Difference between revisions of "Alignment"

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(Monster alignment)
(Cleanup, some rewording)
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{{religion}}
 
{{religion}}
 
{{for|ways to change your alignment rating|alignment record}}
 
{{for|ways to change your alignment rating|alignment record}}
'''Alignment''' in [[NetHack]] is a trichotomy: '''lawful''', '''neutral''' or '''chaotic'''. The following things have an alignment:
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'''Alignment''' in ''[[NetHack]]'' is a trichotomy: '''lawful''', '''neutral''' or '''chaotic'''. The following things have an alignment:
  
 
* [[Monster]]s
 
* [[Monster]]s
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* [[Quest artifact]]s
 
* [[Quest artifact]]s
 
* [[Artifact weapon]]s
 
* [[Artifact weapon]]s
* [[:Category:Dungeon branches|Dungeon branches]]
+
* [[Dungeon branch]]es
* Your [[Hero|character]]
+
* Your [[Player|character]]
  
In addition to your character's ''alignment'' (whether you are lawful, neutral or chaotic), your character also has an ''[[alignment record]]'', the integer <tt>u.ualign.record</tt> from the [[source code]]. Some spoilers refer to this integer as your "alignment", creating [[NetHackWiki:Disambiguation|ambiguity]].
+
In addition to your character's alignment (whether you are lawful, neutral, or chaotic), your character also has an ''[[alignment record]]'', a number referred to as <tt>u.ualign.record</tt> in the [[source code]]. Some spoilers refer to this number as your "alignment", creating ambiguity.
  
Altars to the evil god [[Moloch]] are considered '''unaligned''' - that is, not lawful, neutral nor chaotic. Additionally, some artifact weapons are non-aligned. This only means that they express no preference for the alignment of their wielders, not that they are in some way allied to Moloch.
+
Altars to the evil god [[Moloch]] are considered '''unaligned'''&mdash;that is, not lawful, neutral nor chaotic. Additionally, some artifact weapons are non-aligned. This only means that they express no preference for the alignment of their wielders, not that they are in some way allied to Moloch.
  
The interactions between objects of different alignments are many and varied. We say that two things are '''co-aligned''' when their alignments are the same, but '''cross-aligned''' when they are different.
+
The interactions between objects of different alignments are many and varied. Two things are ''co-aligned'' when their alignments are the same, or ''cross-aligned'' when they are different.
  
 
==Your alignment==
 
==Your alignment==
  
[[You]] choose your alignment during [[character creation]]. If you choose any race except [[human (starting race)|human]], your alignment is assigned implicitly: [[dwarf|dwarves]] are lawful, [[Gnome (starting race)|gnomes]] are neutral, and [[elf (starting race)|elves]] and [[orc (starting race)|orcs]] are chaotic. Humans may explicitly choose their alignment, although most roles have restrictions on permissible alignments. For example, [[barbarian]]s cannot be lawful, [[caveman|cavemen]] cannot be chaotic, and [[knight]]s must be lawful.
+
[[You]] choose your alignment during character creation. If you choose any race except [[human (starting race)|human]], your alignment is assigned implicitly: [[dwarf|dwarves]] are lawful, [[Gnome (starting race)|gnomes]] are neutral, and [[elf (starting race)|elves]] and [[orc (starting race)|orcs]] are chaotic. Humans may explicitly choose their alignment, although most roles have restrictions on permissible alignments. For example, [[Barbarian]]s cannot be lawful, [[Caveman|Cavemen]] cannot be chaotic, and [[Knight]]s must be lawful.
  
Your character does not normally change alignments, but there are two ways. You could wear a [[helm of opposite alignment]] for a temporary change. You could also try to convert yourself permanently by sacrificing at a cross-aligned [[altar]] under certain circumstances. If you do this before doing your [[quest]], however, the game will be [[unwinnable]].
+
There are two ways to change your character's alignment. Wearing a [[helm of opposite alignment]] changes your alignment temporarily, and sacrificing at a cross-aligned [[altar]] under certain circumstances can convert your alignment permanently. If you permanently change your alignment before doing your [[quest]], however, the game will be [[unwinnable]].
  
 
===Lawful===
 
===Lawful===
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* White [[unicorn]]s are slightly more common than other colors, to compensate for the fact that they don't appear in [[Gehennom]], making it easier to gain [[Luck]] early on.
 
