Hack'EM

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Hack'EM is a project started by User:Hackemslashem with the goal of becoming the next successor to SLASH'EM. Simply put, Hack'EM is "Hack, Extended Mechanics."

About

Welcome to Hack'EM!

The first objective of this project was to bring SLASH'EM content to a modern NetHack platform:

  • Port over most of the content from SLASH'EM and attempt to take the "next steps" for it.
  • If something doesn't work, is buggy, or is easily abusable, attempt to fix it or remove it.
  • If something is bland or feels unfinished - attempt to flesh it out.
  • Add all the quality-of-life features that are available in the variant market.
  • As of current date - most of these objectives have been completed or are in the finishing stages.

Hack'EM was based on EvilHack for a few reasons:

  • Evil is based on 3.6, and already contained many important updates and bug fixes.
  • Its inherently more difficult, but in ways that seem to work with SLASH'EM.
  • Many quality-of-life features already baked in.
  • EvilHack also had lots of small tweaks and gameplay changes that seemed to work with SLASH'EM content.
  • EvilHack has an amazing dedicated community, and without their help, Hack'EM wouldn't have been able to grow and mature!

For a complete list of changes, see the Hack'EM Changelog.

Changes from SLASH'EM

Here is where Hack'EM diverges:

  • The Drow has not been ported, but it will probably be inherited from EvilHack's future implementation.
  • The alignment quests are not mandatory anymore, as currently the artifact doors in Vlad's and the artifact keys that the quest nemeses possess are not implemented. This is mostly due to porting issues. The quest guardians are also new and each protect a power artifact in place of the alignment keys.

These features have been removed or replaced:

  • Skipped races: Lycanthrope.
  • Skipped monsters: Gypsies, Doctor Frankenstein, Frankenstein's Monster
  • Skipped items:
  • Skipped spellbooks:
  • The Guild of Disgruntled Adventurers is removed and replaced by mini-guild special rooms
  • Frankenstein's Lab is removed
  • The Mall has been moved to the Town Branch
  • The Kobold level has been moved to the Town Branch
  • The variations on the vibrating square levels have NOT been imported - the EvilHack version remains.
  • None of the SLASH'EM Demon prince lairs have been imported.
  • Removed "Hits as +x weapon" property from SLASH'EM monsters
  • Removed "Need +x weapon to be hit" property from SLASH'EM monsters
  • Removed the extra artifact blasting (6d6 to 8d10) from SLASH'EM; this mechanic does not seem to add much to the game other than making early wishes less useful and killing unknowing players.
  • Removed wraith corpse nerf. In SLASH'EM there was a reduced probability of gaining levels with a mix of other effects.
  • Removed the [polymorph] mechanic for objects. There is no "hazy" status for polymorphed objects. This mechanic was not imported for 2 reasons: it makes it possible to create overpowered weapons (ie: +127 weapons) and it is also not intuitive for new players since it contradicts the vanilla behavior of polymorphed items.
  • Removed SLASH'EM polymorph behavior for monsters; when killed shapeshifters could immediately poly into their polyform (or different form if a chameleon or similar). This mechanic was quite frustrating to deal with, especially concerning new threats like weretigers or werepanthers. In SLASH'EM you could be forced to kill the same shapechanger many times before it would finally die in it's base form. The EvilHack behavior replaces this so that a shapechanger cannot poly again once it has been killed in it's polyform.

Changes from EvilHack

Another objective was to trim some of the EvilHack content. Some things did not fit, were too difficult, or left better as an Evil only feature.

  • #forge has been renamed to #craft for working with forges. The reason is to make #force and #craft auto-complete. #forge still has the same meta shortcut: M('F')
  • Removed two-weaponing weight-based restrictions imposed in EvilHack.
  • Monsters can no longer use wands of wishing to get wishes - if they get a wish from a smoky potion they will still attempt to get something powerful.
  • The first level of Sokoban is guaranteed to have 2 scrolls of earth.
  • Removed the monster riding monster mechanic.
  • Monster spawn rates are simplified a bit from EvilHack:
   Monster spawn rates increase to 4x normal once you've performed the invocation. After that, all denizens of the dungeon are aware of what has happened and nasties will spawn on each level's upstairs.
  • Baalzebub, Geryon, Dispater are back to being demon princes. They should be bribable again.
  • Graz'zt no longer has an item stealing attack, replaced with physical attack instead.
  • Reduced the chance Rodney gets an amulet of magic resistance to 1 in 13 times (changed from Evil where it was 50%).
  • The Riders only get 40 + d(10, 8) HP instead of 100 + d(10, 8).
  • Some of the dragon scales have had buffs or different secondary effects added. All scales grant passive effects now. See the section on Dragon Scales for details.
  • Removed The Magic 8-Ball (The Oracle gets a regular eight ball). Eight balls are still in the game but very rare, and they can be read like the Magic 8-Ball can.
  • Removed the "indestructible" drawbridge from the VotD; it can be destroyed like a regular drawbridge now.
  • Removed the Wand of Orcus. Orcus gets his standard wand of death now.
  • Cavemen get Keolewa as their second sacrifice gift now (Skullcrusher is first)
  • Zapping light around peaceful monsters could anger them. This mechanic has been removed except for when you break a wand of light.
  • Removed the Goblin Town branch and requirement to defeat Goblin King, Minetown can be accessed normally.
  • Mines river/sewage generation only occurs on levels deeper than Minetown.
  • Unicorn Horns have been reverted back to a 2-handed d12 weapon.
  • Giants can wear mummy wrappings and any giant can wear large splint mail.
  • Tortles can wear mummy wrappings.
  • Improved the chances of item randomly spawning with two properties to 1 in 3141. (In Evil the chances are 1 in 100000)
  • Spellcasting monsters have to see you in order to cast summon nasties.
  • Spellcasting monsters have had their spell range limited by their level (gnomish mages are level 3 and can only cast fire bolt in a radius of 2-3 tiles instead of 13).
  • Changed timeout for monster spell of stone to flesh to timeout 2d7 instead of rn2(7).
  • Removed engulfing attack from gelatinous cube, water elemental, earth elemental, and fire elemental. The Splice elementals (magma, mud, ice, acid) still can engulf.
  • Removed cursed weapons reverse hitting (was in EvilHack and Splice)
    • Cursed weapons will miss 25% of the time now instead of 20% to compensate.
  • Magicbane could cause a Bag of Holding explosion, this mechanic has been removed. Magicbane is safe for any Bag of Holding.
  • Removed all passive attacks from baby dragons.
  • Revert EvilHack sacrifice gift changes: Instead of a mix of "regular" items and artifacts, players will receive only artifacts (unless you get a minion as a gift).
  • Removed accompanying artifact defenders when wishing for artifacts.
  • Revert the standard cursed wand backfire chance from 1-in-30 to 1-in-100.
  • Illithids used to get flying at level 12, now they start with flying.
  • Centaurs used to get jumping at level 5, now they start with jumping.

More Content!

Originally, hackemslashem intended this variant to be a modern port of SLASH'EM. However, once he reached close to the completion of that goal he found that there was quite a lot in other variants that he loved and just could not pass on including. When deciding on what to import, he mostly went by two criteria: 1) Does it improve the player's experience (Quality of Life, Fun)? and 2) Does it complement the existing SLASH'EM content and/or EvilHack content?


So far, content from many other forks has also been integrated:

  • SpliceHack: A majority of Splice has been imported since it seems to fit well with the SLASH'EM themes but also because development on this variant has stalled. The creator of SpliceHack (Kes) has given her blessing for us to assimilate all SpliceHack content into Hack'EM.
  • SlashTHEM: Similar to Splice, a lot of content was ported from this variant because development on it is mostly stalled.
  • slashem-up/slashem9: These are two forks of SLASH'EM that were developed in the past. Where possible I have integrated their updates.
  • UnNetHack: Many QoL features and mechanics have been imported.
  • xNetHack: Many mechanics and updates have been imported.
  • dNetHack: Fun gameplay tweaks and artifacts have been imported (ex: armor with special appearances has special bonuses) with plans to import much more.
  • Slash'EM Extended: A few interesting things have been cherry-picked from slex, like toilet amulet ID and allowing mummies to be summoned by Call Undead.

If you have an idea for a feature that would port well, please suggest it!

Quality-of-Life Features

Object lookup has been fleshed out:

  • Object lookup shows more information, including object properties and special effects from materials.
  • Artifacts can be looked up in the item database (currently only works if accessed through the inventory, requiring you to have possession of the artifact)
  • Weapons show bonus damage and effects resulting from materials.

Auto-identification

  • All roles start out knowing these basic items:
    • potions of water
    • blank scrolls
    • scrolls of identify
  • Auto-ID dunce cap upon wearing (Un)
  • Auto-ID jumping boots (AceHack)
  • Auto-ID some potions when inhaling their vapors
  • Auto-ID scroll of scare monster on pickup if it turns to dust (Un)
  • Auto-ID scroll of teleportation when teleporting any distance after reading one
  • Auto-ID scrolls of remove curse when items' curses are removed (Un)
  • Auto-ID wand of teleportation on seeing the successful effect on a monster (Un)
  • Auto-ID wands with unambiguous effects and messages (Un)
  • Auto-ID wand of undead turning if engraving produces a message (Un)
  • Auto-ID wands of probing and secret door detection when engraved with (Un)
  • Auto-ID vanishing wands if the other 2 have been identified (Un)
  • Auto-ID wands of sleep or death if their counterpart has been identified (Un)
  • Auto-ID wands of healing or extra healing if their counterpart has been identified
  • Auto-ID rings dropped into a sink when message is shown (Un)
  • Auto-ID amulets dropped into toilets, if possible (slex)
  • Auto-ID for ring of regeneration (Un)
  • Auto-ID whistles on use (Un)
  • Auto-ID whetstones when used with a water source.
  • Auto-ID magic flutes and harps on use (Un)
  • Auto-ID magic lamps and oil lamps when rubbing (Un)
  • Auto-ID loadstones upon discovering the inability to drop them (Un)
  • Auto-ID flintstones when rubbed on iron weapons (evil)
  • Auto-ID water walking boots when worn (xnh)
  • Auto-ID tinfoil hat when worn
  • Auto-ID BUC of products from BUC identified item generator (UnNetHackPlus)
  • Rustproof/erodeproof/fixed status is known by default for all items (DynaHack)
  • A blessed scroll of charging will (in addition to charging the item) also reveal the number of charges and the charge counter
  • After a while of using a wielded weapon, you will identify it and it's enchantment (evil)
  • Throne insight now recursively identifies all items in your possession and in your containers (fiq)

Other QoL

  • Paranoid swim and paranoid trap
  • The player's magic cancellation (MC) is shown in the status bar (evil)
  • Realtime display option is now available (evil)
  • Show prayer stats in Attributes menu [^X screen] (from UnNetHack, originally from dNetHack)
  • Attempting to open "." acts as an alias for #loot
  • > < to auto-travel to stairs (from Unnethack)
  • Control+Direction now kicks in that direction
  • You can reread a spellbook to refresh your memory at any time
  • Blessed stethoscopes can identify eggs (on the floor)
  • When identified, scrolls of enchant armor ask what armor to enchant.
  • Remove "Auto-select every item" when putting into containers (Un)
  • Default shopkeeper sell prompt to N (xnh)
  • Regeneration only causes additional hunger when injured (Un)
  • 1-damage hits still train weapon/unarmed skills (from DynaHack)
  • Chargeable rings may get charged when hit with electricity (3.7)
  • Useless +0 rings are generate very rarely (xnh)
  • Monsters are prevented from picking up gold in shops (Un)
  • Monsters don't blame the player for falling down holes the player dug. Pit traps still count.
  • The Astral Plane is always lit (xnh)
  • The passtune range has been extended by 1 (xnh)
  • Switching between your main and alternative weapon does not take any turns (from dnh)
  • Monks eventually stop receiving the "You feel guilty" message for breaking vegetarian conduct (xnh)
  • Removed repeated coughing of player when poison resistance renders stinking clouds harmless.
  • Removed all random secret corridors (xnh)
  • Removed the Quest turn limit (Un)
  • Removed the mysterious force
  • Deliberate level teleporter activation ignores magic resistance (3.7)
  • Potions have been made more useful from a small collection of patches (see the Alchemy Mechanics section)
  • Extrinsic resistances protect items from elemental damage. For example, wearing a ring of fire resistance will protect your scrolls and potions from fire damage.
  • Magical Explosions: Players cannot put known wands of cancellation or magical bags into bags of holding anymore (dnh). This also applies when #tipping into your bag of holding, you will flick away explosive items if you have the item and the BoH identified.
  • If a player charges a depleted Bag of Tricks/Rats with contents - it will now explode and scatter the contents instead of deleting them.
  • All roles (except Caveman) get their special spell granted when they reach level 12 (SpliceHack)
  • Pets will not use rings of teleportation.
  • Slightly discourage pets with ranged attacks (ie: hell hound pups) from attacking strong peacefuls like watch captains or shopkeepers.
  • Projectile unidentification has been left out (prevents merging projectiles in 3.7)

Wiz-Mode updates

  • #wizclear (^z), clears all monsters on level (splice)
  • Can wish for monsters with ^w (Un)

Wishing shortcuts

Note: Capitalization does not matter when using these.

Item Shortcut
Amulet of ESP AoESP
Amulet of Life Saving AoLS
Bag of Holding BoH
Cloak of Displacement CoD
Cloak of Invisibility CoL
Cloak of Magic Resistance CoMR
Gauntlets of Dexterity GoD
Gauntlets of Power GoP
Helm of Brilliance HoB
Helm of Opposite Alignment HoOA
Helm of Telepathy HoT
Levitation Boots BoL
Magic Lamp ML
Magic Marker MM
Potion of Extra Healing PoEH
Potion of Gain Level PoGL
Potion of Monster Detection PmD
Potion of Water PoW
Ring of Conflict RoC
Ring of Polymorph Control RoPC
Ring of Teleport Control RoTC
Scroll of Identify SoI
Scroll of Remove Curse SoRC
Scroll of Annihilation SoA/SoG
Scroll of Annihilation genocide
Scroll of Charging SoC
Scroll of Enchant Armor SoEA
Scroll of Enchant Weapon SoEW
Shield of Reflection SoR
Speed Boots BoS
Unicorn Horn UH
Wand of Create Monster WoCM
Wand of Teleportation WoT
Wand of Undead Turning WoUT
Water Walking Boots BoWW
Kiku-ichimonji kiku


Mechanics Changes

  • If the player tries to hit a monster with a weapon they are restricted/unskilled in, or any non-weapon object, they'll never have better than a 75% chance of landing a hit (bare-handed is exempt).
  • The player is unable to regenerate hit points while in the Valley of the Dead – healing via other methods (potions, healing spells) is still possible.
  • Stoning – monsters being stoned is a slow-stoning process, just as it is for the player.
  • Merged scimitar and saber skills.
  • Add celibate conduct (SLASH'EM)
  • Galloping duration depends on riding skills (idea by Beolach, code by Pasi Kallinen)

Mold/Fungus resurrection

  • Ported from from xnh, which ported from SLASH'EM.
  • Corpses have a chance to mold and grow a random F.
  • Petrifying monster corpses only grow green mold.
  • The resurrection rates have been tapered back a bit, so it's not as pervasive as in Slash'EM - but there are more F monsters that can spawn (including moldiers at deeper levels).
  • Moldy corpses can be used with different potions (see the brewing patch details)

Elbereth

  • You cannot use Elbereth until you've learned it in-game (via rumor, reading it, etc).
  • Conflict negates Elbereth.
  • Elves & hobbits start out knowing Elbereth
  • Orcs can never learn it. Player orcs can't learn Elbereth even if polyd.
  • When a lawful is crowned the Hand of Elbereth, they learn Elbereth if they have not already.

Scare Monster

  • Several more creatures are immune to Elbereth and Scare Monster:
    • any unique monsters including the Wizard of Yendor, quest nemeses, the Riders.
    • all angelics (any A)
    • humans (any @), player monsters
    • Any monsters affected by conflict or in berserk mode are also immune.

Extended/New Commands

  • #force can also be used on doors while wielding a weapon (SLASH'EM)
  • #loot can be used at your pet to both give and take away items from its inventory.
  • #naming glitches have been nerfed - Players can no longer #name items for identification clues. On attempting to name a regular object with a related artifact name (ie: naming a candle "The Candle of Eternal Flame"), your hand will always slip.
  • Monks can break boulders and statues using martial arts skill at skilled level or higher (shift + f and then a movement key).
  • Rogues can steal from monsters by using 'thievery', (must be bare-handed to use, press shift + f and then a movement key).
  • Convicts can #chat with rats to pacify or tame them.
  • Necromancers can #chat with zombies to pacify or tame them.
  • Changed #forge to #craft.
  • #tech accesses your role's available techniques.

Resistances/Intrinsics

Partial Resistances

  • Intrinsic resistances are no longer binary, but are percentages instead. The spread is 5% to 50% resistance gained from eating per corpse. Damage reduction from various attacks is determined by how much partial resistance the player has to it.
  • Reflection is not 100%; it can lessen the effects of an attack it reflects, but will never negate it.
  • The "shower of missiles" monster attack is not completely negated by magic resistance.
  • See Invisible is now just temporary from potions, eating stalkers, and fountains. See Invisible from crowning is permanent. (Evil)
  • Restful sleep regenerates hp (we can get restful sleep property from the Amulet of Restful Sleep or a Ring of Sleeping)

Afraid status

  • The player can sometimes become too afraid to control their actions and will run away from the object of fear.
  • Similar to the effects of being stunned or confused, but you will still be able to use items as normal.
  • Attempting to throw projectiles while afraid usually results in them slipping.
  • Caused by dragon roars, some monster attacks, and the wand of fear.
  • Can be cured by quaffing booze or amnesia, or by wearing an item that gives psychic resistance.

"Stable" property

  • Protects you(or monsters) from clobber and hurtle attacks.


Sonic Resistance property (from Splice)

  • Protects you(or monsters) from sonic attacks.
  • Since this property is only available from extrinsic sources, it will always also protect your items from sonic destruction.

Psychic Resistance property

  • (from Splice and Evil)
  • Illithids start with psychic resistance.
  • Protects you from forgetting skills, spells, and other things from potions and scrolls of amnesia, as well as mind flayer and zombie attacks.
  • Protects you from an illithids psionic wave and tentacle attacks.
  • Protects from most fear attacks, including dragon roars.
  • Wearing items that give psychic resistance stop you from being afraid.

Larva Carrier property

  • Some monsters can infect you with eggs!
  • If the larva are allowed to hatch, they emerge from your body dealing significant damage in the process. Plus you have to deal with the new monsters in front of you.

You can cure this condition with a few different methods:

  • quaffing potions of sickness
  • eating a pill
  • invoking the Staff of Aesculapius
  • invoking the Healing Hands technique
  • receiving a disease attack from a monster
  • being zapped by a cure sickness spell

Upgrading/Tinker

  • Upgrading mechanic via potions of gain level (from SLASH'EM)
  • Instead of crystal balls upgrading to magic markers, they upgrade to lenses (going to markers didn't make much sense, and it wasn't too useful since the marker would only have a handful of charges)
  • Removed a lot of the weapon upgrades, since now a lot of those are covered by forge recipes. A few still remain for quarterstaves and boomerangs.
  • Added many upgrade paths for special armors
  • The flintstone-to-healthstone exploit has been fixed; flintstones only upgrade one at a time.

Conflict

  • When causing conflict, it now takes the player's charisma score into account.
  • The formula is 'charisma - monster level + player level'
  • if that value is greater than 19, clamps it to be 19.
  • There's then a percentage chance (rnd(20)) against the value generated on whether conflict kicks in or not.
  • So even with charisma and your xp level maxed out, there's still a 5% chance of conflict not working.
  • Also, the monsters affected have to see you for conflict to work.

Dexterity

  • Dexterity can directly affect the player's AC, for better or worse. See the chart below for details.
    • Being encumbered negates AC bonuses from dexterity.
    • Wearing any kind of heavy metallic body armor (not mithril) or other rigid material (bone, stone, wood) will also negate dexterity bonuses.
Dexterity AC change
<= 6 +3
7-9 +1
10-14 none
15-16 -1
17-18 -2
19-20 -3
21-23 -4
24-25 -5

Amnesia/Forgetting

  • Potions of amnesia can also inflict this effect. Potions of amnesia always have the "sparkling" appearance.
  • Can make you lose Elbereth knowledge if you had it.
  • Can make you forget forget about shambling horrors.
  • Can make you lose intrinsic telepathy.
  • Can make you lose "eaten knowledge", which doppelgangers use to poly into different forms.
  • Psychic Resistance protects from amnesia forgetting. Sources include rings of psychic resistance and being an illithid.

Religion/Prayer/Alters

  • If an unaligned altar generates with a priest of Moloch, that priest will be hostile to all roles except infidels.
  • This means the VoTD priest is always hostile and unable to give donations (unless, of course, you are an infidel.)
  • Sacrifice offerings can sometimes bless random objects (From SLASH'EM)

Minions

  • SLASH'EM had a mechanic for getting aligned minions as gifts from your god when you sacrifice or pray with low health. I ported most of this mechanic over but added some more restrictions because in my opinion, minions were broken in SLASH'EM and too easy to obtain (Lawfuls could get Solars and Planetars!).
  • Here are the new limitations; minions are not granted when:
    • You are under level 5.
    • You have negative luck.
    • You have been crowned
    • You have completed the quest
    • You have been expelled from the quest
    • You have any pets on the current level (prevents overcrowding)
  • The player will also have to hit a 1 on this roll:
    • 1 in 10 + (4 * number of gifts granted)
  • Minion pets cannot betray you. However, be aware they they do seem to lose tameness quickly if left alone on a level so do try to keep your minion with you if it's important to your survival.

Dungeon growth patch

  • Another feature ported over from Slash'EM
  • This enables trees to slowly branch out in the dungeon and occasionally drop ripe fruits/leaves.
  • It also promotes the growth of herbs left on the ground or water.
  • Herbs that are left unattended will occasionally sprout more of the same kind around surrounding tiles.
  • These include: garlic, wolfsbane, catnip, carrots, mushrooms, pineapples, kelp fronds
  • Some of these are not technically herbs but they still do spread prolifically.
  • Herbs in the water will move with water currents.
  • One strategy to try is leaving these items on the ground early in the game and then coming back after a few thousand turns to see what you have "farmed."
  • Level with trees have a chance of an additional axe (to aid with potential overgrowth)

Alchemy

  • Alchemic blast damage is doubled, but acid resistance halves it (xnh)

Malcolm Ryan's Brewing Patch

  • Enables the player to dip mold corpses in potions of fruit juice to start a fermentation timer that will eventually turn the potion into something else dependent on the mold.
  • Dipping green mold into fruit juice produces acid.
  • Dipping red mold into fruit juice produces booze
  • Dipping brown mold into fruit juice produces sleeping
  • lichens, shriekers, and non-F corpses do not ferment.
  • Dipping cursed molds into fruit juice produces sickness.

Note: This also makes the shopkeeper charge you for shop-owned fruit juice that you begin fermenting. This allows you to buy the new, possibly more expensive potion at the cost of the fruit juice.

Potions can now be poured down into sinks (xnh)

  • Allows for safer identification of potions by dumping them down the drain, leaving the hero to suffer only vapor effects.
  • This is done by selecting a potion to #dip while standing on top of a sink. If a potion of polymorph is poured down a sink, it polymorphs it.

Gem Alchemy

  • Acid is no longer a useless endgame potion!
  • Gems dissolve in acid to produce new potions.
  • If the acid is cursed there is a guaranteed alchemical explosion, otherwise there is always a 1 in 30 chance of an explosion.
  • Use the object lookup (on a gem) to see what potion is created from a particular gem.
  • Note: Smoky potions cannot be produced with this method.

As a couple of examples:

  • Opals turn into "cloudy" potions"
  • Jade turns into "dark green"

Oily Corpses patch

  • There is a 20% chance upon starting to eat a corpse of certain slippery monsters (e.g. most slithy, non-snakelike monsters and most blobby monsters) that your fingers get slippery. Tins of them are not slippery unless caused by the tin preparation.

Techniques

  • Removed limit breaking from techniques. This was the primary attribute of techniques that was broken in SLASH'EM. One could simply lower their HP and gain unlimited access to some of the techs for some fairly unbalanced advantages.
  • Revivification technique) and the spirit bomb spell (which was the Monk's Spirit bomb technique)
  • Gnomish shopkeepers sometimes offer the expensive tinker service
  • In addition the weapon practice technique, some shopkeepers offer a firearms training service.
  • Double damage (from DeathVision or Staff of Rot) is handled properly for techs.

