Forge (dungeon feature)
A forge is a dungeon feature that appears in EvilHack and Hack'EM, and is represented by an orange left curly bracket, {.
Forges are volcanic vents filled with lava rather than water, but can be used in manners similar to fountains, e.g. dipping items into them. You can also use forges for functions such as repairing weapon or armor erosion and can even forge new weapons and equipment, which is adapted from the furnaces of SpliceHack.[1]
Contents
Generation
EvilHack
In EvilHack, a forge always appears in Goblin Town, and two are found in Purgatory. Some variants of Mines' End also have a forge, and one may also appear in the Wizard's Tower and the last level of Vecna's Domain.
Dipping
When dipping any item into a forge, any sliming affecting you is aborted. Dipped items that can burn are incinerated and destroyed unless they are fireproof.
If you are dipping a worn metallic object and do not have complete fire resistance, you will burn yourself for 1d8 of fire damage, with a 1⁄3 chance of a message to remove worn items before dipping them; if you are completely fire resistant, you instead get a message that you cannot reforge a worn object. If the object is flammable and not fireproof, the object will be incinerated and you take 2d6 fire damage unless fire resistant.
If you dip a heavy iron ball that is chained to you into a forge, there is a 1⁄4 chance of a message hinting at using a hammer to break the chain, followed by one of the normal dipping effects listed below. If wielding a hammer of any kind, you will instead attempt to break the ball's chain using that hammer; this has a 1⁄8 chance of succeeding, which is raised to 1⁄2 if your skill level in hammer Skilled or higher.
The following special effects can occur when dipping any object into a forge:
| Probability | Message | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 5⁄30 | No other message. | No other effect. |
| 4⁄30 |
|
No other effect. |
| 9⁄30 |
|
If a metallic item is dipped while your current Luck is not negative, one level of erosion is removed from the object. Otherwise, the item is subjected to damage from the lava or incineration, if applicable. |
| 2⁄30 |
|
If a metallic item is dipped while your current Luck is 6 or higher, it is blessed. Otherwise, the item is subjected to damage from the lava or incineration, if applicable. |
| 1⁄30 |
|
There is a further 1⁄8 chance of a lava demon appearing; (80+DL)/100 chance of being hostile (100% if you have the Amulet of Yendor); if not hostile, the demon will generate tame. Otherwise, a message is printed and nothing happens. |
| 1⁄30 |
|
If your current Luck is negative, the forge explodes: you take d30 fire damage, and applicable items in your inventory may be burnt or destroyed. Otherwise, you take 3d8 fire damage from a splash of lava. |
| 8⁄30 |
|
A strange feeling occurs with no other effect. |
Quaffing
Like fountains, it is possible to quaff from a forge - however, unless you are in the form of a monster that likes fire, you will always take an amount of damage equal to your maximum HP and die; if you are polymorphed but your current form does not like fire, you will take the same amount of damage and be returned to your normal form unless you have unchanging. If you are in the form of a monster that likes fire, you will burn away any sliming that affects you, and some special effects may also occur:
| Probability | Message | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Always if you are not a monster that likes fire |
|
You take damage equal to your maximum HP, which instantly kills you; if polymorphed, you return to your normal form unless you have unchanging. |
| 1⁄20 |
|
You gain 50 nutrition. |
| 1⁄20 |
|
The forge breaks and is replaced with a lava square; this will also submerge you in the lava unless you are flying, and can potentially destroy flammable items in your inventory. |
| 2⁄20 |
|
A fire elemental is generated, unless they are extinct. |
| 16⁄20 |
|
You gain 5 nutrition. |
Forging
Forging objects can be done using the #forge extended command in EvilHack, and the #craft command in Hack'EM; both games also accept the meta shortcut (shift + m) + (shift + f). This requires an active forge, a pair of component non-artifact objects and a hammer of any type or material.
There is no skill, race, attribute or any other quality required to craft a given item: simply stand on the same square as a forge, and use the appropriate command while wielding your chosen hammer. Then, place your two sets of objects on the forge in the desired order to forge them together into a new item.
