dNetHack is one of several variants with an object materials system, which allows most weapons and armor to generate with varying materials. Armor is also differentiated by size and body plan, requiring even more consideration for what a given player should seek out. Like other variants, the material of an item determines its weight, ability to erode, and any bonus damage or effects against certain creatures.
Material generation
The majority of items use a pool of possible materials when spawned, based on base material or categories. Some items, as well as most artifacts, instead have fixed materials. This only affects the initial material they spawn as, and does not prevent the items from being changed due to the (rare) influence of other effects after they've been created. Typically, items with specific materials are items that list a given material in their name, such as elven mithril-coats and studded leather armor. Most shirts and cloth body armor, such as robes, also have fixed materials. For an indication whether or not a specific item has a randomized material, please visit that item's page.
The collection of tables below lists the various pools of possible materials with their probabilities. Racial material lists apply for their category of gear. Shiny materials are used for amulets, circlets, and shields of reflection. Resonant materials are used for most instruments other than horns, firearms, lamps & lanterns. The generic material lists are exclusively used for weapons, armor, and some tools not previously covered by another list, and make up the majority of equipment found in the dungeon.
| Dwarvish materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Iron |
80.0%
|
| Mithril |
10.0%
|
| Copper |
5.0%
|
| Silver |
2.0%
|
| Gold |
1.5%
|
| Platinum |
1.0%
|
| Gemstone |
0.5%
|
| Elven materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Base material |
90.0%
|
| Mithril |
5.0%
|
| Silver |
2.5%
|
| Copper |
1.5%
|
| Gold |
0.5%
|
| Bone |
0.5%
|
| High elven materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Mithril |
90.0%
|
| Silver |
6.0%
|
| Gold |
3.0%
|
| Gemstone |
1.0%
|
| Droven materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Base material |
90.0%
|
| Mithril |
4.5%
|
| Silver |
4.5%
|
| Shadowsteel |
1.0%
|
| Orcish materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Base material |
54.9%
|
| Iron |
25.0%
|
| Bone |
16.0%
|
| Lead |
2.0%
|
| Gold |
1.5%
|
| Obsidian |
0.5%
|
| Green-steel |
0.1%
|
| Shiny materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Base material |
95.0%
|
| Silver |
1.5%
|
| Copper |
1.1%
|
| Gold |
0.6%
|
| Iron |
0.6%
|
| Glass |
0.5%
|
| Mithril |
0.3%
|
| Metal |
0.3%
|
| Platinum |
0.1%
|
| Resonant materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Base material |
70.0%
|
| Copper |
10.0%
|
| Silver |
6.0%
|
| Iron |
5.0%
|
| Mithril |
5.0%
|
| Gold |
3.0%
|
| Platinum |
1.0%
|
| Horn materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Bone |
70.0%
|
| Copper |
10.0%
|
| Mithril |
7.0%
|
| Silver |
5.0%
|
| Wood |
5.0%
|
| Gold |
2.0%
|
| Dragonhide (dragonbone) |
1.0%
|
| Bow materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Wood |
97.5%
|
| Iron |
0.7%
|
| Mithril |
0.5%
|
| Copper |
0.4%
|
| Bone |
0.4%
|
| Silver |
0.2%
|
| Metal |
0.2%
|
| Gold |
0.1%
|
| Iron/metal materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Base material |
97.5%
|
| Iron |
0.5%
|
| Wood |
0.5%
|
| Silver |
0.5%
|
| Copper |
0.3%
|
| Mithril |
0.3%
|
| Gold |
0.1%
|
| Platinum |
0.1%
|
| Bone |
0.1%
|
| Glass |
0.1%
|
| Wood materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Wood |
98.0%
|
| Mineral |
1.0%
|
| Iron |
0.5%
|
| Bone |
0.3%
|
| Copper |
0.1%
|
| Silver |
0.1%
|
| Cloth materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Cloth |
80.0%
|
| Leather |
19.9%
|
| Dragonhide |
0.1%
|
| Leather materials
|
| Material |
Probability (percentage)
|
| Leather |
75.0%
|
| Cloth |
24.0%
|
| Dragonhide |
1.0%
|
List of materials
This table lists all materials and their core attributes, including weight, cost, and defense adjustments, erosion, and various other attributes considered a key part of the material. Damage adjustment, as well as special effects, are included in a separate table.
