Scroll of remove curse - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: tweaks

2026-06-01T10:00:01Z

tweaks

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ lede, slash'em note from commit

2026-06-01T09:51:44Z

‎Variants: lede, slash'em note from commit

Umbire the Phantom: cite ink, bugfixes

2026-06-01T09:46:56Z

cite ink, bugfixes

Umbire the Phantom: /* History */ bugfixes

2026-06-01T09:41:26Z

‎History: bugfixes

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ fragment

2026-06-01T09:03:52Z

‎Variants: fragment

Umbire the Phantom: ...eh, nuts to it, won't hurt

2026-06-01T09:03:20Z

...eh, nuts to it, won't hurt

Umbire the Phantom: nh5 updates - need to trawl through commits again before ticking up the version

2026-06-01T08:57:26Z

nh5 updates - need to trawl through commits again before ticking up the version

Hewsos: Through real experience in 5.0.0 ;-)

2026-06-01T03:43:57Z

Through real experience in 5.0.0 ;-)

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ copyedit

2026-01-14T00:57:23Z

‎Description: copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: follow-up

2025-11-30T04:40:00Z

follow-up

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 ===Reading blessed scrolls while confused===
-Confused readings of blessed scrolls of remove curse can be used to create [[holy water]] and [[unholy water]] without the use of [[altar]]s or [[prayer]], particularly for [[atheist]] heroes. This is done by amassing a stack of [[potions of water]], then [[adjust]]ing them all so that they each occupy a separate inventory letter - once done, the hero should then drop other items that they do not want to randomly bless or curse, confuse themselves, and read the blessed scroll. Afterward, drop the [[potion]]s and pick them back up or use the adjust command to re-stack them.
+Confused readings of blessed scrolls of remove curse can be used to create [[holy water]] and [[unholy water]] without the use of [[altar]]s or [[prayer]], particularly for [[atheist]] heroes. This is done by amassing a stack of [[potions of water]], then [[adjust]]ing them all so that they each occupy a separate inventory letter&mdash;once done, the hero should then drop other items that they do not want to randomly bless or curse, confuse themselves, and read the blessed scroll. Afterward, drop the [[potion]]s and pick them back up or use the adjust [[command]] to re-stack them.
 To reveal the beatitude of the water without formal [[identification]], non-atheist heroes can use an altar to verify the beatitude of their water. For atheist heroes, it may be wise to set aside a potion of water beforehand that is known to be uncursed, but ''not'' formally identified as such, so that it can be used to test for holy water versus uncursed water; excess scrolls may be worth using to test for holy water versus uncursed as well, since at worst you will end up with a blank scroll to reuse later. Atheists and other heroes can also take the potions to a shop for [[price identification]], and/or use any pets they have to test for unholy water.
@@ Line 73: / Line 73: @@
 ===SpliceHack===
-In [[SpliceHack]], [[Cartomancer]]s may be given a scroll of remove curse as any of the random scrolls in their starting inventories.
+In [[SpliceHack]], [[Cartomancer]]s, [[Monk/SpliceHack|Monks]] and [[Wizard/SpliceHack|Wizards]] may be given a scroll of remove curse as any of the random scrolls in their starting inventories.
 ===EvilHack===
-In [[EvilHack]], the scroll of remove curse will auto-identify if a hero reading it changes the known beatitude of any items, and monsters can read the scroll of remove curse to uncurse inventory items.
+In [[EvilHack]], the scroll of remove curse will auto-identify if a hero reading it changes the known beatitude of any items, and monsters can read the scroll of remove curse to uncurse their inventory items.
 ===SlashTHEM===
@@ Line 84: / Line 84: @@
 In [[Hack'EM]], [[Archeologist/Hack'EM|Archeologists]], [[Ice Mage/Hack'EM|Ice Mages]], [[Monk/Hack'EM|Monks]], and [[Wizard/Hack'EM|Wizards]] may be given a scroll of remove curse as any of the random scrolls in their starting inventories.
-As in EvilHack, the scroll of remove curse will auto-identify if a hero reading it changes the beatitude of any identified items, and monsters will read the scroll of remove curse to uncurse inventory items.
+As in EvilHack, the scroll of remove curse will auto-identify if a hero reading it changes the beatitude of any identified items, and monsters will read the scroll of remove curse to uncurse their inventory items.
 ==References==

