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When you find something in the dungeon, it is common to want to pick it up. In NetHack, this is accomplished automatically by walking over the object (unless you turn off the pickup option), or move with the m prefix, or manually by using the , (comma) command. If you're carrying too many things, NetHack will tell you so and won't pick up anything more. Otherwise, it will add the object(s) to your pack and tell you what you just picked up.
When you pick up an object, it is assigned an inventory letter. Many commands that operate on objects must ask you to find out which object you want to use. When NetHack asks you to choose a particular object you are carrying, you are usually presented with a list of inventory letters to choose from.
Some objects, such as Weapons, are easily differentiated. Others, like Scrolls and Potions, are given descriptions (colors or materials) which vary according to type. During a game, any two objects with the same description are the same type. However, the descriptions will vary from game to game. For example, to Joe the Barbarian, Emerald Potions are always Extra Healing, and Silver Wands are always Magic Missile; but in Harry the Elf's game an Emerald Potion is Gain Energy and a Silver Wand casts Summon Monster spells.
When you use one of these objects, if its effect is obvious, NetHack will remember what it is for you. If its effect isn't extremely obvious, you will be asked what you want to call this type of object so you will recognize it later. You can also use the À-N command for the same purpose at any time, to name all objects of a particular type or just an individual object.
…consists of Gold, Gems, Food, Tools, and Magical items. Some treasure is immediately useful, some has uses not immediately obvious, and some is absolutely useless. Some 'treasure' items are worse than useless, they are cursed!
Gems of various sorts may be found in the Dungeons. When you first find a gem of a given type, you will just be told its color, not which gem it is. Being able to tell gems apart is important — the more valuable ones can be sold for a lot of gold pieces and weigh very little, and so represent a good way to carry wealth compactly. Valuable gems also increase your score if you bring them with you when you exit. Other small rocks are also categorized as gems, but they are much less valuable. The least valuable ones are just pretty pieces of colored glass, and not worth carrying!
To tell one gem from another, you must use an Identify spell or similar means of identification. Once you have identified one particular 'Green gem' as an Emerald, any other Emeralds you find will be identified as such immediately. You may still find 'Green gems', but they will be some other green gemstone and must be identified separately.
| Name | Color | Value | Comments |
| Amber | Yellowish brown | Semi | |
| Amethyst | Purple | Semi | |
| Diamond | White | Precious | |
| Dilithium crystal | White | ? | Author does not know what use this is |
| Emerald | Green | Precious | |
| Glass | Any color | — | Throw at stupid Monsters |
| Jasper | Yellowish brown | Semi | |
| Loadstone | Gray | Special | Weighs a lot; cursed |
| Luckstone | Gray | Special | Affects bearer's Luck |
| Moonstone | White | Semi | |
| Opal | White | Semi | |
| Ruby | Red | Precious | |
| Sapphire | Blue | Precious | |
| Turquoise | Blue | Semi |
For tips and secrets on non-obvious uses of gems, click this button.
Boulders are mostly Dungeon exploration nuisances; they are commonly found blocking Corridors. A sufficiently strong character can push a Boulder along the ground, unless and until it fetches up against something (another Boulder, a Wall, a Monster, etc.). Giants can (and do) toss them around as Missiles.
Note that Boulders can be shoved into a Pit, which converts it to level Floor. They can also be pushed onto other sorts of Traps, to neutralize them or at least make them les dangerous.
…is necessary to survive. If you go too long without eating you will faint, and eventually die of starvation. The command to eat food is e.
Many character types come equipped with some Food, usually one or more Food Rations. You may also have a Tripe Ration — don't eat it! It's for your Pet.
When you kill Monsters, they usually leave corpses. Many, but not all, of these are edible; some also give you special powers when you eat them. A good rule of thumb is "you are what you eat."
Unprotected food does not stay fresh indefinitely; after a while it will spoil, and be unhealthy to eat. Food stored in Ice Boxes will usually stay fresh, but Ice Boxes are heavy.
