Sacrifice

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In NetHack, sacrifice is an action performed at an altar that can reduce your prayer timeout and make prayer safe, increase your luck, and confer other effects that depend on the sacrifice. As an offering to the gods, this naturally breaks the atheist conduct.[1]

Description

A sacrifice generally requires a corpse that is fresh to be 'prepared' via the #offer extended command while standing on the altar. This involves touching the corpse, whether it is in your inventory or already on the altar: a cockatrice or chickatrice corpse will result in immediate stoning unless your character is wearing gloves.[2] The corpse in question must be aged no more than 50 turns since its creation or removal from an ice box (if it was created in there) to be accepted as a sacrifice and consumed, with the exception of acid blob corpses.[3] The only non-corpse item that can be offered is the Amulet of Yendor (and imitations thereof) - offering your character's god the real Amulet is required to win the game.

Whether or not the sacrifice is received well (if at all) depends on the value of the sacrifice, as well as the god whose altar it is offered on versus the one your character serves. As in many other instances, hallucination will change the resulting messages.

Ordinary sacrifice

Assuming a sacrifice to your character's own deity, a corpse with positive value will please them or reduce their anger, and a corpse may have a negative value if sacrificing it would anger them. The value of the sacrifice is determined in part by the difficulty of the former monster, and is usually equal to their difficulty + 1. If your character attempts to sacrifice a corpse with no value, usually a corpse that is too old as described above, nothing happens regardless of deity.[4] Partly eaten corpses have their value decreased by an amount roughly corresponding to the portion of the corpse that was eaten.[5][6] Undead corpses sacrificed by a non-chaotic character have +1 additional value.[7]

Sacrificing to your god

The effects of your god accepting a sacrifice of positive value on their altar are detailed in the table below, with the effects depending on their anger level, your character's alignment record and prayer timeout. Sacrificing the corpse of a unicorn, a former pet that died while tame or a monster belonging to your character's race has differing and often drastic adjustments to its value, including whether or not the sacrifice is to your god or another god – these are covered in the sections below this one. Sacrifices at cross-aligned altars are also covered in later sections.

The table also details if it is potentially safe to pray after a particular sacrifice; you can verify your prayer timeout and safety to pray by offering another valid sacrifice, or else through another method such as enlightenment. Remember that these actions only affect base luck, and that your luck can still be negative due to modifiers from cursed luck items.

Alignment Anger Prayer timeout Effect Message Safe to pray?
Any Greater than zero[8] Any If you are lawful or neutral and sacrifice a corpse from a monster of 7 difficulty or higher, or otherwise (as a chaotic) sacrifice a corpse from a monster of 11 difficulty or higher, your god's anger is decreased by a portion of the sacrifice's value, with a cap of 24 value:[9] 18 rounded down if you are lawful or neutral, and 112 rounded down if you are chaotic.[10]
  • If your god is pacified, your base luck is set to zero if negative.[11]
  • If your god's anger is reduced but they are not pacified, your base luck is increased by 1 if it is negative.[12]
  • Otherwise, if your sacrifice does not have enough value, a message is printed and nothing else happens.[13]
If your god is pacified and you are hallucinating: <Deity> seems cosmic (not a new fact).
And otherwise: <Deity> seems mollified.
If your god is less angry and you are hallucinating: <Deity> seems groovy.
And otherwise: <Deity> seems slightly mollified.
If their anger has not lowered and you are hallucinating: The gods seem tall.
And otherwise: You have a feeling of inadequacy.
  • Maybe
  • No
  • No
Negative None Variable Your alignment is increased by the lowest of the following values:[14]
  • 24 points.
  • The value required to bring your alignment record to zero.
  • The value of the sacrifice.
You feel partially absolved.[15]
  • Maybe (your alignment record may still be negative, and you may also have negative Luck or a prayer timeout)
0 or greater None Greater than 0[16] Your prayer timeout is decreased depending on the value of your sacrifice (represented by x), with the minimum for possible timeout being zero:[17]
  • If you are lawful or neutral, prayer timeout is decreased by 25x2, or 12.5 times the sacrifice's value.
  • Otherwise (if you are chaotic), your prayer timeout is decreased by 125x6, or ~20.8 times the sacrifice's value.
A message is printed, and you gain luck depending on whether or not your prayer timeout is now zero:
  1. If your prayer timeout is set to 0 after this, your base luck is set to 0 if it is negative.[18]
  2. If your prayer timeout is not set to 0 after this, your base luck is increased by 1 if it is negative.[19]
If your prayer timeout is zero and you are hallucinating:[20]
Overall, there is a smell of fried onions.
Otherwise: You have a feeling of reconciliation.

