jbK  Player: SCJ Game: Slash'EM-0.0.8E0F1 Server: $ATTR(14)em.slashem.me - https://em.slashem.me/$ATTR() Filename: 2022-08-02.00:08:30.ttyrec Time: (1659398910) Tue Aug 2 00:08:30 2022 jbL This is SuperLotsoAddedStuffHack-Extended Magic 1997-2005 NetHack, Copyright 1985-2003 Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, M. Stephenson. See license for details. Bug reports to slashem-discuss@lists.sourceforge.net jb0) WShall I pick a character's race, role, gender and alignment for you? [ynq] kb ?ykbQC-----|...||...||.%.||..F.|.d@|-----kbCSCJ the Spark St:10 Dx:13 Co:14 In:18 Wi:12 Ch:12 Neutral S:0 Dlvl:1 $:0 HP:11(11) Pw:9(9) AC:7 Xp:1/0 T:1   It is written in the Book of Fire:  After the Creation, the cruel god Moloch rebelled against the authority of Marduk the Creator. Moloch stole from Marduk the most powerful of all the artifacts of the gods, the Amulet of Yendor, and he hid it in the dark cavities of Gehennom, the Under World, where he now lurks, and bides his time.  Your god Fire seeks to possess the Amulet, and with it to gain deserved ascendance over the other gods.  You, a newly trained Spark, have been heralded from birth as the instrument of Fire. You are destined to recover the Amulet for your deity, or die in the attempt. Your hour of destiny has come. For the sakekb0D< of us all: Go bravely with Fire!--More--kbkbkb THello SCJ, welcome to SlashEM! You are a neutral male elven Flame Mage.kbXDUnknown command ' '.kbU$kb kb8kbP kbAAYou hit the lichen.2 kbDUnknown command ' '.kbp $ kb kbl  Select one item:  a - Long description of the game and commands. b - List of game commands. c - Concise history of Slash'EM. d - Info on a character in the game display. e - Info on what a given key does. f - List of game options. g - Longer explanation of game options. h - List of extended commands. i - The NetHack license. j - The Slash'EM Guidebook. (end) kb+ A Guide to the Mazes of Menace  (Guidebook for SLASH'EM)  Eric S. Raymond  (Extensively edited and expanded for NetHack 3.4)  (Revised for SLASH'EM 0.0.3 by Warren Cheung)  (Revised for SLASH'EM 0.0.6 by J. Ali Harlow) --More-- kb 1. Introduction  Recently, you have begun to find yourself unfulfilled and  distant in your daily occupation. Strange dreams of prospecting,  stealing, crusading, and combat have haunted you in your sleep  for many months, but you aren't sure of the reason. You wonder  whether you have in fact been having those dreams all your life,  and somehow managed to forget about them until now. Some nights  you awaken suddenly and cry out, terrified at the vivid recollec-  tion of the strange and powerful creatures that seem to be lurk-  ing behind every corner of the dungeon in your dream. Could  these details haunting your dreams be real? As each night pass-  es, you feel the desire to enter the mysterious caverns near the  ruins grow stronger. Each mo kbrning, however, you quickly put the  idea out of your head as you recall the tales of those who en- --More--kbS  tered the caverns before you and did not return. Eventually you  can resist the yearning to seek out the fantastic place in your  dreams no longer. After all, when other adventurers came back  this way after spending time in the caverns, they usually seemed  better off than when they passed through the first time. And who  was to say that all of those who did not return had not just kept  going?--More--kbӳ  Asking around, you hear about a bauble, called the Amulet of  Yendor by some, which, if you can find it, will bring you great  wealth. One legend you were told even mentioned that the one who  finds the amulet will be granted immortality by the gods. The  amulet is rumored to be somewhere beyond the Valley of Gehennom,  deep within the Mazes of Menace. Upon hearing the legends, you  immediately realize that there is some profound and undiscovered  reason that you are to descend into the caverns and seek out that  amulet of which they spoke. Even if the rumors of the amulet's  powers are untrue, you decide that you should at least be able to  sell the tales of your adventures to the local minstrels for a  tidy sum, especially if you encounter any of the terrifying and  kbW  magical creatures of your dreams along the way. You spend one  last night fortifying yourself at the local inn, becoming more  and more depressed as you watch the odds of your success being --More--kbE SLASH'EM Guidebook 1  SLASH'EM Guidebook 2  posted on the inn's walls getting lower and lower.  In the morning you awake, collect your belongings, and set  off for the dungeon. After several days of uneventful travel,  you see the ancient ruins that mark the entrance to the Mazes of  Menace. It is late at night, so you make camp at the entrance --More--kb<", and spend the night sleeping under the open skies. In the morn-  ing, you gather your gear, eat what may be your last meal out-  side, and enter the dungeon...  2. What is going on here? --More--kbS You have just begun a game of SLASH'EM. Your goal is to  grab as much treasure as you can, retrieve the Amulet of Yendor,  and escape the Mazes of Menace alive.  Your abilities and strengths for dealing with the hazards of  adventure will vary with your background and training:  Archeologists understand dungeons pretty well; this enables  them to move quickly and sneak up on the local nasties. They  start equipped with the tools for a proper scientific expedition.  Barbarians are warriors out of the hinterland, hardened to  battle. They begin their quests with naught but uncommon  strength, a trusty hauberk, and a great two-handed sword.  Cavemen and Cavewomen start with exceptional strength but,  unfortunately, with neolithkb%ic weapons. --More--kbE  Flame Mages have managed to harness mystical energies into  the control of the element of fire. Notwithstanding their pet  hell hounds, woe be unto anyone who stands in the way of a  skilled mage casting a fireball.  Healers are wise in medicine and apothecary. They know the  herbs and simples that can restore vitality, ease pain, anes-  thetize, and neutralize poisons; and with their instruments, they  can divine a being's state of health or sickness. Their medical  practice earns them quite reasonable amounts of money, with which  they enter the dungeon.  Ice Mages command the forces of cold. An experienced Mage  can summon great blizzards yet remain unaffected by the turmoil  of the elements.  Knights are distinguishkb!F ed from the common skirmisher by  their devotion to the ideals of chivalry and by the surpassing --More--kb=N excellence of their armor.  Monks are ascetics, who by rigorous practice of physical and  mental disciplines have become capable of fighting as effectively  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004--More--kbY SLASH'EM Guidebook 3  without weapons as with. They wear no armor but make up for it  with increased mobility.  Necromancers have delved into the darkest of the magical  lore, and mastered some of the most forbidden of the magical  lore. Many have fallen to the armies of the undead that they are  capable of bringing forth and controlling.  Priests and Priestesses are clerics militant, crusaders ad- --More--kba vancing the cause of righteousness with arms, armor, and arts  thaumaturgic. Their ability to commune with deities via prayer  occasionally extricates them from peril, but can also put them in  it.  Rangers are most at home in the woods, and some say slightly  out of place in a dungeon. They are, however, experts in archery  as well as tracking and stealthy movement.  Rogues are agile and stealthy thieves, with knowledge of  locks, traps, and poisons. They specialize in surprise, which  they employ to great advantage.  Samurai are the elite warriors of feudal Nippon. They are  heavily armored but quick, and wear the dai-sho, two swords of  the deadliest keenness.  Tourists start out with lots of gold (suitable for skbPbhopping --More--kbD  with), a credit card, lots of food, some maps, and an expensive  camera. Most monsters don't like being photographed.  Undead Slayers are specialists, trained to hunt the undead  as well as other incarnations of evil. They are well aware of  the weaknesses of their foes and come prepared. Few denizens of  darkness ever encounter such warriors of light and live to tell--More--kbnd of it.  Valkyries are hardy warrior women. Their upbringing in the  harsh Northlands makes them strong, inures them to extremes of  cold, and instills in them stealth and cunning.  Wizards start out with a knowledge of magic, a selection of  magical items, and a particular affinity for dweomercraft. Al-  though seemingly weak and easy to overcome at first sight, an ex-  perienced Wizard is a deadly foe.  Yeomen are sturdy fighters. They are famed for their ability  to stand doing nothing for hours. It is said that this is because  they are none too bright. Yeomen can both take a lot of damage  and inflict it on others.  You may also choose the race of your character: --More--kb Doppelgangers have the anviable ability to change form at  will, at a cost of some mystic energy (mana), although what  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 4  they become may be a bit of a surprise, even for them.  Dwarves are smaller than humans or elves, but are stocky and  solid individuals. Dwarves' most notable trait is their great --More--kbt expertise in mining and metalwork. Dwarvish armor is said to be  second in quality not even to the mithril armor of the Elves.  Elves and Drows are agile, quick, and perceptive; very lit-  tle of what goes on will escape an Elf. The quality of Elven  craftsmanship often gives them an advantage in arms and armor. --More--kb Gnomes are smaller than but generally similar to dwarves.  