 
 
                            H A C K H E L P 
 
                         for HACK version 3.6 
 
                              (release B) 
 
 
                                 -)(- 
 
 
  0.INTRODUCTION  Introduction to HACKHELP 
 
     HACKHELP is an extensive help file for the game HACK, and  
includes detailed accounts of monsters, items, treasures, and  
a good amount of helpful hints.  The author has been working on 
it for quite some time now; other data has been compiled from 
other HACK help files, such as SCROLL.WIS, or HINTS.HAC.  I extend 
my greatest admiration to the authors of HACKDOC, however, for 
its excellent content and detailed tables. 
 
     Later patches include strategies, extra data (as 
discovered), and ways to complete the game.  Since the original 
help file was so long (almost 90K!), I had to break it up into 
smaller files, since most text editors can only handle 50K or so  
at a time.   
 
     Because of the detail and (hopefully) helpfulness of this  
file, I kindly ask that readers who find it extremely 
entertaining and/or helpful contribute a donation, anywhere from 
$1 to $30 and up.  (This request sound ridiculous, but keep in 
mind - and the more experienced HACK players can vouch for this - 
the great amount of time it takes to search out kinks and data in 
HACK, and I -do- have to support myself, after all!)  If you wish 
to contribute, see the address below. 
 
     I also need to count on other HACK players for my knowledge of  
the game - it's important to hear strategies and ideas from other  
players as well!  If you have any questions (I'd be more than happy to  
answer them, but it may take a while for my response to get through),  
comments, discoveries, etc., feel free to write to the address below.   
I'd love to hear from you.  [By the way:  once I get enough responses,  
I will begin to post HACKers' hints, solves, and strategies in a  
separate file (HACKHELP.NOT), with full credit to the HACKer (or  
HACKers).]  Please be sure to include your version of HACK, and also 
your version of HACKHELP (sometimes even more important). 
 
     After going through most of the help files out on the PD 
today, I realized that there wasn't one, complete, condensed 
volume on HACK at all.  There were unorganized (though extremely 
helpful) lists and charts and tables, but nothing complete as far 
as a text file can go.  When I began to compile the data, I 
soon realized the tremendous amount of information on HACK; HACK 
is a complex game!  I intend to continue to add to the file, when 
I come across new hints, rumours, or discoveries. 
 
     [Thanx to HH, and all the others who have helped!] 
 
 
     "Despite all of the hints possible, HACK is still a difficult 
game.  To master it, the player himself must tap the keys and make all 
the decisions.  Even the best character may perish by starvation or by 
zapping a wand of death accidentally.  Just because you know how to 
defeat a cockatrice doesn't mean your character can handle a 
cockatrice.  At least it's good to know that hints and strategies do 
exist in HACK, and that the best way to prevent panic is knowledge." 
                                                              -HH 
 
 
     This is dedicated to that adventurer who tried just -one last 
time- to get that damn Wizard, or the one who got killed trying to 
find the Amulet.  Good luck.  I hope you enjoy HACK, and HACKHELP as 
much as I did writing it. 
 
                                              February, 1987 
                                              Erik Max Francis 
                                              max@darkside.com 
                                              ..!apple!uuwest!max                 
 
 
                                 -)(- 
 
 
  0.CONTENTS  Contents of HACKHELP 
 
     Sections are indexed by X.YY.Z, where X is the chapter 
index; Y is the section index; Z is the subsection index.  Tables 
are prefixed with a "T." 
 
 
 
     Table of contents. 
 
  - 0.INTRODUCTION  Introduction to HACKHELP 
    0.CONTENTS  Contents of HACKHELP 
  1.00  General 
       1.01      History 
       1.02      Environment 
       1.03      Graphics and Icons 
      T1.03-1    Icons 
       1.04      Commands 
      T1.04-1    Commands 
 
  2.00  Playing 
  3.00  Food 
       3.01      Types of Food 
      T3.01-1    Types of Food 
           -2    Types of Canned Foods 
           -2b   Distribution of Canned Foods 
           -2c   Weapons for opening cans quickly 
       3.02      Rotten Food 
      T3.02-1    Consequences of Rotten Food 
       3.03      Eating Dead Monsters 
      T3.03-1    Eating Monsters 
  4.00  Monsters 
       4.01      Edible Monsters 
      T4.01-1    Edible Monsters 
       4.02      Monster Data 
      T4.02-1    Monsters 
  5.00  Objects 
                5.00.1      Plusses 
                5.00.2      Stickeycurses 
       5.01      Weapons 
      T5.01-1    Weapons 
                5.01.1      Notes On Weapons 
                5.02.2      Projectile Weapons 
               T5.02.2-1    Projectile Ammunitions 
       5.02      Armour 
      T5.02-1    Armours 
                5.02.1      Additive Armours 
               T5.02.1-1    Additive Armours 
       5.03      Special (Appliable) Items 
       5.04      Scrolls 
       5.05      Wands 
       5.06      Rings 
  6.00  Special Rooms 
       6.01      Shops 
                6.01.1  Strategies For Dealing With Shopkeepers 
       6.02      Magical Memory Vault 
       6.03      David's Treasure Zoo 
       6.04      The Maze 
       6.05      Morgues 
  7.00  Valuable Items 
  A.00  Appendicies 
       A.01      Rumour file 
                A.01.1      Rumour File Summary 
  S.00  Strategies 
       S.01      About Strategies 
                S.01.1      Just Starting Out 
                S.01.2      Higher Levels 
       S.02      Cheating (For Fun and Profit) 
       S.03      Elbereth 
       S.04      Orcrist 
       S.05      Points 
       S.06      Luck 
 
 
 
 1.00  General 
 
     HACK is an excellent representation of Gary Gygax's  
"Dungeons & Dragons" game. 
     Your mission, in HACK, is to descend countless levels of a  
dark dungeon in order to find the "amulet," rumoured to be on the  
29th level. 
     As a human, you have a wide choice of what you can be:  a  
fighter, a cave-man, a wizard, a knight, a spelolegist, or a  
tourist.  Each class has different advantages and disadvantages:   
for instance, a knight has a variety of good weapons and armor; a  
tourist has a great deal of food. 
     HACK is available for MS-DOS machines:  IBM PC/XT/AT,  
Rainbow, and a few other IBM compatables. 
     [Warning:  HACK has been proven to be mentally addicting to  
the user.] 
 
 
 
  1.01  History 
 
     HACK is a "hacked" (i.e., illegally changed) version of the  
classic UN*X game of ROGUE.  But for anyone who has played both,  
they know that HACK and ROGUE are -quite- different, in detail -  
but it is apparent that on the basic level, HACK and ROGUE had a  
common ancestor:  an early version of ROGUE.  Those who have  
played both can detail the differences.  HACK was written  
(contrary to popular belief) in Amsterdam, Holland, -not- at  
Columbia.  The ROGUE -source- code (HACK is written in 'C') was  
once posted to the Usenet, but have since been removed. 
     Actually, there have been a myriad different D&D-type games,  
such as WIZARDRY, OUBLIETTE, etc., and some of these might have  
been ancestral to them all. 
     But, HACK certainly is a very good game in its own right,  
and (since is in public domain) is free, and is a certainly good  
way to lose a few hours.  Have fun. 
 
 
 
  1.02  Environment 
 
     You can copy save files to make a backup file of a character  
- everything is in standard DOS files.  If you get killed, then  
you can rename your backupfile, and start again from where the  
backupfile had been last saved.   
     For instance:  Before you traverse to another level, you can  
save the game (command shift-S, "S").  When HACK returns to DOS,  
you can then copy the .SAV file (with your character's name for  
the file name) to another extension, such as .BCK or .SV2.  Thus,  
whenever you die (or something unacceptably bad happens to you,)  
you can simply copy (or rename) the .BCK file to a .SAV file, and  
resume play.  Doing this, I believe, is -vitally- important to  
winning the game, or even lasting very long.   
 
 
 
  1.03  Graphics and Icons 
 
     HACK uses standard ASCII characters for play, and indeed,  
this is all it really needs.  They are not fancy; they do not  
really need to be.  Walls of rooms are represented by '-' and  
'|', corners by '+', floors by '.', and secret passages by '#'.   
Monsters (and other creatures) are represent by lowercase and  
capital letters;  a 'd' (dog) is different from a 'D' (dragon).   
Other ASCII characters used as symbols, are:  
 
  [Table, 1.03-1:  Icons]  
 
     @ - a human (you, for instance). 
     < - up staircase. 
     > - down staircase. 
     ` - large boulder. 
     ^ - a trap. 
     ) - a weapon. 
     ( - another useful object (key, rope, camera, etc.). 
     [ - a suit of armor. 
     ] - a mimic 'M' posing as a suit of armor:  see Monster  
         Tables. 
     % - a piece of food (not necessarily healthy). 
     / - a wand. 
     = - a ring. 
     ? - a scroll. 
     ! - a potion. 
     $ - a pile/pot of gold. 
 
     If, at any time, you are unsure of what a symbol represents  
(for instance, if you bump into a monster you do not recognize),  
all you need to do is type "/" (see Commands, section 1.04), and  
then the icon character you are unsure of, and HACK will display  
what that symbol represents;  in some cases, it may prompt you  
for more information (not necessary, just helpful).   
 
 
 
  1.04  Commands 
 
     HACK boasts a very large array of commands that are  
available to the explorer.  They are: 
 
  [Table 1.04-1:  Commands] 
 
     ? - help.  Either long or short.  Short displays a list of 
         commands; long displays a rather complicated summary of 
         the game. 
     Q - quit game.  You are prompted for confirmation. 
     S - save game. 
     < - up.  Go up a staircase (if you are standing on it). 
     > - down.  Go down a staircase (if you are standing on it). 
     kjhlyubn - Go one step in the direction indicated. 
                k:  north               y:  northeast 
                j:  south               u:  northwest 
                h:  west                b:  southeast 
                l:  east                n:  southwest 
                You may also change the format of these commands 
                to the numeric keypad by selecting "O" (Options, 
                q.v.), and then "IBMBIOS." 
                These eight commands will be herein abbreviated  
                as "[direct]". 
     Shift-[direct] - Move "far" in the direction indicated until  
                      you run into something "interesting."   
                      Interesting things are:  monsters, scrolls,  
                      potions, wands, rings, gems, treasure,  
                      traps, doors, and forks in corridors. 
     m + [direct] - Move in the direction indicated without  
                    picking up any objects. 
     M + [direct] - Move "far," no pickup. 
     f + [direct] - Move until something "interesting" is found.   
                    Same as above. 
     F + [direct] - Move until something "interesting" is found;  
                    but forking of corridors is not considered  
                    interesting. 
     i - print inventory. 
     I - print selective inventory. 
     ^ - request trap previously found. 
     ) - list current wielded weapon. 
     [ - list current worn armor. 
     = - list current worn rings. 
     . - rest; do nothing for a turn. 
    ^R (Ctrl-R) - redraw the screen. 
    ^P (Ctrl-P) - reprint last message.  Subsequent ^P's print  
                  earlier messages. 
     / + [any symbol] - display what this symbol represents. 
     e - eat something (food, hopefully). 
     q - drink ("quaff") a potion. 
     r - read scroll. 
     w - wield weapon. 
     T - take off armor. 
     R - remove ring. 
     W - wear armor. 
     P - put on a ring. 
     t - throw an object, or shoot a weapon.  Projectile weapons  
         are fired by first wielding the weapon, and then  
         throwing the ammunition.   
     p - pay your shopping bill (at a shop, q.v.). 
     d - drop something.  "d7a" drops 7 items of object "a." 
     D - drop several things; has complex prompt. 
         A complex prompt consists of the prompt, "What kinds of  
         things do you want to [verb]?"  Following the question  
         is a list of icons.  Type one of these icons to  
         selectively drop items from that category.  Type one of  
         the icons + "a" to drop all of the items in the  
         category, without asking for confirmation.  Type icon +  
         "u" to drop all of the unpaid (at a shop, q.v.) items in  
         that category.  Press [ESC] to abort.   
     c - name a certain object, or a class of objects. 
     C - name an individual monster (for instance, baptize your  
         dog). 
     E - write a message in the dust on the floor.  "E-" means  
         write with bare hands. 
     v - print version number. 
     \ - give a list of all identified items (scrolls, potions,  
         rings, wands, gems, etc.). 
    ^T - teleport. 
     O - options.  To turn an option on, type the name of the  
         option.  To turn it off, type "!" + its name.  See the  
         long help file for more detailed information.   
     ! - startup another copy of COMMAND.COM, if memory is  
         available. 
     # - introduces a long command; not really implemented. 
 
