Bugs in NetHack 3.6.0

This article is about software bugs. For other uses, see bug (disambiguation).

A bug is a problem in NetHack's source code. There are two lists of bugs for vanilla 3.6.0 provided by the DevTeam: one for nonspoiler bugs and one for spoiler bugs.

Reporting bugs

Report bugs in vanilla NetHack directly to the DevTeam, either by emailing them, or using their contact form. Please also add them to the section Bugs not mentioned on the DevTeam's website below and consider adding your bug report to the list of bug reports, since the DevTeam's bug descriptions often are too vague to be helpful.

Status table

Status	Description
Open	The bug is unresolved, but the DevTeam knows what they need to do about it.
Not a bug	Sometimes people think this is a bug, but they're wrong.
fixed	The bug will be fixed in the next bug-fix release.
Fixed	The bug will be fixed in a future release.
Help	The DevTeam does not know what is causing this and would appreciate related bug reports.
Superseded	See another entry for information on this bug.

Core bugs

Last updated: 2017-12-09

Name	Status	Patch	Description	Additional info
C342-31	Open		You can get a message telling you a monster wields a weapon it already was wielding.
C343-20	fixed		When dying immediately on entering a level, the map may show you dying on the previous level.	This doesn't matter - mostly.
C343-21	Open		Pets can be pulled through closed doors with a leash.
C343-23	Open		Dungeon collapses after vault guard fails to lead you out.	Instructions to reproduce bug
C343-38	Open		Dismounting and kicking a monster that jumps may result in landing on the wrong side of a wall.	Kicking a monster makes them mnexto() you, then tries to flavour the resulting movement. In very confined spaces, mnexto() may not be able to find a space next to you after all. This applies to many monsters with speed >= 12 with a chance of 1/3 or 1/4 depending on how well you kicked, and the bug occurs whether it’s flavoured as “jumps” or “slides” or “floats” or whatever. (A subsidiary bug here: it can also be flavoured as “teleports”, yet trigger on a no-tele level.)
C343-331	Open		Sleeping monster reacts to a mirror.
C343-370	Open		Travel command (_) can get stuck trying to plot a path past an interesting dungeon feature, for example, a trap or fountain.	Possibly related bug
C360-4	fixed		Discoveries-by-type command (`) causes errors in some ports (and not in others).
C360-5	fixed		Cursed scroll of genocide can behave inconsistently.
C360-6	fixed		Plural grammar error in message for undead turning.
C360-7	Not a Bug		Dark grey objects on black can't be displayed by some terminals (we know this applies to Mac OS X's Terminal) so they seem like they are not there.	Workaround: set OPTIONS=!use_darkgray to use dark blue instead.
C360-8	fixed		Setting "NAME:player" in nethackrc (or equivalent) causes a crash at startup.
360-9	fixed		Eyes of the Overworld messages may contain unintended information.
360-10	fixed		Shape-shifted vampires interact incorrectly with genocide.
360-11	Open		If the user's config file cannot be read, the system config file is read for a second time resulting in warning messages before the game starts.
360-12	fixed		Uncursed scroll of enchant armor fails to uncurse the armor being enchanted.
360-13	fixed		Plural of "slice of cake" is wrong.
360-14	fixed		Named scroll's name not always used when it should be.
360-15	fixed		Reading a dull spellbook can make a sleep resistant hero fall asleep.
360-16	fixed		There are typos in passage 1 of the tribute for "The Colour of Magic."
360-17	fixed		Eating ring of protection doesn't always work properly.
360-18	fixed		Wand explosion does not handle deafness correctly.
360-19	fixed	DevTeam	xlog's realtime field is not accurate.
360-20	fixed		Player can hear pets while deaf.