Gnomes are known to be expert miners, and it is known that a se-  cret underground mine complex built by this race exists within  the Mazes of Menace, filled with both riches and danger.  Hobbits are quick of hearing and sharp-eyed, and though they  are inclined to be fat and do not hurry unnecessarily, they are  nonetheless nimble and deft in their movements. A love of learn-  ing (other than genealogical lore) is far from general among  them. Hobbits are difficult to daunt, or to kill, and at need can  still handle arms.  Humans are by far the most common race of the surface world,  and are thus the norm by which other races are often compared.  Although they have no special abilities, they cankb} succeed in any  role.  Lycanthropes are wild beasts who draw their strength from --More--kb the phases of the moon, and can transform into wolves when they  channel their magical energies. Even unarmed, a Lycanthrope is  a savage fighter, as many scarred by their deadly claws can at-  test.  Orcs are a cruel and barbaric race that hate every living  thing (including other orcs). Above all others, Orcs hate Elves  with a passion unequalled, and will go out of their way to kill  one at any opportunity. The armor and weapons fashioned by the  Orcs are typically of inferior quality.  Vampires strike fear into the heart of many. Their super-hu-  man strength, notorious dexterity and resiliance make them diffi-  cult to defeat while their almost hypnotic charm makes them dan-  gerous opponents. Even their own Gods treat vampires with some  kbBh distaste.  3. What do all those things on the screen mean? --More--kb(  On the screen is kept a map of where you have been and what  you have seen on the current dungeon level; as you explore more  of the level, it appears on the screen in front of you.  When SLASH'EM's ancestor rogue first appeared, its screen  orientation was almost unique among computer fantasy games.--More--kb= SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 5  Since then, screen orientation has become the norm rather than  the exception; SLASH'EM continues this fine tradition. Unlike  text adventure games that accept commands in pseudo-English sen-  tences and explain the results in words, SLASH'EM commands are  all one or two keystrokes and the results are displayed graphi-  cally on the screen. A minimum screen size of 24 lines by 80 --More--kbky columns is recommended; if the screen is larger, only a 21x80  section will be used for the map.  SLASH'EM can even be played by blind players, with the as-  sistance of Braille readers or speech synthesisers. Instructions  for configuring SLASH'EM for the blind are included later in this  document.  SLASH'EM generates a new dungeon every time you play it;  even the authors still find it an entertaining and exciting game  despite having won several times.  SLASH'EM offers a variety of display options. The options  available to you will vary from port to port, depending on the  capabilities of your hardware and software, and whether various  compile-time options were enabled when your executable was creat-  ed. The three possible kb?zdisplay options are: a monochrome charac-  ter interface, a color character interface, and a graphical in- --More--kbkY terface using small pictures called tiles. The two character in-  terfaces allow fonts with other characters to be substituted, but  the default assignments use standard ASCII characters to repre-  sent everything. There is no difference between the various dis-  play options with respect to game play. Because we cannot repro-  duce the tiles or colors in the Guidebook, and because it is com-  mon to all ports, we will use the default ASCII characters from--More--kb the monochrome character display when referring to things you  might see on the screen during your game.  In order to understand what is going on in SLASH'EM, first  you must understand what SLASH'EM is doing with the screen. The  SLASH'EM screen replaces the ``You see ...'' descriptions of text  adventure games. Figure 1 is a sample of what a SLASH'EM screen  might look like. The way the screen looks for you depends on  your platform.  --------------------------------------------------------------------  The bat bites!  ------  |....| ----------  |.<..|####...@...$.|  |....-# |...B....+  |....| |.d......| --More--kbK  ------ -------|--  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 6  Player the Rambler St:12 Dx:7 Co:18 In:11 Wi:9 Ch:15 Neutral --More--kb+ / Dlvl:1 $:0 HP:9(12) Pw:3(3) AC:10 Exp:1/19 T:257 Weak  --------------------------------------------------------------------  Figure 1  3.1. The status lines (bottom)--More--kbt The bottom two lines of the screen contain several cryptic  pieces of information describing your current status. If either  status line becomes longer than the width of the screen, you  might not see all of it. Here are explanations of what the vari-  ous status items mean (though your configuration may not have all  the status items listed below):  Rank  Your character's name and professional ranking (based on the  experience level, see below).  Strength  A measure of your character's strength; one of your six ba-  sic attributes. A human character's attributes can range  from 3 to 18 inclusive; non-humans may exceed these limits  (occasionally you may get super-strengths of the form 18/xx,  kbP and magic can also cause attributes to exceed the normal --More--kb o limits). The higher your strength, the stronger you are.  Strength affects how successfully you perform physical  tasks, how much damage you do in combat, and how much loot  you can carry.  Dexterity  Dexterity affects your chances to hit in combat, to avoid  traps, and do other tasks requiring agility or manipulation  of objects.  Constitution  Constitution affects your ability to recover from injuries  and other strains on your stamina.  Intelligence  Intelligence affects your ability to cast spells and read  spellbooks. --More--kbJB Wisdom  Wisdom comes from your practical experience (especially when  dealing with magic). It affects your magical energy.  Charisma  Charisma affects how certain creatures react toward you. In  particular, it can affect the prices shopkeepers offer you.--More--kb,o Alignment  Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic. Often, Lawful is taken as good  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 7  and Chaotic as evil, but legal and ethical do not always co-  incide. Your alignment influences how other monsters react  toward you. Monsters of a like alignment are more likely to --More--kb~  be non-aggressive, while those of an opposing alignment are  more likely to be seriously offended at your presence.  Dungeon Level  How deep you are in the dungeon. You start at level one and  the number increases as you go deeper into the dungeon.  Some levels are special, and are identified by a name and  not a number. The Amulet of Yendor is reputed to be some-  where beneath the twentieth level.  Gold  The number of gold pieces you are openly carrying. Gold  which you have concealed in containers is not counted.  Hit Points  Your current and maximum hit points. Hit points indicate  how much damage you can take before you die. The more you  get hit in a fight, thkb~ 9e lower they get. You can regain hit --More--kb[M  points by resting, or by using certain magical items or  spells. The number in parentheses is the maximum number  your hit points can reach.  Power  Spell points. This tells you how much mystic energy (mana)  you have available for spell casting. Again, resting will--More--kb regenerate the amount available.  Armor Class  A measure of how effectively your armor stops blows from un-  friendly creatures. The lower this number is, the more ef-  fective the armor; it is quite possible to have negative ar-  mor class.  Experience  Your current experience level and experience points. As you  adventure, you gain experience points. At certain experi-  ence point totals, you gain an experience level. The more  experienced you are, the better you fight and withstand mag-  ical attacks. Many dungeons show only your experience level  here.  Weight  The total weight of all items in your inventory, displayed --More--kb8& if you have the showweight option set. The number after the  slash is your carrying capacity.  Time  The number of turns elapsed so far, displayed if you have  the time option set.  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 8 --More--kb~  Hunger status  Your current hunger status, ranging from Satiated down to  Fainting. If your hunger status is normal, it is not dis-  played. --More--kb~  Additional status flags may appear after the hunger status:  Conf when you're confused, FoodPois or Ill when sick, Blind when  you can't see, Stun when stunned, and Hallu when hallucinating.  3.2. The message line (top)  The top line of the screen is reserved for messages that de-  scribe things that are impossible to represent visually. If you  see a ``--More--'' on the top line, this means that SLASH'EM has  another message to display on the screen, but it wants to make  certain that you've read the one that is there first. To read  the next message, just press the space bar.  3.3. The map (rest of the screen)  The rest of the screen is the map of the level as you have  explored it so far. Each symbol on the screen represents some- [43;1kb% _H thing. You can set various graphics options to change some of --More--kbT1  the symbols the game uses; otherwise, the game will use default  symbols. Here is a list of what the default symbols mean:  - and |  The walls of a room, or an open door. Or a grave (|).  . The floor of a room, ice, or a doorless doorway.  # A corridor, or iron bars, or a tree, or possibly a kitchen  sink (if your dungeon has sinks), or a drawbridge.  > Stairs down: a way to the next level.  < Stairs up: a way to the previous level.  + A closed door, or a spellbook containing a spell you may be  able to learn. --More--kbC @ Your character or a human.  $ A pile of gold.  ^ A trap (once you have detected it).  ) A weapon.--More--kbz" [ A suit or piece of armor.  % Something edible (not necessarily healthy).  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 9 --More--kb`Z ? A scroll.  / A wand.  = A ring.  ! A potion.  ( A useful item (pick-axe, key, lamp...).  " An amulet or a spider web.  * A gem or rock (possibly valuable, possibly worthless).  ` A boulder or statue.  0 An iron ball. --More--kb _ An altar, or an iron chain.  { A fountain.  } A pool of water or moat or a pool of lava.  \ An opulent throne.--More--kb8@ a-zA-Z and other symbols  Letters and certain other symbols represent the various in-  habitants of the Mazes of Menace. Watch out, they can be  nasty and vicious. Sometimes, however, they can be helpful.  I This marks the last known location of an invisible or other-  wise unseen monster. Note that the monster could have  moved. The 'F' and 'm' commands may be useful here.  You need not memorize all these symbols; you can ask the  game what any symbol represents with the `/' command (see the  next section for more info).  4. Commands  Commands are initiated by typing one or two characters. --More--kb  Some commands, like ``search'', do not require that any more in-  formation be collected by SLASH'EM. Other commands might require  additional information, for example a direction, or an object to  be used. For those commands that require additional information,  SLASH'EM will present you with either a menu of choices or with a  command line prompt requesting information. Which you are pre-  sented with will depend chiefly on how you have set the menustyle  option.  For example, a common question, in the form ``What do you  want to use? [a-zA-Z ?*]'', asks you to choose an object you are  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kb+0) SLASH'EM Guidebook 10  carrying. Here, ``a-zA-Z'' are the inventory letters of your  possible choices. Typing `?' gives you an inventory list of--More--kbD these items, so you can see what each letter refers to. In this  example, there is also a `*' indicating that you may choose an  object not on the list, if you wanted to use something unexpect-  ed. Typing a `*' lists your entire inventory, so you can see the  inventory letters of every object you're carrying. Finally, if  you change your mind and decide you don't want to do this command  after all, you can press the ESC key to abort the command.  Some commands allow you to choose an object that you are not  currently carrying. Such commands have an extra option available  as in ``What do you want to drink? [fgh or ?*,.]''. Typing `,'  gives you a list of the applicable objects on the floor, from  which you may make your choice. For commands where it is possi-  ble to kb/ choose your current location rather than an object, the  `.' option will be displayed. This can be used to read an engrav-  ing or drink from a dungeon feature.  You can put a number before some commands to repeat them --More--kb that many times; for example, ``10s'' will search ten times. If  you have the number_pad option set, you must type `n' to prefix a  count, so the example above would be typed ``n10s'' instead.  Commands for which counts make no sense ignore them. In addi-  tion, movement commands can be prefixed for greater control (see  below). To cancel a count or a prefix, press the ESC key.  The list of commands is rather long, but it can be read at  any time during the game through the `?' command, which accesses  a menu of helpful texts. As well, there is now a menusystem  available through the '`' command for those who would rather page  through menus than hunt and peck for keys. Here are the commands  for your reference:  ESC Cancel the current operation (where applickbN able) or skip mes-  sages. If the menu_on_esc option is set, then this key will  access the menusystem when pressed while the program is  waiting for a command. --More--kbW ? Help menu: display one of several help texts available.  ` Main menu: access the menusystem.  / Tell what a symbol represents. You may choose to specify a  location or type a symbol (or even a whole word) to explain.--More--kb Specifying a location is done by moving the cursor to a par-  ticular spot on the map and then pressing one of `.', `,',  `;', or `:'. `.' will explain the symbol at the chosen lo-  cation, conditionally check for ``More info?'' depending up-  on whether the help option is on, and then you will be asked  to pick another location; `,' will explain the symbol but  skip any additional information; `;' will skip additional  info and also not bother asking you to choose another loca-  tion to examine; `:' will show additional info, if any,  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 11 --More--kb1 without asking for confirmation. When picking a location,  pressing the ESC key will terminate this command, or press-  ing `?' will give a brief reminder about how it works.  Specifying a name rather than a location always gives any  additional information available about that name.  & Tell what a command does.  < Go up to the previous level (if you are on a staircase or  ladder).  > Go down to the next level (if you are on a staircase or lad-  der). --More--kb* [yuhjklbn]  Go one step in the direction indicated (see Figure 2). If  you sense or remember a monster there, you will fight the  monster instead. Only these one-step movement commands  cause you to fight monsters; the others (below) are  ``safe.'' --More--kb{B y k u 7 8 9  \ | / \ | /  h- . -l 4- . -6  / | \ / | \  b j n 1 2 3  (if number_pad is set)  Figure 2  [YUHJKLBN]  Go in that direction until you hit a wall or run into some-  thing.  m[yuhjklbn]  Prefix: move without picking up objects or fighting (even  if you remember a monster there) --More--kbp F[yuhjklbn]  Prefix: fight a monster (even if you only guess one is  there)  M[yuhjklbn]  Prefix: move far, no pickup.  g[yuhjklbn]  Prefix: move until something interesting is found.  G[yuhjklbn] or [yuhjklbn]  Prefix: same as `g', but forking of corridors is not con-  sidered interesting.  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kb` SLASH'EM Guidebook 12 --More--kby _ Travel to a map location via a shortest-path algorithm. The  shortest path is computed over map locations the hero knows  about (e.g. seen or previously traversed). If there is no  known path, a guess is made instead. Stops on most of the  same conditions as the `G' command, but without picking up  objects, similar to the `M' command. For ports with mouse  support, the command is also invoked when a mouse-click  takes place on a location other than the current position.  . Rest, do nothing for one turn.  a Apply (use) a tool (pick-axe, key, lamp...).  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 acceskbsory. --More--kbUKM ^A Redo the previous command.  ^B Borrow (steal) money from an adjacent monster.  c Close a door.  C Call (name) an individual monster.  ^C Panic button. Quit the game.  d Drop something. Ex. ``d7a'' means drop seven items of ob-  ject a.  D Drop several things. In answer to the question ``What kinds  of things do you want to drop? [!%= BUCXaium]'' you should  type zero or more object symbols possibly followed by `a'  and/or `i' and/or `u' and/or `m'. In addition, one or more  of the blessed/uncursed/cursed groups may be typed. --More--kb DB - drop all objects known to be blessed.  DU - drop all objects known to be uncursed.  DC - drop all objects known to be cursed.  DX - drop all objects of unknown B/U/C status.  Da - drop all objects, without asking for confirmation.  Di - examine your inventory before dropping anything.--More--kb? 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.  ^D Kick something (usually a door).  e Eat food. Vampires cannot eat as such. However, they can  gain nutrition by draining blood from fresh corpses using  this command.  E Engrave a message on the floor. Engraving the word  ``Elbereth'' will cause most monsters to not attack you  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kb: SLASH'EM Guidebook 13  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.  f Fire one of the objects placed in your quiver. You may se-  lect ammunition with a previous `Q' command, or let the com-  puter pick something appropriate if autoquiver is true.  i List your inventory (everything you're carrying). --More--kb\* [ I List selected parts of your inventory.  I* - list all gems in inventory;  Iu - list all unpaid items;  Ix - list all used up items that are on your shopping bill;  I$ - count your money.--More--kb  o Open a door.  O Set options. A menu showing the current option values will  be displayed. You can change most values simply by select-  ing the menu entry for the given option (ie, by typing its  letter or clicking upon it, depending on your user inter-  face). For the non-boolean choices, a further menu or  prompt will appear once you've closed this menu. The avail-  able options are listed later in this Guidebook. Options  are usually set before the game rather than with the `O'  command; see the section on options below.  p Pay your shopping bill/Shopkeeper services.  P Put on a ring or other accessory (amulet, blindfold).  ^P Repeat previous message. Subsequent ^P's repeat earlikb er --More--kbF  messages. The behavior can be varied via the msg_window op-  tion.  q Quaff (drink) something (potion, water, etc).  Q Select an object for your quiver. You can then throw this  using the `f' command. (In SLASH'EM versions prior to 0.0.6  this was the command to quit the game, which has now been  moved to `#quit'.)  