Spirits (dNetHack)
Spirits are a mechanic specific to dNethack, and a core component of the Binder role, though other roles can often partially interact with them, allowing for additional flexibility and utility outside of the ordinary for that role.
A Spirit typically consists of the following:
- An engraved seal, used to bind the Spirit, and an associated binding ritual, which requires the player fulfill certain criteria to bind to a given Spirit.
- A taboo, a condition that must be true in order for the spirit to stay bound. Violating a taboo causes the associated Spirit to unbind and drain a level from the player, ignoring drain resistance.
- Zero or more skills (typically at least one), which are permanently unrestricted and which may be advanced further while the spirit is bound.
- Zero or more active powers (typically at least one), which may be used up to once every 25 turns by means of the command ^F or #power.
- Zero or more passive powers (typically at least one), which are used automatically.
- A mark which, if not concealed, will cause priests and shopkeepers to ban you from their establishments at minimum. A higher number of visible binding marks will cause shopkeepers to call the Keter Sephirah, while priests may summon a number of servants from their deity to strike you down.
Almost all bindings expire after 5000 turns, requiring them to be bound again.
Most roles only have a single slot to bind a Spirit too, while Binders gain many more as they level up, and also possess several special slots to hold unique Spirits in.
Many active powers use a spirit die to determine the potency of their effects. Binders increase their spirit die as they level, while other roles ???.
Spirits of the Near Void
The 31 Spirits of the Near Void are the most basic and common of the Spirits in dNethack. Binders passively learn all 31 seals as they level up (learning them all by level 13), while other roles can learn them from finding the seal on the ground, such as in a bones file, or by using artifacts such as The Book of Lost Names or the Necronomicon.