If your prayer timeout is not yet zero and you are hallucinating:[21]
You realize the gods are not like you and I.
Otherwise: You have a hopeful feeling.

  1. Yes (if overall luck is positive)
  2. No
Greater than 0 None Variable The following occurs:
  • If your base luck is 0 or greater and you are at least at experience level 3, you have a chance of receiving an artifact as a gift.[22]
  • Otherwise, your base luck is increased by 524 of the sacrifice value (rounded down), and if it is still negative, it will be set to 0.[23]
If you receive a sacrifice gift:
An object appears at your feet!
The voice of <deity> <thunders/booms/rings out>: "Use my gift wisely!"
If your luck is increased and you are blind:
You think something brushed your <feet>.
If this occurs while you are hallucinating and not blind:
You see crabgrass at your <feet>. A funny thing in a dungeon.
Otherwise:
You glimpse a four-leaf clover at your <feet>.
  • No
  • Yes (if overall luck is positive)

Sacrifice gifts

As mentioned above, if your prayer timeout is 0, you have positive alignment, you are at experience level 3, your base Luck is 0 or greater, and your god is not angry, you have a 110 + 2xy chance of an artifact gift being placed on the altar, where x is the total amount of existing aritfacts and y is the number of gifts granted previously.[24] Receiving a gift unrestricts the corresponding weapon skill if applicable, exercises wisdom, and also increases prayer timeout by rnz(300 + 50x) where x is the total amount of existing aritfacts.[25][26][22][24] Artifacts generated this way are erosion-proofed, non-cursed and set to at least +0 enchantment.[27]

A sacrifice gift consists of an artifact appropriate to your alignment: your first gift will always be a co-aligned artifact that does not hate your current form, if any are available.[28][29] If your role has a guaranteed first gift, its alignment is adjusted to your starting alignment at the beginning of that game;[30][31] your role's gift is favored over other co-aligned gifts, provided it has not yet been generated elsewhere and you are not currently under a different alignment. Unaligned artifacts become eligible for sacrifice gifts once a co-aligned artifact has already been gifted, or else if no eligible artifact can be given this way.[32]

List of sacrifice gifts

For a full list of artifacts giftable and otherwise, see artifact.

Below is a table describing artifacts that can be gifted and their eligibility as first gifts, assuming a role of the given starting alignment with no artifacts generated in a game:

Artifact Alignment Available roles for first gift (guaranteed in bold)
Lawful Neutral Chaotic
Cleaver Neutral None Archeologist, Barbarian, Caveman, Healer,
Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist
Barbarian
Demonbane Lawful Archeologist, Caveman, Knight, Monk, Priest None None
Dragonbane Unaligned None None None
Fire Brand Unaligned None None None
Frost Brand Unaligned None None None
Giantslayer Neutral None Archeologist, Barbarian, Caveman, Healer,
Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist
None
Grayswandir Lawful Archeologist, Caveman, Knight, Monk, Priest None None
Grimtooth Chaotic None None Monk, Rogue
Non-elven: Priest, Ranger
Magicbane Neutral None Archeologist, Barbarian, Caveman, Healer,
Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Wizard
Wizard
Mjollnir Neutral Valkyrie Archeologist, Barbarian, Caveman, Healer,
Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Valkyrie
None
Ogresmasher Unaligned None None None
Orcrist Chaotic None None Monk, Priest
Non-orcish: Rogue, Ranger
Snickersnee Lawful Archeologist, Caveman, Knight,
Monk, Priest, Samurai
None None
Sting Chaotic None None Monk, Priest
Non-orcish: Rogue, Ranger
Stormbringer Chaotic None None Monk, Priest, Rogue, Ranger
Sunsword Lawful Archeologist, Caveman, Knight, Monk, Priest None None
Trollsbane Unaligned None None None
Vorpal Blade Neutral None Archeologist, Barbarian, Caveman, Healer,
Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist
None
Werebane Unaligned None None None

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.

