(The following is a long and incredibly boring post about my beating the incredible game Nethack for the first time. Most of you probably won't care much about this. Sorry.)

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I did it.

I can’t believe I did it.

I’m still stunned. I actually ascended.

Way back in the late 80’s, when I was in 6th of 7th grade, my parents had an old IBM 4.77 Mhz computer. I’d heard of this great game called Nethack, and decided to give it a try. I remember I had to beg my gracious father to upgrade to 640K of RAM to play. The graphics weren’t as cool as, say, Kings Quest III, but it was fun to name my little dog after our family dog, and kick sinks for rings and stuff. I played back then, save-scumming shamelessly, and made to the mazes of Gehennom, I think.

In college I gave it the ol’ college try, but never really got very far.

Now, as a professional, I did some massive spoiling, and have been playing on and off for maybe a year or so. And it’s finally paid off.

I didn’t keep notes during the game, unfortunately, and the game took place over about a week or so, so here’s the best I can piece together.

The ascencion of DianaFury the neutral Human Valkerie:

Early on in the game, I found an altar, and my lovely Odin granted me Mjollnir, and soon after, actually, Fire Brand. I’ve always been a big Mjollnir fan, but heard good things about the Brands, so decided to give Fire Brand a try. Color me impressed. I stuck with it through the entire rest of the game.

I recently downloaded and tried out the Hearse bones transport system for the first time, and found a bones file soon after the mines and Sokoban of an experienced looking adventurer. Unfortunate “King” (died via a blast from Excalibur!) left behind a bag that looked suspicious like a bag of holding. I grabbed it and blessed it and tenatively named it as such.

Minetown held a magic lamp for me, which I blessed and got GDSM. I find that an early altar for Mjollnir and an early wish for GDSM make for pretty good games.

Since I’d already found the bag, I was sure that Sokoban would give me another, but luckily an amulet was there waiting for me. At some point I’d stumbled across a cloak of protection, so I had magic resistance and cancellation, reflection, and a big stick.

Finding a bag of holding full of goodies was pretty exciting, but I had to make several trips through the mid levels of the dungeon to get everything to a spot I wanted.

Early identification was a problem. I had a number of unidentified scroll and potions in my bag of holding, waiting to be ID’d, when I inadvertantly stepped into a puddle and got many of them faded and diluted. I found an unID’d scroll in the Plane of Earth, if you can believe it (it was stink cloud). At some point, I even had to use a wish for 2 blessed scrolls of enchant armor, just so I could use that new magic marker I’d found to enchant my stuff all up! I’m not sure I remember the rest of my wishes… I believe another magic marker somewhere along the way, along with a helm of telepathy to round out my armor. Couple scrolls of genocide for L’s and h’s.

The excitement really started when I was collecting the Bell, Book, and Candelabrum (henceforth: “Light”). Bell of Opening (and Orb of Fate) from Lord Sartur, no problem. Vlad was a cakewalk, and gave me the Light. At this point, I delved deep and found the vibrating squre, and then backtracked and pick-axed nice connections between all the stairs all the way to the top. Then back down to the the Wizards tower, and went to work. It was a tough battle, and I fought hard before finally giving in and using a wand of death on him. Grabbed the Book, and headed to the vibrating square.

Cue: heart attack. (I posted a panicky message of this account). I check to see if the big 3 are all uncursed. Book, no problem. Light is good. Bell? Bell?!

My Bell of Opening (and I didn’t realize it at the time, but my Orb of Fate) were missing.

I checked the couple times I’d killed the Wizard, but he hadn’t stolen it. I then retraced my steps, and there, just *sitting there* in the middle of the dungeon (up past Medusa) was my Bell of Opening, Orb of Fate, and a magic whistle. I have *no* idea how they got there, but I grabbed ‘em and headed back down.

As you can imagine, this extra time allowed the Wizard to get in lots of shots and double trouble on me, which was really annoying. I used my wands of death on him, knowing full well that I wanted to save them for later, but figuring I’d cross that bridge when I came to it.

Got to the vibrating square, killed the high priest pretty easily, grabbed the amulet, and booked it out of there.

I made it out of Gehennom without too much problem, thanks to my tunnels. When I made it up past Medusa’s level, I had to leave for the weekend for a family wedding. I had lots of time to think about my next moves and prepare myself for what lay ahead.

Then, this evening… I head back up to the top, and to the Plane of Earth.

The Plane of Earth wasn’t much problem. I had a lot of wands of digging, and plowed my way around until finding the teleporter.

