Tools

tool-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

Tools are listed above by category. The Cost field denotes the base price of each item. Wgt specifies the weight (100 zorkmids weighs 1). The existence of some items depends on options chosen when the program was compiled; they are noted with an asterisk (*).

Tools comprise 8% of all randomly-generated items in the main dungeon, 0% in containers, 0% in Rogue level, and 12% in hell. Prob is the relative probability of each subtype. See below for more details on item generation.

If the Chg field is not blank, then the tool can be charged by a scroll of charging or the Platinum Yendorian Express Card. The number shows the maximum number of initial charges. An exclamation mark (!) indicates that the tool can only be recharged once.

Finally, some items have a different Appearance until they are identified. Note that many tools share the same appearance with other types of tools.

Containers are generated with the Contents described below. Containers will not be generated containing tools, weapons, armour or rocks. Containers in your initial inventory will be empty. If the container can be Locked, then there is an 80% chance that it will be generated locked and a different 10% chance that it will be trapped. Not all containers Fit into other containers. Some containers have special Effects. All of the containers except ice boxes can be eaten by gelatinous cubes.

Quantum mechanics may carry a large box containing either a live or dead housecat named Schroedinger's Cat. The state of the cat is not determined until the box is opened. There is nothing special about this cat; it is just a silly physics joke.

The weight of a bag of holding wgt -- including the 15 for the bag itself -- depends on the weight of its contents cwgt and its blessed status:

You may also lose items when you use a cursed bag of holding; each item in the bag has a 1/13 chance of disappearing each time you apply or loot the bag.

Putting any of the following (and only the following) items into any bag of holding will cause it to explode:

(another) bag of holding
bag of tricks (with nonzero charge)
wand of cancellation (with nonzero charge)

It is sometimes possible to put one of these items into nested sacks and/or oilskin sacks and then place them safely inside a bag of holding. The chance of an explosion occurring then depends on the amount of nesting:

When a bag of tricks is #looted, it will bite you (1 to 10 hit points damage) and become identified. If you apply it and it has charges left, it will create one monster 22 out of 23 times, and create 2 to 8 monsters 1 out of 23 times. Nothing happens when you apply a bag with zero charges. Bags of tricks are generated with 1 to 20 charges. If the bag has more than 10 charges, a blessed scroll of charging will add 5 to 10 charges, otherwise it will add 10 to 15 charges; an uncursed scroll will always add 1 to 5 charges.

When bags get wet, their contents may also get wet. A noncursed oilskin sack will prevent this; if the oilskin sack is cursed, there is a 1/3 chance that the contents can get wet. Boxes and chests are all waterproof.

Each of the tools, wands, and spells listed below can be used for locking and unlocking doors, large boxes, and chests. Not all methods can Lock or Unlock. Prob represents the probability (in percent) of succeeding each turn; it may be based on your Dexterity and you will fail after 50 turns. Rogues may get an additional percentile bonus for using an implement. The per-turn probability of picking the lock is halved if you use a cursed credit card, lock pick, or skeleton key.

Using any of the first three types will exercise your dexterity, even if you don't succeed. Please note that a credit card has no special effects in shops, although you can unlock a shop Closed for inventory and you can buy and sell it like any other item. If a watchman or watch captain sees you pick a door with any tool, he may get upset.

Wands of opening and locking and the spells of knock and wizard lock always work in one turn and can be performed from a distance. A wand/ spell of opening will also open doors in the same turn, will open drawbridges, and can remove a ball and chain. Ringing the blessed Bell of Opening will also open doors and drawbridges. A wand/spell of closing will close a door in the same turn (if there are no objects in the way) and will close drawbridges.

You can also attempt to break a lock on a large box or chest by #forcing it with a suitable weapon or kicking it open. This will exercise your dexterity or strength, but may also destroy any weapon you use, the container and/or some of the contents (possibly restricted to fragile ones, glass items or eggs):

Light sources are generated to stay lit for the number of Turns noted below. They are Generated in the quantity and blessed state shown. Cursed light sources will sometimes not light.

