Healer

The Healer is a player character. While the concept of a healer is ubiquitous, parts of the healer’s game, such as the quest, are based on Greek legends. NetHack says of them:

       I swear by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health,
       and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according
       to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath and this
       stipulation -- to reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear
       to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve
       his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring in the
       same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if
       they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and
       that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction,
       I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those
       of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath
       according to the law of medicine, but to none others.  I will
       follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and
       judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain
       from whatever is deleterious and mischievous.  [...]
               [ Hippocrates' Oath, translated by Francis Adams ]

       PHYSICIAN, n.  One upon whom we set our hopes when ill and our
       dogs when well.
               [ The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce ]

Strategy

• Although healers have excellent HP growth, their fighting skills are very poor. A well trained pet can quickly surpass its owner in battle prowess.
• Healers start with poison resistance. This is a good thing.
• Their starting scalpel is a very poor weapon, but they are restricted in the use of most big powerful warrior weapons such as dwarvish mattocks and long swords. As they can become Skilled in dagger and daggers also make a good missile weapon, it is a good idea for them to replace their scalpel with the first noncursed dagger they find, going from orcish to normal to elven or silver in that order. Later they should upgrade to a unicorn horn (with which they can achieve Expert skill) then still later to their quest artifact, the Staff of Aesculapius, which has the life-draining powers of Stormbringer without its tendency to attack peaceful monsters. With all these changes of weapon, they may find it useful to conserve skill slots, for example by not advancing their unicorn horn skill to Expert so as to leave the slots free for the Staff of Aesculapius later. Another valid choice, particularly in the late game, is Magicbane.
• Because healers start with a large quantity of gold, it is possible to purchase a lot of protection from the Minetown’s priest if they avoid gaining experience. A skilled (or lucky) player can loot Sokoban and reach Minetown’s temple without landing a single blow. The loot can be increased by credit cloning.
• Healers are also best suited for the pacifist conduct.
• When a healer reaches about level three, he can reliably cast stone to flesh, which can convert boulders into huge chunks of meat. Without the threat of starvation, players can adopt a very cautious and slow playing style with no penalty. Stone to flesh can also convert rocks into meatballs, which work like miniature tripe rations for training pets.
• Applying a stethoscope to a monster will reveal its armour class, which in turn will give some idea of whether it has any enchanted armour. For example, if a dwarf in the Gnomish Mines has AC 4 or less, it probably has either a dwarvish mithril-coat or at least one enchanted piece of armour. This strategy is not exclusive to healers, but they are the only class to start with a stethoscope.
• The Healer's quest nemesis, the Cyclops, can be tough if you attempt to fight him hand to hand while he is wielding the Staff of Aesculapius. Fortunately, he is vulnerable to wands of sleep or death, and healers always start with a wand of sleep. Also, the Cyclops respects Elbereth.

Starting equipment

• 1001 to 2000 gold pieces
• a +0 scalpel
• an uncursed +1 pair of leather gloves
• 5 to 10 uncursed apples
• a blessed spellbook of healing
• a blessed spellbook of extra healing
• a blessed spellbook of stone to flesh
• 4 × potion of healing
• 4 × potion of extra healing
• wand of sleep (4 to 8 charges)
• an uncursed stethoscope
• 4% chance of uncursed oil lamp

Skills

Healer skills
Max	Skills
Basic	Weapons: scimitar, saber, mace, polearms, spear, trident Combat: bare hands
Skilled	Weapons: dagger, short sword, club, sling, shuriken
Expert	Weapons: knife, quarterstaff, dart, unicorn horn Spells: healing

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