 
 
  2.00  Playing 
 
     HACK is a simple game to play; but difficult to master.   
Essentially, all that one does is move around the dungeon, fight 
monsters (by trying to move onto their space), and get objects  
(simply by moving on top of them).  Other commands are explained  
above. 
 
 
 
  3.00  Food 
 
     Food is an essential part of HACK; if you do not eat, you  
will die very soon. 
     The main source of food is a ration.  A food ration is a  
type of super-food; it can bring you from "fainting" to content  
in one munch.  But, unfortunately, a player cannot find enough  
food rations to survive the game.  Therefore, he must find  
alternative sources of food. 
 
 
 
  3.01  Types of Food 
 
     The various types of food are as follows: 
 
  [Table 3.01-1:  Types of Food] 
 
     food ration - super food. 
     tripe ration (dog food) - less than half as nutritious as a  
                               food ration.  Has a 1-in-2 chance  
                               of vomiting, therefore leaving you  
                               just as bad off (or slightly  
                               worse) than before you ate it.   
                               Gain one experience point. 
     pancake - small food value.  Nothing special. 
     dead lizard - small food value.  Rumoured to help against  
                   cockatrices ('c'; see Monsters) 
     fortune cookie - small food value.  After eating, a rumour  
                      (tapped from the rumour file) is displayed.   
                      See Rumours.   
     carrot - small food value.  Returns eyesight, if blind. 
     tin (q.v.) - takes a while to open.  Contains random items  
                  (see Table 3.01-2). 
     orange, apple, pear, melon, banana, candy bar  
 
     The last seven items have only a 'food value' of 1, and  
therefore, are very unimportant.  A 'tin' can contain a random  
variety of items: 
 
  [Table 3.01-2:  Types of Canned Foods] 
 
     spinach - good food.  Makes you stronger!  (Remember  
               Popeye.)  Extremely valuable - strength is  
               important.   
     peaches - good food.  No special effect. 
     salmon - good food.  Makes hands slippery for 1-15 turns  
              (i.e., you drop weapons!  [Including stickey-cursed  
              items; q.v.])  
     apple juice - mediocre food. 
     unknown substance - -disgustingly- nutritious.  It is 10  
                         times more nutritious than food rations.   
     rotten meat - dangerous.  Food value is -negative- 50;  
                   takes away food points! 
     empty can - no food value, obviously. 
 
  [Table 3.01-2b:  Distribution of Canned Foods]] 
 
     spinach - 1-in-2. 
     others - 1-in-12. 
 
  [Table 3.01-2c:  Weapons for Opening Tins Quickly] 
 
     axe, crysknife, and dagger 
 
 
 
  3.02  Rotten Food 
 
     Sometimes food that is eaten is rotten.  This means that its  
food value is one-fourth normal value, and that some consequences  
follow.   
     Normal chances for rotten food (unless fortune cookie, or  
dead monster) is 1-in-7. 
 
  [Table 3.02-1:  Consequences of Rotten Food] 
 
     1 in 4 - confusion (2d4 turns). 
    3 in 16 - blindness (3d10 turns, if not blind already). 
    3 in 16 - loss of consciousness (1-10 turns). 
     3 in 8 - no harm. 
 
 
 
  3.03  Eating Dead Monsters 
 
     Since most "normal" types of food are rather rare, players  
will have to eat the monsters they kill for food.  Some monsters  
are -inedible-; they are "tainted."  After eating an inedible 
monster, you get the message "Ulch -- that meat was tainted!  You  
get very sick."  If you do not have an extra healing potion  
(q.v.) or royal jelly, you are dead within a few moves - you die  
of food poisoning. 
     Also, if the monster is not freshly killed (i.e., you killed  
him only a few turns ago), then you may also get food poisoning. 
     A list of edible and inedible monsters follows in the  
Monsters section. 
     Sometimes, after eating a monster, the monster bestows you  
with certain magical abilities.  These are: 
 
  [Table 3.03:  Eating Monsters] 
 
     acid blob, giant ant, giant beetle, dragon, homunculous,  
                kobold, snake, vampire - poison (save 1-in-5). 
     bat - you become confused. 
     cockatrice - you turn to stone.  (Avoid!) 
     dog, human - you aggravate all monsters.  (You get  
                  the message, "You cannibal!  You'll pay  
                  for this!")  
     dragon - you can resist fire. 
     floating eye - you become telepathic (q.v.). 
     freezing sphere, yeti - you can resist cold. 
     invisible stalker, yellow light - you become confused; also  
                                       enables you to see  
                                       invisible.   
     killer bee, scorpion - poison (save 1-in-5); you can resist  
                            poison thereafter. 
     leprechaun, nymph, tengu - you teleport occasionally  
                                (uncontrollably).   
     mimic - you mimic a treasure chest for 30 moves. 
     nurse - all your hit points are restored; you aggravate all  
             monsters. 
     wraith - you gain a level of experience.  (-Extremely-  
              important!) 
 
     floating eye, leprechaun, nymph, orc, purple worm, quasit,  
            rust monster, umber hulk, unicorn, xan, zruty - you  
            get sick (and lose 1d8 hit points).   
 
 
 
  4.00  Monsters 
 
     Monsters are the beasties that are represented by the  
letters 'a' to 'z' and 'A' to 'Z'.  A few monsters' symbols are  
punctuation; these are the special ones. 
     The term "monster" merely means a creature that inhabits the  
dungeon; all monsters are -not- necessarily enemies.  Some are  
even beneficial. 
 
 
 
  4.01  Edible Monsters 
 
     Here is a list of the edible monsters (ones that will not  
kill you from food poisoning): 
 
  [Table 4.01-1:  Edible Monsters] 
 
     a - acid blob.  (No food value; does damage.) 
     b - giant beetle. 
     d - dog. 
     e - ettin. 
     f - fog cloud. 
     i - imp. 
     j - jaguar. 
     l - leocrotta. 
     m - minotaur; probably edible. 
     n - nurse.  (Aggravates all monsters). 
     o - owlbear; probably edible. 
     p - piercer. 
     q - quivering blob. 
     r - giant rat. 
     t - tengu.  (You teleport occasionally.) 
     u - unicorn.  Edible, but don't kill!  This is a good guy. 
     v - violet fungi. 
     w - long worm; possible edible. 
     x - xan; probably edible. 
     z - zruty; probably edible. 
     A - giant ant. 
     B - giant bat; causes confusion. 
     C - centaur; corpse is very heavy. 
     D - dragon; corpse is unliftable (but nutritious enough). 
     E - floating eye; causes telepathy. 
     F - freezing sphere; gives cold protection. 
     G - gnome. 
     H - hobgoblin; good food source. 
     I - invisible stalker; gives 'see invisible.' 
     J - jackal; sometimes starts out a bit rotten (not enough to  
         kill you, however). 
     L - leprechaun.  (You teleport occasionally.) 
     M - mimic; you mimic a treasure chest for 30 turns. 
     N - nymph.  (You teleport occasionally.) 
     O - orc; rarely edible. 
     P - purple worm; probably edible. 
     Q - quasit; probably edible. 
     R - rust monster; probably edible. 
     S - snake; probably edible. 
     T - troll; probably edible. 
     U - umber hulk; probably edible. 
     V - vampire; probably edible. 
     W - wraith; increases level. 
     X - xorn; probably edible. 
     Y - yeti; provides cold resistance. 
     Z - zombie. 
     @ - you, a shopkeeper; edible (shopkeeper), but aggravates  
         all monsters. 
 
     Note:  "probably edible" indicates that they -should- be edible;  
the author has never ran into a corpse long enough to eat it.  (A list  
of inedible monsters did -not- include these.) "rarely edible" (for  
orcs) indicates that the monster is usual edible, but sometimes starts  
out slightly rotten.  If you do not eat it quickly, then it is  
definitely inedible.   
 
 
 
  4.02  Monster data 
 
     Every monster has its own special strength, armour, and  
special magical abilities.  They are: 
 
  [Table 4.02-1:  Monsters] 
 
