Scroll
| Item classes | ||
|---|---|---|
| " Amulets | [ Armor | |
| % Comestibles | $ Coins | |
| * Gems | ! Potions | |
| = Rings | ? Scrolls | |
| + Spellbooks | ` Statues | |
| ( Tools | ` Boulders | |
| ) Weapons | / Wands | |
A scroll, represented by ?, performs magic when you read it, and then vanishes. All scrolls have a weight of 5.
Contents
Table of scrolls
| Scroll | Cost | Relative probability | Ink | Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 2 | stamped | |
| identify | 20 | 18% | 14 | random |
| light | 50 | 9% | 8 | random |
| blank paper2 | 60 | 2.8% | 0 | unlabeled |
| enchant weapon | 60 | 8% | 16 | random |
| enchant armor | 80 | 6.3% | 16 | random |
| remove curse | 80 | 6.5% | 16 | random |
| confuse monster | 100 | 5.3% | 12 | random |
| destroy armor | 100 | 4.5% | 10 | random |
| fire | 100 | 3% | 8 | random |
| food detection | 100 | 2.5% | 8 | random |
| gold detection | 100 | 3.3% | 8 | random |
| magic mapping | 100 | 4.5% | 8 | random |
| scare monster | 100 | 3.5% | 20 | random |
| teleportation1, 3 | 100 | 5.5% | 20 | random |
| amnesia | 200 | 3.5% | 8 | random |
| create monster1 | 200 | 4.5% | 10 | random |
| earth1 | 200 | 1.8% | 8 | random |
| taming | 200 | 1.5% | 20 | random |
| charging | 300 | 1.5% | 16 | random |
| genocide | 300 | 1.5% | 30 | random |
| punishment | 300 | 1.5% | 10 | random |
| stinking cloud | 300 | 1.5% | 20 | random |
1 Scroll is more common than its probability would imply due to monster starting inventory.
2 Scroll is more common than its probability would imply due to paper golems' death drops.
3 Scroll is more common than its probability would imply due to inaccessable closets.
Generation
Scrolls constitute 16% of all randomly-generated items in the main dungeon, 18% in containers, 22% on the Rogue level, and 1% in Gehennom. Scrolls appear 1/8 cursed, 3/4 uncursed, and 1/8 blessed.
On top of random generation, scrolls can be found in book shops, in bones files, and amongst the possessions of recently deceased monsters.
Writing scrolls
The Ink column gives the greatest number of magic marker charges required to write a scroll. The actual number of charges used will be a random amount from Ink/2 to Ink-1; if your marker has fewer than Ink/2 charges, you will be unable to attempt to write the scroll.
Wizards have a base 1/3 chance of writing an unknown scroll, and all other classes have a base 1/15 chance; your chance generally improves with higher Luck, to a maximum of about 98% for Wizards and 32% for other classes. You can only write scrolls on blank paper, which can be made by getting any scroll wet (except mail) or cancelling any scroll (except mail). Failure to write the scroll will cause the blank scroll to be used up. You can select non-blank scrolls to write on, but this will abuse your wisdom and you will be told, "That scroll is not blank!" You need hands to write a scroll.
Reading scrolls
All scrolls take one turn to read and are destroyed if successfully read, except for the scroll of blank paper which has no effect.
To read a scroll, you must either be unblind or know the appearance of the scroll. When a scroll is read, it will be used up and disappear (except blank paper). The effects depend on the blessing of the scroll. Non-cursed means either blessed or uncursed. If you are confused while reading the scroll, "you mispronounce the magic words" and may obtain a different effect (this applies to confused monsters reading scrolls, too). Some scrolls have a different message for "beginners"; a character is considered a beginner until accumulating 2000 score points (1000 for wizards). See the individual scroll articles for details on each scroll.
Identification
Scare monster
There are several ways to indirectly identify the scroll of scare monster:
- You stand on the scroll and adjacent monsters turn to flee (including pets & shopkeepers)
- You pick up the scroll and it turns to dust
- You are a Priest(ess), and a scroll changes its BUC when you pick it up
- You find the scroll under the Sokoban prize or the chest with the wand of wishing at the Castle
Price
Scrolls of identify, light, enchant weapon, enchant armor and remove curse are pretty easy to identify by price. The more expensive scrolls, with base costs of 100 zm or more, are much more difficult to distinguish.
Here are the inconvenient and dangerous scrolls of each price class. A more detailed guide to price-identifying scrolls is here.
| Base cost | Scroll | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | fire | Fire damage to you, your inventory, and adjacent monsters |
| destroy armor | Destroying your armor | |
| scare monster | If picked up in a shop, it may turn to dust and you must pay for it | |
| teleportation | Teleporting into a dangerous situation, or out of a shop | |
| 200 | amnesia | Forgetting object identities, map layouts, spells |
| create monster | Dangerous if you're not ready to fight | |
| earth | Boulders hitting you and adjacent monsters | |
| taming | If cursed, will anger nearby peaceful monsters, such as shopkeepers | |
| 300 | genocide | Genociding your own race if confused |
| punishment | Being chained to an iron ball |
Monster use
Monsters can be generated with scrolls of teleportation, earth, and create monster. If you observe them reading said scrolls, that identifies to scroll to you.
Position
Scrolls of earth can be identified by the guaranteed ones in the first level of Sokoban. Scrolls of teleportation are the only ones generated inside closets. Scrolls of scare monster are placed under the Sokoban prize and the chest with the wand of wishing at the Castle.
