Difference between revisions of "Vault"

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'''Vaults''' are 2 by 2 sealed rooms that are randomly generated in the [[Dungeons of Doom]]. They contain [[gold]] in all four squares, in an amount reflective of the dungeon level. The [[Big Room]] and the [[Rogue level]] never contain any vaults.
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{{otheruses|gold-containing vaults|the UnNetHack feature|Random vault (UnNetHack)}}.
  
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==Finding and getting into vaults==
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'''Vaults''' are 2-by-2 sealed rooms that appear in ''[[NetHack]]'', and are randomly generated in the [[Dungeons of Doom]]. The vaults are owned by [[Croesus]], and his [[guard]]s patrol them regularly.
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The following messages tell you there is a vault on the current level:
 
  
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* You hear the footsteps of a guard on patrol.
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One true [[rumor]] and one of the [[Oracle]]'s major consultations refers to them as '''Magic Memory Vaults'''.
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* You hear someone counting money. (Vault not raided)
 
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* You hear someone searching. (Vault raided and empty)
 
  
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Vaults can be accessed through a [[closet]] that contains a teleporter, recognized by the engraving "ad aerarium" (Latin for ''to the vault'') in front of it. If you do not find the closet, you may want to read a [[scroll of magic mapping]] or a [[scroll of gold detection]], or quaff a [[potion of object detection]] and [[dig]] or [[teleport]] in using some other method. You may also just dig around randomly watching for areas where a vault would fit. Remember that the vault is actually 4 by 4 squares because the walls also take some space.
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==Generation==
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A vault has a {{frac|2}} chance of being generated on any level that has at least 6 rooms, with the exception of the [[Rogue level]]. The level must also have room for the 4x4 space that the vault occupies, making the number even lower in practice. There is a {{frac|2|3}} chance that a level with a vault contains a [[closet]] with a one-use [[teleportation trap]] keyed to the vault's location, marked by the [[engraving]] "ad aerarium"<ref name="Latin">"ad aerarium" is a Latin phrase meaning ''"to the vault."'' The source code claims a pun on a purported secondary meaning of "''aerarium''" as "sky". (This appears to be in error, as no evidence has been found for this secondary meaning.)</ref> in the dust in front of it. On deeper levels, you may also encounter closets with the same engravings that house a [[level teleporter]] instead - these appear independently of actual vault teleporters, and both may be found on the same level.<ref name="Latin"/>
  
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Sometimes, monsters will be generated inside vaults and you can detect them by using Telepathy. It is also possible to fall into a vault from a higher dungeon level, perhaps by stepping on a trap door. When you are randomly placed on the new level, you may end up inside the vault.
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On each square of a vault is 50+d(100*''level'') [[gold]] pieces, where ''level'' is the dungeon level.{{refsrc|src/sp_lev.c|2447|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} Between level 11 and [[Medusa's Island]], each vault that appears also has a {{frac|3}} chance of containing a magic [[portal]] that takes you to [[Fort Ludios]] if it has not yet been generated, with the exception of the level containing the [[Quest]] portal. As such, it may not be accessible in a given game.
  
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If there is a non-player [[dwarf]] wandering around on a vault level, he may find the vault and loot it in the course of his own explorations, leaving behind a tunnel connecting the vault to the rest of the level. Beware! If the guard arrives while you are in the empty vault, he will neither know nor care that the dwarf, and not you, did the looting. So don't linger--find that dwarf and take his gold. Digging monsters such as a [[rock mole]]s or [[umber hulk]]s may also open a path to vaults.
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On levels that contain a vault, [[#Messages|messages]] indicating their presence will be printed occasionally.
  
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==Looting a vault==
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==Guards==
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The simplest way to loot a vault is to dig a path in, collect the gold, and leave promptly. When in the vault, you only have a short time to get the money and be gone. If you stay in the vault for too long, a [[guard]] will appear, and you will need to deal with him. If you are wearing an [[Amulet of strangulation]], are polymorphed into a silent monster, or are currently mimicking an object, the guard will leave. Otherwise, the guard will inquire your name. Giving your name as "[[Croesus]]" (or "Kroisos", or "Creosote" if your game has [[Tourist]]s) to the guard gets rid of him if you haven't killed Croesus already (if you have, the guard will become angry instead <ref>{{sourcecode|vault.c|276}}</ref>), but lying carries a small alignment penalty for lawfuls (of course, if your name is actually Croesus, Kroisos, or Creosote, you are not lying and there is no penalty). Note that this potentially leaves you trapped in the vault, if you cannot dig or teleport out.
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{{main|Guard}}
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If you linger within a vault for 30 turns, one of the guards will enter and ask for your name;{{refsrc|include/hack.h|35|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} blowing a [[cursed]] [[tin whistle]] while inside a vault will immediately summon a guard.{{refsrc|src/apply.c|469|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} Replying to their query with "Croesus" (or "Kroisos"/"Creosote") will cause them to leave - if the real Croesus is dead, the guard will immediately become hostile. Responding with any other name will have the guard request that you to drop all your gold (including gold within containers in your inventory) and follow them out. Complying will have them lead you out of the vault, and the guard will create a temporary path for this purpose; refusing to drop your gold, leaving with it via teleportation, or else trying to retrieve it while the guard is present will anger them.
  