Changes to existing techniques

Technique Notes Origin
chained blitz
  • Monk blitz tech
  • Chain blitz tech now shows how many blitz moves you have available.
  • Chain blitz now shows input feedback as you type the blitz commands.
  • Chain blitz shows helpful feedback for incorrect inputs.
  • Chain blitz only costs energy if a successful command sequence is input; invalid commands also don't use up the tech.
  • Chain blitz commands can also be terminated with ; or :
  • Updated blitz commands to be shorter and more intuitive;
  • commands with 2 versions are always mirrored.
  • Instead of wasting a move when making a mistake in chain blitz, it just cancels the tech and let's the player try again.
SLASH'EM
air dash
  • Monk blitz tech
SLASH'EM
elemental fist
  • Monk blitz tech
  • Elemental fist can inflict sonic damage.
  • Added some rare bonus crits for elemental fist (inspired by SpliceHack skills)
SLASH'EM
chi strike
  • Monk blitz tech
SLASH'EM
chi healing
  • Monk blitz tech
SLASH'EM
pummel
  • Monk blitz tech
SLASH'EM
ground slam
  • Monk blitz tech
SLASH'EM
uppercut
  • New blitz tech for monks.
  • It's a powerful alternate to ground slam which creates a pit.
  • Does double damage to targets with heads.
  • Influenced by stunning fist skill from Splice.
Hack'EM
spirit bomb
  • Monk blitz tech
  • Buffed spirit bomb technique damage.
SLASH'EM
jedi jump
  • Jedi
SlashTHEM
charge saber
  • Jedi
SlashTHEM
telekinesis
  • Jedi
  • Can disarm/trigger traps and remotely pickup objects.
  • Rearranged the telekinesis logic into a loop, so player doesn't waste MP on invalid targets.
  • Added new traps that can be disarmed.
SlashTHEM
force push
  • Jedi
  • Jedi gain a force-push technique at level 14.
  • Using the force push tech while engulfed breaks you out.
Hack'EM
berserk SLASH'EM
kiii
  • Kii technique timeout gets extended on successful hits.
  • Samurai
SLASH'EM
research
  • Archaeologist
SLASH'EM
surgery
  • Healer
SLASH'EM
reinforce memory
  • General tech for spellcasters that lets them refresh their memory of a spell that is getting low in retention.
SLASH'EM
missile flurry
  • Ranger
SLASH'EM
weapon practice
  • General tech for some melee roles to let them train up skills without fighting.
SLASH'EM
eviscerate
  • Tech for the deferred Lycanthrope/Lunatic
SLASH'EM
healing hands
  • Knight and Priest tech.
SLASH'EM
calm steed
  • Yeoman
SLASH'EM
turn undead
  • As in SLASH'EM, #turn is now a technique.
  • Knights, priests, and undead slayers get this technique.
SLASH'EM
vanish
  • Gnomes
SLASH'EM
cutthroat
  • Rogue
SLASH'EM
blessing
  • Priest
SLASH'EM
primal roar
  • Caveman
  • Instead of the Primal Roar tech temporarily poly-upgrading pets, we full heal them and the duration has been extended.
SLASH'EM
liquid leap
  • Doppelganger
SLASH'EM
critical strike
  • Rogue
SLASH'EM
raise zombies
  • Necromancer
SLASH'EM
revivification
  • Removed revive tech from healers; necromancers get it at level 14.
  • Priests can also get this tech at level 30.
SLASH'EM
tinker
  • Gnomes
SLASH'EM
rage eruption SLASH'EM
blink
  • Hobbits
SLASH'EM
draw energy
  • General spellcaster tech
  • Draw energy tech now uses grass, puddles, sewage, and dead trees in it's calculation.
  • Necromancers get a bonus for using draw energy near graves.
SLASH'EM
disarm
  • Any role can get this tech by advancing a weapon skill to Skilled.
SLASH'EM
dazzle
  • Vampirics
SLASH'EM
power surge
  • Powerful technique for spellcasters.
SLASH'EM
draw blood
  • Vampirics
SLASH'EM
booze
  • For the deferred Drunk role from SlashTHEM.
SLEX
souleater
  • Enabled soul eater tech for dark knight
  • Souleater tech will buff any weapon that drains life (instead of just originally Soulthief)
  • This tech originally required the Soulthief artifact. This artifact has been left out.
  • Necromancer gets souleater tech at level 6.
SlashTHEM
shield block
  • General tech for melee roles.
  • Shield block also doesn't work if afraid or slow
SlashTHEM
whistle undead
  • Necromancer
  • Acts as a magic whistle effect for undead.
Hack'EM
spirit tempest
  • Necromancer
  • Created for necromancers - it works as a self centered spirit bomb.
  • Spirit tempest tech gets a multi explosion bonus at level 21.
Hack'EM
pickpocket
  • The rogue's thievery ability from EvilHack is now available on the technique menu.
  • It it still available by using force attack (F).
Hack'EM/Evil
tumble
  • Adapted the Tumble skill from SpliceHack into a technique.
  • Pirates get it from level 1.
Hack'EM/Splice
sunder
  • Adapted the Sunder skill from SpliceHack into a technique.
  • Pirates get it at level 5.
Hack'EM/Splice
blood magic
  • Adapted the Blood Magic skill from SpliceHack into a technique for necromancers.
Hack'EM/Splice
break rock
  • Adapted the monk's boulder breaking ability from EvilHack into a technique.
  • It it still available by using force attack (F) on boulders or statues.
Hack'EM/Evil

Techniques left out from SLASH'EM

Warding techs for fire, cold, and shock. The monk will keep their standard resistances instead.

Removed all the sigil techniques. Some of these sigils have been rendered obsolete by skilled/expert spellcasting.

  • Removed unused T_INVOKE_DEITY technique.

Roles and Races

New player roles

  • Re-balanced all SLASH'EM role skills.
  • No SLASH'EM roles can start with magic markers anymore (from Evil).

Convict

Convicts present a unique challenge from the standard vanilla roles. Their alignment is always chaotic, regardless of racial background. They start out with some critical disadvantages that the player will have to quickly and creatively overcome to survive.

Convicts start out with negative alignment and punished with a heavy iron ball chained to their leg, and they also start wearing a cursed fireproof striped shirt. The shirt prevents entry into any shop while worn and visible (not covered by a cloak or robe). The shirt is fireproof so one can't simply dip it in a forge to dispose of it. They get no other weapons or armor at the start of the game, and to top it off convicts start on the verge of hunger. However, one of the convict's strengths is that they burn nutrition at half the normal rate while hungry or worse. Be careful before rushing to Minetown because the watchguards are on the lookout for you! If they see your face, they will be angered and pursue you. Wear a blindfold or towel as a quick disguise! Keep in mind that if a shopkeeper sees you with the striped shirt on - they will ban you for life (services will also not be available), so make sure to cover it up before getting close to a shop. Another challenge is that Convicts cannot tame domestic pets as normal - they will always be "wary" of you.

Level 1: sickness resistance
Level 7: poison resistance
Level 20: searching
  • Their first artifact gift is Luck Blade, a chaotic broadsword (short sword in other variants) that acts as a luckstone.
  • Their starting pet is a sewer rat, and convicts can tame other rats by #chatting them.

Changes from Convict Patch:

  • Replaced convict's quest artifact, The Iron Ball of Liberation, with The Iron Spoon of Liberation.
  • Added secret doors to some of the prison cells on the quest home level, so it's easier for players to navigate.
  • Convicts start with a spoon, which uses knife skill. Convicts also get backstab bonuses (similar to Rogues) when wielding a spoon.
  • Convicts can reach expert in firearms.


Infidel

The Infidel role was created by User:Tomsod (see this link for the original patch and author notes). It has been ported from EvilHack and subsequently to Hack'EM with minimal changes.

If you are looking for something completely different (and evil) - look no further than the Infidel! Infidels don't follow any of the typical alignments, they are worshipers of Moloch and therefore unaligned.

Forget searching for the Amulet of Yendor because you actually start with it! Your primary mission is to travel down to the Sanctum, find the unaligned altar, and sacrifice the Amulet in honor of Moloch. When doing this, you must have your quest artifact in open inventory (the Idol of Moloch). Moloch may then imbue the Idol with the power of the Amulet.

Your secondary mission is to travel back up through the dungeon and make your way to the Astral Plane, where you will attempt to invoke the Idol on the correct altar (to Moloch), thereby giving Moloch dominion over 'heaven' and the other three aligned gods, thus winning you the game.

Like a standard game with the Amulet of Yendor - the correct altar that an Infidel needs to invoke the Idol of Moloch on in the Astral Plane will vary each game. They can discover which is the correct altar by #chatting both their quest leader and the High priest of Moloch in the Sanctum.

Level 1: fire resistance
Level 15: warning
Level 20: shock resistance

Inventory:

Perks

  • Their first artifact gift is Secespita, a copper ritual knife that greatly aids with altar sacrificing, and can drain energy from the monsters it was used to kill, helping to replenish spell power for the Infidel.
  • The Idol of Moloch is the Infidel's quest artifact, a figurine of a horned devil that can be used to easily convert altars to Moloch, and provides magic resistance when carried. It can also be used to summon demons to aid the Infidel. An Infidel cannot win the game without having the Idol in their possession.
  • Crowning - if an Infidel is crowned by Moloch, they transform into a demon, replete with a stinger-tipped tail and large wings, both of which can be used. In demon form, the Infidel can enjoy all of the strengths (and weaknesses) associated with being a demon. Trident skill is unlocked and can be trained all the way up to expert skill. Their crowning gift is a spellbook of fireball.

Gameplay

  • Infidels are considered primary spellcasters.
  • Infidels are either not penalized or will gain alignment for doing things that would normally be detrimental for other roles, such as murdering peacefuls or sacrificing their pets (killing your pet is still viewed as bad).
  • Infidels praying to Moloch outside of Gehennom can expect an 80% failure rate. The only reliable means of praying are standing on an unaligned altar or being in Gehennom. Converting an aligned altar to Moloch is also much more difficult without aid - Moloch's power and influence are weakened outside of hell.
  • Moloch expects an Infidel to perform a sacrifice to him at least once every 6000 turns. Not doing so adversely affects your alignment record, and it will begin to drain at an increasing rate; reaching negative values has a chance of incrementing Moloch's anger as well. Successfully performing a sacrifice delays this effect for 500 turns per point of sacrifice value; this delay is not cumulative, and if the previous remaining delay was higher, it isn't affected. Any sacrifice to Moloch counts, including same-race sacrifice and a sacrifice on a cross-aligned altar (as long as you're actually trying to convert the altar and not yourself). You will be warned when you're due for a sacrifice, both through a message and in the base attributes window.
  • Infidels create unholy water the same way other roles would create holy water, by placing potions of water on a co-aligned altar and praying (Moloch's 'blessings' are actually curses). This can present a unique challenge for the Infidel role, as having certain blessed items is still desirable. They will need to find already blessed potions of water much the same way other roles typically have to find an already cursed potion of water to use.
  • The Amulet suppresses teleportation and drains spell power when casting spells as it always has - this can prove quite challenging, especially in the early game. If you cast without the Amulet in your inventory, the spell will drain hit points instead of power. Healing and extra healing drain extra health so that using them is never a net gain. Hit point regeneration is also suppressed without having the Amulet in inventory. Once the Idol is imbued with the power of the Amulet, Moloch gains control over its power and suppresses the spell power draining and non-hit point regeneration effects (teleportation is still suppressed while holding the Idol).
  • All aligned priests are hostile towards Infidels and will attack them should they enter their temple.


Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 reinforce memory
XP 1 curse
XP 5 draw energy


Flame Mage

The Flame Mage first made it's appearance in SLASH'EM - where it was mostly a pseudo-copy of the wizard role but with fire items and spells. In Hack'EM, we have aimed to add more depth to this role and explore the power of their element. Because fire can be viewed as a symbol of divinity and wisdom, Flame mages cast magic (and get spellcasting bonuses) using wisdom and can reach expert in the magic of divination. Their special spell has also been changed to Enlighten, functioning as a play on "light" magic and a result of wisdom. (The reason it is not fireball is that the Infidel has fireball as their special spell, and the flame mage starts with a spellbook of fireball).

Level 1: Extrinsic fire resistance (inventory is protected from fire damage)
Level 5: Becomes vulnerable to cold
  • Flame Mage can only be Lawful or Neutral.
  • Flame Mages no longer gain cold resistance at level 13. (Their quest artifact also does NOT grant cold resistance anymore)
  • Flame Mages also "like fire", so fire usually doesn't have an adverse affect on them.

Inventory:

  • Starts with a more fire based inventory:
    • potions of oil
    • fire bombs
    • scrolls of fire
    • fireproof quarterstaff
    • fireproof robe
  • Starts with Fire Bolt instead of Flame Sphere (Fire Bolt is a Flame Mage exclusive spell).
  • Gets spell-hunger reduction (similar to wizards but a little weaker).
  • Flame mages cannot twoweapon and have a multishot penalty.
  • Their skill set has been rebalanced more in favor of blunt weapons (staff, club, etc).
  • Fire Elementals generate peaceful for Flame Mages
  • They can reach skilled in firearms.
  • One major drawback to Flame Mages is that they can never attain 100% cold resistance. When they get Vulnerability to Cold at level 5 their max cold resistance caps at 50%.
  • Flame mages cannot use anything that is decidedly the domain of cold magic:
    • No wielding Frost Brand/Deep Freeze.
    • No reading cold based spellbooks (cone of cold, freeze sphere)
    • Should not receive cold based spellbooks or weapons from their god either.

#youpoly

  • At level 8, the Flame Mage gains access to their baby red dragon form via the #youpoly command. Transforming costs 20 MP.
  • At level 15, you can #youpoly into an adult red dragon form. Transforming costs 40 MP.
  • The transformation process takes 2 turns.
  • You get a discount for wearing red dragon scales or scaled armor.

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 reinforce memory
XP 3 power surge
XP 5 draw energy

Ice Mage

Ice Mages are the masters of cold magic. Like Flame Mages, they also appeared in SLASH'EM. In Hack'EM, they embody the dangerous but strong nature of ice. Their skills have been adjusted to represent mostly piercing weapons (knives, daggers, etc), and they have a few more tricks then they did in SLASH'EM.

  • Can only be Chaotic or Neutral
Level 1: Extrinsic cold resistance (inventory is protected from cold damage.)
Level 1: Ice Mages can walk on ice without slipping
Level 5: Becomes vulnerable to fire
Level 15: Gains Water Walking
  • Ice Mages no longer gain fire resistance at level 13. (Their quest artifact also does NOT grant fire resistance anymore)
  • Intrinsic ice armor AC protection
    • When you gain levels, your protection (ice armor) will grow more powerful.
    • Calculation is: ACBONUS = -((YOURLEVEL / 2) + 2)
    • Like SLASH'EM, this bonus caps at -11
    • Ice mages also get a passive ice attack that scales with their ice armor strength and level. The chance of triggering this passive improves as you gain levels. Ice mages don't get a passive ice armor attack until level 4.


Level 1 2-3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-19 20-21
AC Bonus -2 -3 -4 -5 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11


Inventory:

  • Replaced their starting quarterstaff with a +2 stiletto
  • 50% chance of starting with lenses.
  • Removed studded armor, replaced with robe
  • Removed starting potions (they might freeze from the cold)
  • Starts with a frost horn in addition to a wand of cold
  • Start with a stack of snowballs (random quantity).
  • Gets spell-hunger reduction (similar to wizards but a little weaker).
  • Can now reach skilled in two-weapon and expert in riding.
  • Ice mages get the multishot penalty, but it does not apply to knives.
  • Their special spell is spell of reflection.
  • Ice Elementals generate peaceful for Ice Mages.

#youpoly

  • At level 8, the Ice Mage gains access to their baby white dragon form via the #youpoly command. Transforming costs 20 MP.
  • At level 15, you can #youpoly into an adult white dragon form. Transforming costs 40 MP.
  • The transformation process takes 2 turns.
  • You get a discount for wearing white dragon scales or scaled armor.

One major drawback to playing Ice Mages is that they can never attain 100% fire resistance. When they get Vulnerability to Fire at level 5 their max fire resistance caps at 50%.

  • Ice mages cannot use anything that is decidedly the domain of fire magic:
    • No wielding Fire Brand/Firewall.
    • No reading fire based spellbooks (fireball, flame sphere)
    • Should not receive fire based spellbooks or weapons from their god either.

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 reinforce memory
XP 5 draw energy
XP 12 power surge

Necromancer

Inventory:

  • Removed starting quarterstaff, starts with 2 daggers instead. They still start with a +1 pick-axe.
  • Starts with a robe and wand of fear.
  • Removed starting scrolls; only starts with 1 ring.

Gameplay:

  • Enabled necromancer to reach expert in polearms (for access to scythes like The End).
  • Necromancers now receive a +1 alignment bonus when digging graves, and will exercise wisdom if they find a corpse.
  • The necromancer's starting ghoul has the ghoulname option available.
  • Their special spell is summon undead.
  • Undead will never betray Necromancers (lots of undead are treacherous in Hack'EM, so charm monster isn't as reliable as it used to be.)
  • Like convicts, Necromancers now cannot tame anything other than undead. Instead of taming, the best result that occurs will be pacifying the target.
  • Necromancers do just like Priests automatically know the beatitude of all items.

With inspiration from aosdict, the Necromancer role has been overhauled with a new approach.

Spirits

  • When playing as a necromancer, monsters that die drop "spirits". These are auto-collected as you walk over or adjacent to them.
  • Spirits show up as a light-blue '~' symbol.
  • Spirits in shops will not be auto-collected since it will be in the possession of the shopkeeper.
  • Nonliving monsters do not leave spirits.
  • Spirits cannot be picked up by you or other monsters, they will disappear as soon as anything tries to pick them up. If wished for, they will be absorbed immediately into your being.
  • Spirits will fade away quickly, so don't let them sit around. On graveyard levels, they have a much higher timeout.
  • Very rarely, spirits will sometimes turn into will-o'-the-wisps when they fade. On swamp levels this is much more common.
  • Spirits generate when graves are dug up.
  • Spirits generate in morgues (on the corpses of dead players).
  • Multi-headed monsters drop more spirits (hydras, ettins, two-headed trolls).
  • Some classes and specific monsters will also want your spirits so try to collect them before they do!
    • All L, W, A, & will consume spirits.
    • Valkyries, Necromancers, shades, specters, weredemons, aloons also will try to get your spirits.
    • Tame undead will not try to eat your spirits.

Spirits heal HP:

Level 1: Spirits heal 1HP
Level 4: Spirits heal (monster's level / 2) + 1 HP
Level 8: Spirits heal (monster's level) + 1 HP

Spirits renew magical power:

  • Necromancers do not regenerate magical power as other roles do.
  • To renew your MP, you will have to collect spirits or find some other means (potions of gain energy, scrolls of charging, etc).
  • A new necromancer starts with 0 energy, but a max of 99, so you can stock up.
Level 1: Spirits grant (monster's level / 2) MP (minimum of 1).
Level 7: You get the monster's full level value in MP.
Level 13: You get the 1.5x monster's level value in MP.

Necromancer intrinsics

Level 1: Drain resistance
Level 1: Immunity to sickness
Level 1: Undead Fear Resistance
  • Not afraid of "fear attacks", ie: banshees, bodaks
  • Not afraid of nosferatu gaze
  • Not afraid of ghosts or temple ghosts.
  • Note: They still can be afraid of dragon roars.
Level 3: Undead warning

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 Reinforce memory
XP 2 call undead
XP 3 raise zombies
XP 5 blood magic
XP 8 soul eater
XP 10 power surge
XP 14 revivification
XP 17 spirit tempest

Undead Slayer

Remember Simon from the Castlevania games, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer? This role takes cues from both of those characters and more. Are you sick of the Evil zombie constantly eating your brains and dying from illness? Well, now is your turn to kick some zombie butt. The Undead Slayer is your answer to zombies, vampires, and all sorts of things that crawl in the night. Originally from SLASH'EM, we have retooled the Slayer a bit for the challenges in Hack'EM. Starting out slow is no longer an option, so that has been discarded. They have more strength in actually slaying undead and their skills and intrinsics have been rounded out. Warning and Clairvoyance kick in at higher levels, and when speed is gained at level 7 it means more than overcoming the old slowness.

Level 1: Stealth
Level 1: Drain resistance
Level 1: Immunity to sickness
Level 1: Undead warning
Level 7: Speed
Level 9: Poison resistance
Level 15: Warning
Level 21: Clairvoyance

Inventory:

  • Missiles and weapons will now be silver:
  • Elven slayers can start with silver elven daggers or a silver elven spear.
  • Crossbow bolts and bullets will be silver.
  • If playing as a tortle slayer, your trident will also be silver.

Gameplay:

  • Can now #turn undead
  • Immune to fear attacks from undead or ghosts.
  • Slayers get an alignment penalty for eating wraith corpses.
  • Undead slayers get +2 to-hit bonus against undead/demons and inflict +d4 damage (like hitting as a blessed weapon (this also stacks with the blessed weapon bonus.)
  • Undead slayers obliterate zombies to the point that they don't leave corpses. 2 in 3 chance of this happening every time you kill a zombie.
  • Their special spell is protection
  • Their first sacrifice gift is the Holy Spear of Light.
  • Undead slayers do NOT have a multishot penalty.
  • Instead of being able to attain Grand Master in Bare Handed combat, they can now get Master in Martial Arts.
  • Undead Slayers can reach basic in two-weaponing.

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 turn undead
XP 1 weapon practice
XP 7 shield block


Yeoman

The Yeoman is another role from SLASH'EM that we have retooled a bit. In SLASH'EM the Yeoman closely resembled the Knight, maybe too closely. We have given them a few more tools and a dashing green coat to get them started. Like the Undead Slayer, they also had their starting slowness removed. Other races like tortle and giant have slowness, so that trait isn't totally lost with this change.

Level 7: Speed
Level 15: Swimming

Inventory:

Gameplay:

  • Can reach skilled in daggers and axes.
  • Their special spell is knock.

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 calm steed


Pirate

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! If it's a pirate's life ye want, then it's the pirate role for ye! This role offers a fun immersive experience into the pirate role where most of the game messages will be translated into pirate speak for you. You'll also start with a pet monkey or parrot, and what pirate would leave home without a few bottles of rum?

This role offers a few twists on the standard NetHack experience. Most notably, the pirate can only gain one gift from altar sacrifice gifts - the Marauder's Map - after that, they will receive no further gifts from their god. After that, you have to rely on randomly generated artifacts. Luckily, pirates have improved odds: artifacts generate four times as often as for other roles when you're a Pirate! Although they can't get weapons from sacrifice gifts, they do get an artifact cutlass from being crowned - the Reaver, which will handily steal items from enemies when it hits them. Finally, their quest artifact is the Treasury of Proteus - a powerful chest that has mysterious powers. Once you have possession of the chest, you are considered "King of the Hill", and will attract the attention of pirates far and wide, dead and alive.

Level 1: Swimming
Level 7: Stealth
Level 11: Speed

Starts with a pet monkey or parrot.

Inventory:

  • +0 cutlass (scimitar)
  • 3 +1 knives
  • flintlock and bullets
  • +0 leather jacket
  • +0 high boots
  • Two sea biscuits (cram ration)
  • Three bananas (25% chance of kelp fronds)
  • Three potions of rum (potion of booze)
  • A random ring
  • 10% chance of a 0:1 wand of death (from the Pirate YANI)
  • +0 oilskin sack or grappling hook

Gameplay:

  • Added a gun shop to the pirate quest.
  • Changed Pirate's special spell to haste self (Barbarians already had Cause Fear)

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 weapon practice
XP 1 tumble
XP 5 sunder

Jedi

The Jedi role has been ported from SlashTHEM. The Jedi have a delicate relationship with their lightsabers - the lightsabers provide offense, defense, and utility, but they demand attention and maintenance. As a master of the force, you will have to balance your use of the lightsaber to make sure you don't exhaust its charges when you need it most. The Jedi skill set is narrowly focused on swords and sabers, so you will have to make the most of your lightsaber and use your techniques to get out of tight spots.


Inventory:

  • +1 robe,
  • +0 leather gloves,
  • Chance of either a red, green or blue lightsaber,
  • 50% chance of a blindfold.


Gameplay:

  • Jedi can reach skilled in enchantment spells.
  • Jedi's can reach Expert in martial arts.
  • Jedi can reach basic in firearms.
  • Receives Deluder as their first guaranteed sacrifice gift.

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 jedi jump
XP 5 charge saber
XP 8 telekinesis
XP 14 force push

Existing role changes

Archaeologist

  • Starts with 1 spellbook;
  • Can start with torch or lamp
  • Club moved from skilled to basic.
  • Spear skill added, can be trained to expert.
  • Archaeologists can highly enchant fedoras (xnh)
  • Archaeologists get a +1 luck bonus from wearing fedoras.
  • Archaeologists start with a scroll of knowledge

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 research

Barbarian

  • Barbs start with 2 food rations
  • Two-weapon – Barbarians go from basic to skilled
  • Riding skill increased from basic to skilled.
  • Attack spell school removed. Special spell changed to cause fear.

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 berserk
XP 5 rage


Caveman/Cavewoman

  • Gets expanded night-vision radius of 2 tiles (from SLASH'EM).
  • All spell schools removed, has 20% chance of failing to read any spellbook, regardless of its BUC status.
  • Can bang rocks together to make flint.
  • Can lash flint to arrows, making them more deadly with a +1 bonus. Simply (a)pply a flint stone when you have some arrows, and select the arrows to upgrade. The arrows can only get a maximum of +1 this way.
  • Staying illiterate can increase maximum hit point gain per level-up.
    • XP 2-3, you can get a 1 max HP bonus.
    • XP 4-7, you can get a d2 max HP bonus.
    • XP 8+, you can get a d3 max HP bonus.
    • Your wisdom is also exercised on each level up that you remain illiterate on.
  • Are the only role that can successfully tame and ride saber-toothed tigers.
  • Starting pet is a wolf (from UnNetHack). wolfname option can be set in the options file.
  • First sacrifice gift is Skullcrusher (from SLASH'EM). They also have a second gift Keolewa (from EvilHack).

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 primal roar

Healer

  • They start the game knowing items related to healing:
    • potion of sickness
    • potion of regeneration
    • potion of paralysis
    • potion of sleeping
    • potion of restore ability
    • potion of blood
    • all healing potions
    • healthstones.
  • Now receives the Drowsing Rod as a first sacrifice gift
  • Added clerical spell school, can train to skilled.
  • Gets poison resistance intrinsic at experience level 3 instead of experience level 1.
  • Trades warning intrinsic for sickness resistance at experience level 15.
  • Can sense how wounded a monster is when attacking it, can also sense the wounded status of its pets.
  • Healers get +1 blessed scalpel now.