Reading
Many veteran players will not read an unidentified scroll unless they have a pretty good guess what it could be. Nonetheless, if you are desperate and you have a large variety of price-identified, pet-tested scrolls in your inventory, you may try to identify them by reading them.
Precautions
You should not try to read-identify scrolls if the game considers your character a beginner. If your character is a beginner, then several scrolls have a possibility of giving the message "You have a strange feeling for a moment, then it passes." If your character is not a beginner, then it will be possible to distinguish all scrolls by the messages and effects obtained by reading them.
BUC-testing scrolls before reading them is important: some scrolls are much more deadly when cursed.
Some scrolls are less dangerous if read while confused. However, the scroll of genocide can kill you instantly if read while confused, so read-identification while confused is not universally helpful. Don't be blind or hallucinating.
Beware of the scroll of amnesia. There is no defense against the possibility of losing up to 25% of your discoveries.
The table below summarizes precautions for reading unidentified scrolls. Some precautions may contradict: you need other means of identification to assist in these cases.
| Scroll | Less harmful if confused | Other precautions |
|---|---|---|
| destroy armor | Yes | Remove important helmets, gloves, cloaks and shoes; remove all other armor or wear a junk cloak over your body armor. |
| fire | Yes |
|
| enchant armor | Yes | Remove any elven armor of +6 or higher enchantment; remove any non-elven armor of +4 or higher enchantment |
| enchant weapon | Yes | Unwield any weapon of +6 or higher enchantment |
| earth | Yes |
|
| teleportation | No |
|
| punishment | Yes | Have a way to escape punishment |
| create monster | Yes | Be ready to fight or escape |
| genocide | No |
|
| amnesia | No |
|
| taming | No |
|
Maximizing benefits
In addition to take precautions against harmful scrolls, you might also want to maximize the benefits of helpful scrolls. Some of these may contradict the above precautions: you need other means of identification to assist in these cases.
| Scroll | Benefit maximizers |
|---|---|
| magic mapping | Read on an unmapped level |
| identify | Keep some unidentified items in inventory |
| charging | Keep some chargeable items in inventory |
| enchant weapon | Wield a weapon you want to enchant |
| enchant armor | Remove all armor except ones you want to enchant |
Auto-identification
Some scrolls will always identify themselves to you when you read them. Others might only identify themselves if read under certain situations.
| Auto-identification | Scroll |
|---|---|
| Always | amnesia |
| blank paper | |
| charging | |
| earth | |
| fire | |
| genocide | |
| identify | |
| magic mapping | |
| punishment | |
| stinking cloud | |
| If new monsters are seen | create monster |
| If not cursed, and gold on level | gold detection |
| If not blind | light |
| If blessed, or you are teleported sufficiently far | teleportation |
| If wearing armor | destroy armor |
| enchant armor | |
| If not cursed, and wielding a weapon | enchant weapon |
| If food on level | food detection |
| If monsters were tamed or angered | taming |
| Never | confuse monster |
| remove curse | |
| scare monster |
Messages
Scrolls that don't auto-identify can be identified by their messages or effects
| Scroll | Messages | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| create monster | New monsters are generated around you | |
| gold detection | Scroll of gold detection § Messages |
|
| light |
| |
| teleportation | Pay attention to your position before and after | |
| destroy armor |
|
|
| enchant armor |
|
|
| enchant weapon |
|
|
| detect food | Won't auto-identify if there's no food to detect | |
| taming |
|
|
| confuse monster | Scroll of confuse monster § Messages |
|
| remove curse |
|
|
| scare monster | Scroll of scare monster § Messages |
|
Messages
When you read a scroll, you receive the following messages:
- As you read the scroll, it disappears.
- You are not blind and read a scroll. Effects of the scroll happen.
- As you pronounce the formula on it, the scroll disappears.
- You are blind, have a mouth and know either the magic words or the identity of the scroll. Effects of the scroll happen.
- As you cogitate the formula on it, the scroll disappears.
- You are blind, have no mouth and know either the magic words or the identity of a scroll. Effects of the scroll happen.
- Being blind, you cannot read the formula on the scroll.
- You are blind but have neither seen the magic words nor identified the scroll. No effects happen and the scroll is not destroyed.
Strategy
Scrolls, along with potions and comestibles, are one of the main types of consumable items in the game. The fact that they can only be used once tends to encourage hoarding; if you notice yourself frequently dying with large numbers of unused scrolls, consider using them next time!
For scroll-specific strategy tips, see the individual articles.
Encyclopedia entry
And I was gazing on the surges prone,
With many a scalding tear and many a groan,
When at my feet emerg'd an old man's hand,
Grasping this scroll, and this same slender wand.
I knelt with pain--reached out my hand--had grasp'd
Those treasures--touch'd the knuckles--they unclasp'd--
I caught a finger: but the downward weight
O'erpowered me--it sank. Then 'gan abate
The storm, and through chill aguish gloom outburst
The comfortable sun. I was athirst
To search the book, and in the warming air
Parted its dripping leaves with eager care.
Strange matters did it treat of, and drew on
My soul page after page, till well-nigh won
Into forgetfulness; when, stupefied,
I read these words, and read again, and tried
My eyes against the heavens, and read again.
See also
- Scroll origins
- Scroll of flood - scroll added in UnNetHack
References
External links
This page is based on a spoiler by Dylan O'Donnell. The original license is:
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