# Nethack help! (Spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932 "2003-11-02T03:06:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![TVAA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TVAA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVAA)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/121 "2003-11-14T15:47:20Z")
Drat. That should be “what’re the first things”. Ooh, one last thing: Magic Resistance is your friend. Unless you’re a wizard (in which case you have a Cloak of Magic Resistance), find a way to obtain this ability ASAP. It’s generally not available early on, though. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/122 "2003-11-15T02:06:56Z")
So, my latest character, a Valkyrie, got killed during a stand-by-alter/wait/kill/offer/repeat routine. How should I prepare for such a routine? How tough should I be? Is praying to alleviate hunger good, or does that reduce the likelihood that your God is going to give you a weapon? If I’m lawful, should I just go for Excalibur instead of trying to get a superweapon? ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/123 "2003-11-15T05:43:03Z")
All right, how are all you people becoming elves? I downloaded the latest version (3.4.2) of Nethack from the [Nethack site](http://www.nethack.org/index.html), and the only races it allows are humans, gnomes, and dwarves. At the moment my preference is a dwarven archaeologist (not that I’ve gotten far enough for it to matter much), but I’d still like to know why the Elf option isn’t there because I do like having all the bells and whistles. Or are you elves playing a Nethack- **like** game, as opposed to plain ol’ Nethack? ---
**Author:** ![Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/124 "2003-11-15T05:56:00Z")
You’re not picking the right player classes. In Vanilla Nethack (as of 3.4.2) Elves can be Rangers, Wizards, Priests… Possibly one more class, but I’m drawing a blank. Rogues? Certain classes are only available to certain races. Knights are always human, as are Tourists. It’s a throwback (or so it feels) to oldschool AD&D and similar games, where humans are the only race that can choose _every_ possible class. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/125 "2003-11-15T05:56:02Z")
Since you pick the profession first, you’ll have to choose one of the jobs that elves can be: Ranger, Priest, or Wizard. I use the NetHackW (Yes, I’m a filthy, filthy tiles user. Nerts to you.), and the menu lets you see what races are allowed by each job. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/126 "2003-11-15T06:13:27Z")
I use NetHackW, also, **BraheSilver** :D. I especially like that I can have the character “look” like me (i.e., it can use the dwarf icon to represent me rather than a human one). Somehow I missed the bit telling me that your class effectively affects your choice of race, if only because you choose it first. Thanks for the info! ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/127 "2003-11-15T14:27:56Z")
Latest lesson learned: Rub all lamps. Just in case. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/128 "2003-11-15T15:23:47Z")
My latest lessons learned: Monks kick ass. No matter how you lose your pet, your god will be pissed, even if you aren’t on the same floor because the dummy fell through a trap door or something. I’m still trying to figure out if gaining intrinsics such as telepathy are worth angering the god for, since monks are supposed to be vegetarian. I’m also supposed to be doing homework. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/129 "2003-11-15T18:15:45Z")
Thanks for the shopping advice again! I just had my weak, blinded level 9 wizard killed by a raven. _A Freaking Raven!_ My biggest problem in the game seems to be finding enough food. I tend to eat corpses as soon as I find them, so that I don’t suffer from food poisoning. Is there a good technique for keeping a steady supply of food? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Ennui](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ennui/32/3396_2.png) [@Ennui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ennui)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/130 "2003-11-15T19:22:27Z")
**Left Hand of Dorkness** , I’m still a newb but from what I’ve seen _for the most part_ once you kill off the beasties on a given level the “replacement rate” is fairly low and you may have to go to the next level to find more things to kill/eat. Also, if you find a tining kit you can “tin” or can a corps so it stays edible much longer. OK, now my question, I’ve read on a spoiler site that a blessed wand of enlightenment will raise your int. and wisdom. I have one and zapped myself a few times and only got the typical “see your atributes” effect and no stat increase. Have I been misinformed about this wand or am i doing something wrong? Are there any other ways of increasing wisdom? Thanks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/131 "2003-11-15T19:28:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Morgyn \* > **I’m still trying to figure out if gaining intrinsics such as telepathy are worth angering the god for, since monks are supposed to be vegetarian.** I think that’s just a matter of personal preference. On the one hand, the penalty for a monk who eats meat is actually not that serious: it doesn’t actually anger your god, it just makes you less fervently aligned. So while eating meat continuously would be bad, eating meat occasionally is managable. On the other hand, monks eventually get all sorts of instrinsics naturally, including “warning”, which is sort of a poor man’s telepathy. So I think it comes down to whether or not you’re deliberately trying to ascend a vegetarian or vegan character, and whether or not you try to “role-play” within the game. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/132 "2003-11-15T19:38:05Z")
Plus, if you pray and sacrifice enough, you can get your god to grant telepathy. True, it’s a lot harder than just eating a floating eye, but it works and keeps you in character as a monk. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/133 "2003-11-15T19:48:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ennui \* > OK, now my question, I’ve read on a spoiler site that a blessed wand of enlightenment will raise your int. and wisdom. I have one and zapped myself a few times and only got the typical “see your atributes” effect and no stat increase. Have I been misinformed about this wand or am i doing something wrong? Are there any other ways of increasing wisdom? Well, it’s hard to screw up zapping yourself with a wand, so I’d suggest that you were misinformed 🙂 I myself have read that a blessed _potion_ of enlightenment will have the effect you describe, but not a blessed wand. A wand will still at least _exercise_ your wisdom, which can cause it to increase eventually but not instantly. Lots of things will exercise (or abuse) your wisdom but the only ways I know of to increase it instantly are blessed potions of enlightenment, potions of gain ability (preferably blessed), and helms of brilliance. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/134 "2003-11-16T11:43:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skeezix \* > \*\*But as someone mentioned earlier, eating a Tengu (usually) gives one teleport control. > > For non spellcasters this is an incredibly wonderful use for those otherwise ignored spell points. > > Hell, even for spellcasters, it’s still pretty useful. > > (Activated by Ctrl-T, IIRC) \*\* Umph, I just ate a couple of Tengus and got a bad case of teleportitis. Again. ---
**Author:** ![Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/135 "2003-11-16T14:15:27Z")
Keep at it. The RNG (Random Number Generator/Random Nethack Gods) is toying with you. There’s a 1 in 3 chance (I think) that a given Tengu meal will give you teleport control/teleportitus/nothing much. There’s a ring that’ll give you teleport control too, if you can find one. ---
**Author:** ![Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/136 "2003-11-29T08:22:18Z")
A li’l ole bump o’ the thread, just to say: **I HAVE ASCENDED** [sub]Well, not me, it was actually Sir Snidely, the human knight.[/sub] > [@](#): > > Fare thee well Sir Snidely the Demigod… > > You went to your reward with 6927026 points, > \ > You were level 30 with a maximum of 481 hit points when you ascended. And after slogging through the elemental plane of water, I may never do it again. Yeesh, what a search. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932/137 "2003-11-29T09:20:30Z")
Congratulations, Sir Snidely! What, you’re not gonna post your kills list? 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nethack-help-spoilers/210932.md?page=6)