* White [[unicorn]]s are slightly more common than other colors, to compensate for the fact that they don't appear in [[Gehennom]], making it easier to gain [[Luck]] early on.
 
* Some nasty monsters such as [[titan]]s, [[golden naga]]s, and especially [[Archon]]s are co-aligned and will most often be peaceful.
 
* Some nasty monsters such as [[titan]]s, [[golden naga]]s, and especially [[Archon]]s are co-aligned and will most often be peaceful.
* You can reliably use a helm of opposite alignment on the chaotic high altar.
+
* You can reliably use a [[helm of opposite alignment]] on the chaotic high altar.
* In ''[[SLASH'EM]]'', Lawful characters get much more powerful minions than others, and they can get minions by praying with low HP as well as sacrifice (others only get them through sacrifice).
 
 
|valign="top"|
 
|valign="top"|
 
====Lawful disadvantages====
 
====Lawful disadvantages====
 
* The [[mysterious force]] is harsher.
 
* The [[mysterious force]] is harsher.
 
* Because more unicorns will be coaligned, you may have more difficulty obtaining a [[unicorn horn]].
 
* Because more unicorns will be coaligned, you may have more difficulty obtaining a [[unicorn horn]].
* Lawful characters lose [[intrinsic]] [[telepathy]] and two points of [[Luck]] when they commit [[murder]].
+
* You lose [[intrinsic]] [[telepathy]] and two points of [[Luck]] if you commit [[murder]].
* Lawful characters get a -1 alignment penalty for directly [[stealing from shops]].
+
* You get a &minus;1 alignment penalty for directly [[stealing from shops]].
* Lawful characters get a -1 alignment penalty from using [[poison]]ed weapons. ("You feel like an evil coward for using a poisoned weapon.")
+
* You get a &minus;1 alignment penalty from using [[poison]]ed weapons. ("You feel like an evil coward for using a poisoned weapon.")
 
* You cannot ascend on the neutral high altar.
 
* You cannot ascend on the neutral high altar.
* In ''[[SLASH'EM]]'', Lawful characters will anger their gods if they drink a [[potion of vampire blood]].
 
 
* Your [[crowning]] gift can neither [[drain life]] nor [[instakill]] enemies and is thus weak against [[covetous]] monsters.
 
* Your [[crowning]] gift can neither [[drain life]] nor [[instakill]] enemies and is thus weak against [[covetous]] monsters.
 
|}
 
|}
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|width="50%" valign="top"|
 
|width="50%" valign="top"|
 
====Neutral advantages====
 
====Neutral advantages====
* Best choice of artifacts to wish for!
+
* You have the best selection of artifacts available by [[wish]]ing.
* You have all alignments available with a [[helm of opposite alignment]]. In particular, this allows you to ascend on any high altar.
+
* You have all alignments available with [[helm of opposite alignment|helms of opposite alignment]]. In particular, this allows you to ascend on any high altar.
 
* [[Air elemental]]s, a very dangerous monster, may be generated peaceful.
 
* [[Air elemental]]s, a very dangerous monster, may be generated peaceful.
 
* [[Domestic animals]] may be generated peaceful, so you can keep them alive and return to tame them when you need them.
 
* [[Domestic animals]] may be generated peaceful, so you can keep them alive and return to tame them when you need them.
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====Neutral disadvantages====
 
====Neutral disadvantages====
* Neutral characters lose [[intrinsic]] [[telepathy]] and two points of [[Luck]] when they commit [[murder]].
+
* You lose [[intrinsic]] [[telepathy]] and two points of [[Luck]] if you commit [[murder]].
* Using the helm of opposite alignment to ascend on a different altar is not reliable.
+
* Using a helm of opposite alignment to ascend on a different altar is not reliable.
 
* Your [[crowning]] artifact does less damage than the other alignments' and does not provide [[drain resistance]].
 
* Your [[crowning]] artifact does less damage than the other alignments' and does not provide [[drain resistance]].
 
* A large number of low-level always-hostile monsters are neutral, giving neutral characters no [[alignment record]] gains for killing them, which may be a problem for [[protection racket]] runs.
 
* A large number of low-level always-hostile monsters are neutral, giving neutral characters no [[alignment record]] gains for killing them, which may be a problem for [[protection racket]] runs.
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* Chaotic is the only way to play an [[elf (starting race)|elf]]. Elven weapons and armor are some of the better common items in the game, and elves start the game with knowledge about them. Furthermore, they can gain a [[multishot]] bonus when skilled or expert with elven arrows if using an elven bow.
 