     a - acid blob.  Never attacks unless confused; but when you  
hit it, it may splash you with acid and corrode your  
weapons/armour.  (Elven cloaks and leather armor are not  
affected.)  Worth 9 experience points (XP), so good for building  
your levels at first.  An acid splash can do as much as 8 points  
of damage.  Slow and easy to fake out. 
     b - giant beetle.  Nothing special. 
     c - cockatrice.  -Very dangerous.-  If it hits you, it will  
turn you to stone (i.e., you die).  Even if it misses, it has a  
one-in-five chance of doing so -just- by hissing (e.g., "You  
hear the cockatrice's hissing!").  Touching a dead cockatrice is  
also lethal, unless you are wearing gloves.  If you threw things  
at it, do not try to retrieve them until detect food potion says  
there is no corpse underneath.  Don't even think of eating it.   
Gloves are not even foolproof; watch the staircases.  Any monster  
turned to stone by a living cockatrice (turned to your side  
through ring of conflict, scroll of taming, wand of polymorph (on  
your dog)) turns into a pile of rocks.  Monsters you hit with a  
dead one seem to be normal corpses.  The wand of cancellation  
does -not- stop petrification!  There is a rumour that dead  
lizards may prevent the process, but it is uncertain.  One  
untested theory is to wield the lizard and swing at the  
cockatrice.  Unsure. 
     d - dog; yours or that of a previous owner (ghost).  If you  
throw tripe rations or anything else edible (but not rotten  
corpses) at a wild dog, it will become tame.  If you leave a  
tamed dog on another level, it instantly turns wild.  A tame dog  
(including yours) will not attack you unless confused.  He can  
starve to death (just like you) and will become confused just  
before his demise.  ("You feel worried about [your dog]." means  
he is getting dangerously low on food; "You have sad feelings for  
a moment, and then it passes." means your dog has just died.)   
Little dogs grow to become -big- dogs as the game progresses.   
There is nothing (except a cockatrice) that a big dog cannot at  
least and stand a reasonable chance of killing.  He seems to kill  
only for food, however, with only a few exceptions (such as acid  
blobs or kobolds, q.v.).  If you are fighting and he has a high  
"loyalty quotient" (q.v.), he may eventually get the idea.  Note:   
Dogs will not step on a stickeycursed item.  [Hint - dogs are fun  
to polymorph; ever had a tame cockatrice?]  Eating a dog causes  
you to thereafter aggravate all monsters.  Not sure if this  
affect continues through succeeding levels. 
     e - ettin.  In D&D, hard to surprise...in HACK, hard to kill  
(meaner than a troll!). 
     f - fog cloud.  Very weak.  24 XP, -real- bargain. 
     g - gelatinous cube.  Occasionally paralyzes by touch (only  
when it hits you, though).  Not edible. 
     h - homunculous.  Its bite can put you to sleep.  Not  
edible. 
     i - imp.  Poor attack, but very hard to hit.  ...You might  
even starve to death trying to kill one. 
     j - jaguar.  Has multiple attacks, but does not inflict much  
damage.  (Still an annoyance.) 
     k - killer bee.  Always appears in swarms.  If you get hit,  
you may find that the bee's sting was poisoned (gulp!).  If you  
haven't already eaten a killer bee or scorpion, eat one fast (see  
food hints, Section 3.03).  Always created in swarms by scroll of  
create monster.  Unlike orcs, these are medium-tough monsters,  
and there is no 'Orcrist' (q.v.) for them. 
     l - leocrotta.  Master of hit-and-run tactics.  Tends to  
take three or so hits, and then step back.  A real pain when you  
are fighting one or more other monsters at the same time. 
     m - minotaur.  The kind of the mazes which exist on the  
lowest levels of the dungeon (approx. 27 and lower).  One of  
these 'bull-headed' monsters can be found in each maze level.   
Kill him, and you will find a wand of digging (-very- helpful). 
     n - nurse.  Tends to wear a ring, but not always.  Eat to  
restore hit points, but you will thereafter aggravate all  
monsters, like the dog.  The nurse does a -lot- of damage when  
she hits if you are wielding a weapon, or wearing any armour at  
all (including gloves and shields and helmets).  If you are  
completely naked (and defenceless), she heals you, restores all  
hit points, and raises maximum hit points!  ('Elbereth' works to  
stop her either way.) 
     o - owlbear.  If he gets a good hit on you, he will embrace  
you in a bear hug!  You are then unlikely to be able to escape  
short of killing it, or teleporting away. 
     p - piercer.  Can drop from the ceiling by surprise.  If it  
falls and hits you, it might do up to 30+HP damage!  Once on the  
ground, however, it is not too much of a problem.  (Helmets  
protect from this:  "The blow glances off your helmet!")  10 XP.   
A hanging (hidden) piercer may be found by searching. 
     q - quivering blob.  Weak and slow. 
     r - giant rat.  Edible, and one of the prime sources of  
monster food in the dungeon. 
     s - scorpion.  Poisonous sting, as for killer bees.  Edible  
for poison resistance (with poison damage the first time).  Like  
snakes, scorpions often hide under objects on the ground.  While  
he's under something, however, you can throw missiles at him from  
across the room.  (He will hide under the first one, then sit  
still for you to hit him with more.) 
     t - tengu.  Tends to engage guerilla tactics, like the  
leocrotta.  Tengus teleport short distance while in battle, and  
may even be able to follow you (!) when you teleport away.   
Eating the corpse causes you to teleport occasionally. 
     u - unicorn.  Don't fight!  This is a good guy.  Throw gems  
at it; if the gems are valuable, the unicorn will graciously  
accept your gift, and raise your luck by five points (without  
notifying you, however)...luck is an internal variable, and deals  
with "getting that last hit" on the monster, or how many monsters  
on each level, etc.  If you throw an unidentified gem, he will  
raise it one point (maybe).  If you throw glass that has been  
identified, you may get killed (unsure of how; rumour). 
     v - violet fungi.  Slow and edible. 
     w - long worm.  Has a long body (each segment appears as a  
'~') behind a head (as a 'w').  Only the head can hit you, though  
you can hit (and destroy) it at any segment along its length.   
Hitting the last segment is by far the best approach.  Tends to  
hit in long bursts and then pause for a time.  (Doesn't seem to  
do all that much damage per hit; it's the number of hits that he  
gets in.)  Be careful when you are hacking away at the worm's  
middle; you can split it in half!  Each broken segment becomes a  
-separate- long worm!  (Better to attack from the last segment  
and go up to the head.)  Worth a whopping 115 XP.  [Hint:   
looking under the corpse reveals a worm tooth, and enchanting  
that (enchant weapon scroll while wielding tooth), produces a  
crysknife (!), one of the most powerful weapons in the dungeon.   
     x - xan.  Pricks your leg, and lowers your load capacity  
(the amount of objects you can carry without collapsing).  Potion  
of speed or royal jelly (?) will cure it.  A real pain; usually  
found under 20th level...good candidate for scroll of genocide. 
     y - yellow light.  if it hits, it will blind you and  
disappear.  Blindness is temporary; much shorter than the potion  
of blindness.  (q.v., floating eye) 
     z - zruty.  Nothing special (?).  Multiple attacks. 
     A - giant ant.  Poisonous sting can lower your strength. 
     B - giant bat.  Jumps around a lot.  Not very powerful, but  
fast enough that it can hit you and get out of hand-to-hand  
range.  Eating corpse causes confusion like the potion, but no  
warning message.  Good as dog treat, though. 
     C - centaur.  Fast and powerful.  Edible, but corpse is  
-very- heavy. 
     D - dragon.  Megamonster.  Nasty attack, or breathes fire  
(!).  -The- best reason to own a ring of fire resistance (or have  
previously eaten a dragon's corpse) on the lower levels.   
Unfortunately, a dragon's corpse is an unliftable object; but can  
be eaten while standing over (takes a long time to eat, too!).   
Dragons can breathe flame at you -even- through walls, although  
they probably won't hit you.  (Probably.)  Particularly common in  
mazes (levels 27+).  A dragon at the back of a 'zoo' (q.v.) can  
be helpful, flames at you, and fries the intervening monsters.   
Dragons can even flame through 'Elbereth'!  Fire seems to be  
every bit as bad as a bolt of fire - maybe even worse.  They and  
their breath are unaffected by the wand of cancellation. 
     E - floating eye.  Its gaze can paralyze you, leaving you  
game for other monsters.  However, it can only do this when you  
are attacking hand-to-hand.  Eating a corpse makes you sick (you  
lose some hit points), but bestows telepathy; whenever you are  
blind, you know what and where every monster on that level is.   
This turns yellow lights and potions of blindness into near  
godsends when you have most of the level mapped out.  To get  
corpse without getting paralyzed, stand next to it while doggie  
gets it.  Once he kills it, just step in and grab it before he  
can.  (Note for tourists:  use camera to blind it.  Blinded  
floating eyes cannot defend themselves.)  Or, throw things at it  
if you're dog is deceased.  Unaffected by wand of cancellation;  
wand of invisibility doesn't work, either. 
     F - freezing sphere.  Eating corpse gives protection from  
cold, just as the ring, but permanent (but may do poison damage).   
Usually gives you a blast when fighting.  Exploding freezing  
spheres leave no corpses.  It is rather easy to kill at a  
distance; two crossbow bolts will do the job.  Ring of cold  
resistance will protect you from explosions, as will having  
previously eaten a sphere corpse. 
     G - gnome.  Edible; another of the prime sources of monster- 
food in the dungeon. 
     H - hobgoblin.  Edible; the most common of the sources of  
monster-food.  But a single attack can do up to 8 points of  
damage - enough to seriously disable a just-starting adventurer. 
     I - invisible stalker.  Monster is invisible; the letter 'I'  
is only what you see with ring/potion of see invisible (or  
telepathy while blinded).  Eating corpse confuses you, and/or  
allows you to see invisible thereafter - not to mention making  
-you- invisible for a time! 
     J - jackal.  Usually edible, but seems to start out a bit  
rotten.  (Not enough to kill you; just to confuse you.) 
     K - kobold.  Not edible.  Nothing else special. 
     L - leprechaun.  If it hits while you are carrying gold, it  
will do no damage, but teleport away with a lot of your gold!   
(Have no fear - he is still somewhere on -that- level.)  Can also  
pick up piles of gold...even from under your feet.  Eating corpse  
may do poison damage, but always bestows teleportation as the  
ring, but permanently.  Usually have a pile of gold on their  
person, including any they took from you previously during the  
game.  Good for building up experience points in the lower levels  
- 40 or more XP! 
     M - mimic.  Poses as an object in a shop (q.v.) or  
elsewhere.  Step outside of the ship, and the items that vanish  
are/were mimics.  Once they hit you, they can prevent you from  
moving of the square you were on until you kill them, or  
teleport away.  Edible - when eaten, you mimic a treasure chest  
for 30 moves!  In shops, mimics are usually seen as "inverted"  
armour, i.e., if you see a ']', then it is a mimic.  (Armour's  
icon is '['.)  They also often pose as doorways, or chests of  
gold.  They can be discovered by searching.  Wand of cancellation  
will also find them out. 
     N - nymph.  "Seduces" you into letting her take some of your  
possessions.  After she does this, she teleports away (but as  
with the leprechaun, she remains somewhere on that level).  Kill  
her, and you get your possessions back.  Eating a corpse is just  
like eating a leprechaun's corpse.  Ignores 'Elbereth' - it is  
not considered -attacking.-  (But...q.v. ring of adornment.)  You  
can ignore her charms if you use the wand of cancellation. 
     O - orc.  Always appear in swarms.  See one, and you know  
that there are others on the dungeon - probably right behind the  
first.  Rarely edible.  May have personal treasure.  Scroll/wand  
of create monster (but not polymorph) may create 8 or 9 of them,  
surrounding you!  [Special note:  if you name your weapon  
"Orcrist," you get a -hefty- bonus on damage when you hit one of  
these - but this only works on orcs.]  They can carry around  
items that they found on the floor. 
     P - purple worm.  Not that hard to deal with, by the time  
that you get to that level.  They swallow and digest you (!) just  
like the trapper (q.v., explained there)...they digest faster  
than trappers do, and towards the (your) end, you cannot hit.   
This is their main attack, and it is very dangerous. 
     Q - quasit.  Fast!  Can move/attack 3 spaces per turn, but  
does little damage per hit. 
     R - rust monster.  Rusts armour when it hits.  Items which  
will rust are all armour except leather, and helmets.  You will  
be glad to know that elven cloaks, shields, and gloves are  
unaffected.  An even cloak will even protect the armour beneath  
it from rusting!  Note, that once you start taking armour off, he  
cannot harm it.  Takes no hit points.  Try a wand of  
cancellation.  An item may only be rusted to '-3' (?). 
     S - snake.  Can hide under objects on the floor, like a  
scorpion.  Nothing special other than that. 
     T - troll.  In D&D and ROGUE, regenerates its wounds.  HACK  
trolls do not seem to be as nasty as the ones in ROGUE, but are  
still quite a formidable enemy.  Several hits per turn. 
     U - umber hulk.  Chance of confusing you (as for potion of  
confusion) if you "catch sight" of it.  Save a potion of  
blindness (and a potion of healing, if you can) for the umber  
hulk if you detect him before hand.  Unlike ROGUE, umber hulks  
seem to have more than one chance of confusing you.  Alternately,  
you can just sit on 'Elbereth' and throw rocks at it as long as  
you can.  [Note:  an umber hulk can -definitely- confuse you even  
after you've been fighting it for a while.] 
     V - vampire.  In ROGUE, removed experience levels...in HACK,  
does not seem to (but might, however, in other versions).  You  
can drive it away with one hit while wielding a clove of garlic.   
     W - wraith.  In D&D, drains one level/hit.  In HACK, drops you an  
experience level if it gets in a good hit.  In extreme cases, it  
may even take several levels if it hits well several times.  When  
you kill it, you will go back up one level if you've lost  
any...but won't get the extra experience points.  Wraiths usually  
don't drain levels if you have good armour.  Eat corpse to gain  
an experience level (!) - one of the main ways to increase levels  
in HACK (and, as the game progresses, one of the only ones,  
excluding the potion of increase level). 
     X - xorn.  In HACK, a xorn is a rather tough monster,  
roughly equivalent to an ettin. 
     Y - yeti.  Large; gives cold resistance, when eaten. 
     Z - zombie.  Edible...nothing else special. 
 