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 surgery


Knight

  • Numerous weapon skills adjusted (axe, broadsword, two-handed sword,
  • Polearms and spears from skilled to expert.
  • Mace and morning star moved from skilled to basic).
  • Attack and healing spell schools moved from skilled to basic.
  • Knights can never tame dragons (they are natural enemies).
  • Knights are immune to the fear from dragon roars.
  • Dwarven knights will start with a dwarvish bearded axe instead of a long sword.

Lawful Knight Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 turn undead
XP 1 healing hands
XP 1 shield block

Dark Knight Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 soul eater
XP 1 shield block


Monk

Intrinsics changes:

  • Monks now receive extra intrinsics as they level up into the higher experience tiers
XL 1: see invisible, sleep resistance, and speed
XL 3: poison resistance
XL 5: stealth
XL 7: warning
XL 9: automatic searching
XL 11: fire resistance
XL 13: cold resistance
XL 15: shock resistance
XL 17: teleport control
XL 20: telepathy
XL 23: water walking
XL 25: stoning resistance
XL 27: disintegration resistance
XL 30: sickness resistance

Skill changes:

    • Can reach skilled in lightsabers.
    • Crossbow skill removed, added trident and broadsword.
  • At master level and higher monks gain an extra kick attack (random) using martial arts skill.
  • At grand master level, monks gain an extra fist attack per round using martial arts skill.
  • Because of the extra random kick attack, players will need to be mindful of wearing boots of some sort, as kicking a footrice/basilisk barefoot equals instant petrification.
  • Can break boulders and statues using martial arts skill at skilled level or higher (press shift + f and then a movement key in the desired direction).
  • Monks get a 1AC bonus for being drunk/confused (from UnNetHack).
  • Reverted the starting spell of confuse monster; Monks can again start with the spell of sleep.
  • Their first sacrifice gift is now The Gauntlets of Defense.
  • Monks are the only role that starts with a Robe of Power

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 dash
XP 1 pummel
XP 1 chained blitz
XP 1 break rock
XP 2 chi strike
XP 4 chi healing
XP 6 elemental fist
XP 8 draw energy
XP 10 ground slam
XP 13 uppercut
XP 17 spirit bomb
XP 20 power surge

Priest

  • Gets a +2 shield.
  • All slash and pierce weapons removed; can only train with blunt-type weapons.
  • Priests incur a substantial to-hit penalty, abuse wisdom, and get alignment penalties when trying to use an edged weapon (wielded or thrown).
  • Their first sacrifice gift is now Demonbane.
  • Their crowning gift is Mjollnir.

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 turn undead
XP 1 blessing
XP 7 shield block
XP 10 healing hands
XP 30 revivification

Ranger

  • Ranger can now advance two-weaponing, up to skilled.
  • If playing as a gnome, their quest artifact becomes the Crossbow of Carl. Its properties mirror that of the Longbow of Diana, except that it is a crossbow instead of a bow.
  • At XL10, rangers automatically see ammo enchantments.

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 missile flurry

Rogue

Inventory changes:

  • Rogues get scrolls of teleport and gold detection (2 each) and oilskin sack
  • Rogues also get darts; 30% chance that they are replaced with a pistol and bullets.
  • New trainable skill known as 'thievery', which allows the rogue to pickpocket a target and steal items from their inventory (must be bare-handed to use, press shift + f and then a movement key in the direction of the target).
  • If the target is peaceful, there is a chance the target will not notice depending on the players' skill in thievery.
  • Critical strike from behind works while two-weaponing.
  • Rogues get backstab bonus on many other monster statuses (xnh).
  • The backstab formula has been adjusted: bonus is based on skill with a cap (xnh).
  • First offering gift is the Bat from Hell (SLASH'EM)

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 pickpocket
XP 1 critical strike
XP 15 cutthroat

Samurai

  • Removed attack and clerical spell schools.
  • The samurai quest artifact The Tsurugi of Muramasa, now grants half physical damage, and has it's chance of bisection increased to 15% per hit.
  • Samurai alignment abuse ceases below -10 when attacking peacefuls.
  • Samurai gets Kiku-ichimonji as a first sacrifice gift instead of Snickersnee (from SlashTHEM).

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 kiii

Tourist

  • Tourists get automatic type identification for shop items
  • Tourists get 2 extra magic maps, 2 extra food.
  • Tourists start with all of their optional equipment.
  • The magic marker that a tourist starts with is always 0:0.
  • Two-weaponing: Tourists from skilled to basic.
  • Tourists receive at most 1 PW per level up (they do not have any innate magic ability.)
  • Tourists can reach expert in boomerang skill.

Changed Tourist's special spell to create familiar (Jedi get charm monster as their special now).

No techniques.

Valkyrie

– Removed escape spell school.

  • Special spell changed to repair armor.
  • Dwarven valkyries will start with a dwarvish bearded axe instead of a long sword, and are automatically proficient with it when using it to disarm weapons/shields.
  • Since Valkyries don't have access to Excalibur * they are able to get the powerful Gungnir as compensation. Simply get a spear, enchant it up to +5, then pray while you have "pious" alignment. Your god will turn the spear into Gungnir for you.

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 weapon practice
XP 5 shield block


Wizard

  • Removed numerous weapons from being trained (axe, short sword, club, mace, polearms, spear, trident, shuriken).
  • Enchantment spell skill raised from skilled to expert,
  • Clerical spell skill lowered from skilled to basic.
  • Can sense if objects are magical in nature, much the same way a priest knows the beatitude of all objects.
  • Wizards start with magic whistles, harps, flutes, and drums identified. Wizards can see the magical nature of tools, so by process of elimination a wizard should know these objects. Otherwise we get an awkward situation of seeing a magical whistle, then it auto-identifies when used to a magic whistle.
  • New starting pet, the pseudodragon.

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 reinforce memory
XP 3 draw energy
XP 5 power surge


New player races

Centaurs

Centaurs are strong and fast, and can be just the thing if you are looking for a new twist on an old role. They have increased carrying capacity that matches the giant player race. Centaurs' strength and dexterity can be maxed to 20, but intelligence maximum is 12, wisdom is 14, and charisma is 16 (They may not make the best spellcasters but they sure can fight). Centaurs generate slightly more hit points per level vs a human player, and they start with intrinsic speed and the ability to jump (not like a Knight, but like wearing a pair of jumping boots). Centaurs know all bow and crossbow weapons automatically, and get a multishot bonus with either type.

Centaurs cannot wear boots, for hopefully obvious reasons. They can wear all other forms of armor (as can now their monster counterparts). Centaurs cannot ride anything as a steed due to them being quadrupedal.

Because they are a steed - centaurs have the unique position of being able to melee with polearms and lances as a mounted character would.

Racial abilities:

Level 1: Fast
Level 1: Jumping
Level 10: Warning

No techniques

Tortles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Tortles! These turtles, err, tortles... are a tanky new addition from EvilHack. Tortles are a humanoid reptilian race that resembles an upright tortoise, complete with a large protective shell on their back. They are larger than humans, and a bit stronger and wiser, but move slower and aren't quite so nimble. Tortles are typically of lawful alignment, but can be neutral as well if the role they chose allows it.

Tortles that start with a trident, the trident is rustproof.

Strength can get as high as 19 naturally, and they have a slightly increased weight carrying cap. Wisdom can go as high as 20, with dexterity capped at 10, and charisma capped at 14.

Racial abilities:

Level 1: Swimming
Level 1: Magical Breathing
Level 5: Warning
Level 12: hungerless regeneration

Tortles have a unique ability - they can hide inside their shell for up to 200 turns at a time, using the #monster command. While inside their shell, they are blind, cannot move or attack, and basically can't do much of anything except regenerate hit points/power and pray. But, while in their shell:

  • they receive a massive 40 point boost to their AC, and only take half physical damage.
  • the bite attacks of monsters that are large or smaller won't do any damage.
  • they are impervious to stinger attacks, and being grabbed and crushed.
  • They can come out of their shell early if they so chose (same command used to enter), and will have to wait 300-400 turns before being able to hide in their shell again.

Tortles start with a natural AC of 0 due to their shells, but are extremely limited in what kind of armor they can wear. They are restricted to hats, gloves and shields only; hats and gloves made of any kind of hard or rigid material interfere with their ability to retreat into their shell (the Mitre of Holiness for tortle priests is an exception to this rule). As a tortle 'grows up' and gains experience, their shells grow thicker and become better able to repel attacks, giving the tortle an extra point of AC every three levels - this caps off at 10 points total for experience level 30.

Note: In Hack'EM tortles can wear mummy wrappings (since they can stay wrapped while in their shell), giving them one more valuable armor slot.


Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 shell


Giants

Make way! Here comes somebody who means business. The Giant. This race was craft in EvilHack and presents a nice balance of strengths versus weaknesses. This is Yet Another Race that can bring a fresh take to old roles, or be combined with new roles for an exciting adventure into the dungeons of doom.

Giants can be any of the four alignments (role restrictions enforced) and either gender. Giants have increased initial and maximum cap carrying capacity, with strength and constitution able to reach 25. Intelligence and dexterity are capped at 14, charisma at 16. Giants movement speed is slightly slower than other races due to their size.

  • Giants have innate knowledge of certain gems, can ID touchstones and can dig as well as a dwarf.
  • Other things in-game that require strength to accomplish are easier for Giants.

Giants can ride one creature and one creature only – the woolly mammoth, a new monster found only in EvilHack.

Offense for giants:

  • Giants can pickup and throw boulders (the boulders stack and can be quivered). In Sokoban, the player is asked before picking up or moving aside a boulder.
  • Boulders have a little bit of weight (8 aum instead of 6000 aum) when carried by giants. This prevents player giants from carrying hundreds of stacked boulders without penalty.
  • Giants excel in bare-handed combat or with a club, and have a greater chance of stunning an opponent or shattering their wielded weapon.
  • Giants can wield two-handed weapons in one hand.
  • Giants take extra damage from slings (think 'David and Goliath').

Defense for giants:

  • Hit point generation is significantly greater for giants per level vs a human player.
  • Giants cannot wear body armor, cloaks, or shirts - with the exception of mummy wrappings which giants can wear.
  • They have an innate lower armor class (AC 6 vs AC 10 when naked).
  • Giant wizards start with an amulet of magic resistance.
  • Giant samurai start with large splint mail.
  • Any giant can wear large splint mail * not just Samurai.

Racial abilities:

Level 1: aggravate monsters and never stealthy
Level 12: hungerless regeneration

No techniques

Hobbits

Is it time for second breakfast yet?? The hobbit was originally a race in SLASH'EM, but thankfully it had some fantastic updates in EvilHack we were able to inherit. Hobbits are small and humble - but don't underestimate them, just because they are small doesn't mean they are incompetent in the dungeon, quite the contrary.

Hobbits' alignment choices are lawful or neutral (role restrictions enforced). Hobbits can max dexterity, wisdom and constitution to 20, but strength, intelligence and charisma are capped at 16.

  • Hobbits receive a multishot bonus with slings, knives, and daggers (if their role is capable of multishot).
  • Everyone knows hobbits are all about food and when they can eat next. They start with the new 'food sense' intrinsic but are also innately hungry. Because of this, they start with extra food (if not a Convict) and a tinning kit (if not a Convict or an Archaeologist). They can also eat more than twice the amount of food other races can eat before becoming satiated.
  • Hobbits prefer elven gear over anything else, and will start with said gear if it's available.
  • Hobbits start out knowing Elbereth.

Racial abilities:

Level 1: food appraisal
Level 1: hunger
Level 4: speed
Level 7: searching


Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 blink


Illithids

Illithid is the formal name for a mind flayer. This ancient race has psychic abilities and are natural spellcasters, but are physically weak compared to other races. Illithids can only be of chaotic alignment (unless playing as an Infidel), and can be both male or female.

Intelligence and wisdom can go as high as 22, and dexterity as high as 20, but their strength, constitution and charisma are capped at 10/12/16 respectively. Power generation per level gained is slightly higher than that of the elven player race.

Illithids have a natural psionic attack that can confuse and kill, and is tied to spell power use (but is not considered a spell for the purposes of Amulet of Yendor interactions). If your race is changed (e.g. by getting crowned as an infidel), this ability is lost.

  • Levels 1-25: Deals 2d6 psychic damage
  • Level 26+: Increases to 4d6 psychic damage.

Illithids have a single extra tentacle attack that behaves exactly like the tentacle attack from a mind flayer. This attack is set up in such a way that it will automatically not be used if attacking something the player should not touch unprotected (read: cockatrice). This attack does not work on a mind flayer. Conversely, illithids are immune to the mind flayer tentacle attack and zombie brain eating attacks.

Racial abilities:

Level 1: psychic resistance
Level 1: infravision
Level 1: telepathy
Level 1: flying

No techniques.

Vampirics

Vampires have an interesting history in the NetHack world. They first surfaced in SLASH'EM, then in UnNetHack, dNethack, and SpliceHack. Each one was done a little differently, so we aimed to take the best of each and release a vampire that is fun but balanced. Our "vampiric" race starts you off strong, you won't have any cheesy poison or GWAWOD deaths, nor will you have to worry about sleeping gas traps or any of the floor traps that you can just fly over. What you *will* have to worry about is silver and fire: your new worst enemies.

You'll also have to move quickly and attack aggressively to keep draining blood for food. The corpse draining mechanic from SLASH'EM has been removed. It created quite a few bugs in the nutrition code, it resulted in tedious draining of corpses (which often are wasted anyway), and a better alternative was found in SpliceHack, which was simply doubling the nutrition from feeding on life blood during combat. The main drawback to this approach is that now vampirics cannot gain intrinsics or benefits from eating corpses. To compensate, you start off with almost all the intrinsics a regular vampire enjoys.

Misc info:

  • Vampirics get an extra attack – a drain life bite. This is how you will "eat" as a vampire. To maximize nutrition, you might want to fight bare-handed.
  • Vampirics also get less natural HP regeneration while playing (about 1/3 of normal), instead they gain HP when they feed and successfully drain life.
  • They start with both blood potions known.
  • Vampires who wear an opera cloak get a +1 Charisma bonus
  • Can be chaotic or neutral.
  • The starting intrinsics for vampires have been buffed from SLASH'EM and UnNetHack to compensate for the lack of being able to build up resistances from draining corpses.
  • Vampires can play the following roles: Arc, Bar, Con, Ice, Nec, Pir, Rog, Wiz.

Racial abilities:

Level Ability
Level 1: Sleep resistance
Level 1: Poison resistance
Level 1: Drain resistance
Level 1: Wither resistance(*)
Level 1: Immune to death magic(*)
Level 1: Breathless
Level 1: Flying
Level 10: Regeneration
Level 10: Hunger

(*) mummies instead inflict regular physical damage to withering resistant monsters.

Weaknesses:

  • Vulnerable to silver.
  • Vulnerable to fire.
  • Vulnerable to undead turning.
  • Vampires can wield and wear silver items, but it damages them and blocks their natural regeneration
  • Restricted in two-weapon skill.
  • Start with a small penalty to luck (-1) and alignment (-5)
  • Disabled #monster polymorph for the vampiric race.
  • Since vampirics cannot eat food, they can't gain intrinsics or resistances from eating corpses.


Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 dazzle
XP 1 draw blood (Requires a medical kit)

Doppelgangers

How can you trust something that is constantly changing? Ask a doppelganger, better yet - play as one! The Doppelganger is a strange race, capable of taking on any form that it is familiar with. As you level up with a doppelganger, you will gain access to a greater variety and strength of forms.

Originally from SLASH'EM, this race gives the player the option to flex their knowledge of monsters. Being able to turn into the right monster at the right time is a key skill to success with playing doppelgangers.

  • Added a list of all monsters doppelgangers have eaten to the stats menu (^X).
  • Doppelgangers can lose memory of eaten monsters if hit with amnesia effects.
  • Eating tinned corpses also added to eaten memory for doppelgangers.
  • Every other race is hostile to doppelgangers (except were-foo).
  • Doppelgangers know about polymorph items - also silenced u_init warning about unknown race (reported by cbus)
  • More roles can be doppelgangers: Arc, Con, Nec, Pri, Rog, Tou, Wiz.


Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 liquid leap

Existing race changes

Elves

  • Elves always start out knowing Elbereth.
  • Elves can use musical instruments without risk of breaking them.
  • Elves can always squeeze between two trees
  • Elves and rangers get alignment penalty for cutting down trees
  • Elves can only be lawful.

Elves have an aversion to iron – wearing or wielding anything made of iron that touches the players skin will prevent hit point regeneration, and will cause 1d8 physical damage on initial contact. Being hit with any weapon made of iron will do the same amount of extra damage. Elf-based monsters are affected the same way when being attacked with weapons made of iron and will avoid using items made of iron. Wielding an iron weapon without gloves incurs a -1 luck penalty.

No techniques for elves.

Dwarves

  • Dwarves get an alignment bonus for cutting down trees
  • All dwarven roles (except convict) have a chance of starting with a pick-axe.


Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 rage

Gnomes

Techniques:

Level Technique Gained
XP 1 vanish
XP 7 tinker

Orcs

  • Orcs can never use Elbereth
  • Orcs have an aversion to mithril – the same conditions above for elves and iron exists for orcs and mithril. They are also the only player race that can tame and ride a warg.

The Quest

  • Various changes have been made to each role's Quest to make the experience more varied and interesting for the player.
  • The minimum experience level needed to be accepted for the quest has been lowered to 10 (from the default 14).
  • If you've made your quest leader angry for whatever reason, this no longer makes the game unwinnable.
  • You can engage them in battle, and if you kill your quest leader, this unlocks the quest. You can then complete your quest as you normally would.
  • Take heed, quest leaders are not weak and can prove formidable to a mid-level player. Also note that your deity isn't exactly thrilled with you killing off your quest leader.
  • Your alignment record can still be in the positive, but if you try any helm of opposite alignment shenanigans when it comes time to sacrifice the Amulet of Yendor at the endgame... interesting (read: bad) things can happen.
  • Abusing your alignment can have a direct effect on how your quest ends.
  • Once you've defeated the quest nemesis and returned with your quest artifact and the Bell of Opening and speak with your quest leader, there's a chance they may ask you to actually return the quest artifact as they originally alluded to when you first accepted the quest.
  • Alignment abuse is tracked throughout the game – having your alignment negatively adjusted by one point also counts as one abuse point (this can be checked at any time via #conduct, and compared to vanilla, more feedback when abusing alignment is given).
  • Unlike your alignment record, which can be readjusted back into positive standing, your alignment abuse record is PERMANENT.
  • Getting one abuse point means there's a 1 in 50 chance your quest leader will ask you to give up the quest artifact.
  • Racking up more abuse points increases those odds, to the point where if you've accumulated 50 or more abuse points, it's virtually guaranteed your quest leader will demand you return the quest artifact.
  • You have two options at this point – either hand over the quest artifact peacefully, or decline.
  • Declining will anger your quest leader, and they will attack. Handing over the quest artifact peacefully will flag the quest as complete.
  • Declining to turn over the quest artifact does not complete the quest – at some point your quest leader will need to be defeated before the quest is flagged as complete.
  • Also, attempting to evade your quest leader (whether they are peaceful or hostile) will do you no good in the long run, as the Bell of Opening has been 'cursed', and the only way to lift the curse is to complete the quest.
  • The Bell will not function for the invocation until this is done.
  • Alternative scenarios have been taken into account, such as if you angered your quest leader before even starting the quest and you killed them, you simply need to defeat your quest nemesis to flag the quest as complete.
  • Conversely, if you've killed the quest nemesis and return, but somehow anger your quest leader before you speak to them, killing them also flags the quest as complete.
  • Some peace of mind – if you've never abused your alignment, your quest leader will never ask you for the quest artifact.


UPDATE: Quest leaders will make you forfeit the quest artifact only if you heavily abuse alignment (less than -64 alignment abuse score required)

Quest luck boon for completing quest with minimal alignment abuse (credit to mobileuser)

Dungeon Features

Trap Mechanics

  • Added ice traps (Un). Only generates after level 8.
  • Added magic beam traps (evil)
  • Magic beam traps cannot generate above level 16 (SlashTHEM)
  • Magic beam traps now generate a random beam type on every trigger; before they were hardcoded to a single beam when created on the level.
  • Can #untrap rust traps (they turn into fountains)
  • Disarming rust traps from a distance (telekinesis or zapping acid) doesn't produce a fountain.
  • Can #untrap fire traps (requires water)
  • Untrapping a spear trap has a chance of yielding a spear or stake
  • Allow force fighting of webs with a bladed weapon to destroy them
  • Thrown items can get stuck in webs (3.7)
  • The Castle drawbridge does not always close with the passtune
  • Invisibility from magic traps is temporary.
  • 1/7 chance a polytrap disappears after polymorphing a monster. (Splice)

Breaking wands creates related traps

Breaking wands will usually create related traps (Un)

Wand Trap created
wand of cold ice trap
wand of opening trap door
wand of fire fire trap
wand of magic missile magic trap
wand of teleportation teleport trap
wand of polymorph poly trap
wand of sleep sleeping gas trap
wand of cancellation anti-magic trap
wand of deluge rust trap
wand of shock magic beam trap
wand of poison gas magic beam trap
wand of corrosion magic beam trap
wand of sonics magic beam trap

wand of secret door detection: When broken this does not create a trap, however it will now detect traps and portals.

Grass

  • Pulled from SpliceHack/xNetHack, we now have lush grass in the dungeon!
  • Grass appears sparsely in the early levels, peaks around level 15, and then tapers off after level 22.
  • Hidey monsters can use grass as concealment.
  • Fire and death rays scorch away grass and revert it to normal floor

Bloody Tiles

  • Ported from SpliceHack
  • When monsters are killed, they have a chance to spray blood in a random direction and color a tile red. No real effect on gameplay, purely aesthetic.
  • The amount of blood depends on monster size.
  • Spraying bloody tiles with a ray of water (ie: from a wand of deluge) will clear the tile of it's blood.
  • When bloody tile is walked over, there is a 1 in 20 chance it will erode away.
  • Orc blood is black.
  • There is also a bloodless game option to play without the tile coloring.

Vents

  • Ported from SpliceHack
  • Vents appear after level 3.
  • After level 8, some vents will emit poison gas instead of harmless mist.
  • Vents have a 3/5 chance of being destroyed when bombs are dropped or thrown into them, releasing a small earthquake in the process.
  • Monsters can use vents to conceal themselves.
  • Polymorphed sinks can turn into vents
  • Spiders, snakes, and rats can randomly pop out of vents.
  • Changed vent color to bright cyan to differentiate them from iron bars.

Toilets

Toilets are a bit silly, but they have been enhanced to be more interesting and useful!

  • Ported from SLASH'EM
  • Toilets can appear separate from sinks, in SLASH'EM they only appeared in pairs with sinks.
  • Enabled fishing in toilets
  • Dropping a ring of poly into a sink can poly into a toilet.
  • Prevented toilet prayer while levitating.
  • Toilet prayer can now stop the vomiting process (before it could not and you could vomit and still be in the vomiting process)

Toilet #kicking

  • Kicking now only breaks the toilet 1/7 chance (was 1/4 in SLASH'EM)
  • Kicking can generate cockroaches and sewage from kicking (1 in 17 chance)
  • Kicking can generate brown puddings (only once per toilet)
  • Kicking can generate a random tool, normally this tool will weigh under 15aum, but sometimes you'll get a large tool that bonks against the piping. If a large tool bonks 3x - you'll get that tool no matter now big it is and the toilet is destroyed in the process.

Amulet identification in toilets (slex)

  • Amulets can be dropped down toilets and possibly identified (similar to sinks and rings)
  • Updated amulet feedback messages, blind effects, and hallucination effects.
  • Amulets of Flying are always regurgitated from toilets.
  • Amulets of Change will polymorph the toilet into a sink

Sinks

  • Random sink effect: noxious gas cloud (from 3.7)

Forges

  • Inherited from EvilHack

- Forges are introduced, which have the same appearance as fountains but are orange in color. Just like fountains, dipping things into them can have desirable or adverse affects. They can be used to dispose of anything that is flammable, and can also be used to repair corrosion/rust damage to any metallic object (if your luck is greater than 0). There is a rare chance that a lava demon can be summoned via dipping, which will be hostile most times, but can sometimes spawn tame (same odds as getting a wish from a water demon/fountain). Having negative luck can cause a forge to explode when used, which can cause considerable fire damage. Players can also use a forge to remove an attached ball & chain, and can also combine two objects to forge something new using the #forge command.

  • Added new recipes for various imported weapons
  • Forges don't appear until after level 2.
  • Forges can be blown up by rays of water.


Dungeon Changes

  • Adjust secret passage frequency and exclude them from DL 1-4 (xnh)
  • Random doors are secret less of the time (xnh)
  • Kicking a "wall" that is actually a secret of some sort will never injure the player and will always produce an unambiguous message that there's something there. This makes it a valid strategy to kick every wall suspected of hiding something, because a single kick will give a yes/no on whether it's a regular wall or not. It's still not a *great* strategy, because the real walls will still hurt and wound legs like normal. (xnh)
  • Extended the main dungeon: Now 35-39 levels deep
  • Ludios appears on the first eligible level.
  • Fort Ludios can also appear below Medusa's.
  • Adjusted oracle (appears levels 5-9)
  • The fountains in Delphi can sometimes cause hallucination (splice)
  • The Rogue level has been removed
  • Additional variants of the Castle, Fort Ludios, Sokoban, Mine Town and Mines End have been added.

