Source:True rumors
- This article is about vanilla NetHack's rumors. For SLASH'EM, see Source:SLASH'EM_0.0.7E7F2/rumors.tru.
A user has suggested this page be merged with "Rumor messages"
This is the annotated and categorized version of Source:NetHack 3.4.3/dat/rumors.tru. A short explanation is given beneath each line.
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This content was modified from the original NetHack source code distribution (by splitting up NetHack content between wiki pages, and possibly further editing). See the page history for a list of who changed it, and on what dates.
Contents
Intrinsics
Telepathy
1. A blindfold can be very useful if you're telepathic.
Intrinsic telepathy only works when blind.
7. A potion of blindness lets you see invisible things.
When you are telepathic and blind, you can sense the position of every intelligent monster on the level.
33. Blind? Catch a floating eye!
Floating eye corpses confer intrinsic telepathy when eaten, which works when blind. Being blind also allows you to avoid their dangerous passive attack.
149. Telepathy is just a trick: once you know how to do it, it's easy.
Telepathy requires only the intrinsic and a means of blinding oneself.
312. They say that with a floating eye you could see in the dark.
Eating a floating eye corpse confers intrinsic telepathy, meaning that when you are blind you will be able to telepathically sense the presence of monsters with a mind.
Teleportitis and teleport control
49. Eating a tengu is like eating a nymph.
Both may grant teleportitis.
230. They say that hackers often feel jumpy about eating nymphs.
"You feel very jumpy." is the message you get when you get teleportitis from eating a nymph corpse.
285. They say that tengu don't wear rings, why should you?
Eating a tengu can give intrinsic teleport control, freeing up a ring slot for something more useful.
259. They say that only an experienced wizard can do the tengu shuffle.
Eating a tengu can give teleportitis or teleport control. A level 17 Wizard has intrinsic teleport control and will therefore probably regard teleportitis as a good thing.
Resistances
314. They say that you are what you eat.
Eat "hot" monsters for fire resistance, "cold" monsters for cold resistance, and so on.
48. Eating a killer bee is like eating a scorpion.
Although they are poisonous, they have a slightly better chance of granting poison resistance than would be expected for a monster of their level.
211. They say that cave spiders are not considered expensive health food.
Cave spider corpses, which are not poisonous, have a small chance of conveying poison resistance.
323. They say that you will never get healthy by eating geckos.
Geckos do not give poison resistance.
336. Valkyries come from the north, and have commensurate abilities.
Valkyries start with cold resistance.
47. Eating a freezing sphere is like eating a yeti.
Both may grant cold resistance. (However, freezing spheres never drop corpses in recent versions of NetHack.)
281. They say that some yetis are full of hot air.
They can give cold resistance.
219. They say that eating blue jelly is cool if you don't fight the feeling.
Eating a blue jelly corpse can grant cold resistance.
275. They say that some fire ants will make you a hot meal.
Fire ants can give fire resistance.
53. Elf corpses are incompatible with the sandman, and at times the gods as well.
Eating an elf corpse may grant sleep resistance. Elf players should beware of co-racial sacrifice and cannibalism.
180. They say that a gelatinous cube makes a healthy breakfast.
It can give you poison, fire, cold, shock or sleep resistance.
Items
Weapons
4. A katana might slice a worm in two.
Bladed weapons have a much better chance than non-bladed weapons of cutting long worms.
11. A short sword is not as good as a long sword.
A short sword does d6/d8 damage versus small/large monsters, while a long sword does d8/d12. Also, there are no artifact short swords in vanilla NetHack, so advancing short sword skill is usually a waste of skill slots.
28. Bashing monsters with a bow is not such a good idea.
Bows are best used as ranged weapons, with arrows.
56. Ever fought with an enchanted tooth?
Using a scroll of enchant weapon on a worm tooth will turn it into a crysknife, a more powerful weapon.
85. If you want to hit, use a dagger.
Daggers have a +2 to-hit bonus.
98. Keep your weaponry away from acids.
Corroded weapons do less damage. (Even blunt weapons. This is a standard case of NHINRL.)
129. Reading Herbert might be enlightening in one case.
Frank Herbert was the author of Dune; this refers to enchanting a worm tooth to produce a crysknife.
264. They say that scalpels become dull because they're not athames.
Only athames can engrave on the ground without becoming dull (i.e. losing enchantment).
157. The orc swings his orcish broadsword named Elfrist at you. You die...
Refers to the ability to name an elvish broadsword Orcrist.
188. They say that a neutral character might get Giantslayer.
Giantslayer is a neutral artifact weapon which is obtainable by sacrificing on an altar.
309. They say that wielded, a long sword named Fire Brand makes you feel cooler.
Wielding Fire Brand confers fire resistance.
310. They say that wielded, a long sword named Frost Brand makes you hot stuff.
Wielding Frost Brand confers cold resistance.
Armor
3. A crystal plate mail will not rust.
Crystal plate mail is made from glass which is not prone to rust.
21. An elven cloak protects against magic.
It provides magic cancellation 1, which offers some protection against many special attacks including poison, lycanthropy, and level drain.
54. Elven cloaks cannot rust.
Elven cloaks are made of cloth, which obviously does not rust.
97. Keep your armors away from rust.
Rusted armor provides less AC.
100. Leather is waterproof. Ever see a cow with an umbrella?
Leather doesn't rust, though it may rot or burn.
214. They say that dragon scales can be quite enchanting.
Enchanting dragon scales creates the far more powerful dragon scale mail.
225. They say that gauntlets of dexterity have a hidden enchanted touch.
Wearing enchanted gauntlets of dexterity will increase your dexterity, but this ability is not apparent when they are not enchanted.
283. They say that speed boots aren't fast enough to let you walk on water.
To walk on water, you need water walking boots.
342. Water traps have no effect on dragons.
Dragon scale mail won't rust.
344. Who needs an apron if they're made of glass?
An alchemy smock (which appears as an apron when unidentified) grants poison and acid resistance. Glass golems have both these intrinsics naturally.
Scrolls
32. Blank scrolls make more interesting reading.
Use a magic marker to write on a blank scroll. It may also refer to your ability to identify unlabeled scrolls as blank by reading them.
57. Ever tried reading while confused? 131. Reading scrolls after drinking booze can give confusing results.
Quaffing a potion of booze usually confuses you. Reading scrolls while confused usually has different (sometimes useful) effects.