* Chaotic is the only way to play an [[elf (starting race)|elf]]. Elven weapons and armor are some of the better common items in the game, and elves start the game with knowledge about them. Furthermore, they can gain a [[multishot]] bonus when skilled or expert with elven arrows if using an elven bow.
 
* There is no Luck or telepathy penalty for [[murder]]ing peaceful humans. (You still lose alignment record, however)
 
* There is no Luck or telepathy penalty for [[murder]]ing peaceful humans. (You still lose alignment record, however)
* [[stealing from shops#Direct theft|Direct theft]] from a shop actually gives a +1 alignment bonus (''unless'' you are a [[Rogue]]).
+
* [[stealing from shops#Direct theft|Direct theft]] from a shop gives a +1 alignment bonus (''unless'' you are a [[Rogue]]).
* Chaotic characters decrease their [[prayer timeout]] more quickly by sacrificing.
+
* You decrease your [[prayer timeout]] more quickly by sacrificing.
* Chaotic players can sacrifice their own race at [[altar]]s. When a chaotic player sacrifices in this manner, the chaotic [[god]] dispatches a peaceful unique [[demon lord]] to the altar, making one less demon to fight in [[Gehennom]]. This may also summon a peaceful [[Foocubus]].
+
* You can sacrifice your own race at [[altar]]s. When you do, your [[god]] dispatches a peaceful unique [[demon lord]] to the altar, making one less demon to fight in [[Gehennom]]. This may also summon a peaceful [[foocubus]].
* Sacrificing one's own race on a cross-aligned altar will automatically convert that altar to chaotic.
+
* Sacrificing your own race on a cross-aligned altar will automatically convert that altar to chaotic.
 
* The [[mysterious force]] is more merciful.
 
* The [[mysterious force]] is more merciful.
* You can reliably use a helm of opposite alignment on the lawful high altar.
+
* You can reliably use a [[helm of opposite alignment]] on the lawful high altar.
* The [[Book of the Dead]] can tame [[undead]] if blessed.
+
* The blessed [[Book of the Dead]] can tame [[undead]].
* If you are not a Rogue, you can wish for the [[Master Key of Thievery]].
+
* If you are not a Rogue, you can wish for [[the Master Key of Thievery]].
 
|valign="top"|
 
|valign="top"|
  
 
====Chaotic disadvantages====
 
====Chaotic disadvantages====
 
* Angry chaotic gods are more difficult to mollify, demanding better sacrifices to reduce anger points. (Due to the advantages of being chaotic, however, chaotic gods are harder to anger in the first place.)
 
* Angry chaotic gods are more difficult to mollify, demanding better sacrifices to reduce anger points. (Due to the advantages of being chaotic, however, chaotic gods are harder to anger in the first place.)
* Chaotic artifacts are the most pathetic. [[Sting]] and [[Orcrist]] are among them and might be [[sacrifice gift]]s. There are a few good chaotic artifacts, but lawful and neutral artifacts are better, and none of the chaotic ones grant [[magic resistance]]. Most [[quest artifact]]s are lawful or neutral, so artifact wishing is less beneficial for chaotic characters.
+
* Chaotic artifacts are the most pathetic. [[Sting]] and [[Orcrist]] are among them and might be [[sacrifice gift]]s. There are a few good chaotic artifacts, but none grant [[magic resistance]]. Most [[quest artifact]]s are lawful or neutral, so artifact wishing is less beneficial for chaotic characters.
* [[Holy water]] will not cure a chaotic character's [[sickness]]. It does cure [[lycanthropy]], but chaotic characters take damage when quaffing holy water.
+
* {{of|potion|Holy water}} will not cure a your [[sickness]]. It does cure [[lycanthropy]], but you take damage when quaffing holy water.
 
* Most of the more dangerous chaotic monsters are always hostile, regardless of your alignment.
 
* Most of the more dangerous chaotic monsters are always hostile, regardless of your alignment.
 
* You cannot ascend on the neutral high altar.
 
* You cannot ascend on the neutral high altar.
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==Monster alignment==
 
==Monster alignment==
  
A monster's alignment is entirely different from the player character's alignment or alignment record, and is used primarily to determine whether it is peaceful or not towards you.{{reffunc|makemon.c|peace_minded}} Monsters can be lawful, neutral or chaotic. Additionally, the [[Wizard of Yendor]] and priests of Moloch are unaligned.
+
A monster's alignment is entirely different from the player character's alignment or alignment record, and is used primarily to determine whether it is peaceful or not toward you.{{reffunc|makemon.c|peace_minded}} Monsters can be lawful, neutral, or chaotic; the [[Wizard of Yendor]] and [[Aligned priest|priests of Moloch]] are unaligned.
  