Candles can also be applied to the Candelabrum of Invocation. Brass lanterns and oil lamps can be refilled by a scroll of charging; a blessed scroll will refill them to 1500 turns, an uncursed scroll will add 750 turns to a maximum of 1500. Oil lamps can also be refilled with potions of oil, getting twice of the remaining turns in the potion of oil. No lamp can be filled beyond 1500 turns.

If you wish for a magic lamp, you will instead get an ordinary oil lamp.

Magic lamps never run out of power, and may summon a djinni and lead to a wish when #rubbed. Each time you rub the lamp, there is a 1/3 chance that You see a puff of smoke and another 1/3 chance that Nothing happens; in either case, just try again.

The remaining 1/3 of the time a djinni appears, the lamp is identified and turned into an oil lamp, and one of five outcomes can occur. The relative chance of these outcomes depends on whether the lamp was blessed, uncursed, or cursed:

NOTE: There is no way to get a wish from the djinni other than the first outcome above.

There is a limit of 120 djinn per game. Beyond this limit, they are extinct and no more can be created.

Using instruments

All instruments are generated uncursed. In this section, "nearby" means within some distance from you that depends on your experience level. Depending on your system, configuration, and options, sounds may also be produced on your system's speaker.

Wakes nearby monsters and calls nearby pets.
You produce a high whistling sound. (noncursed)
You produce a shrill whistling sound. (cursed)

noncursed

Teleports pets next to you.
You produce a strange whistling sound. (not hallucinating)
You produce a normal whistling sound. (hallucinating)

cursed

50% chance of acting as noncursed; otherwise, wakes nearby monsters and calls nearby pets.
You produce a high-pitched humming noise.

Created uncursed with 1 to 20 charges. If more than 10 charges, blessed scrolls of charging add 5 to 10 charges, otherwise 10 to 15 charges.
Uncursed scrolls of charging add 1 to 5 charges.
No effect if no charges.
Creates some food (including royal jelly) or a potion of water, fruit juice, booze, acid, or oil.
The blessed/uncursed/cursed state of the object produced is the same as the horn.

Awakens and may scare nearby monsters. Abuses wisdom.
You beat a deafening row!

Creates several pits around you. Awakens and may scare all monsters on the level.
You produce a heavy, thunderous rolling! The entire dungeon is shaking around you!

Doesn't work under water or when swallowed.

noncursed

Wakes nearby monsters and calls nearby pets.

cursed

There is a 1/4 chance of summoning a nymph (with no inventory), if they aren't already genocided or extinct. There is a further chance that the bell breaks, and/or that you are paralyzed or the nymph is made fast.
Wakes nearby monsters and calls nearby pets.

The following instruments can be used to play notes to open the Castle drawbridge. You will hear one gear turn for each correct note in the right position and one tumbler click for each correct note in the wrong position. However, if you improvise, you will get the Effect shown; some monsters may resist. Charged instruments are created with 5 to 8 charges. Blessed scrolls of charging add 4 to 8 charges; uncursed scrolls 1 to 4 charges.

Unless noted, all items in this section are generated uncursed.

If you successfully #untrap one of these traps, the trap becomes a tool. You can pick up the tool and later re-arm the trap at your current location by applying the tool.

This weapon can also be applied to get yourself out of a pit, unwield or steal another monster's weapon, hit a monster, whip your steed into a gallop, or grab objects off the floor while levitating.

You can dig by applying a pick-axe or dwarvish mattock. Specify > to dig downward (first makes a pit, then a hole).

You can apply this tool to grab an object at a distance, drag a monster towards you, hit a monster, drag yourself in a direction, or hit yourself for 10 to 19 points of damage.

noncursed

Randomly fixes one or more of the following troubles: sickness, blindness, hallucination, vomiting, confusion, stunning, and loss of an attribute. The chances of fixing a certain number of troubles is shown here:

cursed

You get one of the following: sickness, blindness, confusion, stunning, hallucination, or a decremented attribute.
Unicorn horns don't fix stoning, sliming, strangulation, or wounded legs.
#dipping a unicorn horn in a potion of blindness, confusion, or hallucination turns the potion into uncursed water. Dipping it in a potion of sickness produces nonblessed fruit juice.
Unicorn horns also make a fairly good weapon. They are two-handed.

