4. Commands


Commands are given either with the mouse or by typing one or two characters.

If you left-click an object, creature or location in the main view, Falcon's Eye will try to perform a default action for that object, creature or location. The default actions are:

Context menu

You can also right-click an object, creature or location. This brings up a context menu which lists a number of likely commands. Click any of the command buttons in the menu to perform that command, or click outside the menu to dismiss it. For example, to kick a door, right-click it and select "kick" from the menu. (You might need to move closer first.)

Some commands require more information, for example a direction, or an object to be used. If a command requires more information, NetHack will show you a menu of choices or a command line prompt requesting information. Which one it is depends on the menustyle option.

For example, a common question like ``What do you want to use? [a-zA-Z ?*]'', asks you to choose an object you are carrying. Here, ``a-zA-Z'' are the inventory letters of your possible choices. Type `?' to see an inventory list of these items, so you can see what the letters refer to. In this example, there is also a `*', indicating that you may choose an object not on the list, if you wanted to use something unexpected. Typing a `*' lists your entire inventory. Finally, if you don't want to do this command after all, you can press the ESC key to cancel the command.

You can put a number before some commands to repeat them; for example, ``10s'' will search ten times. If you have the number_pad option set, you must type `n' to prefix a count, so the example above would be typed ``n10s'' instead.

Commands for which counts make no sense ignore them. In addition, movement commands can be prefixed for greater control (see below). To cancel a count or a prefix, press the ESC key.

There are many commands for which Falcon's Eye has no shortcut. Some of these (the extended commands) can be selected by clicking on the hand button. Others are used from the keyboard.

The list of keyboard commands is rather long, but it can be read at any time during the game through the help button, which displays a menu of helpful texts. Here are the commands for your reference:


4.1 Getting help

/
Tell what a symbol represents. You may choose to specify a location or type a symbol (or even a whole word) to explain. Specifying a location is done by moving the cursor to a particular spot on the map and then pressing one of the following keys: [. , ; :].
`.' will explain the symbol at the chosen location, conditionally check for ``More info?'' depending upon whether the help option is on, and then you will be asked to pick another location; `,' will explain the symbol but skip any additional information; `;' will skip additional info and also not bother asking you to choose another location to examine; `:' will show additional info, if any, without asking for confirmation. When picking a location, pressing the ESC key will terminate this command, or pressing `?' will give a brief reminder about how it works.
?
Help menu: display one of several help texts available.
&
Tell what a command does.
;
Show what type of thing a visible symbol corresponds to.
^
Ask for the type of a trap you found earlier.
\
Show what types of objects have been discovered.

4.2 Moving and exploring

[yuhjklbn]
Go one step in the direction indicated (see the figure below). If you can sense a monster there, you will fight the monster instead. Only these one-step movement commands cause you to fight monsters; the others (below) are ``safe.''
Movement keys without number_pad Movement keys with number_pad
if number_pad is set
[YUHJKLBN]
Go in that direction until you hit a wall or run into something.
m[yuhjklbn]
Prefix: move without picking up objects or fighting (even if you remember a monster there)
F[yuhjklbn]
Prefix: fight a monster (even if you only guess one is there)
M[yuhjklbn]
Prefix: move far, no pickup.
g[yuhjklbn]
Prefix: move until something interesting is found.
G[yuhjklbn]or ^[yuhjklbn]
Prefix: same as `g', but forking of corridors is not considered interesting.
<
Go up to the previous level (if you are on the staircase or ladder).
>
Go down to the next level (if you are on the staircase or ladder).
c
Close a door.
o
Open a door.
s
Search for secret doors and traps around you. It usually takes several tries to find something.
^T
Teleport, if you have the ability.
:
Look at what is here.

4.3 Managing your inventory

d
Drop something. Ex. ``d7a'' means drop seven items of object a.
D
Drop several things. In answer to the question ``What kinds of things do you want to drop? [!%= aium]'' you should type zero or more object symbols possibly followed by `a' and/or `i' and/or `u' and/or `m'.
Da - drop all objects, without asking for confirmation.
Di - examine your inventory before dropping anything.
Du - drop only unpaid objects (when in a shop).
Dm - use a menu to pick which object(s) to drop.
D%u - drop only unpaid food.
i
List your inventory (everything you're carrying).
I
List selected parts of your inventory.
I* - list all gems in inventory;
Iu - list all unpaid items;
Ix - list all used up items that are on your shopping bill;
I$ - count your money.
,
Pick up some things.
)
Tell what weapon you are wielding.
[
Tell what armor you are wearing.
=
Tell what rings you are wearing.
"
Tell what amulet you are wearing.
(
Tell what tools you are using.
*
Tell what equipment you are using; combines the preceding five type-specific commands into one.
$
Count your gold pieces.