 
Alignment is determined by the integer <tt>maligntyp</tt> of <tt>struct permonst</tt> declared in [[permonst.h]]; a positive integer is lawful, 0 is neutral, and a negative integer is chaotic. Thus, while monsters of the same type actually have the same alignment, some lawful monsters are more strongly lawful than others, for instance, while some chaotic monsters are more strongly so than other chaotic monsters. A neutral monster in this context is simply any monster that is neither lawful or chaotic.
 
Alignment is determined by the integer <tt>maligntyp</tt> of <tt>struct permonst</tt> declared in [[permonst.h]]; a positive integer is lawful, 0 is neutral, and a negative integer is chaotic. Thus, while monsters of the same type actually have the same alignment, some lawful monsters are more strongly lawful than others, for instance, while some chaotic monsters are more strongly so than other chaotic monsters. A neutral monster in this context is simply any monster that is neither lawful or chaotic.
  
White [[unicorns]] are lawful, gray ones are neutral, and black ones are chaotic. Unicorns are especially important, as your [[god]] expects you to respect co-aligned unicorns, and sacrificing cross-aligned ones is highly valued.
+
White [[unicorn]]s are lawful, gray ones are neutral, and black ones are chaotic. Unicorns are especially important, as your [[god]] expects you to respect co-aligned unicorns, and sacrificing cross-aligned ones is highly valued.
  
 
==Altar alignment==
 
==Altar alignment==
  
Co-aligned altars can be used to [[pray]] and offer things to your [[god]]. Cross-aligned altars can be converted, but this is not always wise if there is an attendant priest.
+
Co-aligned [[altar]]s can be used to [[pray]] and offer [[sacrifice]]s to your [[god]]. Cross-aligned altars can be converted, but this is not always wise if there is an attendant priest.
 
 
See the '''[[altar]]''' page for much more information about what you can do with the different alignments of altars.
 
  
 
==Artifact alignment==
 
==Artifact alignment==
  
Most artifacts have an alignment. If the artifact is not intelligent, then you have only a 1/4 chance of being [[Artifact blast|blasted]] if you have a different alignment from the artifact or have a negative [[alignment record]] (these two criteria not applying for unaligned artifacts), or are in the form of something the artifact specially attacks; damage is 4d4 (2d4 if you have magic resistance). If you have enough [[HP]] to survive the blast, you will be able to use the artifact.
+
Most [[artifact]]s have an alignment. If the artifact is not intelligent, then you have only a {{frac|4}} chance of being [[Artifact blast|blasted]] if you have a different alignment from the artifact or have a negative [[alignment record]], or are in the form of something the artifact specially attacks; damage is 4d4 (2d4 if you have magic resistance). If you have enough [[HP]] to survive the blast, you will be able to use the artifact.
  
'''[[Intelligent artifact]]s''' are different. Those can emit much stronger [[Artifact blast|blasts]]; they might also "evade your grasp" meaning that you are unable to use them.
+
[[Intelligent artifact]]s can emit much stronger [[Artifact blast|blasts]]; they might also "evade your grasp" meaning that you are unable to use them.
  
 
==Dungeon alignment==
 
==Dungeon alignment==
  
Branches of the dungeon can be aligned in the sense that monster generation in that branch is biased towards monsters of that alignment.<ref>[[Source:NetHack 3.4.3/dat/dungeon.def|dungeon.def]]</ref>
+
[[Branch]]es of the dungeon can be aligned in the sense that monster generation in that branch is biased toward monsters of that alignment.{{refsrc|dungeon.def|17|version=NetHack 3.6.1}}
  
*[[Gnomish Mines]] - Lawful
+
*[[Gnomish Mines]]: lawful
*[[Oracle]] - Neutral
+
*[[Oracle]]: neutral
*[[Sokoban]] - Neutral
+
*[[Sokoban]]: neutral
*[[Medusa's Island|Medusa]] - Chaotic
+
*[[Medusa's Island]]: chaotic
*[[Vlad's Tower]] - Chaotic
+
*[[Vlad's Tower]]: chaotic
:*All other levels - Unaligned (No particular alignment bias)
+
*All other levels: unaligned (no particular alignment bias)
  