Gnomish Mines

  • Added new different types of gnomes, dwarves, and thieves.
  • Added dwarf/gnome thieves to most town/Minetown variants. Evil added
  • Monsters will usually be undead if you are a dwarf, gnome, or hobbit (from SLASH'EM) Instead of making undead dependent on your alignment, the chance scales with the dungeon depth. At the top of the mines, undead should be quite rare, but at mine's end beware.
  • Imported Minetown variants from SlashTHEM and SpliceHack.
  • Imported Mine's End levels from SlashTHEM
  • Imported Gnome King ending from SLASH'EM, SlashTHEM.

Sokoban

  • The last room of Sokoban has more prize variety, with a catch.
  • Imported all of the levels from SLASH'EM, plus some new ones from SlashTHEM.
  • Also imported all the new levels from NetHack Fourk.
  • Following in the footsteps of NetHack Fourk, all levels have been given names to make them easier to reference.
  • The map numbers in the listing below follow the format in the sokobon.des file (1-* is the top level and 4-* is the bottom level).
Map # Map Name Solution
4-1 "Kick It On Over" Sokoban Level 1b
4-2 "Setting That Aside" Sokoban Level 1a
4-3 "Mirror Hall" Sokoban Level 1c
4-4 "We See You" Sokoban Level 1d
4-5 "False Flag" Sokoban Level 1e
4-6 "One Wrong Step" Sokoban Level 1f
4-7 "Open the Door" Sokoban Level 1i
4-8 "Mini Me" Mini Me
4-9 "One More Time" One More Time
4-10 "Boomerang Boulders" Boomerang Boulders
4-11 "Easy Peasey" Easy Peasey
4-12 "First Things First" First Things First
4-13 "Picking out the Seeds" Picking out the Seeds
4-14 "Three-Room Monte" Three-Room Monte
4-15 "Column B" Column B
4-16 "One Weird Trick" One Weird Trick
4-17 "To the Top" To the Top
4-18 "A Hug and a Kiss" A Hug and a Kiss
3-1 "Squared Off" Sokoban Level 2b
3-2 "Old Reliable" Sokoban Level 2a
3-3 "Old Man of the Mountain" Sokoban Level 1k
3-4 "Roundabout" Sokoban Level 1l
3-5 "Room to Breathe" Sokoban Level 1m
3-6 "The Gauntlet" Sokoban Level 1n
3-7 "Thinking Rabbit" Sokoban Level 2c
3-8 "A Secret to Everybody" Sokoban Level 1j
3-9 "Escape Goat" Sokoban Level 3j
3-10 "Christmas Chimney" Sokoban Level 3k
3-11 "Fly on the Wall" Fly on the Wall
3-12 "Boulder Halls of Zim" Boulder Halls of Zim
3-13 "Two-Phase" Two-Phase
3-14 "The Snake" The Snake
3-15 "Count Carefully" Count Carefully
3-16 "You Only Need Six" You Only Need Six
3-17 "Four Wings" Four Wings
2-1 "Squeeze Me In" Sokoban Level 3b
2-2 "Nooks and Cubbyholes" Sokoban Level 3a
2-3 "The Pergola" Sokoban Level 3e
2-4 "Back Alley Cliche" Sokoban Level 3g
2-5 "Snaggletooth" Sokoban Level 3h
2-6 "Diligent Escape Plan" Sokoban Level 3i
2-7 "Corner Pocket" Sokoban Level 3c
2-8 "No Way Out" Sokoban Level 3d
2-9 "Reading Rooms" Sokoban Level 3f
2-10 "Shave and a Haircut" Sokoban Level 1g
2-11 "Bring 'em on Down" Bring 'em On Down
2-12 "Slot Machine" Slot Machine
2-13 "Through the Cracks" Through the Cracks
2-14 "Either Way, It's All Good" Either Way, It's All Good
2-15 "Sneak Preview" Sneak Preview
2-16 "Daedalus Delicatessen" Daedalus Delicatessen
2-17 "Stacked Dozen" Stacked Dozen (alternate solution)
1-1 "Left Holding the Bag" Sokoban Level 4a
1-2 "Reflectoban" Sokoban Level 4b
1-3 "Just Keep Pushing" Sokoban Level 4c
1-4 "Work For It" Sokoban Level 4d
1-5 "Dudley's Torment" Sokoban Level 4e
1-6 "Plinketto" Sokoban Level 4f
1-7 "Ringing Endorsement" Ringing Endorsement
1-8 "Open at the Top" Open at the Top
1-9 "Collecting Marbles" Collecting Marbles
1-10 "Running Rings Around" Running Rings Around
1-11 "Back At Ya" Back At Ya
1-12 "The Dragon of Bactria" The Dragon of Bactria

Town branch

  • from SlashTHEM/UnNethack
  • Appears 2-3 levels below the Oracle.
  • Imported Mall levels from SlashEM and added to town variants.
  • Imported Kobold level from SlashEM and added to town variants.
  • Created a Kobold "mall" level that is peaceful and has a lot of shops.
  • Created a "Raided Angband" level that is been ransacked by bandits and thieves.

Rat level (and variations)

(appears 10-14) A single randomized level picked from:

  • The Rat Level (Slash'EM)
  • The Rat Level (SlashTHEM)
  • The Nymph Level

Alignment Quests

  • (appears 15-19, From SLASH'EM)
  • The alignment quests are now totally optional. Currently there are no artifact keys, and no artifact doors in Vlad'S. This may change in the future
  • Each quest has a new boss and a new prize for defeating the boss.

Lawful Quest

  • Nebuchadnezzar now guards the Key of Access.

Neutral Quest

  • Xanathar now guards Xanathar's Ring of Proof

Chaotic Quest

  • Instead of the randomized level that SLASH'EM had, we have replaced it with Vecna's branch from EvilHack.
  • The difficulty of Vecna has been reduced to be closer to the SLASH'EM version, but he still gets the extra clerical spell attack from Evil.
  • Vecna is the source of power for all other liches. Because of this, all types of liches (including alhoons) cannot be genocided until Vecna is destroyed.
  • The monsters in the branch have been reduced (in numbers and difficulty) to better fit the placement in the dungeon.

Grund's Stronghold

  • Appears on level 12
  • Added more traps and moat, the stronghold wall is phaseproof.
  • Grund's Stronghold has a large cache of ammo in one of the storage rooms.

Wyrm Caves branch

  • Appears level 21-22, 5-6 levels deep
  • Created an entrance level (from dNetHack's Erebor quest)
  • Created dynamic narrow passage filler levels that are always random.
  • At the bottom is a dangerous dragon nest a massive treasure horde.(from UnNetHack)

Black Market

  • Appears 23-24
  • Reduced Black Market prices a bit.
  • Black Market Layout 1 is now a little thinner.
  • Now undiggable and phase-proof.

The Storage Room

  • appears 22-30
  • Added 4 variations from dnh

Randomized SLASH'EM Level (The Lost Levels)

  • (appears 25-30)
  • Instead of cluttering the dungeon with all the one-level branches from SLASH'EM, a single one will be picked from these.
    • The Lost Tomb
    • Spider Caves
    • The Sunless Sea
    • The Giant Caves

The Temple of Moloch

  • appears 31-34

Gehennom

  • No longer a series of mazes, but are mines-style levels with lava.
  • Areas such as the Sanctum and the entrance to the Wizard's Tower have also been adjusted.
  • Cerberus now guards the entrance to Gehennom.
  • Vlad the Impaler's tower is the vanilla version
  • Vibrating square: messages when player is near

Elemental Planes

  • The first four Planes levels are randomized and appear in a different order every game.
  • Updated monsters on plane of water with deepest ones, giant squids, and mermaids.

New special rooms

  • Fungus Farm (SLASH'EM)
  • Migo Hive (SLASH'EM)
  • Dragon Lair (SLASH'EM)
  • Real Zoo (SLASH'EM)
    • Added zoo bats
  • Bad Food Shop (SLASH'EM)
    • Full of bad food and rotten eggs.
  • Giant Court (SLASH'EM)
  • Lemure Pit
  • Mini Guild (Hack'EM)
    • These replace the Guild of Disgruntled Adventurers in SLASH'EM.
    • Much smaller, less densely packed with player monsters
    • other monsters include typical pets.
  • Clinic room (SlashTHEM)
  • Terror hall (SlashTHEM)
    • Only appears after level 15.

Themed Rooms

  • EvilHack already had most of the themed rooms but more have been added.
  • Added any missing flipped versions of rooms (from UnNetHack) for completeness
  • Added minimum levels to all themed Rooms
    • The dungeon is pretty clean of themed rooms until level 8.
    • At levels 8, 11, and 17 we introduce more variety.

Shops

  • Shopkeepers can be a variety of different races; your race versus theirs directly affects pricing.
  • Removed the racial shopkeeper price adjustments.

Shopkeeper Services

  • Instead of every store offering a general Identify service - every shop offers premier identify servies based on their shop type or the race of the shopkeeper.
  • Streamlined the service menu interface. Previously navigating the services was tedious. Now when you press 'p', you are immediately presented with a full menu of all the available services - no submenus within menus.
  • Removed shopkeepers stealing all your money when you charge a wand of wishing.
  • Only Black Market can have the "identify any" service
  • The service charge "smoothing" rewards higher charisma.
  • All shop identify services are basic (and half price).

Firearms training service

  • In addition to the weapon practice technique, this is a shopkeeper service for making firearms more accessible.
  • Gun shops always offer this up to expert skill.
  • Weapon shops, armor shops offer 20% of the time, up to max skilled.
  • General stores offer it 10% of the time, up to max Basic.
    • $500 for Basic skill
    • $1000 for Skilled
    • $2000 for expert?

Tinker service

  • Only gnomes offer this service
  • Allows you to upgrade an object to (usually) a better form, works the same as dipping an item into a potion of gain level.
  • In Slash'EM this was implemented as a technique, but here the service only takes 1 turn (we'll assume the shopkeepers are very good at tinkering or just cheating and using a hidden potion of gain level behind the counter)
  • Base charge is $500
  • Non-gnomes are charged double
  • Low intelligence (under 18 INT) players are subject to $100 price gouge
  • Lower intelligence (under 13 INT) players are subject to $250 price gouge
  • See the database on "upgrade" for a full list of eligible upgrades.

Add weapon property

  • Weapon based shops can offer an expensive random property service now.
  • Only one property can be added to a weapon.

Service details

Shop/Race Services
All shops:
  • 1 in 3 offer uncursing services.
  • 1 in 20 offer rumors
General stores:
  • 0-2 random identify services,
  • 10% chance of having 1 extra identify service.
  • 20% offer firearms training
  • 25% offer basic charging
Weapon shops:
  • 75% offer weapon ID
  • 20% offer armor ID
  • 25% offer weapon fixing
  • 25% offer weapon enchanting
  • 25% offer weapon poisoning
  • 20% offer firearms training
  • 20% offer property grafting
Armor shops:
  • 75% offer armor ID
  • 20% offer weapon ID
  • 25% offer armor fixing
  • 25% offer armor enchanting
  • (Note: Armor shops will refuse to work on dragon scales.)
  • 20% offer firearms training
Scroll stores:
  • 75% offer scroll ID
  • 20% offer book ID
Spellbook stores:
  • 75% offer book ID
  • 20% offer scroll ID
Potion stores:
  • 50% offer potion ID
Ring stores:
  • 20% offer ring ID
  • 20% offer amulet ID
  • 20% offer gem ID
  • 25% offer basic charging
Wand shops:
  • 50% offer wand ID
  • 20% offer armor ID
  • 25% offer basic charging
  • 25% offer premium charging
Tool shops:
  • 50% offer tool ID
  • 25% offer basic charging
Deli/food shops:
  • 100% offer food ID
  • 10% offer potion ID
Pet shops:
  • 50% offer food ID
  • 25% offer tool ID
Lighting shops:
  • 10% offer potion ID
Dwarves:
  • 20% offer weapon ID
  • 20% offer armor ID
  • 20% offer gem ID
Orcs:
  • 25% offer weapon poisoning
Gnomes:
  • 25% offer tool ID
  • 25% offer tinker
Giants:
  • 20% offer gem ID
Nymphs:
  • 10% offer ring ID
  • 20% offer potion ID
Hobbit:
  • 50% offer food ID
  • 10% offer ring ID
Illithid:
  • 25% offer scroll ID
  • 25% offer spellbook ID

New shop types

  • Pet Shops (From UnNetHack)
  • Instrument Shop (From UnNetHack)
  • Tin Shop ("canned food factory") (From UnNetHack)
  • Junk shop (from SpliceHack)
  • Added fly swatter, rubber hoses, bag of rats, iron chain, tin opener.
  • Mask shop (from SpliceHack)
  • Archery shop (from SpliceHack)
  • Gun shops (from SlashTHEM)

Misc shop changes

  • Lighting shops can now carry wands/scrolls/spellbooks of light, as well as the rare wand of lightning.
  • Delis can carry meat sticks, royal jelly, and huge chunks of meat.
  • Hardware stores stock potions of oil, and rarely touchstones (xnh)
  • Archery shops not should appear if your character cannot attain any proficiency in BOW.
  • Gun shops should not appear if your character cannot attain any proficiency in FIREARM.
  • Pet shops can carry bardings of all types.

New Items

Weapons

Item Class Appearance Base Cost Notes Origin
footbow BOW warped bow 60 SpliceHack
light arrow BOW 12 Found only in archery shops SpliceHack
great dagger DAGGER 30 SLASH'EM
parazonium DAGGER 12 SpliceHack
chakram BOOMERANG 10
  • A metal based boomerang that weights 25. SpliceHack's base material was silver - this seemed a bit too powerful so it's been changed to iron. However, the valid material can generate as any shiny material so there is still a 20% chance of being silver.
  • d10 vs small, d9 vs lg, +1 to-hit
  • Chakrams only deal 1-2 damage if used as a melee weapon.
  • Thrown chakrams slice through monsters and always return to you.
  • Chakrams can be poisoned and sharpened like shurikens.
SpliceHack
throwing axe AXE 10
  • 1d5 versus small and 1d4 versus large monsters.
  • +2 to-hit.
  • Counts as a throwing weapon so can be stacked.
SpliceHack
gladius SHORT SWORD 10 * 1d10 versus small and 1d6 versus large monsters. SpliceHack
orcish long sword LONG SWORD crude long sword 12
  • 1d8 vs small, 1d10 vs large
EvilHack
elven long sword LONG SWORD runed long sword 40
  • 1d10 vs small, 1d12 vs large
EvilHack
falchion SABER heavy sword 55
  • 1d12 versus small and 1d16 versus large monsters.
  • Barbarians sometimes start with a falcion/scimitar combo instead of battle axe/short sword.
SpliceHack
orcish scimitar SABER crude curved sword 15
  • 1d6 vs small, 1d8 vs large
EvilHack
spiked chain WHIP 80 * 1d6+1 versus small and 1d4+2d4 versus large monsters. SpliceHack
flaming lash WHIP Dragon-hide 4
  • 1d12 versus small and 1d12 versus large monsters.
  • Deals fire damage
SpliceHack
rapier SABER 40
  • 1d6 versus small and 1d8 versus large monsters.
  • Rapiers can be generated randomly.
SLASH'EM
baseball bat CLUB 20
  • 1d8 versus small and 1d6 versus large monsters.
  • Baseball bats are only generated in junk shops.
  • Can be generated in different materials.
SLASH'EM
fly swatter WHIP - 3
  • 1d10 versus small and 1d2 versus large monsters.
  • +2 to-hit
  • Previously used PADDLE skill in SLASH'EM.
SLASH'EM
scythe POLEARMS curved polearm 5
  • 1d8+1d4 versus small and 1d10+1d4 versus large monsters.
  • Death gets a scythe
SpliceHack
executioner's mace MACE - 40
  • 1d12 versus small and 1d12 versus large monsters.
  • Powerful but doesn't generate randomly.
  • The worm that walks can generate with one.
SpliceHack
wooden stake DAGGER - 20
  • 1d6 versus small and 1d6 versus large monsters. +1 to-hit.
  • Added better bonuses for stakes vs vampires
  • dagger skill, undead slayer and artifact-stake bonuses stack)
  • Give monsters 20% insta-kill rate for wooden stakes
  • Vampires are not vulnerable to stakes while in different forms (like Vampire Bats).
SLASH'EM
atgeir SPEAR bladed spear 15
  • Base item for Gungnir
  • 1d4+1 versus small and 1d12 versus large monsters.
dnh
silver capped staff QUARTERSTAFF - 100
  • 1d6 versus small and 1d6 versus large monsters.
  • Deals silver damage
EvilHack
staff of divination QUARTERSTAFF wormwood staff 400
  • Confers a 50% boost to spellcasting any divination-based spells when wielded.
  • This staff and others like it can help non-casters attempt to cast certain spells that normally would have been either extremely difficult or impossible to cast otherwise.
EvilHack
staff of healing QUARTERSTAFF twisted staff 400
  • Confers a 50% boost to spellcasting any healing-based spells when wielded.
EvilHack
staff of necromancy QUARTERSTAFF bone-carved staff 400
  • Confers a 50% boost to spellcasting any necromancy-based spells when wielded.
  • (Replaces the staff of holiness)
EvilHack
staff of matter QUARTERSTAFF etched staff 400
  • Confers a 50% boost to spellcasting any matter-based spells when wielded.
EvilHack
staff of escape QUARTERSTAFF darkwood staff 400
  • Confers a 50% boost to spellcasting any escape-based spells when wielded.
EvilHack
staff of war QUARTERSTAFF ironshod staff 400
  • +2 to-hit
  • Confers a 50% boost to spellcasting any attack-based spells when wielded.
EvilHack
flintlock FIREARM 50 dNetHack
pistol FIREARM 100 SLASH'EM
submachine gun FIREARM - 250
  • Apply for different firing modes.
SLASH'EM
heavy machine gun FIREARM - 2000
  • Decreased weight of from 500 to 200.
SLASH'EM
rifle FIREARM - 150 SLASH'EM
sniper rifle FIREARM - 4000 SLASH'EM
assault rifle FIREARM - 1000 SLASH'EM
shotgun FIREARM - 200
  • Increased range to 5 (from 3)
  • Can only shoot shotgun shells.
SLASH'EM
auto shotgun FIREARM - 1500
  • Apply for different firing modes.
  • Increased range to 4 (from 3)
  • Increased to-hit from 0 to 1.
  • Can only shoot shotgun shells.
SLASH'EM
bullet FIREARM - 5
  • 1d20 versus small and 1d30 versus large monsters.
  • (Silver bullets are covered by object materials)
SLASH'EM
shotgun shell FIREARM - 7
  • 1d30 versus small and 1d45 versus large monsters.
  • Now weighs only 7.
SLASH'EM
* bombs (previously known as grenades) FIREARM - 10
  • All bombs can be ignited by sources of fire (fire rays, explosions, etc). This will start their normal timer.
  • (In SlashEM, grenade explosions would be calculated and happen instantaneously)
  • Bombs now explode on hitting a monster (when thrown) - mirroring the SlashEM behavior for monsters throwing.
  • Now weigh only 10.
  • Raised price of bombs to 50.
  • Mercenaries and watch guards can spawn with bombs.
  • Smarter bomb throwing for monsters - they mimic the behavior of throwing exploding potions of oil, so they will wait until at least 2 squares away to target you.
SLASH'EM
fire bombs FIREARM - 10 SpliceHack
gas bomb FIREARM - 10 SpliceHack
sonic bomb FIREARM - 10 Hack'EM

Armor

Item Class Appearance Notes Origin
light armor ARMOR
  • Replaces leather armor as part of the object materials system.
Hack'EM
plasteel armor ARMOR
  • 6AC
SlashTHEM
* shimmering dragon scales (already in evil) ARMOR SLASH'EM
robes ARMOR
  • Robes occupy the body armor slot instead of the robe slot (SlashEM)
  • This means that dragon scaled robes are possible in Hack'EM!
SLASH'EM
robe of protection ARMOR
  • Provides MC1.
SLASH'EM
robe of power ARMOR Randomized SLASH'EM
robe of weakness ARMOR Randomized SLASH'EM
plain cloak CLOAK -
  • Grants MC1
  • Replaces the leather cloak as part of the object materials system.
EvilHack
poisonous cloak CLOAK dirty rag
  • When worn, if the player doesn't have poison resistance, they suffer poison damage with a chance of insta-death.
  • Grants MC3
  • Now these are usually generated cursed.
  • If worn, these also prevent regeneration (regardless of poison resistance)
SLASH'EM
mana cloak CLOAK funeral shroud(*)
  • Grants energy regeneration
  • Grants AC1 and MC3
SlashTHEM
cloak of flight CLOAK feathery cloak(*)
  • Grants flight.
SpliceHack
green coat CLOAK -
  • Grants MC2
Hack'EM
striped shirt SHIRT - Convict patch
ruffled shirt SHIRT -
  • Behaves as an ordinary shirt, but also grants a +1 charisma bonus.
SlashTHEM
toque HELM -
  • Grants sonic resistance
EvilHack
tinfoil hat HELM fearsome helmet
  • Grants Psychic Resistance and protection against brain eating.
  • Weighs 0, made out of METAL.
UnNetHack
helm of speed HELM winged helmet
  • Grants very fast speed.
EvilHack
helm of madness HELM top hat
  • Causes hallucination, grants +3 charisma while worn.
  • Auto-curses on wear. Usually generated cursed.
Hack'EM
plasteel helm HELM -
  • 3AC
SlashTHEM
gauntlets GLOVES falconry gloves
  • just regular iron-based gloves.
EvilHack
gauntlets of protection GLOVES latex gloves
  • base item plastic, provides MC3.
EvilHack
gauntlets of swimming GLOVES black gloves
  • Confers swimming.
SLASH'EM
rogues gloves (splice) GLOVES fingerless gloves
  • Grants searching
SpliceHack
boxing gloves (splice) GLOVES boiled gloves
  • On each hit you have a 1 in 25 chance of stunning the defender
  • (increased from 1 in 50 in SpliceHack).
SpliceHack
plasteel gloves GLOVES white gloves
  • 2AC
SlashTHEM
shield of light SHIELD shiny shield
  • gives off light when worn. (radius based on its BUC status)
  • base material is gold
EvilHack
shield of mobility SHIELD slippery shield
  • confers free action when worn.
  • base material is steel
EvilHack
tower shield SHIELD - SpliceHack
hide shield SHIELD SpliceHack -
resonant shield SHIELD humming shield SpliceHack
stomping boots BOOTS steel-toed boots
  • While wearing these (and not levitating), you will insta-kill any tiny monsters you attack.
  • A big upgrade from SpliceHack is that now they also have a 1 in 4 chance of insta-killing small monsters.
  • Examples: soldier ants, killer bees, locusts, lesser/regular homunculi, dretches, imps, leprechauns, pixies, quicklings, brownies, spark/arc/lightning bugs, xans, rhaumbusun.
SpliceHack
plasteel boots BOOTS white boots
  • 2AC
SlashTHEM
orcish boots BOOTS crude shoes
  • much like dwarvish boots, but of lesser quality.
EvilHack
dwarvish boots BOOTS hard shoes
  • iron shoes were renamed to 'dwarvish boots'.
EvilHack
barding TOOL -
  • armor for steeds.
  • applied to your steed just as you apply a saddle
  • it's 'one size fits all'.
  • The material determines how much extra AC it gives your steed
EvilHack
spiked barding TOOL -
  • Protects you and steed from engulfing attack
EvilHack
barding of reflection TOOL polished barding
  • fully reflective just like a shield of reflection.
EvilHack

Comestibles

Food Type Notes Origin
asian pear
  • Added asian pear to possible tree fruits
SLASH'EM
mushroom
  • Mushrooms can now propogate if left on the dungeon floor.
SLASH'EM
sandwich SLASH'EM
tortilla
  • Made vegetarian, not vegan.
SLASH'EM
cheese SLASH'EM
pill
  • Make case 4 ("tastes like vitamins") only give 80 nutrition, but also grants gain ability (like fountains, blessed if high luck)
  • Pills always cure larval infection.
  • If the 1 in 7 chance for a wish is hit, there is a further roll of 1 in (25 - luck) required to attain the wish.
SLASH'EM
holy wafer SLASH'EM
pineapple
  • Gains bonuses when used as a thrown weapon.
  • can upgrade to random bomb types via dipping in potion of gain level.
SpliceHack
fruitcake
  • Provides a LOT of nutrition (1000))
  • 18 extra damage when thrown.
  • Eating a cursed fruit does 1d6 damage
SpliceHack
apple pie SpliceHack
pumpkin pie SpliceHack
slice of cake SpliceHack
sprig of catnip
  • (was "pinch of catnip" in SpliceHack)
  • Can tame any f
SpliceHack

Amulets

Item Appearance Notes Origin
amulet of flying (already in evil) cubical
  • Provides flying.
SLASH'EM
amulet of drain resistance warped
  • Provides drain resistance.
SLASH'EM
amulet versus stone lunate
  • The amulet provides permanent and durable petrification resistance.
  • In SLASH'EM it would change BUC status when it saved you and disintegrate when cursed.
SLASH'EM
amulet of nausea pentagonal
  • Causes the wearer to become sick and vomit occasionally. Usually cursed.
SpliceHack
amulet of danger skull-shaped
  • Provides infravision.
  • Greatly increases dungeon difficulty. Usually cursed.
SpliceHack
amulet of magic resistance oblong
  • provides magic resistance when worn.
EvilHack