r Read a scroll or spellbook.  R Remove an accessory (ring, amulet, etc).  ^R Redraw the screen. --More--kbo  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kb*  SLASH'EM Guidebook 14  s Search for secret doors and traps around you. It usually  takes several tries to find something.  S Save (and suspend) the game. The game will be restored au-  tomatically the next time you play.  t Throw an object or shoot a projectile.  T Take off armor.  ^T Teleport, if you have the ability.  v Display version number. --More--kbdz < V Display the game history.  w Wield weapon.  w- - wield nothing, use your bare hands.  W Wear armor.  x Exchange your wielded weapon with the item in your alternate  weapon slot. The latter is used as your secondary weapon  when engaging in two-weapon combat. Note that if one of  these slots is empty, the exchange still takes place.  X Enter explore (discovery) mode, explained in its own section  later.  ^X Display your name, role, race, gender, and alignment as well  as the various deities in your game. --More--kb= 3 ^Y Polymorph yourself, if you have the ability.  z Zap a wand. To aim at yourself, use `.' for the direction.  Z Zap (cast) a spell. To cast at yourself, use `.' for the  direction.--More--kbG  ^Z Suspend the game (UNIX(R) versions with job control only).  : Look at what is here.  ; Show what type of thing a visible symbol corresponds to.  , Pick up some things. May be preceded by `m' to force a se-  lection menu.  @ Toggle the autopickup option on and off.  __________  (R)UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T.  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kb  SLASH'EM Guidebook 15  ^ Ask for the type of a trap you found earlier.  ) Tell what weapon you are wielding.  [ Tell what armor you are wearing.  = Tell what rings you are wearing.  " Tell what amulet you are wearing. --More--kbQv  ( 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.--More--kbm  + 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 ex-  changes.  \ Show what types of objects have been discovered.  ! Escape to a shell.  # Perform an extended command. As you can see, the authors of  NetHack used up all the letters, so this is a way to intro-  duce the less frequently used commands. What extended com-  mands are available depends on what features the game was  compiled with. --More--kbUO #adjust  Adjust inventory letters (most useful when the fixinv option  is ``on'').  #borrow  Borrow (steal) money from an adjacent monster, if you have  the ability.  #chat  Talk to someone.  #conduct  List which challenges you have adhered to. See the section  below entitled ``Conduct'' for details.  #dip Dip an object into something.  #enhance --More--kb) Advance or check weapons and spell skills.  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kb, SLASH'EM Guidebook 16  #force  Force a lock.  #invoke  Invoke an object's special powers.  #jump  Jump to another location.  #loot  Loot a box or bag on the floor beneath you, or the saddle --More--kbcA from a horse standing next to you.  #monster  Use a monster's special ability (when polymorphed into mon-  ster form).  #name  Name an item or type of object.  #offer  Offer a sacrifice to the gods.  #pray  Pray to the gods for help.  #quit  Quit the program without saving your game. --More--kb #ride  Ride (or stop riding) a monster.  #rub Rub a lamp or a stone.  #sit Sit down. --More--kbhW #technique  Perform a role or race specific technique. A menu showing  the techniques available to your character will be dis-  played.  #turn  Turn undead.  #twoweapon  Toggle two-weapon combat on or off. Note that you must use  suitable weapons for this type of combat, or it will be au-  tomatically turned off.  #untrap  Untrap something (trap, door, or chest).  #vanquished  List vanquished monsters (whether by you or not). --More--kb SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 17  #youpoly  Polymorph yourself, if you have the ability.  #version  Print compile time options for this version of SLASH'EM. --More--kb':X #wipe  Wipe off your face.  #? Help menu: get the list of available extended commands.  If your keyboard has a meta key (which, when pressed in com-  bination with another key, modifies it by setting the `meta'--More--kbQP [8th, or `high'] bit), you can invoke many extended commands by  meta-ing the first letter of the command. In NT, OS/2, and PC  SLASH'EM, the `Alt' key can be used in this fashion.  M-? #? (not supported by all platforms)  M-2 #twoweapon (unless the number_pad option is enabled)  M-a #adjust  M-b #borrow  M-c #chat  M-d #dip  M-e #enhance --More--kb/W M-f #force  M-i #invoke  M-j #jump  M-l #loot  M-m #monster  M-n #name  M-o #offer  M-p #pray  M-q #quit --More--kbFn M-r #rub  M-s #sit --More--kb3 SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 18  M-t #technique  M-u #untrap  M-v #version  M-w #wipe --More--kb  M-y #youpoly  If the number_pad option is on, some additional letter com-  mands are available:  h Help menu: display one of several help texts available,  like ``?''.  j Jump to another location. Same as ``#jump'' or ``M-j''.  k Kick something (usually a door). Same as `^D'.  K List vanquished monsters (whether by you or not). Same as  ``#vanquished''.  l Loot a box or bag on the floor beneath you, or the saddle  from a horse standing next to you. Same as ``#loot'' or  ``M-l''. --More--kb  N Name an item or type of object. Same as ``#name'' or ``M-  n''.  u Untrap a trap, door, or chest. Same as ``#untrap'' or ``M-  u''. --More--kb 5. Rooms and corridors  Rooms and corridors in the dungeon are either lit or dark.  Any lit areas within your line of sight will be displayed; dark  areas are only displayed if they are within one space of you.  Walls and corridors remain on the map as you explore them.  Secret corridors are hidden. You can find them with the `s'  (search) command.  5.1. Doorways  Doorways connect rooms and corridors. Some doorways have no  doors; you can walk right through. Others have doors in them,  which may be open, closed, or locked. To open a closed door, use  the `o' (open) command; to close it again, use the `c' (close)  command. --More--kb%2 You can get through a locked door by using a tool to pick  the lock with the `a' (apply) command, or by kicking it open with  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 19  the `^D' (kick) command.  Open doors cannot be entered diagonally; you must approach --More--kbt them straight on, horizontally or vertically. Doorways without  doors are not restricted in this fashion.  Doors can be useful for shutting out monsters. Most mon-  sters cannot open doors, although a few don't need to (ex. ghosts  can walk through doors). --More--kb Secret doors are hidden. You can find them with the `s'  (search) command. Once found they are in all ways equivalent to  normal doors.  5.2. Traps (`^')  There are traps throughout the dungeon to snare the unwary  delver. For example, you may suddenly fall into a pit and be  stuck for a few turns trying to climb out. Traps don't appear on  your map until you see one triggered by moving onto it, see some-  thing fall into it, or you discover it with the `s' (search) com-  mand. Monsters can fall prey to traps, too, which can be a very  useful defensive strategy.  There is a special pre-mapped branch of the dungeon based on  the classic computer game ``Sokoban.'' The goal is to push the  boulders into the pits or holes. With cakb>|reful foresight, it is  possible to complete all of the levels according to the tradi- --More--kbU tional rules of Sokoban. Some allowances are permitted in case  the player gets stuck; however, they will lower your luck.  5.3. Stairs (`<', `>')  In general, each level in the dungeon will have a staircase  going up (`<') to the previous level and another going down (`>')  to the next level. There are some exceptions though. For in-  stance, fairly early in the dungeon you will find a level with  two down staircases, one continuing into the dungeon and the oth-  er branching into an area known as the Gnomish Mines. Those  mines eventually hit a dead end, so after exploring them (if you  choose to do so), you'll need to climb back up to the main dun-  geon.  When you traverse a set of stairs, or trigger a trap which  sends you tokb5V another level, the level you're leaving will be de-  activated and stored in a file on disk. If you're moving to a --More--kbcY previously visited level, it will be loaded from its file on disk  and reactivated. If you're moving to a level which has not yet  been visited, it will be created (from scratch for most random  levels, from a template for some ``special'' levels, or loaded  from the remains of an earlier game for a ``bones'' level as  briefly described below). Monsters are only active on the cur-  rent level; those on other levels are essentially placed into--More--kbI stasis.  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 20  Ordinarily when you climb a set of stairs, you will arrive  on the corresponding staircase at your destination. However,  pets (see below) and some other monsters will follow along if  they're close enough when you travel up or down stairs, and occa-  sionally one of these creatures will displace you during the --More--kb; climb. When that occurs, the pet or other monster will arrive on  the staircase and you will end up nearby.  