The Plane of Air wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. I got sucked into a few air elementals, but I don’t think my hitpoints ever dropped below about 270/307. I basically cleaned out the place, and then systematically walked on every square in the right side of the screen before finding the portal.

The Plane of Fire was a little tricky when a couple Archons showed up. Those guys are nasty. At one point I read a cursed scroll of gold detection, which I thought would find me the portal, but didn’t. So I had to keep stumbling until I found it.

The Plane of Water was pretty easy. I carefully avoided drowning, and tooled around until I fell into the portal. I made sure to take off my ring of conflict beforehand, which was nice.

The Astral Plane… I was bristling with excitement.

I blindfolded myself, and decided to take on Famine. At the first door he stunned me and took a good chunk of HPs away. I shot with my wand of death, but it went diagonally instead of up, missing him. I unicorn horn’d myself until I was ok, and took him down with another blast. Only a turn or two later he reappeared, and I took him town again.

I fought through the ants and made my way to the center altar, and things started fleeing, which I think is good. I’m still not sure how to tell if the altar is the correct one, so I chatted with the priest and it was the priest of Odin, so I gave a small donation of 5 Zorkmids.

And all of a sudden, I was there. Standing on the altar. I saved my game (and made a backup for posterity (NOT savescumming!)). I called in my (very patient!) wife. I offered the amulet.

I ascended. Woo hoo!

Here are the gory details. Thanks for listening.


You offer the Amulet of Yendor to Odin...--More--
An invisible choir sings, and you are bathed in radiance...--More—
The voice of Odin booms out: "Congratulations, mortal!"--More—
"In return for thy service, I grant thee the gift of Immortality!"--More—
You ascend to the status of Demigoddess...--More—



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% 15a51
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└┐ % % %
└┐ $
┐ └───%───

─────────
DianaFury the Swashbuckler St:25 Dx:15 Co:18 In:10 Wi:14 Ch:11 Neutral
Astral Plane $:0 HP:270(307) Pw:67(67) AC:-35 Exp:21 T:74457


Amulets
p - an uncursed amulet of life saving (being worn)
Weapons
x - the rustproof +6 Fire Brand (weapon in hand)
Armor
e - an uncursed thoroughly burnt +5 cloak of protection (being worn)
g - an uncursed +4 gray dragon scale mail (being worn)
o - a blessed +5 helm of telepathy (being worn)
A - an uncursed fireproof +4 pair of speed boots (being worn)
D - an uncursed +4 shield of reflection (being worn)
F - an uncursed fireproof +5 T-shirt (being worn)
T - an uncursed rustproof +4 pair of gauntlets of power (being worn)
Potions
Y - an uncursed diluted potion of full healing
Rings
f - an uncursed ring of slow digestion
M - an uncursed very rusty ring of conflict
V - an uncursed ring of levitation
Wands
c - a wand of teleportation (0:4)
d - a wand of teleportation (0:1)
q - a very rusty wand of wishing (1:0)
N - a rusty wand of death (1:0)
X - a wand of death (0:1)
Tools
a - a +0 unicorn horn
h - a blessed bag of holding
i - an uncursed sack
m - an uncursed blindfold
r - the blessed Orb of Fate (0:4)
G - a blessed magic lamp (lit)
L - the Bell of Opening (1:0)
P - a magic marker (1:43)
Gems
j - an uncursed black opal
k - an uncursed chrysoberyl stone
t - 2 uncursed diamonds
v - an uncursed luckstone
w - an uncursed aquamarine stone
y - 4 uncursed rubies
z - 3 uncursed amethyst stones
B - 4 uncursed rubies
E - 3 uncursed emeralds
H - an uncursed jacinth stone
I - a blessed touchstone
J - 2 uncursed aquamarine stones
K - an uncursed luckstone
O - 2 uncursed garnet stones


Contents of the bag of holding:

10 uncursed K-rations
a cursed ring of invisibility
4 uncursed scrolls of blank paper
3 potions of holy water
the +4 Grayswandir
a blessed scroll of remove curse
3 blessed scrolls of blank paper
a thoroughly rusty +0 pick-axe
an uncursed magic whistle
a magic marker (1:1)
a cursed rusty wand of death (0:0)
a cheap plastic imitation of the Amulet of Yendor
a cursed amulet of magical breathing
a cursed amulet of life saving
a cursed ring of invisibility named Naz 4
2 uncursed diluted potions of extra healing
a wand of undead turning (0:2)
a wand of locking (0:1)
a wand of probing (0:4)
a wand of speed monster (0:7)
an uncursed ring of polymorph control
an uncursed +1 ring of increase accuracy
an uncursed amulet of unchanging
a cursed ring of invisibility
an uncursed ring of regeneration
a blessed +1 ring of increase accuracy
an uncursed blindfold
an uncursed lizard corpse
1268 gold pieces
an uncursed ring of poison resistance
an uncursed ring of polymorph
an uncursed thoroughly rusty stethoscope
a wand of teleportation (0:2)
an uncursed thoroughly rusty ring of free action
an uncursed ring of teleportation
an uncursed ring of invisibility named Naz 1
an uncursed ring of see invisible
an uncursed +2 ring of gain strength
an uncursed ring of free action
an uncursed +2 ring of gain constitution
an uncursed ring of invisibility
an uncursed ring of regeneration
a wand of fire (0:0)
a cursed ring of invisibility named Naz 2
an uncursed +2 ring of gain strength
an uncursed ring of slow digestion
an uncursed ring of invisibility
an uncursed towel
a wand of striking (0:2)
a very rusty wand of lightning (0:5)
a blessed scroll of earth
an uncursed ring of slow digestion
27 uncursed C-rations
an uncursed magic whistle
a wand of digging (0:3)
a wand of teleportation (0:6)
an uncursed thoroughly rusty ring of conflict
an uncursed +0 pair of levitation boots
4 uncursed lizard corpses
14 uncursed scrolls of blank paper
an uncursed amulet of ESP
a +0 silver saber
an uncursed mirror
an uncursed tallow candle
an uncursed amulet of reflection

Contents of the sack:

a potion of holy water
an uncursed potion of full healing
a blessed scroll of blank paper
a blessed scroll of remove curse


Final Attributes:

You were piously aligned.
You were fire resistant.
You were cold resistant.
You were sleep resistant.
You were disintegration-resistant.
You were shock resistant.
You were poison resistant.
You were magic-protected.
You saw invisible.
You were telepathic.
You were warned.
You were stealthy.
You were protected.
You were very fast.
You had reflection.
Your life would have been saved.
You were lucky.
You had extra luck.
Good luck did not time out for you.
You survived.



Vanquished creatures:

Asmodeus
Orcus
Juiblex
The Wizard of Yendor (20 times)
Famine (twice)
a high priest
a mastodon
Medusa
13 krakens
7 Archons
8 iron golems
a master lich
a ki-rin
a storm giant
3 titans
2 balrogs
10 purple worms
4 gray dragons
3 silver dragons
20 red dragons
7 white dragons
an orange dragon
13 black dragons
7 blue dragons
10 green dragons
11 yellow dragons
20 minotaurs
6 jabberwocks
Lord Surtur
7 baluchitheria
Vlad the Impaler
17 stone golems
32 Olog-hai
7 Nazguls
14 pit fiends
2 sandestins
10 hell hounds
8 titanotheres
6 trappers
a baby blue dragon
2 guardian nagas
11 disenchanters
37 vampire lords
5 skeletons
9 shopkeepers
15 aligned priests
11 captains
6 shades
5 liches
4 clay golems
3 nurses
8 ice devils
2 nalfeshnees
5 lurkers above
3 Aleaxes
3 frost giants
9 ettins
3 golden nagas
18 black puddings
28 vampires
10 lieutenants
a watch captain
42 ghosts
a queen bee
15 winged gargoyles
a mind flayer
13 giant mimics
11 zruties
33 fire giants
11 ogre kings
7 ice trolls
31 rock trolls
13 umber hulks
8 flesh golems
10 Elvenkings
9 doppelgangers
8 hezrous
21 bone devils
7 large mimics
6 wumpuses
12 fire vortices
a baby purple worm
12 long worms
4 couatls
19 stalkers
13 air elementals
28 fire elementals
30 earth elementals
32 water elementals
18 hill giants
8 giant mummies
6 black nagas
13 xorns
15 giant zombies
22 elf-lords
25 sergeants
2 water demons
18 barbed devils
13 vrocks
9 salamanders
24 wargs
2 winter wolves
4 hell hound pups
24 small mimics
3 glass piercers
5 warhorses
13 steam vortices
20 xans
8 ettin mummies
7 ogre lords
7 quantum mechanics
19 trolls
3 sasquatches
6 wood golems
3 erinyes
6 mariliths
a djinni
7 sharks
13 electric eels
8 gelatinous cubes
5 pyrolisks
a large dog
4 freezing spheres
5 flaming spheres
7 shocking spheres
14 tigers
6 gargoyles
2 dwarf kings
6 tengu
9 ochre jellies
17 leocrottas
7 energy vortices
a mountain centaur
10 stone giants
6 elf mummies
4 human mummies
2 red nagas
5 green slimes
24 pit vipers
a python
17 cobras
62 wraiths
10 carnivorous apes
18 ettin zombies
2 leather golems
11 Grey-elves
103 soldiers
4 watchmen
12 horned devils
8 succubi
7 incubi
15 chameleons
2 crocodiles
18 giant beetles
9 quivering blobs
35 cockatrices
21 wolves
10 winter wolf cubs
4 lynxes
5 panthers
15 gremlins
2 spotted jellies
7 leprechauns
6 orc-captains
17 iron piercers
7 mumakil
16 giant spiders
8 scorpions
7 horses
7 black lights
9 vampire bats
2 forest centaurs
9 gnome kings
9 orc mummies
7 dwarf mummies
5 ogres
4 brown puddings
15 rust monsters
17 owlbears
14 yetis
6 gold golems
4 werewolves
14 Green-elves
5 piranhas
18 giant eels
26 lizards
2 warriors
13 chickatrices
4 dogs
3 dingos
a housecat
9 jaguars
4 dwarf lords
9 blue jellies
3 white unicorns
4 black unicorns
17 dust vortices
3 ravens
6 plains centaurs
2 gnome mummies
6 snakes
9 water moccasins
11 apes
32 human zombies
5 rope golems
15 Woodland-elves
26 soldier ants
93 fire ants
11 bugbears
2 imps
16 lemures
13 quasits
6 wood nymphs
9 water nymphs
6 mountain nymphs
10 Mordor orcs
12 Uruk-hai
4 orc shamans
10 rock piercers
4 rock moles
6 ponies
15 fog clouds
12 yellow lights
3 shriekers
8 violet fungi
31 gnome lords
12 gnomish wizards
9 kobold mummies
2 black naga hatchlings
a golden naga hatchling
a guardian naga hatchling
10 gray oozes
5 barrow wights
28 elf zombies
20 ghouls
2 straw golems
4 paper golems
8 jellyfish
a baby crocodile
28 giant ants
2 little dogs
14 floating eyes
4 kittens
27 dwarves
8 homunculi
3 kobold lords
3 kobold shamans
43 hill orcs
36 rothes
4 rabid rats
a centipede
5 giant bats
4 monkeys
24 orc zombies
20 dwarf zombies
2 wererats
3 werejackals
15 iguanas
65 killer bees
7 acid blobs
8 coyotes
a gas spore
9 hobbits
6 manes
3 large kobolds
13 hobgoblins
19 giant rats
13 cave spiders
2 brown molds
6 yellow molds
4 green molds
4 red molds
66 gnomes
9 garter snakes
11 gnome zombies
12 geckos
6 jackals
3 foxes
4 kobolds
5 goblins
14 sewer rats
8 grid bugs
2 bats
16 lichens
14 kobold zombies
10 newts
3119 creatures vanquished.


Genocided species:

hobbits
dwarves
bugbears
dwarf lords
dwarf kings
mind flayers
master mind flayers
liches
demiliches
master liches
arch-liches

11 species genocided.


Voluntary challenges:

You genocided 11 types of monsters.
You never changed form.
You used 10 wishes.
You did not wish for any artifacts.



Farvel DianaFury the Demigoddess...

You went to your reward with 5135492 points,
Grayswandir (worth 8000 zorkmids and 20000 points)
The Orb of Fate (worth 3500 zorkmids and 8750 points)
Fire Brand (worth 3000 zorkmids and 7500 points)
The Bell of Opening (worth 5000 zorkmids and 12500 points)
8 rubies (worth 28000 zorkmids),
6 diamonds (worth 24000 zorkmids),
3 emeralds (worth 7500 zorkmids),
3 aquamarine stones (worth 4500 zorkmids),
3 amethyst stones (worth 1800 zorkmids),
2 garnet stones (worth 1400 zorkmids),
2 jasper stones (worth 1000 zorkmids),
1 jacinth stone (worth 3250 zorkmids),
1 black opal (worth 2500 zorkmids),
1 chrysoberyl stone (worth 700 zorkmids),
2 amulets of life saving (worth 300 zorkmids),
1 amulet of ESP (worth 150 zorkmids),
1 amulet of unchanging (worth 150 zorkmids),
1 amulet of reflection (worth 150 zorkmids),
1 amulet of magical breathing (worth 150 zorkmids),
1 cheap plastic imitation of the Amulet of Yendor (worth 0 zorkmids),
and 1268 pieces of gold, after 74457 moves.

You were level 21 with a maximum of 307 hit points when you ascended.