360-21	fixed		Discovering an invisible corpse with a stethoscope may not make the corpse known.
360-22	Open		If a stethoscope finds an unseen monster on a square with an object-detected object while blind, after killing the monster, the object isn't remembered.
360-23	fixed		Reading a scroll while blind violates illiterate conduct.
360-24	fixed		Sceptre of Might database entry is inaccurate.
360-25	fixed		Dying while helpless (which can be any of several different things) with a high enough score to be added to the record file corrupts the record file.
360-26	fixed		You can cheat shopkeepers.
360-27	fixed		Limits on potion mixing don't work quite right.
360-28	fixed		Poor usage "spellbook of novel" can appear in messages.
360-29	fixed		Error message about an invalid movement keystroke using a meta-character produces display errors.
360-30	fixed		Some menus do not accept space to scroll to the next page.
360-31	fixed		Death due to an unseen gas spore results in "killed by a died."
360-32	fixed		Misleading use of the word "unlockable" when referring to a chest that cannot be locked.
360-33	fixed		#terrain command crashes some window ports (and not others)
360-34	fixed		Sinks and blindness interact incorrectly.
360-35	fixed		Naming a monster you are restricted from naming produces a poor message.
360-36	fixed		Enlightenment doesn't show level-drain resistance in all cases it should.
360-37	fixed		Typo: "then is passes" instead of "then it passes."
360-38	fixed		Error messages related to config files that contain an error on the same line as a carriage return may be displayed incorrectly.
360-39	fixed		Death reason "Killed by kicking something weird" appears at wrong time.
360-40	fixed		Line of sight is blocked by a known mimic.
360-41	fixed		lit_corridor option doesn't work in secret corridors.
360-42	fixed		#terrain with dark_room option shows some inconsistencies.
360-43	fixed		Fleeing monsters may not actually flee.
360-44	fixed		Death reasons never mention globs.
360-45	fixed		Globs are known to be uncursed when they should not be.
360-46	fixed		Bad message "The ice is bridged with ice."
360-47	fixed		Destruction of a potion may leave the display showing the wrong symbol.
360-48	fixed		Hero knows too much about rolling boulder traps that are out of sight.
360-49	fixed		Colon command interacts unexpectedly with MSGTYPE=norep.
360-50	fixed		Chameleons shapeshifted into Vampires behave incorrectly.
360-51	fixed		Sometimes ice boxes work too well.
360-52	fixed		Messages for going up and down stairs are inconsistent under option !verbose.
360-53	fixed		Body armor can be removed without removing covering armor first.
360-54	fixed		When the game burns up globs of green slime, odd messages and/or memory corruption may occur.
360-55	fixed		Monsters fleeing up from level 1 end up in the wrong place.
360-56	fixed		Physical damage from mind flayer attack is inflicted twice.
360-57	fixed		Jumping while punished may behave oddly.
360-58	fixed		Fire damage is applied inconsistently depending on the type of attacker and defender.
360-59	fixed		Glob weights are not tracked correctly.
360-60	fixed		Commands R and T do not obey the same rules.
360-61	fixed		Interfaces that support transparency may give away information.
360-62	fixed		Background tiles for lava and water are wrong.
360-63	fixed		Monsters that can't use items sometimes can use items.
360-64	fixed		#loot with multiple containers doesn't let you stop looting when it should.
360-65	fixed		Zaps that hit the edge of the Plane of Air may leave display artifacts.
360-66	fixed		Erosion affects some objects it should not.
360-67	fixed		Magically curing blindness doesn't work in all cases it should.
360-68	fixed		Being stunned or confused when already stunned or confused doesn't work as intended.
360-69	fixed		Polyself into a creature with fixed gender can produce an ungrammatical message.