5.4. Ladders (`<', `>')  Ladders serve the same purpose as staircases, and the two  types of inter-level connections are nearly indistinguishable  during game play.  5.5. Shops and shopping  Occasionally you will run across a room with a shopkeeper  near the door and many items lying on the floor. You can buy  items by picking them up and then using the `p' command. You can  inquire about the price of an item prior to picking it up by us-  ing the ``#chat'' command while standing on it. Using an item  prior to paying for it will incur a charge, and the shopkeeper  won't allow you to leave the shop until you have pkb!aid any debt --More--kb+3  you owe.  You can sell items to a shopkeeper by dropping them to the  floor while inside a shop. You will either be offered an amount  of gold and asked whether you're willing to sell, or you'll be  told that the shopkeeper isn't interested (generally, your item  needs to be compatible with the type of merchandise carried by--More--kbW  the shop).  If you drop something in a shop by accident, the shopkeeper  will usually claim ownership without offering any compensation.  You'll have to buy it back if you want to reclaim it.  Shopkeepers sometimes run out of money. When that happens,  you'll be offered credit instead of gold when you try to sell  something. Credit can be used to pay for purchases, but it is  only good in the shop where it was obtained; other shopkeepers  won't honor it. (If you happen to find a "credit card" in the  dungeon, don't bother trying to use it in shops; shopkeepers will  not accept it.)  The `$' command, which reports the amount of gold you are  carrying (in inventory, not inside bags or boxes), will also show  current shop debt or kb credit, if any. The `Iu' command lists un-  paid items (those which still belong to the shop) if you are car- --More--kb%  rying any. The `Ix' command shows an inventory-like display of  any unpaid items which have been used up, along with other shop  fees, if any.  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 21 --More--kbט H 5.5.1. Shop idiosyncracies  Several aspects of shop behavior might be unexpected.  * The price of a given item can vary due to a variety of factors.  * A shopkeeper treats the spot immediately inside the door as if--More--kb) & it were outside the shop.  * While the shopkeeper watches you like a hawk, he will generally  ignore any other customers.  * If a shop is "closed for inventory", it will not open of its  own accord.  * Shops do not get restocked with new items, regardless of inven-  tory depletion.  6. Monsters  Monsters you cannot see are not displayed on the screen.  Beware! You may suddenly come upon one in a dark place. Some  magic items can help you locate them before they locate you  (which some monsters can do very well). --More--kb}  The commands `/' and `;' may be used to obtain information  about those monsters who are displayed on the screen. The com-  mand `C' allows you to assign a name to a monster, which may be  useful to help distinguish one from another when multiple mon-  sters are present. Assigning a name which is just a space will  remove any prior name.  The extended command ``#chat'' can be used to interact with  an adjacent monster. There is no actual dialog (in other words,  you don't get to choose what you'll say), but chatting with some  monsters such as a shopkeeper or the Oracle of Delphi can produce  useful results.  6.1. Fighting  If you see a monster and you wish to fight it, just attempt  to walk into it. Many monsters you kb +find will mind their own --More--kb/  business unless you attack them. Some of them are very dangerous  when angered. Remember: discretion is the better part of valor.  If you can't see a monster (if it is invisible, or if you  are blinded), the symbol `I' will be shown when you learn of its  presence. If you attempt to walk into it, you will try to fight  it just like a monster that you can see; of course, if the mon---More--kby r ster has moved, you will attack empty air. If you guess that the  monster has moved and you don't wish to fight, you can use the  `m' command to move without fighting; likewise, if you don't re-  member a monster but want to try fighting anyway, you can use the  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 22  `F' command. --More--kb  6.2. Your pet  You start the game with a little dog (`d'), cat (`f'), hell  hound pup ('d'), winter wolf cub ('d'), ghoul ('Z'), or pony  (`u'), which follows you about the dungeon and fights monsters  with you. With the exception of ghouls, your pet needs food to  survive. It usually feeds itself on fresh carrion and other  meats. If you're worried about it or want to train it, you can  feed it, too, by throwing it food. A properly trained pet can be  very useful under certain circumstances.  Your pet also gains experience from killing monsters, and  can grow over time, gaining hit points and doing more damage.  Initially, your pet may even be better at killing things than  you, which makes pets useful for low-level characters.  kbp Your pet will follow you up and down staircases if it is  next to you when you move. Otherwise your pet will be stranded --More--kbu  and may become wild. Similarly, when you trigger certain types  of traps which alter your location (for instance, a trap door  which drops you to a lower dungeon level), any adjacent pet will  accompany you and any non-adjacent pet will be left behind. Your  pet may trigger such traps itself; you will not be carried along  with it even if adjacent at the time. --More--kb 6.3. Steeds  Some types of creatures in the dungeon can actually be rid-  den if you have the right equipment and skill. Convincing a wild  beast to let you saddle it up is difficult to say the least.  Many a dungeoneer has had to resort to magic and wizardry in or-  der to forge the alliance. Once you do have the beast under your  control however, you can easily climb in and out of the saddle  with the `#ride' command. Lead the beast around the dungeon when  riding, in the same manner as you would move yourself. It is the  beast that you will see displayed on the map.  Riding skill is managed by the `#enhance' command. See the  section on Weapon proficiency for more information about that.  6.4. Bones levels  You may encountkbZ@er the shades and corpses of other adventur- --More--kb[ ers (or even former incarnations of yourself!) and their personal  effects. Ghosts are hard to kill, but easy to avoid, since  they're slow and do little damage. You can plunder the deceased  adventurer's possessions; however, they are likely to be cursed.  Beware of whatever killed the former player; it is probably still  lurking around, gloating over its last victory.  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 23 --More--kbq 7. Objects  When you find something in the dungeon, it is common to want  to pick it up. In SLASH'EM, this is accomplished automatically--More--kb5 by walking over the object (unless you turn off the autopickup  option (see below), or move with the `m' prefix (see above)), or  manually by using the `,' command.  If you're carrying too many items, SLASH'EM will tell you so  and you won't be able to pick up anything more. Otherwise, it  will add the object(s) to your pack and tell you what you just  picked up.  As you add items to your inventory, you also add the weight  of that object to your load. The amount that you can carry de-  pends on your strength and your constitution. The stronger you  are, the less the additional load will affect you. There comes a  point, though, when the weight of all of that stuff you are car-  rying around with you through the dungeon will encumber you.  kb5 Your reactions will get slower and you'll burn calories faster,  requiring food more frequently to cope with it. Eventually,  you'll be so overloaded that you'll either have to discard some --More--kb of what you're carrying or collapse under its weight.  SLASH'EM will tell you how badly you have loaded yourself.  The symbols `Burdened', `Stressed', `Strained', `Overtaxed' and  `Overloaded' are displayed on the bottom line display to indicate  your condition.  When you pick up an object, it is assigned an inventory let-  ter. Many commands that operate on objects must ask you to find  out which object you want to use. When SLASH'EM asks you to  choose a particular object you are carrying, you are usually pre-  sented with a list of inventory letters to choose from (see Com-  mands, above).  Some objects, such as weapons, are easily differentiated.  Others, like scrolls and potions, are given descriptions which  vary according tokbe type. During a game, any two objects with the  same description are the same type. However, the descriptions --More--kb will vary from game to game.  When you use one of these objects, if its effect is obvious,  SLASH'EM 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 ``#name'' command for the same purpose at any time, to name--More--kb„7 all objects of a particular type or just an individual object.  When you use ``#name'' on an object which has already been named,  specifying a space as the value will remove the prior name in-  stead of assigning a new one.  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 24 --More--kb 7.1. Curses and Blessings  Any object that you find may be cursed, even if the object  is otherwise helpful. The most common effect of a curse is being  stuck with (and to) the item. Cursed weapons weld themselves to  your hand when wielded, so you cannot unwield them. Any cursed  item you wear is not removable by ordinary means. In addition,  cursed arms and armor usually, but not always, bear negative en-  chantments that make them less effective in combat. Other cursed  objects may act poorly or detrimentally in other ways.  Objects can also be blessed. Blessed items usually work  better or more beneficially than normal uncursed items. For ex-  ample, a blessed weapon will do more damage against demons.  