Gems

gems-330.txt Update version 2 for NetHack 3.3.0
Compiled for 3.2.2 by Kevin Hugo.
Updated for 3.3.0 by Dylan O'Donnell
Converted to HTML by Payne Simpson

Gems and stones are listed above by category, then by decreasing price. The Cost field denotes the base price of each item. Wgt specifies the weight (100 zorkmids weighs 1).

Gems comprise 8% of all randomly-generated items in the main dungeon, 18% in containers, 0% in Rogue level, and 10% in hell. Prob is the relative probability of each subtype, except for those marked with an asterisk (valuable gems); the figures so marked instead represent the first level on which the gems can occur (this limitation only applying to the main dungeon), and these restrictions are only=! reviewed when creating a new level). Permissible valuable gems have roughly equal probabilities of being generated among themselves always set such that the total for the category as a whole is 171.

Loadstones are always generated cursed (except potentially in containers), all others are uncursed. Rocks appear in piles of 6 to 11. Valuable gems, worthless gems, and flintstones have a 1/6 chance of appearing in a pile of 2.

The Engr field denotes how the gem appears when you attempt to engrave with it (see below). Colors specifies the possible appearance of the gem. If more than one color is possible, then one will be randomly chosen for the appearance.

Identifying gems

(Quoted in part from the spoiler "gems" by Bryan Butler.)

There are now eight methods to identify gems: engraving, throwing at unicorns, killing glass golems, spell of stone to flesh, collecting a large number, scrolls or spells of identify, dipping an amethyst in potions of booze, and finding pre-placed gems. The method formerly known as "kickboxing" has not worked in NetHack since version 3.2.

1. Engraving with gems

If a gem is listed as "hard" above, then you will see the following message when you attempt to Engrave with the gem:

You engrave in the floor with the <gem>.

If the gem is "soft," you will see this message:

You write in the dust with the <gem>.

In either case, you can abort the engraving process by pressing Escape. If you choose to write a message, it will take one turn per character to engrave. Not all types of floor can be engraved upon. You may choose to #name a gem once you know its hardness (e.g., "soft blue").

2. Throwing gems at unicorns

Throwing a gem to a non-tame unicorn can change your luck in one of several ways, depending on whether the gem is worthless or valuable, whether you are the same alignment as the unicorn (white = lawful, gray = neutral, and black = chaotic), and whether the gem type is already identified or named.

In most cases, the message sequence is as follows:

The <unicorn> neighs! The <unicorn> catches the <gem>.
The <unicorn> <Adverb> accepts your gift.

The <unicorn> neighs!
The <unicorn> catches the <glass>.
The <unicorn> is not interested in your junk.

3. Killing glass golems

When a glass golem is destroyed, it leaves behind 2 to 8 worthless pieces of glass (each of which can be any of the colours), and never gems.

4. Spell of stone to flesh

The spell of stone to flesh will turn gemstones into meatballs, but leave worthless pieces of glass intact; #name a gem 'valuable' or similar before zapping the spell at it (and rename it afterwards should it be proven untrue), since it won't be around to #name after.

5. Collecting a large number of gems

If you wait long enough, you'll accumulate a large number of gems. Since the probabilities of getting worthless pieces of glass are so much higher than getting true gems, you'll acquire them much faster than other gems. So, if you just wait long enough, and look at all of the gems of a certain color that you have, more often than not the gem of which you have the most is the worthless piece of glass. This is a bit risky, and usually takes much more time than other methods.

6. Scrolls and spells of identify

You can always use a scroll or spell of identify to determine whether a gem is valuable. You will then recognize all gems of that same type, although you can lose this knowledge from a scroll of amnesia or (master) mind flayer attack. Archeologists always begin with all gems (but not stones) identified in this manner. Shopkeepers will buy identified gems based on their full price; this is a good way to get money.

7. Dipping amethysts into potions of booze

8. Pre-placed gems

Certain levels are guaranteed to be generated with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and amethysts in well-defined positions. Both versions of the bottom level of the Gnomish Mines contain a room with these four types of gems, a guaranteed luckstone, and other random gems. The four corner rooms of Fort Ludios (if it exists in your game) each contain one of these four types of valuable gems. Other levels may also be generated with piles of gems, but their type is not guaranteed, so these levels are not helpful in determining the identity of gems.

Luck

Luck is included here because of luckstones.

Your luck affects many aspects of the game (too many to mention here), and is actually the sum of two components. Base luck changes with events in the game, and may slowly return to a "baseline" level. Bonus luck, on the other hand, is determined by what kind of luckstone (and certain artifacts) you are carrying. You can determine your total luck by quaffing a noncursed potion of enlightenment, ending the game and asking to see your attributes, or in debug mode; the messages are shown here:

Your bonus luck -- and whether your base luck will return to its baseline level -- is controlled by luckstones and certain Quest Artifacts. The effect of these "luckitems" depends on the number in your main inventory that are blessed, uncursed, and cursed (see table below). Note that you can't do any better than one blessed luckitem, so you might as well keep any others in a bag (where they have no effect) as spares in case your main one is cursed.

When you are enlightened about your luck, you are also told if you have bonus luck and if good/bad luck will not time out.

Base luck is adjusted by each of the events described below. It cannot be reduced below -10 or increased above +10. In addition, every 300 turns (or 600 if you have the Amulet of Yendor or have angered your god), your luck will increase by one if it is less than your baseline luck and bad luck times out, and your luck will decrease by one if your luck is greater than your baseline luck and good luck times out. Your baseline luck is +1 if you started or restored the game during a full moon, -1 if started/restored on Friday the 13th, and 0 if neither or both.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Bruce Cox for proofreading the original version of this file.
Amethyst identification added by Donald Welsh .
Glass golem and stone to flesh identification added by Nick Number
Luck penalty for breaking eggs corrected by David Damerell.
Luck when praying clarified by David Grabiner.
Preplaced gems noted by Yair Friedman.
Valuable gem probabilities corrected by Adam <a00000002(at)ideogram(dot)com>.

Last changed: March 21, 2000