Rings

Item Appearance Base price Notes Origin
ring of psychic resistance crystal 150 Provides psychic resistance. SpliceHack
ring of sonic resistance embossed 150
  • Provides sonic resistance.
  • Immune to breaking from sonic damage.
SpliceHack
ring of displacement neon 200
  • Provides displacement
  • Base item for Xanathar's Ring of Proof
SpliceHack
mood ring ridged 100
  • No effect when worn or eaten, gives a clue about alignment when read.
  • Now this also glows bright green if your alignment is pious
  • It glows red only if your alignment is negative.
SLASH'EM
ring of sleeping wedding 100
  • Confers the restful sleep intrinsic.
SLASH'EM
ring of gain dexterity obsidian 150
  • Increases dexterity based on enchantment.
SLASH'EM
ring of gain intelligence plain 150
  • Increases intelligence based on enchantment.
SLASH'EM
ring of gain wisdom glass 150 Increases wisdom based on enchantment. SLASH'EM

Potions

Item Symbol Base type Base price Notes Origin
Potion of amnesia ! sparkling potion

100

  • Causes amnesia. Affects anything dipped into it (see its page for details), including magical tools and gray stones.
  • Potions of amnesia always have the "sparkling" appearance.
  • Cures afraid status (you forget what you were afraid of!)
SLASH'EM
Potion of blood ! blood-red potion 50 SLASH'EM
Potion of vampire blood ! blood-red potion 350 SLASH'EM
Potion of clairvoyance ! Randomized 100 Maps the area around you if uncursed, grants clairvoyance if blessed, no effect if cursed. SLASH'EM
Potion of ESP ! Randomized 150
  • Blessed potions of ESP do not grant permanent telepathy anymore.
  • Grants 500-1000 turns of telepathy if you don't have it; adds 250-500 turns if you do.
SLASH'EM
Potion of invulnerability Template:Bright blue Randomized 300 SLASH'EM
potion of reflection ! Randomized 300
  • Grants temporary reflection.
  • Monsters are occasionally generated with these and will drink them.
SpliceHack
potion of regeneration ! Randomized 150
  • Grants temporary regeneration.
  • If cursed, it inflicts withering.
SpliceHack

Wands

Item Base price Notes
wand of healing 300
  • If zapped at zombies, instead inflicts damage equal to what they would normally heal.
  • Breaking heals you and surrounding monsters.
SLASH'EM
wand of extra healing 300
  • If zapped at zombies, instead inflicts damage equal to what they would normally heal.
  • Breaking heals you and surrounding monsters.
SLASH'EM
wand of draining 175 SLASH'EM
wand of fear 200
  • Changed to an omni wand that behaves as the cause fear spell.
  • Removed engrave message.
  • Breaking causes you to panic in fear.
  • Cursed wands of fear zaps you with fear 80% of the time in addition to other negative effects. If monsters are fleeing, they stop. If monsters are paralyzed or sleeping, they wake up and are able to move.
  • Monsters are able to zap this as a defensive action.
SLASH'EM
wand of create horde 300
  • Generates with less charges (1-3) and very rare.
  • Players zapping this create 7-11 instead of 7-13 monsters.
  • Monsters zapping this create 6-10 instead of 10-14 monsters.
SLASH'EM
wand of wind 300
  • Was known as the "wand of windstorm" in SpliceHack.
  • Hurtles you in a random direction when zapped at self.
SpliceHack
wand of deluge 175
  • In SpliceHack this wand was an immediate beam type wand. Converted it to a ray based wand instead (similar to the sea dragon breath).
  • Deals 6d8 damage to susceptible monsters.
  • Amphibious/breathless monsters are immune to water blasts.
  • Fiery monsters take extra damage
  • The ray can destroy forges.
  • Previously known as "wand of water"
SpliceHack
wand of corrosion 175
  • Acid rays can destroy webs, trees, grass.
  • Acid rays that hit fountains or toilets will cause an alchemical explosion.
  • Previously known as "wand of acid"
SpliceHack
wand of poison gas 175
  • Poison rays destroy and wither trees
SpliceHack
wand of wonder 100
  • This uses the SpliceHack implementation. On each zap or engraving, this wand uses a random effect drawn from any wand in the game.
  • The Wand of Wishing effect requires an additional 1 in 100 roll to successful receive.
SpliceHack
wand of sonics 175
  • Immune to sonic damage
  • Can be used to destroy iron bars or drawbridges.
  • If you destroy iron bars, they send 1-3 iron chains flying.
SpliceHack

Scrolls

Item Base price Notes Origin
scroll of time 300
  • Grants you a large number of movement points. Cursed scrolls paralyze you for a few turns.
  • Time is added to existing movement points (instead of replacing it); Reading a scroll of time also extends the player's turn instead of letting monsters once immediately after reading.
  • Cannot be written, polypiled, or cloned.
SpliceHack
scroll of acquirement 300
  • The player may acquire an item, which is like wishing except the player can only specify the item class (weapon, armor, scroll etc.) to get.
  • Cannot be written, cloned, or created from polypiling.
  • Uncursed scrolls of acquirement always give item;
  • blessed scrolls have a chance at bonus item depending on luck.
  • cursed scrolls do nothing.
SlashTHEM
scroll of knowledge 50
  • When read, this scroll allows for identification of any named item. You will learn the appearance of that item. For example, if you want to know what a scroll of charging is on first sight, specify that and you will learn it's randomized appearance. You could then write that scroll.
  • uncursed/cursed: You can specify one non-artifact item to learn the identity of.
  • blessed: You can specify two non-artifact items to learn the identity of.
  • confused: You only identify the scroll of knowledge itself.
  • This scroll cannot be written. "You cannot write something you do not know!"
  • In SpliceHack, this scroll had the same cost as the scroll of identify ($20). Since the scroll of identify is auto-known at the start of the game, this price was changed to avoid another price-id by process of elimination.
SpliceHack
scroll of transmogrify 200
  • When read, this scroll changes the material of your wielded weapon or worn armor.
  • blessed: Blesses and transforms the object to a random material.
  • uncursed: Transforms the object to a random material
  • cursed/confused: Curses the object chosen and removes any erode-proofing. It also attempts to convert the object material to plastic (if valid), and if not possible just chooses a random material.
  • When known, the scroll of transmogrify prompts you for an item to change.
  • Previously known as "scroll of change material" in SpliceHack.
SpliceHack
scroll of elementalism 300
  • Summons a random quantity of elementals. Any elemental in the game is eligible
  • blessed: Quantity 1, with a 1/3 chance of being hostile, otherwise tame
  • uncursed: Quantity 1, with a 1/2 chance of being hostile, otherwise peaceful
  • cursed: Quantity 2-4, always hostile
  • If you read the scroll while confused, the scroll will create gas spores, flaming spheres, freezing spheres or shocking spheres. The number and hostility depend on the beatitude of the scroll.
Splice/Lethe
* scroll of air 200
  • Creates a tornado around you.
  • blessed: All monsters within a 4 square radius are hurtled, angered and stunned.
  • uncursed: All monsters within a 2 square radius are hurtled, angered, and stunned.
  • cursed: You take 3d4 damage (unless you are a form that is breathless)
  • confused: Creates 1-3 air elemental(s) if cursed, or 1-3 whirling spheres if non-cursed.
SpliceHack
scroll of ice 200
  • Upgraded: Now in addition to freezing floor tiles, these can freeze pools, puddles, and sewage. They also destroy lava and fire traps.
  • Most magical traps will be converted to ice traps.
  • Inflicts cold damage to monsters within a 5 square radius if blessed, otherwise 3.
  • Blessed does 6d6 cold (doesn't target you), uncursed deals 2d3 to everything in the radius, and cursed deals 1d3.
  • Confused: Instead of removing lava, this now creates 1-3 freezing spheres or ice elementals.
  • If you read a scroll of ice underwater, you take 8d8 damage. If you survive, you are ejected from the ice.
  • Waterproof like the scroll of flood.
SlashTHEM
scroll of cloning 300
  • Clones an item in your inventory
  • Confused cloning will clone yourself.
  • If polymorphed, you clone your monster type into a tame clone.
  • Confused cursed = hostile clone
  • Confused uncursed = peaceful clone
  • Confused blessed = tame clone
  • Scrolls of cloning now also clone object properties.
  • [DEFERRED] Monsters can read scrolls of cloning, but it always clones them - not objects.
SpliceHack
scroll of magic detection 300
  • Detects magical objects on the current level and in your inventory.
  • An uncursed scroll will label such items as 'magical'
  • A blessed scroll will identify fully those same items (except beatitude).
EvilHack
scroll of flood 200
  • Creates pools of water around the player.
  • non-blessed scrolls have a chance of putting a water tile on the player's position.
  • Confused: Instead removes water from vicinity of player.
  • Removed possibility of insta-death
  • Scrolls of Flood resist blanking.
  • In addition to the "Saved by the bell!" grave with a bell on top, include a "Apres moi, le deluge." grave with a scroll of flood on top.
UnNetHack

Tools/Weapon Tools

Item Symbol Appearance Notes Origin
lute ( -
  • When played, has a small chance of ending confusion effects.
SpliceHack
bagpipe ( -
  • When played, will aggravate monsters unless you have high dexterity and experience level.
SpliceHack
horn of blasting ( horn
  • Deals sonic damage when applied, similar to the Fire and frost horn.
  • Immune to sonic damage
SpliceHack
fishing pole ( -
  • Can be used on water sources to fish for stuff.
  • Can also grab small objects out of water.
SLASH'EM
medical kit ( -
  • May contain pills, phials, and/or bandages
  • Healers start with one.
  • Used in surgery technique and draw blood technique.
  • Changed appearance of from leather bag to white bag (previous appearance conflicts with object materials)
SLASH'EM
magic candle ( candle
  • Similar to a magic lamp, this candle will grant permanent light with a radius of 3 squares but is not capable to granting wishes.
SLASH'EM
keg ( wooden barrel
  • Contains a very large number of potions of booze.
  • Quaffing from the keg will consume a single potion;
  • applying the keg will consume all the potions, potentially killing the player via alcohol poisoning.
SpliceHack
mask ( -
  • Can be worn on the face like a blindfold.
  • When worn, you turn into the type of creature the mask is of.
  • A mask's BUC status degrades when taken off.
  • Cursed masks will break and damage you when used.
SpliceHack
eight ball ( plastic Orb
  • Ordinary eight balls can be shaken (when applied) and read for fortunes.
  • Not generated randomly.
EvilHack
torch ( -
  • (The SLASH'EM implementation of torches was a bit cumbersome for the player, you could only have a lit torch by wielding it and applying a torch would auto-wield it)
  • Removed requirement for torches to be wielded.
  • Applying does not auto-wield the torch
  • Un-wielding does not snuff the torch.
  • Putting lit torches into containers auto-snuffs.
  • Clubs can be dipped into oil and turned into torches (from dnh)
  • Torches do an extra 1d6 vs non-fire resistant, and double damage vs cold resistant.
SLASH'EM
spoon ( -
  • Raised damage to 1d2 vs small and large.
  • Convict's starting weapon (uses knife skill)
  • Base item for Iron Spoon Of Liberation.
  • Spoons don't generate randomly.
SLASH'EM
Lightsabers: ( -
  • Lightsabers count as weapon-tools. To activate them, (a)pply them.
  • A lightsaber only lasts as long as it has charges.
  • Lit lightsabers act as a light source.
  • Use #force to: force open locks and break down doors, cut through iron bars, and open iron safes.
  • Putting a lit lightsaber into a bag/container snuffs it.
  • Can also burn engravings into the ground (like a wand of fire)
  • Moved lightsabers to WEAPON class so they appear with the other weapons (instead of in the tool inventory)
SLASH'EM
green lightsaber ( lightsaber
  • 1d3+9 versus small and 1d5+13 versus large monsters.
  • Has a -3 penalty to hit.
SLASH'EM
blue lightsaber ( lightsaber
  • 1d5+8 versus small and 1d7+12 versus large monsters.
  • Has a -3 penalty to hit.
SLASH'EM
red lightsaber ( lightsaber
  • 1d9+6 versus small and 1d11+10 versus large monsters.
  • Has a -3 penalty to hit.
SLASH'EM
red double lightsaber ( double lightsaber
  • 1d15+6 versus small and 1d20+10 versus large monsters.
  • Has a -4 penalty to hit.
SLASH'EM
bag of rats ( bag
  • Similar to a bag of tricks, but only produces rats.
  • Can be looted (and auto-identified) if on the ground with a similar effect to bag of tricks. A rat might bite you from the bag for 2d4 damage, the bag is identified regardless.
  • This bag is magical, and will cause a magical explosion when inserted into a bag of holding.
SpliceHack
Iron safe ( -
  • A secure container that can only be 'cracked' using a stethoscope.
  • Cannot be physically locked again once it's been unlocked.
  • Can appear randomly.
EvilHack
Crystal Chest ( -
  • cannot be locked, unlocked or forced open by any physical means.
  • Can only open or lock by magical means.
  • immune to all other forms of magic
  • cannot be probed, canceled, or polymorphed.
EvilHack
Coffins ( -
  • Coffins can be found in Vlad's tower (or graves) that contain vampires
  • Not actual objects - used the UnNetHack hack that turns large boxes into coffins using +4 enchantment.
UnNetHack

Gems/Stones

healthstone:

  • Ported from SLASH'EM.

whetstone:

  • Refined the functionality of whetstones and made much more user friendly. We can now apply a stack of whetstones to a stack of weapons (Before this was limited to applying one whetstone to a single object). We can use (a)pply or #rub with whetstones.
  • Removed the extra penalty for artifacts (how can artifacts resist sharpening?)
  • Whetstones can now remove corrosion (in addition to rust)
  • A blessed whetstone can uncurse a weapon
  • Blessed whetstones have a chance to enchant non-corroded, uncursed +0 weapons up to +1.
  • Cursed whetstones can erode or negatively enchant weapons.
  • You can use whetstones in shallow water, pools, moats, rust traps, sinks, and toilets.
  • If you don't have a water source available, you can use potions of water. There is a 1d7 chance of using it up on each application.
  • Previously, whetstones took too long to use (very discouraging for players), the required time has been lowered considerably. If sharpening a stack of weapons, the turns will scale with the size of the stack. Cavemen are skilled with rocks so they can sharpen much faster than other roles.
  • In SLASH'EM, using a whetstone on one of these would also activate the quaffing effects of those features. In Hack'EM these effects have been removed.

sling bullet:

  • Similar to flint stones, but deal 1d6 vs small and 1d8 vs large monsters.
  • Like flint stones, their weight has been reduced to 1.

Other stone changes

  • Added more upgrade paths for gray stones.
  • luckstones and whetstones can be upgraded into healthstones and vice versa.
  • flintstones upgrade into luck/whetstones.

Artifacts:

Design decision #1:

   In SlashEM, artifacts grant a flat damage bonus (instead of their equivalent d-notation damage). This has been implemented to more fully capture the flavor of SLASH'EM.

Design decision #2:

   Any roles that had 2 guaranteed altar sacrifice gifts in SLASH'EM have been reduced to just 1. Having 2 just seems excessive, and most of the time, the second gift was just a barrier to overcome to get to better stuff (example: Deathsword for Barbarian, or Deluder for Wizards)
  

Artifact Mechanics

Wishing for artifacts:

  • Instead of being based off of how many artifacts exist in the game total (vanilla NetHack method), success is based off of how many artifacts the player has wished for (successful or not).
  • Players can two-weapon with an artifact in each hand, if those artifacts happen to get along with each other.
  • If wielding/wearing any of the 'banes, taming becomes impossible.
  • Various artifacts that have a nemesis monster warn against those monsters.
  • Almost all of the stock weapon artifacts have had their to-hit and damage modifiers adjusted in the players favor.
  • Certain artifacts can either deliver extra damage to their nemesis monsters, or have a small percentage chance of delivering a fatal blow – this applies to the player as well!