@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 ==Variants==
-''NetHack'' [[variant]]s created prior to NetHack 5.0.0 may implement additional effects for the scroll, including ones that mirror the functions imported to 5.0.0.
+''NetHack'' [[variant]]s created prior to NetHack 5.0.0 may implement additional effects for the scroll, including the auto-identification and effects on the saddle of a current steed that are imported to 5.0.0.
 ===SLASH'EM===
 In [[SLASH'EM]], [[Archeologist/SLASH'EM|Archeologists]], [[Flame Mage]]s, [[Ice Mage]]s, [[Monk/SLASH'EM|Monks]], [[Necromancer]]s, [[Priest/SLASH'EM|Priests]], and [[Wizard/SLASH'EM|Wizards]] may be given a scroll of remove curse as any of the random scrolls in their starting inventories.{{refsrc|u_init.c|36|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|67|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|97|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|121|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|138|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|159|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|247|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}
 ===GruntHack===

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 Scrolls of remove curse make up {{frac|13|200}} (6.5%) of all randomly-generated scrolls. General [[store]]s, second-hand bookstores and rare books shops can sell scrolls of remove curse.
-Writing a scroll of remove curse with a [[magic marker]] takes up 8 to 15 charges.
+Writing a scroll of remove curse with a [[magic marker]] takes up 8 to 15 charges.{{refsrc|src/write.c|L41-44|nethack=5.0.0}}
 ==Description==
@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 * In versions up to [[NetHack 3.6.2]], reading a blessed scroll of remove curse while confused would affect the read scroll along with all other items, even though it disappears once its effects are applied. This is fixed in [[NetHack 3.6.3]] via {{commit|25f1cc38e9663e2f6d84288f55bb1d85ecb83757}} so that the scroll does not alter its own beatitude ''and'' still prompts the player to type-name it after taking effect.
 * In development versions of NetHack 5.0.0:
-** Wielding a stack of unholy water (unidentified, partly-identified or otherwise) and stepping onto a [[magic trap]] that gives its uncursing effect reveals the identity of the scroll, likely due to using a "fake" scroll item to perform the effect. This is fixed via {{commit|68312f7feb8f359dbfde7c5af69e302d298de13e}}.
+** Wielding a stack of unholy water (unidentified, partly-identified or otherwise) and stepping onto a [[magic trap]] that gives its uncursing effect reveals the identity of the scroll of remove curse, since the code for the trap uses a "fake" scroll item in order to perform the effect.{{refsrc|src/trap.c|4438-L4439|nethack=5.0.0|comment=comment notes that using a fake scroll causes the bug}} This is fixed via {{commit|68312f7feb8f359dbfde7c5af69e302d298de13e}} so that the trap's effect uses the {{+ of|remove curse}} "spell" instead.
 ** If a hero reads a blessed scroll of remove curse while confused and performing two-weapon combat, they are standing on a pile of objects, and the scroll causes the uncursed offhand weapon to become cursed, it will drop out of the hero's hand and onto the floor&mdash;the "next object" pointer is thus applied to the pile of objects that the weapon is now a part of, and the scroll's effects were applied to that pile rather than the rest of the hero's inventory. This bug is fixed via {{commit|a0e58fe32359c1229c1a1b660e173957419a86ec}}, and is considered to have existed since the introduction of two-weapon combat in [[NetHack 3.3.0]].

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 The scroll of remove curse first appears in Hack 1.21 and Hack for PDP-11, which are based on [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]], and is included in the initial item list for [[Hack 1.0]]. In Hack for PDP-11, the scroll reverses the effect of a scroll of curse levels, and is itself unaffected by cursing effects.
-From Hack 1.0 to [[NetHack 3.6.7]], including some variants based on those versions, the scroll of remove curse does not auto-identify when read and will prompt the player to type-name it. Additionally, the scroll has no effect on the hero's steed. The scroll's current effects are added in [[NetHack 5.0.0]] via {{commit|e13b1833ccc980ff86db9b8a703aba507539cd10}} and {{commit|cf62687630184fa44e2993e26864033e88883784}}.
+From Hack 1.0 to [[NetHack 3.6.7]], including some variants based on those versions, the scroll of remove curse does not auto-identify when read and will prompt the player to type-name it, and has no effect on the saddle of the hero's steed&mdash;the scroll's current effects are added in [[NetHack 5.0.0]] via {{commit|e13b1833ccc980ff86db9b8a703aba507539cd10}} and {{commit|cf62687630184fa44e2993e26864033e88883784}}. Over these versions, the scroll is also the subject of a few bug fixes and other adjustments:
 ==Messages==