Food stored in Tins ("cans" to you Americans) will also stay fresh, but it helps to have a Tin Opener. A Tinning Kit is also useful.
You can name one food item after something you like to eat with the fruit option.
To learn secrets of Foods and their effects, click this button.
Here's a list of some Foods, ranging from the mundane to the outrageous. :
Apples are good to eat, and (in NetHack at least) deserve their reputation of being good for health. Eating an Apple will cure several maladies.
Bananas are edible, and the author suspects that you can drop the Banana-peel on the floor for Monsters to slip on…
C-rations are simple but filling food of the sort eaten by Soldiers. They are not meant to be delicious, but to have a long shelf-life without spoiling. Eating C-rations will keep you from getting Hungry again for a long time.
Carrots are presumably "good for the eyes", and could be expected to confer some visual benefit; perhaps the ability to See invisible? The author has never eaten one and does not know.
Cream pies are perfectly edible, so you can use them as Food, or you can throw them at enemies to Blind them temporarily.
Eggs can be eaten; this is the obvious and most common use for them. But it seems possible to hurl them at enemy Monsters as well. You can also sit on some very rare Eggs and hatch some sort of creature, which will imprint on you and become a Pet.
Food rations are ordinary compressed convenience Food for Dungeon explorers. They are compact but have a lot of food value (eating one Food ration will keep you from getting Hungry again for a good long while).
Fortune cookies are a tasty Dungeon Food that's Two Treats in One! That's right, not only do you get a little bit of nutrition (not a lot, really, but some) but for a limited time only you get a handy, helpful hint on a slip of paper inside. These are identical to the hints you can buy from the Oracle, but her advice doesn't come with calories — or even a cup of tea for that matter!
K-rations are a form of long-shelf-life military pre-packaged Food. They are meant for Soldiers, not for the epicure, unless the epicure is starving twenty-three Dungeon levels underground, in which case the epicure is not likely to be so picky.
Lembas is a delicious waybread made by Elves. It is very filling, and has healing properties as well. Elf characters start the game with some Lembas. Others will have to find or buy theirs.
Melons are edible, and appear to have some special effects as well; the author has never found a Melon and so does not know. They are said to be "healthy".
An Orange is good to eat; if it has any special effects the author does not know about them.
Pears are good to eat. They may also have some special effect. The author, never having found one, does not know.
Royal jelly is not one of the Jelly monsters, but a Food made by Killer bees. It can only be found in Beehives. Not only is Royal jelly delicious, but it also acts like a Healing potion.
Salmon comes in Tins. It may be that you can also catch it fresh in Water. It is very oily, and when you eat it the oil gets all over your hands, making you drop everything you are holding; even Rings will slip off your fingers. This is usually a problem, but could be advantageous in certain circumstances.
Tins containing Food may from time to time turn up. This is dungeon convenience food. Food stored in this manner ought not to spoil (although a curse might do it).
To open a tin and eat what's in it, first wield a Tin opener or other sharp implement, then use the e command. You will open the Tin, which can take a while unless you are wielding a real Tin opener.
Once it's open, the game will tell you what kind of Food was inside (assuming it wasn't labelled or identified, this will be your first clue whether it is something good to eat) and ask whether you really want to eat it. If you say no, the Tin is discarded, and disappears.
You may be able to find or buy a Tinning kit, which lets you put some Monster corpse into your very own homemade Tins for later eating.
Tripe rations are delicious — if you're a Dog! Humans tend to prefer better Foods. Throwing (t command) Tripe rations to a Dog is one good way to train it.
The User-defined fruit is a nostalgic whimsy that NetHack uses from time to time. You should set this to something you find more appetizing than "Slime mold" (the default). Apples, Oranges, Pears, Bananas, and Melons already exist in NetHack, so don't use those.
Whatever you choose to call it, eating the User-defined fruit will help you regain lost Hit points.
…include many different sorts of items, all possibly useful but fitting no other category. To use a Tool, use the a (apply) command.
Some of the types of Tools available include:
…are Objects that you can put other Objects into. Examples include:
To put something into a Container, or to take something out, use the apply (a) command.
