| name | description |
|---|---|
| wiki_editing | Instructions and conventions for editing the GnollHack Wiki Markdown pages and handling images. |
GnollHack Wiki Editing Guidelines
When editing or creating pages for the GnollHack Wiki, follow these conventions optimized for AI agents like Gemini 3.5 Flash.
1. File and Heading Structure
-
Page Titles: The wiki automatically uses the filename (without
.md) as the page title. Never start a page with anH1(#) orH2(##) heading that is identical to the page's name (the filename without extension). In such cases, omit the heading completely, as it is implied and provided to the page from the filename. Use a singleH1heading (#) on the very first line ONLY if you need a custom title that differs from the filename (e.g., incorrect filename casing or special pages like the home page). In most cases, an H1 is not needed. Never apply a Unicode icon toH1(#) headings. -
Section Headings: Use only
H2(##) and lower for all other section headings. -
Spacing: Always place an empty line before and after all headings (except before the
H1at the very beginning of the file). This explicitly includesH2(##) andH3(###) headings, which must have an empty line above and below them. -
Subdirectories: Group files into subdirectories (e.g.,
/Monsters/,/Items/) to prevent naming conflicts and organize content. -
Ingress: If an article has an ingress, it must be styled as a block quote (
>) starting with a๐emoji, followed by bold text (e.g.,> ๐ **This is the ingress.**). -
Lists: Use a dash (
-) for Markdown lists instead of an asterisk (*) by default.
2. Wikilinks (Gollum Syntax)
-
Syntax: Use Gollum-style wikilinks:
[[Alias|Page Name]]or[[Page Name]]. IMPORTANT: The alias always comes first and the page name comes last! -
Section Links: Never use the
[text](#section-anchor)format for in-page section links. Always use the Gollum-style format instead:[[text|#section-anchor]]. The section anchor must be:- Converted to lowercase.
- Spaces replaced with dashes (
-). - Emojis and other special characters removed.
- Cleaned up so there are no leading or trailing dashes, and no consecutive dashes (e.g.,
--becomes-). - The end result should have only lowercase letters, numbers, and dashes.
- Example: For a heading
## ๐ชจ Plane of Earth, the in-page section link should be[[Plane of Earth|#plane-of-earth]].
-
Paths: All wikilinks pointing to a page in a subfolder (e.g.,
[[/Items/potion of healing]],[[/Artifacts/Vorpal Blade]]) must start with a slash (/), regardless of whether the source file is located in the root directory or in a subdirectory. If a link points to a page in the root directory (e.g.,[[Home]]), it should not start with a slash, unless the source document is in a subdirectory (e.g.Rooms/), in which case the link targeting the root page must start with a leading slash (e.g.[[/Rings]]or[[/Weapons]]). -
File Extensions: Do not include the
.mdextension in wikilinks. -
Case-Sensitivity: Subdirectory names in wikilinks are case-sensitive and must match the physical directory casing exactly (e.g.,
/Items/,/Monsters/,/Dungeon/,/Conducts/). Only the final page name itself is case-insensitive in Gollum. -
Aliases: Never use an alias in wikilinks when the link text is the same as the target page name (e.g., use
[[/Roles/Priest]]instead of[[Priest|/Roles/Priest]]). Use an alias only when the link text must differ from the page name, such as to use the plural form of the page name (e.g.,[[Priests|/Roles/Priest]]). Remember: Alias comes first, Page Name comes last. -
Simplifying Wikilinks with Subdirectories: If the desired link text matches the target page's filename exactly (case-insensitively), you do not need an alias, even if the target is in a subdirectory or root directory. In Gollum, the directory path is hidden by default and only the filename is displayed. For example:
- Use
[[/Rooms/Shops/General store]]instead of[[General store|/Rooms/Shops/General store]] - Use
[[/Rooms/shop]]instead of[[shop|/Rooms/Shop]] - Use
[[/rings]]instead of[[rings|/Rings]](from a subdirectory) - Use
[[weapons]]instead of[[weapons|Weapons]](from the root directory)
- Use
-
Dashes and Spaces: In the latest version of Gollum, dashes (
-) in Markdown filenames represent literal dashes, unlike GitHub wikis where they represent spaces. A space in a filename denotes a space (and is represented as%20in URLs). Therefore, when linking to a page with a dash in its filename, keep the dash in the wikilink; do not replace it with a space. -
Capitalization: Wikilinks should follow standard English grammar capitalization rules for the surrounding sentence, regardless of the actual filename's capitalization (since Gollum links are case-insensitive).