360-70	fixed		Monsters which usually do non-physical damage may not do physical damage when they should.
360-71	fixed		Renegade lawful angels' taunts can be out of character.
360-72	fixed		Sometimes too many monsters may be summoned.
360-73	fixed		/ command via cursor misses specific entries.
360-74	fixed		Some dipping prompts have punctuation errors.
360-75	fixed		"warning," lurkers, and boulders interact poorly.
360-76	fixed		Sometimes shopkeepers are referred to as "it" unnecessarily.
360-77	fixed		Commands meta-[ACNORT] are missing from the help menu.
360-78	fixed		Landmine explosions may give incorrect feedback.
360-79	fixed		A kicked object that hits a monster may just disappear from the game.
360-80	fixed		Grease vs. passive damage interaction is incorrect.
360-81	fixed		Error in "The Last Hero" tribute text.
360-82	fixed		Shopkeepers can not handled nested containers or gold in containers.
360-83	fixed		Gelatinous cube and webs interact incorrectly.
360-84	fixed		Exploding chest trap and ball-and-chain interact incorrectly.
360-85	fixed		Grave digging doesn't work in some cases.
360-86	fixed		Searching when blind and over water may result in a display error.
360-87	fixed		There is an extra space in some scroll and potions messages.
360-88	fixed		Cursed potion of levitation and other forms of levitation do not interact correctly.
360-89	fixed		When swallowed, an outside agent killing the engulfer results in credit (or blame) for the hero.
360-90	fixed		You can't wish for globs of a particular size.
360-91	fixed		Save game on land after certain actions underwater results in a temporary display glitch on restore.
360-92	fixed		Monster accidently killing itself with fire can lead to a crash.
360-93	fixed		Ressurrecting a shopkeeper corpse can cause a crash.
360-94	fixed		While swallowed, occasionally the cursor can end up in the wrong place.
360-95	fixed		Carrying corpses, figurines, or statues in a shop and casting or zapping is not always handled properly.
360-96	fixed		Monsters can get angry after being killed.
360-97	fixed		Various detections are inconsistent when engulfed or underwater.
360-98	fixed		? gives error message if only spaces are entered.
360-99	fixed		Alignment change or polymorph can cause excessive damage from special weapons.
360-100	fixed		^X descriptions are too complex.
360-101	fixed		Some failed moves have no feedback.
360-102	fixed		Grammar bug while hallucinating when a pet dies.
360-103	fixed		Wishing conduct doesn't break on certain failed wishes.
360-104	fixed		Orcish wizard may start with inappropriate equipment.
360-105	fixed		Targeting fireball or cone of cold through a wall does not work as intended.
360-106	fixed		#jump destinations shown with not correct.
360-107	fixed		There is a misplaced pixel in the tile for a wrinkled spellbook.
360-108	fixed		#tip sometimes gives oddly formatted output.
360-109	fixed		Long message lines that wrap may be formatted incorrectly when displayed with ^P.
360-110	fixed		Reading a scroll of light while confused may incorrectly prompt for a name.
360-111	fixed		Cockatrice eggs used by monsters may not work properly.
360-112	fixed		Level up while digesting a swallowed monster shows messages in the wrong order.
360-113	superseded		Debug Assertion Error "c >= -1 && c <= 255" appears.	See W360-5
360-114	fixed		Grammar error: "glow silver" should be "glows silver" in some cases.
360-115	fixed		Typos in "Thud!" tribute: DELIBERATEDLY -> DELIBERATELY, vengence -> vengeance
360-116	fixed		"The the" shows up in some messages.
360-117	fixed		Specifying playmode option without a value crashes the game.
360-118	fixed		Always-pick-up autopickup_exception behaves inappropriately in shops.
360-119	fixed		Shop message about a disenchanted item can be wrong.
360-120	fixed		Blessed genocide can wipe out the wrong group due to matching errors.
360-121	fixed		Game can say "a some ... corpse".
