Amulets and their properties in NetHack 3.4

amul-341.html Last edited 2003-03-18 for NetHack 3.4.1
Compiled for 3.2.2 by Kevin Hugo.
Updated for 3.4.1 by Dylan O'Donnell <psmith@spod-central.org>.
Converted to HTML by Kate Nepveu <knepveu@steelypips.org>.

Contents

• Table of amulets
• Amulet effects

Amulets are listed in alphabetical order above. The COST field denotes the base price of each amulet. WGT specifies the weight (100 zorkmids weighs 1).

Amulets comprise 1% of all randomly-generated items in the main dungeon, 1% in containers, and 4% in hell. PROB is the relative probability of each subtype; the suffix specifies the chance of blessed/cursed:

Imitation Amulets of Yendor may be found on the bones pile of the Rogue level (50% chance), with "double trouble" Wizards of Yendor when you don't have the real Amulet (50% chance), and with the player-monsters on the Astral Plane (100%). The real Amulet of Yendor is carried by the high priest(ess) of Moloch.

Except as noted below, the effects of amulets are controllable by putting on and removing the amulet. If the EAT field is Y, then it is possible to obtain an effect permanently by polymorphing into a metallivore (rock mole, rust monster, or xorn) and eating the amulet. There is only a 1/5 chance of obtaining the effect this way ("Magic spreads through your body as you digest the amulet.").

The appearances of the first nine types of amulets are randomized from the following descriptions:

• circular
• spherical
• oval
• triangular
• pyramidal
• square
• concave
• hexagonal
• octagonal

Both the imitation and real Amulets of Yendor appear as an "Amulet of Yendor"; they can be distinguished by identifying each individual copy, naming the real one, or by placing each inside a container (the real one will not fit). The possible imitation Amulet on the Rogue level is always pre-identified.

Wearing an amulet will increase the rate at which you get hungry (see food-341.html).

Amulet effects

amulet of change

When either worn or eaten, it toggles your character's gender between male and female. Gender has the following effects in the game:

• Only female monsters can lay eggs.
• Males are seduced by succubi, females are seduced by incubi.
• Nymphs "seduce" males and "charm" females.
• The Cave(wo)man and Priest(ess) classes have different names.
• It determines how you are addressed (purely cosmetic).

If you are polymorphed into a single-sex monster, your base gender will be altered but not your current one, with the exception that an incubus will change into a succubus and vice versa.

"You are suddenly very feminine/masculine!"
"You don't feel like yourself." (polymorphed into single-sex monster, but character's base sex has changed)
"The amulet disintegrates!"

amulet of ESP

When worn, you will see monsters that have a brain when they are nearby, or anywhere on the level when you are blind. If eaten, the intrinsic telepathy only works when blind. No messages.

amulet of life saving

When worn, your life will be saved if you die; the amulet then disintegrates. No message when put on. No effect when eaten (nice try).

amulet of magical breathing

When either worn or eaten, you gain amphibiousness and unbreathing. You can swim under water and cannot be strangled or choked. No messages.

amulet of reflection

When worn, rays from wands, spells, and breath attacks can be reflected. No message when put on. No effect when eaten (nice try).

amulet of restful sleep

When worn or eaten, you will fall asleep within 1 to 100 turns. You awaken within 1 to 20 turns or when disturbed. If you continue wearing an amulet of restful sleep, the cycle will repeat. No message.

amulet of strangulation

When worn, you are strangled to death in 6 turns. When eaten, you instantly choke, with 1/20 chance of survival. Exceptions are made if you have unbreathing from an amulet of magical breathing or polyself.

"It constricts your throat!"

amulet of unchanging

When worn, you are prevented from changing your current form by polymorph or other means, and are also protected from being slimed; any sliming in progress is halted. No message when put on. No effect when eaten (nice try).

amulet versus poison

When either worn or eaten, you gain poison resistance. No message.

cheap plastic imitation of the Amulet of Yendor

No effect or message when put on. Cannot be eaten.

Amulet of Yendor

When carried, you get all of the following (mostly bad):

• You get clairvoyance, if it is not blocked.
• When casting spells, your energy is drained.
• Hunger is increased (additional to normal amulet hunger).
• Your luck timeout is increased.
• Monster difficulty will depend on your deepest level reached, not
• your current dungeon level.
• Monsters are less likely to be generated asleep.
• When going up levels in Gehennom, you may teleport down 0 to 3 levels instead. The chance depends on your alignment:

  UP	L	N	C
  +1	75.0%	75.0%	75.0%
  0	6.25	8.33	12.5
  -1	6.25	8.33	12.5
  -2	6.25	8.33	0.0
  -3	6.25	0.0	0.0

• You cannot level teleport.
• Teleportation within the level is blocked 1/3 of the time.
• The Wizard can teleport or level teleport to find you.
• The Wizard will try to steal the Amulet.
• You are permitted to enter the Plane of Earth by taking the upstairs, or quaffing a cursed potion of gain level, from dungeon level 1.
• You can activate the endgame portals.
• When worn or wielded, you get messages about the amulet getting "hotter" as you approach the magic portals. No message when putting on. Cannot be eaten. (Would you sacrifice yourself, then?)

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Bruce Cox for proofreading the original version of this file.
Further corrections and clarifications by Jeff MacDonald, obscurity, Darshan Shaligram, Donald Welsh, and Yoshi348.

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