82. If you are being punished, it's done with a deadly weapon.
The heavy iron ball you receive when punished can be wielded or thrown to do lots of damage.
87. If you're lost, try buying a map next time you're in a shop.
A scroll of magic mapping will map out the current level for you.
177. They say that a cursed scroll of teleportation could land you in trouble.
A cursed scroll of teleportation levelports you.
247. They say that monsters never step on a scare monster scroll.
Pretty self-explanatory, really. Standing on a scroll of scare monster keeps most monsters from attacking you in the same way as Elbereth.
299. They say that the thing about genocide is that it works both ways.
A cursed scroll of genocide will summon monsters instead of wiping them out. (Also, confused genocide will target your own role.) Furthermore, don't blessed-genocide h if you're a dwarf, o if you're an orc, or G if you're a gnome.
135. Scrolls fading? It's not the heat, it's the humidity.
Dipping a scroll in water will turn it into blank paper.
Potions
35. Chemistry 101: Never pour water into acid.
Dipping acid into water will cause an explosion. This is also true in reality (given a sufficient amount of acid).
59. Ever wondered why one would want to dip something in a potion?
Dipping into potions may have useful effects: dipping into holy or unholy water, for example, alters an item's beatitude; dipping an item into a potion of polymorph polymorphs the item.
72. Handle your flasks carefully -- there might be a ghost inside!
Milky potions have a chance of creating a ghost just like smoky potions have a chance of creating a djinni.
73. Holy water has many uses.
Dipping an item into holy water uncurses or blesses it. Quaffing holy water cures you of lycanthropy and other nasty inflictions, unless you're chaotic (in which case it burns).
124. Potions don't usually mix, but sometimes...
Refers to alchemy.
190. They say that a potion of healing can cancel a potion of sickness.
Dipping missiles into a potion of sickness poisons them. Dipping them into a potion of healing removes poison.
191. They say that a potion of monster detection sometimes works both ways.
A cursed potion of monster detection aggravates monsters.
208. They say that booze can be diluted but not cancelled.
Dipping a potion of booze into water will dilute it, but cancellation won't affect it.
223. They say that gaining a level is an experience that can raise your sights.
A cursed potion of gain level will cause you to rise through the ceiling to the level above.
254. They say that nothing can change the fact that some potions contain a djinni.
Some smoky potions, to be specific.
255. They say that nothing can change the fact that some potions contain a ghost.
Some milky potions, to be specific.
263. They say that rubbing a glowing potion does not make it a magic lamp.
Glowing potions had a chance of containing wish-granting djinn in older NetHack versions.
351. You may discover a fine spirit inside a potion bottle.
Refers to either the potion of booze as a joke, milky potions having ghosts, or smoky potions having djinn.
352. You may want to dip into a potion of bottled blessings.
A "potion of bottled blessings" is, of course, holy water.
244. They say that it's a blast when you mix the right potions together.
Sometimes, mixing potions will cause an alchemic blast.
Jewelry
126. Put on a ring of teleportation: it will take you away from onslaught.
A ring of teleportation causes you to teleport at random.
186. They say that a lucky amulet will block poisoned arrows.
This refers to the amulet versus poison.
317. They say that you can't break an amulet of reflection.
Amulets of reflection (and indeed all amulets) are 100% reliable in their operation. They may rust (although the erosion status of amulets is not displayed), but this does not affect their magical ability.
202. They say that amulets, like most things, can be deadly or life saving.
Refers to amulets of life saving and strangulation.
Wands
13. A wand can exorcize a past explorer's ghost.
This refers to the wand of undead turning's ability to possibly destroy undead.
78. I wish I never wished a wand of wishing. (Wishful thinking.)
Wishing for a wand of wishing gives you a cancelled (i.e. useless) wand of wishing.
158. The secret of wands of Nothing Happens: try again!
This refers to wresting a wand of its last charge.
196. They say that a wand of cancellation is like a wand of polymorph.
Their beams can both usefully be zapped at items as well as monsters. Additionally, each is immune to its own effect.
197. They say that a wand of locking can close more than just doors.
It'll close boxes and drawbridges, too.
198. They say that a wand of polymorph can change your game.
Zap it at yourself (preferably after taking your armor off) to change into a monster, at your pet in hopes that it will become something tougher, or at piles of rubbish to try to change them into better items (polypiling).
324. They say that zapping yourself with a wand of undead turning is stupid.
If you are polymorphed into an undead monster, you will be stunned. Otherwise, nothing will happen. It's more sensible to keep the wand for zapping at undead monsters or reviving corpses.
359. Zapping a wand of undead turning might bring your dog back to life.
Zapping a wand of undead turning at a corpse will indeed revive the monster.
358. Zap yourself and see what happens...
This rumour probably dates back to the days when it wasn't obvious that it was possible to zap yourself (by choosing "." when asked for a direction). It is not a good idea to zap yourself with an unidentified wand.
Tools
Musical instruments
105. Music hath charms to affect the stubborn drawbridge.
Refers to the use of musical instruments to play the passtune to open and close the Castle drawbridge.
106. Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.
Magic harps will tame monsters, while magic flutes will put them to sleep. Wooden flutes can pacify snakes, and wooden harps can pacify nymphs.
248. They say that most monsters find flute recitals extremely boring.
Magic flutes can put monsters to sleep.
262. They say that playing a horn really bad is really good.
May refer to the possibility of scaring monsters with a tooled horn.
272. They say that snake charmers aren't charismatic, just musical.
Playing a wooden flute may make nearby snakes peaceful, with a probability dependent on dexterity and experience but not charisma.
276. They say that some horns play hot music and others are too cool for words.
This is a reference to frost horns and fire horns.
Other
37. Conserve energy, turn off the lights.
Non-magical light sources are created with power for a finite number of turns.
60. Expensive cameras have penetrating flash lights.
Applying an expensive camera blinds monsters.
71. Guy Montag keeps his scrolls in a bag. 134. Sacks protect contents from temperatures up to 452 degrees fahrenheit.
Refers to the ability of containers to protect their contents from heat damage. Guy Montag is the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451 whose job was to burn books.
81. Ice boxes keep your food fresh.
Corpses in an ice box will stop decaying.