==Commentary==
+
==Origin==
  
The three alignments of ''[[NetHack]]'' probably originate from ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]''. D&D gods have a specific alignment, and their worshipers are also of that alignment. D&D has since added a second axis, that of good, neutral or evil. The results are nine combinations like Chaotic Good and True Neutral.
+
The three alignments of ''[[NetHack]]'' probably originate from the first edition of ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. ''D&D'' gods have a specific alignment, and their worshipers are also of that alignment. Later ''D&D'' editions include a second axis of alignment: good, neutral, or evil. This results in nine combinations, such as "chaotic good" or "true neutral".
  
Some D&D players had taken the idea that lawful meant good and chaotic meant evil; games like ''[[ADOM]]'' do follow this idea. Perhaps this is why D&D added the second axis. Many computer games, like NetHack, did not accept this complication. Then how does one interpret alignment in NetHack?
+
Before ''D&D'' introduced the good&ndash;evil axis, some players had equated "lawful" with "good" and "chaotic" with "evil"; games like ''[[ADOM]]'' follow this idea. Perhaps this is why ''D&D'' added the second axis. Many computer games, like ''NetHack'', did not include this complication.
  
NetHack is always the same story about taking that [[Amulet of Yendor]] from Moloch, not the numerous plots of D&D. The best we can do is to understand alignment in the context of NetHack's story.
+
Unlike ''D&D'', which has numerous plots, ''NetHack'' always follows the same story of taking that [[Amulet of Yendor]] from Moloch. Thus, in ''NetHack'', alignments can be compared by how they relate to that story.
  
For a '''lawful''' character, think ''law and order''. Perhaps the surface world has evil Knights and Samurai supporting tyrannical empires, but it is hard to believe that our [[Knight]] or [[Samurai]] seeking the Amulet is anything but good. They avoid murder and shoplifting, the Knight keeps a code of conduct, and the Samurai maintains honor. Perhaps other lawful roles need not act so good.
+
For a lawful character, think ''law and order''. Perhaps the surface world has evil Knights and Samurai supporting tyrannical empires, but it is hard to believe that our [[Knight]] or [[Samurai]] seeking the Amulet is anything but good. They avoid murder and shoplifting, the Knight keeps a code of conduct, and the Samurai maintains honor. Perhaps other lawful roles need not act so good.
  
The '''neutral''' character does not much care about alignment. Most of the special effects of alignment are for lawful or chaotic characters. The neutral character just wants to obtain the best artifacts and win [[immortality]]. He or she might be planning from the start to take a [[helm of opposite alignment]] to the [[Astral Plane]] and just [[offer]] the Amulet to the closest high altar.
+
A neutral character does not much care about alignment. Most of the special effects of alignment are for lawful or chaotic characters. The neutral character just wants to obtain the best artifacts and win [[immortality]]. He or she might be planning from the start to take a [[helm of opposite alignment]] to the [[Astral Plane]] and just [[offer]] the Amulet to the closest high altar.
  
The '''chaotic''' alignment consists of [[player]]s who aim for convenience and care not for order. In contrast to the lawful characters' like of social settings and orderly group activity, chaotic characters prefer individual action, and are perhaps most suited to a one-player game like NetHack. Chaotic players can own [[pet]]s as well as lawful and neutral players can, before they take out [[Stormbringer]]. (In ''[[SLASH'EM]]'', a lawful god will sometimes dispatch a tame monster to defend a lawful player who prays while having low hit points.)
+
A chaotic character aims for convenience and cares not for order. In contrast to the lawful characters' like of social settings and orderly group activity, chaotic characters prefer individual action and are perhaps most suited to a one-player game like ''NetHack''. Chaotic characters can keep [[pet]]s as well as lawful and neutral characters can, before they take out [[Stormbringer]].
  
Every [[elf (starting race)|elf]] is chaotic. NetHack's elves may be the size of humans, but they are not of Tolkien. Of elves, ''"there's hundreds of years of tradition of the land of Faerie being one where human concepts of law simply do not apply,"'' writes the [http://www.spod-central.org/~psmith/nh/rgrn-FAQ.txt rec.games.roguelike.nethack FAQ].
+
Every [[elf (starting race)|elf]] is chaotic. ''NetHack''&#39;s elves may be the size of humans, but they are not of Tolkien. Of elves, the [http://www.spod-central.org/~psmith/nh/rgrn-FAQ.txt rec.games.roguelike.nethack FAQ] says that "there's hundreds of years of tradition of the land of Faerie being one where human concepts of law simply do not apply."
  