Demonbane is the first sacrifice gift for Priests.

Sacrifices of negative value

There are also sacrifices that displease your god, whether in general or under certain circumstances; these have a negative value and similarly negative effects depending on the offense you committed in offering the corpse:[33][34]

  • Sacrifice of a unicorn matching your character's current alignment is undesirable: sacrificing one to your god specifically has a value of -5, and your character loses one point of wisdom.[35] Sacrifices involving the corpses of unicorns is somewhat complicated, and is covered in full in the appropriate section.
  • If you offer a monster of the same race as your character on a co-aligned altar, and you are not chaotic or in the form of a major demon:
    • If this is done on a high altar, your character's god reaches maximum anger immediately, with the appropriate effects.[36][37]
    • Otherwise, wisdom is abused, the altar is converted to chaotic, any attendant priest is angered, and a hostile demon lord is summoned.[38][39][40] The summoning paralyzes your character for three turns, ignoring free action.[41] Your god's anger is incremented by 3 and they immediately smite your character (unless in Gehennom), and the character also loses 1 point of wisdom and -5 luck and alignment record.
  • Sacrificing a pet to a co-aligned god at their altar after it died while tame has a value of -1, which will anger them.[42] The corpse will not be consumed in this case, and your character is given the aggravate monster intrinsic along with a -3 penalty to alignment record.[43] If the monster went feral (i.e. became untame) before dying, it no longer counts as a pet and may be killed and sacrificed as usual.

Cross-aligned altars

(Level + 2) / (Level + 8)

If you make a sacrifice of positive value at an altar that does not belong to your character's god, and it is not a high altar or an altar in Gehennom, this is treated as an attempt to convert it.[44][45] Trying to convert a compatible altar has a chance of success that rises with your experience level, with a probability of XL + 2XL + 8.[46] Failing will incur a -1 luck penalty and abuse wisdom, while succeeding will increase luck by 1, exercise wisdom and change the altar's alignment to that of your character.[47][48] Hostile minions may be sent by the god whose altar you tried to convert regardless of whether you succeed, with the chance dependent on your alignment record and experience level.[49][50] Any aligned priest tending to an altar that is converted will become hostile.[51]

If you make a sacrifice of negative value at an altar not of your alignment, a conversion attempt will not occur: the altar's god is angered and smites you, while your character's god will have their own anger decreased by one, and the corpse is not used up.[33][34]

If a conversion is attempted on an aligned altar, and you have either negative alignment record, an angry co-aligned god, or a sacrifice of a unicorn that is of your character's alignment (which is elaborated on below), there is a chance of your character having their alignment converted to that of the altar.[52][53] If this occurs, you also lose 3 luck, have your alignment record reset to zero and have your prayer timeout increased by 300, and this will always occur if done via co-aligned unicorn sacrifice (which has a value of -1).[54] Converting alignments by any means removes all points of intrinsic protection you have accrued. Attempting a converting sacrifice on an unaligned altar, or while already permanently converted by any means, will cause the sacrifice to be rejected and incur several penalties: the anger of your character's current god increases by 3, said god smites you unless you are in Gehennom, -5 penalties are applied to luck and alignment record, and your character loses 2 points of wisdom.[55] If your alignment is converted before you have been admitted to your quest, the game becomes unwinnable.

Sacrificing on a high altar not belonging to your character's god will bring the full wrath of that altar's god upon them:[56][37][36] a bolt of lightning, followed by a wide-angle disintegration beam if the character survives the lightning.[57][58] If this occurs on the Astral Plane or in Moloch's Sanctum (where the high altars are ordinarily encountered), the angered deity will then send in three sets of hostile minions.[59]

Same-race sacrifice

If a corpse that you sacrifice belongs to a monster of the same starting race as your character regardless of its age, then several effects will occur, with some depending on your alignment:[60]

  • A chaotic character sacrificing a monster of their race sacrifice on any altar of their own alignment will gain +5 alignment and +2 luck, while a chaotic character doing this on an unaligned altar incurs a -2 luck penalty but still gains +5 alignment.[61][62] A chaotic character performing same-race sacrifice on any normal cross-aligned altar will instantly convert the altar to chaotic, angering any attendant priest.[63]
  • A character that is lawful or neutral performing same-race sacrifice on a non-chaotic altar converts the altar to chaotic, angering any attendant priest, and takes several penalties: a -5 penalty to alignment and luck, loss of a point of wisdom, abuse of wisdom unless they are in the polyform of a demon, +3 to their god's anger, and being smited by that god unless they are in Gehennom.[64][65] A lawful or neutral character performing same-race sacrifice on a chaotic altar will destroy it instead and anger any attendant priest, with the same penalties otherwise.[66]
  • As with regular sacrifice, attempting same-race sacrifice on a high altar that is not chaotic while your character is not chaotic will immediately raise the anger of that altar's god to maximum and prompt them to smite the character.