The Blacksmith's Cookbook
The Blacksmith's Cookbook is the name of a novel that details a list of recipes for crafting various weapons and armor using a forge.[2][3] The book itself is not necessary for the forging process, and serves as a form of in-game reference. The first chapter is a general overview of how forging works, with subsequent chapters detailing possible combinations of all mundane objects and their end products—the list of recipes below is generally presented in the same order given by the in-game book.
The Blacksmith's Cookbook is always found in a chest within Goblin Town, placed behind the iron bars of the cell across from the guaranteed forge; there is a 65% chance of a war hammer appearing in the chest as well. The book can also generate randomly or appear in bones files, making it possible to obtain multiple copies.
List of forging recipes by game
Below is a comprehensive list of forging recipes that are available in each game - for regular recipes, both objects must usually be metallic or gemstone, unless the item specified has a different base material (e.g. rocks for sling bullets, saddles for barding).
While placing the components for the desired object will always produce the crafted item, order of placement is important as well. The crafted item will usually take on the material of the secondary object used: For example, a mithril scimitar used as a base with a steel spear will produce a steel trident, while using the same pair of objects with the steel spear as the base and the mithril scimitar as secondary produces a mithril trident; combinations that would result in a material that is not possible for the crafted item (e.g., copper for a dwarvish weapon) use the first item's material instead. In addition, the crafted item will also inherit the second object's beatitude as well as the higher between the two components' enchantments.
Object properties have an additional effect on forging: when forging items using an object with a property, the forged object will inherit that property; if both objects have properties, the result will inherit the secondary object's properties. After forging using such items, the forge has a 1⁄6 chance of cooling down and disappearing, leaving a normal floor tile in its place.
EvilHack
Weapons
| First item | Second item | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2 darts | dagger | 3-4 shuriken |
| 2 arrows | dagger | spear |
| 2 elven arrows | elven dagger | elven spear |
| 2 orcish arrows | orcish dagger | orcish spear |
| 2 arrows | spear | dwarvish spear |
| 2 dark elven arrows | dark elven dagger | dark elven spear |
| 2 crossbow bolts | spear | javelin |
| scimitar | spear | trident |
| 2 arrows | knife | dagger |
| 2 elven arrows | knife | elven dagger |
| 2 orcish arrows | knife | orcish dagger |
| 2 dark elven arrows | 2 dark elven crossbow bolts | dark elven dagger |
| dagger | stiletto | athame |
| knife | stiletto | scalpel |
| 2 arrows | 2 darts | knife |
| 2 crossbow bolts | knife | stiletto |
| dagger | spear | axe |
| axe | dwarvish short sword | dwarvish bearded axe |
| axe | broadsword | battle-axe |
| 2 crossbow bolts | dagger | short sword |
| 2 crossbow bolts | elven dagger | elven short sword |
| 2 crossbow bolts | orcish dagger | orcish short sword |
| short sword | dwarvish spear | dwarvish short sword |
| 2 dark elven crossbow bolts | dark elven dagger | dark elven short sword |
| short sword | knife | scimitar |
| orcish short sword | knife | orcish scimitar |
| scimitar | long sword | saber |
| scimitar | short sword | broadsword |
| scimitar | elven short sword | elven broadsword |
| dark elven dagger | dark elven short sword | dark elven broadsword |
| short sword | short sword | long sword |
| elven short sword | elven short sword | elven long sword |
| orcish short sword | orcish short sword | orcish long sword |
| dark elven short sword | dark elven short sword | dark elven long sword |
| broadsword | long sword | two-handed sword |
| long sword | long sword | katana |
| katana | two-handed sword | tsurugi |
| broadsword | dagger | runesword |
| pick-axe | dwarvish short sword | dwarvish mattock |
| dagger | club | mace |