The weight, cost, and defense multipliers are only defined relative to specific materials, and are not applied to any items that are normally that base type. For example, an dwarvish mithril-coat is typically made of mithril, costs 240 zorkmids, weighs 48 aum, and has 4 base AC and 3 base DR. This is not modified again by the effects of the mithril material, since any effects are considered to be incorporated into the item's statistics already. However, an iron dwarvish mithril coat will be adjusted to cost only 48 zorkmids, weigh 80 aum, and provide only 3 AC due to the material conversion.
All multipliers are applied directly and before other modifications - the result is always equal to the base weight, cost, or relevant defense multiplied by the ratio of the previous and current multiplier, new⁄old. These multipliers are applied before effects like enchantment on cost and defenses. In the case of rounding, the result always rounds down. As a result, for many armor pieces the resulting AC & DR is very similar to the original material, since the defense multipliers are too close to have much of an effect on items without very high base defenses.
Gemstone items have varying names, costs, and colors, depending on the item in question. They use a random valuable gem as their appearance, taking color and cost from the gem chosen. The color is set to match the gem, and the cost multiplier is increased by 1⁄10 of the gem's base cost - for example, a diamond adds 400 to the cost multiplier. For gems worth less than 500 (fluorite), this has no effect, and the cost multiplier is capped at 500 regardless. If unidentified, this cost multiplier doesn't take effect - the shopkeepers will always sell as if the cost multiplier was 250 or higher, and buy as if it was 100.
Certain materials also have different appearances based on the item type. In the table, the more common alternate names are listed - these are functionally the same materials with no difference. Most of these name changes are for specific items - such as plant matter as straw for sedge hats, or cloth as silk for gentleman's suits. Some names specific to singular items or artifacts were not listed, view the page of the item or artifact in question for their base materials.
Dragonhide items are notable in that they change description based on item class and base item material - items with hard base materials become 'dragonbone', or 'dragontooth' for weapons, and soft materials become 'dragonhide'. Items with a base material for dragonhide show up as "dragonscale".
| Material
|
Default color
|
Weight multiplier (density)
|
Cost multiplier
|
Defense multiplier
|
Organic/Metallic
|
Hard
|
Flammable
|
Rottable
|
Rustprone
|
Corrodeable
|
Shatterable
|
| Liquid
|
Brown
|
1.0
|
1
|
1
|
Organic
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Wax
|
White
|
1.5
|
1
|
1
|
Organic
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Veggy (straw, flower-woven, organic material, plant matter)
|
Brown
|
1.0
|
1
|
1
|
Organic
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Flesh
|
Red
|
1.0
|
3
|
3
|
Organic
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Paper
|
White
|
1.0
|
2
|
1
|
Organic
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Cloth (wool, silk)
|
Brown
|
1.0
|
3
|
2
|
Organic
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Leather
|
Brown
|
1.5
|
5
|
3
|
Organic
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Wood
|
Brown
|
3.0
|
8
|
4
|
Organic
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Bone
|
White
|
2.5
|
20
|
4
|
Organic
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Chitin
|
Green
|
2.5
|
20
|
4
|
Organic
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Shell
|
White
|
2.5
|
30
|
5
|
Neither
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Dragonhide (dragonbone, dragontooth)
|
White (variable)
|
3.5
|
200
|
8
|
Neither
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Iron (steel)
|
Cyan
|
8.0
|
10
|
5
|
Metallic
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
| Green-steel
|
Bright green
|
7.0
|
10
|
6
|
Metallic
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
| Metal
|
Cyan
|
7.0
|
1
|
5
|
Metallic
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Copper (bronze, brass)
|
Yellow
|
8.0
|
1
|
5
|
Metallic
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
| Silver
|
Gray
|
9.0
|
30
|
5
|
Metallic
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Gold
|
Yellow
|
12.0
|
60
|
3
|
Metallic
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Platinum
|
White
|
12.0
|
80
|
4
|
Metallic
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Lead
|
Black
|
12.0
|
5
|
3
|
Metallic
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Mithril
|
Gray
|
4.0
|
50
|
6
|
Metallic
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Plastic
|
White
|
2.0
|
10
|
3
|
Neither
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Glass (crystal)
|
Bright cyan
|
6.0
|
20
|
5
|
Neither
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
| Gemstone
|
Red (variable)
|
5.5
|
100
|
7
|
Neither
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Mineral (stone, ceramic, marble, enamel)
|
Gray
|
5.0
|
15
|
6
|
Neither
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Obsidian
|
Black
|
6.0
|
20
|
4
|
Neither
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
| Salt
|
White
|
6.0
|
15
|
4
|
Neither
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Shadowsteel (corporeal darkness)
|
Black
|
3.0
|
50
|
6
|
Neither
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Mercurial (chaos stuff)
|
Gray
|
10.0
|
150
|
5
|
Neither
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
| Firmament (glittering dark ceramic)
|
Black
|
5.0
|
300
|
10
|
Neither
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Material effects
Certain materials have various special effects and other interactions. For visual clarity, a table with these effects is presented separately from the base material attributes. For materials that adjust base weapon damage, this only applies if the original item was not this material - otherwise, it is considered already included in the base item damage.