New artifacts

Artifact Base Item Alignment Notes Origin
Angelslayer trident Non-aligned
  • +5 to-hit, +10 fire damage
  • An artifact trident that warns of Angels
  • Confers automatic searching and half-spell damage
  • There is a 5% chance that a Balrog may spawn with this artifact.
EvilHack
Balmung Golden Broadsword Lawful
  • +4 to-hit, +9 damage
  • Destruction proof
  • Destroys random armor on defenders
  • Grants fire resistance
EvilHack
Bat from Hell Club Chaotic
  • +3 to-hit, +20 damage
  • Rogues receive this as their first guaranteed sacrifice gift.
SLASH'EM
Bradamante's Fury Lance Lawful
  • +5 to-hit, +12 damage
  • Occasionally stuns opponents
  • Changed Bradamante's Fury to Lawful (matches Bradamante in the anime)
  • Bradamante's Fury will always resist breaking.
SpliceHack
Butcher triple-headed flail Chaotic
  • +5 to-hit, +8 damage
  • So large it requires two hands to wield if human-sized, and its damage output is greater than even a dwarvish mattock.
  • Butcher has a stun attack, much as Magicbane does, but unlike Magicbane, Butcher does not also cause fear or cancellation.
  • Belongs to the demon lord Yeenoghu. He spawns with this artifact and will use it. Cannot be wished for.
EvilHack
Carnwennan Knife Lawful
  • Confers searching and stealth
  • +3 to-hit, +8 damage
  • Invoke for invisibility
SpliceHack
Chains of Malcanthet Spiked Chain Unaligned
  • +6 to-hit, +10 damage
  • Bonus damage and warning vs angels
  • Grants 25 charisma while wielded
  • Special paralysis hit
SpliceHack
Circe's Witchstaff Staff of Matter Neutral
  • +4 to-hit, +4 damage
  • Was a quarterstaff in SpliceHack
  • 10% chance each attack can transform enemies into pigs or feral hogs.
  • Invoke for a scroll of taming effect
SpliceHack
Deathsword Two-handed Sword Chaotic
  • +5 to-hit, +14 damage
  • Deathsword causes hostility from humans
  • Capable of inflicting a paralyzing hit 1 in 4 attacks.
  • Barbs no longer receive this as a guaranteed sacrifice gift.
  • Changed from targeting vs Human to vs cross-aligned.
SLASH'EM
Deep Freeze Athame Chaotic
  • +5 to-hit, +5 cold damage
  • Provides extrinsic cold resistance
  • Invoke for a Scroll of Ice effect that also summons freeze spheres.
  • Only Ice Mages can invoke this.
SLASH'EM
Deluder Cloak of Displacement Neutral
  • Confers stealth and luck
  • Wizards no longer receive this as a guaranteed sacrifice gift.
SLASH'EM
Dirge Mithril Long sword Chaotic
  • +5 to-hit, +10 acid damage
  • The "Dark Knight"'s sword, can only be obtained by chaotic Knights by sacrificing a same race monster on a co-aligned altar while wielding a long sword, elven long sword, or orcish long sword (the exact type makes no difference, Dirge will become a 'long sword' regardless).
  • Confers acid resistance when wielded.
EvilHack
Disrupter Mace Neutral
  • +5 to-hit and +30 vs undead
  • No longer the priest's sacrifice gift (as it was in SLASH'EM), priests get Demonbane instead.
  • Disrupter causes hostility to undead.
SLASH'EM
Doomblade Orcish Short Sword Chaotic
  • +10 damage
  • On each hit there is a 25% chance Doomblade deals an extra (1d4 * 5) damage.
  • Shows an appropriate message for tiny monsters.
SLASH'EM
Dramborleg Mithril Dwarvish Bearded Axe Lawful
  • Intelligent
  • +8 to-hit, +8 damage
  • From LotR. Provides magic resistance and one level of MC when wielded.
  • Can destroy any balrog in one hit. Warns of any demons nearby.
EvilHack
Drowsing Rod Copper Staff of Healing Unaligned
  • New artifact introduced in Hack'EM
  • +5 to-hit, +8 damage
  • This is meant to simulate the original drow attack from SLASH'EM;
  • 19 in 20 times the sleep attack triggers and puts the defender to sleep for 2d4 turns.
  • The gas vapor doesn't affect breathless monsters.
  • Grants sleep resistance.
  • Healer's first sac gift.
Hack'EM
Elfrist Orcish Spear Chaotic
  • Warns against elves.
  • Elfrist causes hostility to elves
SLASH'EM
Firewall Staff of Divination Lawful
  • Was an athame in SLASH'EM.
  • +4 to-hit, +8 fire damage
  • Provides extrinsic fire resistance
  • Invoke to summon flame spheres (same as casting Flame Sphere).
  • Only Flame Mages can invoke this.
SLASH'EM
Gauntlets of Defense Gauntlets of Dexterity Neutral
  • Provides half physical damage when worn
  • Invoke for invisibility
  • First sacrifice gift for Monks
SLASH'EM
Gleipnir Grappling Hook Unaligned
  • +5 to-hit, +8 damage
  • Based on the bindings used to trap Fenrir.
  • This hook can grapple things regardless of size, and has a massive range.
SpliceHack
Gungnir Atgeir Neutral
  • +20 to-hit, +12 damage
  • When a player creates Gungnir, it converts the spear held to an atgeir (type of spear)
  • Invoke for a lightning bolt.
  • This acts as the replacement Excalibur for Valkyries.
  • To acquire: Successfully pray as a lawful or neutral pious Valkyrie while wielding a non-artifact spear-like weapon that is at least +5. Beatitude and erosion do not matter. The spear will be turned into Gungnir with no other changes made.
dnh
Hand Grenade of Antioch Lawful Fire Bomb
  • When armed, this bomb will go off after exactly 3 turns - not 4 nor 5, but 3.
  • When thrown this bomb explodes on impact, dealing 6d50 magical damage.
  • Unlike other bombs, this will *not* be lit accidentally by sources of fire!
SpliceHack
Hellfire Crossbow Chaotic
  • Provides fire resistance while wielded.
  • Adds +5 to-hit bonus and +7 damage to bolts.
  • Crossbow bolts fired from it cause fiery explosions in a 3x3 square centered on any target they hit, doing an additional 2d6 damage.
SLASH'EM
Holy Spear of Light Silver Spear Lawful
  • +5 to-hit and +10 damage vs undead
  • Grants warning vs undead.
  • Invoke to create a blast of light that severely damages undead.
  • Holy Spear of Light causes hostility from undead
  • First sac gift for Undead Slayers
  • Invoking the Holy Spear of Light lights the entire level.
SLASH'EM
Houchou Spoon Chaotic
  • Insta-kills any target when thrown and it successfully hits.
  • One-time use only.
  • Worth $50000
SLASH'EM
Imhullu Glaive Neutral
  • +4 to-hit, +5 wind damage
  • Mesopatamian in origin.
  • Grants stability against clobber/hurtle attacks.
  • Invoke for a scroll of air.
  • Hitting a monster with a tornado does 3d4 bonus damage, takes place 1/3 of the time. Does not affect big monsters.
SpliceHack
Keolewa Club Neutral
  • +5 to-hit, +8 shock damage
  • Grants shock resistance while wielded.
  • Second sacrifice gift for cavemen/cavewomen.
EvilHack
Kiku-ichimonji Katana Lawful
  • +4 to-hit, +12 damage
  • Replaces Snickersnee as the new sacrifice gift for Samurai.
SlashTHEM
Lifestealer Two-handed sword Chaotic
  • +5 to-hit, +2 damage
  • Found wielded by Vlad the Impaler, drains levels and also grants drain resistance when wielded.
  • Cannot be wished for.
EvilHack
Luck Blade Broadsword Chaotic
  • +5 to-hit, +6 damage
  • Convict first artifact weapon.
  • Acts like a luckstone.
  • In other variants, Luck Blade is traditionally a short sword; here it's a broadsword (from EvilHack).
Convict Patch
Luckless Folly Short Sword Chaotic
  • +5 to-hit, +5 damage
  • This bizarre weapon acts as a cursed luckstone regardless of its BCU status.
  • It gets bonuses to hit and damage based on the opposite of your luck value.
  • Allows for a very unconventional play-style, since getting luck of -13 will give this weapon an automatic +13 to damage and hit, but playing with -13 luck might prove difficult.
SpliceHack
Marauder's Map, The scroll of magic mapping Chaotic
  • When read: clairvoyance
  • When invoked: object detection and artifact detection.
  • The first sacrifice gift for the Pirate role.
  • It is also the only artifact that Pirates can receive as a sacrifice gift.
SLASH'EM
Master Sword, The Gemstone Long Sword Unaligned
  • +3 to-hit and +3 damage
  • Was a "named" silver long sword in the village level from SlashTHEM.
  • If at full health, each hit has a 75% chance of shooting a magic missile for 2d6 damage. Will not fire rays if peacefuls or pets are in the way.
  • 10% of bonus d2*6 magic attack on each successful hit.
  • Cannot be wished for. Now has a 75% chance of appearing in the Village in the Town branch, guarded by the ruffians.
SlashTHEM
Mirrorbright Shield of Reflection Neutral
  • Provides reflection and resistance to hallucination
  • Mirrorbright no longer hinders spell-casting.
  • Healers no longer receive Mirrorbright as a sacrifice gift, they get the Drowsing Rod instead.
SLASH'EM
Mortality Dial Iron Executioner's Mace Unaligned
  • Was cold iron in splice.
  • +10 to-hit +10 damage
  • Provides regeneration while wielded
  • Prevents monsters from regenerating.
  • Prevents trolls and zombies from reviving.
SpliceHack
Mouser's Scalpel Rapier Neutral
  • +5 to-hit, +1 damage.
  • can deliver a flurry of extra hits, potentially with no limit.
slashem-up
Mystic Eyes Gemstone Lenses Unaligned
  • (Previously known as Lenses of Death Perception in SpliceHack)
  • Grants DeathVision and automatic searching
  • As long as the wearer is not blind, they deal double damage, but constantly hallucinate.
  • Deathvision's double damage is applied everywhere (including spells/wands)
SpliceHack
Origin Staff of Escape Unaligned
  • +2 to-hit, +6 damage
  • While wielded, confers teleport control and spellcasting bonuses.
  • Increases spellcasting ability as a robe would, and it's base item ability reduces the cost of escape spells.
  • Grants a discount of 5 energy for spells that cost 10 or more.
SpliceHack
Plague Orcish Bow Chaotic
  • Grants +5 to-hit and +7 to damage when firing arrows.
  • Arrows fired from Plague are auto-poisoned,
  • Confers poison resistance while wielded
  • Confers sickness res while carried (from dnh)
SLASH'EM
Poseidon's Trident Golden trident Chaotic
  • +3 to-hit, +7 damage
  • Grants water-breathing.
  • Invoke for water-walking and an earthquake.
SpliceHack
Pridwen Large Shield Lawful
  • Confers half physical damage and extreme stability while worn.
Quick Blade Elven Short Sword Lawful
  • +9 to-hit, +2 damage
SpliceHack
Reaper Copper Halberd Lawful
  • +5 to-hit, +20 damage
  • First sacrifice gift for Yeoman
  • Converted to Copper so that elven Yeoman can receive it as a gift.
SLASH'EM
Reaver scimitar Chaotic
  • The crowning gift for Pirates; it's the only artifact weapon they are able to receive from their deity (or guaranteed artifact weapon of any kind in the game).
  • +4 to-hit, +8 damage.
  • Steals one item from an opponent with each successful hit.
SLASH'EM
Secespita Copper knife Non-aligned (Chaotic)
  • +5 to-hit, +6 damage
  • The first sacrifice gift for Infidels.
  • It can restore a small amount of magical energy to the one that wields it if used to kill anything living.
  • Secespita also acts as an utility artifact: wielding it while sacrificing a corpse improves its sacrifice value by 50% (rounded down). This is especially useful for Infidels, as they are required to make sacrifices to Moloch on a regular basis to avert his wrath.
  • Secespita is unaligned for Infidels, chaotic for all other roles (bones/wishing purposes).
EvilHack
Serpent's Tongue Parazonium Chaotic
  • Upgraded to a parazonium
  • +5 to-hit
  • Deals double damage to all monsters, and even more to non-poison-resistant enemies:
    • 40% chance of 2 + d6 damage
    • 30% chance of 4 + 2d6 damage
    • 20% chance of 6 + 3d6 damage
    • 10% chance of poison insta-death
  • Note that this artifact does not provide poison-resistance!
  • First sacrifice gift for Necromancers
SLASH'EM
Skullcrusher Club Lawful
  • +3 to-hit, +10 damage
  • Upgraded to +12
  • Changed material to MINERAL (+2 damage)
SLASH'EM
Sunspot Mace Unaligned
  • +5 to-hit, +5 damage
  • 1/3'rd chance of blinding on attack.
  • Provides protection against being blinded.
SpliceHack
Sword of Balance Short Sword Neutral
  • +2 to-hit, +5 damage
  • Conveys "extreme stability" (hurtling resistance)
SLASH'EM
Sword of Justice Broadsword Lawful
  • +5 to-hit, +12 damage versus cross-aligned monsters
  • Yeoman no longer receive this as a guaranteed sacrifice gift.
  • Used to be a long sword in SLASH'EM
  • Changed material to METAL (+1 damage)
SLASH'EM
Sword of Kas Two-handed sword Chaotic
  • +10 to-hit, double damage vs cross-aligned
  • Found wielded by Kas, the Sword of Kas delivers a significant amount of damage, especially against creatures not of its alignment, and is made of gemstone. It is also permanently coated in poison, and does extra poison damage against monsters that are not resistant.
  • Wielding this sword confers stoning resistance and giant strength (25).
  • It is bloodthirsty just like Stormbringer
  • Wielding this sword against liches does double damage (triple damage against Vecna).
  • Cannot be wished for.
EvilHack
The End Scythe Chaotic
  • +3 to-hit, +20 cold damage
  • Provides drain resistance while wielded.
  • (Was Neutral in SpliceHack)
SpliceHack
Thiefbane Platinum Two-handed Sword Unaligned
  • Revamped Thiefbane: No longer targets humans, so now the player can wield it if lucky enough to get if off of Sam.
  • +5 to-hit, +1 damage
  • 10% chance of beheading defenders
  • Cancels thieves and covetous monsters.
  • Protects from thievery and seduction.
SLASH'EM
Thunderstruck Metal Morning Star Unaligned
  • +5 to-hit, +20 sonic damage
  • Provides sonic resistance.
  • Shatters glass golems
  • Added 25% chance of sonic beam shooting out. Will not fire rays if peacefuls or pets are in the way.
  • (previously known as Sonicboom in SpliceHack)
SpliceHack
Wallet of Perseus Dragonhide Bag of Holding Unaligned
  • Replaces the Bag of the Hesperides (from Evil), but keeps MC1 and oilskin properties.
  • Improved weight reduction;
  • Effectively reduces the weight of all items inside it by 1⁄3 if uncursed, compared to 1⁄2 with its base item.
  • When blessed, the weight of its contents is reduced to 1⁄6 compared to 1⁄4 from a blessed bag of holding.
  • Can hold roughly 50% more than a regular bag of holding when non-cursed;
  • however, a cursed Wallet will quadruple the weight of its contents, double that of a cursed bag of holding.
SLASH'EM
Helm of Hermes Helm of Speed Neutral
  • When worn, grants sickness resistance.
  • Invoke for flying.
Hack'EM
Whisperfeet Speed Boots Neutral
  • Confers stealth and luck
  • First sacrifice gift for Tourists
SLASH'EM
Windrider Chakram Unaligned
  • Changed from a boomerang to a chakram.
  • +5 to-hit, and double damage vs all.
  • Thrown chakrams slice through monsters and always return to you.
  • Windrider can be multishot (depending on your boomerang skill)
dNetHack
The Candle of Eternal Flame Magic Candle Lawful
  • Quest artifact for the Flame Mage
  • Always remains lit, no matter what
  • #Invoke to summon a tame Fire elemental
  • No longer grants cold resistance, instead grants extrinsic fire resistance
  • Confers teleport control and warning
  • Also confers faster energy regeneration (like Encanto!)
  • Grants a passive 2d10 fire attack while carrying.
SLASH'EM
The Storm Whistle Magic Whistle Neutral
  • Quest artifact for the Ice Mage
  • No longer grants fire resistance, instead grants extrinsic cold resistance.
  • Grants warning and teleport control.
  • Can now #invoke for 1 of 10 random "storm" related pets.
SLASH'EM
Great Dagger of Glaurgnaa Great Dagger Chaotic
  • Quest artifact for the Necromancer
  • +8 to-hit, +4 drain life vs cross aligned
  • Confers MR when wielded.
  • Invoke for an energy boost.
  • Grants double spirit bonuses when carried
  • Also triples the radius of spirit auto-collection when carried.
SLASH'EM
Crown of Saint Edward Helm of Telepathy Lawful
  • Quest artifact for the Yeoman
  • Confers MR when worn.
  • Confers half spell damage when worn.
SLASH'EM
Stake of Van Helsing Wooden Stake Lawful
  • +5 to-hit, +12 vs all monsters
  • Quest artifact for the Undead Slayer
  • Only confers MR when wielded.
  • Now warns of vampires.
  • Bonus chance of insta-kill vs vampires.
SLASH'EM
Iron Spoon of Liberation Spoon Chaotic
  • Convict's quest artifact. Adapted from dnh, this replaces the traditional Iron Ball of Liberation
  • +5 to-hit, double damage vs all
  • Carrying the spoon confers searching, and luck
  • Wielding the spoon confers free action and stealth.
  • Invoke for phasing.
  • Apply to dig (like a pick-axe)
Convict Patch
The Idol of Moloch Figurine Chaotic
  • The Infidel's quest artifact
  • a figurine of a horned devil that can be used to easily convert altars to Moloch
  • provides magic resistance when carried.
  • It can also be used to summon demons to aid the Infidel.
  • An Infidel cannot win the game without having the Idol in their possession.
EvilHack
The Ring of P'hul Ring of free action Chaotic
  • The Ring of P'hul replaces The Heart of Ahriman as the Barbarian quest artifact.
  • Confers magic resistance when worn and disease resistance when carried.
EvilHack
Gjallar tooled horn Neutral
  • Gjallar replaces The Orb of Fate as the Valkyrie quest artifact.
  • It has the same artifact properties, but it is now a tooled horn instead of a crystal ball and doesn't have half spell damage.
  • Blowing the horn will wake up any sleeping monsters on that level, and its scare radius is larger than that a regular tooled horn.
  • Any monsters directly adjacent to the player when they use Gjallar have a 20% chance of being briefly stunned, and any non-Valkyrie players using it may become temporarily deaf.
EvilHack
Crossbow of Carl crossbow Chaotic
  • +5 to-hit, +6 damage
  • If playing as a gnomish Ranger, the Crossbow of Carl replaces The Longbow of Diana as the Ranger quest artifact.
  • It shares all of the same abilities and properties of the former, except it is now a crossbow instead of a bow.
  • Invoking the crossbow produces crossbow bolts instead of arrows.
  • In the hands of a gnomish ranger, its weight is the same as a bow (24 aum), for all others it has the same weight as a regular crossbow.
EvilHack
Itlachiayaque shield of reflection Lawful
  • Itlachiayaque replaces The Orb of Detection as the Archaeologist quest artifact.
  • When worn: reflection, ESP, half spell damage
  • When carried: fire resistance and warning
  • Invoke for a stinking cloud
Un/xnh
Treasury of Proteus chest Chaotic
  • Weighs just 150 units, a quarter of the weight of a normal chest.
  • When carried: magic resistance and blocks curses
  • When carried you are also considered "King of the Hill" which attracts a lot of pirate opposition.
  • When carried this also periodically polymorphs its contents.
SpliceHack
The Lightsaber Prototype red lightsaber Lawful
  • +5 to hit bonus and +10 damage bonus
  • When wielded: reflection
  • When invoked: energy boost
  • Unlike a regular lightsaber, it never runs out of power or needs charging, so it can be wielded indefinitely.
SlashTHEM
Staff of Rot Bone Staff of Necromancy Chaotic
  • Has a special wither attack: +6 to-hit, +6 wither
  • While wielded, inflicts a passive wither attack (and occasional fear on defenders)
  • If you are wielding the Staff of Rot AND withering, you deal double damage.
  • #invoke for withering and aggravate monster
Hack'EM
Xanathar's Ring of Proof Ring of See Invisible Neutral
  • Carried by Xanathar in the Neutral Quest
  • Grants warning while carried.
  • Grants displacement and stealth while worn.
  • The stealth granted by this artifact is enhanced and works like "Vanilla-style" stealth, so you can make more noise around monsters without waking them up. Obvious noise making (ie: blowing a pea-whistle) still wakes up monsters though.
  • Invoke for random self teleport
  • Cannot be wished for.
Hack'EM
The Key Of Access Key Lawful
  • Guarded by Nebuchadnezzar in the Lawful Quest.
  • Invoke for branchport
  • Cannot be wished for.
SlashTHEM
The Eye of Vecna eyeball Non-aligned
  • The Eye of Vecna is an extremely powerful artifact that is an actual body part that comes from Vecna himself. In this setting, Vecna must be destroyed in order to obtain the Eye, and even then, there is only a 50% chance that it will drop (the other 50% is the Hand of Vecna dropping). Be aware that if Vecna is destroyed via stoning, his Eye will not appear. When carried, the Eye of Vecna confers cold resistance, ESP, astral vision, and half spell damage. When invoked, it causes the Eye to death gaze at all monsters within visual range, either greatly reducing their hit points or killing them outright if they don't have magic resistance. Using the Eye this way can be detrimental, as each use drops the players luck and alignment by three points, and abuses wisdom. Invoking the Eye too often can cause it to turn on the player instead, killing them. The Eye of Vecna can be eaten, but doing so is strongly discouraged. It can also be sacrificed on an altar for maximum value. Cannot be wished for.
EvilHack
The Hand of Vecna mummified hand Non-aligned
  • The Hand of Vecna is also an extremely powerful artifact that is an actual body part that comes from Vecna himself. Just as with the Eye, Vecna must be destroyed in order to obtain the Hand, and even then, there is only a 50% chance that it will drop (the other 50% is the Eye of Vecna dropping). Be aware that if Vecna is destroyed via stoning, his Hand will not appear. The Hand of Vecna appears as a 'mummified hand', and takes up the glove slot for worn armor. Once 'worn' (it fuses itself to your left arm), it cannot be removed, ever, even if the player polymorphs into a monster that would normally cause it to drop their gloves. Because of this, it is immune to erosion, disintegration, destroy armor monster spell, and destroy armor scroll. It also cannot be stolen when worn. The Hand can be enchanted up to +7, but because it can't be destroyed, it will never evaporate if attempting to enchant it higher than +7 (nothing happens). It's powers include: hungerless regeneration, half physical damage, and disease resistance. It can be invoked for its death magic just like the Eye, killing or hurting any monster within line of sight that isn't resistant to death magic. And just as with the Eye, invoking its death magic has consequences. The Hand of Vecna also confers giant strength like gauntlets of power, and will cause an additional 1d5 + 7 (8-12) hit points of cold damage via melee attack to monsters affected by cold, regardless of whether a weapon is wielded or are fighting bare-handed. Worn rings can be removed without issue, even if the Hand of Vecna is cursed, as it's not treated as worn armor. Objects like a cockatrice corpse can also be handled without concern. The Hand must be 'worn' for any of these abilities to function. Cannot be wished for.
EvilHack

Changes to existing artifacts

Artifact Changes
Demonbane
  • Switched from a long sword to a silver heavy mace
  • +5 to-hit vs demons
  • Grants warning and double-damage vs demons.
  • Blocks demon gating while wielded.
  • First sacrifice artifact gift for Priests.
  • Can be invoked for Flying.
Dragonbane
  • Switched to a pair of dragonhide gloves
  • Now provides reflection, acid resistance, and warns against dragons.
Excalibur
  • +5 to-hit, +10 damage
  • Only lawful Knights can dip for Excalibur
  • Note: there's a danger that the sword will rust away completely when you do (if not fixed).
Eyes of the Overworld
  • Now protects the wearer against many forms of gaze attacks, greatly reducing the need for the player to have to remove them to blind themselves with a blindfold or towel.
  • Take note, Medusa's petrifying gaze attack is too powerful and will overcome the EotO's protection.
Fire Brand
  • Now a steel short sword.
  • Engraving with Fire Brand burns the text on the floor
Frost Brand
  • Now a steel short sword.
Grimtooth
  • Now has a sickness-inducing attack
  • Has a 1 in 6 chance of making its target terminally ill.
  • First sacrifice gift for Rogues.
  • Grants sickness resistance while wielded.
Magicbane
  • No longer an athame, switched to a quarterstaff.
  • None of its special abilities or functions have otherwise been changed.
  • Magicbane no longer cancels inventory items
Magic Mirror of Merlin
  • Has had magic resistance removed.
  • In its place are reflection and half spell damage when carried.
Mitre of Holiness
  • Allows #pray and #turn to function in Gehennom when worn.
Mjollnir
  • Base type is now heavy war hammer
Ogresmasher
  • Base type is now heavy war hammer
Sceptre of Might
  • Base type changed from a mace to a rod, deals slightly more damage per hit.
Sting
  • Changed to Lawful (same alignment as elves)
Orcrist
  • Changed to Lawful (same alignment as elves)
Staff of Aesculapius
  • Also cures afraid and larval infection.
Sunsword
  • Made of gemstone (crystal)
Tsurugi of Muramasa
  • Raised bisection chance to 15%
  • Now confers half physical damage when wielded.
Vorpal Blade
  • Raised beheading chance to 10%.
  • Wielding Vorpal Blade protects against decapitation attacks.

Item changes (from Vanilla)

Wands

Wand Changes
wands of wishing
  • are more rare to find randomly,
  • are always generated charged once already (1:x).
  • The Castle wand is still created as having never been charged (0:x).
wands of death
  • can be recharged only once.
wands of speed monster
  • Now only grants temporary speed(xnh)
  • Same for potions, they don't grant permanent "fast" intrinsic either.
  • Zapping a wand of speed monster or quaffing potion of speed cures intrinsic slowness.
wands of striking/force bolt spell
  • knocks its target back one space with 16+ damage.
wands of light
  • Cursed WoL cast darkness instead of light.
wands of nothing
  • have a base price of 500
wands of make invisible
  • Invisibility from wands of invisibility is now temporary (Evil/xnh)
  • cursed wands will make its target visible if already invisible,
  • has a 50% chance of aggravating monsters if zapped at yourself while invisible.
  • If the target is visible, nothing happens.
wand of digging
  • are no longer restricted to digging a single square on maze levels. (includes spells of digging)
  • zapping a boulder with a wand of digging will vaporize it; doing this in Sokoban will incur a -1 Luck penalty.
  • Rays from a wand of digging will also halve the current HP of "stony" monsters, including xorns, earth elementals, statue gargoyles and stone golems; strangely, this does not include regular gargoyles.

Wand behavior

Went back slightly to vanilla wand wresting behavior

  • blessed = 1 in 7 chance of wresting
  • uncursed = 1 in 23
  • cursed = 1 in 121

Plastic wands cannot be broken

  • Includes these appearances: green, plastic, pliable.

Wand backfire patch: When zapping a cursed directional wand, there is chance of the wand instead firing it's ray at you. In Hack'EM, the chance is weighted by luck.

Luck −11 −8 −5 −2 0 +2 +5 +8 +11
% chance of backfire 61.3% 49.1% 36.9% 24.7% 12.5% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3%


Scrolls

scroll of genocide

  • Scrolls of Genocide have been renamed to scroll of annihilation (from SpliceHack)
  • Changed to UnNetHack behavior:
    • An uncursed scroll wipes out a single monster species on the current level
    • An blessed scroll wipes out a single monster species globally (throughout the entire dungeon)
  • Annihilations from thrones are always dungeon-wide.

scroll of teleport

  • A blessed scroll lets you control your destination as if you had teleport control.

scroll of identify

  • Reading identify scrolls while confused gives enlightenment

scroll of light

  • Uncursed now lights up a radius of 11 squares (xnh)
  • blessed light now illuminates the entire level (xnh)

scroll of destroy armor

  • blessed scrolls ask which armor to destroy (xnh)

scroll of enchant armor

  • Once this scroll is identified, you will be asked which piece of worn armor you want to enchant.
  • Reduces the tedium of taking off armor to avoid random enchantment targets.

scroll of amnesia

  • Reading a blessed scroll of amnesia allows option to reset accumulated skills. (from EvilHack)

Other magic items

Item Changes
diluted Potions
  • Evil added diluted effects for many existing potions, I have tried to fill out these effects with the new potions (and some of the old ones) to keep dilution behavior consistent among all the potions.
potion of booze
  • Quaffing these now grants 130 points of nutrition if uncursed, 140 if blessed, and 120 if cursed (dnh)
potions of acid
  • Immune to being destroyed by freezing (xnh)
potions of oil
  • Now non-dilutable (xnh)
potions of hallucination
  • Can now grant enlightenment (xnh)
potion of gain ability
  • Cursed potions can decrease one's attributes.
ring of free action
  • 50% chance (with a luck bonus) of slipping free with free action
amulets of life saving
  • do not work if cursed or worn by a non-living creature.
  • This applies to monsters as well as the player.
magic markers
  • now never generate randomly, nor will they appear in a player's starting inventory (except the tourist who gets a 0:0 one)
  • Also cannot be polypiled.
  • Can wish for, find one in a bones pile, looting the High Priest's crystal chest in the Sanctum, or choosing the 'tool' as the Sokoban prize.
  • Increased price to 200 (xnh)
magic lamps
  • Changed price to 1000
  • can be wished for.
  • Cursed magic lamps give off darkness instead of light (same radius);
  • the aura of darkness overrides any light source.
exploding bags of holding
  • scatter their contents in a roughly 10 by 10 area.
  • Breakable items are subject to breakage from the force of the explosion.
bag of tricks patch
  • Ported from UnNethack
  • The bag of tricks has a bunch of new random effects on apply:
  • When the BoT is empty however, we can use it like a normal bag!
  • When the BoT has 0 charges, it is safe to put in a Bag of Holding.
  • Adjusted BoT #tip behavior - it stops when it reaches a non-monster effect. (This is a compromise between BoT behavior between UnNethack and Evil.)
  • Putting blessed and uncursed scrolls of charging into a bag of tricks charges it.
  • If a bag of tricks is lootable or has no effects, then its charges are identified (Un)
unicorn horns:
  • no longer cure attribute loss;
fire/frost horns
  • fire and frost horns deal (experience level * d6) damage. This generally makes these horns less dangerous in the early game (fiq)
luckstones
  • will slow down your luck timeout based on its beatitude;
  • a blessed luckstone no longer halts the timeout entirely.
  • Most magical tools have had their prices increased (xnh)

Non-magic items

Item Changes
pick-axe
  • Changed weight to 75 aum (From Slash'EM)
  • Digging down doors with pick-axe is not quiet anymore.
crysknife
  • Changed sm/lg damage to d20/d30 damage (From SlashEM)
  • Long worms only drop a worm tooth 1 in 20 times now.
fedora
  • Grants +1 charisma
  • Archaeologists get a luck bonus from wearing fedoras.
towels Adjusted to weigh more than blindfolds
lenses
  • lenses now grant automatic searching when worn (fiq)
conical hats
  • Now readable
  • For a Tourist, 1⁄3 of conical hats can be read;
  • A dunce cap will be labeled "DUNCE". Reading a dunce cap auto-identifies it.
  • A cornuthaum will be labeled "WIZZARD". (3.7)
fortune cookie
  • Free Fortune Cookie Patch; there is a 50% chance for a szechuan tin to contain a free fortune cookie (UnNetHack)
flint stone
  • Adjusted weight from 4 to 1
sling Strength bonus now applies, potential to instakill H

General item changes

  • Many body armor types have had their weights reduced.
  • Many types of potions will have their effects diminished if diluted.
  • Monsters can drink restore ability to cure cancellation, or you can hit a monster with a potion of restore ability to forcibly uncancel them.
  • All edged weapons can be poisoned (ex: daggers, swords)
  • 1/80 of random non-artifact weapons will be generated erodeproof (xnh)
  • 1/80 of random non-artifact items will be generated as pre-eroded (xnh)
  • Grease will generate on an erodable object every once in a great while - 1 in 1000 chance (xnh/3.7)
  • Gloves' enchantment is now added to unarmed damage.
    • Example: Fighting bare-handed with +3 gloves adds +3 damage to hits.
  • Launchers now contribute to damage
    • The enchantment of a launcher applies to missiles shot from it.
    • However, the enchantment on a launcher and missiles does not stack.
    • This means you only need to enchant the launcher and can save scrolls of enchant weapon for other uses.
    • Example #1: You have a +7 bow and +0 arrows. The arrows will act as if +7.
    • Example #2: You have a +0 bow and +7 arrows. The arrows will act as if +7.
    • Example #3: You have a +7 bow and +7 arrows. The arrows will act as if +7.
    • Example #4: You have a +3 bow and +2 arrows. The arrows will act as if +3.
  • Strength bonus for two-handed weaponry is x1.5 (EvilHack)
    • The standard damage bonus for strength is multiplied 1.5 times when wielding a weapon using two hands, or if you're a giant one-handing a two-handed weapon (they're heavy)

Object materials

  • Many objects and items can spawn made from something other than its base material.
  • Object materials have not been altered since being inherited from EvilHack.
  • Any item or object that is susceptible to being rusted, corroded, rotted, burned, or fractured can be completely destroyed via those methods unless fixed.
  • Any item or object can be fixed (wielding the object and reading a scroll of enchant weapon while confused) if its material allows for it.

Object properties

  • Various weapons and armor are sometimes created with magical properties.
  • Object properties have not been altered since being inherited from EvilHack.
  • Added scream/sonic property for weapons and armor.
  • Added sizzle/acid property for weapons and armor.

Appearance effects (from dnh)

  • Combat boots grant +1 AC and attack
  • Mud boots make you more resistant to wrap attacks
  • Hiking boots grant +100 to carrying capacity
  • Jungle boots prevent many types of leg injury
  • Padded gloves +1 AC
  • Old gloves can't be eroded
  • Fencing gloves +2 attack with one handed weapon and no shield

Breakable items

  • Locking tools are subject to breaking if cursed with a 1 in 5 chance on each application (evil).

Dragons and Dragon Scales

EvilHack uses the dtsund patch for dragon scales, which means that dragon scale mail no longer exists - but we can apply dragon scales to any armor. Since robes are now body armor - we can even create dragon scaled robes! Evil introduced some passive effects, I have expanded these so that every dragon scale provides them. I have also switched around or added new abilities. Most of these abilities are from other forks, but some are my own addition. Dragon scales worn on their own only exhibit their primary effect.


Dragon Primary Secondary Passive
Black Disintegration res Slow digestion Disintegration (!!)
Blue Shock res Speed Shock (!!)
Deep Drain res Stable (hurtling res) Drain life
Gold Light Automatic searching Blinding
Gray Magic res Cancel protection Cancellation (!!)
Green Poison res Sickness res Poison
Orange Sleep res Free action Slow
Red Fire res +1d6 melee damage Fire (!!)
Shimmering Displacement Stealth/Warn/See invisible Confuse/Stun/Slow
Silver Reflection Blinding res Scaring
Sea Magical breathing Swimming Water/rust (!!)
White Cold res Freeze water/Lava walk Cold (!!)
Yellow Acid res Stoning res Acid (!!)

