Scroll of light
? 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | light |
| Appearance | random |
| Base price | 50 zm |
| Weight | 5 |
| Ink to write | 4–7 |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
A scroll of light is a type of magical scroll that appears in NetHack.
Contents
Generation
Monks may be given a scroll of light as the random scroll in their starting inventory.[1] Wizards may be given a scroll of light as any of the three random scrolls in their starting inventory.[2]
Scrolls of light make up 9⁄100 (9%) of all randomly-generated scrolls. General stores, second-hand bookstores, rare books shops, and Izchak's lighting shop can stock scrolls of light.
Writing a scroll of light with a magic marker takes up 4 to 7 charges.[3]
Description
A hero reading a non-cursed scroll of light will create a radius of permanent light around them:[4] an uncursed scroll creates light in a 5-square radius, while a blessed scroll creates a 9-unit radius of light, and gremlins caught in the light will take up to 5 points of damage.[5][6] Reading a cursed scroll of light instead darkens a 5-square area around the hero, extinguishing any light sources other than the light from any of the wielded Sunsword, worn gold dragon scales, or worn gold dragon scale mail.[7] In either case, the scroll will auto-identify if the hero can see its effects.[8][9] Monsters will not read this scroll.
...xxxxx... Area lit by uncursed scroll |
...xxxxx... Area darkened by cursed scroll |
......xxxxxxx...... Area lit by blessed scroll |
Reading the scroll will not light or darken anything if the hero is engulfed, underwater or on the Plane of Water, though a cursed scroll will still extinguish most active light sources as above.[7][10][11] On the Rogue level, reading the non-cursed scroll in an unlit room will always light the entire room, while reading the cursed scroll in a lit room will fully darken it, and the scroll has no effect in hallways.[12]
In addition to the regular effects, reading a blessed or cursed scroll of light while the hero is not confused and wielding Sunsword, wearing gold dragon scales and/or gold dragon scale mail equipped will affect the radius of the permanent light they each provide:[13][14][15] a blessed scroll will increase their light radius as though they were dipped in holy water, while a cursed scroll will decrease it as though they were dipped in unholy water.[16][17][18][19][20]
Reading a scroll of light while confused will conjure yellow lights around the hero, or black lights if the scroll is cursed: these lights will always be tame and cancelled (which prevents them from exploding), and the scroll will be auto-identified if the hero can see the resulting lights.[21] If the species of light in question has been genocided, then the scroll has no effect except for a unique message.[22]
Strategy
Scrolls of light are generally used to light up singular dark rooms and areas such as the Gnomish Mines, though light sources are relied on more often for long term use, and the wand of light and the light spell can be used repeatedly to light up multiple areas. While learning the spell of light is often cause for some players to reserve scrolls of light for blanking or polypiling later on, blessed scrolls of light can still be occasionally useful for lighting up dark squares more thoroughly or quickly. Blessed scrolls can also be useful supplements for aiding in jumping or pounding, though they are generally less efficient for this purpose than standard light sources or even the spell and wand.
Identification
Scrolls of light are trivial to identify, being the only scroll type with a base price of 50zm. They are also the only type of scroll that Izchak will buy or sell.
History
The scroll of light first appears in Hack 1.21 and Hack for PDP-11, which are both based on Jay Fenlason's Hack, and is included in the initial item list for Hack 1.0.
From NetHack 3.1.0 to NetHack 3.4.3, including some variants based on those versions, a blind and engulfed hero that reads a cursed scroll of light will still darken the room they are currently in. This is fixed in NetHack 3.6.0 via commit e995d889.
The effect of the scroll to create a light monster when read while confused is added in NetHack 3.6.0 via commit f65d0710. This also introduces a bug that causes the game prompts the player to type-name the scroll after reading it while confused, even if the scroll was already identified—this is fixed in NetHack 3.6.1 via commit eb22f7f5.
Messages
- A lit field surrounds you!
- You read a blessed or uncursed scroll.
- <The monster's> <stomach> is lit.
- As above, while you are engulfed by an animal.
- <The monster> shines briefly.
- As above, while you are engulfed by a whirly monster.
- <The monster> glistens.
- As above, while you are engulfed by any other type of monster.
- You are surrounded by darkness!
- You read a cursed scroll, or a scroll of any beatitude while confused.
- It seems even darker in here than before.
- As above, while you are engulfed.
- Your <light source> goes out!
- Your lit lamp or lantern went out as a result of the above.
- Your <candle>'s flame is extinguished.
- Your lit candle went out as a result of the above.
- The ambient light seems dimmer.
- As above, while you are wielding Sunsword.
- Lights appear all around you!
- You read the scroll while confused and summoned lights. This auto-identifies the scroll if you can see any of the lights.
- Tiny lights sparkle in the air momentarily.
- You read the scroll while confused, but lights could not be summoned because they are genocided.[22]
Variants
Some variants of NetHack based on NetHack 3.4.3 and earlier versions may or may not adopt the ability to summon lights by reading the scroll while confused that is introduced in later versions.
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, several roles can start with a scroll of light in addition to the Monk and Wizard:[23][24]
- Archeologists may be given a scroll of light as any of the two random starting scrolls.[25]
- Flame Mages may be given a scroll of light as their random starting scroll.[26]
- Ice Mages may be given a scroll of light as their random starting scroll.[27]
- Necromancers may be given a scroll of light as any of the three random scrolls in their starting inventory.[28]
- Priests may be given a scroll of light as their random starting scroll.[29]
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, reading a scroll of light while confused has a different effect: If the scroll is blessed or uncursed, it will summon 5–10 yellow lights scattered throughout the level, while if the scroll is cursed it will instead summon up to 15 black lights.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, a hero that has the spirit Tenebrous bound will unbind it if they create permanent light by reading the non-cursed scroll (unless confused) or any other means.
xNetHack
In xNetHack, the scroll of light behaves similarly to NetHack 5.0.0 with additional changes: an uncursed scroll of light illuminates a radius of 11 squares rather than 5, while a blessed scroll illuminates the entire level.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, the uncursed and blessed scroll of light behaves as it does in xNetHack, and otherwise the scroll behaves as it does in NetHack 3.6.7.
References
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 104
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 173
- ↑ src/write.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 24-L31
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1748-L1755
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 2600-L2619: room lighting in litroom()
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 2620-L2634: damage to gremlins
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 2502-L2526
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1750
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1754
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 2498
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 2569-L2571
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 2580-L2595
- ↑ src/light.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 879-L911: arti_light_radius() function is used for weapon and armor-based light sources
- ↑ src/light.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 899: beatitude and light radius
- ↑ src/light.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 907-L908: worn gold dragon mail gives more light than gold scales
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 2243-L2245: calls seffect_light()
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1742-L1755: standard scroll effects in seffect_light() function; calls litroom()
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 2518-L2524: cursed scroll effects and call to impact_arti_light() in litroom()
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 2543-L2552: blessed scroll effects and call to impact_arti_light() in litroom()
- ↑ src/potion.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1591-L1621: impact_arti_light() function simulates the effects of (un)holy water, which in turn affects the strength of the light source
- ↑ src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1756-L1784
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 src/read.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1759-L1760
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 121
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 247
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 36
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 67
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 97
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 138
- ↑ u_init.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 159