Generated with 70 to 99 charges. An uncursed scroll of charging will add 5 to 14 charges, and then bring the camera to a minimum of 50 charges. A blessed scroll of charging will add 10 to 25 charges, and then bring the camera to a minimum of 50 charges (75 if between 51 and 74). A camera may never have more than 127 charges.
You can get several humorous messages by applying it in certain situations.
A cursed camera has a 50% chance of blinding you when applied.
Otherwise, you can blind monsters.

Cursed mirrors only work half of the time.
You can get several humorous messages by applying it in certain situations (especially hallucinating; try underwater or at yourself while polymorphed into a floating eye).
You can use a mirror to make a monster's gaze attacks work against itself (if the monster isn't cancelled):

Otherwise, you have a 4 out of 5 chance of scaring the monster in that direction for 2 to 8 turns. The monster cannot be a unicorn or humanoid, must have eyes and be unblind, and must be able to see invisible if it is invisible.

Generated with 1 to 5 charges. Artifact crystal balls are always generated with 5 charges. Blessed scrolls of charging set the ball to 6 charges. Uncursed scrolls of charging add one charge, to a maximum of 5. There are several humorous messages if used when hallucinating.

noncursed

You may look for an object or symbol (including traps and portals, ^). There is an (intelligence in 20) chance of success; otherwise, you suffer the same effects as a cursed crystal ball.

cursed

One of the following happens: nothing, you are confused, you are blinded, you hallucinate, or the ball explodes (not if an artifact).

These protect you being blinded by spat venom or thrown cream pies. Apart from this, they are mostly just a placeholder for the Monk Quest Artifact, the Eyes of the Overworld.

You can controllably blind yourself by applying it or Putting it on. A cursed blindfold cannot be removed by yourself.

You can controllably blind yourself (like a blindfold) by Putting it on. A cursed towel cannot be removed by yourself.
When applied, a towel can clean greasy hands (e.g., from a tin of greasy food) or clean a cream pie off your face. A cursed towel has a 1/3 chance of causing each of these problems, or else it works normally.
If you Engrave with a towel, you can rub out writing in the dust.

You can apply it to a monster (equines, quadrupeds, dragons, jabberwocks, ki-rin or couatls) in order to be able to ride it in future. Chance of successfully saddling depends on dexterity, charisma, tameness of monster and riding skill; Knights receive a bonus, as does wearing riding boots or gloves.

You can apply it to a tame monster to keep it nearby.
Once you have leashed a monster, you can release it by Re-applying the leash. A cursed leash can't be removed by yourself.

A stethoscope can be applied once each turn without taking any time. If you use it more than that, each application takes one turn. You can get several humorous messages by applying it in certain situations.
A cursed stethoscope has a 50% chance of only hearing your own heartbeat.
Otherwise, you can use it to find the status of adjacent monsters and find secret doors and passages.

Generated with 70 to 99 charges. An uncursed scroll of charging will add 5 to 14 charges, and then bring the kit to a minimum of 50 charges. A blessed scroll of charging will add 10 to 25 charges, and then bring the kit to a minimum of 50 charges (75 if between 51 and 74). A tinning kit may never have more than 127 charges.
You can convert corpses into tins. The corpse must be uneaten and have nonzero nutrition. The resulting tin is blessed/uncursed/cursed the same way as the tinning kit that produced it. Blessed tins are not poisonous or rotten, and can be opened in one turn. Cursed tins always contain rotten food. Tins have the same chance of giving an intrinsic as the equivalent corpse; the blessed/cursed status of the tin does not affect the chance.
Some people tin unique monsters as souvenirs. You cannot tin the endgame Riders.

Mostly useless.Wield the tin opener and you can eat a tin in one turn.

