Potion quaffing effects
A user has suggested this page be merged with "potion"
You can quaff only one potion at a time. The potion is always used up (you cannot quaff only part of a potion, or quaff the same potion twice).
Most potions are identified when you quaff them. In some cases, "You have a peculiar feeling for a moment, then it passes." (if hallucinating, you feel "normal feeling" instead), and the potion is not identified. These cases will be marked as "peculiar feeling". There are also case when the potion is not identified without peculiar feeling. They are also mentioned in text.
Contents
- 1 Milky or smoky potion
- 2 Main effects
- 2.1 Potion of restore ability
- 2.2 Potion of hallucination
- 2.3 Potion of water
- 2.4 Potion of booze
- 2.5 Potion of enlightenment
- 2.6 Potion of invisibility
- 2.7 Potion of see invisible and Potion of fruit juice
- 2.8 Potion of paralysis
- 2.9 Potion of sleeping
- 2.10 Potion of monster detection
- 2.11 Potion of object detection
- 2.12 Potion of sickness
- 2.13 Potion of confusion
- 2.14 Potion of gain ability
- 2.15 Potion of speed
- 2.16 Potion of blindness
- 2.17 Potion of gain level
- 2.18 Potion of healing
- 2.19 Potion of extra healing
- 2.20 Potion of full healing
- 2.21 Potion of levitation
- 2.22 Potion of gain energy
- 2.23 Potion of oil
- 2.24 Potion of acid
- 2.25 Potion of polymorph
Milky or smoky potion
If you quaff milky or smoky potion, whatever is true identity, there are additional effects. These precede the main effects of the potion.[1]
Milky potion may produce a hostile ghost, while smoky potion may produce a djinni. The chance is 1/(13+2n) in both cases, where n is the number of ghosts or djinn already produced. Djinni may grant you a wish (chance 80% for blessed smoky potion, 20% for uncursed, 5% for cursed).[2] See Smoky and milky potions for more information.
Main effects
Source:[3]
Potion of restore ability
Source: [4]
Not identified.
Cursed: "Ulch! This makes you feel mediocre!"
Uncursed:
- "Wow! This makes you feel good!"
- If one of your abilities is less than the maximal previously achieved value, restores it. If two of more abilities are less than the maximal previously achieved value, restores one of them.
- Weakness from hunger is not cured this way.
- The algorithm is as follows: starting at a random ability, it checks all abilities until it either finds one which can be restored (and restores it) or it has visited all abilities (in which case there is no effect because no ability needs to be restored.)
Blessed
- "Wow! This makes you feel great/better!" ("better" if you are stoned, strangled, have wounded legs and not riding, slimed, confused, sick, hallucinating, vomiting, stunned, or deaf)
- Restores all your abilities to theirs maximal previously achieved values.
- Weakness from hunger is not cured this way.
Potion of hallucination
Makes you hallucinating for 300-499 (more) turns (if blessed), 600-799 (more) turns (if uncursed), or 900-1099 (more) turns (if cursed).[5]
If you are already hallucinating, or resistant to hallucinations, it is "peculiar feeling".
- "Oh wow! Everything looks so cosmic!" - you started to hallucinate, not being blind
- "Oh wow! Everything feels so cosmic!" - you started to hallucinate, while being blind
- "You have a normal feeling for a moment, then it passes." - you have no eyes
- "Your vision seems to flatten for a moment but is normal now." - you are wielding Grayswandir, which protects you from hallucinations.
- "Your eyes itch" - you are already hallucinating, blind, and have two eyes.
- "Your eye itches" - you are already hallucinating, blind, and have one eye.
Potion of water
Source:[6]
Uncursed: "This tastes like water.", provides 1-10 nutrition points.
Blessed (holy water):
- not identified
- if you are chaotic, or polymorphed to a demon or undead creature,
- "This burns like acid!"
- abuses constitution
- cures lycanthropy
- causes 2d6 points of physical damage (half physical damage applies if relevant).
- otherwise, "You feel full of awe.", cures sickness and lycanthropy, exercizes constitution and wisdom.
Cursed (unholy water):
- not identified
- if you have lycanthropy, polymorphs you to the creature, unless you are polymorphed already (even to another creature), or have unchanging. Also, if you have polymorph control, you are asked whether you want to be polymorphed.
- if you are chaotic, or polymorphed to a demon or undead creature, heals 2d6 hit points and exercizes constitution. "You feel quite proud of yourself."
- otherwise:
- if lawful, causes 2d6 points of physical damage (half physical damage applies if relevant). "This burns like acid!"
- if not lawful, "You feel full of dread."
- abuses constitution
Potion of booze
Source: [7]
Not identified.
"Ooph! This tastes like liquid fire!"
- if hallucinating, it tastes like "dandelion wine" instead.
- if diluted, it tastes like "watered down" liquid fire or dandelion wine.
Unless blessed, make you confused for 3d8 (more) turns.
Unless diluted, heals 1 hit point.
