Astral vision

Astral vision, internally referred to as x-ray vision, is a property that occurs in NetHack. Astral vision allows the hero to see nearby squares, even if they are unlit or else blocked from regular line-of-sight.

The only source of the astral vision property is The Eyes of the Overworld, the Monk quest artifact, which grants the property while worn and additionally overrides the wearer's blindness.

Description

Astral vision allows the hero to view any tile within a 3-square radius, with monsters, items and tiles being completely visible regardless of anything that would block the character's view otherwise, such as walls or boulders: Items viewed using the farlook command are described as if the hero is handling them personally, i.e. they can see the item's randomized appearance; this effect does not function on the Rogue level. Monsters seen via astral vision will interrupt occupations as normal when the hero is moving, regardless of whether they can actually reach the hero from their current position.

Astral vision on its own does not negate blindness: The Eyes of the Overworld suppresses the effects of blindness as long as they are worn in addition to the astral vision it grants (i.e. wearing The Eyes will break the zen conduct), and blindness that is applied or expires while The Eyes are worn print different messages than normal.

History

Astral vision is introduced in NetHack 3.3.0 along with The Eyes of the Overworld - the property makes use of unfinished code for an x-ray vision property that existed prior to the integration of the Monk role into NetHack.

From this version to NetHack 3.4.3, including some variants based on those versions, astral vision is subject to bug C343-93: this very minor bug causes monsters seen with astral vision to be listed as being seen with normal vision when using the farlook command.

Messages

Your vision seems to dim for a moment but is normal now.

You were blinded while you have astral vision.

Your vision seems to dim for a moment but is happier now.

As above, while hallucinating.

Your vision seems to brighten for a moment but is normal now.

Your blindness was cured while you have astral vision.

Your vision seems to brighten for a moment but is sadder now.

As above, while hallucinating.

Variants

Some variants add more sources of astral vision.

dNetHack

dNetHack refers to astral vision as "x-ray vision", and its implementation is a refactoring of the property's existing behavior, with different internal handling from NetHack.

The spirit Orthos grants x-ray vision while bound, with the radius dependent on the character's spirit die (which is based on rank and experience level). Orthos's x-ray vision stacks with that granted by other sources.

dNetHack also adds some artifact sources of x-ray vision:

• The Palantir of Westernesse, while carried
• The Axe of the Dwarvish Lords, while wielded by a dwarf
• The Hat of the Archmagi, while worn
• The Robe of the Archmagi, while worn
• The Shield of the All-Seeing, when invoked

FIQHack

FIQHack adds the spellbook of astral eyesight and corresponding spell, and astral vision's radius is extended to 8 squares.

notdNetHack

In notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, in addition to dNetHack details, the etherealoid is a playable race that has intrinsic x-ray vision, with a minimum range equal to 3 + (^XL⁄₇) squares.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, The Eye of Vecna confers astral vision while carried.