[[Demon]]s would seem to be a special case. They are evil almost by definition, and yet both lawful and chaotic (but not neutral) variants exist. If you polymorph into a demon, no matter what its alignment, you will be damaged by holy water and healed by unholy water, and be unable to pray to any but a chaotic god. [[Genocide]] carries an alignment penalty for lawful characters and a bonus for chaotic ones, but if you are in demon form these adjustments are reversed. It appears that for demons, "lawful" is equivalent to the D&D alignment "lawful evil", and "chaotic" to "chaotic evil", instead of the good / evil axis that describes players and other monsters. D&D divides its fiends into lawful evil "devils" and chaotic evil "demons", but NetHack makes no such distinction.
+
[[Demon]]s would seem to be a special case. They are evil almost by definition, and yet both lawful and chaotic (but not neutral) variants exist. If you polymorph into a demon, no matter what its alignment, you will be damaged by holy water and healed by unholy water, and be unable to pray to any but a chaotic god. [[Genocide]] carries an alignment penalty for lawful characters and a bonus for chaotic ones, but if you are in demon form these adjustments are reversed. It appears that for demons, "lawful" is equivalent to the ''D&D'' alignment "lawful evil", and "chaotic" to "chaotic evil", instead of the good&ndash;evil axis that describes players and other monsters. ''D&D'' divides its fiends into lawful evil "devils" and chaotic evil "demons", but ''NetHack'' makes no such distinction.
  
 
==SLASH'EM==
 
==SLASH'EM==
  
In SLASH'EM, elves are always lawful or neutral. There are also five new races in SLASH'EM; their alignments are as follows:
+
In [[SLASH'EM]], lawful characters get much more powerful minions than others, and they can get minions by praying with low HP as well as sacrifice. However, lawful characters will anger their god if they drink a [[potion of vampire blood]].
 +
 
 +
Elves are always lawful or neutral. There are also five new races in SLASH'EM; their alignments are as follows:
 
*Drow: chaotic
 
*Drow: chaotic
 
*Doppelganger: neutral or chaotic
 
*Doppelganger: neutral or chaotic
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*Vlad's Tower: chaotic
 
*Vlad's Tower: chaotic
 
*Frankenstein's Lab: chaotic
 
*Frankenstein's Lab: chaotic
:*All others: unaligned
+
*All others: unaligned
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
<references/>
  
 
{{DOD}}
 
{{DOD}}
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{{slashem-7E7|offset=1}}
 
{{slashem-7E7|offset=1}}
 
{{featured}}
 
{{featured}}
<references/>
 
 
[[Category:Religion]]
 
[[Category:Religion]]
 
[[Category:Your character]]
 
[[Category:Your character]]

Revision as of 03:08, 11 January 2020

For ways to change your alignment rating, see alignment record.

Alignment in NetHack is a trichotomy: lawful, neutral or chaotic. The following things have an alignment:

In addition to your character's alignment (whether you are lawful, neutral, or chaotic), your character also has an alignment record, a number referred to as u.ualign.record in the source code. Some spoilers refer to this number as your "alignment", creating ambiguity.

Altars to the evil god Moloch are considered unaligned—that is, not lawful, neutral nor chaotic. Additionally, some artifact weapons are non-aligned. This only means that they express no preference for the alignment of their wielders, not that they are in some way allied to Moloch.

The interactions between objects of different alignments are many and varied. Two things are co-aligned when their alignments are the same, or cross-aligned when they are different.

Your alignment

You choose your alignment during character creation. If you choose any race except human, your alignment is assigned implicitly: dwarves are lawful, gnomes are neutral, and elves and orcs are chaotic. Humans may explicitly choose their alignment, although most roles have restrictions on permissible alignments. For example, Barbarians cannot be lawful, Cavemen cannot be chaotic, and Knights must be lawful.

There are two ways to change your character's alignment. Wearing a helm of opposite alignment changes your alignment temporarily, and sacrificing at a cross-aligned altar under certain circumstances can convert your alignment permanently. If you permanently change your alignment before doing your quest, however, the game will be unwinnable.

