Unchanging
Unchanging is a property in NetHack that prevents the hero from being polymorphed or otherwise transformed into another monster or form.
The only source of the property is the worn amulet of unchanging.
Contents
Description
Unchanging stops polymorphing and other means of changing form from occurring, including sliming and the effects of eating certain corpses or tins, but not stoning. If a character gains unchanging while suffering from sliming, it is aborted and cured. A worn source of unchanging can protect a steed from polymorph traps while riding.
If a character dies while they have unchanging and are polymorphed, which would ordinarily return them to normal form, they will instead die as normal in most cases, with the following exceptions:
- While in the form of a wood golem or leather golem, the character is hit by a brown pudding bite and rotted away.
- While in the form of an iron golem, the character is hit by a source of water or a rust monster attack.
- While in the form of a clay golem, the character is hit by the intrinsic-stealing attack of a gremlin.
- While in the form of an undead monster, the character prays to their god.
In the above circumstances, a character will be returned to normal form even with unchanging.
Strategy
Unchanging is typically used to maintain a long-term (and often controlled) polyself for various purposes, in exchange for the risk of any deaths that occur being permanent when they would not be otherwise. A source of unchanging can also be a good substitute for magic resistance in areas such as the Gnomish Mines beyond Minetown, where polymorph traps are a major obstacle. Unchanging can also suppress unwanted polymorphing from other sources, such as lycanthropy.
Messages
- You can not change from your current form.
- You have unchanging as viewed via enlightenment.
Variants
Some variants implement additional sources of unchanging outside of the amulet of unchanging.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, deep dragon scales, deep dragon scale mail and deep dragon scale shields confer unchanging while worn.
FIQHack
In FIQHack, unchanging is one of the properties that can be conferred by quaffing or dipping into a potion of wonder.
xNetHack
In xNetHack, a character with a source of unchanging will not protect their steed from a polymorph trap that they ride over.
A character that dies at the hands of specific monsters (i.e. any vampire, mummy, wraith, ghoul, zombie, or green slime) has a varying chance of rising from death and being allowed to continue play as a monster with permanent intrinsic unchanging. A character that starts a game in polyinit mode also has permanent intrinsic unchanging.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, the robe of stasis is a type of cloak that confers unchanging while worn.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, a character that dies at the hands of a zombie may rise from the dead and be allowed to continue play with permanent intrinsic unchanging, and characters that die in other circumstances may similarly rise as a spectre with permanent intrinsic unchanging.