Hit points

Hit points are your life. If your hit points reach zero, you usually die. The only way of avoiding death in this case is to wear an amulet of life saving. If you are polymorphed at the time, you will return to your natural form, unless you are wearing an amulet of unchanging, at which point you will die, as normal.

More hit points are automatically gained whenever the player gains a new experience level. How much, depends on the race, role and constitution. Fighter classes, such as a barbarian, generally start the game with more hit points and receive more hit points at each new level than other classes, such as a tourist.

Hit points can also be gained with some potions. Quaffing a potion of healing or potion of extra healing if already at maximum hit points gives you one or two (or five, in case of a blessed potion of extra healing) more hit points. Potion of full healing raises your maximum hit points by four, eight if blessed.

Other ways to raise maximum hit points include "nurse dancing" (letting a nurse hit you wielding no weapon and wearing no armor), a favor ("You are surrounded by a golden glow.") from praying to your god at an altar, and beneficial effects from a incubus or succubus encounter.