Auto-identify

In NetHack some items will automatically identify (or auto-identify) themselves partially if the hero sees their effects, either from using the item themselves or seeing a monster do so: this reveals its object type and adds that information to the list of discoveries, but does not reveal other information about the specific item, such as its beatitude, enchantment or charges. There are also ways to auto-identify other types of information about certain items.

List of auto-identifying items

Several item types can auto-identify in some form or another, depending on the contexts they are used in—for example, wearing armor that changes the hero's ability scores (whether positively or negatively) will automatically identify its item type.

Amulets

The following amulets can be auto-identified:

• An amulet of reflection will auto-identify if the hero sees a ray reflected by the worn amulet.
• An amulet of strangulation will auto-identify if the hero puts it on and gradual strangulation begins.

Armor

All armor displays their enchantment when worn by the hero.

The following armor can be auto-identified:

• An elven cloak or pair of elven boots will auto-identify when a hero without stealth wears either of them and gains stealth, or if they take off the armor and do not have another source of stealth.
• A cloak of protection will auto-identify when worn or taken off by the hero.
• A cloak of invisibility will auto-identify if the hero either wears it and gains invisibility from it, or if they take it off and lose invisibility. The cloak will also auto-identify if the hero sees a monster that either puts it on and becomes invisible or takes off the cloak and becomes visible.
• A cloak of displacement will auto-identify if the hero either wears it and gains displacement from it, or if they take it off and lose displacement.
• A shield of reflection will auto-identify if the hero sees a ray reflected by the worn shield.
• Gauntlets of power will auto-identify if the hero wears them and it sets their strength to 25.
• Gauntlets of dexterity with a non-zero enchantment will auto-identify if the hero wears them or takes them off and their dexterity is changed as a result.
• Speed boots will auto-identify if the hero wears them and gains very fast speed or takes them off and loses speed.
• Levitation boots will auto-identify if the hero either wears them and begins levitating or takes them off and stops levitating.

Rings

The following rings can be auto-identified:

• All rings that alter a hero's AC or ability scores will auto-identify if they have a non-zero enchantment and the hero puts on the ring or removes it. This consists of the following rings:
  • ring of gain strength
  • ring of gain dexterity
  • ring of gain constitution
  • ring of protection
• A ring of invisibility will auto-identify if a hero wears it and becomes invisible or takes it off and becomes visible.
• A ring of levitation will auto-identify if a hero wears it and begins levitating or takes it off and stops levitating.
• A ring of see invisible will auto-identify for a hero without the see invisible property if they either wear the ring while invisible or take it off while invisible.
• A ring of stealth will auto-identify if a hero without stealth wears it and gains stealth, or a hero with stealth removes the ring and does not have another source of stealth.

This page is a stub. Should you wish to do so, you can contribute by expanding this page.

This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.

It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.6.1. Information on this page may be out of date.

Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-361}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.