👉 This page lists only the commands that appear in the modern user interface, organized into categories.

🎒 Inventory and Item Management

Commands to view, pick up, and drop in your inventory or on the floor.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Inventory Inventory i Display all items currently carried in your inventory.  
Pick Up Pick Up , Pick up items from the floor at your current position.  
Pick Up and Stash Stash ; Pick up items and automatically insert them into the best container in your inventory. (See Auto-Stashing Algorithm) New in GnollHack.
Autopickup Autopickup @ Toggle the autopickup option on/off.  
Drop Drop d Drop an item onto the floor.  
Drop Multiple Drop Multiple Shift+d Drop multiple items from your inventory at once. Alternate hotkey: %.

⚔️ Combat and Attacks

Commands used for attacking, shooting, throwing, and managing active weapons or combat styles.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Wield Weapon Wield w Wield a weapon or tool as your primary weapon (use - to wield bare hands).  
Fire Fire f Shoot or throw ammunition currently loaded in your quiver.  
Throw Throw t Throw an object or weapon from your inventory in a specified direction.  
Swap Weapons Swap x Swap your primary wielded weapon with your secondary/alternate weapon.  
Quiver Quiver Shift+q Select ammunition (arrows, daggers, etc.) to load into your quiver for firing.  
Fight Fight Shift+f Attack/fight in a specified direction, even if you do not see a monster (forces an attack on a tile, useful for invisible foes).  
Dual Weapon Mode Dual Wield Ctrl+x Toggle dual-wielding mode (two-weapon combat) on or off.  
Apply Polearm Polearm Alt+Shift+p Strike a monster from a distance of two tiles using a wielded polearm or lance (can also be a swap weapon). New in GnollHack.
Wield Previous Wield Previous Alt+Shift+w Wield the weapon you previously wielded (useful after using a tool). New in GnollHack.
Handedness Handedness Alt+h Toggle weapon swapping mode (switch between swapping weapons in the right hand only or in both hands). New in GnollHack.

👕 Equipment and Wearables

Commands to view, wear, and remove armor, accessories, and other equipped gear.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Equipment Equipment * Show a list of all your equipped items (combining armor, weapons, rings, amulets, and tools).  
Wear Armor Wear Shift+w Put on a piece of armor (helmet, body armor, gloves, boots, etc.).  
Take Off Armor Take Off Shift+t Take off a single piece of armor you are currently wearing.  
Wear Many Wear Many Alt+w Put on multiple pieces of armor. New in GnollHack.
Take Off Many Take Off Many Alt+t Take off multiple pieces of armor at once.  
Put On Accessory Put On Shift+p Put on an accessory such as a ring, amulet, or pair of glasses.  
Remove Accessory Remove Shift+r Remove an accessory (ring, amulet, etc.) that you are currently wearing.  

🛠️ General Item Commands

Commands to eat, drink, read, apply tools, dig, engrave, dip, or break items.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Apply Tool Apply a Apply (use) a tool, such as a key, lamp, or pick-axe.  
Eat Eat e Eat food or another edible item in your inventory or on the floor.  
Drink (Quaff) Drink q Drink a potion, water, or other beverage from your inventory or the floor.  
Read Read r Read a scroll or spellbook.  
Zap Wand Zap z Zap a magic wand in a specified direction.  
Dig Dig Ctrl+g Dig the ground or a wall (requires a pick-axe or other digging tool). New in GnollHack.
Engrave Engrave Shift+e Write a message on the floor using a tool or your fingers (dust).  
Engrave Quick Engrave Quick Alt+Shift+e Quickly engrave on the floor using a predefined style or finger. New in GnollHack.
Rub Rub Alt+r Rub a lamp or another object (rubbing a magic lamp can summon a genie if successful).  
Dip Dip Alt+d Dip an object into a potion, fountain, sink, or pool of water.  
Apply Pick-axe Quick Pick-axe Alt+Shift+x Quickly apply a pick-axe, mattock, or another cutting tool to dig or cut in a direction. New in GnollHack.
Break Break Ctrl+b Break an item in your inventory to release its magic or contents (e.g., breaking a wand). New in GnollHack.
Light / Snuff Light Snuff Ctrl+l Light or snuff out a nearby light source, like a lamp or candle. New in GnollHack.
Invoke Invoke Alt+i Invoke the powers of a magical object or artifact.  

🚪 Containers and Door Interaction

Commands for interacting with doors, containers, chests, and bags.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Open Door Open o Open an adjacent closed door.  
Close Door Close c Close an adjacent open door.  
Loot Loot l Loot a container on the floor, saddle/unsaddle a steed, or retrieve items from decorations (such as torch holders). Alternate hotkey: Alt+l.
Take Out of Bag Take Out of Bag b Take one or more items out of a container in your inventory. New in GnollHack.
Put Into Bag Put Into Bag Shift+b Put one or more items into a container in your inventory. New in GnollHack.
Kick Kick k Kick an adjacent door, chest, monster, or another object. Alternate hotkey: Ctrl+d.
Force Lock Force Lock Alt+f Force a lock on a chest or door using a weapon or tool.  
Untrap Untrap u Attempt to disarm a trap, untrap a container/door, or rescue a trapped monster. Alternate hotkey: Alt+u.