!! - Risks item destruction from the type of attack

- Most of the passive attacks only trigger 33% of the time. - Black DSM also protects from engulfing digest attacks (But not engulf "wrap" attacks) - Blue scales passive shock is normally 1d6, but is capable of a critical hit for 2d24 - Acid scales passive acid is normally 1d3, but is capable of a critical hit for (level+1)d6


Spells/Spellcasting

New Spellbooks

Spell Class Level Notes
spellbook of acid blast ATTACK 6
  • Inherited from EvilHack, originally from GruntHack.
  • A serious damage-causing spell, will transition from a ray to an area of effect spell much like the spells fireball and cone of cold, damage output is on the same scale to creatures that do not resist acid. Can corrode objects in the target's inventory.
spellbook of command undead NECROMANCY 4
  • Was an ATTACK spell in SLASH'EM, now a NECROMANCY spell.
  • This spell is equivalent to charm monster, except that it only affects undead.
  • Was a level 5 spell in SLASH'EM, now level 4.
spellbook of enlighten DIVINATION 4
  • Using this is equivalent to the wand of enlightenment.
  • Was a BODY spell in SLASH'EM, now DIVINATION.
spellbook of fire bolt MATTER 1
  • Fire Bolt is only available to the Flame Mage and will not generate randomly.
  • The spellbook itself is immune to fire.
  • A fire attack (similar to force bolt) that doesn't reflect and can hit multiple targets. Destroys doors, trees, grass, webs, fountains and can insta-kill straw and paper golems.
  • Damage scales with level:
    • Level 1 = 1d10 fire damage
    • Level 4 = 1d10 + 1d8 fire damage
    • Level 8 = 1d10 + 2d8 fire damage
    • Level 12 = 1d10 + 3d8 fire damage
    • Matter at Skilled adds +1d4 fire damage
    • Matter at Expert adds +1d4 fire damage
spellbook of flame sphere MATTER 1
  • Inherited from EvilHack, originally from SLASH'EM.
  • This spell creates a number of tame flaming spheres dependent on the skill of the caster.
  • The spellbook itself is immune to fire.
  • Was a level 2 spell in EvilHack.
spellbook of freeze sphere MATTER 1
  • Inherited from EvilHack, originally from SLASH'EM.
  • This spell creates a number of tame freezing spheres dependent on the skill of the caster.
  • Was a level 2 spell in EvilHack.
spellbook of lightning ATTACK 4
  • Inherited from EvilHack, originally from SLASH'EM.
  • This spell shoots a powerful lightning bolt as a ray from the caster. Effects are basically the same as a wand of lightning, damage output uses the same scale as the spells fireball and cone of cold.
spellbook of passwall ESCAPE 5
  • Grants temporary intrinsic phasing, allowing you to pass through solid walls and other objects for anywhere between 50 and 149 turns before they become solid again.
  • Was a level 6 BODY spell in SLASH'EM, now level 5 ESCAPE spell.
spellbook of poison blast ATTACK 4
  • Inherited from EvilHack (where it's a level 5 spell), but this spell originally came from SLASH'EM (level 4).
  • Produces a cloud of noxious gas in a ray pattern, same effects much like a green dragons breath attack.
  • Reduced to level 2.
spellbook of psionic wave ATTACK 1
  • Not generated randomly.
  • This "spell" acts as the illithid race's psychic attack. When playing as the illithid race you will automatically start with this spell, but you will NOT start with the spellbook.
  • This psionic attack can confuse and kill, and is tied to spell power use (but is not considered a spell for the purposes of Amulet of Yendor interactions). If your race is changed (e.g. by getting crowned as an infidel), this ability is lost.
  • This spell will not time out as a normal spell would.
  • Does 2d6 psychic damage.
  • At XL 26, this increases to 4d6 psychic damage.
spellbook of reflection MATTER 5
  • Creates a temporary reflective bubble around the caster.
  • While active this acts exactly the same as an amulet of reflection (or the like)
spellbook of repair armor MATTER 3
  • Repairs one level of damage to any worn piece of armor.
  • Will not make armor items fixed.
  • Works as a foil to the new monster spell 'destroy armor'
spellbook of sonicboom MATTER 4
  • From SpliceHack.
  • Similar to a cone of cold, but inflicts sonic damage.
spellbook of summon undead NECROMANCY 5
  • Was an ATTACK spell in SLASH'EM, now a NECROMANCY spell.
  • 72 in 73 chance of creating one undead monster and a 1 in 73 chance of creating five undead.
  • Necromancers will automatically attempt to dominate the resulting monster(s). Monster(s) may resist, based on their MR.

Spellcasting Changes

  • Spell memory for books now matches SLASH'EM (10000 turns). The reinforce memory technique can be used to extend your spell memory when it gets low.
  • Removed the BODY spell school in SLASH'EM, moved to the ESCAPE spells
  • Removed PROTECTION spell school in SlashEM, moved to the CLERIC spells
  • Removed CLERIC spell school and created a NECROMANCY spell school to support the new spin on the Necromancer role. The spells from the CLERIC school have been distributed among the other schools as appropriate.
  • Increased available max spells by 10 (Added 0-9 for spell list letters)
  • Spellbook weights are now based on their level.
  • Spellcasting while wearing body armor will negatively affect your spell success rate.
 - The exception to this is crystal plate mail, which does not adversely affect spellcasting in any way.
  • Casting any spell successfully adds +500 turns to your memory of it (from SLASH'EM)

Existing Spell changes

Spell Notes
spellbook of cause fear
spellbook of charm monster
  • Decreased from level 5 (in old Vanilla) to level 4.
  • The SLASH'EM mechanics of traitorous and untamable monsters have been added. This means that many monsters that a player would typically tame with charm monster will now be able to turn hostile on a whim (or not be tamable at all).
spellbook of confuse monster
  • Decreased from level 2 (in old Vanilla) to level 1.
spellbook of cure sickness
  • Now directional and can be cast at other monsters/pets as well as yourself.
  • When cast at zombies, does damage to them instead of healing.
spellbook of charm monster
  • Decreased from level 3 (in old Vanilla) to level 5.
spellbook of cone of cold
  • Was an ATTACK spell, now a MATTER spell.
spellbook of create monster
  • Was an CLERIC spell, now a ENCHANTMENT spell.
spellbook of create familiar
  • Was an CLERIC spell, now a ENCHANTMENT spell.
  • Traitorous and untameable pets cannot be made from the spell of create familiar.
spellbook of detect food
  • Decreased from level 2 (in Vanilla) to level 1.
spellbook of detect monsters
  • Raised from level 1 (in Vanilla) to level 2.
spellbook of detect unseen
  • Decreased from level 3 (in Vanilla) to level 2.
spellbook of dig
  • Decreased from level 5 (in Vanilla) to level 3.
spellbook of fireball
  • Was an ATTACK spell, now a MATTER spell.
spellbook of invisibility
  • Decreased from level 4 (in Vanilla) to level 2.

spellbook of jumping

  • Raised from level 1 (in Vanilla) to level 2.
spellbook of protection
  • Was an CLERIC spell, now a ENCHANTMENT spell.
spellbook of remove curse
  • Was an CLERIC spell, now a ENCHANTMENT spell.
spellbook of restore ability
  • Decreased from level 4 (in Vanilla) to level 2.
spellbook of sleep
  • Decreased from level 3 (in Vanilla) to level 1.
spellbook of slow monster
  • Decreased from level 2 (in Vanilla) to level 1.
spellbook of teleport away
  • Decreased from level 6 (in Vanilla) to level 5.
spellbook of turn undead
  • Was an CLERIC spell, now a NECROMANCY spell.

Monster Mage spells

Touch of death

  • if you have MR you'll take damage (8d6) and your maximum hit point level can be reduced slightly.
  • Having MR and half spell damage together can reduce those effects even more.

Cancellation (new)

  • Acts just like having a wand of cancellation zapped at the player.
  • The spellcasting monster must be lined up with the player before it can cast this spell.

Acid blast (new)

  • A powerful area of effect spell, does acid damage to its target.
  • The damage output is dependent on the level of the monster casting it.
  • The acid from this spell also has a chance of eroding any unprotected weapons or armor in open inventory.

Destroy armor

  • Vanilla behavior – if the player didn't have magic resistance, one piece of armor would be completely destroyed.
  • In HackEM, any piece of worn armor can have its fixed status removed, and then deteriorated.
  • Even armor that is normally erodeproof is affected.
  • Having MR keeps the erosion level at one per cast, otherwise 1-3 levels per cast.
  • Armor-based quest artifacts are immune to this spell, as is crystal plate mail.

Fire bolt (new)

  • A small area of effect spell, this spell explodes a small fireball upon its target.
  • Any flammable objects in open inventory are subject to being burned.
  • low-level spell, any spellcaster has access to it.

Ice bolt (new)

  • A small area of effect spell, this spell explodes a small ice storm upon its target.
  • Any non-protected objects in open inventory are subject to being frozen.
  • low-level spell, any spellcaster has access to it.

Reflection (new)

  • Creates a shimmering globe around the caster, granting them reflection for several turns.

Create Pool (from SlashEM)

  • Affected by displacement and invisibility now.

Call Undead (from SlashEM)

Summon Monsters/Nasties

  • Enemies have to see you in order to cast this spell now.
  • Implemented fix #K669 - 'nasty' monster summoning.
  • chain summoning nerf. tldr: "If a replacement creature is a spellcaster it now has to have lower difficulty than the summoner."


Monster Clerical spells

Summon minion (new)

  • Summon a type of minion based on its alignment.
  • Demons that can cast clerical spells are not given access to this spell (they can already demon-gate).

Geyser

  • A powerful spell that causes a large geyser of water to slam into its target, causing physical damage (8d6).
  • What's new: can now rust any unprotected worn armor.

Vulnerability (new)

  • It's target temporarily becomes vulnerable to either fire, cold, shock or acid-based attacks, dropping its resistance (if any exists) by 50%.


Monster changes

New Monsters

Monster Sym Notes Origin
giant tick a
  • Multiplies
  • Can appear in main dungeon; increased difficulty by 7.
SLASH'EM
giant flea a
  • Multiplies
  • Can appear in main dungeon; increased difficulty by 7.
  • Added jumping ability.
SLASH'EM
giant louse a
  • Multiplies
  • Can appear in main dungeon; increased difficulty by 7.
SLASH'EM
giant fly a
  • Can emerge when a maggot infests a corpse
  • Maggots can grow up into these.
SpliceHack
giant mosquito a
  • Annoying quick, flying small pest with a poisonous bite.
bullet ant a
  • A littler meaner than soldier ants (SlashTHEM)
  • Can occupy antholes.
SpliceHack
snow ant a
  • Ants with a cold attack that resist cold.
  • Can occupy antholes.
SLASH'EM
queen ant a
  • Only generates in antholes.
EvilHack
giant cockroach a
  • Has a poisonous bite and will hide in sewage.
EvilHack
tsetse fly a SLASH'EM
giant praying mantis a
SpliceHack
yellow jacket a SLASH'EM
black wasp a SLASH'EM
giant wasp a SLASH'EM
spitting beetle a SLASH'EM
migo drone a
  • Increased difficulty
  • Added extra claw attack
SLASH'EM
migo warrior a
  • Increased difficulty
  • Added extra claw attack
  • Added resistance to cold
SLASH'EM
migo queen a
  • Added claw attack
SLASH'EM
assassin bug a
  • Added berserk
SLASH'EM
killer beetle a SLASH'EM
gibberslug a Hack'EM
ichneumon larva a SpliceHack
giant ichneumon a SpliceHack
locust a
  • Fear these and their sickness attack.
EvilHack
jiggling blob b SLASH'EM
lava blob b SLASH'EM
static blob b SLASH'EM
burbling blob b SLASH'EM
basilisk c
  • (already in evil and stronger)
  • Previously occupied the ':' slot
  • higher level, has more attacks than SlashEM
  • Added sleep res
  • Added oviparous
SLASH'EM/Evil
chicken c SLASH'EM
cockatoo c SLASH'EM
parrot c SLASH'EM
pit bull d SLASH'EM
guard dog d
  • Shows up sometimes in barracks
SpliceHack
dingo puppy d SLASH'EM
large dingo d SLASH'EM
barghest d
  • Made amphibious; added berserk
SpliceHack
death dog d SLASH'EM
rabid dog d EvilHack
rabid wolf d
  • Added berserk
SLASH'EM
wolverine
  • Added berserk
SLASH'EM
shadow wolf d
  • Made drain & death resistant. Added infravision.
  • Can darken lit areas when moving
SLASH'EM
mist wolf d
  • Made cold resistant
  • Each mist wolf can exhale clouds of thick mist; purely defensive.
SLASH'EM
nova fox d
  • Renamed from vulpenferno in SpliceHack
  • Bumped level up to 16, difficulty to 19.
  • Added resistances to fire and shock, confers both.
SpliceHack
Cerberus d
  • Guards the gates to Gehennom.
  • Can regrow heads while fighting.
EvilHack
glowing eye e
  • Added skittish behavior
SLASH'EM
bloodshot eye e
  • Added skittish behavior
SLASH'EM
blinking eye e
  • Added skittish behavior
SLASH'EM
weeping eye e
  • Passive rust
SpliceHack
burning eye e
  • Passive burn
SlashTHEM
concussive sphere e
  • Explodes for sonic damage
SpliceHack
whirling sphere e
  • When it explodes it hurtles you.
SpliceHack
beholder e
  • Removed Headless and Mindless attributes (viewable with telepathy now)
  • Cannot tame
EvilHack
magical eye e
  • Cannot tame
EvilHack
kamadan f
  • This leopard-like creature from SLASH'EM is capable of shooting sleep rays. Beware.
  • raised difficulty to 13
SLASH'EM
displacer beast f

(already present in evil)

SLASH'EM
caterwaul f SLASH'EM
saber-toothed cat f
  • Saber-tooth cats can grow up into saber-toothed tigers
  • Made a little weaker than the tigers.
SLASH'EM
saber-toothed tiger f EvilHack
hellcat f SLASH'EM
serval f SpliceHack
serpopard f
  • Increased to level 27, difficulty 30.
  • Both claw attacks are now 6d9.
SpliceHack
fat cat f SpliceHack
lion f SpliceHack
werepanther f/@ SLASH'EM
weretiger f/@ SLASH'EM
statue gargoyle g
  • Made immune to death magic
SLASH'EM
galltrit g
  • Only generate in Hell.
  • Using ratman squeaker tile from SpliceHack.
SlashTHEM
jermlaine g
  • This was a defunct monster from SLASH'EM that never got used, but does appear in SlashTHEM. They have been revamped a bit to match their grubby and devious nature.
  • Gets infravision and are skittish.
  • Start with offensive potions (acid, oil, etc)
  • Jermlaine can start with bullwhips or grappling hooks.
  • Using ratman tile from SpliceHack.
SlashTHEM
telamon(caryatid, loadbearer) g
hobbit pickpocket h EvilHack
mountain dwarf h EvilHack
dwarf thief h
  • Added berserk
SLASH'EM
duergar h
  • Added berserk
SLASH'EM
deep one h SLASH'EM
deeper one h SLASH'EM
deepest one h SLASH'EM
planar pirate h SpliceHack
alhoon h
  • Added traitor
EvilHack
dretch i SLASH'EM
rutterkin i SLASH'EM
nupperibo i
  • Added a drain life bite
SLASH'EM
blood imp i
  • Added a drain life bite
SLASH'EM
redcap i
  • Added berserk, traitor property
SpliceHack
dust devil i SpliceHack
clear jelly j
  • added vulnerable to fire
  • Added passive acid attack
SLASH'EM
yellow jelly j
  • added vulnerable to fire
  • Added stun touch
SLASH'EM
orange jelly j
  • added vulnerable to fire
  • Added passive sleep attack
  • Added touch sleep attack
SLASH'EM
rancid jelly j
  • added vulnerable to fire
SLASH'EM
swamp kobold k
  • Added swimming
  • Only generates in swamps.
SLASH'EM
rock kobold k
  • sometimes starts with a sling and some rocks.
SLASH'EM
kobold warrior k SLASH'EM
Kroo the Kobold King k SLASH'EM
leprechaun wizard l SLASH'EM
pixie n
  • Pixies always start out invisible and are faster than nymphs.
SLASH'EM
brownie n
  • Made vegetarian. Increased difficulty to 18
  • Brownies sometimes get short swords.
  • Brownies are the spellcasting version of nymphs.
SLASH'EM
quickling n
  • Quicklings are nymph-like monster introduced in SLASH'EM.
  • True to their name they are extremely fast, having a speed of 30.
SLASH'EM
lampad n
  • Doubled difficulty to 22
  • Usually carries a torch
SpliceHack
thriae n
  • changed from 'a' to yellow 'n' (they are bee nymphs)
  • Upped level to 14, difficulty to 27.
  • A maximum of 3 thriae can be generated in any game.
SpliceHack
Aphrodite n

(Already in evil with her own level)

SLASH'EM
yuki-onna n
  • Replace AD_LOST attack with fear gaze attack.
  • Added cold resistance
  • doubled difficulty to 14
SpliceHack
dream thief n
  • (oneroi, oneroi)
  • Replaced AD_MEMR attack with spellcasting.
  • increased difficulty to 25
SpliceHack
ice nymph n EvilHack
war orc o SLASH'EM
great orc o SLASH'EM
Grund the Orc King o
  • Grund the Orc King resists sickness.
  • Grund now gets some extra armor and a beefy submachine gun.
SLASH'EM
snow orc o
  • can throw snowballs
SLASH'EM
demon orc o SLASH'EM
goblin shaman o EvilHack
goblin-captain o EvilHack
diamond piercer p
  • Added resistance to sonics.
SpliceHack
god piercer p
  • Added resistance to sonics.
SpliceHack
lamb q
  • Removed "always peaceful" flag
SLASH'EM
sheep q
  • Removed "always peaceful" flag
SLASH'EM
goat q
  • Added jumping ability.
SLASH'EM
cow q
  • Removed "always peaceful" flag
SLASH'EM
bull q
  • Bulls can be tamed with vegetarian items.
SLASH'EM
scramper Q
  • Previously occupied the 'q' slot.
SLASH'EM
squealer Q
  • Previously occupied the 'q' slot.
SLASH'EM
mangler Q
  • Previously occupied the 'q' slot.
SLASH'EM
Jumbo the Elephant q SLASH'EM
juggernaut q
  • Buffed significantly from SlashEM
  • Can appear in main dungeon now.
  • Added fire/poison/shock/sleep/acid/stone/death/drain/sickness resistances
  • Added infravision, regeneration, and mindless attributes.
  • Changed juggernaut MR to 70, AC to -4, speed to 15
SLASH'EM
catoblepas q
  • Specified they have 2 tusks/horns
SLASH'EM
manticore q SpliceHack
landshark q SpliceHack
pig q SpliceHack
feral hog q SpliceHack
llama q SpliceHack
black bear q
  • Raised level to 7. Added berserk.
SpliceHack
werebear q/@
  • Increased difficulty to 14.
SpliceHack
grizzly bear q
  • Changed color to red to avoid clashing with manticore
  • Increased difficulty to 8.
SpliceHack
polar bear q
  • A stronger version of grizzlies that are also cold resistant.
Hack'EM
chimera q
  • fire-breathing 3d6
SpliceHack
hippo q SpliceHack
hellbear q SpliceHack
woolly mammoth q EvilHack
rabbit r
  • Can be tamed with carrots (not rabid rabbits though)
SLASH'EM
black rat r SLASH'EM
rabid rabbit r
  • Added berserk
SLASH'EM
pack rat r
  • Made a little tougher, now level 2
  • Added collector, strong, and flanking attributes
SLASH'EM
hellrat r SLASH'EM
giant badger r
  • Changed to rodent class to match honey badger, was 'q' in SLASH'EM
  • added swimming attribute to all badgers.
  • Added berserk
SLASH'EM
honey badger r
  • Ignores Elbereth
EvilHack
skunk r
  • Skunks leave trails of poison gas.
  • They also leave a small poison cloud on death.
  • Immune to poison and poison gas.
SpliceHack
hedgehog r
  • Previously occupied the 'q' slot
  • Removed the "always peaceful" flag.
  • can be tamed by zapping them with speed monster.
SpliceHack
enormous rat r EvilHack
rodent of unusual size r EvilHack
jumping spider s EvilHack
recluse spider s SLASH'EM
barking spider s SLASH'EM
carrion crawler s SLASH'EM
nickelpede s SLASH'EM
giant centipede s EvilHack
giant scorpion s SLASH'EM
phase spider s
  • Made skittish; teleports more like tengus.
SLASH'EM
Girtab s
  • Can lay eggs that hatch cave spiders.
SLASH'EM
Shelob s
  • Can lay eggs that hatch cave spiders.
SLASH'EM
monstrous spider s
  • Added scream attack that causes fear
SpliceHack
werespider s/@ SLASH'EM
selkie u SpliceHack
lesser nightmare u EvilHack
nightmare u EvilHack
cauchemar u EvilHack
pegasus u SLASH'EM/Evil
giant leech w EvilHack
larva w
  • Larva can infest corpses and create maggots
SLASH'EM
maggot w
  • Can infest corpses and create further maggots or giant flies.
SLASH'EM
dung worm w
  • Made poisonous to eat
SLASH'EM
acid worm w SLASH'EM
bloodworm w SLASH'EM
tunnel worm w SLASH'EM
rot worm w
  • Eating a rot worm causes food poisoning
SLASH'EM
neothelid w
  • Traitorous
EvilHack
hellminth w
  • Type of maggot that does not generate randomly; only dropped by a dying Worm that Walks.
  • Can infest corpses to create a gibberslug (75% change) or a new Worm that Walks (25% chance.)
  • Cannot be genocided.
Hack'EM
spark bug x SLASH'EM
arc bug x SLASH'EM
lightning bug x SLASH'EM
will-o'-the-wisp y
  • Spawns in swamp rooms and Juiblex's level.
  • Frequency 4(uncommon) -> 2(quite rare)
  • Changed difficulty from 4 to 7.
SpliceHack
echidna z
  • Added infravisible
SLASH'EM
platypus z SLASH'EM
koala z SLASH'EM
wombat z SLASH'EM
Tasmanian devil z
  • Added berserk
SLASH'EM
wallaby z
  • Can jump
SLASH'EM
wallaroo z
  • Can jump
SLASH'EM
kangaroo z
  • Can jump
SLASH'EM
drop bear z SpliceHack
movanic deva A
  • Added fire/shock/death magic resistance. Has big_wings
SLASH'EM
monadic deva A
  • Added fire/shock/death magic resistance. Has big_wings
  • Made breathless.
SLASH'EM
astral deva A
  • Added fire/shock/death magic resistance. Has big_wings
SLASH'EM
planetar A SLASH'EM
solar A SLASH'EM
archangel A EvilHack
Eldritch Ki-rin A EvilHack
lamassu A
  • has 2 horns
  • Replaced one of the claw attacks with a butt attack.
SpliceHack
rhumbat B SLASH'EM
athol B
  • Added "ahool!" sounds that aggravate monsters.
  • Alert to presence of athols, you hear a distant howl
  • Increased their difficulty
SLASH'EM
hellbat B SLASH'EM
mongbat B SLASH'EM
mobat B
  • Mobats collect treasure
  • Added piercing screams that cause pain
SLASH'EM
harpy B
  • can start with misc jewelry.
  • uses primitive weapons, big bones/clubs, sometimes bows
  • Added song attack that can paralyze from a distance.
  • Changed #chat voice to seduction chat.
SLASH'EM
byakhee B SLASH'EM
nightgaunt B
  • Sometimes get tridents, spears or javelins
SLASH'EM
zoo bat B SpliceHack
gaol bat B SpliceHack
phoenix B
  • Phoenix eggs hatch instantly when exposed to lava or fire.
SpliceHack
baby deep dragon D SLASH'EM
deep dragons D
  • Added drain life to passive attacks
  • Baby/adult deep dragons resist poison and drain magic
SLASH'EM
baby shimmering dragon D
  • (already in EvilHack)
  • Gets a passive stun attack
SLASH'EM
shimmering dragon D
  • (already in EvilHack)
  • Gets a passive stun attack
SLASH'EM
gold dragon D EvilHack
baby gold dragon D EvilHack
sea dragon D EvilHack
baby sea dragon D EvilHack
wyvern D SLASH'EM
hydra D
  • Added poisonous breath, passive poison
  • Imported multiple heads mechanic from SpliceHack.
SLASH'EM
pseudodragon D EvilHack
elder pseudodragon D EvilHack
ancient pseudodragon D EvilHack
Father Dagon D
  • Not used yet
SLASH'EM
Mother Hydra D
  • Not used yet
SLASH'EM
mud elemental E
  • Added a suffocating engulf attack
SpliceHack
acid elemental E
  • Added acid engulf (like shoggoth)
SpliceHack
ice elemental E
  • Spits snowballs
SpliceHack
magma elemental E
  • Added engulf attack
SpliceHack
gray fungus F
  • Has a speed of 1 so they can move.
  • Added a 1d4 touch attack (From SlashTHEM)
EvilHack
disgusting mold F SLASH'EM
black mold F SLASH'EM
brown moldier F SpliceHack
yellow moldier F SpliceHack
green moldier F SpliceHack
red moldier F SpliceHack
screamer F
  • Has a sonic touch attack.
SpliceHack
dungeon fern F
  • added acid res
  • Changed color to white
  • Every time a fern sprout releases a spore, it gains a level.
  • (Enables sprouts to grow up into adult ferns)
UnNetHack
dungeon fern sprout F UnNetHack
arctic fern F
  • Changed color to blue
UnNetHack
arctic fern sprout F UnNetHack
blazing fern F UnNetHack
blazing fern sprout F UnNetHack
swamp fern F
  • Changed from cyan to black
  • Added swamp ferns to mine/cave river generation (if there is sewage)
UnNetHack
swamp fern sprout F UnNetHack
dungeon fern spore e UnNetHack
arctic fern spore e
  • Changed color to bright blue not to confuse with floating eyes)
UnNetHack
blazing fern spore e UnNetHack
swamp fern spore e UnNetHack
fern spore e UnNetHack
volatile mushroom F SpliceHack
gnome thief G SLASH'EM
rock gnome G EvilHack
deep gnome G SLASH'EM
gnome warrior G SLASH'EM
Ruggo the Gnome King G SLASH'EM
gnoll G SLASH'EM
gnoll warrior G SLASH'EM
gnoll chieftain G SLASH'EM
gnoll shaman G SLASH'EM
marrashi G SpliceHack
hill giant shaman H SporkHack
The Largest Giant H
  • Appears in the Giant Caverns
SLASH'EM
hecatoncheire (Hundred Handed One) H SpliceHack
elder minotaur H
  • Traitorous
EvilHack
vorpal jabberwock J
  • Inherited from EvilHack - which implemented their beheading attack.
EvilHack
snark J EvilHack
boojum J EvilHack
eye of fear and flame L SpliceHack
worm that walks L
  • When destroyed, generates up to 10 hellminth maggots.
  • These maggots can infest other corpses to create more worms that walk.
  • If wielding Sunsword or Mortality Dial, Worm that Walks will evaporate instead of leaving worms.
SpliceHack
troll mummy M
  • Added regeneration and stalking
SLASH'EM
adherer M
  • When hitting an aherer with a weapon, your weapon will stick to the adherer and you'll lose it.
  • Projectiles thrown at adherers (by hero) will also stick to them.
  • Players can also polymorph into adherers and gain the stickness ability.
SpliceHack
hobbit mummy M
centaur mummy M A Hack'EM
ha-naga N SpliceHack
ogre mage O SLASH'EM
shadow ogre O
  • Gave a frequency of 2; can now appear in the main dungeon
  • Made poison, drain, death resistant, and vulnerable to fire.
  • darkens lit areas as they move.
SLASH'EM
moldy pudding P
  • added vulnerability to fire
SLASH'EM
shoggoth P
  • Limited to one corrosion attack
SLASH'EM
giant shoggoth P
  • Limited to one corrosion attack
SLASH'EM
blood pudding P
  • specified not vegetarian
SpliceHack
gel P SpliceHack
genetic engineer Q