125. Psst! It's done with mirrors!
Apply a mirror to confuse monsters. Also may refer to the fact that using a mirror on a nymph can make her vanish.
239. They say that in the dungeon breaking a mirror can be seven years bad luck.
Breaking a mirror incurs a Luck penalty.
159. There has always been something mystical about mirrors.
Applying a mirror can scare a monster.
171. They say that a bag of holding can't hold everything.
Bags of holding cannot easily contain another bag of holding, or a charged bag of tricks or wand of cancellation. If you try, the bag will explode, destroying everything inside. In addition, the unique items cannot be put in bags of holding (or any other container) at all.[1]
185. They say that a lock pick by any other name is still a lock pick.
Possibly a hint that you can get in trouble for unlocking doors in Minetown even if you use a skeleton key. Also may refer to the fact that Samurai know lock picks as "osaku".
209. They say that by listening carefully, you can hear a secret door!
Applying a stethoscope on a secret door will automatically reveal it.
345. Why do you suppose they call them MAGIC markers?
Magic markers are used to write magic scrolls and spellbooks.
334. Try using your magic marker on wet scrolls.
"Wet" scrolls become blank, allowing them to be written on with a magic marker.
201. They say that abusing a credit card could shock you sooner or later.
One of the possible effects of unlocking a trapped chest is an electric shock. This rumor has nothing to do with the Platinum Yendorian Express Card, which it predates.
252. They say that nobody expects a unicorn horn to rust.
Unicorn horns are bone, so do not rust, and are quite a good weapon too.
300. They say that the unicorn horn rule is if it ain't broke then don't fix it.
May mean that naturally low attributes are not curable by a unicorn horn but attributes which have taken damage are. Also, potions that aren't generally harmful won't be changed by dipping a unicorn horn into them.
Gems and stones
39. Dilithium crystals are rare indeed.
Dilithium crystals are not generated in the Dungeons of Doom before dungeon level 27.
64. Gems are too precious to be thrown away carelessly.
This may refer to throwing precious gems at unicorns to increase your Luck.
222. They say that finding a cursed gray stone is always bad luck.
If it's a touchstone, it can break gems; if it's a loadstone, it'll weigh you down; and if it's a luckstone, it's literally bad luck. If it's a flint stone, it's worthless.
304. They say that throwing glass gems is the same as throwing rocks.
Throwing a glass gem at a unicorn doesn't change your luck. Also, they do similar amounts of damage when used as projectiles.
238. They say that in lighter moments you could think of ways to pass a stone.
You can pass through boulders by dropping all of the items in your inventory.
184. They say that a loadstone has a strange attraction and is not bad luck.
Cursed loadstones cannot be dropped. They're heavy, but they don't affect your luck at all.
280. They say that some stones are much much heavier than others.
Another reference to loadstones.
Food and eating
5. A magic vomit pump could be useful for gourmands.
With an amulet of magical breathing you can eat all you want and will vomit rather than choking to death.
46. Eat your carrots. They're good for your eyes. 210. They say that carrots and carrot juice may improve your vision. 233. They say that if you don't wear glasses why bother with carrots?
Eating a carrot cures blindness.
65. Getting hungry? Stop wearing rings!
All rings cause you to burn nutrition faster, with the exception of chargeable rings at +0, rings of slow digestion, and meat rings.
76. I once knew a hacker who ate too fast and choked to death. 232. They say that if it's hard getting your food down another bite could kill. 331. To a full belly all food is bad.
Eating too much may result in choking to death, unless you are wearing an amulet of magical breathing or polymorphed into something that does not breathe. To avoid choking, never eat while satiated.
218. They say that eating a cram ration is a smart move.
A cram ration is about as filling as some corpses that take longer to eat.
115. Opening a tin is difficult, especially when you attempt it bare handed!
Use a tin opener or an edged weapon like a dagger to open tins in far less time.
205. They say that an unlucky hacker was once killed by an exploding tin.
Cursed non-homemade tins have a one-in-eight chance of exploding; the effects are the same as a trapped door.
147. Spinach, carrot, and jelly -- a meal fit for a nurse!
These three foods each have special effects: spinach increases your strength (if not cursed), carrots cure blindness, and royal jelly increases strength, heals HP, and cures wounded legs.
148. Tainted meat is even more sickening than poison!
Tainted (very old) meat will induce food poisoning which kills you after a few turns.
183. They say that a lembas wafer is a very light snack.
The lembas wafer weighs only 5 units and has the highest nutrition to weight ratio of any food in the game.
172. They say that a blessed tin of quasit meat is a quick meal.
Blessed tins open up quickly even if you're using your bare hands. Also, quasits are slightly faster than most dungeon monsters.
176. They say that a clove of garlic makes a good talisman if handled right. 337. Vampires hate garlic.
Hitting a vampire with a wielded clove of garlic will make him flee.
224. They say that garter snake meat rarely tastes good but it's still healthy.
Garter snake corpses are not poisonous to eat.
339. Vegetarians enjoy lichen and seaweed.
Lichen corpses and kelp fronds are both vegetarian (in fact, vegan).
Monster properties
Nymphs
112. Nymphs can unlink more than your chain mail. 6. A nymph knows how to unlock chains.
Nymphs can steal your heavy iron ball, removing the chain.
15. Affairs with nymphs are often very expensive. 17. Afraid of your valuables being stolen? Carry more junk!
Nymphs will steal items from you. If you carry more junk, the probability of your good items being stolen is reduced.
16. Afraid of nymphs? Wear a ring of adornment.
If you're wearing a ring of adornment, a nymph will always steal that first.
118. Plain nymphs are harmless.
Cancelling a nymph makes it "plain" and unable to steal items from you.
256. They say that nymphs always fall for rock'n'roll, try it!
Playing a wooden harp with high dexterity will pacify nymphs. May also be a reference to the technique of killing a nymph with a rolling boulder trap.
Unicorns
9. A priestess and a virgin you might be, but that unicorn won't care.
Character role and encounters with incubi or succubi don't affect the behaviour of unicorns. Also a reference to Dungeons & Dragons, where a virgin elven priest could ride a unicorn.
94. It might be a good idea to offer the unicorn a ruby. 313. They say that you are lucky if you can get a unicorn to catch a ruby. 195. They say that a unicorn might bring you luck. 306. They say that unicorns are fond of precious gems. 178. They say that a diamond is another kind of luck stone.