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 ==Variants==
-''NetHack'' [[variant]]s created prior to NetHack 5.0.0 may implement additional
+''NetHack'' [[variant]]s created prior to NetHack 5.0.0 may implement additional effects for the scroll, including ones that mirror the functions imported to 5.0.0.
 ===SLASH'EM===

@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 ==References==
 <references/>
-{{nethack-367}}
+{{nethack-500}}
 [[Category:Scrolls|Remove curse]]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Generation==
-[[Monk]]s may be given a scroll of remove curse as the random scroll in their starting inventory.{{refsrc|src/u_init.c|89|nethack=3.6.7}} [[Wizard]]s may be given a scroll of remove curse as any of the three random scrolls in their starting inventory.{{refsrc|src/u_init.c|167|nethack=3.6.7}}
+[[Monk]]s may be given a scroll of remove curse as the random scroll in their starting inventory.{{refsrc|src/u_init.c|104|nethack=5.0.0}} [[Wizard]]s may be given a scroll of remove curse as any of the three random scrolls in their starting inventory.{{refsrc|src/u_init.c|173|nethack=5.0.0}}
 Scrolls of remove curse make up {{frac|13|200}} (6.5%) of all randomly-generated scrolls. General [[store]]s, second-hand bookstores and rare books shops can sell scrolls of remove curse.
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 ==Description==
-A [[hero]] [[reading]] a scroll of remove curse ends any [[punishment]] by destroying the [[iron chain]] connected to the [[heavy iron ball]], and has additional effects depending on the scroll's [[beatitude]]:{{refsrc|src/read.c|1341|nethack=3.6.7}} a blessed scroll will uncurse all cursed items in the hero's inventory; an uncursed scroll uncurses all equipped items, specifically the hero's [[wielded]] item(s), [[worn]] [[armor]], [[loadstone]]s, [[quiver]]ed [[projectile]]s, worn [[rings]], and applied [[leash]]es; and a cursed scroll will simply disintegrate with no additional effects.
+A [[hero]] [[reading]] a scroll of remove curse ends any [[punishment]] by destroying the [[iron chain]] connected to the [[heavy iron ball]], and has additional effects depending on the scroll's [[beatitude]]:{{refsrc|src/read.c|1489-L1605|nethack=5.0.0}}{{refsrc|src/read.c|1598-L1603|nethack=5.0.0|name="unpunish"|comment=always unpunishes regardless of beatitude}}{{refsrc|src/read.c|2225-L2228|nethack=5.0.0}} an uncursed scroll uncurses all equipped items, specifically the hero's [[wielded]] item(s), [[worn]] [[armor]], carried [[loadstone]]s, [[quiver]]ed items that can serve as valid [[ammunition]] or projectiles, worn [[rings]], applied [[leash]]es, and their [[steed]]'s [[saddle]] if they are riding;{{refsrc|src/read.c|1523-L1548|nethack=5.0.0|name="uncursed"}}{{refsrc|src/read.c|1549-L1554|nethack=5.0.0|name="uncurselist"}}{{refsrc|src/read.c|1579-L1596|nethack=5.0.0|name="saddlecheck"}} a blessed scroll will uncurse all cursed items in the hero's inventory, including a steed's saddle if they are riding;{{refsrc|src/read.c|1493|nethack=5.0.0}}<ref name="uncurselist"/><ref name="saddlecheck"/> and a cursed scroll will simply disintegrate with no additional effects, prompting the player to [[type-name]] it if they have not already.{{refsrc|src/read.c|615-L618|nethack=5.0.0}}{{refsrc|src/read.c|1505-L1506|nethack=5.0.0}} The scroll is [[auto-identified]] if it uncurses at least one item that the hero has formally identified to be cursed.{{refsrc|src/read.c|1570-L1575|nethack=5.0.0}}
-Reading a scroll of remove curse while [[confused]] instead targets all uncursed items in the inventory for a blessed scroll, or all equipped items as above for an uncursed scroll:{{refsrc|src/read.c|1323|nethack=3.6.7}} All uncursed items in the hero's inventory have their beatitude hidden, and each targeted item has a {{frac|4}} chance of being blessed and a {{frac|4}} chance of being cursed. A cursed scroll that is read while confused disintegrates with no other effect as normal.