…are a class of Tools. They allow your character to see farther away in darkened Dungeon areas than he or she would normally. They can shine into obscured areas some distance away, letting you explore much more easily than would otherwise be possible.
They have a limited lifetime, however, and after some Time the flame will begin to flicker (the game will mention this on the Message LineMESSAGE_LINE), and finally go out. To avoid wasting your Light Source's time on this planet, you can light or douse it; to do either one, use the a (apply) command.
The following Light Sources provide sufficient light to see by for game purposes:
…are a kind of Tool. They come in several forms — Bugle, Flute, Harp, Horn, and maybe others — but all are used in the same way. If you come across an Instrument in your travels, it is probably a good idea to hang onto it; it will certainly come in handy later on!
When you use the a (apply) command, NetHack will ask whether you want to improvise. If you answer yes, you will just play a few random notes. If you answer no, don't improvise, the program will ask what notes you want to play. Type in the letters for the notes.
There also exist Magical Musical Instruments, which seem to produce their magic effect whether you improvise or play particular notes.
To learn Secrets of playing your Musical Instrument, click this button {bmc nh-secrt.bmp}
Bells are tools, not true Musical instruments, as you cannot play a tune on them. They may be of no use at all, unless you want to attract wandering Monsters with the noise. At times this can be easier than seeking them out. Anyone knowing a use for ordinary (non-magical) Bells should drop the author a note.
There is at least one Magical Bell: the Bell of Opening.
Wearing a Blindfold renders you Blind, of course. Removing it gives you back your sight.
Candles are sticks of Wax or Tallow with a string wick through the middle. They are by far the cheapest Light source in the Dungeon. But they don't last as long as Lamps.
Each Light source comes with a certain number of turns of useful life. To conserve your Candles, only light them when you need the light; douse them at other times. They'll last longer that way.
Tallow candles may be edible as an emergency Food; the author isn't sure. He'd prefer not to find out.
Chests and Boxes are Containers, like Sacks, but they are large and heavy. Normally you will not carry one with you, but loot (À-L) ones you find in the Dungeon. Boxes are generally made of iron; Chests are wooden. They behave alike.
Many Chests and Boxes will be Locked when you find them; you will have to unlock them using a Key or a Lock-pick, force the Lock using a Weapon (À-F), or attempt to batter them open by kicking (À-K). Note that kicking may shatter any Potions inside!
The Credit card has two uses that the author knows about; the major use is to keep an account so you can buy at Shops without having to carry around all your Gold. The author seems to remember that you go to a Shop, wield the Credit card, and drop all your Gold. As a bonus, you can use it much like a Lock-pick to 'jimmy' locked Doors.
Tourists always start the game with a Credit card.
Expensive cameras are weird items to find in the Dungeon, but so are Tourists (who start the game owning one). If you use a Camera in the direction of a Monster, the flash may Blind it for several turns.
The author suggests that owners of real cameras name (Alt-N) their NetHack Cameras after their favorite; his is a Canon T-70…
Grease is a strange substance to find in a Dungeon, but it may have several uses (the author isn't sure how many of these work):
Applying Grease to an iron or steel Weapon (or Armor?) may have a Rustproofing effect, probably temporary.
Applying Grease to yourself may be similar to Tinned Salmon in its effects; viz.: it makes you drop everything, including Cursed Weapons, Rings, etc.
Grease comes in cans with a certain number of uses, much as Wands have charges; an Identification Spell will tell how many uses there are.
The Ice box is a special Container that keeps Food placed in it from spoiling. They are very cumbersome, and hard to carry around, but one might be left in a safe place as a Food cache…
Iron chain is used as part of magical Punishment. It is shackled to your ankle and ends at a heavy Iron Ball. The Ball and Chain make it very difficult to get around the Dungeon.
An Iron ball is attached to you by magical means when you are being Punished. It is shackled to your ankle by an Iron chain. The extra weight make movement extremely difficult.
By picking up the Ball and hurling it, you can achieve many amusing, and possibly Damaging, effects.