Regardless of alignment, if the altar is chaotic or unaligned, a major demon is summoned: this will be either Yeenoghu or Juiblex if either of them have not been generated, or a random major demon otherwise. 89 of the random demons summoned this way will be foocubi, and otherwise can be any major demon at random.[67] The summoned demon will be peaceful if you are chaotic and hostile otherwise.[68] Summoning a demon this way always paralyzes your character for three turns, ignoring free action.[69]

Sacrificing unicorns

Sacrificing unicorn corpses has varying effects dependent on several factors, including the altar's alignment, your character's alignment and the unicorn's alignment.[70] A unicorn's alignment is represented by its color: white is lawful, grey is neutral and black is chaotic. These are the critical points to remember:

  • Sacrificing a unicorn of your alignment will always anger your character's god and cause them to smite the character, regardless of the outcome. If done on any other aligned altar, you will also be converted to that altar's alignment, while doing so on an unaligned altar causes additional penalties without changing your alignment.[55] Doing so on any high altar will maximize the anger of that altar's god without any conversion attempts.[36]
  • Sacrificing a unicorn on an altar matching its own alignment will anger that altar's god into smiting you, and you also lose one point of wisdom.[71][33] If the altar is not of your own alignment, your god's anger is reduced by one.[34]
  • Sacrificing a unicorn whose alignment does not match that of the altar's god or your character is treated as a regular sacrifice with bonus effects.
    • Sacrificing a unicorn of a different alignment at your god's altar always grants a +5 bonus to alignment record, along with printing a message depending on your current alignment record; it does not reduce your god's anger beyond the normal value for that sacrifice.
    • Sacrificing a cross-aligned unicorn at a cross-aligned altar that does not match its alignment attempts to convert the altar as normal, with a +3 bonus to value.

The effects are summarized in the following table:

You Unicorn Altar Effect
Lawful.pngLawful Lawful.pngWhite Lawful.pngLawful Bad
Lawful.pngLawful Lawful.pngWhite Neutral.pngNeutral You become neutral
Lawful.pngLawful Lawful.pngWhite Chaotic.pngChaotic You become chaotic
Lawful.pngLawful Neutral.pngGrey Lawful.pngLawful Good
Lawful.pngLawful Neutral.pngGrey Neutral.pngNeutral Bad
Lawful.pngLawful Neutral.pngGrey Chaotic.pngChaotic Attempt to convert altar
Lawful.pngLawful Chaotic.pngBlack Lawful.pngLawful Good
Lawful.pngLawful Chaotic.pngBlack Neutral.pngNeutral Attempt to convert altar
Lawful.pngLawful Chaotic.pngBlack Chaotic.pngChaotic Bad
Neutral.pngNeutral Lawful.pngWhite Lawful.pngLawful Bad
Neutral.pngNeutral Lawful.pngWhite Neutral.pngNeutral Good
Neutral.pngNeutral Lawful.pngWhite Chaotic.pngChaotic Attempt to convert altar
Neutral.pngNeutral Neutral.pngGrey Lawful.pngLawful You become lawful
Neutral.pngNeutral Neutral.pngGrey Neutral.pngNeutral Bad
Neutral.pngNeutral Neutral.pngGrey Chaotic.pngChaotic You become chaotic
Neutral.pngNeutral Chaotic.pngBlack Lawful.pngLawful Attempt to convert altar
Neutral.pngNeutral Chaotic.pngBlack Neutral.pngNeutral Good
Neutral.pngNeutral Chaotic.pngBlack Chaotic.pngChaotic Bad
Chaotic.pngChaotic Lawful.pngWhite Lawful.pngLawful Bad
Chaotic.pngChaotic Lawful.pngWhite Neutral.pngNeutral Attempt to convert altar
Chaotic.pngChaotic Lawful.pngWhite Chaotic.pngChaotic Good
Chaotic.pngChaotic Neutral.pngGrey Lawful.pngLawful Attempt to convert altar
Chaotic.pngChaotic Neutral.pngGrey Neutral.pngNeutral Bad
Chaotic.pngChaotic Neutral.pngGrey Chaotic.pngChaotic Good
Chaotic.pngChaotic Chaotic.pngBlack Lawful.pngLawful You become lawful
Chaotic.pngChaotic Chaotic.pngBlack Neutral.pngNeutral You become neutral
Chaotic.pngChaotic Chaotic.pngBlack Chaotic.pngChaotic Bad

