Madman

The Madman is a new role specific to dNetHack. It was designed to be more difficult than the Convict role.

Madmen may be any race except for Chiropteran. They may be any alignment to start.

Starting inventory

• cursed straitjacket
• uncursed blindfold (this can be put on and remove via apply even while stuck in the jacket, and madmen begin with intrinsic telepathy).
• 2 uncursed potions of booze

The cursed straitjacket prevents the use of the hands, with the same basic effects as a cursed two-handed weapon. Worse, the jacket prevents melee attacks with the hands. The Madman will kick as their default attack.

Further, Madmen have a summon-able secret whisperer instead of a normal pet.

Psychic powers

Madmen can use mind blast for 10 power, and can summon their secret whisperer, initially at a cost of 10 power (this cost increases as your insight increases).

• The mind blast can be used to thin crowds of enemies from across the map, but this is not reliable. The blasts are very reliable vs. mind flayers, and pretty reliable vs. other psychic monsters.
• The secret whisperer has no attacks and is initially quite fragile. Its primary purpose is to buff the Madman ("whispers dire secrets, filling you with zeal"), increasing their to-hit and damage. Enemies will also still attack the whisperer in preference to the PC, so it can be used to absorb a blow or two. It's typically important to summon the whisperer before a battle begins, since it costs a turn and needs to be out for a round before buffing you. The whisperer gains one level per point of insight you gain.

Intrinsics

Madmen gain intrinsics at these experience levels:

• XL 1: Telepathy
• XL 7: Searching
• XL 15: Warning
• XL 30: Clairvoyance

Skills

Madman skills
Max	Skills
Basic	Weapons: mace, flail, short sword Spells: attack, matter
Skilled	Weapons: dagger, morning star, dart, trident, farm implement, whip Combat: two weapon combat, wand Spells: escape, healing, escape
Expert	Weapons: knife, axe, club Combat: bare hands, beast mastery Spells: divination, enchantment, clerical

Quest

The madman quest sees you fighting Doctor Archer for the Star of Hypernotus, a amulet versus curses that protects against confusion, stunning, sanity, and madness effects when carried.

Gods

• Lawful: Lobon
• Neutral: Tamash
• Chaotic: Zo-Kalar

The Madman pantheon is made up of deities worshiped by the inhabitants of Sarnath in the H.P. Lovecraft story "The Doom That Came to Sarnath."

Rank titles

The status line shows you to be one of the following ranks when you reach the specified experience level:

• XL 1-2: Ward
• XL 3-5: Escapee
• XL 6-9: Drifter
• XL 10-13: Derelict
• XL 14-17: Raver
• XL 18-21: Lunatic
• XL 22-25: Maniac
• XL 26-29: Augur
• XL 30: Seer