- Regular item names and regular monster names follow standard English letter capitalization rules. Do not start regular item names (such as the ring of polymorph) always with an uppercase letter. For example, use
[[/Items/potion of healing]]in the middle of a sentence. - Spells, artifacts, and unique monsters follow standard English title casing. For example, use
[[/Spells/Finger of Death]]or[[/Monsters/Wizard of Yendor]]. - For title cased names that start with an article like "The" (e.g., artifact names), the article itself follows standard English grammar capitalization (e.g., use
[[/Artifacts/the Katana of Masamune]]in the middle of a sentence, or[[/Artifacts/The Katana of Masamune]]at the start of a sentence). The rest of the name remains title cased. - If you must capitalize the first letter of a regular item or monster (e.g., when starting a sentence), capitalize the letter directly in the filename portion of the wikilink (the part after the subdirectory, if present). For example, use
[[/Items/Potion of healing]]instead of[[Potion of healing|/Items/potion of healing]].
- Regular item names and regular monster names follow standard English letter capitalization rules. Do not start regular item names (such as the ring of polymorph) always with an uppercase letter. For example, use
-
Monster & Item Categories / Valid Links: Do not create wikilinks to non-existing pages. Always verify that a target page actually exists before linking it. Do not link to generic monster or item category pages (like "books", "spellbooks", "potions", "scrolls", "weapons", "armor", "ammunition", "comestibles", "rings", "gems", "wands", "reagents", "dragons", "vampires") UNLESS a corresponding page actually exists in the wiki (e.g., if a page like Weapons or Rings exists, it is allowed to link to it; otherwise, leave them as plain text). If a category page DOES exist (such as Nymphs), make a wikilink to the category page (e.g.,
[[/Monsters/Nymphs]]). -
Gold: Never create wikilinks for "gold" (e.g.,
[[/Items/Gold]]or[[gold|/Items/Gold piece]]). Always leave the word "gold" or "gold pieces" as plain text.
3. Images and Uploads
-
Upload Directory: All images must be placed under the
/uploads/directory. Match the subdirectory structure of the document (e.g., an image for/Races/Dwarf.mdgoes to/uploads/Races/Dwarf/image.webp). -
Format: Use WebP format exclusively.
- A quality setting of 85 is used by default, and almost always for larger images, such as 512x512-pixel AI-generated illustrations.
- A quality setting of 100 (lossless) is used only for small icons (32x32 or smaller) and for images with flat colors, such as Excel screenshots (for example, comparison pages may have such images). They can have a very high pixel resolution but compress to a very small file size when encoded losslessly. Even though there is no strict maximum file size for such images, their file sizes are often under 100 KB.
- If a WEBP file is larger than 100 KB, tell the user the used quality setting and ask them to suggest what to do (e.g., accept the large size, lower the encoding quality, or provide a custom WEBP file).
-
Styling for Illustrative Images (these rules apply only to illustrative images, which are usually generated with AI):
- File size should be under 100 KB.
- Transparent backgrounds (no white backgrounds).
- 12-pixel rounded corners for sharp-cornered images.
- Dimensions: Square (512x512), Horizontal (Width 512), Vertical (Height 512).
-
Link Syntax: Use standard Markdown image syntax referencing the absolute path:
. Any spaces in the image path must be URL-encoded as%20(e.g.,).