Sacrificing the Amulet of Yendor

The goal of the game is to retrieve the Amulet of Yendor from Moloch and offer it at your god's high altar on the Astral Plane, so there are naturally mechanics that help complicate this goal – be sure not to offer them a cheap plastic imitation by accident!

Attempting to offer the Amulet of Yendor on an unaligned normal altar in Gehennom will anger Moloch into smiting you, while doing so on any normal altar elsewhere will print a specific message that hints at your goal. Doing so with an unknown cheap plastic imitation has the same effects, and will print an additional message hinting that the offered Amulet was fake. Offering an unknown fake on a high altar incurs a -1 luck penalty and identifies the fake, while offering a known fake on any type of altar has -3 value and will incur a -3 luck penalty, a -1 alignment penalty, and increase the anger of that altar's god by 3.

Offering the real Amulet of Yendor on any high altar will immediately end the game in one of three ways:

  • If offered at the high altar of your alignment's god, you will ascend to demigod-hood and have "properly" won the game.[72] This does not take any conversions into account, only checking to see that your alignment matches that of the high altar, so it is possible to ascend as your original alignment after conversion using a helm of opposite alignment. You are given a score multiplier of 2× if you never converted from your starting alignment, or 1.5× if you converted and used a helm to change back.
  • If you offer the Amulet on a cross-aligned high altar, that altar's god gains dominion over yours and allows you to escape in celestial disgrace.[73]
  • If you offer the Amulet on the high altar to Moloch in his Sanctum, Moloch retains dominion over your god and kills you, and if life saving occurs he tries again and reduces you to dust.[74] The only way to survive this is in explore mode or wizard mode, by declining when prompted if you want to die, though the game ends regardless since you are then forced out of the dungeon.[75]

History

Altars and sacrifice are introduced in NetHack 3.0.0. From this version to NetHack 3.4.3, including variants based on those versions, if no artifacts are eligible for a character's first sacrifice gift, they will not receive any artifacts for the entire game unless they change alignment. This most commonly occurs with elven Priests or Rangers who name Sting and Orcrist in the hope of guaranteeing Stormbringer as their first gift, only to fail because Stormbringer had been generated in bones already.

Changing your alignment also gives an alignment bonus or penalty based on your starting alignment, rather than uniformly resetting your alignment record to zero.

Messages

Nothing happens.
The corpse was too old to be sacrificed.
Your sacrifice is consumed in a <flash of light/burst of flame>!
The standard message indicating a successful sacrifice. Lawful characters see a flash of light, others see a burst of flame. If it is not followed by any other message, it is safe to pray; otherwise, see below.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.

Neutral characters see a "cloud of smoke".
Your sacrifice disappears!
As above, if lawful and blind.
Your sacrifice sprouts wings and a propeller and roars away!
Your sacrifice puffs up, swelling bigger and bigger, and pops!
Your sacrifice collapses into a cloud of dancing particles and fades away!
As above, if hallucinating. Which message you receive is randomly selected.
You feel appropriately <alignment>.
You feel you are thoroughly on the right path.
You sacrificed a cross-aligned unicorn on a co-aligned altar, gaining 5 alignment record. The second message indicates you were already at maximum alignment record.
You sense a conflict between <your god> and <altar's god>.