Lawful

Lawful advantages

  • Easy access to Excalibur: dip a long sword into a fountain after you reach experience level 5. This does not unrestrict long sword skill, but see below.
  • You may receive Grayswandir, the coveted artifact silver saber, as a sacrifice gift.
    • If you don't receive Grayswandir and your role doesn't have a guaranteed first sacrifice gift, you will receive some sort of long sword. This unrestricts your long sword skill, allowing any lawful role to competently wield Excalibur.
  • The Gnomish Mines will have more peaceful monsters, so that branch is easier.
  • White unicorns are slightly more common than other colors, to compensate for the fact that they don't appear in Gehennom, making it easier to gain Luck early on.
  • Some nasty monsters such as titans, golden nagas, and especially Archons are co-aligned and will most often be peaceful.
  • You can reliably use a helm of opposite alignment on the chaotic high altar.

Lawful disadvantages

Neutral

Neutral advantages

  • You have the best selection of artifacts available by wishing.
  • You have all alignments available with helms of opposite alignment. In particular, this allows you to ascend on any high altar.
  • Air elementals, a very dangerous monster, may be generated peaceful.
  • Domestic animals may be generated peaceful, so you can keep them alive and return to tame them when you need them.

Neutral disadvantages

  • You lose intrinsic telepathy and two points of Luck if you commit murder.
  • Using a helm of opposite alignment to ascend on a different altar is not reliable.
  • Your crowning artifact does less damage than the other alignments' and does not provide drain resistance.
  • A large number of low-level always-hostile monsters are neutral, giving neutral characters no alignment record gains for killing them, which may be a problem for protection racket runs.

Chaotic

Chaotic advantages

  • Chaotic is the only way to play an elf. Elven weapons and armor are some of the better common items in the game, and elves start the game with knowledge about them. Furthermore, they can gain a multishot bonus when skilled or expert with elven arrows if using an elven bow.
  • There is no Luck or telepathy penalty for murdering peaceful humans. (You still lose alignment record, however)
  • Direct theft from a shop gives a +1 alignment bonus (unless you are a Rogue).
  • You decrease your prayer timeout more quickly by sacrificing.
  • You can sacrifice your own race at altars. When you do, your god dispatches a peaceful unique demon lord to the altar, making one less demon to fight in Gehennom. This may also summon a peaceful foocubus.
  • Sacrificing your own race on a cross-aligned altar will automatically convert that altar to chaotic.
  • The mysterious force is more merciful.
  • You can reliably use a helm of opposite alignment on the lawful high altar.
  • The blessed Book of the Dead can tame undead.
  • If you are not a Rogue, you can wish for the Master Key of Thievery.

Chaotic disadvantages

  • Angry chaotic gods are more difficult to mollify, demanding better sacrifices to reduce anger points. (Due to the advantages of being chaotic, however, chaotic gods are harder to anger in the first place.)
  • Chaotic artifacts are the most pathetic. Sting and Orcrist are among them and might be sacrifice gifts. There are a few good chaotic artifacts, but none grant magic resistance. Most quest artifacts are lawful or neutral, so artifact wishing is less beneficial for chaotic characters.
  • Holy water will not cure a your sickness. It does cure lycanthropy, but you take damage when quaffing holy water.
  • Most of the more dangerous chaotic monsters are always hostile, regardless of your alignment.
  • You cannot ascend on the neutral high altar.

Monster alignment

A monster's alignment is entirely different from the player character's alignment or alignment record, and is used primarily to determine whether it is peaceful or not toward you.[1] Monsters can be lawful, neutral, or chaotic; the Wizard of Yendor and priests of Moloch are unaligned.

Alignment is determined by the integer maligntyp of struct permonst declared in permonst.h; a positive integer is lawful, 0 is neutral, and a negative integer is chaotic. Thus, while monsters of the same type actually have the same alignment, some lawful monsters are more strongly lawful than others, for instance, while some chaotic monsters are more strongly so than other chaotic monsters. A neutral monster in this context is simply any monster that is neither lawful or chaotic.

White unicorns are lawful, gray ones are neutral, and black ones are chaotic. Unicorns are especially important, as your god expects you to respect co-aligned unicorns, and sacrificing cross-aligned ones is highly valued.

Altar alignment

Co-aligned altars can be used to pray and offer sacrifices to your god. Cross-aligned altars can be converted, but this is not always wise if there is an attendant priest.

Artifact alignment

Most artifacts have an alignment. If the artifact is not intelligent, then you have only a 14 chance of being blasted if you have a different alignment from the artifact or have a negative alignment record, or are in the form of something the artifact specially attacks; damage is 4d4 (2d4 if you have magic resistance). If you have enough HP to survive the blast, you will be able to use the artifact.

