On Thursday 8 June 2023 at 01:37:41 UTC, Janis Papanagnou wrote:
A bag of tricks that had been emptied can be used as a container
to take items. What happens if you fill that container and then
recharge the bag? - Would the items vanish, or would they be
inaccessible until the bag's charges are gone, or would it spill
the items instead of creating monsters, or can the player choose
what shall happen?
Janis
According to the available documentation, Sir, an EMPTY bag of tricks can be used as a container in Unnethack, Dynahack and Slashthem. Possibly also in Hack'em, as this derivative game is related. An empty bag of tricks used as a container MUST NOT be
recharged, or it will destroy all items inside. They will not become temporarily inaccessible, nor will they return to the hero by applying or tipping the bag of tricks. Applying a charged bag of tricks spits its tricks one by one, tipping (inclining)
the bag spits all tricks at once. Various tricks, but with more than a 75% probability of each trick being a monster, which may be a peaceful creature but more often it is a hostile or even a dangerous one.
In no case can the player choose what shall happen. A bag of tricks, whether charged or empty, can be stashed inside a box or similar big container. However, portable containers such as sacks or bags of holding can NOT carry items like a bag of tricks or
a wand of cancellation. Attempting to do so will provoke the destruction of all items inside the sack or bag of holding in most derivatives of the game (in Nethack version 3.7.0 most items will be scattered, a few of them probably will be destroyed).
Therefore a bag of tricks can be used, in those derivatives of the game, either as bag of tricks (its original function) or, when empty of tricks, as portable container, but never both functions together.
A cursed and empty bag of tricks used as a portable container, as with a cursed sack or bag of holding, will make all items inside the bag disappear. In Gnollhack temple priests can remove curses, expecting a donation to the temple.
If You, Sir, be thinking of expending the tricks quickly for using the bag of tricks as a bag of holding... think twice. You do not know what horrors may come from the bag. It may be a lovely kitten... or it may be a nightmare abomination. You may have
superior weapons, excellent armour, healing capabilities (by potions, spells, or other resources), fast escape available (such as teleportation), or whatever, but You never know. And if You have pets at Your side, they will also be put at risk. I
respectfully suggest that if You have too many items, You stash some in secure big containers in appropriate places, as much as reasonably possible, in stead of playing with unknown tricks that may kill Your hero.
At least that is how I play, on the safe side. I carry a lockable box to a small room with a lockable door, and I put inside the box what I cannot carry with me, but which may be useful later in the game. In Gnollhack I protect the hiding place with the
enchantment of Gilthoniel. Then I continue my adventure, remembering the places where I hide my valuables. Other players may have other methods. For me Nethack is a game of serious thinking and slow playing, as it is Chess.
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