4. Restrictions
-
Reserved Folders: Do not create, modify, or put anything in the
/gollum/or/.gollum/directories. These are strictly reserved for wiki software functions and website files. -
Horizontal Lines: Do not use horizontal lines (e.g.,
---or***) anywhere in the wiki. They are not needed in Markdown documents. -
Markdown Flavor: The wiki uses Gollum-style Markdown, not GitHub Flavored Markdown. It does not support GitHub-style alerts (e.g.,
> [!IMPORTANT],> [!NOTE]). Use standard Markdown blockquotes with bold text and colored unicode icons as the best alternatives:- Note:
> โน๏ธ **Note:** This is a note. - Tip:
> ๐ก **Tip:** This is a tip. - Important:
> ๐ข **Important:** This is important. - Warning:
> โ ๏ธ **Warning:** This is a warning. - Caution:
> ๐ **Caution:** This is caution.
- Note:
-
HTML Lists: Gollum does not support HTML lists (such as
<ul>and<li>tags). Avoid using them in Markdown files, including inside tables. Instead, represent list items in tables using Unicode bullets (e.g.,โข) separated by HTML line breaks (<br />).
5. Mathematical Formulas (KaTeX)
-
Prefer Plain Text for Simple Formulas: For simple mathematical expressions or basic requirements (e.g.,
Level >= 3orLuck >= 0), format them as plain text. Do not use KaTeX for simple expressions. - Use KaTeX Only for Complex Formulas: Use KaTeX notation only for complex mathematical formulas, fraction-based equations, or multi-variable calculations.
-
Delimiters: All KaTeX formulas must start with
$and end with$. - Spacing: Always leave an empty line before and after a KaTeX formula that is not an inline formula, but is on its own line.
-
Example:
- Complex formula in KaTeX:
$P = \frac{1}{10 + 2 \times G \times A}$ - Simple formula in plain text:
Luck >= 0or1 in 10
- Complex formula in KaTeX:
6. Spelling
- Archaeologist: Always prefer the spelling "Archaeologist" (with the 'a' in the middle) instead of "Archeologist". This applies to all references in the wiki and the game.
- Gehennom: Always use the term "Gehennom" and never "Hell".
- Leucrotta: Always spell the monster name as "Leucrotta" (with a 'u') and never "Leocrotta" (which is the NetHack spelling).
- The Hand of Elbereth: Never use the term "the Hand of Elbereth" in a generic sense when referring to crowning (unrelated to the character's alignment). Only use "the Hand of Elbereth" when specifically referring to the crowning title for Lawful characters. For generic cases, simply use "crowning" or "crowned".
- Special Favor: Always use the term "special favor" on the wiki instead of the internal C code term "pat on the head".
7. Game Stats Conventions
-
Strength Values: When writing or verifying strength values that exceed 18, convert the C macros correctly:
- Values using
STR18(x)(e.g.,STR18(100)) should be formatted as18/xx(e.g.,18/100). - Values using
STR19(x)(e.g.,STR19(25)) should be formatted strictly asx(e.g.,25). Do not write125or19/25.
- Values using
8. Game Commands and Keyboard Shortcuts
-
Game Commands: Always mention a game command by its name with a capital letter, followed by its keyboard shortcut in parentheses formatted as code. Example: Pray (
Alt+p). Do not mention an extended command (e.g.,#pray) for a game command if there is a keyboard shortcut available for it. -
GnollHack Keyboard Shortcuts: Use lowercase letters for the keys in GnollHack game keyboard shortcuts (e.g.
e,Shift+e,Alt+e,Alt+Shift+e). A normal key is written as a single lowercase letter (e.g.e). A Shift key shortcut is written asShift+lowercase letter(e.g.Shift+e). Apply this format to all modifier key combinations within the game: Ctrl shortcuts (e.g.Ctrl+e), Alt shortcuts (e.g.Alt+e), and combined modifiers (e.g.Ctrl+Shift+e,Alt+Shift+e). -
Modifier Key Order: When combining multiple modifier keys in a shortcut (both for GnollHack and non-GnollHack shortcuts), always list them in this standard order: Ctrl, then Alt, then Shift (e.g.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+key,Alt+Shift+e,Ctrl+Shift+c,Ctrl+Alt+i). -
Non-GnollHack Keyboard Shortcuts: For any keyboard shortcuts that are not specific to the GnollHack game client (such as operating system hotkeys, VS Code markdown editor shortcuts, or other application keys), always use uppercase letters for the shortcut key (e.g.,
Ctrl+Shift+P,Ctrl+I,Ctrl+B,Ctrl+Shift+V,Win+R,Alt+Tab).
