List of commands

Menu commands
The key listed in brackets in each definition allows you to perform the action without opening the menu (using [V]). If it is not part of a word, it will be explicitly stated. The word that it is part of can be used to memorize the command, which makes the task of memorizing the multitude of commands much less daunting. The keypresses are CASE SENSITIVE.

Cancel
The [esc] key is used to cancel many actions or close the current open menu.

Climb
This command is used to [c]limb up or down stairs, to navigate between floors. It can also be used to climb a tree, climb in or out of a trap, and swim up and down in water, acid or lava. Use [<] to climb up or [>] to climb down without opening the menu.

Search
Will [s]earch the area, attempting to reveal any hidden doors or traps in the adjacent squares. This command takes a round of gameplay. In most cases, you will have to use this action several times before discovering the secret. As of version 114, you get a status message when searching, providing a bit of feedback.

Zap
Attempts to cast ([z]ap) a spell.

Fire
Will [f]ire a quivered item.

Jump
[J]umps if you have the ability. Otherwise it will display "You cannot jump very far." If you try to jump to a square you cannot see, you'll get "You balk at the leap!"

Look
Allows you to look around and e[x]amine monsters/objects. Does not take any game time.

Wait
Skips a turn, allowing you to [w]ait in place for a single round of gameplay. This command can be useful for resting, or letting a monster come to you. You can also use the [.] or [5] keys for this purpose.

Pick Up
Collects ([g]ets) an item at your feet, and places it into your inventory, provided you have a free space. If there is more than one object, a menu appears to select which one to pick up. Picking an object up takes one turn. If there are no objects, it will display, "You grope on the floor foolishly!" (but will not take any time). You can also use the [,] key for this purpose.

Eat
Picks up and [e]ats an object from the floor. If you are full, it will be left in your inventory.

Open
Will [o]pen a door. You must specify the direction when opening the door. This is useful when your polymorphed form does not automatically open doors by moving into them.

Close
Will [c]lose a door. You must specify the direction when closing the door. This is useful for escaping dangerous monsters, though beware that some enemies can open doors. It can also be used to shut yourself inside a room while you rest.

Breathe
[B]reathes in a direction, including up or down. This is only useful when you are polymorphed into a dragon. Note that using a breath weapon will tire you out for 1d4+1 turns.

Wish
The wish command is a powerful one, but is only available to those who know the secret password to activate wizard mode. This code can only be obtained through a small donation to Jeff Lait. Currently, This command allows you to wish for items by type, specific magic items, monsters, spells, skills, experience, befriending Gods, level teleporting, and to create a prefabricated room. If wizard mode is not activated, then it will just display a random message. This command is activated by pressing [&]

Release
[q] Ends your possession of a monster (or Wizard's Eye). Best done before your possessed body gets killed!

Command
[C]ommands pets from a list of visible ones, or "all" visible pets. After choosing a pet, three options are available: "Kill...", "Guard me", and "Stay". "Kill..." allows for a target to be chosen.

Name
Can be used to set a custom [N]ame on monsters or yourself.

Swap
[S]waps places with an allied, friendly, or neutral monster.

Sleep
Puts you to sleep for (up to) 50 turns, allowing you to [R]est. It gives you the Asleep intrinsic, allowing you to restore hit points. It's good when you are able to hide yourself, as it is much quicker then just waiting for your health to recover; however, it is more dangerous, as it leaves you open to attacks.

Forget
Allows you to [F]orget a skill, removing it from your memorized abilities and spells (and thus grants you an additional skill or spell slot). This is useful for forgetting unwanted skills and spells (which may have been granted by your god). You will not be able to forget a skill or spell if you have another skill or spell which depends on it.

Move
[W]alks in one of 8 directions. You can only walk diagonally if you are in the barbarian outfit, or polymorphed into a grid bug. Otherwise, diagonals give the message, "You cannot move in this fashion."

SafeWalk
If you hold the [ctrl] key while walking, you will not automatically fight creatures that you bump into. (But see the Safewalk Option, below, which reverses this.)

Run
[r]unning will make your you move in the given direction until you reach a dead end, a choice of paths, or a non-tame monster. You cannot run if you are next to a non-tame monster. Taking damage from any source will also end your run.

MiniMap
Your [m]inimap can be opened using the [m] key or the [X] key.

History
Pressing [p] will scroll through previous event messages.

Pray
Praying opens up the list of [deities], allowing you to check your disposition. This is done by pressing the [_] key. Praying gets no direct response from any deity, but it does use a game turn.

Options
In the [O]ptions screen, you can get help, adjust various settings, check your known-items list, dump your character data to a file, or save (and optionally quit) your game. Possibly the single most useful option is Safewalk -- with this set, you will not automatically attack a neutral creature by moving into them (instead, you will neither move, nor lose the turn). With Safewalk activated, moving with the control key pressed will attack neutral or friendly creatures.

Inventory
Opens your [i]nventory, allowing you to review or use one of your possessions or equip your character. (See the inventory commands, below)

Command menu
This offers all of the above commands as a menu. It is invoked with the [V] key.

Zap
Zaps a wand at the selected square.

Read
Causes you to read a book or scroll.

Equip
Equips the selected item in your inventory.

Unequip
Attempts to remove the selected piece of equipment from a body location. If the item is "evil", it cannot be removed. You must have a free space in your inventory.

Drop
Drops the selected item to the ground at your feet.

Eat
Allows you to consume any edible item, usually corpses or potions. Eating corpses will prevent starvation, but also carries a chance of passing along any intrinsics that the creature had. Drinking a potion will gain its effects. For more information, see the Food and Potions sections. Cannot be done if you are currently Full.

Dip
After selecting the dip [!] command, you can choose a potion to dip the selected item into. Doing so can have good, bad, or no effects depending on the potion and the dipped item.

Examine
E[x]amining an item will display the encyclopedia entry on that item type, as well as displaying any information about the item that you might have learned. Keep in mind that until an item (or at least its type) is identified, you'll receive almost no information about that item.

Quiver
Toggles the [q]uiver flag on an inventory item. When you use the fire command from the main command list, it will search your inventory for any quivered items, and automatically throw one of them. Quivered items will also be picked up automatically (and instantly) when you walk over them, instead of prompting you to pick them up.

Throw
Lets you [t]hrow an item in any direction. Besides weapons, potions can also be thrown at monsters, and throwing other items is occasionally useful.

Sort
The [s]ort command will organize your inventory screen. Identical items will be "stacked" into a single slot. Items will also be arranged in order by type. "Favorite" items will be moved to the start of your inventory. "Identical" here includes both known and unknown characteristics, as well as the ID status itself. Exception: Corpses (including statues) do not stack, even if apparently identical.

Split
This action is available on stacked items. It will remove one item from the stack, and put it in a separate inventory slot.

Name item
Can be used to set a custom [N]ame on items in your inventory. This can be a useful trick for items you've managed to identify without the game flagging them as identified, such as a Ring of Fire Resistance or similar item. You can name a "Specific" item (or stack), or a "Type" of item.

Favorite
[f]avorite highlights an item with a yellow border. When the Sort command is used, these items will be placed first (unless they are equipped).