Throwing non-glass gems to co-aligned unicorns increases your Luck by up to 5.
99. Kill a unicorn of your color and you kill your luck.
Killing a co-aligned unicorn confers a −5 Luck penalty.
Nurses
10. A ring of conflict is a bad thing if there is a nurse in the room.
The nurse's "attack" will heal the monsters she hits.
30. Be nice to a nurse: Put away your weapon and take off your clothes. 111. Nurses are trained to touch naked persons: they don't harm them.
The nurse's attack heals you if you are wearing no armor and are not wielding a weapon.
Corpse effects
(See also § Intrinsics.)
50. Eating a wraith is a rewarding experience!
Eating a fresh wraith corpse causes you to gain an experience level.
194. They say that a tin of wraith meat is a rare dining experience.
Tins of wraith meat don't actually exist anymore, but if they did they'd increase your experience level.
102. Lizard corpses protect against cockatrices.
Eating a lizard corpse stops the stoning process started by cockatrices. Also, during a new moon, if you aren't carrying a lizard corpse, a cockatrice's hissing attack will always start the stoning process.
288. They say that the Delphic Oracle knows that lizard corpses aren't confusing.
If you are confused or stunned, eating a lizard corpse reduces the time you will be in this state to two turns.
217. They say that eating a bat corpse will make you batty, for a while.
Eating a bat corpse makes you stunned.
181. They say that a giant gets strong by eating right, try it!
Eating a giant corpse increases your strength.
249. They say that mummy corpses are not well preserved.
Eating a mummy corpse is unwise because even if you just killed it, the corpse will be old and may give you food poisoning.
164. There is nothing like eating a mimic.
Eating a mimic will turn you into a pile of gold for a few turns. (If you are hallucinating, you will turn into an orange instead)
329. Those who wield a cockatrice corpse have a rocky road ahead of them.
Hitting a non-stoning resistant creature with a cockatrice or chickatrice corpse will turn it to stone.
Other
12. A succubus will go farther than a nymph.
A nymph will seduce you and steal items, but a succubus will seduce you and lie with you.
14. Acid blobs should be attacked bare-handed.
Attacking an acid blob with an iron weapon will corrode the weapon, reducing its effectiveness.
22. An umber hulk can be a confusing sight.
Umber hulks have a gaze attack which causes confusion.
24. Asking about monsters may be very useful.
Consult the encyclopedia for information on a monster.
25. Attack long worms from the rear -- that is so much safer!
Long worms can only attack if you are adjacent to their head.
26. Attacking an eel where there is none is usually a fatal mistake!
Since attacking a monster involves moving into its square, moving into an empty water square will cause you to fall in. This is not necessarily fatal, but if the eel is still around, it may swing itself around you and attempt to drown you. To safely attack an eel, press Shift + F (for 'Fight') and then the direction.
31. Being digested is a painfully slow process.
Digestion takes a few dozen turns to actually kill you. (This depends on your AC. If you are unlucky enough to have a shrieker summon a purple worm while you are still at AC 10, you might only have two turns!)[2]
45. Dragons never whip their children; they wouldn't feel it!
A bullwhip does no damage to dragons and other thick-skinned monsters.
58. Ever tried to put a troll into a large box?
Trolls rarely revive if you put their corpses into a container. If you lock the container, corpses inside can't revive at all.
79. I wouldn't advise playing catch with a giant.
84. If you need a wand of digging, kindly ask the minotaur.
Minotaurs have a 33% chance of being generated with a wand of digging.[3]
93. It is the letter 'c' and not 'e' that changes status to statue.
It is true that a e floating eye cannot make you into a statue, but a c chickatrice or c cockatrice would. To become a statue is an instadeath. Floating eyes only paralyze you, and you will eventually unfreeze if some other monster does not first kill you "while helpless".
101. Leprechauns are the most skilled cutpurses in this dungeon.
Leprechauns will steal gold from your main inventory if they hit you, and they are immune to all gold theft attacks.
104. Most monsters can't swim.
Indeed, many will drown if they find themselves over water. This is one way to dispose of troll corpses (except for water trolls).
107. Never attack a guard.
Vault guards are rather strong.
108. Never ride a long worm.
Riding a long worm isn't possible, and this rumor predates riding anyway. This is a reference to Dune.
116. Orcs and killer bees share their lifestyle.
They both come in swarms and usually poison adventurers, whether with stinger or arrow.
117. Orcs do not procreate in dark rooms.
The only monsters that create more of themselves are those capable of division and the Wizard of Yendor (when he casts Double Trouble).
311. They say that wiping its face is impossible for a floating eye.
Blind a floating eye with a thrown cream pie and it won't be able to paralyze you. (You can still wipe your face if you polymorph into a floating eye.)
227. They say that golden nagas are law-abiding denizens as long as you are too.
Golden nagas are peaceful to lawful players.
228. They say that gremlins can make you feel cooler than you are now.
"You feel cooler." is the message you get when a gremlin steals your cold resistance intrinsic.[4]
133. Rust monsters love water. There are potions they hate, however.
Rust monsters can swim. They are not uniquely vulnerable to any potion attacks, though.
204. They say that an ooze will bite your boots and a rockmole will eat them.
The attack of a gray ooze can cause a piece of iron armor to rust. Rock moles will eat anything metal, most commonly weapons and armor.
166. They say a gelatinous cube can paralyze you...
Hitting a gelatinous cube does paralyze you; their attack can paralyze you as well.
167. They say that Juiblex is afraid of a wand of digging.
If Juiblex engulfs you, zap a wand of digging to reduce him to 1 HP.
168. They say that Medusa would like to put you on a pedestal. 245. They say that it's not blind luck if you catch a glimpse of Medusa.
Medusa's gaze will turn you to stone if you are not blind (or reflecting).
216. They say that dwarves lawfully mind their own business.
All dwarves are lawful an,d will generally be peaceful if you are lawful too.
174. They say that a cave spider will occasionally eat cave spider eggs.
Cave spiders are carnivorous and lay eggs. This may also be a hint that there are different types of eggs.
182. They say that a grid bug won't hit you when you cross it. 229. They say that grid bugs only exist in a strictly Cartesian sense.
Grid bugs only move and attack in the cardinal directions (north, south, east, west), never diagonally.