     Other (non-alphabetically iconned) monsters, are: 
     @ - a human.  Either you or a shopkeeper.  Shopkeepers will  
kill you if you get them mad enough without killing them fast.   
They are very tough; three or more cold bolts, or -five- or more  
fire bolts.  They -ignore- 'Elbereth.'  If you teleport out with  
unpaid items, they will not hold a "grudge" (i.e., they will not  
kill you when you return), -but,- they will accept contributions  
instead of buying items.  See shops for "other" ways of dealing  
with them.  Don't try to genocide (with scroll) shopkeepers -  
you're only human, too!  Rumours seem to indicate that  
killing/eating humans reduces your luck (an internal variable)  
dramatically.  It -certainly- kills telepathy (but, you can  
regain it again in the usual manner).  Eating a shopkeeper  
produces the message, "You cannibal!  You'll pay for this!"   
Every monster on that level (and possible succeeding levels)  
heads after you with blood in its eye(s).  You may encounter a  
shop on a ghost (q.v.) level which has been robbed by the ghost.   
In that case, the shopkeeper is likely to take -your- money for  
the items stolen by the ghost! 
     , - trapper.  Unlike its AD&D counterpart, the trapper in  
HACK does not bother to hide its presence.  The trapper does  
possess a unique attack capability (which the purple worm also  
has) - it simple swallows and digests you.  After being swallowed  
by a trapper, you will get the message "The trapper digests you!"  
every third turn or so.  You can still hit him from within, and  
stand a fairly good chance of killing him...but if you don't,  
after about six such messages, you get the message, "The trapper  
digests you totally!" - you die.  If you have been swallowed by  
a trapper, you may polymorph (with wand) into some other creature  
whose digestive tract may be less hostile.  [Hint:  ever been  
inside a nymph?]  Wands of digging will blast through his  
stomach, leaving him very weak.  Might take more than two bolts  
of cold (from inside) to kill him, though.  When teleporting out  
of a trapper, a ring of teleport control will let you choose  
where you want to go as usual; but not which level while  
choosing!  A wand of teleport monster will take you with the  
trapper.  Note:  Digestion seems to be cumulative...so if you  
escape a trapper after being digested five times, ve -very- wary  
of being swallowed by another - he may digest you totally in one  
turn!  There may be something that cures digestion, like a potion  
of speed cures xan pricks, but it isn't extra healing.  Possibly  
royal jelly. 
     & - demon.  A monster between the strength of a xorn and a  
purple worm.  Has very good armour class and magic resistance.   
(Note:  demons are -not- resistant to fire.)  Demons can  
-replicate,- that is, one demon will give rise to a second (in an  
adjacent space - if there is one!), and then a third, etc.   
Either just destroy the replicants individually, or use a wand of  
cancellation (?).  The wand of undead turning makes them -turn  
tail- and run. 
     ~ - lurker above.  In HACK, does not seem to do anything out  
of the ordinary. 
     : - chameleon.  While the mimic mimics objects, the  
chameleon will mimic other monsters.  When hard-pressed, a  
chameleon may revert to its original form (':').  Also, unlike  
the mimic, the chameleon changes form constantly - so if you see  
one monster one minute, and the next turn it is different, then  
it is probably a chameleon.  Warning:  chameleons have at least  
some of the powers of the monster they appear as!  Also,  
chameleons can pose as previously genocided monsters...so if you  
see a monster that you had genocided in that game, then you got a  
chameleon on your hands.  Additional notes:  chameleons posing as  
cockatrices -can- turn you to stone; when they pose as dragons,  
they can blow flame; when posing as invisible stalkers, they are  
invisible.  Chameleons posing as unicorns accept gems! 
     " ", a space - ghost.  Incredibly hard to hit.  Does little  
damage, but hits relatively often.  Always has a "ghost horde"  
around (on the level somewhere), which can be obtained by killing  
the ghost, or by just sneaking around it.  But, all items in the  
horde are stickeycursed - but -not- necessarily minus on  
protection/to hit!  Sneaking around a ghost is much easier than  
trying to destroy it - they move slowly.  But don't get caught in  
a dead end - you'll either get killed, or starve to death (or,  
survive, if you're lucky).  Note:  If a ghost kills you, you  
-become- a ghost (i.e., "John Ghost") on the same level, and on  
the same spot where you were killed.  If many people get ghosted  
there, future adventurers could find 5 or 6 ghosts - and their  
dogs, too!  This can get them killed before they can escape,  
which of course aggravates the problem.  Ghosts are surprisingly  
easy to kill if you have a lot of experience (level 11+).  Hack  
[sic] away.  Worth 175 XP!  If you are about to die on a ghost  
level (and you know it), drop everything you have - that way,  
when you become a ghost, your horde will not be stickeycursed! 
 
 
 
  5.00  Objects 
       
     A very basic part of the game are objects - those things  
that you find in the dungeon and use to help you defeat the game.   
Most items are plussed (q.v.), and some are stickycursed  
(q.v.).  Each object you will find has its own particular  
strongpoint...i.e., weapons are all wielded ('w') to attack  
monsters; armours are all worn ('W') to add to your armour class.   
 
 
 
  5.00.1  Plusses 
 
     Most objects can be "plussed" - that is, they have a bonus  
(which is revealed before the name, e.g., "+3 mace")...this means  
that they do whatever they do "better"...a +3 mace hits better  
than a +1 mace.  On the other hand, an object can also be  
-minussed-...almost all minussed items are "stickycursed."  
(q.v.)  
 
 
 
  5.00.2  Stickycurses 
 
     A "stickycursed" item is one which you cannot remove once  
you put on/wield/wear, etc.  For example, if you came across an  
armour that was stickycursed, when you put it on ('W'), it would  
act normally as far as an armour would.  But, when you try to  
take it off ('T'), you get the message, "You can't.  It appears to  
be cursed."  This means that you will -have- to wear it until you  
can find a scroll of remove curse (q.v.).  Usually, a  
stickycursed item will have a -negative- plus...e.g., -2 plate  
mail. 
 
 
 
  5.01  Weapons 
 
     Weapons are, obviously, the things you use to kill monsters  
with.  Every different weapon has its own unique strength value,  
and every separate weapon has its own plus (see Section 5.00.1).   
A weapon must be identified (via scroll of identify) before you  
know what the plus is - unless you started out with it in the  
start of the game.   
      
     A list of them are: 
 
 
  [Table 5.01-1:  Weapons] 
 
     (Listed from most powerful to least:) 
 
     ball and chain (via scroll of punishment) 
     crysknife 
     long sword 
     boomerang 
     spear 
     mace 
     two-handed sword 
     flail 
     axe 
     dagger 
     worm tooth (un-enchanted) 
 
 
 
  5.01.1  Notes On Weapons 
 
     Scroll of enchant weapon.  There are two of these.  Each one  
will increase the plus (bonus) on the weapon that you are  
wielding.  If you are not wielding a weapon, then it will not  
enchant any weapon.  The first kind says, "Your [weapon] glows  
green for a moment."  This adds a +1 bonus to your weapon.  The  
second is "...glows green for a while."  This adds +2 to it.   
 
     Crysknives.  To create a crysknife, you must kill a long  
worm (q.v. under monsters), and then get the worm tooth from  
under its corpse (you may have to look under the body).  Wield  
it, read a scroll of enchant weapon (+1 or +2, does not matter),  
and it will instantly become a crysknife:  one of the most  
powerful weapons in the dungeon...rumour has it only the ball and  
chain are better.  It will remain as a crysknife until you  
unwield it...so beware of accidentally 'w-'ing.   
 
     Ball and chain.  If you accidentally read a scroll of  
punishment (q.v.), a ball and chain (icon '@_0') attaches to your  
leg and slows your speed capability.  But if you get it and wield  
it, it can serve has a devastating weapon.  It will kill almost  
anything with one blow (?).   
 
 
 
  5.01.2  Projectile Weapons 
 
     Projectile weapons are weapons that can be fired at a  
monster without having to get into a space adjacent to it (for  
hand-to-hand combat).  To fire a projectile weapon, wield ('w'  
command) a ranged weapon (i.e., bow, crossbow, etc.), and throw  
('t' command) the ammunition.  After the battle, you can simply  
run around and pick up all the ammo you'd thrown. 
     A list of them: 
 
  [Table 5.01.2-1:  Projectile Ammunitions]  
 
     arrow 
     sling bullet 
     crossbow bolt 
     rock 
     dart 
 
 
 
  5.02  Armour 
 
     Armour are the things you use to protect yourself when a  
monster attacks you.  Each armour has its own special defence  
value; measured in "armour class" (AC).  The -lower- the armour  
class, the better the protective value...for example, bare skin  
(no armour at all) has an AC of 10, while leather has one of 8.   
Also, any given suit can have a plus or minus (see Weapons,  
A list of them (in increasing order of protection), is as  
follows: 
 
     Armour in general.  In addition to each separate type of  
armour having its own special basic armour class, they can also  
be plussed or minussed...and also, each type takes a certain  
amount of time to put on/remove.  Therefore, if you are fighting  
a monster, and you start taking off your armour, the monster will  
be free to hack away at you while you're taking it off.  Once you  
start either (take off or put on) process, you will follow  
through no matter what is happening around you. 
 
  [Table 5.02-1:  Armours] 
 
     none 
     leather 
     ring 
     studded 
     chain 
     splint  \  Have the same armour 
     banded  /  armour class. 
     plate mail 
  
 
 
  5.02.1  Additive Armours 
 
     Additive armours (those which you can wear over the ones  
above) are: 
 
  [Table 5.02.1-1:  Additive Armours] 
 
     shield 
     helmet 
     gloves 
     elven cloak 
 
     (All of which decrease [better protection, remember] your AC  
by one.) 
 
     Elven cloaks.  Elven cloaks are magic cloaks which decrease  
your armour class by one.  Rumour also has it that they protect  
you from enchantments.  Elven cloaks -do- protect the armour  
underneath from rusting (via rust monster attack) or being  
dissolved by a splash of an acid blob's acid.  They can be  
enchanted via scroll of armour enchant. 
 
     Helmets.  Helmets, like elven cloaks, are prone to being  
dissolved by the acid blob's splash, but they protect you from  
falling (i.e., hidden) piercers...and from rocks dropping on you  
in mazes (if you get that far). 
 
     Gloves.  Gloves normally improve your armour class by one,  
but, by far their greatest advantages is preventing you from  
being turned to stone by cockatrice cadavers.  Syntax is "a pair  
of +3 gloves."  Gloves also allow you to pick up cockatrice  
cadavers and -wield- them, hitting other monsters with them and  
instantly turning -them- to stone!  However, if you accidentally  
"fall down stairs" (from carrying too heavy a load), you will  
accidentally touch the cadaver, and die.  (Note, this is also  
"inconsiderate" to future players, as if you become a ghost, any  
player taking your horde will encounter the cockatrice cadaver  
-before- getting the gloves, and therefore (if s/he does not  
already have a pair of gloves), will turn to stone.)  Also note  
that the cockatrice cadaver -does- eventually rot away. 
 
 
 
  5.03  Special (Appliable) Items 
 
     These are objects you can use/apply ('A' command), to make  
them do whatever their (usually obvious) purpose permits.  These  
include blowing a whistle, opening an icebox, etc. 
 
     Whistles.  When you apply an ordinary whistle (syntax is "a  
whistle"), you "produce a high pitched sound," and your dog  
(possibly if within a certain range?) immediately heads in your  
direction.  This is particularly helpful if you are getting ready  
to go down a level, or teleporting randomly from eating a dead  
leprechaun.  Magic whistles (syntax is "magic whistle") produce a  
"strange" whistling sound, and your dog is instantly teleported  
to you.  There seems to be one drawback to this, however, which  
is that whenever you blow (either?) whistle, you may wake up  
other denizens of the level whom you would rather not see awake -  
such as leprechauns, nymphs, etc. 
 
     Icebox.  This is the box that the spelolegist starts out  
with.  Corpses promptly placed in it will not spoil!  It is,  
however, terribly heavy, and you must be carrying -both- the  
corpse, -and- the box to use it in this respect.  You might want  
to leave it on the first level until you've built up enough  
strength to handle it easily (such as, after eating some spinach  
[q.v.]). 
 
     Camera.  Tourists start out with this one.  Flash in the  
direction of a monster, and it will be temporarily blinded!   
(Also, Tourists start the game with a tremendous amount of food.) 
 
     Keys and ropes.  Never seen one.  They are mentioned in the  
help file (HH.; '?' command), and presumably they can be wished  
for (syntax unknown).  Rumours indicate that the keys are (as  
expected) for locking and unlocking doors - however, I do not  
believe any of these exist.  There are certainly no doors (known)  
in HACK. 
 
 
 
  5.04  Scrolls 
 
     Scrolls (icons are '?') are magical scrolls of paper which  
have spells written on them.  You read ('r' command) a spell to  
invoke its function. 
 
     Scroll of identify.  Very important.  This will identify  
-any- object that you possess - including other scrolls.  Reveals  
the nature of any weapon, armour, useful object, wand, ring,  
scroll, potion, etc., including the plus, if there is one (for  
instance, "+1 mace").   
 
     Scroll of food detection.  Briefly shows the location of all  
food on the current level, and then returns to the normal  
viewing manner. 
 
     Scroll of gold detection.  As above, but reveals location of  
gold.  (Note:  four gold in a square pattern indicate a Magical  
Memory Vault - see special rooms.) 
 
