Apport
- Not to be confused with tameness.
In NetHack, apport is a statistic that represents how likely a pet is to 'fetch' items and bring them to you.
Description
"Apport" is the name of a variable field in struct edog that governs the chances of a pet picking up an item and dropping it on a square next to you.[1][2] The higher the apport stat is, the more likely a pet is to bring you an item; pets with high apport tend to follow you more reliably as well. Most pets start with an apport equal to your current charisma,[3] and each 'fetching' decrements this number by 1.[4]
Apport can be increased by feeding your pet any comestible that qualifies as a treat shortly after it has dropped an item near you. While this is commonly done by throwing the treat to the pet, the only requirement for treats to increase apport is that it has been in your inventory previously.
The exact formula for apport gain (calculated when the pet receives a treat) is:
200 / ((distance from you to pet when the last item was dropped) + (# of turns since item was dropped))
Ideally, if a pet drops an item right next to you, and you immediately throw it a treat, the calculation would be:
200 / (1 square + 1 turn) = 200/2 = +100 apport
Strategy
Apport is best raised and maintained by immediately rewarding a pet for dropping an item at your feet; this will raise initial apport high enough for the pet to start seeking you out, after which you should treat your pet from time to time after it drops something to keep apport high. Knights (who start with a pony and many carrots and apples) and Healers (who can turn rocks into meatballs via stone to flesh) are the roles most immediately prepared to handle this kind of training.
| Pet type | Corpse wt | Can carry unassisted | in uncursed bag of holding | in blessed bag of holding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| kitten/little dog | 150 | 51 | 72 | 144 |
| housecat/dog | 200 / 400 | 68 / 137 | 106 / 244 | 212 / 488 |
| large cat/large dog | 250 / 800 | 172 / 551 | 314 / 1072 | 628 / 2144 |
| pony | 1300 | 896 | 1762 | 3524 |
| horse | 1500 | 1034 | 2038 | 4076 |
| warhorse | 1800 | 1241 | 2452 | 4904 |
Etymology
The term "apport" is derived from the archaic English word "apporter" and the much more common French apporter of the same spelling; their common root is the Latin apportō (“I carry in”). The former refers to an importer, while the latter is a verb that can mean "to bring (in)".
In many languages, "apport" is a widely used command in dog training, equivalent to "fetch".[citation needed]
See also
- Eva Myers' excellent spoiler for Keeping and Training Pets in NetHack and SLASH'EM
- Tameness
References