187. They say that a mirror will freeze a floating eye but you can still see it.
Applying a mirror towards a floating eye paralyzes it, but it can still paralyze you with its passive attack.
200. They say that a xorn knows of no obstacles when pursuing you.
Xorns can pass through walls.
257. They say that once an Olog-Hai is canned it never shows its face again.
Tinning any type of troll corpse prevents it coming back from the dead.
258. They say that once upon a time xans would never scratch your boots.
Xans attack by pricking your legs. Boots provide some protection against this, and levitation, flying or riding takes you out of the xan's reach.
273. They say that soldiers are always prepared and usually protected.
Soldiers have armor and rations.
277. They say that some humanoids are nonetheless quite human.
Possibly a hint to be careful about cannibalism when eating humanoid monsters if you are human. Possibly a reference to the fact that minotaurs (which are large humanoids) don't respect Elbereth (just like humans). May also be a hint that genociding h as a dwarf is unwise, even if your glyph is @.
286. They say that tengu never steal gold although they would be good at it.
Tengu can teleport, like gold-stealing leprechauns.
294. They say that the idea of invisible Nazguls has a certain ring to it.
Nazgul are always generated with a cursed ring of invisibility.
301. They say that the view from a fog cloud is really very moving.
While inside an engulfing monster such as a fog cloud, you will be carried along with it.
349. You can't bribe soldier ants.
But you can bribe certain mercenaries.
353. You might be able to bribe a demon lord.
Demon princes may ask for a bribe; if you give them gold, they'll disappear.
355. You should certainly learn about quantum mechanics.
A quantum mechanic's attack will teleport you, eating its corpse will toggle your speed intrinsic, and it may have a cat in a box.
356. You're going into the morgue at midnight???
Undead monsters do much more damage at midnight.
332. Trolls are described as rubbery: they keep bouncing back.
Trolls have a high chance of periodically reviving.
333. Try the fall-back end-run play against ghosts.
Ghosts are slow and therefore vulnerable to the hit-and-run tactic where you switch between attacking and retreating in such a way that the monster never gets a chance to hit you.
346. Why do you think they call them mercenaries?
You can pay off members of the Yendorian army.
Pets
40. Dogs are attracted by the smell of tripe.
If you carry a tripe ration, carnivorous pets like dogs will stick closer.
41. Dogs are superstitious; they never step on cursed items.
All pets avoid stepping on cursed items. When they do step on one under normal circumstances, a message states that they do so only "reluctantly".
42. Dogs of ghosts aren't angry, just hungry. 163. There is no harm in praising a large dog. 330. Throwing food at a wild dog might tame him.
Throwing food at a hostile domestic animal (dog, cat, or horse) will tame or pacify it, depending on whether the food is what that animal eats. Throwing food at a pet will increase its tameness.
43. Don't forget! Large dogs are MUCH harder to kill than little dogs. 113. Once your little dog will be a big dog, and you will be proud of it.
Pets will level up and become stronger.
74. Horses trust their riders, even when not so deserved.
Possibly means that you can ride a horse into water or lava even though this will kill it instantly.
75. Hunger is a confusing experience for a dog!
When a pet becomes hungry, it becomes confused and can start attacking you.
91. It is not always a good idea to whistle for your dog.
Although a tin whistle will call nearby pets, it will also wake up sleeping monsters.
96. It's a `d' eats `d' world.
An obvious play on the "dog eats dog world" quote, using the glyph for dog instead of the word "dog". And literally, pet dogs will eat the corpses of other canines.
123. Polymorphing your dog probably makes you safer.
Dogs are on the low end of the monster spectrum; polymorphing them will usually make them stronger.
132. Riding a dragon can be an uplifting experience.
Riding a dragon will let you fly which is far better than levitation.
143. Some monsters can be tamed. I once saw a hacker with a tame dragon!
The charm monster spell and scroll of taming can tame just about any monster.
154. The gods will get angry if you kill your dog. 326. They say the gods get angry if you kill your dog.
Killing a pet incurs a penalty of −15 alignment and −1 Luck, but does not directly anger your god.
173. They say that a cat avoids traps.
Pets will avoid traps they know about.
179. They say that a dog can be trained to fetch objects.
Feeding your pet with a treat (for instance, tripe for dogs or cats) increases its apport, or willingness to pick up and drop objects. A higher apport also means that the pet is more likely to drop objects near you. Also, each time your pet drops an object, its apport decreases by one.
357. Your dog knows what to eat; maybe you should take lessons.
Pets avoid eating dangerous corpses.
95. It would be peculiarly sad were your dog turned to stone.
Refers to the "You have a sad feeling for a moment, then it passes" message you get when a pet dies. The message is changed to "You have a peculiarly sad feeling for a moment, then it passes" if your pet is turned to stone (hence the rumor).
165. There once was a Knight named Lancelot who liked to ride with his lance a lot.
Using a lance while riding allows you to joust monsters.
343. What is a cockatrice going to eat when it gets hungry?
Possibly means that keeping a pet cockatrice fed is difficult because everything it kills turns to stone, leaving no corpses to eat.
Religion
8. A priest can get the gods to listen easily. 322. They say that you should religiously give your gold away.
If you #chat to priests, they will ask for a contribution. Giving them money will buy you various rewards including divine protection and temporary clairvoyance.
23. As Crom is my witness, I'll never go hungry again!
Barbarians (who worship Crom if neutral) are poison resistant and can therefore eat more types of corpses. Also, prayer (to any god, not just Crom) can fill your stomach, but this is risky, so try to find food first. This rumor is a reference to Gone with the Wind.
55. Even evil players have a guardian angel.
Players of all alignments get a guardian angel upon entering the Astral Plane, unless they are inducing conflict.
67. Gods expect the best from their priesthood.
Average prayer timeouts are 1000 turns longer for crowned characters.
68. Gods look down their noses at demigods.
Average prayer timeouts are 1000 turns longer for demigods.
153. The gods don't appreciate pesky priesthood. 327. They say the gods get angry if you pray too much.
If you #pray too often, you'll anger your god.
293. They say that the gods are happy when they drop objects at your feet. 315. They say that you can find named weapons at an altar if you're lucky.
There are many rewards which you can receive for prayer and sacrifice. A lucky character may receive a spellbook for praying. Sacrifices may be rewarded by artifact weapons, provided that your Luck is at least zero.