     Scroll of fire.  Reduces your maximum hit points -  
permanently.  Not good. 
 
     Scroll of genocide.  Everybody's favourite scroll.  Enter  
the icon of the monster you don't want to put up with anymore,  
and - poof! - it's gone!  Also prevents the creation by scroll or  
wand of more monsters of that type.  (Note:  genociding  
cockatrices will -not- remove the cadavers, so keep looking out  
for those ghost hoards!)  However, you cannot genocide monsters  
represented by punctuation marks (chameleons, trappers, demons,  
lurkers above).  Does -not- prevent you from polymorphing a  
monster into the genocided type, or chameleons (q.v.) from  
assuming that form.  If you try to double-genocide a type, you  
lose - no effect, scroll is used up.  Genociding humans ('@') is  
clearly suicidal. 
 
     Scroll of destroy armour.  One random item of armour - from  
those worn - destroyed:  "Your armor turns to dust and falls to  
the floor!"  A nightmare for most HACKers, but a near godsend for  
adventurers wearing stickeycursed armour. 
 
     Scroll of enchant armour.  There are two types of these.   
One of them makes your armor glow green "for a moment," and this  
adds +1 one to the plus on the armour.  The other makes your  
armour glow green "for a while," and adds +2.  Removes  
stickeycurse from the item if there is one.  Don't try to go too  
far; armour seems to have a 50/50 chance of evaporating (!) every  
time you enchant it over +3.  If you have only skin for armour,  
you get a strange feeling for a moment. 
 
     Scroll of enchant weapon.  Same as above, but for weapons.   
Also, a worm's tooth (see long worms, in monster descriptions) is  
enchanted into a crysknife, one of the most powerful weapons in  
the dungeon.  If you are not wielding a weapon, you get a  
"strange feeling for a moment, and then it passes."   
 
     Scroll of damage weapon.  Similar to enchants, but -reduces-  
the plus by one.  Makes the item "glow black."  No effect on or  
of stickeycurses.  If weapon is a crysknife, then it turns it back  
into a worm's tooth, and reports that your weapon seems duller. 
 
     Scroll of magic mapping.  All rooms, corridors, secret  
doors, and stairs on level are revealed, and remain on the screen  
during the adventure. 
 
     Scroll of amnesia.  The nemesis of magic mapping:  makes you  
forget all of the level map (except for your spot and the eight  
points directly adjacent to it). 
 
     Scroll of taming.  Difficult to figure out.  If a monster is  
in sight (or in the eight cardinal points only?) it becomes tame  
(just like your "little dog"), but there is no message.  The  
monster is then equivalent to a polymorphed dog.  Thereafter, the  
scroll -is- named in inventory as if identified.  Reading it when  
surrounded by multiple monsters seems only to affect the ones in  
the eight cardinal points.  If you abandon a tame monster on a  
level (and descend/ascend to another), it will go wild, and will  
-not- be pacified by throwing tripe rations to it. 
 
     Scroll of remove curse.  "You feel like someone is helping  
you."  Gets rid of -all- stickeycurses on worn items.  This  
scroll is -very- important!  (Also removes the iron ball [q.v.]) 
 
     Scroll of create monster.  One monster in an adjacent square  
created, appropriate to level (usually?).  Note, that if it  
creates an orc or killer bee, it will create a whole -swarm- of  
them. 
 
     Scroll of monster confusion.  "Your hands begin to glow  
blue."  The next monster you hit with a hand-to-hand blow will be  
confused, and your hands will stop glowing.  A confused monster,  
assuming it survives the blow that confused it, will move in  
random directions, attacking anything in its path.  This includes  
you (or other monsters), so -don't- confuse your dog.  It can  
occasionally (?) be set off when you kill a monster with a wand,  
etc.  This scroll has variable effects.  Sometimes monsters will  
attack at double speed (!), but usually they just wander  
aimlessly, or flee. 
 
     Scroll of punishment.  This cursed scroll outfits you with a  
ball and chain, indicated on the screen by '@_0'.  The ball, if  
left to drag, can slow you down considerably.  However, it can  
also be picked up, and if then wielded as a weapon, is  
devastatingly effective.  It is also -very- heavy, however.  The  
remove curse scroll (q.v.) will set you free; you can drop them -  
but it might be a good idea to stick with them, if you're strong  
enough.  (If you're not, you might want to leave it someplace and  
come back for it later.)  Also great for getting around fast:   
try picking up the ball, and throwing in the direction you want  
to go.  Great for getting out of shops without paying, but won't  
work after the chain is loosened.  A rumour indicates that this  
scroll may (?) reduce your luck to 0 for the duration.   
 
     Scroll of scare monster.  If you pick up a scroll that  
"turned to dust," it -was- a scare monster scroll that had  
already been dropped.  If you read this scroll with monsters in  
the room, nothing will seem to happen (and thus, can be confused  
with taming - see above).  You will find, however, that the  
monsters try to run away from you! 
 
     Blank scroll.  This scroll "appears to be blank."  Never  
having gotten an effect out of it, or heard of anything similar,  
I can only assume that it -is- blank.  It even identifies as  
blank. 
 
     Scroll of teleportation.  Zaps you to a random spot on the  
level.  See ring of teleport control.  Very useful in shops.   
(Needed to complete the game, see Completing the Game.) 
 
 
 
  5.05  Wands 
 
     Wands are another magical item, whose powers are invoked by  
zapping ('z' command) them. 
 
     Wand of wishing.  You usually get three wishes, in which you  
enter the -exact- (i.e., 'syntax') name of an object, and you  
will get it!  Wishing for wands of wishing produces wands with 0  
charges left.  Syntax is as the object would normally appear in  
the inventory.  The wand -does not- identify the wished-for  
object for you, but if you wish for a wand of something, and you  
get a wand, it's probably what you asked for.  Wishing for  
illegal/non-existent items produces random ones.  You can usually  
(?) wish for any plussed item up to +3, but above that, you take  
your chances.  You can wish for one wand or 3 of any other non- 
plussed item with each wish.  Sample wishes are:  "+3 plate  
mail," "+3 crysknife," "3 tins," "ring of regeneration," "ring of  
teleport control," etc.  Do not wish for items when you are too  
loaded down, or you will get nothing!  Wishing for "a wand of  
wishing (3)" will not work, either.  Luck may influence the  
chance of getting many items. 
 
     Wand of death.  Kills target creature, but sometimes has  
bad side effects:  like halving everything elses hit points -  
including yours!  This is a ray. 
 
     Wand of sleep.  Puts the target creature to sleep, for a  
variable duration, but doesn't seem to work on bats (reason  
unknown).  Some monsters get saving throws - i.e., chances of not  
being affected.  This is a ray.   
 
     Wand of fire; cold; lightning; magic missile.  Do damage to  
anything they hit (ray).  Cold seems to do the most damage, magic  
missile the least, and fire seems to have the longest range. 
 
     Wand of striking.  Hits the first monster in the direction  
you point it, over a considerable (but not infinite) distance.   
This is -not- a ray. 
 
     Wand of polymorph.  Turns the target monster into a random  
other monster!  New monster could be anything.  Of course, most  
people would rather turn a dragon to a bat than vice versa.  Use  
on your dog until you get a monster well above normal for that  
level, or even a megamonster.  May not change all the  
characteristics of the monster (i.e., speed may be unchanged).   
Warning:  if you polymorph your dog, and leave the level  
(accidentally or intentionally), he will go wild and he will not  
be tamed merely by throwing tripe rations at him - you must use  
the taming scroll.  HACK, apparently, forgets he ever -was- your  
dog.  Although polymorphing your dog is fun, it may be a better  
idea to save it for the megamonsters you will be running into  
(dragons, demons, trappers)...your dog is a pretty strong monster  
in his own right. 
 
     Wand of make invisible.  Makes monster invisible,  
permanently (or while on level?).  don't use on your dog, you'll  
just keep tripping over him (and attacking him - if you can't see  
what you're attacking, you don't get the "Really attack?"  
failsafe for friendly monsters).  Easy to confuse with teleport  
away.  No use whatsoever.  This is a ray. 
 
     Wand of teleport monster.  Target monster is teleported to  
another spot on the level.  Might be a wand of invisibility  
instead (note above).  Note:  the monster (if hostile) usually  
heads straight for you after being teleported at top speed.  If  
he finds you still there, or on the way out...  This is a ray. 
 
     Wand of haste monster.  Target monster moves twice as fast.   
Use on doggie, but watch you don't trip all over him. 
 
     Wand of slow monster.  Exactly the opposite as haste  
monster; target monster moves only half as fast.  Helpful for  
those beasties that have two or more attack per turn. 
 
     Wand of digging.  This produces new corridor sections, and  
doors where the ray intersects a room wall.  Naturally, this ray  
does not bounce.  Rumours indicate that monster cannot enter a  
corridor created with this wand.  Can dig through boulders, such  
as the one the Amulet is under.  Also useful for blasting your  
way out of a trapper. 
 
     Wand of undead turning.  Somewhat like fear, but only works  
for "undead" monsters; they are:  zombies, ghosts, wraiths,  
vampires, demons, and possibly others.  Destroys weaker undead,  
causes bigger ones to turn and flee, including (!) demons. 
 
     Wand of create monster.  Creates a monster adjacent to you,  
just like the scroll.  Occasionally (1-in-10?) when you zap this  
wand, you are surrounded by monsters on -all- eight sides!   
Useful to keep around, if you are desperately low on food, or, if  
you just need some experience points after completing a level. 
 
     Wand of cancellation.  Should (?) cancel the magical  
abilities of monsters.  Some monsters which are affected: 
   Nymphs - cancels her magical allure. 
   Wraiths - cancels life (experience level) draining. 
   Demons - cancels power of replication. 
   Vampires - cancels life draining (if they have it?). 
     Some monsters which are -not- affected, are: 
   Chameleons - still pose as different monsters. 
   Rust monsters - still rusts your armour. 
   Dragons - still blow flame at you. 
   Invisible stalkers - still invisible. 
   Trappers - still swallow you. 
   Cockatrices - still can petrify you (!). 
   Floating eyes - still paralyze you. 
     Unknown at present, are:  giant ants, xans, leprechauns,  
freezing spheres, umber hulks, etc. 
 
     Wand of secret door detection.  Discovers all room or just  
in sight of a corridor.  If there are none, a charge is used up,  
and the wand seems to do nothing.  This is the only non- 
directional wand without a message (?).  Wand also detects  
shape-changers in the room (e.g., mimics, piercers).  Usually  
comes in 10+ charges. 
 
     Wand of light.  Illuminates dark rooms.  Usually comes in  
10+ charges. 
 
     Special notes.  Ray/straight-line wands are best fired when  
you are diagonally aligned with your target, so that ricochets  
can't hit you.  Ricochets can be used to hit targets that won't  
get in line-of-sight (leprechauns, shopkeepers, unicorns, etc.),  
or to get two hits on a single target.  Shots into corners bounce  
straight back out at you!  Doors can reflect a diagonal shot back  
at you, also, and the wand of fire reflects diagonally back at  
you, just for "the heck of it."  Wands seem to have differing,  
and probably partly random, maximum ranges.  For a ray wand, the  
beam just doesn't reach, and for non-rays, there is no effect.   
 
 
 
  5.06  Rings 
 
     Rings are put on ('P' command) and then taken off ('T'  
command).  Rings can be stickeycursed, in that, when you put them  
on, you cannot remove them until you read a scroll of remove  
curse (q.v.).  Some rings are plussed (see individual accounts,  
below). 
 
     Ring of cold resistance.  Makes you invulnerable to cold,  
including backblasts from the wand of cold, and exploding  
freezing spheres (q.v.). 
 
     Ring of fire resistance.  As above, but you are impervious  
to fire - including backblasts from the wand and dragonflame. 
 
     Ring of teleport control.  Gives you control of teleport  
destination, no matter -what- does the teleporting.  Try to  
teleport into a wall or a monster and you get a random teleport.   
Gives no control of when you go, just where.  Combined with a  
(un-stickeycursed) ring of teleport, and you -can't- lose. 
 