9. Recommended Unicode Icons
When editing or creating headings for pages, always use appropriate Unicode icons/emojis immediately after the heading markers (## or ### ) to maintain a rich, consistent visual aesthetic across the wiki. Use this verified list as a guide. Exceptions:
- Never use Unicode icons in headings that start with a number (such as
1.,2.,3., or### 1. Heading Name). -
Never apply a Unicode icon to H1 (
#) headings (custom page titles). -
General Guides & Meta Info:
- General Info / Overview (General articles):
๐orโน๏ธ - Quest / Geographic / World Overview:
๐ - Starting Guide / Beginner Info:
๐ - NetHack Veterans / Experienced Players:
๐๏ธ - Advanced Guide / Strategy:
๐ - Difficulty Levels:
๐ - Gameplay Modes:
๐น๏ธ - Settings / Options:
โ๏ธ - Help / FAQ:
โ - Platforms / Installation (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Steam):
๐ปor๐ฑor๐ฅ๏ธ - Developer Workflows / Build Instructions / Code Contributions:
๐ ๏ธor๐งโ๐ป - Prerequisites:
๐ - Release / Build Checklists:
๐orโ - Legal Pages / Privacy & Cookie Policies:
๐or๐ - Scores / Tournaments:
๐or๐๏ธor๐ฏ - Conclusions / Summary:
๐ก
- General Info / Overview (General articles):
-
Character Attributes & Core Stats:
- Core Attributes (General):
๐ชor๐งฌ - Strength:
๐ช - Dexterity:
๐ฏor๐คธ - Constitution / Health:
๐or๐ชต - Intelligence:
๐ง - Wisdom:
๐or๐ฆ - Charisma:
โจor๐ - Experience / Level:
๐or๐ - Hit Points (HP) / Health:
โค๏ธ - Mana (MP) / Spell Power:
๐ฎor๐ - Alignments (General):
โ๏ธ - Lawful / Halo / Deities:
โ๏ธor๐ - Neutral / Balance:
๐orโฏ๏ธ - Chaotic / Chaos:
๐or๐ฅor๐
- Core Attributes (General):
-
Character Classes / Roles:
- Archaeologist:
๐บ - Barbarian:
๐ช - Caveman:
๐ฆด - Healer:
๐งช - Knight:
๐ก๏ธ - Monk:
๐ฅ - Priest:
โช - Rogue:
๐ก๏ธ - Ranger:
๐น - Samurai:
โ๏ธ - Tourist:
๐ธ - Valkyrie:
โก - Wizard:
๐ช
- Archaeologist:
-
Playable Races:
- Human:
๐ง - Dwarf:
โ๏ธ - Elf:
๐ง - Gnome:
๐ง - Gnoll:
๐บ - Orc:
๐น
- Human:
-
Dungeon Exploration & Gameplay:
- Level / Map Structure:
๐บ๏ธ - Dungeon Branches:
๐ - Directions / Navigation:
๐งญ - Special Levels:
๐ฉ - Characteristics:
โน๏ธ - Entrance / Entry:
๐ช - Drawbridge:
๐ - Gnomish Mines:
โ๏ธ - Sokoban / Puzzles:
๐งฉor๐ชจ - Portals / The Quest:
๐ - Requirements / Entry Requirements:
๐or๐ฏ๏ธ - Astral Plane:
๐ - Plane Sequence:
๐ช - Gehennom:
๐ฅor๐ - Towns / Shops / Merchants:
๐ชor๐๏ธ - Altars / Temples / Sacrifice / Praying:
โชor๐ฏ๏ธor๐or๐ฉธ - Fountains:
โฒ - Traps / Hazards:
๐ชคor๐ณ๏ธor๐ธ๏ธorโ ๏ธ - Movement / Travel:
๐ถor๐or๐ - Encumbrance / Carrying Capacity:
๐or๐๏ธ - Companion / Pets / Canines / Felines:
๐พor๐ถor๐ฑ - Mercenaries / Hirelings:
๐คor๐or๐ฐ
- Level / Map Structure:
-
Combat & Monsters:
- Combat (General) / Melee:
โ๏ธor๐ก๏ธ - Ranged / Ammunition / Bows / Throwing:
๐นor๐ฏ - Monsters / Enemies / Bestiary (General):
๐นor๐or๐or๐พ - Bosses / Nemesis (General):
๐or๐or๐ - Specific Major Bosses:
- The Wizard of Yendor:
๐งโโ๏ธ - Vlad the Impaler:
๐ง - Medusa:
๐ - Orcus:
๐ - Baalzebub:
๐ชฐ - Dispater, Yacc:
๐ - Jubilex:
๐ฆ - Yeenaghu:
๐บ - Croesus:
๐ - Tarrasque:
๐ฆ - Modron Primus:
๐๏ธor๐ค
- The Wizard of Yendor:
- NPCs (Non-Player Characters):
๐ค - Growing Up (Monsters/Pets):
๐ฃor๐ฑor๐
- Combat (General) / Melee:
-
Equipment & Wearables:
- Wearable Items / Equipment Screen:
๐or๐ก๏ธor๐ - Body Armor / Shirts / Robes / Uniforms:
๐or๐ฅor๐งฅ - Shields:
๐ก๏ธ - Helms / Headwear:
๐ช - Cloaks / Capes:
๐งฅ - Gloves / Gauntlets:
๐งค - Boots / Shoes / Footwear:
๐ฅพ - Bracers:
๐ช - Rings:
๐ - Amulets:
๐ฟor๐งฟ - Quality Tiers (Exceptional, Elite, Celestial, etc.):
๐
- Wearable Items / Equipment Screen:
-
Items & Consumables:
- Item Identification:
๐or๐๏ธ - Food / Comestibles:
๐or๐ฅฉor๐ - Eating / Nutrition / Consuming Food:
๐or๐ - Potions / Alchemy:
๐งชorโ๏ธ - Diluted Potions:
๐งชor๐ง - Evaporation / Destruction:
๐จor๐ฅ - Scrolls:
๐ - Wands:
๐ช - Spellbooks / Books:
๐or๐ - Tools / Miscellaneous Items:
๐ ๏ธor๐งฐ - Gems / Precious Stones / Touchstones:
๐or๐ชจ - Artifacts / Special Gifts:
โจor๐ - Starting Items:
๐ - Wishing / Genies:
๐งorโจ
- Item Identification:
-
Magic & Spells:
- Spellcasting / Magic Systems:
๐ฎor๐ง - Spells (General):
โจorโก - Healing / Divine / Recovery:
๐ฉนorโค๏ธorโ - Offensive / Conjuration Spells:
๐ฅor๐ฅorโก - Utility / Divination / Transmutation Spells:
๐๏ธor๐งชor๐
- Spellcasting / Magic Systems:
-
Status Conditions & Hazards:
- Status Conditions (General):
๐ฉนor๐ค - Sickness / Mummy Rot:
๐คขor๐ค - Poison / Poisoning / Deadly Venom:
โ ๏ธor๐คข - Petrification / Stone:
๐ฟor๐ชจ - Lycanthropy:
๐บ - Curses / Negative Effects:
๐or๐คorโ - Blessings / Holy / Uncursed:
โญor๐or๐ผ - Blindness:
๐or๐ถ๏ธ - Stun / Confusion:
๐or๐ซ - Hallucination:
๐or๐ - Bones Files / Player Graves / Death:
๐ชฆor๐
- Status Conditions (General):
-
Audio & Sound:
- Soundtracks / Music / Audio Systems:
๐ตor๐or๐น - Voiceovers / Dialogue:
๐ฃ๏ธor๐๏ธ
- Soundtracks / Music / Audio Systems:
10. Recommended Unicode Icons for Other Uses
When formatting inline content, tables, lists, or callouts, use appropriate Unicode icons/emojis to maintain readability and visual distinction:
-
Alerts & Callouts (for blockquotes
>):- Note:
โน๏ธ(> โน๏ธ **Note:** ...) - Tip:
๐ก(> ๐ก **Tip:** ...) - Important:
๐ข(> ๐ข **Important:** ...) - Warning:
โ ๏ธ(> โ ๏ธ **Warning:** ...) - Caution:
๐(> ๐ **Caution:** ...)