| Material
|
Effects
|
| Liquid |
Applies a penalty of -2 die sizes to weapon base damage.
|
| Wax |
Applies a penalty of -2 die sizes to weapon base damage.
|
| Veggy (plant matter) |
Applies a penalty of -2 die sizes to weapon base damage.
|
| Flesh |
Applies a penalty of -2 die sizes to weapon base damage.
|
| Paper |
Applies a penalty of -2 die sizes to weapon base damage.
|
| Cloth |
Applies a penalty of -2 die sizes to weapon base damage.
|
| Leather |
Applies a penalty of -2 die sizes to weapon base damage.
|
| Wood |
Weapons made of wood can be carved.
|
| Dragonhide |
Applies a bonus of +2 die sizes to weapon base damage for piercing weapons.
|
| Iron |
Deals an extra 1d(defender's level) bonus damage when used against iron-hating targets (mostly elves and fey).
|
| Green-steel |
Deals an extra 1d(defender's level) bonus damage when used against iron-hating targets. Deals an extra 2d9 unholy damage to unholy-hating targets, even when not cursed, stacking with any other unholy damage. Applies a bonus of +2 die sizes to weapon base damage for piercing or slashing weapons.
|
| Silver |
Deals an extra 1d20 bonus damage when used against silver-hating targets (mostly demons and vampires).
|
| Gold |
Increases the holy damage of blessed items when used against holy-hating targets to 1d20, from the typical 1d4. Increases the unholy damage of cursed items when used against unholy-hating targets, doubling the number of dice rolled without affecting die size. Applies a bonus of +2 die sizes to weapon base damage for bludgeoning weapons.
|
| Platinum |
Deals an extra 1d5 damage to lawful-hating monsters, including all chaotic monsters, doubled for divine minions or demons. Applies a bonus of +2 die sizes to weapon base damage for bludgeoning weapons.
|
| Lead |
Applies a bonus of +2 die sizes to weapon base damage for bludgeoning weapons. Applies a penalty of -2 die sizes to weapon base damage for piercing or slashing weapons. This bonus can cancel itself out, but the penalties for piercing and slashing weapons do not stack.
|
| Glass |
Applies a bonus of +2 die sizes to weapon base damage for piercing or slashing weapons.
|
| Gemstone |
Jade items deal an extra 1d20 bonus damage when used against silver-hating targets (mostly demons and vampires). This does not stack with silver damage from droven holy symbol or silvered artifacts, but does stack with silver poison.
|
| Obsidian |
Applies a bonus of +2 die sizes to weapon base damage for piercing or slashing weapons.
|
| Shadowsteel |
Applies a bonus of +2 die sizes to weapon base damage for piercing or slashing weapons. On any item, begins to evaporate (a special form of erosion) if exposed to light. This process degrades the item by one step per turn, and will completely destroy the item if left unchecked. This applies only when standing in lit squares, and is blocked by a worn cloak with decent MC. The chance to degrade is always at MC0, around 34⁄50 (68%) at MC1, around 18⁄50 (36%) at MC2, and 1⁄50 at MC3 (2%). Only cloaks contribute to this calculation. Fixed items will recover from this damage when in darkness, one level per turn as long as the object is in a dark location or inside a container. Invisibility will prevent these items from degrading or repairing.
|
| Mercurial |
Applies a myriad of assorted effects, scaling with sanity and insight, for certain characters. Takes differing forms, appearing as 'streaming', 'chained', or 'kinstealing' depending on sanity. For more information, see Mercurial.
|