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If you give any other name, the guard will demand that you drop all of your money (including money you already had, and any money in containers) and follow him out of the vault. If you fail to drop the gold quickly enough the guard attacks, but once you have dropped the gold you can take your time following him. If there is no path to the vault, when the guard leads you out of the vault a temporary exit corridor is created that will disappear when you reach an open square. In any case damage to the vault walls will be repaired after the guard leads you out, and the guard will also prevent you from digging in the vault walls while he is present.
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This can be a nuisance, especially if something else interferes with you looting the vault and leaving promptly - however, guards can also be useful if you end up trapped in one without a means of escape, which usually occurs early in the game. You can also safely double back to retrieve the gold after the guard is gone. Note that once the guard disappears, the temporary path will usually disappear soon after, which can potentially trap you if you are still inside; [[pet]]s caught in the reforming rock will be teleported elsewhere on the level and have their tameness reduced. See the linked article above for more details on interactions with guards.
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It is possible to steal from a still-closed vault using a [[pet]]. First, you must have both the pet and yourself in the vault. This can be done by blocking the pet on the doorway to the vault teleporter closet (it can't leave the doorway diagonally); the pet will eventually take the teleporter (even if it is aware of the trap). A pet using the teleport [[trap]] will not use it up, and then you can take the teleporter. Alternately, get into the vault by any means and then call the pet with a [[magic whistle]].
 
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Once you are in the vault with your pet, pick up all the money and then drop it in one stack (along with your own). Wait for the guard, give it your real name (unless you are Croesus or an equivalent, in which case give a false name to prevent being trapped in the vault), and then follow it out a couple of steps. Follow it as slowly as you must, making sure your pet follows and brings the money with it; if you exit the guard's temporary path while the pet is still inside, it will become trapped in the reformed rock.
 
  
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==Getting out of a vault==
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==Finding vaults==
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If you did not go out of the vault with a guard, you have few alternatives. You may [[dig]] yourself out by using a [[pick-axe]] or any other method or you may [[teleport]] out. If you have neither means to dig or to teleport, you will want to leave the gold and get out with the guard &mdash; you can always come back later and get the gold you left behind. Make sure you don't displace your pet into the guard's pathway when it closes!
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Vaults can be discovered or located through various means:
  