🧭 Movement

Commands to navigate the dungeon, climb stairs, travel, and jump.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Go Down Go Down > Go down a staircase or ladder to the next level.  
Go Up Go Up < Go up a staircase or ladder to the previous level.  
Travel Travel _ Automatically travel to a selected map tile using a pathfinding algorithm.  
Jump Jump j Jump to a nearby tile (requires jumping ability). Alternate hotkey: Alt+j.

🗣️ Communication and Interaction with NPCs and Pets

Commands to converse with NPCs, pay shopping bills, mount steeds, or call pets.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Chat Chat Shift+c Chat with an adjacent monster, pet, or NPC.  
Yell for Pets Yell Alt+y Yell to summon your pets to your side. New in GnollHack. Alternate hotkey: Ctrl+y.
Pay Bill Pay Bill p Pay your shopping bill to the shopkeeper.  
Ride Ride Alt+Shift+r Mount or dismount a saddled steed.  

📖 Game Information

Commands to search surroundings, view character stats or abilities, look at tiles, and review dungeon or monster history.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Search Search s Search adjacent tiles for secret doors and traps (success depends on perception and luck).  
Examine Examine Alt+x Examine an item to view its detailed statistics and properties. New in GnollHack.
Abilities Abilities Shift+a View your character's active and passive abilities (opens the status screen). New in GnollHack.
Character Details Character Details } Display detailed information, statistics, and attributes of your character. New in GnollHack.
Look Far Look Far ' Look at a distant tile on the map to identify what the symbol represents.  
Dungeon Overview Dungeon Overview Ctrl+o Show the dungeon overview screen listing visited levels and features.  
Near Look Near Look : Look at the ground/items present at your current tile.  
Vanquished Creatures Vanquished Alt+k Show the list of monsters you have killed during the game.  
Genocided Monsters Genocided Alt+g Show a list of all genocided monster species.  

🔮 Spellcasting

Commands to cast spells, view the spell menu, or mix spell components.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Cast Spell Cast Shift+z Cast a spell that you have learned.  
Spell Menu Spell Menu + Open the spell menu to view or cast spells. New in GnollHack. Alternate hotkey: Alt+z.
Mix Spells Mix Shift+x Mix material components (reagents) for a spell. New in GnollHack.

⚙️ System

Commands to repeat the previous action, specify action repetition counts, or run extended command prompts.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Repeat Repeat Ctrl+a Redo/repeat the previous command.  
Number of Actions1 Number of Actions n Specify a repetition count before entering a command. New in GnollHack. Alternate hotkey: Alt+n.
Extended Command Extended Command # Prompt for and execute an extended command (e.g., #pray, #sit, or #chat).  
  • 1 Number of actions works like this: press n, then write the number of actions in numerals, and then choose the action. For example, n20s searches 20 times.

🛐 Religion

Commands to pray to your deity for intervention or offer sacrifices at altars.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Pray Pray Alt+p Pray to your deity for help, healing, or safety. See the Praying guide for details.
Offer Sacrifice Offer Alt+o Offer an item or corpse as a sacrifice on an altar to your deity.  

🧩 Other Commands

Miscellaneous utility commands for resting, naming, sitting, using polymorphed monster abilities, wiping your face, and viewing help.

Command Icon Hotkey Description Notes
Wait Wait . Rest or wait for one turn (does nothing; useful to let monsters approach or to pass the time).  
Name Name Shift+n Name a specific monster, individual item, or category of items.  
Sit Sit Ctrl+s Sit down on the floor, a throne, or another seat (sitting on a throne can trigger magical effects).  
Use Monster Ability Monster Ability Alt+Shift+m Use a special ability of your current monster form (if polymorphed).  
Wipe Face Wipe Alt+e Wipe off dirt, grease, slime, or other substances from your face.  
Help Help h Display the help menu with game information and commands. Alternate hotkey: ?.

🧙‍♂️ Wizard Mode Commands

Developer-only debug commands available when playing in Wizard Mode.

Command Icon Hotkey Description
Wish Wish Ctrl+w Make a wish for any item.
Reveal Map Reveal Map Ctrl+f Reveal the entire map of the current level.
Identify Identify Ctrl+i Identify all items in your inventory.
Level Teleport Level Teleport Ctrl+v Teleport to a different level of the dungeon.
Genesis Genesis Alt+m Create a monster.