     Ring of regeneration.  Regain one extra hit point per round  
(but makes you eat a tremendous amount of food!). 
 
     Ring of conflict.  Causes monsters to attack each other  
instead of you, if they are near or adjacent to each other. 
 
     Ring of hunger.  Usually stickeycursed; increases your  
necessary food consumption without doing anything good. 
 
     Ring of stealth.  Causes monsters not to see you when you  
enter a room. 
 
     Ring of searching.  Finds secret doors/traps more easily,  
and occasionally without your even searching!  -Not- necessarily  
on the first try of searching, however.  Also finds mimics and  
piercers.   
 
     Ring of increase damage.  Increases the damage you do to monsters  
when hitting them.   
 
     Ring of protection.  Increase your armour class (q.v.), and  
probably your (internal) saving throws.  Can be +1, +2..., or cursed:   
-1, -2, etc. 
 
     Ring of teleportation.  Usually stickeycursed.  Teleports you  
randomly every few moves.  Now way to control when, but ring of  
teleport control can control where.  Without that ring, teleportation  
is entirely random on the level.  Take it off (if you can!) when  
you're trying to get to anywhere, unless you're more than, say,  
halfway across the dungeon from it. 
 
     Ring of adornment.  Useless in ROGUE, but in HACK it can protect  
you against nymphs (temporarily) - they're dazzled by it and don't  
attack.  It only retains this function if it has been identified (?). 
 
     Ring of resistance to poison.  You are resistant to poison, which  
includes poisoned corpses - but not rotted ones -and all poison  
stings, bites, and potions.  Does -not- protect you from  
rotted/tainted meat or potions of sickness. 
 
     Ring of gain strength.  Just what it says - plusses as ring of  
protection. 
 
     Ring of protection from shape-changers.  Not a plussed item.   
Function unidentified...probably (just as the name says) identifies  
shape-changers (chameleons).   
 
     Ring of warning.  Glows in various colours, which are indications  
of approaching monsters, traps, etc.  White is for monsters; red is  
for traps (possibly?).  This ring may be a total fake.  Even when it  
does show that there is a nearby monster, it is still almost useless  
(Ex:  "Oh, monster coming?  Okay...I'll run down here - oops!  Wrong  
way...") 
 
     Ring of levitation.  Equivalent to a potion of levitation when  
worn.  When levitating, an adventurer cannot pick things up from the  
ground.  Has minor advantages if you wish to avoid traps, etc...but it  
is usually stickeycursed, and this can spell the end for your  
character!  If you are on level one, get out as soon as possible  
(before you run out of food!), but if below that, rush up to level one  
(if you can) as soon as possible. 
 
     Ring of see invisible.  Same as potion - enables you to see  
anything that is invisible, such as invisible stalkers. 
 
 
 
  6.00  Special Rooms 
 
     "Special rooms" are the rooms that have qualities about them  
that make them different from any "normal" room.   
 
 
 
  6.01  Shops 
 
     Shops are part of what make HACK a good game.  Shops are  
rooms, filled with items which are guarded by a shopkeeper.   
Shops may specialize in a particular object (e.g., armour,  
weapons, scrolls, wands, rings, potions), or they may be general  
("antique shop").   
     Buying things is simple.  You pick up the items that you  
want to buy, move adjacent to the shopkeeper, and pay ('p'  
command) your bill.  Prices for magic (scroll, wands, rings,  
potions) are high, but you often may want to buy food or a  
weapon, if you aren't equipped to steal.  Selling things is  
almost as simple.  You drop (-not- throw) the items in a space  
adjacent to the shopkeeper only when he is standing next to the  
door, and if he is interested, he will buy it from you - you get  
gold for it.  Warning:  if he is not interested (i.e., this is an  
armour shop and you try to sell him a weapon), he might take the  
item(s) without paying.   
     Stealing is harder.  You must kill/sleep the shopkeeper and  
get out past him.  A nasty buy lucrative tactic is to enter a  
shop, sell everything you can to him...then take (not buy)  
everything you want to keep - anything of his you can carry - and  
steal it all...including the gold he paid you.  At the level  
which you find the shops, the shopkeepers are probably far too  
tough for you to dispatch easily.  For them, you will have to  
rely on your magic items.  Note, the shopkeeper has quite a bit  
of treasure of his own, which probably will not appear until he  
is dead. 
     Shopkeepers occasionally hold grudges.  If you raid a  
shop, and, later, return to that same one, he may accept your  
gold as a donation!  ...Or, he may recognize you, and kill you  
right away. 
     Shopkeepers have long memories.  They will refuse to let you  
out of a shop if you have stolen any items from it, -even- if you  
are not stealing anything this visit.  Shopkeepers are also  
crafty enough to stay out of your line-of-fire, unless you are  
within two spaces of the door.  Make sure you have a means of  
escape -before- you try to steal anything; you will have to pay  
for or steal anything you use up or get stickeycursed by.  If you  
know which scroll is teleportation, you can use one of his, but  
when trying his scrolls out to find out which one is  
teleportation, just make sure you don't get stranded.  Trying out  
wands in a "walking cane" shop will avoid that problem (since  
wands are not (usually) used up in one shot), but if any wands if  
fired at, or any ray hits (look out for rebounds) the shopkeeper,  
he will get mad (and attack you!).   
 
 
 
  6.01.1  Strategies For Dealing With Shopkeepers 
 
     Teleport out.  This is by far the simples, safest method of  
getting away clean.  The shopkeeper would love to chase you, but  
(luckily for you) he has to stay and take care of his shop.   
However, since teleporting is random, you might teleport - only  
to find you've blinked in on the other side of the shop! 
 
     Dig your way out.  This method is simple, too, provided you  
have a wand of digging.  Or, you can apply ('A' command) a picky- 
axe (spelolegist only), and give '>' (down) for a direction.   
However, if you do this in a space adjacent to the shopkeeper's,  
he will warn you ("Be careful, sir, there is a hole in the  
floor!"), and if you do jump in, he will grab your backpack, and  
you will be left with only what you were wearing or wielding.   
(You will have to return later and -pay- for the items he  
grabbed.) 
 
     Teleport the shopkeeper away.  Use a wand of teleportation.   
This method is not very good, compared to the above two.  Just  
don't meet him on the way out (he will be pretty mad)!  He -will-  
be heading directly back towards the shop the moment he is  
teleported, so better get out fast. 
 
     Avoid the shopkeeper.  Lure him away from the door (when you  
have no unpaid for items), then zap him (diagonally, usually)  
with a wand of sleep.  Tiptoe around him, and you're home-free.   
Just take care not to come back to that shop again, however. 
 
     Kill the shopkeeper.  The most direct approach, but very  
often not nearly as easy as it sounds.  Wands work the best with  
this guy.  Killing him, however, may have some bad side effects  
(see '@' [humans] in the monster section).  They are much faster  
than you, and they ignore Elbereth!  (You seem to have already  
violated it by attacking him in the first place.)  If you quaff a  
potion of invisibility, he will stand in front of the doorway no  
matter -what- you shoot/zap/throw at him.  However, he knows  
who's attacking him, and if you get too close... 
 
 
 
  6.02  Magical Memory Vault 
 
     And no, this is -not- a myth.  This little (two-by-two,  
always) room holds the "current balance of the Magical Memory  
Bank."  It has no doors connecting to it from any room or  
corridor on the level.  You may locate it in three ways.  First,  
read a scroll of gold detection.  The four piles of gold (in a  
two-by-two array) is unmistakable.  Second, read a scroll of  
magic mapping.  Any two-by-two rooms not connected with any  
others will be a MMV.  Third, get there. 
     There are two ways of actually getting into a Magical Memory  
Vault.  First, teleport in.  This is the fastest and easiest way  
in, but hope you can get out again.  Second, use a wand of  
digging.  (This is usually the best way.) 
 
     There is a rumour going around that when there is something  
written/burned into the dust, and it reads, "A? ?eu?e?" or  
something similar (and you didn't engrave it), it implies that  
there is a secret (secret!) passage to a Vault nearby.  Just  
search like mad until you find a door, enter it, search until you  
find a passage, and then follow it down to the MMV.  ...This has  
not been positively indentified, however. 
 
     If you stay in a Vault too long, a guard will come by and  
ask you to drop all your gold.  The guard never initiates an  
attack; he simply waits for you to drop all your gold and exit,  
or teleport out.  Teleport out (or give up your gold) if you have  
a weak character, or, kill him if you have a stronger one.   
     To deal with the guard, follow this procedure. 
     One.  Drop all your gold ('D$'), and move one step toward  
the guard (once he gives you room, you may have to wait ['.'  
command]).  He will move a step down the corridor. 
     Two.  Take a step back to pick up the gold; the guard will  
stay put. 
     Three.  Step toward the guard again, until you are next to  
him (don't hit him!).  Drop your gold again; he will advance  
again. 
     Repeat this procedure until the guard reaches the end of the  
corridor, well he will disappear. 
 
 
 
  6.03  David's Treasure Zoo 
 
     The "zoo" is what corresponds to a monster room in ROGUE.   
There are some differences, however:  a zoo is packed with  
monsters, except for the row facing the door.  There are no magic  
items - except for what materializes when you kill a monster -  
but a pile of gold waits under every monster in the room.   
Monsters in a zoo are best dealt with by a ring of conflict, but  
zapping a missile wand (fire, cold, magic missile, lightning,  
death, etc.) will get a lot of them.  Otherwise, you better run  
as fast as you can away from the zoo and come back when you are  
better prepared.  Best thing is to use Elbereth and a strong  
wand.  Or, you can just wait one step away from the door and  
attack (normal hand-to-hand) until each one, in turn, dies.   
Better watch the hit points, though.   
     If there is a leprechaun in the room, he will go around  
picking up the gold.  When he has gotten all of it, he will  
teleport - which is wise of him, since he is carrying quite a bit  
of gold!  (He will still be on that level somewhere.)  Orcs will  
also pick up gold, but won't teleport. 
 
 
 
  6.04  The Maze 
 
     The maze is what you find on the lowest levels of the  
dungeon.  The exact level may vary, depending on your version of  
HACK.  The maze takes up the entire level, and it is inhabited by  
a variety of strong to very strong monsters.  One peculiarity of  
the maze is that there are no staircases going down.  All  
staircases in mazes lead up, even if you had just ascended the  
staircase from a lower level.  The only way to get to the second  
(or greater) maze levels is to fall several levels through a  
trapdoor.  Even then, you will have to repeat the fall if you  
want to return (down).  You may wish to reserve a scroll of magic  
mapping for a maze, especially if you possess a ring of teleport  
control.  Also useful are potions of object detections (see the  
Amulet), monster detection, and blindness (if you have telepathy;  
q.v. floating eye under monsters). 
     Every maze is inhabited by a minotaur ('m' icon) who carries  
a wand of digging.  You need this to get the Amulet out from  
under an immoble rock, crashing through maze walls, tearing  
through trappers' bellies, or digging to the Magical Memory  
Vault.   
     The minotaur, by the time you get there, isn't so tough.   
There is an Amulet on each maze level.  This amulet is always  
under a rock in a dead end, so that the rock cannot be pushed off  
the Amulet. 
 
 
 
  6.05  Morgues 
 
     These rooms have not yet been confirmed.  Some rumours (of  
rumours) indicate that they are total fakes; but every once in a  
while, upon entering a level, you will get the message, "You get  
an uncanny feeling..."  Morgues are inhabited by the undead  
monsters:  ghosts, zombies, vampires, wraiths, demons, etc.   
Other than that, very little is known about morgues. 
 
 
 
  7.00  Valuable Items 
 
     Gold.  This is a fair part of your score, and of course, you  
can buy extremely helpful items from shops with the stuff.  But  
it seems that the writers of the game were a little...  
anarchistic?... even though gold can be an extreme help, it's  
also a hinderance:  gold weighs quite a bit, and if you have a  
lot (as the game progresses, you get loaded with the stuff), you  
will lose your ability to carry other things that you -really-  
need.   
 
