Scroll of reverse identify
? 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | reverse identify |
| Appearance | random |
| Base price | 300 zm |
| Weight | 5 |
| Ink to write | 7-13 |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
The scroll of reverse identify is a scroll that appears in NetHack: The Next Generation and SlashTHEM.
Description
When read, the scroll of reverse identify does the reverse of a standard scroll of identify and prompts you to enter the name of a item (gauntlets of power) or an item appearance (hiking boots), whether or not you have the item in inventory. The item with the given name or appearance will be fully identified. How many items you can identify this way depends on the scroll's beatitude:
| Case | Number |
|---|---|
| blessed | 1-5 |
| uncursed | 1-3 |
| cursed | 1 |
Strategy
The scroll provides a more novel way to discover and identify new items than the regular scroll: you can learn the appearance of any item including those that you want so you can recognize them later on, or an item(s) you previously saw or picked up and lost that you wish to replace.
Using scrolls of reverse identify for the former can save wishes if used effectively: For example, if a player had not identified scrolls of charging and genocide but had a scroll of reverse identify, they could enter the name of those scrolls to have them formally identified. Wishing for a magic marker then lets them reliably write the scrolls and save the customary wish for them.
Unidentified scrolls and potions lost to fire or wetting, or rings destroyed by shock damage, are also ideal candidates to reverse identify using the scroll and see if they are worth replacing.
See also
