This is the official release build of Hack'EM 1.2.2 - this build will not see any further updates.
Greetings Adventurers,
this release quickly follows 1.2.1 because save breaking changes were implemented. More big changes are contained in this release that build on 1.2.1 and aim to balance out the flood of mid-late-game SLASH'EM resources with new challenges and interesting gameplay dynamics.
Skill changes:
- Harder skill training (from UnNetHack).
- Crosstraining for weapon and magic skills (from DynaHack).
- Crosstraining bonuses for related skills.
New challenges:
- xNetHack style ice traps.
- Flame mage quest revamp - the flame mage faces the High Ice Mage as their quest nemesis now.
- New monster: compsognathus. Only appears for cavefolk.
- Nightmare gets a fear-inducing wail attack.
- Thrown potions of amnesia can affect almost any worn or wielded item on the player.
- Rodney can get magic resistance amulets again.
- The Mystic Eyes autocurse on wear, but grant death resistance.
- Eating wraith corpses has the same behavior as SLASH'EM.
- Unicorn horns can come in different materials.
Quality of life:
- Magic chests (from EvilHack).
- Improvements to using transmogrify/add property service to add properties to items.
- Cheaper and better weapon and armor identify services.
- Better upgrade paths for bags. All the magical bags can upgrade into bags of holding.
- Shopkeepers start with more gold.
- More forging recipes.
- Punishment no longer stops you from displacing pets.
- Lower chances of rings exploding during charging.
- When learning weapons through use (becoming familiar with them), you fully identify the item and also discover the object's base type.
- Added a little helper info for dazzling to the pokedex..
- The alignment keys and the Key of Access cannot be put into containers.
- If Grunds Stronghold doesn't have a magic marker, it will have a scroll of acquirement.
- Items can be dipped into potions of invulnerability to gain the toughness property.
- Potions of invulnerability are mostly invulnerable to destructive effects. They are still subject to shattering if forcefully thrown or smashed against a monster.
- Deepest ones are excluded from generating in the mines.
- All short swords get +1 to-hit.
- Raised the difficulty of bullet ants, adherers, skeletal pirates, and landsharks a few notches.
- Reduced the range of screamer and gibberling attacks to 3 squares.
- Shambling horrors cannot hide or dig pits.
Altar and priest nerfs
- After receiving 2 gifts, there is a chance the altar will be destroyed on receiving any further gifts. The chance grows as you receive more gifts. Infidels are exempt from this destruction.
- Becoming crowned always destroys the altar you are crowned on, even for infidels.
- When donating to priests - the gold vanishes upon receipt.
Spellcasting changes:
- SLASH'EM style spellcasting system. Spells start at 10000 spell memory
- Re-reading spellbooks or using the reinforce memory tech adds 10000 turns to your memory..
- The reinforce memory tech can be used when spells are at half-life (under 5000 turns left),
- When a spell reaches 100 turns left, you get a warning reminder.
- Blessed potions of amnesia can be quaffed to forget your last spell.
- Technique cooldowns don't expire if the player just waits or searches.
- Revised tech timeouts.
- Limits to the number of spells a character can learn. Non-spellcasters are severely constrained and their potential with spellcasting is limited. Being able to learn new spells depends on both your intelligence and wisdom. This means non-spellcasting roles will be capped out at about 4 spells and primary spellcasters to about 12. Wizards get a little bonus and they can learn a max of 16 spells. This means that you will not only have to work hard to maximize your intelligence and wisdom, but you also have to be much more selective about your spell library, utilizing the spells you do find to their full advantage. Each role's special spell is a bonus - it will always be learned at level 12 even if you are past your spell learning cap. Prayer gifts that grant intrinsic spells also follow the rules of max spell knowledge.
Role differentiation:
- Jedi and Undead Slayers don't train martial arts, they train bare handed combat.
- Removed the Bat from Hell as the rogue's guaranteed sacrifice gift.
- Removed the energy boost invoke from the Great Dagger of Glaurgnaa.
- Necromancers can not benefit from items granting energy regeneration.
- Removed weapon practice tech from pirates.
- Playing as a priest you will suppress the chance of zombie revival by 50%
- Rogues start with +1 short sword, samurai with +3 wakizashi.
- The Sceptre of Might is an executioner's mace.
- Archaeologists start out with the appraisal technique at level 1. They get the research tech at level 3.
- Barbarians get a multishot and to-hit bonus for throwing throwing-axes.
- Player vampires don't get alignment penalties for attacking and killing most peacefuls.
- Once Infidels receive their guaranteed sacrifice gift, Secespita, they will receive no further gifts from their god.
Misc:
- Striking iron bars with wands of striking, force bolt, or punching them with gauntlets of force destroys them - potentially sending iron chains flying in the process.
- Vampiric shopkeepers.
- Blessed/confused scrolls of punishment grant an iron chain.
- Overhaul of ring appearances and materials. Rings have a completely new set of appearances and are eligible for different materials just like other items.