NetHack Made Easy*
The Categorized Command List
This list of NetHack game commands was derived from A Guide to the Mazes of Menace: Guidebook for NetHack 3.3 by Eric S. Raymond.
Click on a category name.
Movement & ExplorationNote: These commands are case sensitive. Also, I am assuming that most are using the numberpad for movement. If you want to use alphanumeric keys, consult The NetHack Guidebook to see the layout of the other keyboard movement configurations NetHack supports.**
Inventory
Using Items
Manipulating Items
Combat
Magic
Personal Needs
Naming Things
Information
Other Useful Commands
Obscure Commands
Movement & Exploration
Use the number keys (preferred) or arrow keys for movement. SHIFT-mvtkey will advance you quickly through areas as well.j or ALT-j or #jump - Jump to another location.
< - Go up to the previous level (if you are on the staircase or ladder).
> - Go down to the next level (if you are on the staircase or ladder).
If you attempt to move your character into a creature-occupied space it will automatically attack - this is called melee.
; - A very useful Look command. Move cursor to show what type of thing an item or monster symbol actually is. Hit "." to select.
: - Look at what is here, in your immediate area.
ALT-c or #chat - Talk to someone.
ALT-s or #sit - Sit down.
. - Rest, do nothing for one turn.
s - Search for secret doors and traps around you. It usually takes several tries to find something.
o - Open a door.
c - Close a door.
k or CTRL-d - Kick something (usually a door).
ALT-f or #force - Force a lock.
u or ALT-u or #untrap - Untrap something (trap, door, or chest).
, - Pick up some things.
@ - Toggle the autopickup option on and off.
CTRL-t - Teleport, if you have the ability.
Z - Zap, or cast, a spell.
ALT-p or #pray - Pray to the gods for help.
#ride - Ride (or stop riding) a monster.
) - 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.
* - Tell what equipment you are using; combines the preceding five type-specific commands into one.
$ - Count your gold pieces.
I - List selected parts of your inventory.
I* - list all gems in inventory;+ - List the spells you know. Using this command, you can also rearrange the order in which your spells are listed. They are shown via a menu, and if you select a spell in that menu, you'll be re-prompted for another spell to swap places with it, and then have opportunity to make further exchanges.
Iu - list all unpaid items;
Ix - list all used up items that are on your shopping bill;
I$ - count your money.Using Items
a - This is the USE command in NetHack. "Apply" a tool (pick-axe, key, lamp...).z - Zap a wand. To aim at yourself, use "." for the direction.
q - Quaff, or drink, a potion.
o - Open a door.
c - Close a door.
ALT-f or #force - Force a lock.
u or ALT-u or #untrap - Untrap something (trap, door, or chest).
l or ALT-l or #loot - Loot a box on the floor.
ALT-d or #dip - Dip an object into something.
#ride - Ride (or stop riding) a monster.
ALT-r or #rub - Rub a lamp.
ALT-o or #offer - Offer a sacrifice to the gods.
, - Pick up some things.
d - Drop something. Ex. "d7a'' means drop seven items of object a.
D - Drop several things. In answer to the question "What kinds of things do you want to drop? [!%= aium]'' you should type zero or more object symbols possibly followed by "a" and/or "i" and/or "u" and/or "m".
Da - drop all objects, without asking for confirmation.
Di - examine your inventory before dropping anything.
Du - drop only unpaid objects (when in a shop).
Dm - use a menu to pick which object(s) to drop.
D%u - drop only unpaid food.Manipulating Items
w - Wield weapon.w- - wield nothing, use your bare hands.
x - Exchange your wielded weapon with the item in your secondary weapon slot. The latter is used as your second weapon in two-weapon combat. Note that if one of these slots is empty, the exchange still takes place.
#twoweapon - Toggle two-weapon combat on or off. Note that you must use suitable weapons for this type of combat, or it will be automatically turned off.
W - Wear armor.
T - Take off armor.
A - Remove one or more worn items, such as armor. Use "T" (take off) to take off only one piece of armor or "R" (remove) to take off only one accessory.
P - Put on a ring or other accessory (amulet, blindfold).
R - Remove an accessory (ring, amulet, etc).
ALT-d or #dip - Dip an object into something.
k or CTRL-d - Kick something (usually a door).
t - Throw an object or shoot a projectile.
f - Fire one of the objects placed in your quiver. You may select ammunition with a previous "Q" command, or let the computer pick something appropriate if autoquiver is true.
r - Read a scroll or spellbook.
z - Zap a wand. To aim at yourself, use "." for the direction.
Z - Zap, or cast, a spell.