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==Getting into Fort Ludios==
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* [[Read]]ing a noncursed [[scroll of magic mapping]] or casting the {{spell of|magic mapping}} spell will detail the entire level and reveal the vault's location directly.
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A vault between level 11 and [[Medusa's Island]] may contain a magic [[portal]] that takes you to [[Fort Ludios]]. Each vault in that range has a 1/3 chance of containing the portal if it has not yet been generated in another vault (except the level with the portal to the [[Quest]], which will never have the Ludios portal). In any given game, Fort Ludios may be inaccessible if the portal was not created.
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* Reading a [[scroll of gold detection]], [[quaff]]ing a [[potion of object detection]] or casting the {{spell of|detect treasure}} spell can reveal the location of the gold that a vault contains.
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* [[Telepathy]] can reveal the location of monsters that may have randomly generated within a vault at some point - watch for monsters that move in a tight 2x2 square and/or appear isolated from the rest of the level.
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* While unreliable, falling through a [[hole]] or [[trap door]] from a higher dungeon level may drop you in a vault on the level you land in.
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* Finding the closet containing the vault teleporter and stepping on it will take you directly to the vault.
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Once you locate a vault or its teleporter, you can enter the vault using one of the following methods:
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* Warp in using the vault's teleporter - if you possess [[magic resistance]], you can press {{kbd|Ctrl|T}} while standing on the tile.
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* [[Dig]] into the vault using a [[pick-axe]] or [[wand of digging]]. Once done, you can exit using the same path.
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* If you have [[teleport control]] and know the vault's location, you can use a [[wand of teleportation|wand]] or [[scroll of teleportation]] to warp directly in, then dig or teleport out once you are done.
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===Monsters and vaults===
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[[Tunneling monster]]s such as [[Dwarf (monster)|dwarves]] may dig their way to the vault, leaving a path; digging monsters such as [[rock mole]]s or [[umber hulk]]s may also open a path to vaults. If there is a dwarf wandering around on a vault level, they may find the vault while tunneling and pick up the gold - hostile dwarves may bring the gold to you while seeking out a fight.
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==History==
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In [[NetHack 3.4.3]] and earlier versions, along with most variants based on them, it is possible to steal from a still-closed vault using a [[pet]]. First, you must have both the pet and yourself in the vault. This can be done by blocking the pet in the doorway to the vault teleporter closet - as it cannot leave the doorway diagonally, the pet will eventually take the teleporter even if it is aware of the trap. This will not use up the trap, allowing you to follow it in.
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Once you are in the vault with your pet, pick up all the money and then drop it and your gold in a single stack. Once the guard appears and you respond with your real name (or any other name if you are named Croesus or one of its equivalents), follow them out as slowly as possible, making sure your pet follows and brings the money with it. Be caureful not to exit the guard's path while the pet is still inside!
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Starting in [[NetHack 3.6.0]], the standard domestic pets - [[dog]]s, [[cat]]s and [[horse]]s - will only pick up a single gold piece at a time, making this strategy much less useful early on. NetHack 3.6.0 also introduces the ability to summon a guard via cursed tin whistle.
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==Messages==
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{{message|You hear the footsteps of a guard on patrol.|There is a vault on the level.}}
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{{message|You hear Ebenezer Scrooge!|As above, while you are [[hallucinating]].}}
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{{message|You hear someone counting money.|The level's vault has not been looted.}}
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{{message|You hear Ebenezer Scrooge!|As above, while [[hallucinating]].}}
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{{message|You hear someone searching|The vault has been looted.}}
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==Variants==
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===UnNetHack===
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In [[UnNetHack]], Fort Ludios is guaranteed to be accessible: the portal is in the first vault that is generated below level 10, provided that floor does not contain the Quest portal, and can otherwise be found on [[Medusa's Island]].<!--specific wording to account for trap door/hole shenanigans-->
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UnNetHack also has a level generation feature called [[Random vault (UnNetHack)|"random vaults"]], which have no relation to the standard gold vaults.
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===dNetHack===
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In addition to normal gold vaults, [[dNetHack]] also has [[Special room (dNetHack)#Magic item vault|magic item vaults]] and [[Hellish seal|hell vaults]] with much more valuable treasures, but far more dangerous monsters guarding them. dNetHack will also generate the portal to Fort Ludios on the earliest eligible floor when possible.
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===xNetHack===
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[[xNetHack]] will generate the portal to Fort Ludios in the first eligible vault.
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
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{{nethack-367}}
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{{nethack-343}}
 
 
[[Category:Special rooms]]
 
[[Category:Special rooms]]

Latest revision as of 17:59, 21 April 2024

This article is about gold-containing vaults. For the UnNetHack feature, see Random vault (UnNetHack)..

Vaults are 2-by-2 sealed rooms that appear in NetHack, and are randomly generated in the Dungeons of Doom. The vaults are owned by Croesus, and his guards patrol them regularly.

One true rumor and one of the Oracle's major consultations refers to them as Magic Memory Vaults.

Generation

A vault has a 1⁄2 chance of being generated on any level that has at least 6 rooms, with the exception of the Rogue level. The level must also have room for the 4x4 space that the vault occupies, making the number even lower in practice. There is a 2⁄3 chance that a level with a vault contains a closet with a one-use teleportation trap keyed to the vault's location, marked by the engraving "ad aerarium"[1] in the dust in front of it. On deeper levels, you may also encounter closets with the same engravings that house a level teleporter instead - these appear independently of actual vault teleporters, and both may be found on the same level.[1]

On each square of a vault is 50+d(100*level) gold pieces, where level is the dungeon level.[2] Between level 11 and Medusa's Island, each vault that appears also has a 1⁄3 chance of containing a magic portal that takes you to Fort Ludios if it has not yet been generated, with the exception of the level containing the Quest portal. As such, it may not be accessible in a given game.

On levels that contain a vault, messages indicating their presence will be printed occasionally.

