Potion

Omega versionsRemake 0.90.4 (current)source 009707d17482updated 2026-07-25

Potions are single-use drinkable items represented by a bright-green ! in Omega 0.90.4. Their effects range from detection and temporary movement powers to permanent attribute changes, while cursed copies often reverse the useful effect.

Every potion weighs 20, has fragility 5, and belongs to the common rarity class.

Potion types

Potion	Base value (Au)	Item level	Cursed name
Potion of quenching thirst	0	0	Antinomy!
Potion of healing	40	2	Potion of disruption
Potion of object detection	10	1	Potion of object detection
Potion of monster detection	10	1	Potion of monster detection
Potion of neutralize poison	20	2	Potion of poison
Potion of alertness	100	0	Potion of sleep
Potion of speed	40	1	Potion of slowness
Potion of restoration	50	3	Potion of debilitation
Azoth	1,500	7	Mercury
Potion of regeneration	100	4	Potion of great disruption
Potion of invisibility	100	2	Potion of aggravation
Potion of breathing	30	2	Potion of choking
Potion of augmentation	200	5	Potion of debilitation
Potion of banishing fear	50	2	Potion of fear
Potion of chaos	100	3	Antinomy!
Potion of accuracy	200	3	Potion of fuzziness
Potion of levitation	50	1	Potion of levitation
Potion of curing	50	1	Potion of disease

The listed base value is the starting price before identification, plus, and BUC adjustments. Positive plus raises value, negative plus reduces it, and blessing doubles the adjusted value. Quenching-thirst potions have zero base value and never appear in pawn-shop stock.

Finding potions

Potions can appear among random dungeon-floor and monster treasure. The pawn shop can stock potions with positive recognized value, and a scroll of acquirement can produce a random potion or, when blessed, a chosen potion.

When random treasure is generated, potions account for 10 of the 135 possible item-class outcomes, and all eighteen potion types are initially equally likely. Dungeon depth then favors appropriate items: a potion below the area's level always qualifies, one at the same level appears about two-thirds of the time, one level higher about one-third, and anything at least two levels higher only on the one-percent exception. A rejected potion is replaced by an entirely new treasure roll.

Ordinary randomly found potions begin uncursed with a nonnegative plus; low-plus copies are most common. Azoth is the exception: a natural copy is uncursed but always begins at -1 plus, making it poisonous to drink unchanged.

Several monsters begin with fixed potions: tse-tse flies and torpor beasts carry alertness; floating eyes carry levitation; transparent nasties carry invisibility; tasmanian devils carry speed; and denebian slime devils carry curing.

Unidentified appearances

At the start of a new game, twenty container descriptions are shuffled. The eighteen potions receive the first eighteen shuffled descriptions, while two artifact drinkables use the remaining two assignments. An appearance learned in one game therefore does not identify the same potion in another.

No.	Appearance	No.	Appearance
1	vial of dewy liquid	11	keg of bubbly golden fluid
2	jug of tarry black substance	12	tube of minty paste
3	flask of cold smoking froth	13	pitcher of aromatic liquid
4	phial of glowing fluid	14	pot of rancid grease
5	bottle of sickening slime	15	thermos of hot black liquid
6	sac of greenish gel	16	magnum of deep red liquid
7	wineskin of odorous goo	17	vase full of ichor
8	canteen of sweet sap	18	container of white cream
9	urn of clear fluid	19	syringe of clear fluid
10	clotted grey ooze	20	can of volatile essence

Quaffing and identification

Only potions can be selected for quaffing. Cancelling the inventory choice consumes nothing. After a potion is chosen, the game prints "You drink it down...." and consumes one copy even if nothing happens.

Identification after drinking is inconsistent. Many noncursed potions identify their type; accuracy and levitation identify in every BUC state; chaos, curing, Azoth, and quenching thirst never identify themselves. An obvious message therefore does not guarantee that the potion's appearance becomes known.

Effects and interactions

In 0.90.4, players cannot throw potions for a splash effect, dip items into them, or mix them. Their direct use is drinking, although carried potions can still be destroyed by damage to possessions.

When possession damage reaches a potion, its fragility 5 gives an 80% chance for the damage attempt to proceed. Positive plus absorbs a successful attempt by dropping one point before the potion can shatter; strongly blessed or deeply cursed high-level copies may also resist. Acid immunity prevents acid traps from damaging carried potions this way.

Strategy

Identify both type and BUC before drinking when possible. Detection potions are reliable when uncursed but show false positions when cursed; several cursed restorative potions cause direct damage, poison, disease, fear, or attribute loss. Keep noncursed breathing, speed, invisibility, and regeneration for situations where their duration matters, and check the individual page before spending a blessing.

Treat Azoth separately from ordinary potions: a natural copy is uncursed but has -1 plus and inflicts severe poison. It must be both blessed and positive-plus before it grants cosmic power. Potion of accuracy should also be sold or ignored in 0.90.4 because drinking it never improves hit chance.

Trivial

The unidentified container pool mixes conventional potion vessels with conspicuously modern or unusual packaging, including a thermos, tube, syringe, wineskin, and can.

References

• WinOmega source at the documented revision
• NetHackWiki Potion article (table and article-organization reference; Omega mechanics come from WinOmega)