UnNetHack

Screenshot of UnNetHack

UnNetHack 5 is a variant of NetHack 3.4.3, maintained by Patric Mueller and others.

The main intent of this fork is to put more randomness, challenges, and fun into NetHack.

It features more levels, several UI improvements designed to reduce tedium, and many gameplay-related changes.^[1] Since 3.6.1 it also bundles a graphical tiles UI for Windows. The 5.1.0 version's default Windows tiles are not that good but it is bundled with DawnHack tiles.

There is a European public server at eu.un.nethack.nu and a US public server at us.un.nethack.nu.

For discussion, join the IRC channel #unnethack on irc.freenode.net or post to rec.games.roguelike.nethack.

For those curious what is added in UnNetHack, here is the Change Log that list major changes. If you want to see a complete list of changes, you can take a look at the commit browser

Significant changes in 4.0.0

UnNetHack incorporates several previously issued patches, among them the Heck² patch, menucolors, statuscolors, show weight, the dump patch (with additional HTML output), the color alchemy patch, and portions of the Lethe patch. It includes several features from SLASH'EM, such as the black market, the nymph level, and the vampire race. UnNetHack also fixes many vanilla bugs, such as the Astral call bug.

Branch changes

Main article: Sokoban (UnNetHack)

The Sokoban branch has been shortened to three levels, and additional puzzles added. There are also two additional dungeon branches added to the dungeon: the Town and the Dragon Caves.

The Town is accessible from an upstairs located on the level below the entrance to Sokoban, and features numerous shops, a town watch, and muggers who will attempt to steal your inventory. The Dragon Caves are located deep within Gehennom, and consist of multiple dragon and purple worm-infested caverns, with several chromatic dragons waiting in a lair at the bottom.

Level changes

Certain special levels have been modified or given alternate versions, including the Castle, Fort Ludios, the Valley of the Dead, Moloch's Sanctum, and the lairs of the various demon lords.

Lots of new maps for Big Room are also added.

Listed here are examples of some of the different level variations:

The vibrating square is somewhat easier to find. When the player is two squares away from it, he will receive the message "you feel a faint trembling under your feet". One square away the player will receive the message "you feel a weak trembling under your feet". Once on top the vibrating square the message is the typical "you feel a strange vibration under your feet".

Moloch's Sanctum is much different. First it is divided into two areas separated by a expanse of lava and two portcullis and otherwise has a much different map. The inner Sanctum has an initially peaceful priest of Moloch and Cthulhu along with other monsters. The biggest difference is that the Amulet of Yendor is carried by Cthulhu. Upon destroying (note that this is not permanent), the amulet drops to the ground and then teleports away. You are then in a race to find it before Cthulhu reappears, unless you determine some way to permanently get rid of him.

Random level generation has also been modified. In addition to new special rooms, wallified corridors, and various other changes, the dungeon now contains random vaults that add significant variety to what the dungeon can look like.

Wishing

Main article: Wish#UnNetHack

Wishing is less accessible - wands of wishing are generated already recharged once, and are the only source of wishes for magical items. Non-magical wishes are still available from magic lamps.

Thrones no longer grant wishes in any form.

Bestiary

Many new monsters^[2] are from other variants.

Name	Symbol	Origin	Notes
Anti-matter vortex	v	NetHack brass	Engulf and disintegrate
Snow ant	a	SLASH'EM	Freezing bite attack
Aphrodite	n	SLASH'EM	Steals, as a nymph
Glowing dragon	D	Nephi	Armor is a light source
Baby glowing dragon	D	Nephi
Vorpal jabberwock	J	L	Beheads
Disintegrator	R	Biodiversity patch	Disintegrates
Mugger	@	SLASH'EM	Steals
Black marketeer	@	SLASH'EM	One-eyed Sam
Cthulhu	h	SLASH'EM/Lethe patch	casts spells, sucks brains, and confuses
Wax golem^[3]	'	SLASH'EM	burning touch, drops candles
Giant turtle	:	SporkHack	blocks line-of-sight like a boulder
Chromatic dragon^[4]	D	Tiamat

Dragons have been substantially modified in UnNetHack (more info on Dragon#UnNetHack).

Objects

^[5]

Artifacts

UnNetHack, in support of the black market, adds Thiefbane to the roster of artifacts.
The Banes (not including Thiefbane) warn of their targeted monsters. Vorpal Blade also warns of jabberwocks.
The Banes, including Thiefbane this time, can cancel their targeted monsters.
The Heart of Ahriman grants displacement and energy regeneration instead of stealth.
Wielding Trollsbane grants hungerless regeneration.

Other objects

UnNetHack includes a few new objects.

An iron safe as a container.
A tinfoil hat that blocks clairvoyance and impedes spellcasting.
Rings of gain intelligence, wisdom, and dexterity from SLASH'EM.
Glowing dragon scales and scale mail act as a permanent light source and provide stone resistance.
Potions of blood which have nutritional value for vampires.
Potions of vampire blood which polymorph the player into a vampire.
Scroll of flood, replacing the scroll of amnesia.
chromatic dragon scales and chromatic dragon scale mail - provide all resistances (including reflection) except magic resistance

Also, if a cursed object is thrown, it has a chance of hitting the ceiling. Wearing the correct racial armor grants an extra 1 AC per piece worn.

Development version

A user has suggested improving this page or section as follows:

"Integrate into normal article as UnNetHack 5 has been released"

The current released version of UnNetHack is 4.0.0, however, the latest development source code is available from the Subversion repository, and a fairly recent compilation of it is available to play on the public server at un.nethack.nu.

In addition to the changes listed below, the development source also features the Convict role.