(already in evil)

SLASH'EM
alchemist Q
  • Added skittish behavior
SpliceHack
king cobra S SLASH'EM
asphynx S SLASH'EM
cerastes S
  • A desert dweller - so they get fire resistance.
SpliceHack
amphisbaena S SpliceHack
giant anaconda S EvilHack
weresnake S/@ SLASH'EM
two-headed troll T SLASH'EM
black troll T SLASH'EM
cave troll T
  • Buffed some of the attacks.
  • Added a clobber attack
SpliceHack
grave troll T SpliceHack
water hulk U
  • Added vulnerability to shock
SLASH'EM
umbral hulk U
  • When these move they can darken rooms.
SpliceHack
hunger hulk U SpliceHack
slumber hulk U SpliceHack
shambling horror U
  • These abominations are creatures with randomly generated attacks and attributes. They are setup at the start of each game and all shambling horrors will carry those attributes.
  • To retain the element of surprise and danger for the player, these normally cannot be accessed in the database lookup. However, there are a few ways to unlock the Pokedex info on the current game's horrors:
    • Kill one.
    • Probe it with a wand of probing.
    • Probe it with a stethoscope.
  • Traitorous
EvilHack
fire vampire V SLASH'EM
star vampire V SLASH'EM
vampire mage (already in evil with minor changes) V SLASH'EM
nosferatu V
  • Instead of were_summoning rats, summons wolves instead.
Splice/THEM
wight W SLASH'EM
bodak W
  • Hates light
SpliceHack
banshee W SpliceHack
slaughter wight W
  • A HackEM original!
  • Has infravision, accurate, strong, and berserk. -8 AC
  • Has 2 powerful melee slams: (2d18 drain energy/clobber) and drain life attacks.
  • Releases a nasty death wail when slain. 2d18 sonic damage that stuns
Hack'EM
zruty Y
  • Changed zruty from z to Y (to accommodate zouthern animals)
lemur Y SpliceHack
baby owlbear Y EvilHack
hobbit zombie Z EvilHack
ghoul mage Z SLASH'EM
ghast Z
  • Ghasts gain a level for every corpse they eat.
  • Ghast's bite attack now scales with their level.
SLASH'EM
ghoul queen Z SLASH'EM
revenant Z EvilHack
gug Z SLASH'EM
draugr Z
  • Added zombie bite attack, and vulnerable to fire.
SpliceHack
vomitous ghoul Z SpliceHack
skeletal pirate Z SpliceHack
zombie dragon Z SpliceHack
centaur zombie Z A Hack'EM
wax golem `
  • can be created from wax poly.
  • Wax golems have a small chance of death dropping a magic candle
  • Added vulnerability to cold
SLASH'EM
plastic golem `
  • Can drop random plastic items.
SLASH'EM
snow golem ` EvilHack
ruby golem ` SLASH'EM
diamond golem ` SLASH'EM
sapphire golem ` SLASH'EM
steel golem `
  • Added vulnerability to acid
  • Subject to the same rust vulnerability as iron golems
SLASH'EM
crystal golem `
  • Added reflection to the higher level golems.
  • Changes color every turn
SLASH'EM
gibberling @
  • Hates light
  • Gibberlings get a sonic attack: Stuns, confuses, etc (Similar to a cursed unicorn horn)
  • Can infect monsters/players with gibberslug larva.
SLASH'EM
grimlock @
  • Hates light and can stalk you.
  • Can start with bone clubs, bone aklys, axes or orcish spears.
  • Added a claw attack
SLASH'EM
elven wizard @ EvilHack
mugger @ SLASH'EM
black marketeer @
  • Added accurate behavior
UnNetHack
general @ SpliceHack
bandit @ SlashTHEM
peasant @
  • Can start with a scythe
SlashTHEM
bard @ SlashTHEM
musicians @
  • (for village; used apprentice tile)
SlashTHEM
street thug leader (for village) @ SlashTHEM
street thug @
  • (for village; use pirate crewmate tile)
SlashTHEM
Charon @ EvilHack
shadow ( )
  • Added infravision
SLASH'EM
spectre ( ) EvilHack
lava demon & EvilHack
weredemon &/d
  • Wereform is a hell hound.
EvilHack
spined devil &
  • Spined devils have big wings, flies
  • can get tridents, halberds.
  • Added a weapon attack
SLASH'EM
bearded devil &
  • Added berserk and resists cold
  • Bearded devils get glaives.
  • Bearded devils gets a poisonous beard attack (1d13 weapon)
SLASH'EM
bar-lgura &
  • Added shock resistance.
  • Bar-lgura are telepath, can jump, see invisible
SLASH'EM
chasme &
  • Added telepathy, see invisible, resistance to acid, cold, and shock.
  • Raised MR to 70
SLASH'EM
babau &
  • Babau have 1 horn and a thick leathery hide.
  • Added a passive corrosion attack (from their acidic greasy hide)
  • Babau usually use two-handed swords or spears.
SLASH'EM
nabassu &
  • Nabassu have a thick hide and a pair of forehead horns
  • Added displacing behavior
  • Nabassu can cause victims(you) to rise as a ghast.
  • Nabassu darken their environment when moving
SLASH'EM
armanite &
  • fast
SpliceHack
damned pirate & SpliceHack
spibrawulf & SpliceHack
Tiamat & EvilHack
Graz'zt & EvilHack
Lolth & EvilHack
Mephistopheles & EvilHack
Baphomet & EvilHack
Cthulhu h
  • Put Cthulhu in the middle of sanctum
  • Cthulhu cannot teleport
  • Added flying and will displace monsters to get to you.
  • Mostly used the UnNetHack implementation. However, Cthulhu is not covetous and he does not start with the Amulet of Yendor.
  • He is vulnerable to death magic.
Un/THEM
mind flayer larva ; EvilHack
giant crab ; SLASH'EM
mermaid ;
  • Combination of Splice and SlashTHEM versions
  • Vulnerable to shock damage
Splice/THEM
swordfish ; SpliceHack
sea horse ;
  • Vulnerable to shock damage
SpliceHack
giant squid ;
  • Previously "thing from below" in splice
  • Vulnerable to shock damage
SpliceHack
giant turtle : SporkHack
frost salamander : EvilHack
gila monster :
  • Made vulnerable to cold
SLASH'EM
rhaumbusun : SLASH'EM
komodo dragon :
  • Made vulnerable to cold
  • Komodo dragons can swim and can hiss
  • Added MR20 (~MC1 of chain mail)
SLASH'EM
velociraptor : SpliceHack
T-Rex : SpliceHack
bad egg %
  • vulnerable to fire - "cooking"!
SLASH'EM
killer tripe ration %
  • vulnerable to fire
SLASH'EM
killer food ration %
  • vulnerable to fire
SLASH'EM
pile of killer coins $
  • leaves piles of coins (similar to gold golems)
SLASH'EM
large pile of killer coins $
  • leaves piles of coins
SLASH'EM
huge pile of killer coins $
  • leaves piles of coins
SLASH'EM
flame mage @ SLASH'EM
necromancer @ SLASH'EM
ice mage @ SLASH'EM
undead slayer @ SLASH'EM
yeoman @ SLASH'EM
convict @ EvilHack
infidel @ EvilHack
jedi @ SlashTHEM
pirate @ SpliceHack
High Flame Mage @ SLASH'EM
High Ice Mage @ SLASH'EM
Dark Lord @ SLASH'EM
Van Helsing @ SLASH'EM
Chief Yeoman Warder @ SLASH'EM
Robert the Lifer @ EvilHack
Infidel quest leader @ EvilHack
Mayor Cummerbund @ SpliceHack
The Jedi Master @ SlashTHEM
Water Mage @ SLASH'EM
Ragnaros (Replaces the Earth Mage, slashem-up) E slashem-up
Maugneshaagar & SLASH'EM
Count Dracula V SLASH'EM
Colonel Blood @ SLASH'EM
Warden Arianna @ EvilHack
The Paladin @ EvilHack
Blackbeard's Ghost SpliceHack
Lord Sidious @ SlashTHEM
igniter @ SLASH'EM
froster @ SLASH'EM
embalmer @ SLASH'EM
exterminator @ SLASH'EM
Yeoman Warder @ SLASH'EM
inmate @ EvilHack
padawan @ SlashTHEM
stormtrooper @ SlashTHEM
pirate crewmate @ SpliceHack
agent @ EvilHack
champion @ EvilHack

Monster changes

Zombies

  • Probably the most significant monster change imported from EvilHack.
  • Zombies now have two different attack types, one being a poisonous claw attack (effects and frequency are the same as a bite from a rabid rat), the other being a disease-inducing bite attack to the head. The latter is a very serious threat, as the ability to cure oneself from being terminally ill are almost non-existent in the early game.
  • If the player becomes ill from a zombie bite, they only have a few turns to cure themselves, or they will die and turn into a zombie.
  • This zombie can be encountered by other players if a bones file is generated.
  • There is a very small chance that the player will be able to continue playing if they are turned into a zombie; however, they will be stuck in that form for the remainder of the game.
  • A zombie's bite attack also has a chance of causing amnesia.
  • Eating a zombie corpse will make the player ill and cause them to start turning into a zombie (tins of zombie meat 'cure' the meat and make it safe to eat).
  • Attacking zombies at range and wearing a piece of armor that protects your head are highly recommended.
  • Zombies can make other monsters terminally ill as well - the same methods used by the player to cure themselves of a terminal illness can be used/applied on monsters or pets also.

In Hack'EM there are a few additional ways to deal with zombies:

  • Play as a Convict, Undead Slayer, or Necromancer. They all start with sickness resistance.
  • Undead slayers deal extra damage versus undead. In addition, they are able to obliterate zombies so they don't leave corpses.
  • Wear a tinfoil hat or a dunce cap protect you from the brains eating attack.
  • Wearing a Ring of Psychic Resistance will also protect you from the amnesia attack, but not the sickness.
  • Playing as an illithid will protect you from the brain eating attacks.

Dragons

  • Significantly enhanced, they spawn with many more hit points (especially in the end game).
  • Can engulf and digest creatures smaller than them.
  • Can now bellow a frightful roar that causes Afraid status.
  • Since they can roar, All adult dragons resist sonic damage.
  • Only half of dragons are capable of roaring, and the engulf attack has been removed from half of the dragons.
  • To offset their powerful abilities, dragons periodically slumber. Running from a dragon and hoping it decides to rest is a valid strategy (SpliceHack).
  • A couple of things will now protect you from dragon roars:
    • Being a knight (they are naturally trained to fight dragons)
    • Wearing Dragonbane or Pridwen
    • Being confused
    • Having Psychic Resistance
  • Yellow dragons get a passive acid attack instead of corrosion to mirror the YDS behavior.

Elementals

  • The new elementals (from SpliceHack) can engulf creatures smaller than them.
  • Some elementals can be zapped and transformed depending on the ray type.
  • Ex: Zapping a water elemental with a wand of cold turns it into an ice elemental.
  • All elementals (except ice elementals) resist sonic damage.

Ghosts

  • Ghosts and all incorporeal monsters can only be hit with blessed, silver, or bone objects.
  • They can also turn invisible and reappear - scaring (and paralyzing) the player for a few turns.
  • Ghosts now cannot be renamed (xnh).

Misc updates

  • Amphisbaena resists stoning.
  • Angels and Aleaxes can generate with harps.
  • Deep/er/est ones are vulnerable to fire.
  • Dragons and Xorns eat hard gems.
  • Dust devils also resist shock.
  • Dwarves have a 6/7 chance to be generated with a potion of booze (Outside of the mines).
  • Elves are lawful instead of chaotic
  • Fungi and Migos now hate copper and receive an extra d6 damage from copper.
    • Copper also does extra damage vs monsters with disease, decay, and pestilence attacks.
  • Team a, most members are now vulnerable to acid.
  • Gnolls
    • The EvilHack gnolls have been merged with the SLASH'EM gnolls.
    • Gnolls still use the G symbol and the base attributes of the SLASH'EM version.
    • Gnolls use the EvilHack weight and size, and get poison resistance, infravisible, and berzerk.
  • Baby gray dragons get MR20 (twice the other baby dragons).
  • Gremlins always gremlin. Midnight is irrelevant. Applies to both polymorphed player and dungeon monsters. (fiq)
  • Giant beetles and giant spiders had their weight increased.
  • Gnome Kings have been raised to lvl 9, gnome warriors to 7.
  • Gnomes outside the Mines have a chance of generating with a few gems
  • Golems now drop more items related to their material (ie: rope golems drop leashes, etc).
  • Green slimes now have engulfing attacks.\
  • Hellcats and hellminths get fire resistance.
  • Hobbits may carry some healthy snacks.
  • Ice Devils get an additional slow attack.
  • Imps now hate iron. (splice)
  • Imps and others cussing the hero wake up nearby monsters
  • Keystone Kops can no longer be genocided and may generate with firearms and daggers or knives.
  • Lichens got a weak slow touch attack.
  • Leprechauns will steal anything made of gold.
  • Lynx, panthers, and jaguars can now jump.
  • Mind flayers/Master mind flayers color changed to bright magenta.
  • Mumakil and mastodons/woolly mammoth have increased difficultly level and can attack with their trunks, grabbing onto and crushing their target.
  • Nurses have a chance of dropping pills on death.
  • Nymphs and mermaids will introduce themselves when seducing you (splice)
  • Nymphs now hate iron (splice)
  • Olog Hai are now poison resistant
  • Orcs are immune to poison
  • Orc captains now are lords and have speed 9. (xnh)
  • All piercers resist sonics.
  • Paper golems can be insta-killed by decay attacks.
  • Rabid monsters can no longer be tamed
  • Rats can tamed with cheese.
  • Rock trolls are now stoning resistant. (xnh)
  • Salamanders can grab onto the player and pull them into lava.
  • Serpopards resist poison.
  • Shopkeepers are double their vanilla base level and usually spawn get a shotgun and shells (from SlashEM)
  • Shriekers have sonic resistance.
  • Skeletons rarely drop skeleton keys. (xnh)
  • Stone golems, gargoyles, winged gargoyles are now vulnerable to digging rays, which will half their HP on each shot.
  • Tigers are now orange and may rarely drop a tiger eye ring when killed. (xnh)
  • Trappers and lurkers above are now mindless (now they cannot be detected with telepathy).
  • Were-monsters summon a wider (and more dangerous) diversity of brethren.
  • Whirling spheres resist almost everything
  • Zouthern animals now have a small chance of death-dropping boomerangs.
  • Monsters with sonic attacks get sonic resistance.
  • Player monsters:
    • can be encountered throughout the game.
    • They covet the Amulet of Yendor, and attempt to steal it.
    • Any monster, should it get a hold of the Amulet of Yendor, can and will sacrifice it on an endgame altar.
  • Priests, soldiers, the watch, and player monsters can also be a variety of different races.
  • Pets that explode will attack anything. This includes flame spheres and freezing spheres for flame and ice mages.

Monster Mechanic Changes

Berserking behavior

  • From EvilHack
  • Monsters with this property have the M3_BERSERK tag.
  • When berserkers are below 1/3 of their health, they go into berserk mode.
  • When berserking, monsters totally ignore Elbereth or Scare Monster. If they are usually skittish or trying to keep away, they will instead actively approach.
  • A berserking monster also has a 1 in 3 chance of dealing their max possible damage when hitting you.
  • They will also lash out at random monsters to get at you.
  • This property has been added to many monsters: all rabid animals, all dwarves, most orcs, all bears, all badgers, all gnolls, most giants, and other monsters where it seems appropriate.

Traitorous/betrayal behavior

  • From SLASH'EM
  • Monsters with this property have the M3_TRAITOR tag.
  • If tame, monsters with the traitor property have a small chance to betray you on each turn.
  • In SLASH'EM this used to depend on the monster's HP being lower than yours, but that condition has been removed and the chance of betraying has been significantly increased.
  • Also in SLASH'EM, the chance of a pet betraying was quite low. There was a 1 in 850 chance per turn of the betray check even occurring. The chance of this check has been increased to 1 in 250 each turn.
  • All monsters that were traitorous in SLASH'EM/THEM have kept it, and it has been added to various new monsters as appropriate.
  • Migos, gargoyles, any thieves, any illithids, any pirates, deep ones, most imps, all kobolds, all orcs, all gnolls, and other various conniving creatures.
  • Also closely related is the "untameable" property, which as also been imported from SLASH'EM.
  • Necromancers will never be betrayed by their undead pets.

How does the betrayed check work?

All these conditions must be true:

  • The pet is not a minion
  • The pet is less than 4 squares away from you.
  • The pet is capable of treachery.
  • The pet is not mindless.
  • Hitting a 1 on a d3 roll.
  • Hitting a d22 roll that is greater than the pets tameness (means that the lower the tameness, the higher chance of succeeding)
  • Hitting a d(pet's abuse + 2) that isn't 1 (means that even if your pet has not suffered any abuse, there is a 50% chance of the roll succeeding.)

If all these conditions and rolls are met, your pet will become hostile and turn on you. The implications of this mechanic are to be more careful around polytraps - carefully monitor what your pet is polymorphing into, or abandon it if it could threaten you with betrayal.

Shield Skill

A new trainable skill from EvilHack - using shields. This section has been adapted from the EvilHack commits.

Shield skill gives the player a new avenue of defense (and even offense) to train up. Roles that can highly train shields will benefit from much higher AC and gain some nice offensive bonuses.

AC bonuses:

  • Being unskilled/restricted in shield skill, there is no extra AC bonus for wearing one.
  • To get these bonuses, you must be wearing a shield and have the required skill.
  • BASIC skill: adds 1AC
  • SKILLED skill: adds 3AC
  • EXPERT skill: adds 5AC
  • MASTER skill: adds 8AC
  • If your role allows for it, you can train up your shield skill while wearing a shield.
  • If you block an attack outright with your shield, that automatically trains shield skill.
  • Otherwise, there's a 33% chance of training shield skill while wearing one and a regular miss event occurs.


Shield Bashing:

  • If shield skill is basic or higher, and a shield is being worn, there's a chance the player will receive an extra 'shield bash' attack along with their regular attack
  • The greater the shield skill, the greater the chance of the extra shield bash attack occurring.
  • Small shields do 2-4 damage, Tower shields do 2-13 damage.
  • All other shields do 3-8 damage (not counting material hatred, which is factored in).
  • Expert skill or higher gets an extra small damage bonus
  • Expert/master skill in shields gives a chance to stun your target with a shield bash

Misc:

  • If expert skill or higher in shields., your shield will be prevented from being taken away via dwarvish bearded axe attack.

The roles that can train in shields are:

Role Shield Skill
Archeologist BASIC
Barbarian SKILLED
Caveperson BASIC
Convict BASIC
Knight EXPERT
Necromancer SKILLED
Priest BASIC
Rogue BASIC
Ranger SKILLED
Tourist BASIC
Undead Slayer SKILLED
Valkyrie MASTER
Yeoman BASIC
  • Knights and valkyries start at basic skill.
  • Out of all the primary caster roles, only priests can train shield skill, since they already start with one and are typically seen as tank spellcasters.

Flanking Behavior

  • From SpliceHack
  • Monsters with this property have the M2_FLANK tag
  • Monsters with flanking are "tactical" and known as "outflankers", they will actively seek opportunities to flank the player.
  • Monsters gain a large bonus to hit when flanking the player (located on opposite sides of the player's position).
  • Flanking now scales with monster level (this used to be a flat +4 AC penalty):
    • AC penalty = 4 + (mdiffulty - 4) / 2
  • Flanking has been applied to many appropriate monsters in Hack'EM.
  • Using a pet, you can also take advantage of flanking. Simply place yourself and your pet in such a way as to "sandwich" the monster. You (and your pet) will each get a +4 to-hit bonus on the victim.

Flanking restrictions:

  • You cannot flank if hallucinating, afraid, confused, punished, fumbling, wounded, or stunned. You must also be able to see the monster you want to flank.
  • Monsters cannot flank if sleeping, fleeing, confused, trapped, being stoned, sick, diseased, or stunned.

Monster hit point generation

  • is now determined by their size as well as what level they are.
  • They also have the same armor class damage reduction that players enjoy.

Intelligent monsters

  • Mostly from evil, but a fair amount of monster usage code has come from Splice, Un, and xnh
  • Intelligent monsters/pets can use many more items against the player or for their own benefit, including:
    • stashing objects into bags and taking them back out
    • unlocking and looting locked containers
    • activating any figurines it may have
    • wearing most rings
    • reading scrolls of remove curse to uncurse items in its inventory
    • scrolls of charging to recharge wands in its possession
    • utilizing powerful wands against the player
  • If an intelligent monster is lucky enough to get a wish from a smoky potion - it WILL wish for something to use against the player.

Player monsters

  • From EvilHack
  • Player monsters are now technically their own class of monster and are separate from how the actual player is defined in src/monst.c, and were purposely left out of the new monsters table as it would unnecessarily inflate that list.
  • Player monsters differ here from vanilla NetHack in that they can spawn outside of the Astral Plane, are yellow in color, and are kitted out in player-like gear starting at level 10, and then can be kitted out with ascension-level gear starting at level 20.
  • Their hit dice and difficulty level roughly matches that of the actual player (this is based off of what experience level the actual player is when the player monster spawns).
  • Their abilities closely match their role as well (wizards and priests can cast spells, rogues can steal items from inventory, etc).
  • Player monsters from EvilHack covet the Amulet of Yendor and will attempt to steal it, and if they steal it while on the Astral Plane, will attempt to sacrifice it themselves. As you can imagine, if that happens, it is a game-ending event.

Shape-changing monsters

  • (except for vampires and were-creatures) will revert back to their original form when their polymorphed form dies.
  • They cannot change form again once this happens.

Other behavior that needs documentation

M3_ACCURATE M3_SKITTISH M3_DISPLACES M4_VULNERABLE_FIRE M4_VULNERABLE_COLD M4_VULNERABLE_ELEC M4_VULNERABLE_ACID M4_STATIONARY MR_PSYCHIC MR_CLOB MR_SONIC M2_JUMPER

Unique Monster Changes

  • The Oracle sometimes gets a potion of hallucination. (xnh)

Medusa

  • Medusa has been enhanced; she is no longer an easy kill.
  • Her hit points and level have been boosted.
  • She spawns wielding an enchanted orcish bow with a quiver full of enchanted and poisoned orcish arrows.
  • The snakes on her head can attack (poisonous bite) and her own bite causes slow-stoning.
  • Her gaze is still of the instant petrification type.
  • Having reflection is no longer a guaranteed kill, she resists most of the time.
  • When defeated, a pegasus will arise from her body (From SLASH'EM)

Demon lords/princes

  • along with which lair they may appear in, has been completely randomized.
  • Your experience in Gehennom can be a very different experience per game.


Juiblex

  • enhanced, and has many more acid-based attacks at its disposal.

Vlad the Impaler

  • can cast wizard-based monster spells, and wields the artifact weapon Lifestealer.

The Wizard of Yendor

  • can use any artifact weapons or armor that he steals against the player.
  • Color changed to bright magenta.
  • The frequency of Rodney's harassment of the player now slightly depends on luck.
  • Lower Rodney's AC from -8 to -6 (from EvilHack)

The Riders

  • Identity of the Riders hidden via farlook or 'More info about' prompt. (from evil, Un)

Misc Resources

Template:HackEMMonsters
Click on a glyph to go to that monster's page.