Alignment record
Your alignment record refers to your standing with your god. It is often simply called alignment, but it is not the same as lawful/neutral/chaotic-status. Its initial value is 0 for Cave(wo)men, Priests, Tourists, Valkyries and Wizards, and 10 for Archeologists, Barbarians, Healers, Knights, Monks, Rogues, Rangers, and Samurai. Its maximum is initially 10, and its upper bound increases by 1 for every 200 game turns. It has no lower bound. The value can not be found precisely (except in wizard mode), but enlightenment or a stethoscope can give you a clue. Additionally, your quest leader will not permit you to go on your quest if your alignment record is below 20. This means you cannot enter the quest before turn 2000, which may or may not be a problem for speed ascenders.
| Alignment statement | Alignment range |
|---|---|
| "You are piously aligned." | 20 or higher |
| "You are fervently aligned." | 9 to 13 |
| "You are stridently aligned." | 4 to 8 |
| "You are aligned." | 3 |
| "You are haltingly aligned." | 1 to 2 |
| "You are nominally aligned." | 0 |
| "You have strayed." | -3 to -1 |
| "You have sinned." | -8 to -4 |
| "You have transgressed." | -9 or lower |
The alignment statement is that as reported by a wand or potion of enlightenment. The relevant keyword is also reported by a stethoscope applied to yourself.
Your alignment record gradually increases as you kill monsters, and decreases when you do actions your god does not approve of.
Ways to alter your alignment
In this table, MAX means your maximum alignment, which is which is 10 + (turns / 200). This chart does not include the (large number of) monsters that you will get one or more alignment points for killing. Generally, for a character not attempting a pacifist conduct, who has not irritated his god, your alignment will be very close to the maximum.
| Adjustment | Cause |
|---|---|
| -3 | As a lawful Archaeologist, digging up a grave |
| -1 | As any other lawful, digging up a grave |
| -1 | As a Knight, attacking a fleeing or sleeping monsters ("You caitiff!") |
| -1 | As a Knight, eating while satiated ("You feel like a glutton!") |
| -1 | As a Knight, digging down in a shop ("You feel like a common thief.") |
| -1 | As a Samurai, attacking a peaceful creature ("You dishonorably attack the innocent!") |
| -1 | As a lawful or Samurai, attacking with a poisoned weapon |
| -1 | As a Monk, eating meat ("You feel guilty.") |
| -1 | As an Archaeologist, breaking a historic statue ("You feel guilty about damaging such a historic statue.") |
| +1 | As a chaotic, being seduced by a foocubus |
| -3 | Displacing your pet into a trap |
| -15 | Killing your pet (stacks with the above -3) |
| -3 | Sacrificing your pet (Also you gain aggravate monster) |
| -1 | While riding, having your steed drown in water or lava |
| -5 | Killing a peaceful creature in one attack |
| -1 | Angering a peaceful creature |
| +MAX/4 | Killing your quest nemesis |
| -MAX/8 | Killing one of the friendlies around your quest leader |
| set to -MAX/2 | Killing your quest leader |
| -5 | Angering a coaligned priest |
| -2 | Killing a coaligned priest |
| +2 | Angering a non-coaligned priest |
| +2 | Killing a non-coaligned priest |
| +MAX/4 | Killing a priest of Moloch |
| -1 | Praying on a non-coaligned altar, at a time when praying does not annoy your god |
| +1 | Praying successfully, with alignment 1 or less and a minor trouble |
| -5 | As a non-chaotic, sacrificing a member of your own race (Also summons a demon and increases anger by 3) |
| +5 | As a chaotic, sacrificing a member of your own race |
| +5 | Sacrificing a non-coaligned unicorn on a coaligned altar |
| set to -1 | Sacrificing a coaligned unicorn on a non-coaligned alter (A conversion is likely to follow) |
| -1 | Sacrificing an identified fake Amulet of Yendor |
| +MAX/2 | As a lawful with negative alignment and positive anger, sacrificing at a non-coaligned altar and converting |
| -MAX/2 | As a chaotic with negative alignment and positive anger,sacrificing at a non-coaligned altar and converting |
| -5 | Attempting to change alignment (as above) a second time |
| -1 | Contributing 0 gold to a coaligned priest ("Thou shalt regret thine action!") |
| +1 | With alignment below -5, contributing 200*level to 400*level to a priest, getting clairvoyance |
| set to 0 | With alignment negative, donating more than 600*level to a coaligned priest, which is more than half your visible gold, and this hasn't happened in the past 5000 moves |
| +2 | Same as previous, but with positive alignment |
| +3 | Freeing a prisoner during your quest |
| -1 | As a lawful human or a chaotic demon, genociding something |
| +1 | As a chaotic human or a lawful demon, genociding something |
| -1 | As a lawful, stealing from a shop (reversed if shopkeeper is later made peaceful) |
| +1 | As a chaotic non-rogue, stealing from a shop (reversed if shopkeeper is later made peaceful) |
| -1 | As a lawful, choosing not to pay for damage to a shop |
| +1 | As a chaotic, choosing not to pay for damage to a shop |
| +1 | As a lawful, untrapping a monster (probability about 5-15%, depending on luck) |
| -1 | As a lawful, lying when asked your name by a vault guard |
| +1 | As a lawful or Healer, casting a heal spell on a pet or peaceful creature |
| -1 | As a chaotic, casting a heal spell on a pet or peaceful creature |
This page is based on a spoiler by Matthew Lahut, available at http://www.steelypips.org/nethack/pray.html