then

You feel the power of <your god> increase. if not blind: The altar glows <color>.
You successfully converted an altar, and base Luck was increased by 1.
Unluckily, you feel the power of <your god> decrease.
You failed to convert an altar, and base Luck was reduced by 1.
The voice of <altar's god> booms: "Thou shalt pay for thine indiscretion!" if not blind: A <monster> of <god> appears before you.
The altar's (former) god sent a minion to punish your (attempted) conversion.
The altar is stained with <race> blood.
The altar has been converted to chaotic via same-race sacrifice.
You have a hopeful feeling.
Your prayer timeout has been reduced, but is still nonzero. Base luck, if negative, was increased by one. You may not pray.
You have a feeling of reconciliation.
Your prayer timeout has been reduced to zero. Base luck, if negative, was reset to zero. Unless you have a cursed luckstone, you may safely pray.
An object appears at your feet!
You have received a gift, and your prayer timeout has been increased. You may not safely pray.
You feel partially absolved.
Your alignment was negative and has been increased by the level of the corpse, to a maximum of zero. Sacrifice again to see if it is safe to pray.
You glimpse a four-leaf clover at your feet.
Your base Luck has been increased and is nonnegative. Unless you have a cursed luckstone, you may safely pray.
You think something brushed your foot.
As above, while blind.
You see crabgrass at your feet. A funny thing in a dungeon.
As above, while hallucinating.
So this is how you repay loyalty?
You attempted to sacrifice a former pet, your alignment record was reduced by 3, and you gained aggravate monster. The corpse was not consumed.
You have a sudden sense of a new direction.
You have been permanently converted to a new alignment.

Variants

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, sacrifice can also net you other boons from your deity, including having wielded and worn items blessed by your god, or even being given tame minions. SLASH'EM also adds several new artifacts, including many that can be given as sacrifice gifts – several roles are given a guaranteed first gift, and some roles with a first gift are given guaranteed second gifts.

Below is a table describing artifacts that can be gifted and their eligibility as first or second gifts. The table assumes a role of the given starting alignment that has either no artifacts generated at the time of their first gift, or else only has their first gift generated at the time of the second:

Artifact Alignment First sacrifice gift (guaranteed in bold) Second sacrifice gift (guaranteed in bold)
Lawful Neutral Chaotic Lawful Neutral Chaotic
Bat from Hell Chaotic None None Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Cleaver Neutral None Archeologist, Barbarian, Ranger, Undead Slayer Barbarian None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None
Deathsword Chaotic None None Ranger, Undead Slayer None Barbarian Barbarian, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Deep Freeze Chaotic Ice Mage Ice Mage Ice Mage, Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Flame Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Deluder Neutral None Archeologist, Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie, Wizard Wizard
Demonbane Lawful Archeologist, Knight, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None
Disrupter Neutral Priest Archeologist, Priest, Ranger, Undead Slayer Priest None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None
Doomblade Chaotic None None Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Dragonbane Unaligned None None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Elfrist Chaotic None None Non-drow: Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Monk, Rogue
Non-drow: Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Necromancer, Priest, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Fire Brand Unaligned None None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Firewall Lawful Archeologist, Flame Mage, Knight, Undead Slayer Flame Mage Flame Mage Archeologist, Caveman, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None
Frost Brand Unaligned None None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Gauntlets of Defense Neutral Monk Archeologist, Monk, Ranger, Undead Slayer Monk None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None
Giantkiller Neutral None Archeologist, Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None
Grayswandir Lawful Archeologist, Knight, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None
Grimtooth Chaotic None None Non-drow: Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Monk, Rogue
Non-drow: Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Necromancer, Priest, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Hellfire Chaotic None None Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Holy Spear of Light Lawful Archeologist, Knight, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None
Houchou Chaotic None None Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Luckblade Neutral None Archeologist, Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None
Magicbane Neutral None Archeologist, Ranger, Undead Slayer, Wizard Wizard None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None
Mirrorbright Neutral None Archeologist, Healer, Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None
Mjollnir Neutral Valkyrie Archeologist, Ranger, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer None
Ogresmasher Unaligned None None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Orcrist Lawful Archeologist, Knight, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None
Plague Chaotic None None Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Quick Blade Lawful Archeologist, Knight, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None
Reaper Lawful Archeologist, Knight, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie, Yeoman None None
Serpent's Tongue Chaotic None None Necromancer, Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Skullcrusher Lawful Archeologist, Caveman, Knight, Undead Slayer Caveman None Archeologist, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None
Snickersnee Lawful Archeologist, Knight, Samurai, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None
Sting Lawful Archeologist, Knight, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None
Stormbringer Chaotic None None Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Sunsword Lawful Archeologist, Knight, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None
Sword of Balance Neutral None Archeologist, Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None
Sword of Justice Lawful Archeologist, Knight, Undead Slayer, Yeoman None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None None
Trollsbane Unaligned None None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Vorpal Blade Neutral None Archeologist, Ranger, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None
Wallet of Perseus Unaligned None None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Werebane Unaligned None None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Knight, Monk, Priest, Samurai, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie Flame Mage, Ice Mage, Monk, Necromancer, Priest, Rogue, Ranger, Undead Slayer
Whisperfeet Neutral None Archeologist, Ranger, Tourist, Undead Slayer None None Archeologist, Caveman, Flame Mage, Healer, Ice Mage, Monk, Priest, Ranger, Undead Slayer, Valkyrie None