     Gems.  These are valuable gems, or worthless (or nearly so)  
Glass - you can't tell which it is until you identify them (via  
scroll).  You can throw an indentified gem at a unicorn, and  
receive 5 points of luck; you can throw an unidentified gem at  
one for 1 point; intentionally throwing glass can get you killed!   
The varieties of gems are glass, jasper, topaz, agate, opal,  
turquoise, and diamond (the most expensive). 
 
     Amulet.  This is generally the big part of your final score  
(if you have one!).  There is an amulet on the lowest maze  
level, hidden under an immovable (but diggable) boulder.  Other  
amulets can be gotten from ghosts.  When leaving the dungeon, the  
first Amulet scores 5000, and each successive (genuine) Amulet  
doubles your score.  There are rumours that Amulets cut down on  
your need for food.  You can wish (via wand of wishing) for an  
Amulet, but you get a cheap imitation instead. 
 
 
 
  A.00  Appendicies 
 
 
 
  A.01  Rumour file 
 
     HACK contains a rumour file (RUMORS.) which is tapped when a user  
eats a fortune cookie - it goes through the file, picks a random  
message, and displays it.   
 
     Important notes.  Any rumours leading to the information about a  
potion/scroll/wand/ring indicating its colour, etc. and its found name  
(e.g., "the ebony potion is healing!") is false - the table of items  
and their unidentified labels is randomized at the beginning of each  
game.  Also, any references to "the next level," "this level," or "the  
previous level" are also fakes:  the rumour file is tapped entirely  
randomly, and therefore has no way of knowing when a certain level is  
coming up (or passed).  In the interest of space (and sanity), these  
irrelevant rumours have been deleted. 
 
     The following is a somewhat abridged list of rumours from HACK  
version 3.6.  Most of the rumours which are unimportant have been left  
out, but the important ones are asterisked.  The messages in brackets  
are explanations. 
 
 
 
  A.01.1  Rumour File Summary 
 
"A fading corridor enlightens your insight."  [Misleading; a wand of  
light zapped in a corridor will always cause the corridor to light  
briefly and then fade; the charge is wasted.]  
"A long worm hits with all of its length."  [Sort of true; a long worm  
can hit only with its head ('w') segment, not with body segments -  
however, it gets one hit for every segment.] 
"A ring of adornment protects against nymphs."  [True.] 
"A rumour has it that rumours are just rumours."  [Almost always  
true.] 
"A spear will hit an ettin."  [Sort of true; normal chances as any  
other monster.] 
"A spear might hit a nurse."  [Sort of true.] 
"A tin of smoked eel is a wonderful find."  [Misleading; no smoked  
eels in HACK.] 
"A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a unicorn."  [True;  
unicorns are good guys.] 
"A two-handed sword usually misses."  [Sort of true.] 
"A unicorn can only tamed by a fair maiden."  [Still unknown at  
present.] 
"A visit to the Zoo is very educational; you meet interesting  
animals."  [True, but you can also get killed.  (q.v. Special rooms)]  
"A wand of vibration might bring the whole cave crashing about your  
ears."  [Misleading; no such wand.] 
"Afraid of falling pierces?  Wear a helmet!"  [True - blow glances off  
(q.v.)] 
"All monsters are created evil, but some are more evil than others."   
[Sort of true - some are even helpful!  (q.v. unicorns and nurses)] 
"An elven cloak protects against magic."  [False; will not protect  
against scroll of destroy armour (q.v.).] 
"Any small object that is accidentally dropped will hide under a  
larger object."  [Utter gibberish.] 
"Attack long worms from the rear - that is so much safer!"  [True.] 
"Be careful when eating salmon - your fingers might become greasy."   
[True; you drop weapons (even stickeycursed ones!).] 
"Be careful when throwing a boomerang - you might hit the back of your  
head."  [Still unknown at present.] 
"Beware of dark rooms - they may be the Morgue."  [Misleading - dark  
rooms -are- dangerous, but dark rooms are not necessarily the Morgue  
(q.v. Special rooms).] 
"Beware of wands of instant disaster."  [Misleading; no such wand, but  
wands -can- be dangerous to try out.] 
"Beyond the 23rd level lies a happy retirement in a room of your own.   
[Absolutely untrue - beyond level 23 lies Hell!  (q.v. Completing the  
game)] 
"Blank scrolls make more interesting reading."  [Untrue.] 
"Booksellers never read scrolls; it might carry them too far away."   
[True; shopkeepers -never- sample their goods.] 
"Dead lizards protect against a cockatrice."  [Unknown at present.  
(q.v. cockatrice under monster descriptions)] 
"Descend in order to meet more decent monsters."  [Absolutely untrue.] 
"Don't bother about money:  only leprechauns and shopkeepers are  
interested."  [Sort of true.  Gold is a large part of your score, and  
you can buy/sell valuable items from/to shopkeepers.  However, gold  
weighs a lot, and carrying a lot of gold wrecks your total load  
capacity.] 
"Don't forget!  Large dogs are MUCH harder to kill than little dogs."   
[True.] 
"Don't throw gems.  They are so precious!  Besides, you might hit a  
roommate."  [False; throwing gems at unicorns are beneficial.] 
"Every dog should be a domesticated one."  [Misleading, but hinting to  
the fact that you can tame (by throwing tripe rations) other dogs you  
meet in the dungeon.] 
"Everybody should have tasted a scorpion at least once in his life."   
[True; gives poison resistance.  Actually, killer bees are much easier  
to find, and they endow the same gift.] 
"Gems do get a burden."  [True; leave gem caches at staircases; get  
enough and the weight begins to add up.] 
"Genocide on shopkeepers is punishable."  [True - by death.  You're  
only human, after all.] 
"Hungry dogs are unreliable."  [True - he can even go berserk and  
attack you!] 
"I once knew a hacker who ate too fast and choked to death..."  [True,  
but not too fast - too much, and you might choke and die.] 
"If you need a wand of digging, kindly ask the minotaur."  [Sort of  
true - don't ask!  Kill!] 
"If you're afraid of trapdoors, just cover the floor with all you've  
got."  [Unknown at present - probably false.] 
"In need of a rest?  Quaff a potion of sickness!"  [An outright lie.] 
"Inside a shop you better take a look at the price tags before you buy  
anything."  [Misleading; you can't look at price tags.] 
"It is bad manners to use a wand in a shop."  [Sort of true...you can  
anger the shopkeeper if you zap him.] 
"It is not always a good idea to whistle for your dog."  [True, you  
can wake up other monsters.] 
"It might be a good idea to offer the unicorn a ruby."  [True!   
Increases luck if you do.] 
"Keep armour away from rust."  [True - rust monsters, that is!] 
"Kill a unicorn and you kill your luck."  [Very true.] 
"M.M.Vault cashiers teleport any amount of gold to the next local  
branch."  [Still unknown at present.] 
"Murder complaint?  Mail to 'netnix!devil!gamble!freak!trap! 
lastwill!rip'."  [Try it!] 
"Never ask a shopkeeper for a price list."  [True - you can't.] 
"Never attack a guard."  [True - a guard is just as bad (if not worse)  
as shopkeepers.] 
"Never kick a sleeping dog."  [True; dogs are nasty, too.] 
"Never map the labyrinth."  [(Refers to maze levels) ...False.   
Mapping is very helpful on those levels.] 
"Never ride a long worm."  [Misleading; you can't.] 
"No weapon is better than a crysknife."  [False - see weapon tables.] 
"One has to leave shops before closing time."  [Misleading; no such  
thing.] 
"Only a wizard can use a magic whistle."  [Unknown at present.] 
"Opening a tin is difficult, especially when you are not so strong!"   
[True] 
"Opening a tin is difficult, especially when you are bare-handed!"   
[True.] 
"Operation coded OVERKILL has started now."  [Misleading, just a  
joke.] 
"Playing billiards pays when you are in a shop."  [True; almost the  
only way to kill a shopper is by starting with a wand on a ricochet.] 
"Reading Tolkien might help you."  [True; a little bit, anyway.] 
"Reading Herbert will disgust you, but in one case it might be  
enlightening."  [Second part is true; first part is a matter of  
opinion.] 
"Savings do include amnesia."  [Unknown at present.] 
"Scorpions often hide under tripe rations."  [True...or anything else  
around.] 
"Take a long worm from the rear, according to its mate it's a lot more  
fun."  [Disgusting, but true; a lot safer.] 
"The Leprechaun Gold Tru$t is no division of the Magic Memory Vault."   
[Unknown at present.] 
"The leprechauns hide their treasure in a small hidden room."   
[Unknown at present, but probably untrue.] 
"The secret wands of Nothing Happens:  try again!"  [False; a wand for  
which Nothing Happens is out of charges.] 
"There is a big treasure hidden in the zoo!"  [True - lots of gold in  
the zoo!] 
"There is a message concealed in each fortune cookie."  [True.] 
"There have been people like you in here; their ghosts seek revenge on  
you."  [True...] 
"There is no harm in praising a large dog."  [True...try feeding  
(throwing tripe rations at) it.] 
"There seem to be monsters of touching benevolence."  [True - nurses  
(q.v.)] 
"They say that a unicorn might bring you luck."  [True...throw gems at  
it.  (q.v.)] 
"They say that throwing food at a wild dog might tame him."   
[True...it does.] 
"They say that you need a key in order to open locked doors."   
[Unknown at present...probably misleading (no keys?).] 
"Tin openers are rare indeed."  [Very, very rare...there aren't any.] 
"WARNING from H.M. Gov't:  Quaffing may be dangerous to your health."   
[True.] 
"Watch your steps on staircases."  [True...if heavily loaded, you may  
fall down.] 
"What do you think would be the use of a sword called 'Orcrist'?"   
[Tremendous hit bonus for orcs.]  
"When punished, watch your steps down stairs!"  [True.] 
"You can't leave the shop through the back door:  there ain't one!"   
[True - unless you make one!] 
"You offend Shai-Hulud by sheathing your crysknife without having  
drawn blood."  [Uhhmm...] 
"Zapping a wand of Nothing Happens doesn't harm you a bit."  [True.] 
 
 
 
  S.00  Strategies 
 
 
 
  S.01  About Strategies 
 
     Strategies are any little quirk (or maybe even a bug), or just  
some easier way of doing something in HACK.  There are many, -many-  
different strategies, so in this version of HACKHELP, I will only  
include some basic ideas; later versions will incorporate HACKHELP  
readers' responses into this section. 
     Most strategies are incorporated throughout the text; but this  
section will attempt to consolidate some of the major ones. 
 
 
 
  S.01.1  Just Starting Out 
 
     Starting out, and getting a solid, healthy character is one of  
the most difficult things to do in HACK.  You will usually need to go  
through many adventurers until you get one that can survive for a time  
. . . and even then, you may not like him/her enough to keep him/her  
for very long. 
     Food seems to be the big issue here.  Can a character -survive-  
on just food rations alone?  The answer is most definitely "no."   
Eventually, you will need to resort to dead monsters (gruesome, but  
true . . . hey, they're trying to kill you, anyway!) to get enough  
food to sustain yourself.  (A list of edible monsters is in the  
Food Section.) 
     Doggie needs to eat too.  Try not to steal all his kills (stand  
next to him while -he- fights, and when he kills it, step in and grab  
the cadaver).  If he is starved, he will get confused, and might  
attack you unpurposely!  Soon after that, he will die.  The message,  
"You feel worried about the little dog," means he is getting  
dangerously hungry.  Kill a monster, -find- him in time (sometimes the  
hardest part), and throw ('t' command) the food to him. 
 