321. They say that you should pray for divine inspiration.
If you are lucky enough, your god may tell you the tune you need to play to enter the Castle.
307. They say that prayer at an altar can sometimes make the water there holy.
Praying at an altar with potions of water on it can create holy water if the altar is coaligned, or unholy water if the altar is crossaligned. Creating unholy water in this manner does carry a penalty.
203. They say that an altar can identify blessings.
Dropping an item onto an altar will identify its BUC status.
241. They say that in time a blessed luckstone can make your god happy.
Gods reserve their best gifts to very lucky players. Carrying a blessed luckstone is the easiest way to retain Luck.
289. They say that the Hand of Elbereth can hold up your prayers.
"The Hand of Elbereth" is the title lawful characters receive when crowned by their god. Crowned characters have a much longer prayer timeout than uncrowned characters.
292. They say that the experienced character knows how to convert an altar.
The higher your experience level, the more likely it is that attempts to convert an altar will succeed.
Plot
The Wizard of Yendor
29. Be careful! The Wizard may plan an ambush!
This refers to the ability of the Wizard of Yendor to summon monsters around you, or appear himself, at the end of the game.
80. I'm watching you. -- The Wizard of Yendor
Possibly refers to the fact that if you somehow manage to get the Amulet without waking the Wizard, he will still come after you.
83. If you kill the Wizard, you get promoted to demi-god.
One of the many steps to ascension is retrieving the Book of the Dead from the Wizard of Yendor. Internally, this sets a variable called "u.udemigod".
92. It is rumored that the Wizard has hired some help.
The Wizard is capable of summoning nasties to attack you.
151. The Wizard finds death to be quite an experience. 199. They say that a wizard is even more powerful the second time around.
Each time the Wizard of Yendor returns from death, he is at a higher experience level than before.
242. They say that it is easier to kill the Wizard than to make him stand still.
The Wizard of Yendor has very high magic resistance and is therefore difficult to paralyze, but is vulnerable to a wand of death.
291. They say that the Wizard of Yendor is schizophrenic and suicidal.
"Schizophrenic" may refer to his ability to cast Double Trouble (summon a copy of himself). "Suicidal" may mean that he keeps coming back no matter how many times you kill him.
319. They say that you should always be prepared for a final challenge.
The Wizard of Yendor is guaranteed to reappear when you enter the Plane of Earth.
325. They say the Wizard's castle is booby-trapped!
There are many guaranteed traps in the Wizard's tower, and you should also watch out for giant eels and krakens.
341. Watch out, the Wizard might come back.
Once the Wizard has been awoken, he will come after you until you reach the Astral Plane or die, unless he is carrying the Amulet. Even killing him by any means will not stop him.
Other
2. A candelabrum affixed with seven candles shows the way with a magical light.
The Candelabrum of Invocation is necessary for the invocation ritual.
20. Amulets of Yendor are hard to make. Even for a wand of wishing.
Wishing for the Amulet of Yendor will only get you a cheap plastic imitation. This message was changed from the one introduced in NetHack 1.3d when other amulets were added to the game.
61. Extra staircases lead to extra levels.
Referring, of course, to the dungeon branches: Gnomish Mines, Sokoban, and Vlad's Tower.
66. Getting too warm? Take off that Amulet of Yendor and stay away from the exit!
The Amulet of Yendor gets warm when you are near a magic portal, so put it on to feel this.
160. There is a Mastermind deep in the dungeon.
This refers to the Mastermind game you play to open the Castle drawbridge with an instrument.
169. They say that Vlad lives!!! ... in the mazes.
Vlad's Tower is in the maze-filled Gehennom.
212. They say that demigods must leave behind their prized earthly possessions.
Possibly means that once you leave the dungeon for the Elemental Planes there's no going back.
220. They say that escaping a dungeon is only the beginning of the end.
Refers to the existence of the Elemental Planes and the Astral Plane.
328. They say there is a powerful magic item hidden in a castle deep down! 282. They say that something very special would be in a well-protected place. 250. They say that naturally a wand of wishing would be heavily guarded.
Referring to the guaranteed wand of wishing in the Castle. To obtain this, you must get past the moat and many soldiers and other tough monsters.
297. They say that the only door to the vampire's tower is on its lowest level.
Refers to Vlad's Tower which is reached via an extra up staircase in Gehennom.
Shopping
44. Don't mess with shopkeepers, or you'll get the Guild after you. 243. They say that it only takes 1 zorkmid to meet the Kops.
Shoplifting will cause the shopkeeper to summon the Keystone Kops.
86. If you want to rob a shop, train your dog. 266. They say that shopkeepers don't mind you bringing your pets in the shop.
Shopkeepers won't summon the Keystone Kops if a pet steals items. You can train your dog to steal by rewarding it with tripe. See stealing from shops.
34. Booksellers never read scrolls; they might get carried away. 51. Eating unpaid leprechauns may be advantageous.
Both of these refer to shoplifting with teleportitis. Doing so will anger the shopkeeper and summon the Keystone Kops, but that might be worthwhile.
88. Inside a shop you better take a look at the price tags before buying anything.
This is probably a reference to eating food off the ground in a shop. You suffer a hunger surcharge, so if you eat a store food ration while fainting, you can expect to pay a lot for it.
89. It is bad manners to use a wand in a shop.
Shopkeepers will charge you for zapping their wands.
121. Playing billiards pays when you are in a shop.
This is possibly a reference to either:
- throwing items in a shop to detect mimics from afar, or
- blocking a shopkeeper into a shop with a boulder so you can more safely shoplift
- Rays, such as produced by the wand of death, bounce off walls like billiard balls. Peaceful shopkeepers try hard not to give you a direct shot, so bouncing spells is necessary if you want to hit from a distance.
122. Polymorphing a shopkeeper might make you safer.
Polymorphing a shopkeeper can turn it into a much weaker creature; great for shoplifters.
136. Shopkeepers accept credit cards, as long as you pay cash.
The dungeon has credit cards but they are nothing more than unlocking implements.
137. Shopkeepers can spot a tourist a mile away with those Hawaiian shirts. 141. Shopkeepers might raise their prices for tourists. 296. They say that the local shopkeeper frowns upon the rude tourist.
