Unchanging

Unchanging is a property in NetHack that prevents the hero from being polymorphed or otherwise transformed into another monster or form.

The only source of the property is the worn amulet of unchanging.

Description

Unchanging stops polymorphing and other means of changing form from occurring, including sliming and the effects of eating certain corpses or tins, but not stoning. Gaining unchanging while suffering from sliming cures the property. While riding, a worn source of unchanging can protect a hero's steed from polymorph traps while riding.

If a hero dies while they have unchanging and are polymorphed, which would ordinarily return them to normal form, they will instead die as normal in most cases, with the following exceptions:

• While in the form of a wood or leather golem, the hero is hit by a brown pudding bite and rots away.
• While in the form of an iron golem, the hero is hit by a rust monster attack and rusts away.
• While in the form of a clay golem, the hero is hit by the intrinsic-stealing attack of a gremlin.
• While in the form of an undead monster, the hero prays to their god.

In the listed circumstances, a hero will be returned to normal form even with unchanging.

Strategy

Unchanging is typically used to maintain a long-term (and often controlled) polyself for various purposes, in exchange for the risk of any deaths that occur being permanent when they would not be otherwise. A source of unchanging can also be a good substitute for magic resistance in areas such as the Gnomish Mines beyond Minetown, where polymorph traps are a major obstacle. Unchanging can also suppress unwanted polymorphing from other sources, such as lycanthropy.

Messages

You can not change from your current form.

You have unchanging as viewed via enlightenment.

Variants

Some variants implement additional sources of unchanging outside of the amulet of unchanging.

dNetHack

In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, deep dragon scales, deep dragon scale mail and deep dragon scale shields confer unchanging while worn.

FIQHack

In FIQHack, unchanging is one of the properties that can be conferred by quaffing or dipping into a potion of wonder.

xNetHack

In xNetHack, a hero with a source of unchanging will not protect their steed from a polymorph trap that they ride over.

A hero that dies at the hands of specific monsters (i.e. any vampire, mummy, wraith, ghoul, zombie, or green slime) has a varying chance of rising from death and being allowed to continue play as a monster with permanent intrinsic unchanging. A hero that starts a game in polyinit mode also has permanent intrinsic unchanging.

SpliceHack

In SpliceHack, the robe of stasis is a type of cloak that confers unchanging while worn.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, a hero that dies at the hands of a zombie may rise from the dead and be allowed to continue play with permanent intrinsic unchanging, and heroes that die in other circumstances may similarly rise as a spectre with permanent intrinsic unchanging.