Ring of searching
A ring of searching is a type of ring that appears in NetHack.
Contents
Generation
Wizards may be given a a ring of searching as one of the two random rings in their starting inventory.[1]
General stores and jewelers shops can sell rings of searching.
Description
A hero putting on the ring of searching gains the automatic searching extrinsic, which searches all adjacent squares once after each action the hero takes. Monsters will not wear this ring.
A hero eating the ring has a 1⁄3 chance of successfully absorbing its magic and gaining intrinsic automatic searching.[2]
Dropping a ring of searching on a sink square will print a distinct message and never causes the ring to be lost down the drain or buried beneath the sink.[3]
Strategy
The ring can be useful as an aid in searching for hidden traps and secret doors, especially since the property is very rarely obtainable as an intrinsic—heroes of races and roles that can obtain the intrinsic by gaining experience levels will have no need for the ring once they do, while those that plan to use Excalibur as their primary weapon can also safely disregard the ring.
The ring of searching can be reliably identified informally by dropping it down a sink, as it cannot ever be lost or buried this way.
History
The ring of searching first appears in hack121, a variant of Jay Fenlason's Hack, and is included in the initial item list for Hack 1.0.
Messages
- You thought your ring got lost in the sink, but there it is!
- You dropped a ring of searching down a sink, and the ring was not lost.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, Flame Mages, Ice Mages, Necromancers, and Wizards may be given a ring of searching as the random ring in their starting inventory.[4][5][6][7]
EvilHack
In EvilHack, giant heroes that are given a ring of stealth as a random ring in their starting inventory (i.e. giant Wizards) will have it replaced with a ring of searching. This also applies to Hack'EM.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, in addition to SLASH'EM details, Acid Mages, Corsairs, Electric Mages, Nobles, and Pirates may be given a ring of searching as the random ring in their starting inventory.