Guards

Main article: Guard

If you linger within a vault for 30 turns, one of the guards will enter and ask for your name;[3] blowing a cursed tin whistle while inside a vault will immediately summon a guard.[4] Replying to their query with "Croesus" (or "Kroisos"/"Creosote") will cause them to leave - if the real Croesus is dead, the guard will immediately become hostile. Responding with any other name will have the guard request that you to drop all your gold (including gold within containers in your inventory) and follow them out. Complying will have them lead you out of the vault, and the guard will create a temporary path for this purpose; refusing to drop your gold, leaving with it via teleportation, or else trying to retrieve it while the guard is present will anger them.

This can be a nuisance, especially if something else interferes with you looting the vault and leaving promptly - however, guards can also be useful if you end up trapped in one without a means of escape, which usually occurs early in the game. You can also safely double back to retrieve the gold after the guard is gone. Note that once the guard disappears, the temporary path will usually disappear soon after, which can potentially trap you if you are still inside; pets caught in the reforming rock will be teleported elsewhere on the level and have their tameness reduced. See the linked article above for more details on interactions with guards.

Finding vaults

Vaults can be discovered or located through various means:

  • Reading a noncursed scroll of magic mapping or casting the magic mapping spell will detail the entire level and reveal the vault's location directly.
  • Reading a scroll of gold detection, quaffing a potion of object detection or casting the detect treasure spell can reveal the location of the gold that a vault contains.
  • Telepathy can reveal the location of monsters that may have randomly generated within a vault at some point - watch for monsters that move in a tight 2x2 square and/or appear isolated from the rest of the level.
  • While unreliable, falling through a hole or trap door from a higher dungeon level may drop you in a vault on the level you land in.
  • Finding the closet containing the vault teleporter and stepping on it will take you directly to the vault.

Once you locate a vault or its teleporter, you can enter the vault using one of the following methods:

Monsters and vaults

Tunneling monsters such as dwarves may dig their way to the vault, leaving a path; digging monsters such as rock moles or umber hulks may also open a path to vaults. If there is a dwarf wandering around on a vault level, they may find the vault while tunneling and pick up the gold - hostile dwarves may bring the gold to you while seeking out a fight.

History

In NetHack 3.4.3 and earlier versions, along with most variants based on them, it is possible to steal from a still-closed vault using a pet. First, you must have both the pet and yourself in the vault. This can be done by blocking the pet in the doorway to the vault teleporter closet - as it cannot leave the doorway diagonally, the pet will eventually take the teleporter even if it is aware of the trap. This will not use up the trap, allowing you to follow it in.

Once you are in the vault with your pet, pick up all the money and then drop it and your gold in a single stack. Once the guard appears and you respond with your real name (or any other name if you are named Croesus or one of its equivalents), follow them out as slowly as possible, making sure your pet follows and brings the money with it. Be caureful not to exit the guard's path while the pet is still inside!

Starting in NetHack 3.6.0, the standard domestic pets - dogs, cats and horses - will only pick up a single gold piece at a time, making this strategy much less useful early on. NetHack 3.6.0 also introduces the ability to summon a guard via cursed tin whistle.

Messages

You hear the footsteps of a guard on patrol.
There is a vault on the level.
You hear Ebenezer Scrooge!
As above, while you are hallucinating.
You hear someone counting money.
The level's vault has not been looted.
You hear Ebenezer Scrooge!
As above, while hallucinating.
You hear someone searching
The vault has been looted.

Variants

UnNetHack

In UnNetHack, Fort Ludios is guaranteed to be accessible: the portal is in the first vault that is generated below level 10, provided that floor does not contain the Quest portal, and can otherwise be found on Medusa's Island.

UnNetHack also has a level generation feature called "random vaults", which have no relation to the standard gold vaults.

dNetHack

In addition to normal gold vaults, dNetHack also has magic item vaults and hell vaults with much more valuable treasures, but far more dangerous monsters guarding them. dNetHack will also generate the portal to Fort Ludios on the earliest eligible floor when possible.

xNetHack

xNetHack will generate the portal to Fort Ludios in the first eligible vault.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "ad aerarium" is a Latin phrase meaning "to the vault." The source code claims a pun on a purported secondary meaning of "aerarium" as "sky". (This appears to be in error, as no evidence has been found for this secondary meaning.)
  2. ↑ src/sp_lev.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2447
  3. ↑ include/hack.h in NetHack 3.6.7, line 35
  4. ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 469
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