Tourists and those wearing Hawaiian shirts suffer extra surcharges when shopping.
138. Shopkeepers can't tell identical twins apart. 237. They say that in a shop you can be charged for old charges. 269. They say that shopkeepers often remember things that you might forget.
If you anger a shopkeeper and die, loading those bones will cause the shopkeeper to attack you if you have the same name as before.
139. Shopkeepers don't read, so what use is engraving in a shop?
Shopkeepers ignore Elbereth.
140. Shopkeepers have incredible patience.
You can stay in a shop as long as you want without irritating the shopkeeper.
142. Shopkeepers value money more than revenge.
Sometimes you can pay off a shopkeeper to pacify him.
152. The best equipment for your work is, of course, the most expensive.
In general, better items are more expensive than bad ones.
246. They say that killing a shopkeeper brings bad luck. 260. They say that only chaotics can kill shopkeepers and get away with it.
Killing a peaceful human is considered to be murder, and unless you are chaotic, you will lose telepathy and two points of Luck.
265. They say that shopkeepers don't like pick-axes. 302. They say that the walls in shops are made of extra hard material.
Shopkeepers don't like it when you dig in their shops. They try to prevent it by not letting you come in with a visible pick-axe.
268. They say that shopkeepers often have a large amount of money in their purses.
They often have more than 2000 gold.
206. They say that antique dealers are always interested in precious stones. 278. They say that some shopkeepers consider gems to be family heirlooms. 279. They say that some shopkeepers recognize gems but they won't tell you.
Shopkeepers will try to buy unidentified gems from you as though they were glass, and try to sell pieces of glass to you as though they were precious gems.
267. They say that shopkeepers don't usually mind if you sneak into a shop. 320. They say that you should ask a dwarf to let you into a locked shop.
If you come across a "Closed for inventory" shop, shopkeepers won't mind if you teleport in or unlock the shop door. As long as you don't break down the door (hence the reference to the dwarf who can dig down doors), the shopkeeper won't get mad at you.
340. Visitors are requested not to apply genocide to shopkeepers.
Shopkeepers are not genocidable. Even if they were, genociding @ kills you as well, regardless of your race.
350. You can't leave a shop through the back door: there isn't one!
Shops are always generated with exactly one door.
354. You might trick a shopkeeper if you're invisible.
Shopkeepers do not have see invisible.
Elbereth
52. Elbereth has quite a reputation around these parts.
Engraving "Elbereth" will cause most monsters to run away.
62. Fiery letters might deter monsters.
Engraving Elbereth with a wand of fire or lightning burns the word into the ground, which is practically permanent. Also, the Sokoban treasure and Castle wand of wishing rest upon burned Elbereth engravings.
63. For a good time engrave `Elbereth'.
Another obvious reference to Elbereth's power.
109. Never use your best weapon to engrave a curse.
Engraving with an edged weapon reduces its enchantment, except for non-cursed athames.
170. They say that `Elbereth' is often written about.
Engraving 'Elbereth' will protect you from most (but not all) monsters' melee attacks.
347. Why would anybody in his sane mind engrave "Elbereth"?
You can mess up engraving if you are stunned, confused, or blind, and don't even bother trying while hallucinating.
Miscellaneous
18. Always be aware of the phase of the moon!
Phases of the moon can affect gameplay.
19. Always sweep the floor before engraving important messages.
If you engrave too much on a single square, it may erase some or all of your existing engravings. Elbereth won't work if there are any letters engraved before or after the word.
27. Bandaging wounds helps keep up appearances. 207. They say that bandaging one's wounds helps to keep up one's appearance.
Wearing a mummy wrapping negates invisibility.
36. Concise conquest: Control, confuse, conjure, condemn.
A cryptic description of the following strategy: Control the floor for safety, confuse yourself, read a scroll of create monster to conjure a large number of acid blobs, then kill and sacrifice (condemn) them.
38. Digging up a grave could be a bad idea...
Digging down on a headstone may summon undead.
69. Got a question? Try rec.games.roguelike.nethack.
rec.games.roguelike.nethack is the NetHack newsgroup, which is very active.
70. Grave robbers sometimes get rich.
Digging in a grave can find you money, but see number 38.
77. I smell a maze of twisty little passages.
A reference to Adventure, and also a warning about the maze levels in Gehennom.
90. It is dangerous to visit a graveyard at midnight.
The attacks of undead monsters do double damage at midnight.
103. Money lost, little lost; honor lost, much lost; pluck lost, all lost.
Losing gold is only a temporary inconvenience (even if the gold itself has disappeared permanently) because there is more than enough gold in the dungeon, especially in games where Fort Ludios is accessible. If losing honor equates to angering your god, this is a difficult situation to remedy requiring the sacrifice of powerful monsters, and painful while it lasts because you cannot safely pray. If "pluck" refers to the resourcefulness and determination required to find a way to survive, it is a vitally important quality for winning at NetHack.
110. No easy fighting with a heavy load!
The more encumbered you are, the less your chance of hitting monsters in melee. You cannot fight at all if Overtaxed or worse.
114. Only female monsters can lay eggs. 261. They say that only female monsters can lay eggs.
Lay an egg with the #sit command. If you are carrying it when it hatches, it will become your pet.
119. Playing AD&D may be helpful.
NetHack draws much of its mythology and mechanics from Dungeons & Dragons.
120. Playing Gauntlet might be enlightening in some situations.
If an elf, Wizard, or Valkyrie is severely hurt, the message is changed from "You hear the howling of the CwnAnnwn..." (or "You hear the wailing of the Banshee..." at 1 HP) to "<race/role>, your life force is running out." (or "<race/role> is about to die.")
If you have four or more intrinsics from the set (teleportitis, see invisible, poison resistance, cold resistance, shock resistance, fire resistance, sleep resistance, disintegration resistance, teleport control, stealth, speed, or invisibility), the message is changed to "<race/role>, all your powers will be lost."
127. Rays aren't boomerangs, of course, but still...
Rays (like death ray and magic missile) will bounce off a wall back at you.
128. Read the manual before entering the cave -- you might get killed otherwise.
Refers to the Guidebook which tells you how to play the game.
130. Reading Tolkien might help you.
Tolkien's works are a major influence on NetHack; this rumor could refer to many things, such as naming Sting or Orcrist, or to Elbereth.