+- List the spells you know. Using this command, you can also rearrange the order in which your spells are listed. They are shown via a menu, and if you select a spell in that menu, you'll be re-prompted for another spell to swap places with it, and then have opportunity to make further exchanges.
ALT-i or #invoke - Invoke an object's special powers.
ALT-t or #turn - Turn undead.
w - Wield weapon.
w- - wield nothing, use your bare hands.
x - Exchange your wielded weapon with the item in your secondary weapon slot. The latter is used as your second weapon in two-weapon combat. Note that if one of these slots is empty, the exchange still takes place.
#twoweapon - Toggle two-weapon combat on or off. Note that you must use suitable weapons for this type of combat, or it will be automatically turned off.
ALT-m or #monster - Use a monster's special ability (when polymorphed into monster form).
CTRL-t - Teleport, if you have the ability.
ALT-p or #pray - Pray to the gods for help.
Z - Zap, or cast, a spell.
z - Zap a wand. To aim at yourself, use "." for the direction.
a - When this command is used on a wand it is broken, destroyed, and catastrophic results usually occur.
+ - List the spells you know. Using this command, you can also rearrange the order in which your spells are listed. They are shown via a menu, and if you select a spell in that menu, you'll be re-prompted for another spell to swap places with it, and then have opportunity to make further exchanges.
ALT-i or #invoke - Invoke an object's special powers.
ALT-d or #dip - Dip an object into something.
Personal Needs
e - Eat food.ALT-e or #enhance - Advance or check weapons skills.
p - Pay your shopping bill.
q - Quaff, or drink, a potion.
+ - List the spells you know. Using this command, you can also rearrange the order in which your spells are listed. They are shown via a menu, and if you select a spell in that menu, you'll be re-prompted for another spell to swap places with it, and then have opportunity to make further exchanges.
. - Rest, do nothing for one turn.
ALT-m or #monster - Use a monster's special ability (when polymorphed into monster form).
ALT-o or #offer - Offer a sacrifice to the gods.
ALT-p or #pray - Pray to the gods for help.
ALT-w or #wipe - Wipe off your face.
Naming Things
N or ALT-n or #name - Name an item or type of object.C - Call, or name, an individual monster.
E - Engrave a message on the floor. Engraving the word "Elbereth'' will cause most monsters to not attack you hand-to-hand (but if you attack, you will rub it out); this is often useful to give yourself a breather. (This feature may be compiled out of the game, so your version might not have it.)
E- - Write in the dust with your fingers.
/ - Tell what a symbol represents.
You may choose to specify a location or type a symbol (or even a whole word) to explain. Specifying a location is done by moving the cursor to a particular spot on the map and then pressing one of four characters on the keyboard^ - Ask for the type of a trap you found earlier.. , ; :
. will explain the symbol at the chosen location, conditionally check for "More info?'' depending upon whether the help option is on, and then you will be asked to pick another locationSpecifying a name rather than a location always gives any additional information available about that name., will explain the symbol but skip any additional information
; will skip additional info and also not bother asking you to choose another location to examine
: will show additional info, if any, without asking for confirmation. When picking a location, pressing the ESC key will terminate this command, or pressing "?" will give a brief reminder about how it works
\ - Shows an updated log of all identified objects that you've discovered.
#conduct - List which challenges you have adhered to.
ALT-e or #enhance - Advance or check weapons skills.
CTRL-p - Repeat previous message (subsequent ^P's repeat earlier messages).
& - Tell what a command does.
#? - Help menu: get the list of available extended commands.
Other Useful Commands
@ - Toggle the autopickup option on and off.S - Save, and quit, the game. The game will be restored automatically the next time you play.
ALT-q or #quit - Quit the program without saving your game.
CTRL-a - redo the previous command.
O - Set options. A menu showing the current option values will be displayed. You can change most values simply by selecting the menu entry for the given option (ie, by typing its letter or clicking upon it, depending on your user interface). For the non-boolean choices, a further menu or prompt will appear once you've closed this menu. The available options are listed in The NetHack Guidebook. Options are usually set before the game rather than with the "O" command.
CTRL-r - redraw the screen.
v - Display version number.
V - Display the history of NetHack.
X - Enter explore mode, explained in its own section in The NetHack Guidebook.
Obscure Commands
CTRL-z - Suspend the game (UNIX(R) versions with job control only).! - Escape to a shell.
#adjust - Adjust inventory letters (most useful when the fixinv option is "on'').
ALT-v or #version - Print compile time options for this version of NetHack.
NetHack is Copyright 1985-2000 by Stichting Mathematisch Centrum and M. Stephenson
NCCL last updated on September 23, 2000 by Zdim
* Well... Easier, anyhow...
** Thanks to Jukka Lahtinen; )