GruntHack

In GruntHack, characters can receive mundane items as sacrifice gifts, which are likely to have an object property and significant enchantment. The handling for mundane gifts is found in artifact.c: the weapon or armor generated and its accompanying object property is selected from a list of appropriate types, and leans towards particular weapons based on the character's race and role (e.g. a gift of a two-handed sword will always become a tsurugi for Samurai); non-artifact weapons that are gifted will always be of a weapon skill that the character can train in.

SporkHack

In SporkHack, characters can receive mundane items as sacrifice gifts, which are intended to be "junk" according to a comment in the code within pray.c. The odds of an artifact being considered as a gift over mundane items increase with the character's experience level:

Experience level Odds of artifact
1-3 0
4-8 110
9-11 15
12-13 310
14-16 25
17-18 12
19-20 35
21-22 710
23 45
24-25 910
26+ guaranteed

Despite their designation as junk items (as most players will be used to receiving artifacts), the mundane weapons and armor given as gifts will always be erosion-proofed and have an enchantment from +3 to +5, and non-artifact weapons that are gifted will always be of a weapon skill that the character can train in.

FIQHack

In FIQHack, a mechanism called piety determines when a character receives gifts or becomes crowned from altar sacrifice. In addition, only gifted artifacts affect the rate of future artifact gifts, ignoring artifacts obtained via wishing.

References

  1. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1362
  2. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1366
  3. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1370
  4. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1591
  5. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1373: calls eaten_stat function
  6. src/eat.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 3220
  7. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1459: In practice, this only applies to wraith corpses. Other undead that leave corpses at all will leave corpses of their living counterparts, and these corpses are created as too old for sacrifice outside of specific circumstances.
  8. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1688
  9. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1355
  10. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1690: Chaotic gods are harder to appease
  11. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1705
  12. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1698
  13. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1708
  14. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1714: ugod_is_angry tests for negative alignment record
  15. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1720
  16. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1721
  17. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1724
  18. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1739
  19. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1732
  20. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1734
  21. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1727
  22. 22.0 22.1 src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1749
  23. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1774
  24. 24.0 24.1 src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1750
  25. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1762
  26. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1765
  27. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1752
  28. src/artifact.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 156: gift alignment
  29. src/artifact.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 156: no gifts that blast you
  30. src/artifact.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 63
  31. src/artifact.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 160
  32. src/artifact.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 167
  33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1608: any negative-value sacrifice will anger the altar's god, calling gods_upset at line 1610
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1287: gods_upset function
  35. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1465
  36. 36.0 36.1 36.2 src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1386: call desecrate_high_altar function
  37. 37.0 37.1 src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1607: calls god_zaps_you immediately
  38. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1381
  39. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1389
  40. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1415
  41. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1209
  42. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1457
  43. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1450
  44. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1596
  45. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1617
  46. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1647
  47. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1650
  48. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1676
  49. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1666
  50. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1678
  51. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1670
  52. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1483
  53. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1620
  54. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 582
  55. 55.0 55.1 src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1632
  56. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1597
  57. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 582: god_zaps_you function
  58. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 614
  59. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 646
  60. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1377: same-race is checked before former pet status and ignores the check for corpse age
  61. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1412
  62. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1412
  63. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1389
  64. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1436
  65. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1378
  66. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1400
  67. src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1764: demon generation for same-race sacrifice ignores G_HELL 19 of the time
  68. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1426
  69. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1429
  70. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1462
  71. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1465
  72. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1544
  73. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1544
  74. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1527
  75. src/pray.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1542