     Let Doggie do your fighting for you when you are badly hurt or  
outclassed (the latter is usually the case).  He is bigger and  
stronger than you.  He will eat much more than he needs, but the more  
heats, the faster he grows into a big dog.  There is no monster  
(except a cockatrice, q.v.) that a big dog cannot take on without a  
reasonable chance of success. 
     Keep in mind that Doggie's body is always one assured non- 
poisonous food source (morbid, I know, but true).  Never kill your dog  
out-of-hand!  He gets in the way, sure, but he is a powerful ally - he  
may save your life once or twice or more.  Never eat your dog unless  
you are absolutely positive there is no more edible food on that level  
and you are already fainting!  After you eat a dog, it kills you luck,  
and every monster on that level with blood in its eye (or eyes).   
There are, for instance, several monsters that Doggie will not attack  
(such as shopkeepers), and some others that he won't attack unless he  
sees you fighting them (even then, it may take him a while to get the  
idea; Doggie is a little thick).  On the other hand, he loves to kill  
and eat bats and orcs.  (Let him; you can't eat them anyway.)   
However, wearing a ring of conflict (q.v. under Rings) will make him  
fight anything.  And don't test out wands on him.  He's not -quite-  
invulnerable.  (And zapping him with a wand of invisibility is  
-annoying.-) 
     If you meet a wild dog (probably won't until level 8+, anyway),  
throw food at him - anything you can't eat (unless it's rotten); tripe  
rations are by far the best.  Also, if you find a 'wild' dog above 8th  
level or so, or a named monster anywhere (that you hadn't done  
yourself), you are on a ghost level! (q.v.) - watch out for the former  
owner.  (And name Doggie anything, just so long as it's noticeable [so  
others know when they're on -your- ghost level!].)   
     Don't try to maintain more than two tame animals (dogs or other).   
After that, you just begin to trip over them, -or,- they may even turn  
on you (seems to be a bug in the software)!  Abandon them on some  
level (but save tripe so you can get 'em back later [dogs only]). 
     Dogs are great fun to polymorph (and sometimes a great help), but  
beware of accidentally leaving them stranded on a different level, or  
falling through a trapdoor; they will become wild again, and will not  
be pacified by tripe (but scroll of taming, always).  Scrolls of  
taming produce monsters which should be treated in exactly the same  
way as polymorphed dogs.  (Beware of polymorphing/taming cockatrices:   
1., you can accidentally bump into them if bare-handed; and 2., every  
monster he touches will be turned into a pile of rocks - you can  
starve!)  Tame monsters all eat a lot (except cockatrices), but that's  
(supposedly?) so they get bigger faster, like Doggie. 
 
     Don't get careless.  A major cause of fatalities (low- or high- 
level) is just not keeping an eye on your hit points.  If you're low  
on HPs, take your hands off the keyboard and -think- - you need to  
figure out how to get away.  The first thing to do is engrave ('E-'  
command; you need to write with your hands) 'Elbereth' (q.v.) and  
await developments.  Even a puny monster can take you out if you don't  
watch your hit points.  Hobgoblins ('H'), for instance, can do up to 8  
DP per hit (if you're 8 HP or lower, watch yourself around one!), and  
acid blob's ('a') splash can also do up to 8 HP.  Getting killed by an  
acid blob is -really- embarassing; after all, you can only kill them  
by attacking them.  Don't chase them if you're low on HP, and don't be  
afraid to give up on one, either. 
 
     Try to eat a floating eye as soon as you can.  This is fairly  
simple; stand adjacent to it, and wait while Doggie hacks away (will  
not attack unless you attack first!).  When he kills it (if there is a  
corpse, of course), just step in and grab it.  
 
     Leprechauns can be a pain.  But they're not as difficult as they  
seem.  When you accidentally hit one (or intentionally), he will come  
up to you, attack/grab your gold, and then teleport away.  However,  
he's still somewhere on that level.  {Try giving names to leprechauns  
in case there are two (or more) of them on a level.  That way, you  
won't mistakenly hit a leprechaun that hasn't stolen money yet.  -HH}   
After he's grabbed some (or all) of your money, and you've gotten rid  
of all or most of the monsters on that level, go after him.  When you  
find him (preferrably in a dead-end room - only one passage out),  
cover the passages, leave gold -behind- you (-not- under you; he'll  
just nab it from under your feet!), and throw projectiles at him (or  
just move hand-to-hand) every time he comes near.  He usually won't  
teleport.  After you kill him, pick up the gold that he stole (and  
they'll usually be some extra).  Then you can do what you will with  
the leprechaun cadaver (q.v.). 
 
     Try to conserve your missiles and magic (magic especially).  You  
can just take it slow, and deal with monsters as leisurely as your  
food supply (including their contributions) permits.  If you conserve  
firepower early, then you can use it against tougher monsters when you  
really need it.  A partial exception is wands of wishing; wish for one  
weapon (crysknife, hopefully), one armour, and one miscellaneous such  
as 3 tins (hopefully spinach), or a powerful ring (I'd lean to the  
ring part).  This applies to wizards, of course - other types should  
wish for whatever they are short of (usually magic).  If you are  
genuinely doing well, then you might save a wish or two or three for  
future needs (you -will- get them). 
 
 
 
  S.01.2  Higher Levels 
 
     The big thing for getting to levels above the 8-12 range is to  
conserve your expendable magic, that is, potions, scrolls, and wands  
(rings don't run out).  You will be meeting tougher and tougher  
monsters, tougher than you, usually, but you're tougher too.  The  
sword that slew hobgoblins in one shot takes a while to get an imp or  
a jaguar...so what?  You have enough hit points, now, so that they are  
(fairly) minor dangers, and at least you can afford to take the time  
to kill them.  The struggle for surviving has passed, now.  You are  
regaining hit points faster; you know what many of the magic items  
are; and hopefully you've built up a fairly good armour/weapon  
stockpile.  You don't need to kill the orc swarms with a wand; you can  
pick them off one-by-one as they come through the door with a sword  
named 'Orcrist' (q.v.)!  Same for killer bees, but there is no  
"Orcrist," per se, for them.  But once you've eat one, they lose their  
sting (sorry about the pun).  Giant ants are a big pain, but, as HH  
points out, after you've eaten spinach, they only take -one- point of  
strength; same goes for weakness from starving.  Once you get poison  
resistance (eating a killer bee or scorpion, or the ring), you can let  
Doggie take care of them.  (He should be getting to be a big dog by  
now.)  You should have plundered (i.e., stolen from) at least one  
store, if the opportunity had presented itself, and so now you have a  
relatively large assortment of goodies.   
     On the other hand, don't get cocky, either.  A giant ant can do  
some pretty bad damage before you can get the dead bee, or even after.   
A swarm of orcs may not seem like much in a corridor with 'Orcrist,'  
but when surrounded in a room, their number will tell.  Double goes  
for killer bees. 
     Encumberance will be (and probably already has been) getting to  
be a problem.  Leave your gems in caches by the staircase.  Watch out  
for carrying a -lot- of gold; gold -does- weigh you down!  Don't carry  
around corpses, especially inedible or already rotten ones; eat edible  
corpses as soon as you find them, and leave the rest (-especially-  
cockatrices!) alone.  Every so often, check to see whether you've  
accidentally picked up a few.  Drop definitely cursed or useless  
items.  If you have a ring of levitation, do you need the  
potion?...etc.  You may want to use a one wish of a wand for 3 remove  
curse scrolls - with all the stickeycurses from the ghosts, you'll  
need them. 
     If you come across a scroll of genocide, use it wisely.  In the  
very beginning, you may want to use it against a hobgoblin; but pretty  
soon, you'll be able to take them on with -no- problem, and you will  
have regretted your choice.  You can try to genocide cockatrices or  
xans or dragons, as the game progresses.  Make your choice wisely,  
with regards for the future. 
     The big key for this and higher levels is TO CONSERVE MAGIC!   
Even at the 8th level, most monsters can be dealt with my hand-to- 
hand; at higher levels, you will meet monsters such as dragons, xan,  
trappers, etc., which can be dealt with essentially only by wands, and  
have much greater need for those detect items/monsters and healing  
potions.  Similarly, the longer you wait, the more valuable a potion  
of gain level becomes...(around 10th level, the potion, or a dead  
wraith, is nearly the only way to gain a level).  If you expect to  
reach the maze, try to save a potion of detect object and a scroll of  
mapping for it.  The minotaur will supply the wand of digging.  Take  
as great advantages of the healing/strengthening powers of nurses as  
your food supply (and other monsters) will allow.  That is how you get  
to 200+HP. 
 
 
 
  S.02  Cheating (For Fun and Profit) 
 
     Cheating is only illegal when you get caught.  In HACK, there are  
many ways to get around things.  Saving, restoring, and backing up a  
copy of the savefile of a game isn't cheating; if the authors of the  
game didn't want you to do it, they would have developed some method  
to prevent you from it (although I can't think of any easy way). 
 
     Tired of dealing with ghosts? 
     Erase BONES files in your HACK directory.   
                                                                            -HH 
 
     Wanna be first on the high score list? 
     Use a text editor and work over the RECORD. file.  This I do find  
"cheating," but it's certainly not difficult to do.  I won't tell you  
what each string in the file means, though. 
                                                                            -HH 
 
     Don't know what to do with saving games? 
     Here's the ultimate in cheating.  When you are ready to go down  
to the next level, get near the staircase (make sure your pets are  
nearby), and save ('S' command.)  After you have been returned to DOS,  
backup the save file ("COPY PLAYER.SAV PLAYER.BCK," substituting your  
character's name for PLAYER), and then start again.  When you are back  
in HACK (you will be where you left off), test all your scrolls,  
potions, wands, and rings.  Write all the results down.  When you are  
finished indulging yourself, go back to DOS ('Q' - -Quit- this time),  
make a copy of your SAVE file to a .SAV format ("COPY PLAYER.BCK  
PLAYER.SAV"), and play again.  Now, call ('cn' command) all the items  
you discovered during your fun.  Save again (and backup again), and  
now you have a backed-up, fully legitimate, game of HACK going, with  
all of your magic items identified! 
     This is helpful with a store nearby, too.  When you're ready to  
leave the current level (with a store on it), save and backup the save  
file as usual...then, when you play again to "indulge" yourself, run  
into the store and use all of the -items- in the store!  Write down  
what you found, then quit.  Recopy the save file to it's .SAV format,  
start again.  Go into the store, pick up every object you previously  
identified, and call ('cn') what it was.  Then drop it.  Now you have  
a record of what all the objects that were in the shop!  (Don't worry;  
when the game begins, the wands/rings/scrolls/potions are all assigned  
their unidentified names; the names do -not- change through the course  
of a game.) 
 
 
 
  S.03  Elbereth 
 
     Engraving with your bare hands ('E-') "Elbereth" on the floor,  
and staying on that space, makes every (or almost every:  nymphs'  
stealing is not considered attacking, and therefore 'Elbereth' does not  
protect from it) monster that comes along leave you alone.  That way,  
in the middle of a fight, you can engrave it, regenerate your hit  
points, pause to recatch your breath, etc.  'Elbereth' acts a sort of  
sign of peace.  If you break the sign - that is, swing at an adjacent  
monster, step off the space, etc. - the 'Elbereth' will be violated  
and monsters will attack you.  (You can just reengrave it, however.)   
Other than movement or hand-to-hand fighting, you can do anything on  
'Elbereth' - including throwing things, zapping wands, reading  
scrolls, etc.!  Dragons can still flame through 'Elbereth.' 
 
 
 
  S.04  Orcrist 
 
     If your weapon in hand is named Orcrist, it gets a hefty bonus on  
damage (rumoured to be something like +10!) against orcs, but orcs  
only.  There is no 'Orcrist' for killer bees, unfortunately. 
 
 
 
  S.05  Points 
 
     You get points for gold, gems (if you leave the dungeon with  
them), and the Amulet.  The first amulet is worth 5000; each  
successive genuine Amulet doubles your score.  You seem to also get  
points for levels descended to (so dungeon-diving, as it were, may  
help); magic items identified, or possibly just tried-out (or possibly  
even just accumulated)...and also, experience points, seemingly 4-for- 
1.  Also, mapping out rooms, and possible discovering secret doors. 
 
 
 
  S.06  Luck 
 
     Luck is an internal variable; that is, you never know what it is  
or how to change it.  Luck can make life in HACK much easier or much  
harder.  Luck deals with things like getting that last fatal blow the  
dragon, etc.  Little is known about it, however.  Giving gems to a  
unicorn ('u') is known to increase your luck - +5 for each -valuable-  
gem, +1 for each unidentified gem - but throwing glass can get  
yourself killed!  Killing shopkeepers, dogs, and nurses is known to  
decrease it.  Also, there is a very small chance to decrease it by  
killing defenseless (blinded, or sleeping) monsters. 
 
 
                                 -)(- 
 