Restore ability
Restore ability is an effect that occurs in NetHack, and can raise any attribute of a hero that is currently below its peak back to that peak.
The restore ability effect can occur from multiple sources:
- Quaffing a non-cursed potion of restore ability or inhaling its vapors (as a cursed potion will simply have no effect)
- Quaffing from a magical fountain, which occurs with a 7⁄10 chance if the hero's luck is not negative
- Successfully casting the restore ability spell
Description
The exact benefits of a restore ability effect depend on the source that it is gained from: the spell will restore lowered attributes, while the potion restores both lowered attributes and lost experience levels, with the effectiveness of each dependent on the skill level of the spell or beatitude of the item.[1]
Casting the spell with Basic skill or lower in healing spells, or else inhaling vapors from an uncursed potion of restore ability, will restore a single lowered attribute to its peak;[2][3][4][5] quaffing the uncursed potion has the same effect and restores a single lost level.[6] Casting the spell at Skilled or higher in healing spells, or else inhaling vapors from a blessed potion of restore ability, will restore all lowered attributes to their peaks;[3][5] quaffing the blessed potion has the same effect and also restores all lost levels.[7]
The magical fountain quaffing effect that restores attributes will exercise wisdom, and behaves exactly as a blessed potion of restore ability does[8][9]—it then applies the effect of a non-cursed potion of gain ability and raises one attribute (as with the uncursed potion) or all attributes (as with the blessed potion), depending on if the hero's natural luck is either less than 4 or else is greater than or equal to 4.[10] The fountain is then converted to a non-magical one.[11]
Restoration of attributes from these effects generally ignore a worn ring of sustain ability, though the gain ability effect of magic fountains will not.[12] Strength lost due to being weak from hunger is not counted for purposes of restoring lost attributes, nor are any attributes "lost" as a result of being re-rolled from the hero polymorphing into a monster of their own race.
Unicorn horns
While not necessarily grouped with the above, applying a non-cursed unicorn horn can raise one or more lowered attributes by up to 3 points depending on the beatitude of the horn, and also produces similar messages[13]—each instance of a lowered attribute is considered a separate "trouble" to be cured for this purpose.[14] A critical difference is that unlike restore ability effects, restoring attributes this way will not ignore any source of sustain ability, and has no effect on lost experience levels.[12][15]
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
Per commit 43d331c4, unicorn horns no longer restore lost attributes.History
The restore ability effect first appears alongside the potion of restore strength in Hack 1.21, Hack for PDP-11 and PC/IX Hack, which are all based on Jay Fenlason's Hack—the potion also appears in Hack 1.0. The spellbook of restore strength and its corresponding spell are introduced in NetHack 1.3d.
From Jay Fenlason's Hack and Hack 1.0 to NetHack 2.3e, strength is the only attribute the hero possesses: NetHack 3.0.0 introduces the other major attributes and gives the potion and spell their current name, as well as allowing them to restore any affected attribute besides strength.
The ability of the potion of restore ability to restore lost experience levels is added in NetHack 3.6.1 via commit 59c357de.
Messages
- Item- or spell-specific messages are available on their specific articles.
- Wow! This makes you feel <better/great>!
- You restored multiple lowered attributes via restore ability, with "better" used if there are still lowered attributes or levels afterward.
- Wow! This makes you feel good!
- You restored a single lowered attribute via restore ability.
Variants
Variants of NetHack may add other items and effects that function similarly to the spell or potion of restore ability. Those based on NetHack 3.4.3 and earlier versions will likely not include the potion of restore ability's effect to restore lost levels introduced in later versions—several variants also limit or remove the unicorn horn's ability to restore lost attribute points, making the potion and spell more useful for this purpose.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, a hero that has the spirit Buer bound can use its "Gift of Health" active power to restore lowered attributes similar to quaffing a blessed potion of restore ability, among many other beneficial effects.
Nurses can be consulted for a "steroids" service that restores all attributes currently below their peak, similar to a blessed potion of restore ability.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, eating a non-cursed slice of cake has the same effect as quaffing a blessed potion of restore ability.
References
- ↑ src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 596: both the spell and potion use the same code block
- ↑ src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 608
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 617
- ↑ src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1638
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1644
- ↑ src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 629
- ↑ src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 632
- ↑ src/fountafountainin.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 238
- ↑ src/fountain.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 253
- ↑ src/fountain.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 244
- ↑ src/fountain.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 254
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 src/potion.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 603
- ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2079
- ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 2067
- ↑ src/apply.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1995
