximum of 8.