360-122	fixed		Throwing may cause the game to generate "throwwing".
360-123	fixed		With menustyle set to full or partial, 'D' with nothing to drop gives no feedback.
360-124	fixed		Squeaks claim to be distant even when nearby.
360-125	fixed		Hidden mimics gazed by umber hulks are not acknowledged.
360-126	fixed		Game tells player about monster on monster attacks hero does not know about.
360-127	fixed		Novels show up as gold instead of paper.
360-128	fixed		Game can crash when looking at detected monster hiding under unknown armor.
360-129	fixed		Game can crash when hero is attacked while polymorphed into disenchanter.
360-130	fixed		Dying by poison may show hero still has HP left.
360-131	fixed		You can "step" on a level teleport trap when "You sit down."
360-132	fixed		Player can get incorrect credit for achievements.
360-133	fixed		Gelatinous cubes eat green slime instead of engulfing it.
360-134	fixed		When a monster's level gain causes a sex change, the message is incorrect.
360-135	fixed		Illiterate conduct is broken when any artifact is created.	This bug is present only in post-3.6.0 source.
360-136	fixed		Bell of Opening can crash the game if applied near some traps if hero is mounted.
360-137	fixed		Setting sortloot:n produces inconsistent results.
360-138	fixed		Using detection or #terrain sets autodescribe.
360-139	fixed		Automatic annotation for quest summons does not work on special levels.
360-140	fixed		Humanoid pet can be both hostile and tame at the same time.
360-141	fixed		Gauntlets of Power can cause misleading messages when at maximum or minimum strength.
360-142	fixed		Levitation and encumbrance interaction may produce messages in an odd sequence.
360-143	fixed		Removing blindfold may crash the game if stolen during removal.
360-144	fixed		Removing blindfold with A command takes 2 turns.
360-145	fixed		cmdassist F-attack feedback is misleading.
360-146	fixed		dumplog doubles points for artifacts.
360-147	fixed		End of game disclosure may incorrectly show high priests as extinct.
360-148	fixed		Attempting to use the name of an artifact to name another item of the same type should violate illiterate conduct.
360-149	fixed		"Killing" a shape-shifted vampire gives odd messages.
360-150	fixed		Creatures who breath poison gas should be immune to it.
360-151	fixed		Message given when vampire passes under door may use incorrect verb.
360-152	fixed		Polymorph messages may use the wrong gender.
360-153	fixed		Eating one of multiple tins on the floor of a shop does not work correctly.
360-154	fixed		Capitalized fruit names can cause poorly worded messages.
360-155	fixed		Carrots don't work for pets.
360-156	fixed		The game can give an inaccurate message if a quest artifact is on a different level.
360-157	fixed		Surviving a gas spore's explosion may result in eventually reporting the wrong cause of death.
360-158	fixed		Picking up all-but-one items while invisible may leave an incorrect display.
360-159	fixed		Reverting from a form which has a passive attack, while dying, may result in out of order messages.
360-160	fixed		Amulet energy drain does not work properly.
360-161	fixed		You can use a leash while engulfed.
360-162	fixed		The message sequence for vomit is confusing.
360-163	fixed		Some items that should be affected by lava are not.
360-164	fixed		Potion action resulting from landmine explosions are not quite right.
360-165	fixed		Recovery of strength after loss due to hunger can be abused.
360-166	fixed		Attempting to eat an inedible object may have unintended side-effects.
360-167	fixed		Magic does not pay enough attention to speech ability.
360-168	fixed		Naming a potion that is really a mimic may produce an incorrect message.
360-169	fixed		Empty inventory with option perm_invent produces confusing output in some ports.
360-170	fixed		Explosions and holding interact poorly.