144. Someone once said that what goes up < might come down >.
Possibly refers to the "petrified by elementary physics" death, where throwing a cockatrice corpse up into the air will make it fall onto your head.
145. Someone's been spiking the pits!
Many pits have spikes in them, thus, spiked pits.
146. Sometimes monsters are more likely to fight each other than attack you.
This is true if you are causing conflict.
150. The Leprechaun Gold Tru$t is no division of the Magic Memory Vault.
This is hinting at the existence of Croesus's vaults.
155. The magic marker is mightier than the sword.
Indeed, spells and scrolls are often more potent than melee combat.
156. The moon is not the only heavenly body to influence this game.
The sun also influences the game: gremlins are more potent at nighttime, and undead do double damage at midnight.
161. There is a big treasure hidden in the zoo!
Zoos have gold on every square. The Sokoban zoo has an amulet of reflection or bag of holding.
162. There is more magic in this cave than meets the eye.
There are many secrets in NetHack that you may miss the first time around.
175. They say that a clever wizard can have stats: 18/** 24 18 24 24 24.
This would involve being human, having max stats, and wearing +6 gauntlets of dexterity, +6 helm of brilliance, and two +3 rings of adornment. Technically, since +7 is possible in all of these, 25s could replace the 24s. Also, in modern versions of NetHack a clever wizard might prefer rings of gain constitution.
189. They say that a polymorph trap is magic and magic protection prevents it.
Magic resistance protects you from polymorph traps.
192. They say that a sink looks different from high above the floor.
Levitating over a sink will cause you to hit the ground.
193. They say that a summoned demon could improve your game.
This refers to water demons granting wishes. (Djinn are not demons, though they are part of the demon monster class represented by &.)
213. They say that disturbing a djinni can be a costly mistake.
"You disturbed me, fool!" is the message you get when rubbing a magic lamp or quaffing a smoky potion produces a hostile djinni.
215. They say that dropping coins into a fountain will not grant you a wish.
It is occasionally possible to obtain a wish from a fountain by quaffing or dipping and releasing a grateful water demon, though this is risky as there is at least an 80% chance that any water demon you get will be hostile. Losing your gold in the fountain has no effect on the chance of getting a wish.
221. They say that feeling an unexpected draft of air is sort of a breakthrough.
"You feel an unexpected draft" is the message you get when something breaks down a door by digging.
226. They say that going to heaven is just another way of escaping the dungeon. 236. They say that if you teleport to heaven you're presumed to be dead already.
Levelporting to dungeon level −10 or higher causes you to escape the dungeon with the epitaph "went to heaven prematurely".
231. They say that having polymorph control won't shock you.
You can die by system shock while polymorphing, unless you have polymorph control.
234. They say that if you notice a loose board beneath you, don't step on it.
Stepping on a loose board will make a loud noise that wakes up monsters.
235. They say that if you start at the bottom the only place to go is up.
Possibly a reference to the strategy of level teleporting to the bottom of Gehennom and mapping it from the bottom up.
240. They say that in the dungeon you don't usually have any luck at all.
Characters start with zero Luck unless it is a full moon or Friday the 13th.
251. They say that no one notices the junk underneath a boulder.
Keeping your stash under a boulder is one way to protect it from marauding monsters.
253. They say that nobody knows if an explorer can live forever. Do you?
Yes, one can, if surrounded by acid blobs under boulders, with any boulder-picking-up monsters genocided, and either wearing a ring of slow digestion and praying or alternating between two rings of slow digestion.
270. They say that sinks and armor don't mix, take your cloak off now!
Drinking from a sink may polymorph you.
271. They say that sinks run hot and cold and many flavors in between.
Drinking from a sink can have the effect of a random uncursed potion.
274. They say that some eggs could hatch in your pack, lucky or not.
Eggs can indeed hatch, and this will often provide you with a new pet.
284. They say that teleport traps are the devil's work.
???
287. They say that that which was stolen once can be stolen again, ask any nymph.
This may hint that if you polymorph into a nymph you might be able to steal the Book of the Dead from the Wizard of Yendor.
290. They say that the Leprechaun King is rich as Croesus.
A reference to Croesus, proprietor of the vaults. You get rid of a vault guard by giving your name as "Croesus" (as long as you didn't kill him in Fort Ludios).
295. They say that the lady of the lake now lives in a fountain somewhere.
A lawful character who is at least level 5 can dip a long sword into a fountain for a chance of having the lady of the lake turn it into Excalibur. A non-lawful character who does this has a chance of getting the sword cursed instead.
298. They say that the only good djinni is a grateful djinni.
A djinni who is "grateful for his release" will grant you a wish.
303. They say that there are at least 15 ways to lose a pair of levitation boots.
Among the more creative are floating over a sink so that they fall off and allowing an incubus or succubus to remove them. See curse removal.
305. They say that trespassing a boulder is probably beneath you.
May mean that squeezing past a boulder in Sokoban carries a Luck penalty.
308. They say that what goes down the drain might come back up.
If you drop a ring on a sink, it will probably disappear down the drain with a message hinting at the type of ring it was. If you kick a sink, you will eventually obtain a ring (whether or not you previously dropped a ring down that sink).
316. They say that you can safely touch cockatrice eggs but why bother?
Cockatrice eggs (also known as "stoning grenades") can be wielded or thrown to turn monsters to stone.
318. They say that you don't always get what you wish for.
Items from wishes are not always guaranteed to match your specifications. For example, wishing for too many items may give you only one; wishing for a high enchantment may give you +0; and wishing for artifacts may fail entirely. Having negative Luck can also cause wishes to go awry.
335. Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
May mean that you need to be versatile and think of different ways to do things in order to succeed at NetHack, or that repeating a detrimental action usually makes it worse.
338. Vault guards never disturb their Lords.
When a vault guard asks you for your name, if you answer "Croesus" the guard will leave instead of escorting you out. Lawful characters suffer a penalty for lying to the guard, unless their name really is Croesus. Also, if Croesus has already been killed, the guard will not believe you.
348. Wishing too much may bring you too little.
Wishing for a piece of armor or weapon at +4 or better is unlikely to succeed; you'll instead get +0. If you wish for too many artifacts, you will be less likely to get them.
References
This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.
It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.4.3. Information on this page may be out of date.
Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-343}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.