Created with 1 to 25 charges. If more than 10 charges, blessed scrolls of charging add 5 to 10 charges, otherwise 10 to 15 charges. Uncursed scrolls of charging add 1 to 5 charges.
When applying a can of grease, you have a 50% chance of dropping it if it is cursed or you have fumbling. Otherwise, you can grease an item to prevent it from rusting or corroding. If the can of grease is cursed or you specify no object, you get your fingers greasy.
Greased outer body armour will protect against grabbing attacks, and greased helmets will protect against (master) mind flayer's tentacles; however, the grease has a 50% chance of wearing off after each attack against which it protects, and grease on cursed armour will only be effective 1/3 of the time.
You can also use the can of grease or a potion of oil to #untrap a squeaky board.

Generated 1/8 blessed, 3/4 uncursed, and 1/8 cursed.
Applying a figurine creates that monster in an adjacent square of your choosing. It will fail if the square is occupied, or if the species is extinct or genocided. The chance of a tame or peaceful monster depends on the blessed state of the figurine:

Cursed figurines can spontaneously transform when carried, after 201 to 9200 turns in inventory.

Generated uncursed with 70 to 99 charges. Can only be recharged once.
An uncursed scroll of charging will add 5 to 14 charges, and then bring the marker to a minimum of 50 charges. A blessed scroll of charging will add 10 to 25 charges, and then bring the marker to a minimum of 50 charges (75 if between 51 and 74).
You can write scrolls and spellbooks from blank ones. See the spoilers Scrolls and "spel-330.txt" for details. The blessed/uncursed/ cursed status of the resulting item depends on the marker and scroll/spellbook:

You can also Engrave graffiti on the floor with a magic marker.

Invocation artifacts

The three invocation artifacts (Bell, Book, and Candelabrum) cannot be placed in a container or destroyed in any way. They have special effects when applied or #invoked and you are not on the vibrating square:

Obtained from your Quest Nemesis.

uncharged

Acts like a regular bell. Will not break.

blessed

If you are swallowed, you are expelled.
<monster> opens its mouth!(if animal)
Else you unlock and open nearby containers and doors, find nearby secret passages and statue traps, and open nearby drawbridges. Items must be in your visual range.

uncursed

If you are swallowed, you are expelled.
<monster> opens its mouth!(if animal)
Else same effect as a wand of secret door detection -- you find nearby secret doors, secret passages, statue traps, mimics, and hiding monsters.

cursed

If you are swallowed, Nothing happens.
Else you summon undead and wake nearby monsters.

Obtained from Vlad the Impaler.

blessed or uncursed

The Candelabrum acts like an ordinary light source if at least one candle is applied to it. It will last as many turns as the first candle that was applied would have burned.

cursed

The Candelabrum won't light.

Book of the Dead

Obtained from the Wizard of Yendor.

blessed

Undead creatures in your sight are made peaceful, or tame if they share your alignment.

uncursed

No effect.
Your ancestors are annoyed with you!
The headstones in the cemetery begin to move!
Oh my! Your name appears in the book!

cursed

You summon undead.

To complete the invocation, you must be standing on the vibrating square and have the noncursed Candelabrum of Invocation with seven candles attached (the candles can be any type(s), and even cursed), the noncursed Bell of Opening with at least one charge, and the noncursed Book of the Dead. The Candelabrum burns out twice as fast when on the vibrating square. The Bell must be rung within 5 turns before the invocation. The Book must be read last. Sascha Wostmann described a good way to remember the sequence:

1. Make some light, to read by.
2. Ring the bell, to get the attention of an audience.
3. Finally, read the book.

Good luck!

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Bruce Cox for proofreading the original version of this file.
Dipping unicorn horns noted by Vasilisha.
Icebox correction by David Grabiner.
Mirror correction by Ivan.
Douglas Freyburger inquired about tin openers.
Irina Rempt provided many corrections.
David Goldfarb elaborated on the effects of greased armour.

Last changed: March 22, 2000