Wizard mode

In NetHack, wizard mode is a debug-mode in which the player may try out anything they might want to test. Games played in wizard mode do not contribute in the record file but do appear in the logfile.

Entering wizard mode

To get to the wizard mode, you must start the game with the command "nethack -D -u wizard". The -D stands for debug and -u name names you wizard, which must be done in order to enter the wizard mode.

In Windows, For the sake of convinience, you can create a shortcut to wizard mode, so you don't have to access the DOS prompt to enter the above command every time. Right click on the Nethack icon and choose "create shortcut". Right click on the shortcut and choose "properties". In the "Target" text box, type the following, including quotes:

• "<file path and file name>" -D -u wizard

For example, it may look like this:

• "C:\Program Files\Nethack\nethack-343-win\NetHackW.exe" -D -u wizard

Unix, Linux and VMS have proper user accounts. On these systems, NetHack actually requires that you be logged in as the user wizard, and then start nethack with "nethack -D". (Otherwise, NetHack drops you to explore mode.) If you are compiling your own NetHack, remember to change WIZARD and WIZARD_NAME macros in config.h to your own username, so that you need not create a new user account to play NetHack in wizard mode!

You cannot enter wizard mode at any public server!

Commands

Wizard mode has several commands that are not present in normal game:

Key	Explanation
^E	detect secret doors and traps
^F	do magic mapping
^G	create monster
^I	identify items in pack
^O	tell locations of special levels
^T	do intra-level teleport
^V	do trans-level teleport
^W	make a wish
^X	show attributes including intrinsic attributes

Extended command	Explanation
#levelchange	change experience level
#lightsources	show mobile light sources
#monpolycontrol	control monster polymorphs
#panic	panic test
#polyself	polymorph self
#seenv	show seen vectors
#stats	show memory statistics
#timeout	look at timeout queue
#vision	show vision array
#wmode	show wall modes

You can view the list of wizard mode command at any time by pressing [?] and then [k], provided that you are in wizard mode. In any case the extended command #? shows you a list of all available extended commands.

Strategy

You want to try an experiment by fighting a flesh golem with a wand of lightning at the lowest level of Sokoban? You enter wizard mode, then use ^W, asking for a "wand of lightning" or an "uncursed wand of lightning (0:99)". Use ^I to verify the identity of the wand. Then use ^V, and type "?" at the prompt and choose "soko4" from the menu. That warps you to Sokoban. Here, you can use ^G to create the "flesh golem". You can also use ^T to teleport away from the flesh golem, even on a non-teleport level.

Want to instead send a tame flesh golem against Vlad? You use ^V and type "?" as before, but choose "tower1", the lone entry in the Vlad's Tower section. Observing that the level is dark, you use ^F to map it, then you ^W for a "blessed magic lamp", which you apply for some light. Vlad is always at the throne, so you enter the throne room.

Powering your character

Unfortunately for you, Vlad can kill a level-one beginner easily. Wizard mode does offer some shortcuts to improve your character, so that you can avoid

The most obvious is to #levelchange to level 30, but such a character may still die in difficult situations, because he or she did not do most of the normal activities associated with dungeon exploration.

Among the things that you can try:

1. Wish for "100 blessed potions of gain ability", then quaff some to boost your attributes.
2. Wish for "100 blessed potions of full healing", then quaff some to boost your maximum HP. Use potions of gain energy to boost max Pw.
3. Wish for some armor and reduce your AC. You could wish for a typical ascension kit, or if you want, overenchanted items. A blessed fireproof +50 cloak of magic resistance and a blessed +50 silver dragon scale mail might make things easy for you, but will never resemble normal gameplay.
4. Wish for artifacts.

Intrinsics are hard to gain. Even if you wish for something smaller than a dragon corpse, you might satiate yourself on red mold corpses or cave spider corpses before you have that resistance. If you need a particular resistance, you may prefer to wish for the ring. Wizard mode characters already have teleportitis and teleport control, so you need not acquire those.

Instant sacfest

All those wishes will increase your prayer timeout. The wizard mode #pray command lets you "force the gods to be pleased", so this might not be a problem. If you would want to fix this situation, you could try an instant sacfest.

Wish for an altar of your alignment ("lawful altar", "neutral altar" or "chaotic altar"), then wish for "100 Umber hulk corpses" and #offer away!

Dealing with chameleons or doppelgangers

If you are playing with #monpolycontrol but annoyed that some offscreen monster is repeatedly polymorphing, then wishing for "2 uncursed scrolls of genocide" and genociding "chameleon" or "doppelganger" will work.