There are magical means of bestkb~owing or removing curses upon  objects, so even if you are stuck with one, you can still have --More--kbv the curse lifted and the item removed. Priests and Priestesses  have an innate sensitivity to this property in any object, so  they can more easily avoid cursed objects than other character  roles.  An item with unknown status will be reported in your inven-  tory with no prefix. An item which you know the state of will be--More--kb distinguished in your inventory by the presence of the word  ``cursed'', ``uncursed'' or ``blessed'' in the description of the  item.  7.2. Weapons (`)')  Given a chance, most monsters in the Mazes of Menace will  gratuitously try to kill you. You need weapons for self-defense  (killing them first). Without a weapon, you do only 1-2 hit  points of damage (plus bonuses, if any). Monk characters are an  exception; they normally do much more damage with bare hands than  they do with weapons.  There are wielded weapons, like maces and swords, and thrown  weapons, like arrows and spears. To hit monsters with a weapon,  you must wield it and attack them, or throw it at them. You can  simply elect to throw a spear. --Morekb`--kbP To shoot an arrow, you should first wield a bow, then throw  the arrow. An alternative method would be wield a bow and place  the arrows in your Quiver, after which you fire the ammunition.  Rangers and the like may find that having a bow as their sec-  ondary weapon is a useful combination. In order to use a sec-  ondary weapon to fire ammunition however, it must first be moved  to the primary weapon slot. The ``x'' command is available for  this use. Crossbows shoot crossbow bolts. Slings hurl rocks and  (other) stones (like gems).  Enchanted weapons have a ``plus'' (or ``to hit enhancement''  which can be either positive or negative) that adds to your  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kbu SLASH'EM Guidebook 25  chance to hit and the damage you do to a monster. The only way--More--kb? to determine a weapon's enchantment is to have it magically iden-  tified somehow. Most weapons are subject to some type of damage  like rust. Such ``erosion'' damage can be repaired.  The chance that an attack will successfully hit a monster,  and the amount of damage such a hit will do, depends upon many  factors. Among them are: type of weapon, quality of weapon (en-  chantment and/or erosion), experience level, strength, dexterity,  encumbrance, and proficiency (see below). The monster's armor  class - a general defense rating, not necessarily due to wearing  of armor - is a factor too; also, some monsters are particularly  vulnerable to certain types of weapons.  Many weapons can be wielded in one hand; some require both  hands. When wielding a two-hkb@,anded weapon, you can not wear a  shield, and vice versa. When wielding a one-handed weapon, you  can have another weapon ready to use by setting things up with  the `x' command, which exchanges your primary (the one being --More--kb wielded) and alternate weapons. And if you have proficiency in  the ``two weapon combat'' skill, you may wield both weapons si-  multaneously as primary and secondary; use the `#twoweapon' ex-  tended command to engage or disengage that. Only some types of  characters (barbarians, for instance) have the necessary skill  available. Even with that skill, using two weapons at once in-  curs a penalty in the chance to hit your target compared to using  just one weapon at a time.  There might be times when you'd rather not wield any weapon  at all. To accomplish that, wield `-', or else use the `A' com-  mand which allows you to unwield the current weapon in addition  to taking off other worn items.  Those of you in the audience who are AD&D players, be aware kb [41;1H that each weapon which existed in AD&D does roughly the same dam-  age to monsters in SLASH'EM. Some of the more obscure weapons  (such as the aklys, lucern hammer, and bec-de-corbin) are defined --More--kb( in an appendix to Unearthed Arcana, an AD&D supplement.  The commands to use weapons are `w' (wield), `t' (throw),  `f' (fire, an alternative way of throwing), `Q' (quiver), `x'  (exchange), `#twoweapon', and `#enhance' (see below).  7.2.1. Throwing and shooting--More--kb You can throw just about anything via the `t' command. It  will prompt for the item to throw; picking `?' will list things  in your inventory which are considered likely to be thrown, or  picking `*' will list your entire inventory. After you've chosen  what to throw, you will be prompted for a direction rather than  for a specific target. The distance something can be thrown de-  pends mainly on the type of object and your strength. Arrows can  be thrown by hand, but can be thrown much farther and will be  more likely to hit when thrown while you are wielding a bow.  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kb1 SLASH'EM Guidebook 26  You can simplify the throwing operation by using the `Q'  command to select your preferred ``missile'', then using the `f'  command to throw it. You'll be prompted for a direction as  above, but you don't have to specify which item to throw each  time you use `f'. There is also an option, autoquiver, which has  SLASH'EM choose another item to automatically fill your quiver  when the inventory slot used for `Q' runs out.  Some characters have the ability to fire a volley of multi-  ple items in a single turn. Knowing how to load several rounds  of ammunition at once -- or hold several missiles in your hand --  and still hit a target is not an easy task. Rangers are among  kb those who are adept at this task, as are those with a high level  of proficiency in the relevant weapon skill (in bow skill if --More--kbKY you're wielding one to shoot arrows, in crossbow skill if you're  wielding one to shoot bolts, or in sling skill if you're wielding  one to shoot stones). The number of items that the character has  a chance to fire varies from turn to turn. You can explicitly  limit the number of shots by using a numeric prefix before the  `t' or `f' command. For example, ``2f'' (or ``n2f'' if using  number_pad mode) would ensure that at most 2 arrows are shot even--More--kb if you could have fired 3. If you specify a larger number than  would have been shot (``4f'' in this example), you'll just end up  shooting the same number (3, here) as if no limit had been speci-  fied. Once the volley is in motion, all of the items will travel  in the same direction; if the first ones kill a monster, the oth-  ers can still continue beyond that spot.  7.2.2. Weapon proficiency  You will have varying degrees of skill in the weapons avail-  able. Weapon proficiency, or weapon skills, affect how well you  can use particular types of weapons, and you'll be able to im-  prove your skills as you progress through a game, depending on  your role, your experience level, and use of the weapons.  For the purposes of proficiency, weapons have been dkbLivided  up into various groups such as daggers, broadswords, and  polearms. Each role has a limit on what level of proficiency a --More--kbN character can achieve for each group. For instance, wizards can  become highly skilled in daggers or staves but not in swords or  bows.  The `#enhance' extended command is used to review current  weapons proficiency (also spell proficiency) and to choose which  skill(s) to improve when you've used one or more skills enough to  become eligible to do so. The skill rankings are ``none'' (some-  times also referred to as ``restricted'', because you won't be  able to advance), ``unskilled'', ``basic'', ``skilled'', and  ``expert''. Restricted skills simply will not appear in the list  shown by `#enhance'. (Divine intervention might unrestrict a  particular skill, in which case it will start at unskilled and be  limited to basic.) Some characters can enhance their barehakbnded  combat or martial arts skill beyond expert to ``master'' or  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kb~ SLASH'EM Guidebook 27 --More--kb~ ``grand master''.  Use of a weapon in which you're restricted or unskilled will  incur a modest penalty in the chance to hit a monster and also in  the amount of damage done when you do hit; at basic level, there  is no penalty or bonus; at skilled level, you receive a modest  bonus in the chance to hit and amount of damage done; at expert  level, the bonus is higher. A successful hit has a chance to  boost your training towards the next skill level (unless you've  already reached the limit for this skill). Once such training  reaches the threshold for that next level, you'll be told that  you feel more confident in your skills. At that point you can  use `#enhance' to increase one or more skills. Such skills are  not increased automatically becausekb there is a limit to your to-  tal overall skills, so you need to actively choose which skills  to enhance and which to ignore. --More--kbe 7.3. Armor (`[')  Lots of unfriendly things lurk about; you need armor to pro-  tect yourself from their blows. Some types of armor offer better  protection than others. Your armor class is a measure of this  protection. Armor class (AC) is measured as in AD&D, with 10 be-  ing the equivalent of no armor, and lower numbers meaning better  armor. Each suit of armor which exists in AD&D gives the same  protection in SLASH'EM. Here is an (incomplete) list of the ar-  mor classes provided by various suits of armor:  dragon scale mail 1  plate mail 3  crystal plate mail 3  bronze plate mail 4  splint mail 4kb2S  banded mail 4 --More--kb  dwarvish mithril-coat 4  elven mithril-coat 5  chain mail 5  orcish chain mail 6  scale mail 6  studded leather armor 7  ring mail 7--More--kbS  orcish ring mail 8  leather armor 8  leather jacket 9  no armor 10  You can also wear other pieces of armor (ex. helmets, boots,  shields, cloaks) to lower your armor class even further, but you  can only wear one item of each category (one suit of armor, one  cloak, one helmet, one shield, and so on) at a time.  