+Reading a scroll of remove curse while [[confused]] instead targets all uncursed items in the inventory for a blessed scroll, or all equipped items as above for an uncursed scroll:{{refsrc|src/read.c|1556-L1565|nethack=5.0.0}} all uncursed items in the hero's inventory have their beatitude hidden, and then each ''targeted'' item has a {{frac|4}} chance of being blessed and a {{frac|4}} chance of being cursed. A cursed scroll that is read while confused disintegrates with no other effect as normal.
-In all cases, reading the scroll will prompt the player to [[type-name]] it if they have not done so already. [[Monster]]s will not read this scroll.
+[[Monster]]s will not read this scroll.
 ==Strategy==
@@ Line 27: / Line 25: @@
 ===Identification===
-The scroll of remove curse is mostly trivial to identify: it is one of two scrolls with a base cost of 80[[zm]] alongside the [[scroll of enchant armor]], prints a distinct message when read, and has no adverse effects even if read while cursed.
+The scroll of remove curse is mostly trivial to identify: it is one of two scrolls with a base cost of 80[[zm]] alongside the [[scroll of enchant armor]], prints a distinct message when read even if it does not auto-identify, and has no adverse effects even if read while cursed.
 ===Reading blessed scrolls while confused===
@@ Line 38: / Line 36: @@
 ==History==
 The scroll of remove curse first appears in Hack 1.21 and Hack for PDP-11, which are based on [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]], and is included in the initial item list for [[Hack 1.0]]. In Hack for PDP-11, the scroll reverses the effect of a scroll of curse levels, and is itself unaffected by cursing effects.
 ==Messages==
@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 ==Variants==
 ===SLASH'EM===
 In [[SLASH'EM]], [[Archeologist/SLASH'EM|Archeologists]], [[Flame Mage]]s, [[Ice Mage]]s, [[Monk/SLASH'EM|Monks]], [[Necromancer]]s, [[Priest/SLASH'EM|Priests]], and [[Wizard/SLASH'EM|Wizards]] may be given a scroll of remove curse as any of the random scrolls in their starting inventories.{{refsrc|u_init.c|36|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|67|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|97|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|121|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|138|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|159|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}{{refsrc|u_init.c|247|version=SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2}}
 ===GruntHack===
-In [[GruntHack]], monsters can read the scroll of remove curse to uncurse inventory items as the hero would.
+In [[GruntHack]], monsters can read the scroll of remove curse to uncurse inventory items as the hero does.
 ===UnNetHack===
-In [[UnNetHack]], the scroll of remove curse will [[auto-identify]] if reading it changes the beatitude of any identified items.
+In [[UnNetHack]], the scroll of remove curse will auto-identify if a hero reading it changes the beatitude of any identified items.
 ===dNetHack===
 In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]], reading a non-cursed scroll of remove curse can cure [[Weeping angel (dNetHack)|weeping angel]] contamination, abnormal bleeding and [[mummy rot]] in addition to its normal effects.
-A hero that has the [[Spirits (dNetHack)|spirit]] [[Marionette]] bound will unbind them if they read the scroll of remove curse, except while confused.
+A hero that has the [[Spirits (dNetHack)|spirit]] [[Marionette]] bound will unbind them if they read the scroll of remove curse, unless they do so while confused.
 ===SpliceHack===
@@ Line 67: / Line 69: @@
 ===EvilHack===
-In [[EvilHack]], the scroll of remove curse will auto-identify if reading it changes the beatitude of any identified items, and monsters can read the scroll of remove curse to uncurse inventory items. This also applies to [[Hack'EM]].
+In [[EvilHack]], the scroll of remove curse will auto-identify if a hero reading it changes the known beatitude of any items, and monsters can read the scroll of remove curse to uncurse inventory items.
 ===SlashTHEM===
@@ Line 74: / Line 76: @@
 ===Hack'EM===
 In [[Hack'EM]], [[Archeologist/Hack'EM|Archeologists]], [[Ice Mage/Hack'EM|Ice Mages]], [[Monk/Hack'EM|Monks]], and [[Wizard/Hack'EM|Wizards]] may be given a scroll of remove curse as any of the random scrolls in their starting inventories.
 ==References==

