Category : OS/2 Files
Archive   : NH313OS2.ZIP
Filename : HELP

Welcome to NetHack! ( description of version 3.1 )

NetHack is a Dungeons and Dragons like game where you (the adventurer)
descend into the depths of the dungeon in search of the Amulet of Yendor
(reputed to be hidden somewhere below the twentieth level). You are
accompanied by a dog or cat that can help you in many ways and can be trained
to do all sorts of things. On the way you will find useful (or useless)
items (quite possibly with magic properties), and assorted monsters. You
attack a monster by trying to move into the space a monster is in (but often
it is much wiser to leave it alone).

Unlike most adventure games, which give you a verbal description of
your location, NetHack gives you a visual image of the dungeon level you are
on.

NetHack uses the following symbols:

- and | The walls of a room, also open doors.
. The floor of a room or a doorway.
# A corridor, a kitchen sink (if your dungeon has sinks), or
a drawbridge.
> A way to the next level.
< A way to the previous level.
@ You (usually) or another human.
) A weapon of some sort.
[ A suit or piece of armor.
% A piece of food (not necessarily healthy).
/ A wand.
= A ring.
? A scroll.
! A potion.
( Some other useful object (pick-axe, key, lamp...)
$ A pile of gold.
* A gem or rock (possibly valuable, possibly worthless).
+ A closed door, or a spell book containing a spell
you can learn.
^ A trap (once you detect it).
" An amulet, or a spider web.
0 An iron ball.
_ An altar, or an iron chain.
} A pool of water or moat or a pool of lava.
{ A fountain.
\ An opulent throne.
` A boulder or statue.
A to Z, a to z, and several others: Monsters.

You can find out what a symbol represents by typing
'/' and following the directions to move the cursor
to the symbol in question. For instance, a 'd' may
turn out to be a dog.


y k u 7 8 9 Move commands:
\|/ \|/ yuhjklbn: go one step in specified direction
h-.-l 4-.-6 YUHJKLBN: go in specified direction until you
/|\ /|\ hit a wall or run into something
b j n 1 2 3 g: run in direction until something
numberpad interesting is seen
G, same, except a branching corridor isn't
^: considered interesting
m: move without picking up objects
If the numberpad option is set, the number keys move instead.

Commands:
NetHack knows the following commands:
? Help menu.
/ Tell what a symbol represents. You may choose to specify
a location or give a symbol argument.
& Tell what a command does.
< Go up a staircase (if you are standing on it).
> Go down a staircase (if you are standing on it).
. Rest, do nothing for one turn.
a Apply (use) an tool (pick-axe, key, lamp...)
A Remove all armor.
^A Redo the previous command
c Close a door.
C Call (name) an individual monster.
d Drop something. d7a: drop seven items of object a.
D Drop several things. In answer to the question
"What kinds of things do you want to drop? [!%= au]"
you should type zero or more object symbols possibly
followed by 'a' and/or 'u'.
Da - drop all objects, without asking for confirmation.
Du - drop only unpaid objects (when in a shop).
D%u - drop only unpaid food.
^D Kick (for doors, usually).
e Eat food.
E Engrave a message on the floor.
E- - write in the dust with your fingers.



i Print your inventory.
I Print selected parts of your inventory, as in
I* - list all gems in inventory.
Iu - list all unpaid items.
Ix - list all used up items that are on your shopping bill.
I$ - count your money.
o Open a door.
O Set options. You will be asked to enter an option line.
If the line is empty, the current options are reported.
Descriptions of possible options and their formats can be
obtained by entering "?". Options are usually set before
the game with a NETHACKOPTIONS environment variable, not
with the 'O' command.
p Pay your shopping bill.
P Put on an accessory (ring, amulet, etc).
^P Repeat last message (subsequent ^P's repeat earlier messages).
q Drink (quaff) a potion.
Q Quit the game.
r Read a scroll or spell book.
R Remove an accessory (ring, amulet, etc).
^R Redraw the screen.
s Search for secret doors and traps around you.
S Save the game.
t Throw an object or shoot a projectile.
T Take off armor.
^T Teleport, if you are able.
v Prints the version number.
V Prints a longer identification of the version, including the
history of the game.
w Wield weapon. w- means wield nothing, use bare hands.
W Wear armor.
x List the spells you know (same as '+').
X Switch the game to explore (discovery) mode.
z Zap a wand.
Z Cast a spell.
^Z Suspend the game.
: Look at what is here.
; Look at what is somewhere else.
, Pick up some things.
@ Toggle the pickup option.
^ Ask for the type of a trap you found earlier.
) Tell what weapon you are wielding.
[ Tell what armor you are wearing.
= Tell what rings you are wearing.
" Tell what amulet you are wearing.
( Tell what tools you are using.
$ Count your gold pieces.
+ List the spells you know (same as 'x').
\ Show what types of objects have been discovered.
! Escape to a shell.
# Introduces one of the "extended" commands. To get a list of
the commands you can use with "#" type "#?". The extended
commands you can use depends upon what options the game was
compiled with, along with your class and what type of monster
you most closely resemble at a given moment. If your keyboard
has a meta key (which, when pressed in combination with another
key, modifies it by setting the 'meta' (8th, or 'high') bit),
these extended commands can be invoked by meta-ing the first
letter of the command.

If the "number_pad" option is on, some additional letter commands
are available:

j Jump to another location.
k Kick (for doors, usually).
l Loot a box on the floor.
n Name an object or type of object.
u Untrap a trapped object or door.

You can put a number before a command to repeat it that many times,
as in "40." or "20s.". If you have the number_pad option set, you
must type 'n' to prefix the count, as in "n40." or "n20s".


Some information is displayed on the bottom line. You see your
attributes, your alignment, what dungeon level you are on, how many
hit points you have now (and will have when fully recovered), what
your armor class is (the lower the better), your experience level,
and the state of your stomach. Optionally, you may or may not see
other information such as spell points, how much gold you have, etc.

Have Fun, and Happy Hacking!