If a piece of armor is enchanted, its armor protection will  be better (or worse) than normal, and its ``plus'' (or minus)  will subtract from your armor class. For example, a +1 chain  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kbE ^ SLASH'EM Guidebook 28  mail would give you better protection than normal chain mail,  lowering your armor class one unit further to 4. When you put on  a piece of armor, you immediately find out the armor class and  any ``plusses'' it provides. Cursed pieces of armor usually have  negative enchantments (minuses) in addition to being unremovable.  Many types of armor are subject to some kind of damage like  rust. Such damage can be repaired. Some types of armor may in-  hibit spell casting.  The commands to use armor are `W' (wear) and `T' (take off). --More--kbU ` The `A' command can also be used to take off armor as well as  other worn items.  7.4. Food (`%')  Food is necessary to survive. If you go too long without  eating you will faint, and eventually die of starvation. Some--More--kb1  types of food will spoil, and become unhealthy to eat, if not  protected. Food stored in ice boxes or tins (``cans'') will usu-  ally stay fresh, but ice boxes are heavy, and tins take a while  to open.  When you kill monsters, they usually leave corpses which are  also ``food.'' 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.''  Some character roles and some monsters are vegetarian. Veg-  etarian monsters will typically never eat animal corpses, while  vegetarian players can, but with some rather unpleasant side-ef-  fects.  You can name one food item after something you like to eat  with the fruit option. --More--kb  The command to eat food is `e'.  7.5. Scrolls (`?')  Scrolls are labeled with various titles, probably chosen by  ancient wizards for their amusement value (ex. ``READ ME,'' or  ``THANX MAUD'' backwards). Scrolls disappear after you read them  (except for blank ones, without magic spells on them).  One of the most useful of these is the scroll of identify,  which can be used to determine what another object is, whether it  is cursed or blessed, and how many uses it has left. Some ob-  jects of subtle enchantment are difficult to identify without  these.  A mail daemon may run up and deliver mail to you as a scroll  of mail (on versions compiled with this feature). To use this  feature on versions where SLASH'EM mail dkb* *elivery is triggered by --More--kb)  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kb  SLASH'EM Guidebook 29  electronic mail appearing in your system mailbox, you must let  SLASH'EM know where to look for new mail by setting the ``MAIL''  environment variable to the file name of your mailbox. You may  also want to set the ``MAILREADER'' environment variable to the  file name of your favorite reader, so SLASH'EM can shell to it  when you read the scroll. On versions of SLASH'EM where mail is  randomly generated internal to the game, these environment vari-  ables are ignored. You can disable the mail daemon by turning  off the mail option.  The command to read a scroll is `r'.  7.6. Potions (`!') --More--kb  Potions are distinguished by the color of the liquid inside  the flask. They disappear after you quaff them.  Clear potions are potions of water. Sometimes these are  blessed or cursed, resulting in holy or unholy water. Holy water  is the bane of the undead, so potions of holy water are good  things to throw (`t') at them. It is also sometimes very useful  to dip (``#dip'') an object into a potion.  The command to drink a potion is `q' (quaff).  7.7. Wands (`/')  Magic wands usually have multiple magical charges. Some  wands are directional--you must give a direction in which to zap  them. You can also zap them at yourself (just give a `.' or `s'  for the direction). Be warned, however, for this is often unwise. kb --More--kbX  Other wands are nondirectional--they don't require a direction.  The number of charges in a wand is random and decreases by one  whenever you use it.  When the number of charges left in a wand becomes zero, at-  tempts to use the wand will usually result in nothing happening.  Occasionally, however, it may be possible to squeeze the last few--More--kb.  mana points from an otherwise spent wand, destroying it in the  process. A wand may be recharged by using suitable magic, but  doing so runs the risk of causing it to explode. The chance for  such an explosion starts out very small and increases each time  the wand is recharged.  In a truly desperate situation, when your back is up against  the wall, you might decide to go for broke and break your wand.  This is not for the faint of heart. Doing so will almost cer-  tainly cause a catastrophic release of magical energies.  When you have fully identified a particular wand, inventory  display will include additional information in parentheses: the  number of times it has been recharged followed by a colon and  then by its current number of charges. A currkb ent charge count of  -1 is a special case indicating that the wand has been cancelled. --More--kbbll SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 30  The command to use a wand is `z' (zap). To break one, use  the `a' (apply) command.  7.8. Rings (`=')  Rings are very useful items, since they are relatively per-  manent magic, unlike the usually fleeting effects of potions,  scrolls, and wands. --More--kbc: Putting on a ring activates its magic. You can wear only  two rings, one on each ring finger.  Most rings also cause you to grow hungry more rapidly, the  rate varying with the type of ring. --More--kb` The commands to use rings are `P' (put on) and `R' (remove).  7.9. Spellbooks (`+')  Spellbooks are tomes of mighty magic. When studied with the  `r' (read) command, they transfer to the reader the knowledge of  a spell (and therefore eventually become unreadable) -- unless  the attempt backfires. Reading a cursed spellbook or one with  mystic runes beyond your ken can be harmful to your health!  A spell (even when learned) can also backfire when you cast  it. If you attempt to cast a spell well above your experience  level, or if you have little skill with the appropriate spell  type, or cast it at a time when your luck is particularly bad,  you can end up wasting both the energy and the time required in  casting.  kb`Q Casting a spell calls forth magical energies and focuses --More--kb> them with your naked mind. Some of the magical energy released  comes from within you, and casting several spells in a row may  tire you. Casting of spells also requires practice. With prac-  tice, your skill in each category of spell casting will improve.  Over time, however, your memory of each spell will dim if you do  not use it, and you will need to relearn it. Casting a spell re-  inforces your memory of it, so you may never need to relearn a  frequently used spell.  Some spells are directional--you must give a direction in  which to cast them. You can also cast them at yourself (just  give a `.' or `s' for the direction). Be warned, however, for  this is often unwise. Other spells are nondirectional--they  don't require a direction.  kb Just as weapons are divided into groups in which a character  can become proficient (to varying degrees), spells are similarly  grouped. Successfully casting a spell exercises the skill group; --More--kbP6o sufficient skill may increase the potency of the spell and reduce  the risk of spell failure. Skill slots are shared with weapons  skills. (See also the section on ``Weapon proficiency''.)  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004 --More--kb SLASH'EM Guidebook 31  Casting a spell also requires flexible movement, and wearing  various types of armor may interfere with that.  The command to read a spellbook is the same as for scrolls,  `r' (read). The `+' command lists your current spells, their  levels, categories, and chances for failure. The `Z' (cast) com-  mand casts a spell. The ``#enhance'' extended command advances  your spellcasting skills.  7.10. Tools (`(') --More--kbV2 Tools are miscellaneous objects with various purposes. Some  tools have a limited number of uses, akin to wand charges. For  example, lamps burn out after a while. Other tools are contain-  ers, which objects can be placed into or taken out of.  The command to use tools is `a' (apply).  7.10.1. Containers  You may encounter bags, boxes, and chests in your travels.  A tool of this sort can be opened with the ``#loot'' extended  command when you are standing on top of it (that is, on the same  floor spot), or with the `a' (apply) command when you are carry-  ing it. However, chests are often locked, and are in any case  unwieldy objects. You must set one down before unlocking it by  using a key or lock-picking tool with the `a' (apply) comkb\3nmand, by  kicking it with the `^D' command, or by using a weapon to force --More--kbYkl the lock with the ``#force'' extended command.  Some chests are trapped, causing nasty things to happen when  you unlock or open them. You can check for and try to deactivate  traps with the ``#untrap'' extended command.  7.11. Amulets (`"')--More--kb  Amulets are very similar to rings, and often more powerful.  Like rings, amulets have various magical properties, some benefi-  cial, some harmful, which are activated by putting them on.  Only one amulet may be worn at a time, around your neck.  The commands to use amulets are the same as for rings, `P'  (put on) and `R' (remove).  7.12. Gems (`*')  Some gems are valuable, and can be sold for a lot of gold.  