Energy
Your power, or "Pw", is the amount of magical energy you have. For example:
Dlvl:3 $:43 HP:68(68) Pw:13(18) AC:-3 Xp:8/1295 T:2358
The above status line shows a character whose current power is 13 and maximum power is 18.
Contents
Uses of energy
The main use of energy is to cast spells. You need 5 times the spell's level of energy to cast a spell. When carrying the Amulet of Yendor, there is an additional random cost. See spellcasting cost.
If you have teleportitis, self-teleporting using ^T uses 19 energy [1], but you need 20 energy to attempt it. Having the Amulet of Yendor does not increase this. The usual random teleportitis does not use energy.
When you are polymorphed into a dragon, iron golem, winter wolf or hell hound, you can breathe a magical blast using #monster; this requires 15 energy [2]. Similarly, you can use 10 energy to summon help as a werecreature [3], or emit a psychic blast as a mind flayer [4].
Gaining energy
You normally regain energy slowly over time, unless your encumbrance is Stressed or worse, which blocks normal energy regeneration. Having the Eye of the Aethiopica allows you to regain energy rapidly, even when stressed.
Specific methods
Quaffing a non-cursed potion of gain energy increases your current and maximum energy; a cursed potion decreases them.
#invoke the Mitre of Holiness to regain half the energy you need to reach the maximum, but no more than 120 points.
Reading any scroll of charging while confused recharges your energy to its maximum. If it was already maximum, you gain 5d4 total energy instead.[5]
Eating a newt corpse sometimes increases energy by 1 to 3 points. If this would put you over the maximum, your maximum energy might also increase by 1.
If you trigger a magic trap and it explodes, “Your body absorbs some of the magical energy!” and your maximum energy is increased by 2; your energy is then completely refilled.[6]
Attacking a spellcasting monster with Magicbane has a chance of cancelling it and increasing your current and maximum energy by 1 (“You absorb magical energy!”).[7]
Lying with a foocubus may increase or decrease your energy.
The polyself bug can be exploited to increase your maximum energy exponentially.
Energy regeneration
The rate at which energy regenerates over time increases with your experience level, wisdom, and intelligence. If your encumbrance level is Stressed or higher it will not regenerate.
Your energy normally regenerates every turns if you are a Wizard, and every turns for other roles.[8] If you carry the Eye of the Aethiopica), you regenerate energy every turn regardless of role.
The amount of energy regenerated each time is between 1 and , which for most characters means 1d2 or 1d3.
Number of turns between regenerating energy:
Level | Non-wizard | Wizard |
---|---|---|
1 | 24 | 18 |
2 | 24 | 18 |
3 | 23 | 17 |
4 | 22 | 17 |
5 | 22 | 16 |
6 | 21 | 16 |
7 | 20 | 15 |
8 | 20 | 15 |
9 | 19 | 14 |
10 | 18 | 14 |
11 | 18 | 13 |
12 | 17 | 13 |
13 | 16 | 12 |
14 | 16 | 12 |
15 | 15 | 11 |
16 | 14 | 11 |
17 | 14 | 10 |
18 | 13 | 10 |
19 | 12 | 9 |
20 | 12 | 9 |
21 | 11 | 8 |
22 | 10 | 8 |
23 | 10 | 7 |
24 | 9 | 7 |
25 | 8 | 6 |
26 | 8 | 6 |
27 | 7 | 5 |
28 | 6 | 5 |
29 | 6 | 4 |
30 | 5 | 4 |
Level gain
When you gain a level, both your current and maximum energy are increased based on various factors:[9]
- your role
- your race
- your Wisdom
- your experience level
First, a random number is chosen;[10] your race minimum is then added to the result.[11]
The result of this is then multiplied with your energy modifier, which depends on your role.[12]
Your role modifier depends on whether your experience level is lower than a certain cutoff which varies between roles. If it is, apply the "lower" modifier; else use the "higher" modifier.
The final result will be added to both your current and maximum energy.
Role | Cutoff | lower gain modifier |
higher gain modifier |
energy modifier[13] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arc | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Bar | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3/4 |
Cav | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Hea | 20 | 1 | 2 | 3/2 |
Kni | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3/2 |
Mon | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Pri | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Rog | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Ran | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Sam | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Tou | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Val | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3/4 |
Wiz | 12 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Race | minimum gain |
---|---|
Human | 2 |
Elf | 3 |
Dwarf | 0 |
Gnome | 2 |
Orc | 1 |
SLASH'EM
Self-teleport costs 30 points of power.[14]
The energy regeration frequency formula is changed to turns if you are a Wizard, and every for all other roles.
References
- ↑ teleport.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 517
- ↑ polyself.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 748
- ↑ polyself.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 910
- ↑ polyself.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 1075
- ↑ read.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 1056
- ↑ trap.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 1058
- ↑ artifact.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 844
- ↑ allmain.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 211
- ↑ exper.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 195
- ↑ exper.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 196: The function also considers a race modifier, but this is 0 for all races.
- ↑ exper.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 197: This also considers a role minimum, but this is 0 for all roles.
- ↑ exper.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 201
- ↑ enermod in exper.c
- ↑ SLASH'EM_0.0.7E7F2/teleport.c, line 790