Keys can be used to open Locks, such as those on Doors or Chests. To unlock a locked item, have the Key in your Inventory and use the a (apply) command; follow the prompts.
Oil-filled Lamps are longer-lasting Light sources than Candles. It is possible that they can be thrown as a sort of primitive fire-bomb; the author hasn't tried this.
Note that some Lamps are more than just Light Sources; they are Magic Lamps, of which so much has been written.
A Leash will help you keep your Pet within a few squares so it doesn't wander off. To use it, stand next to the Pet and apply (a) the Leash in the Pet's direction. Doing this a second time will release the Pet.
If you are faster than your Pet, be careful not to yank the Leash; this can Damage the Pet, or even kill it.
Lock picks can be useful in the hands of a Dexterous character. They allow the user to unlock the Locks on Doors, Chests, and the like.
To unlock a Door, stand in front of it, have the Lock Pick in your Inventory (not in a Container); use the a (apply) command and follow the prompts.
Locks are not Objects per se; you cannot pick one up. Rather, they are a characteristic of certain Dungeon fixtures, viz.: Doors, Chests and Boxes. If you want to open a Locked Door, Chest, or Box, you may:
…but there may be undesirable side-effects to some of these actions.
A Looking-glass lets you make optical reflections, your own or those of other things. To look at yourself, apply (a) the Looking-glass in your own direction (use the period, ., as the direction). To show another creature its reflection, apply it in the direction of the creature.
The Osaku is simply the Japanese version of the Lock-pick.
Pick-axes are good for tunnelling through Walls, perhaps mining for Gems, and digging Pits in the dungeon Floor. In a pinch they can be used as a Weapon.
To use a Pick-Axe, use the a (apply) command and choose a direction in which to dig. Note that some rock is too hard to dig through. After using a Pick-Axe, it will still be your wielded Weapon — be sure to wield your usual Weapon when you are done digging!
Rope would seem a useful enough item; the author has never found it useful though. Perhaps it can be used as a Leash?
A Sack or Bag lets you carry more items than you have inventory slots. You can put things in, take them out, or just list them; use the a (apply) command and follow the prompts.
Some Sacks may turn out to be Bags of Holding; others might turn out to be Bags of Devouring!
Statues are found here and there around the Dungeon. Look out — some may suddenly come to life, and may be hostile! A character with high Strength may be able to pick a Statue up and carry it around, but it is doubtful that this would do any good. The author knows of no use for a Statue, but has not tried selling them or dropping them on various things…
The Stethoscope is one of the most useful Tools for the academically minded Dungeon explorer. It allows you to read the vital statistics of any Monster that you can stand next to that long without being killed. It takes no time at all to use; just have the Stethoscope in your Inventory, stand in a square adjacent to the Monster, and apply (a) the Stethoscope in the direction of the Monster. You will see a Message describing the Monster's most important statistics.
This is the same effect as that produced by the Wand of Probing, but it never runs out of charges as the Wand does.
A Tin opener is essential if you want to eat Food stored in Tins without wasting many turns trying to open them using your fine fighting Weapon. The Tin opener opens any Tin in one game turn. Remember that you have to wield the Opener to use it; be sure to re-wield your real Weapon after you're through opening Tins!
A little-known fact is that you can use a Tin opener as a Weapon, and even Enchant it! If you have an excess of Scrolls of Enchant weapon (but then, who ever has?) or if you keep forgetting to wield your real Weapon after using the Tin opener, this lets you get in a few good licks. Surreal, but it works.
Tinning kits are handy items. They let you package corpses in handy, easy-to-carry Tins so they will not spoil, and you can eat them later. Archeologist characters start the game with a Tinning kit, the lucky devils!
The Towel is, as any galactic hitch-hiker can tell you, a mind-bogglingly useful thing to have. They're also great for Adventurers. With a Towel, you can:
An ordinary Whistle does not appear to do much… except perhaps to announce your presence to local Monsters, who will often come running to see what all the noise is. But there are Magic whistles that are much more useful!
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