Provides 10, 20, 30 nutrition points if cursed, uncursed, blessed.
Abuse wisdom.
If cursed, you "pass out" for 1-15 turns, then you "awake with a headache".
Potion of enlightenment
Source: [8]
Cursed: not identified, "You have an uneasy feeling...", abuses wisdom.
Uncursed: "You feel self-knowledgeable...", displays your intrinsics and features in a new window. After you close the window, "The feeling subsides."
Blessed: adds 1 to your intelligence and wisdom, then proceeds as uncursed.
Potion of invisibility
Source: [9]
If already invisible, or blind, it is "peculiar feeling". Otherwise, "Gee! All of a sudden, you can see right through yourself" if see invisible, or "Gee! All of a sudden, you can't see yourself" otherwise. If hallucinating, the message is instead "Far out, man! You can see right through yourself" or "Far out, man! You can't see yourself"
If blessed, become permanently invisible.
If uncursed, become invisible for 31-45 (more) turns.
If cursed, become invisible for 31-45 (more) turns, and cause aggravate. "For some reason, you feel your presence is known."
Potion of see invisible and Potion of fruit juice
Source: [10]
Not identified.
Message:
- "Yecch! This tastes rotten." - cursed.
- "Yecch! This tastes overripe." - cursed, and you are hallucinating.
- "This tastes like (reconstituted) slime mold." - not cursed, not hallucinating.
- "This tastes like 10% real (reconstituted) slime mold all-natural beverage." - not cursed, hallucinated.
- Slime mold can be replaced by your favourite fruit. The word "reconstituted" means it was diluted.
Undiluted fruit juice provides 10, 20, 30 points of nutrition if cursed, uncursed, blessed. Diluted fruite juice provides half of this nutrition.
Cursed potion blinds you for a moment.
Potion of see invisible provides you with see invisible intrinsic either permanently (if blessed) or for 750-849 turns (otherwise).
If it is a potion of see invisible, you are invisible yourself and not blind, you "can see through yourself, but you are visible!", and the potion is identified.
Potion of paralysis
Source: [11]
If you have free action, "You stiffen momentarily!"
Otherwise:
- "Your feet are frozen to the floor!"
- If you are polymorphed, "feet" can be replaced by your respective body part.
- If neccessary, "floor" can be replaced by "lava", etc.
- If levitating, on the Plane of Air or Plane of Water level, the message instead will be "You are motionlessly suspended." Otherwise, if riding, the message is "You are frozen in place!"
- You are paralysed for 13-22, 25-34, 37-46 turns for blessed, uncursed, cursed potion.
- Abuses dexterity.
Potion of sleeping
If sleep resistant, or have free action, "You yawn." Otherwise, "You suddenly fall asleep!", fall asleep for 13-22, 25-34, 37-46 turns for blessed, uncursed, cursed potion. [12]
Potion of monster detection
Source: [13]
Uncursed:
- If there are no monsters at the level, "You feel threatened.", or "You get the heebie jeebies." if hallucinating. Not identified.
- Otherwise, "You sense the presence of monsters.", and shows the monsters at your level.
Cursed: Works like an uncursed potion, with one additional effect. If there are sleeping or frozen monsters, it wakes and unfreezes them. "Monsters sense the presence of you."
Blessed:
- If you already have monster detection, "peculiar feeling".
- Switches on the monster detection mode (you see all the monsters at your level) for 21-60 (more) turns. However, if the monster detection timeout is already 300 or more turns, adds only 1 turn instead.
- If no monsters at your level, not identified. "You feel lonely."
Potion of object detection
Detects objects at your level. If nothing to detect, not identified. Exercises wisdom.[14] See potion of object detection for more information
Potion of sickness
See potion of sickness.
Potion of confusion
Source: [15]
If neither confused nor hallucinating, "Huh, What? Where am I?"
If hallucinating but not confused, "What a trippy feeling!", not identified.
If confused, "peculiar feeling".
Make you confused for 8-14, 16-22, 24-30 (more) turns if the potion is blessed, uncursed, cursed.
Potion of gain ability
Source: [16]
Cursed: "Ulch! That potion tasted foul!", not identified.
Non-cursed and you have sustain ability intrinsic from the ring: "peculiar feeling".
Uncursed and no sustain ability: Select a random ability, and increase by 1, with proper message. If this is impossible, because its value is already maximal, repeat. If after 6 attempts, all abilities were maximal possible, "Your (ability) is already as high as it can get."
Blessed and no sustain ability: increase all abilities by 1, with proper messages. For abilities which are already maximal, "Your (ability) is already as high as it can get."
Potion of speed
Source: [17]
If you have wounded leg(s), the potion is not cursed, and you are not driving, it heals your leg(s). Not identified.
