The Master Key of Thievery
| ( The Master Key of Thievery (No tile) | |
|---|---|
| Base item | skeleton key |
| Affiliation | |
| When carried | |
| When applied |
|
| When invoked |
|
| Base price | 3500 zm |
| Weight | 3 |
The Master Key of Thievery is the Rogue quest artifact. It is the prize for completing the Rogue quest, and its default alignment is chaotic. Its base item type is a skeleton key.
Description
While carried, The Master Key of Thievery grants warning, teleport control and half physical damage, and Rogues carrying The Master Key of Thievery also gain a bonus when using the #untrap extended command to disarm traps on the floor; applying the Master Key of Thievery to unlock doors will always succeed. Carrying The Master Key of Thievery has additional effects if the artifact is non-cursed for Rogues or blessed for other roles:[1][2]
- Locking or unlocking a trapped door or container with the Key automatically detects and offers to remove the trap, which is guaranteed to succeed if selected.[3]
- Untrapping doors and chests manually will always succeed.[4]
- Wielding the artifact while not wearing gloves will print messages that hint at the presence of unseen traps nearby.[5][6]
Monsters using The Master Key of Thievery will untrap any door they are trying to open.[7]
Invoking The Master Key of Thievery and selecting an adjacent door or container removes all traps from that object.[8]
Strategy
- For optimized invocation, see Invoke#Optimum invocation schedule.
Half physical damage is a rare property and is very useful, which makes the Master Key a good wish for a chaotic character, particularly considering its low weight. It should be wished for early, because artifact wishing depends on the number of artifacts in existence already—in fact, a chaotic character may want to hold back on sacrificing before their first wish, because an artifact wish is only guaranteed if there are 2 or fewer artifacts generated. Also be sure to be able to withstand the blasting damage; you need at least 41 HP (21 with magic resistance). Once the Key is in your inventory, you should avoid dropping it, since picking it up again will blast you another time. Keep a normal skeleton key or lockpick for mundane unlocking purposes, since applying the Master Key will also blast you.
As with all quest artifacts, cross-aligned characters can only pick up the Master Key via appropriate use of a helm of opposite alignment (or permanent conversion at an altar). This is usually not worth the trouble, since non-chaotic adventurers are better off with an artifact that grants magic resistance, and neutrals can obtain half physical damage from the Orb of Fate.
History
The Master Key of Thievery is introduced along with most of the other quest artifacts in NetHack 3.1.0.
The artifact's special effects when blessed were added in NetHack 3.6.1.
Encyclopedia entry
This skeleton key was fashioned in ages past and imbued with a powerful magic which allows it to open any lock. When carried, it grants its owner warning, teleport control, and reduces all physical damage by half. Finally, when invoked, it has the ability to disarm any trap.
References
- ↑ src/artifact.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2175: is_magic_key() function
- ↑ src/artifact.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2180: beatitude requirements
- ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 111
- ↑ src/trap.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 4399
- ↑ src/artifact.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2107: count_surround_traps; known traps are not counted unless something covers their glyph
- ↑ src/artifact.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2153: mkot_trap_warn() function calls count_surround_traps
- ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.1, line 1260
- ↑ src/artifact.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1495: UNTRAP case
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