Intelligent artifacts can emit much stronger blasts; they might also "evade your grasp" meaning that you are unable to use them.

Dungeon alignment

Branches of the dungeon can be aligned in the sense that monster generation in that branch is biased toward monsters of that alignment.[2]

Origin

The three alignments of NetHack probably originate from the first edition of Dungeons & Dragons. D&D gods have a specific alignment, and their worshipers are also of that alignment. Later D&D editions include a second axis of alignment: good, neutral, or evil. This results in nine combinations, such as "chaotic good" or "true neutral".

Before D&D introduced the good–evil axis, some players had equated "lawful" with "good" and "chaotic" with "evil"; games like ADOM follow this idea. Perhaps this is why D&D added the second axis. Many computer games, like NetHack, did not include this complication.

Unlike D&D, which has numerous plots, NetHack always follows the same story of taking that Amulet of Yendor from Moloch. Thus, in NetHack, alignments can be compared by how they relate to that story.

For a lawful character, think law and order. Perhaps the surface world has evil Knights and Samurai supporting tyrannical empires, but it is hard to believe that our Knight or Samurai seeking the Amulet is anything but good. They avoid murder and shoplifting, the Knight keeps a code of conduct, and the Samurai maintains honor. Perhaps other lawful roles need not act so good.

A neutral character does not much care about alignment. Most of the special effects of alignment are for lawful or chaotic characters. The neutral character just wants to obtain the best artifacts and win immortality. He or she might be planning from the start to take a helm of opposite alignment to the Astral Plane and just offer the Amulet to the closest high altar.

A chaotic character aims for convenience and cares not for order. In contrast to the lawful characters' like of social settings and orderly group activity, chaotic characters prefer individual action and are perhaps most suited to a one-player game like NetHack. Chaotic characters can keep pets as well as lawful and neutral characters can, before they take out Stormbringer.

Every elf is chaotic. NetHack's elves may be the size of humans, but they are not of Tolkien. Of elves, the rec.games.roguelike.nethack FAQ says that "there's hundreds of years of tradition of the land of Faerie being one where human concepts of law simply do not apply."

Demons would seem to be a special case. They are evil almost by definition, and yet both lawful and chaotic (but not neutral) variants exist. If you polymorph into a demon, no matter what its alignment, you will be damaged by holy water and healed by unholy water, and be unable to pray to any but a chaotic god. Genocide carries an alignment penalty for lawful characters and a bonus for chaotic ones, but if you are in demon form these adjustments are reversed. It appears that for demons, "lawful" is equivalent to the D&D alignment "lawful evil", and "chaotic" to "chaotic evil", instead of the good–evil axis that describes players and other monsters. D&D divides its fiends into lawful evil "devils" and chaotic evil "demons", but NetHack makes no such distinction.

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, lawful characters get much more powerful minions than others, and they can get minions by praying with low HP as well as sacrifice. However, lawful characters will anger their god if they drink a potion of vampire blood.

Elves are always lawful or neutral. There are also five new races in SLASH'EM; their alignments are as follows:

  • Drow: chaotic
  • Doppelganger: neutral or chaotic
  • Hobbit: lawful or neutral
  • Lycanthrope: chaotic
  • Vampire: chaotic

There are also many more special levels and dungeon branches in SLASH'EM. Their alignments are as follows:

  • Gnomish Mines: lawful
  • Mall: lawful
  • Oracle: neutral
  • Sokoban: neutral
  • Grund's Stronghold: chaotic
  • Lawful Quest: lawful
  • Neutral Quest: neutral
  • Chaotic Quest: chaotic
  • Wyrm Caves: chaotic
  • Black Market: chaotic
  • Lost Tomb: chaotic
  • Spider Caves: chaotic
  • Sunless Sea: chaotic
  • Temple of Moloch: chaotic
  • Giant Caverns: chaotic
  • Medusa: chaotic
  • Vlad's Tower: chaotic
  • Frankenstein's Lab: chaotic
  • All others: unaligned

References

This page is based on a spoiler by Dylan O'Donnell. The original license is:

Redistribution, copying, and editing of these spoilers, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

  1. The original contributors to any spoiler must continue to be credited.
  2. Any modifications to the spoiler must be acknowledged and credited.

This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.

It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.4.3. Information on this page may be out of date.

Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-343}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.