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 A [[hero]] [[reading]] a scroll of remove curse ends any [[punishment]] by destroying the [[iron chain]] connected to the [[heavy iron ball]], and has additional effects depending on the scroll's [[beatitude]]:{{refsrc|src/read.c|1341|nethack=3.6.7}} a blessed scroll will uncurse all cursed items in the hero's inventory; an uncursed scroll uncurses all equipped items, specifically the hero's [[wielded]] item(s), [[worn]] [[armor]], [[loadstone]]s, [[quiver]]ed [[projectile]]s, and applied [[leash]]es; and a cursed scroll will simply disintegrate with no additional effects.
-Reading a scroll of remove curse while [[confused]] instead targets all uncursed items in the inventory for a blessed scroll, or all equipped items as above for an uncursed scroll:{{refsrc|src/read.c|1323|nethack=3.6.7}} all targeted items have their beatitude hidden, and for each one there is a {{frac|4}} chance of it being blessed and a {{frac|4}} chance of each targeted item being cursed. A cursed scroll that is read while confused disintegrates with no other effect as normal.
+Reading a scroll of remove curse while [[confused]] instead targets all uncursed items in the inventory for a blessed scroll, or all equipped items as above for an uncursed scroll:{{refsrc|src/read.c|1323|nethack=3.6.7}} All uncursed items in the hero's inventory have their beatitude hidden, and each targeted item has a {{frac|4}} chance of being blessed and a {{frac|4}} chance of being cursed. A cursed scroll that is read while confused disintegrates with no other effect as normal.
 In all cases, reading the scroll will prompt the player to [[type-name]] it if they have not done so already. [[Monster]]s will not read this scroll.

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
   |ink=8-15
 }}
 A '''scroll of remove curse''' is a type of [[Magical item|magical]] [[scroll]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''.
@@ Line 18: / Line 17: @@
 A [[hero]] [[reading]] a scroll of remove curse ends any [[punishment]] by destroying the [[iron chain]] connected to the [[heavy iron ball]], and has additional effects depending on the scroll's [[beatitude]]:{{refsrc|src/read.c|1341|nethack=3.6.7}} a blessed scroll will uncurse all cursed items in the hero's inventory; an uncursed scroll uncurses all equipped items, specifically the hero's [[wielded]] item(s), [[worn]] [[armor]], [[loadstone]]s, [[quiver]]ed [[projectile]]s, and applied [[leash]]es; and a cursed scroll will simply disintegrate with no additional effects.
-Reading a scroll of remove curse while [[confused]] instead targets all items in the inventory for a blessed scroll, or all equipped items as above for an uncursed scroll:{{refsrc|src/read.c|1323|nethack=3.6.7}} all targeted items have their beatitude hidden, and those that were uncursed may change it randomly ({{frac|4}} chance each of being either blessed or cursed and {{frac|2}} chance of remaining uncursed). A cursed scroll that is read while confused disintegrates with no other effect as normal.
+Reading a scroll of remove curse while [[confused]] instead targets all uncursed items in the inventory for a blessed scroll, or all equipped items as above for an uncursed scroll:{{refsrc|src/read.c|1323|nethack=3.6.7}} all targeted items have their beatitude hidden, and for each one there is a {{frac|4}} chance of it being blessed and a {{frac|4}} chance of each targeted item being cursed. A cursed scroll that is read while confused disintegrates with no other effect as normal.
-In all cases, reading the scroll will prompt the player to type-[[name]] it if they have not done so already. [[Monster]]s will not read this scroll.
+In all cases, reading the scroll will prompt the player to [[type-name]] it if they have not done so already. [[Monster]]s will not read this scroll.
 {{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Per {{commit|e13b1833ccc980ff86db9b8a703aba507539cd10}}, the scroll of remove curse will [[auto-identify]] if it uncurses any items that are known by the hero to be cursed. Per {{commit|cf62687630184fa44e2993e26864033e88883784}}, a non-cursed scroll of remove curse also affects the [[saddle]] of a steed that the hero is currently riding.}}