Spoiler core bugs

Name	Status	Patch	Description	Additional info
SC360-1	Open		While blind and levitating, too much information may be presented.	Does this refer to messages about monsters scared by an Elbereth engraving? Or typing > to identify the stairs? Or to the ability to identify ground types (ice, floor, altar, grave, etc.) when hovering over them?
SC360-2	fixed		Castle chest could be trapped.
SC360-3	fixed		Lava doesn't destroy all boots it should.	Only water walking boots are destroyed by stepping in lava (if not fireproof). All other flamable boots survive.
SC360-4	fixed		Doppelgangers posing as Riders never transform.
SC360-5	fixed		Polymorphing from a fast form to a slower one, the new form may get extra moves it shouldn't.
SC360-6	fixed		When blind, hero can exploit the user interface to safely locate cocatrice corpse.
SC360-7	fixed		#tip accounts for gold incorrectly.
SC360-8	fixed		Applying grappling hook past water can drown the hero without a chance to crawl out.
SC360-9	fixed		Burying merchandise in a shop doesn't cost anything.

Windows-only bugs

Name	Status	Patch	Description	Additional info
W360-1	fixed	DevTeam	Help->About crashes the game. (So don't do that.)
W360-2	fixed		When quitting the game, at the "Hit to end." prompt, closing the window rather than pressing Enter causes a crash.	Annoying, but does not affect the game.
W360-3	fixed		"nethack -s" leads to "-s is not supported for the Graphical Interface"

Build-from-source bugs

Name	Status	Patch	Description	Additional Info
S360-1	fixed		Typo: Makefile.top uses pilemark.xpm as a dependency but this file is really called pilemark.xbm. (X11 only)
S360-2	fixed	Ray Chason	The file qt_xpms.h is corrupt.	The top of include/qt_xpms.h is missing; the Qt interface will not build without it
S360-3	fixed	[1]	win/share/tile2bmp.c produces bad bitmaps with 64 bit GCC

Bugs not mentioned on the DevTeam's website

Dev Contact#	Description	Status	Additional info
#H4302	#name fails on long discoveries list	fixed	If there is more than 1 page of discoveries, you can't select a discovery from subsequent pages. Workaround: use ">" instead of space to move to next page
#H5955	Monks and martial arts	Replied	Monks should have gloves enchantment contribute to martial arts damage. Full report
#H5990	Lycanthropy and polycontrol	fixed	Add a paranoid option for toggling beast form during lycanthropy. Full report
#H6104	No potion handling in thitu	fixed	thitu (the target function for flying objects hitting the player in general) lacks proper handling of potions Full report
#H6125	Vorpal Blade exploit	fixed	Certain usage of Vorpal Blade allows certain beheading. Full report
#H6144	Weak from hunger vs sustain ability	fixed	Sustain ability interacts incorrectly with hunger. Full report
#H6151	Major pet AI bug	fixed	Pets don't follow you as they are supposed to. Full report
#H6189	Minor text issue in data.base for EotO	Unknown	The Eyes of the Overworld database text contains '... and finally there is "the Eyes of the Overworld".', which looks a bit odd from in-game.
#H6204	Pet displacement during travel	Unknown	In corner cases, travel can kill pets. Full report
#H6283	Minor scroll reading quirk	fixed	If your current monster form is of one that can normally talk, you will "pronounce the formula" on a scroll if blind -- even if you're currently being strangled.
#H6285	flooreffects can credit the player erroneously + panic	Unknown	Some events regarding monsters killed by boulders don't work as they should, and can cause a panic. Full report
#H6391	Dormant bug with artifact charging	fixed	An non-role-restricted artifact with charging invocation will *never* allow blessed charging, rather than always as intended. Full report
#H6422	hmonas and shades	Unknown	Polyself attacks may not interact correctly with shades. Full report
#H6597	Genocide exploit	fixed	Self-genocide may cause unintended behaviour of monsters. Full report
#H6598	Untamed trapped pet rendering as player	fixed	Trapped untamed pets may render as player. Full report
#-----	+9 lockpick Rogues	fixed	Rogue starting inventory contains a lockpick with a "+9 enchantment". Full report
#-----	muse telewands	fixed	Monster item use logic has dead code for teleport wands which can interfere with reordering MUSE_*. Full report
#-----	blind naming can remove BUC status		Items named while blind can lose BUC status if renamed/unnamed later while not blind.

See also

User:FIQ/DevTeam