Intelligence

For other uses, see intelligent.

Intelligence is an attribute in NetHack.

Description

Intelligence has a multitude of effects for the hero:

• Applying a crystal ball rolls a d20 against the hero's intelligence to determine if they succeed.
• Intelligence is the spellcasting stat for the following roles: Archeologist, Barbarian, Caveman, Ranger, Rogue, Samurai, Tourist, and Wizard.
• A hero with higher intelligence has a better chance of successfully reading a spellbook.
• A hero casting certain spells gains a spell damage bonus or penalty dependent on their intelligence and experience level.
• Wizards with high intelligence benefit from reduced-hunger casting or even hungerless casting of spells: A Wizard casting a spell at 15 Int uses up half the normal nutrition, while a Wizard casting at 16 Int uses up ¹⁄₄ of the normal nutrition, and a Wizard at 17 or higher intelligence does not use up nutrition at all when casting.

Elven heroes have an intelligence cap of 20, gnomish heroes have a cap of 19, human heroes]] have a cap of 18, and dwarven and orcish heroes have a cap of 16.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.

As part of commit 28fb6fc6, the intelligence check when applying a crystal ball uses a d8 instead for the quest artifact of the hero's role, or d16 for a blessed crystal ball.

Changing intelligence

A hero cannot exercise or abuse intelligence, but can raise or lower it through various methods. A dunce cap sets the wearer's intelligence to 6.

Intelligence can be raised by the following:

• Eating the corpse or tin of a mind flayer or master mind flayer has a ¹⁄₂ chance of increasing the hero's intelligence by 1.
• Quaffing a blessed potion of enlightenment increases intelligence and wisdom by one each.
• Quaffing a potion of gain ability can increase intelligence by 1, and quaffing a blessed potion increases it and all other attributes by one.
• Quaffing from a magic fountain can raise one or all attributes by 1 as with the potion of gain ability, depending on the hero's luck.
• A worn helm of brilliance increases intelligence and wisdom by an amount equal to its enchantment.

Intelligence can be decreased by the following:

• The attribute-decreasing effect of quaffing a non-blessed potion of sickness.
• The attribute-decreasing effect from sitting on a throne.
• The effect of a worn helm of brilliance with a negative enchantment.
• Intelligence drain from the tentacle attacks of a mind flayer or master mind flayer, which can cause the hero to die from becoming brainless if enough intelligence is drained.

Strategy

Raising intelligence is a high priority for most spellcasting heroes, particularly Wizards—even wisdom-based casting roles will want heightened intelligence to read books more easily and increase their spell damage bonus. Elven Wizards are an incredibly strong race-role combo due to their starting intelligence and attribute cap, though it often leaves them wanting for carrying capacity.

Variants

SLASH'EM

SLASH'EM adds the ring of gain intelligence, which modifies the hero's intelligence by its enchantment while worn.

UnNetHack

In UnNetHack, the mental invasion attack of the weeping angel and weeping archangel exercises intelligence unless the hero has reflection.

UnNetHack also adds the ring of gain intelligence from SLASH'EM.

dNetHack

In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, antimagic rifts block the spellcasting abilities of heroes with intelligence-based casting for several turns along with other forms of magical casting.

The following artifacts rely on the user's intelligence:

• While worn, Vilya applies an intelligence-based modifier of (Int-11)2 to the wearer's normal hit point regeneration, their sanity regeneration, and both HP regeneration and AC for their pets. This modifier can be negative as well, which can potentially kill pets if it is low enough and worsens the hero's HP and sanity regeneration to a minimum of 0 (unless it was already negative).
• The Sky Reflected and The Amalgamated Skies can teach zerth mantras, passive abilities that grant various effects and are automatically learned if the sum of the hero's intelligence and wisdom exceeds a particular value.

The following spirits have effects dependent on or related to the hero's intelligence while they are bound:

• Dantalion passively adds an intelligence-based bonus to all attacks that the hero makes, which stacks any existing strength or dexterity bonuses.
• Naberius requires a hero addressing his seal to have at least 14 intelligence and 14 wisdom, among some other conditions.

SpliceHack

In earlier versions of SpliceHack, cooking can exercise intelligence.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, gnomish shopkeepers base their prices on the hero's intelligence, with no regard for their starting race: the multplier applied is ³⁄₂ for an intelligence of 14 or less, or ⁴⁄₃ for an intelligence of 15, 16 or 17.

A hero reading a blessed scroll of amnesia with 13+ intelligence can choose which skill points to reset, allowing them to redistribute training if they so choose.

SlashTHEM

In SlashTHEM, in addition to SLASH'EM details, quaffing a cursed potion of Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster has a ¹⁄₄ chance of lowering the hero's intelligence by one point.