| dark elven dagger | dark elven dagger | dark elven mace |
| mace | mace | heavy mace |
| dark elven mace | dark elven mace | dark elven heavy mace |
| 2 rubies | mace | rod |
| dagger | mace | morning star |
| orcish dagger | mace | orcish morning star |
| flail | mace | war hammer |
| war hammer | war hammer | heavy war hammer |
| 2 arrows | 2 crossbow bolts | club |
| flail | club | aklys |
| mace | morning star | flail |
| broadsword | spear | partisan |
| stiletto | spear | ranseur |
| knife | spear | spetum |
| short sword | spear | glaive |
| glaive | javelin | lance |
| axe | ranseur | halberd |
| battle-axe | spear | bardiche |
| axe | spear | voulge |
| saber | spear | fauchard |
| grappling hook | spear | guisarme |
| guisarme | spear | bill-guisarme |
| heavy war hammer | spear | lucern hammer |
| war hammer | spear | bec de corbin |
| 3 rocks | dart | 3-4 sling bullets |
Armor
| First item | Second item | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Helms | ||
| dented pot | orcish dagger | orcish helm |
| dwarvish short sword | helmet | dwarvish helm |
| knife | war hammer | dented pot |
| dagger | dented pot | helmet |
| Body Armor | ||
| chain mail | splint mail | plate mail |
| 3 dilithium crystals | plate mail | crystal plate mail |
| chain mail | scale mail | splint mail |
| plate mail | plate mail | large splint mail |
| ring mail | scale mail | banded mail |
| ring mail | ring mail | chain mail |
| chain mail | dwarvish roundshield | dwarvish chain mail |
| chain mail | elven shield | elven chain mail |
| ring mail | orcish shield | orcish chain mail |
| dark elven heavy mace | dark elven bracer | dark elven chain mail |
| ring mail | helmet | scale mail |
| large shield | helmet | ring mail |
| orcish shield | orcish helm | orcish ring mail |
| Shields | ||
| dagger | helmet | small shield |
| elven dagger | small shield | elven shield |
| orcish shield | orcish shield | Uruk-hai shield |
| dark elven dagger | dark elven mace | dark elven bracer |
| orcish boots | orcish helm | orcish shield |
| helmet | helmet | large shield |
| dwarvish helm | large shield | dwarvish roundshield |
| Boots and gauntlets | ||
| mace | helmet | gauntlets |
| dwarvish short sword | gauntlets | dwarvish boots |
| orcish short sword | gauntlets | orcish boots |
| Barding | ||
| plate mail | saddle | barding |
| barding | morning star | spiked barding |
| barding | shield of reflection | barding of reflection |
Artifacts
Starting in EvilHack version 0.8.1 (per commit 5df1013), there are also artifact weapons and armor that can only be made by forging two specific artifacts: this is the only way in the game to obtain these artifacts, as they will not generate randomly, cannot be wished for, and will revert to their base item (with its object material) if left in bones. Creating an artifact at a forge will always cause it to cool down and no longer be usable. Forged artifacts usually retain most of the intrinsic properties of their component materials.
Below are a list of the artifacts that can be obtained through forging, and the two artifact components that each one requires:
| First item | Second item | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Brand | Frost Brand | Dichotomy |
| Angelslayer | The Hand of Vecna or The Eye of Vecna | The Sword of Annihilation |
| Orcrist | Sting | Glamdring |
| Magicbane | Secespita | The Staff of the Archmagi |
| Werebane | Stormbringer | Shadowblade |
| Dragonbane | Grayswandir | Gauntlets of Purity |
| Trollsbane | Ogresmasher | Ashmar |
| Sunsword | Demonbane | Hammer of the Gods |
| Cleaver | Mjollnir | Tempest |
| Vorpal Blade | Gauntlets of Purity | Ithilmar |
| Ashmar | Sword of Annihilation | Armor of Retribution |
Hack'EM
The forging recipe list for Hack'EM is different from that of EvilHack, with some changes in recipes and several additions to account for SpliceHack weapons and firearms.
A user has suggested improving this page or section as follows:
"It's also gonna take a while to type out - project for later"
Strategy
Forges provide every role with a means to further tailor their weapons and armor to their liking, provided they have the spare materials available.