They are also a far more efficient way of carrying your riches.  Valuable gems increase your score if you bring them with you when  you exit.  Other small rocks are also categorized as gems, but they are --More--kbe much less valuable. All rocks, however, can be used as  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 32  projectile weapons (if you have a sling). In the most desperate  of cases, you can still throw them by hand.  7.13. Large rocks (``') --More--kb"e Statues and boulders are not particularly useful, and are  generally heavy. It is rumored that some statues are not what  they seem.  Very large humanoids (giants and their ilk) have been known  to use boulders as weapons. --More--kbGU 7.14. Gold (`$')  Gold adds to your score, and you can buy things in shops  with it. There are a number of monsters in the dungeon that may  be influenced by the amount of gold you are carrying (shopkeepers  aside).  8. Conduct  As if winning SLASH'EM were not difficult enough, certain  players seek to challenge themselves by imposing restrictions on  the way they play the game. The game automatically tracks some  of these challenges, which can be checked at any time with the  #conduct command or at the end of the game. When you perform an  action which breaks a challenge, it will no longer be listed.  This gives players extra ``bragging rights'' for winning the game  with these challenges. Note that it is perfectly acceptkb!Vable to --More--kb win the game without resorting to these restrictions and that it  is unusual for players to adhere to challenges the first time  they win the game.  Several of the challenges are related to eating behavior.  The most difficult of these is the foodless challenge. Although  creatures can survive long periods of time without food, there is  a physiological need for water; thus there is no restriction on  drinking beverages, even if they provide some minor food bene-  fits. Calling upon your god for help with starvation does not  violate any food challenges either.  A strict vegan diet is one which avoids any food derived  from animals. The primary source of nutrition is fruits and veg-  etables. The corpses and tins of blobs (`b'), jellies (`j'), and [41;kbH1H fungi (`F') are also considered to be vegetable matter. Certain  human food is prepared without animal products; namely, lembas  wafers, cram rations, food rations (gunyoki), K-rations, and C- --More--kbY>U rations. Metal or another normally indigestible material eaten  while polymorphed into a creature that can digest it is also con-  sidered vegan food. Note however that eating such items still  counts against foodless conduct. --More--kb) SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 33  Vegetarians do not eat animals; however, they are less se-  lective about eating animal byproducts than vegans. In addition  to the vegan items listed above, they may eat any kind of pudding  (`P') other than the black puddings, eggs and food made from eggs  (fortune cookies and pancakes), food made with milk (cream pies  and candy bars), and lumps of royal jelly. Monks are expected to  observe a vegetarian diet. --More--kbY; Eating any kind of meat violates the vegetarian, vegan, and  foodless conducts. This includes tripe rations, the corpses or  tins of any monsters not mentioned above, and the various other  chunks of meat found in the dungeon. Swallowing and digesting a  monster while polymorphed is treated as if you ate the creature's  corpse. Eating leather, dragon hide, or bone items while poly-  morphed into a creature that can digest it, or eating monster  brains while polymorphed into a mind flayer, is considered eating  an animal, although wax is only an animal byproduct.  Regardless of conduct, there will be some items which are  indigestible, and others which are hazardous to eat. Using a  swallow-and-digest attack against a monster is equivalent to eat-  ing thekb;F monster's corpse. Please note that the term ``vegan'' is  used here only in the context of diet. You are still free to  choose not to use or wear items derived from animals (e.g.  leather, dragon hide, bone, horns, coral), but the game will not --More--kb keep track of this for you. Also note that ``milky'' potions may  be a translucent white, but they do not contain milk, so they are  compatible with a vegan diet. Slime molds or player-defined  ``fruits'', although they could be anything from ``cherries'' to  ``pork chops'', are also assumed to be vegan.  An atheist is one who rejects religion. This means that you--More--kbO* cannot #pray, #offer sacrifices to any god, #turn undead, or  #chat with a priest. Particularly selective readers may argue  that playing Monk or Priest characters should violate this con-  duct; that is a choice left to the player. Offering the Amulet  of Yendor to your god is necessary to win the game and is not  counted against this conduct. You are also not penalized for be-  ing spoken to by an angry god, priest(ess), or other religious  figure; a true atheist would hear the words but attach no special  meaning to them.  Most players fight with a wielded weapon (or tool intended  to be wielded as a weapon). Another challenge is to win the game  without using such a wielded weapon. You are still permitted to  throw, fire, and kick weapons; use a wand, spellkb* , or other type  of item; or fight with your hands and feet.  In SLASH'EM, a pacifist refuses to cause the death of any  other monster (i.e. if you would get experience for the death). --More--kbE This is a particularly difficult challenge, although it is still  possible to gain experience by other means.  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 34  An illiterate character cannot read or write. This includes  reading a scroll, spellbook, fortune cookie message, or t-shirt; --More--kb!I writing a scroll; or reading (or making) an engraving of anything  other than a single ``x'' (the traditional signature of an illit-  erate person). Reading any item that is absolutely necessary to  win the game is not counted against this conduct. The identity  of scrolls and spellbooks (and knowledge of spells) in your  starting inventory is assumed to be learned from your teachers  prior to the start of the game and isn't counted.--More--kb) There are several other challenges tracked by the game. It  is possible to eliminate one or more species of monsters by geno-  cide; playing without this feature is considered a challenge.  When the game offers you an opportunity to genocide monsters, you  may respond with the monster type ``none'' if you want to de-  cline. You can change the form of an item into another item of  the same type (``polypiling'') or the form of your own body into  another creature (``polyself'') by wand, spell, or potion of  polymorph; avoiding these effects are each considered challenges.  Polymorphing monsters, including pets, does not break either of  these challenges. Finally, you may sometimes receive wishes; a  game without an attempt to wish for any items is a challenge, as  ikb"s a game without wishing for an artifact (even if the artifact  immediately disappears). When the game offers you an opportunity  to make a wish for an item, you may choose ``nothing'' if you  want to decline. --More--kb   9. Options  Due to variations in personal tastes and conceptions of how  SLASH'EM should do things, there are options you can set to  change how SLASH'EM behaves.  9.1. Setting the options  Options may be set in a number of ways. Within the game,  the `O' command allows you to view all options and change most of  them. You can also set options automatically by placing them in  the SLASHEMOPTIONS environment variable or in a configuration  file. Some versions of SLASH'EM also have front-end programs  that allow you to set options before starting the game.  9.2. Using the SLASHEMOPTIONS environment variable --More--kbx Y The SLASHEMOPTIONS variable is a comma-separated list of  initial values for the various options. Some can only be turned  on or off. You turn one of these on by adding the name of the  option to the list, and turn it off by typing a `!' or ``no'' be-  fore the name. Others take a character string as a value. You  can set string options by typing the option name, a colon or  equals sign, and then the value of the string. The value is ter---More--kb e minated by the next comma or the end of string.  SLASH'EM 0.0.8 May 3, 2004  SLASH'EM Guidebook 35  For example, to set up an environment variable so that ``au-  toquiver'' is on, ``autopickup'' is off, the name is set to  ``Blue Meanie'', and the fruit is set to ``papaya'', you would  enter the command --More--kba  % setenv SLASHEMOPTIONS "autoquiver,\!autopickup,name:Blue Meanie,fruit:papaya"  in csh (note the need to escape the ! since it's special to the  shell), or  $ SLASHEMOPTIONS="autoquiver,!autopickup,name:Blue Meanie,fruit:papaya"  $ export SLASHEMOPTIONS  in sh or ksh.  9.3. Using a configuration file  Any line in the configuration file starting with `#' is  treated as a comment. Any line in the configuration file start-  ing with ``OPTIONS='' may be filled out with options in the same  syntax as in SLASHEMOPTIONS. Any line starting with ``DUN-  GEON='', ``EFFECTS='', ``MONSTERS='', ``OBJECTS='', ``TRAPS='', --More--kb Y or ``BOULDER='' is taken as defining the corresponding dungeon,  effects, monsters, objects traps or boulder option in a different  syntax, a sequence of decimal numbers giving the character posi-  tion in the current font to be used in displaying each entry. A  zero in any entry in such a sequence leaves the display of that  entry unchanged; this feature is not available using the option  syntax. Such a sequence can be continued to multiple lines by--More--