- Note:
-
Document Structure:
- Ingress:
๐(> ๐ **Welcome...**at the top of a page) - Conclusions / Summary:
๐ก(e.g.,## ๐ก Conclusions)
- Ingress:
-
User Interface & Interaction Controls:
- Keyboard Shortcuts / Keys / Commands:
โจ๏ธ - Mouse Clicks / Gestures / Actions:
๐ฑ๏ธ - Menus / Settings / Command Rows:
โ๏ธor๐น๏ธor๐ฑ - Status Lines / Display Layout:
๐ฅ๏ธ - External Links / Link References:
๐
- Keyboard Shortcuts / Keys / Commands:
-
Game Statuses & Indicators:
- Active / Classic Mode / Enabled / Yes:
๐ขorโ - Warning / Classic-Casual Mode / Inactive:
๐กor๐ - Permadeath Mode / Disabled / Dead / No:
๐ดorโ - Allowed / Available:
โ - Prohibited / Restricted:
โ
- Active / Classic Mode / Enabled / Yes:
-
Inline Item & Ability Modifiers:
- Blessed / Holy / Amber altar flash:
โญor๐or๐ผ - Cursed / Cursed / Black altar flash:
๐or๐คor๐ - Uncursed / Neutral / No altar flash:
โช - Intrinsic Properties:
๐งฌ - Extrinsic Properties (Equipment-granted):
๐or๐ก๏ธor๐ - Upgraded Quality (Exceptional, Elite, etc.):
๐
- Blessed / Holy / Amber altar flash:
-
In-Text Alignment, Gender, & Role Modifiers:
- Lawful:
โ๏ธor๐ - Neutral:
๐orโฏ๏ธ - Chaotic:
๐or๐ฅor๐ - Male:
โ๏ธ - Female:
โ๏ธ
- Lawful:
-
Economy & Value:
- Gold / Price / Cost / Shop purchases:
๐ชor๐ฐ
- Gold / Price / Cost / Shop purchases:
-
Arrows:
- Use Unicode
โinstead of-> - Use Unicode
โinstead of<-
- Use Unicode
11. Recommended Unicode Icons for Article Types
When linking to or categorizing different types of articles (for instance, in lists or tables of contents), use the following Unicode icons to indicate the nature of the article. Note: These icons do not necessarily need to be inserted before each individual article link; they can instead be applied only to the overarching section heading for that group of articles.
-
Technological Background Articles (explaining architecture, history, and technical choices):
๐๏ธor๐งor๐ก -
Tutorials and Guides (step-by-step instructions for gameplay):
๐or๐ -
Reference and Data (raw data, game mechanics, item tables):
๐or๐ -
Build Instructions (compiling and setting up the game):
๐ ๏ธor๐งโ๐ป -
Troubleshooting and FAQ (solving common problems):
โor๐ง -
Project Management and Checklists (release steps, to-dos):
๐orโ -
Legal and Policy (privacy policies, licenses):
๐orโ๏ธ
12. Recommended Unicode Icons for Games and Variants
When referencing or comparing different games and NetHack variants, use the following Unicode icons:
-
NetHack / NetHack 5.0:
๐งโโ๏ธ(Wizard) -
GnollHack / GnollHack Release 3:
๐บ(Wolf) -
NetHack Windows GUI:
๐ช(Window) -
NetHack 3D:
๐ง(3D Cube) -
dNetHack:
๐(Octopus) -
EvilHack:
๐(Devil) -
UnNetHack:
๐ฒ(Dice) -
Pathos:
๐ฑ(Mobile) -
Shattered Pixel Dungeon:
๐๏ธ(Old Key)
13. Footnotes
- Footnotes should use an ordinal numbering system starting from 1.
- These numbers are included as superscripts with the HTML
<sup>tag. For example,<sup>1</sup>. - The footnotes are listed below the table or text in an unordered list with the number in superscript like this:
- <sup>1</sup> Footnote description.