4.4 Using items

a
Apply (use) a tool (pick-axe, key, lamp...).
A
Remove one or more worn items, such as armor. Use `T' (take off) to take off only one piece of armor or `R' (remove) to take off only one accessory.
e
Eat food.
f
Fire one of the objects placed in your quiver. You may select ammunition with a previous `Q' command, or let the computer pick something appropriate if autoquiver is true.
P
Put on a ring or other accessory (amulet, blindfold).
q
Quaff (drink) a potion.
Q
Select an object for your quiver. You can then throw this using the `f' command. (In versions prior to 3.3 this was the command to quit the game, which has now been moved to `#quit'.)
R
Remove an accessory (ring, amulet, etc).
r
Read a scroll or spellbook.
t
Throw an object or shoot a projectile.
T
Take off armor.
w
Wield weapon.
w- - wield nothing, use your bare hands.
W
Wear armor.
x
Exchange your wielded weapon with the item in your secondary weapon slot. The latter is used as your second weapon in two-weapon combat. Note that if one of these slots is empty, the exchange still takes place.
z
Zap a wand. To aim at yourself, use `.' for the direction.

4.5 Using Spells

Z
Zap (cast) a spell.
+
List the spells you know. Using this command, you can also rearrange the order in which your spells are listed. They are shown via a menu, and if you select a spell in that menu, you'll be re-prompted for another spell to swap places with it, and then have opportunity to make further exchanges.

4.6 Miscellaneous commands

.
Rest, do nothing for one turn.
^A
Redo the previous command.
C
Call (name) an individual monster.
^C
Panic button. Quit the game.
^D
Kick something (usually a door).
E
Engrave a message on the floor. Engraving the word ``Elbereth'' will cause most monsters to not attack you hand-to-hand (but if you attack, you will rub it out); this is often useful to give yourself a breather. (This feature may be compiled out of the game, so your version might not have it.)
E- - write in the dust with your fingers.
O
Set options. A menu showing the current option values will be displayed. You can change most values simply by selecting the menu entry for the given option (ie, by typing its letter or clicking upon it, depending on your user interface). For the non-boolean choices, a further menu or prompt will appear once you've closed this menu. The available options are listed later in this Guidebook. Options are usually set before the game rather than with the `O' command; see the section on options below.
p
Pay your shopping bill.
^P
Repeat previous message (subsequent ^P's repeat earlier messages).
^R
Redraw the screen.
S
Save (and suspend) the game. The game will be restored automatically the next time you play.
v
Display version number.
V
Display the game history.
X
Enter explore (discovery) mode, explained in its own section later.
^X
Display your name, role, race, gender, and alignment as well as the various deities in your game.
^Z
Suspend the game (UNIX(R) versions with job control only).
@
Toggle the autopickup option on and off.
!
Escape to a shell.
#
Perform an extended command. As you can see, the authors of NetHack used up all the letters, so this is a way to introduce the less frequently used commands. What extended commands are available depends on what features the game was compiled with.

4.7 Extended commands

#adjust
Adjust inventory letters (most useful when the fixinv option is ``on'').
#chat
Talk to someone.
#conduct
List which challenges you have adhered to.
#dip
Dip an object into something.
#enhance
Advance or check weapons and spell skills.
#force
Force a lock.
#invoke
Invoke an object's special powers.
#jump
Jump to another location.
#loot
Loot a box or bag on the floor beneath you, or the saddle from a horse standing next to you.
#monster
Use a monster's special ability (when polymorphed into monster form).
#name
Name an item or type of object.
#offer
Offer a sacrifice to the gods.
#pray
Pray to the gods for help.
#quit
Quit the program without saving your game.
#ride
Ride (or stop riding) a monster.
#rub
Rub a lamp.
#sit
Sit down.
#turn
Turn undead.
#twoweapon
Toggle two-weapon combat on or off. Note that you must use suitable weapons for this type of combat, or it will be automatically turned off.
#untrap
Untrap something (trap, door, or chest).
#version
Print compile time options for this version of NetHack.
#wipe
Wipe off your face.
#?
Help menu: get the list of available extended commands.
If your keyboard has a meta key (which, when pressed in combination with another key, modifies it by setting the `meta' [8th, or `high'] bit), you can invoke many extended commands by meta-ing the first letter of the command. In NT, OS/2, and PC NetHack, the `Alt' key can be used in this fashion.
M-2 #twoweapon M-a #adjust M-c #chat M-d #dip
M-e #enhance M-f #force M-i #invoke M-j #jump
M-l #loot M-m #monster M-n #name M-o #offer
M-p #pray M-q #quit M-r #rub M-s #sit
M-t #turn M-u #untrap M-v #version M-w #wipe

If the number_pad option is on, some additional letter commands are available:

j
Jump to another location. Same as ``#jump'' or ``M-j''.
k
Kick something (usually a door). Same as `^D'.
l
Loot a box or bag on the floor beneath you, or the saddle from a horse standing next to you. Same as ``#loot'' or ``M-l''.
N
Name an item or type of object. Same as ``#name'' or ``M-N''.
u
Untrap a trap, door, or chest. Same as ``#untrap'' or ``M-u''.



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