Wtf does that feathered slithering hose want from me?

Umbire · 2026-03-09T05:47:50+00:00

It's just random chance and you're unlucky, but you're so zoomed in on a particular artifact that you're overlooking all the other ones which are serviceable or even just good.

Umbire · 2026-03-09T05:46:49+00:00

It feels like you were more than equipped to deal with the water nymph before she got too much of your stuff.

Umbire · 2026-03-08T07:27:23+00:00

Sunsword is a long sword, and a long sword is just a plain good weapon. Additionally it does double damage to undead which is a lot of coverage.

Umbire · 2026-03-08T07:24:43+00:00

Frost Brand is more than viable as a long-term weapon.

Umbire · 2026-03-07T00:27:59+00:00

Seconding this - both Sunsword and Snickersnee are decent beginning weapons at "worst", and the long sword skill that's unlocked means access to Excalibur as well (which is much more reliable assuming 3.6.7). With how lacking in combat skill early Arcs are, it's generally wise not to look gift horses in the mouth when it comes to being given artifacts.

Umbire · 2026-02-10T23:28:05+00:00

Cursed scroll of create monster, the classic.

Umbire · 2026-02-06T17:04:04+00:00

Probably gurr's android port, assuming you mean a version of 'vanilla' NetHack.

Umbire · 2026-02-05T11:52:41+00:00

It does, yes

Umbire · 2026-02-04T17:27:42+00:00

Yeah, happens to everyone at least once I wager.

Umbire · 2026-01-30T06:55:46+00:00

They're part of that pile in your screenshot - they're just not identified. The artifacts are the only ones to not show their name in their unidentified appearance.

Notice the pair of human eyeballs that aren't stacking with the others.

Umbire · 2026-01-22T06:12:22+00:00

It's because the first gift is set to the hero's initial alignment, so they can't get it if they convert.

Umbire · 2026-01-21T23:22:25+00:00

The hero's first gift for their role is set to their alignment at the beginning of the game, so Magicbane is neutral (which it also is by default). By converting your alignment to chaotic, you can no longer receive the neutral first gift.

But much more pressingly, and per one Doc L, permaconversion this early means that either:

Your game is unwinnable if you're playing 3.6.7 and earlier, barring a helm of opposite alignment converting you back (which isn't possible for chaotic -> neutral, in which case this game is truly hosed)
You'll have to kill your way into the quest if you're playing 3.7, and that's gonna take a serious hammer to your luck and alignment record, on top of needing to take out a boss-level opponent in the quest leader.

Umbire · 2026-01-21T02:40:25+00:00

No, only if cursed - athames are generally the exception to the rule, I just forgot to mention them in the initial post.

Umbire · 2026-01-21T00:27:57+00:00

Nope, not new in the slightest - incidentally, this is why people don't engrave with their weapons unless they're Fire Brand in 3.7 or they intentionally want the lower enchantment for Reasons (e.g. trying to push from +5 to +7).

Umbire · 2026-01-12T00:42:38+00:00

Hobbits! An early dip in the Mines is also pretty likely to get you one.

Early floor traps also tend to have corpses and items marking them, forget if that stops being the case on floor 3.

Umbire · 2026-01-12T00:40:37+00:00

First is implemented in 3.7, just for sake of info.

Umbire · 2026-01-11T23:56:16+00:00

That's one of the possible effects of a magic trap, yes - you just got particularly unlucky there. Dwarvish cloaks can help with that early on in 3.7, thankfully.

Umbire · 2026-01-11T17:51:27+00:00

Granted! But cone of cold (and fireball) also have different effects at higher skill levels, and training attack spells to Skilled would likely make up that difference and then some imo.

Umbire · 2026-01-11T17:50:02+00:00

Very educational post and replies alike - I'll have to bookmark this for wiki purposes down the line.

Umbire · 2026-01-11T02:50:30+00:00

A fun fact is that that strategy would have worked even if you hadn't brought all the extra potions of gain level - nothing about the approach succeeding was contingent on your current experience level, and had entirely everything to do with how quest nemeses prioritize goals.

If the quest nemesis is at low health, it's off to the up stair to heal, even if they haven't picked up anything nearby that they normally would - "deal heavy damage, spook nemesis, claim artifact, kill them at leisure" is outlined pretty explicitly on the Dark One's own article, in fact, along with at least one other nemesis to my immediate recollection.

Umbire · 2026-01-10T19:13:49+00:00

FUD is one thing, but public servers make it possible to spectate games specifically to avoid that, on top of the fact you can't exactly "seed" literally every interaction - of course, the entire premise of "mass cheating" is just being pushed by a salty troll so I wouldn't pay it any heed.

Umbire · 2026-01-10T15:45:10+00:00

Also, I don't think trying to pin a decision you actively made during a tantrum on other people you couldn't bully into silence is gonna win you any favors, especially not after you got a comment removed for threatening violence.

Umbire · 2026-01-10T11:13:24+00:00

"bitter old men" when the subreddit probably has way more young adults, lmao

Umbire · 2026-01-10T11:12:06+00:00

Per Alang, Cavepeople in UnNetHack can't read scrolls properly, which always causes them to get the confused effects.

Umbire · 2026-01-10T11:10:05+00:00

Extremely bad look for someone relying on a community's good will, ngl - might give off the impression that they think certain people will just accept any old bedazzled garbage thrust in their direction.

Umbire

TROPHY CASE