Otherwise:
- exercise dexterity
- make you fast for 40-49, 100-109, 160-169 (more) turns for cursed, uncursed, blessed potion
- not identified, if you are very fast already
Messages:
- "Your legs feel somehow better." - it healed your legs
- "Your leg feels somehow better." - as above, if you have only one leg
- "You are suddenly moving much faster." - you were slow, it made you fast
- "You are suddenly moving faster." - you were fast (from speed boots), it made you even faster
- "Your legs get new energy." - you were very fast already
Potion of blindness
Source: [18]
Blinds you for 125-324, 250-449, 375-574 (more) turns for blessed, uncursed, cursed potion.
Not identified if you were blind already.
Messages:
- "A cloud of darkness falls upon you." - could see, not hallucinating.
- "Oh, bummer! Everything is dark! Help!" - could see, hallucinating.
- "Your eyes itch." or "Your eye itches." (if you are one-eyed monster) - if weared a blindfold.
- "You have a strange feeling for a moment, then it passes." - you have no eyes, not hallucinating
- "You have a normal feeling for a moment, then it passes." - you have no eyes, and hallucinating
Potion of gain level
Source: [19]
Cursed: not identified. You go upwards one level. "You rise up, through the ceiling!"
- Does not work at the endgame levels, Sokoban, Fort Ludios, and the top floors of the Wizard's tower, Vlad's tower, and Quest. Also does not work on dungeon level 1, unless you are carrying the Amulet of Yendor. In these case, "You have an uneasy feeling." will be displayed instead.
Blessed or uncursed: increases your experience level by 1. "Welcome to experience level X." If uncursed, you obtain the minimal experience needed for your new level. If blessed, your new experience will be a random number between minimal and maximal experience for your new level.
Potion of healing
Source: [20]
You gain 4d4, 6d4, 8d4 hit points for cursed, uncursed, blessed potion. If your new HP is higher than the maximal HP, you gain 1 to the maximal HP (unless the potion is cursed), and HP is set to the maximal HP. If not cursed, cures blindness. If blessed, also cures vomiting. Exercises constitution.
Potion of extra healing
Source: [21]
You gain 4d8, 6d8, 8d8 hit points for cursed, uncursed, blessed potion. If your new HP is higher than the maximal HP, you gain 0,2,5 to the maximal HP for cursed, uncursed, blessed potion, and HP is set to the maximal HP. Cures blindness. Unless cursed, also cures vomiting. Cures hallucination. Exercises strength and constitution.
Potion of full healing
Source: [22]
You gain 400 hit points. If your new HP is higher than the maximal HP, you gain 0,4,8 to the maximal HP for cursed, uncursed, blessed potion, and HP is set to the maximal HP. Cures blindness. Unless cursed, also cures vomiting. Cures hallucination. Exercises strength and constitution. For a blessed potion, if the experience level is below maximal achieved, gain one level of experience.
Potion of levitation
Source: [23]
Blessed: levitate for (more) 250-299 turns, levitation can be terminated with ">" command.
Uncursed: levitate for (more) 10-149 turns.
Cursed:
- If had the ability to terminate levitation with ">" command, lose it.
- Unless already levitating:
- If stood on stairs or ladder up, go up.
- Otherwise, "You hit your head on the ceiling.", lose 1-10 hit points or 1 hit point if wearing a hard helmet. The half physical damages intrinsic applies if you have it.
- Levitate for (more) 10-149 turns.
"Peculiar feeling" if you levitated already.
Potion of gain energy
Source: [24]
Cursed: lose 3*(1d6) points of magical energy. If the energy becomes negative, make it zero.
Uncursed or blessed: restore 3*(2d6) (uncursed) or 3*(3d6) (blessed) points of magical energy. If the energy becomes higher than the maximal energy, set it to the maximal energy.
Exercise wisdom.
Messages:
- "You feel lackluster." - it was cursed.
- "Magical energies course through your body." - it was noncursed.
Potion of oil
Source: [25]
Quaffing not from a lit lamp: abuse wisdom.
- "That was smooth!", for non-cursed potion.
- "This tastes like castor oil.", for cursed potion.
Quaffing from a lit lamp, unless your monster likes fire: abuse wisdom, get 1d4 (if fire resistant) or 3d4 (otherwise) points of damage.
- "You burn your face."
Quaffing from a lit lamp, if your monster likes fire: exercise wisdom.
- "Ahh, a refreshing drink."
Potion of acid
Source: [26]
Not identified.
Unless acid resistant, causes 1d4, 1d8, 2d8 points of physical damage for blessed, uncursed, cursed potion (half physical damage applies if relevant).
Cures petrification.
Messages:
- "This tastes sour.", if you are acid resistant and not hallucinating.
- "This tastes tangy.", if you are acid resistant and hallucinating.
- "This burns a little!", if you are not acid resistant, and the potion is blessed.
- "This burns like acid!", if you are not acid resistant, and the potion is uncursed.
- "This burns a lot!", if you are not acid resistant, and the potion is cursed.
Potion of polymorph
Source: [27]
You polymorph, unless you have unchanging.
Messages:
- "You feel a little strange.", if not hallucinating.
- "You feel a little normal.", if hallucinating.
This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.
It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.6.0. Information on this page may be out of date.
Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-360}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.