Commands

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

⚔️ Combat and Attacks

These commands are used for attacking, shooting, throwing, and managing your active weapons.

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

🎒 Inventory and Item Management

Use these commands to view, organize, select, and inspect items in your inventory or on the ground.

Command	Icon	Hotkey	Description	Notes
Inventory		i	Display all items currently carried in your inventory.
Autopickup		@	Toggle the autopickup option on/off.
Drop		d	Drop an item onto the floor.
Drop Multiple		Shift+d	Drop multiple items from your inventory at once.	Alternate hotkey: %.
Examine		Alt+x	Examine an item to view its detailed statistics and properties.	New in GnollHack.
Near Look		:	Look at the ground/items present at your current tile.

🚪 Containers and Door Interaction

Commands for interacting with doors, chests, and bags.

Command	Icon	Hotkey	Description	Notes
Open Door		o	Open an adjacent closed door.
Close Door		c	Close an adjacent open door.
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.
Force Lock		Alt+f	Force a lock on a chest or door using a weapon or tool.
Untrap		u	Attempt to disarm a trap, untrap a container/door, or rescue a trapped monster.	Alternate hotkey: Alt+u.
Break		Ctrl+b	Break an item in your inventory to release its magic or contents (e.g. breaking a wand or potion).	New in GnollHack.

🛠️ Consumables and General Tools

These commands are used to eat, drink, apply utility tools, and manage light sources.

Command	Icon	Hotkey	Description	Notes
Apply Tool		a	Apply (use) a tool, such as a key, lamp, or pick-axe.
Eat		e	Eat food or another edible item in your inventory or on the floor.
Drink (Quaff)		q	Drink a potion, water, or other beverage from your inventory or the floor.
Light / Snuff		Ctrl+l	Light or snuff out a nearby light source, like a lamp or candle.	New in GnollHack.
Dig		Ctrl+g	Dig the ground or a wall (requires a pick-axe or other digging tool).	New in GnollHack.
Engrave		Shift+e	Write a message on the floor using a tool or your fingers (dust).
Engrave Quick		Alt+Shift+e	Quickly engrave on the floor using a predefined style or finger.	New in GnollHack.
Wipe Face		Alt+e	Wipe off dirt, grease, slime, or other substances from your face.
Rub		Alt+r	Rub a lamp or other object (can summon a genie if successful).
Dip		Alt+d	Dip an object into a potion, fountain, sink, or a pool of water.
Apply Pick-axe Quick		Alt+Shift+x	Quickly apply a pick-axe, mattock, or other cutting tool to dig/cut in a direction.	New in GnollHack.

🔮 Magic and Spellcasting

Commands to cast spells, use wands, read scrolls, and mix components.

Command	Icon	Hotkey	Description	Notes
Cast Spell		Shift+z	Cast a spell that you have learned.
Spell Menu		+	Open the spell menu to view or cast spells.	New in GnollHack. Alternate hotkey: Alt+z.
Zap Wand		z	Zap a magic wand in a specified direction.
Read		r	Read a scroll, spellbook, or engraving.
Invoke		Alt+i	Invoke the powers of a magical object or artifact.
Mix Spells		Shift+x	Mix material components (reagents) for a spell.	New in GnollHack.

👕 Equipment and Wearables

Commands to view, wear, and remove armor and accessories.

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

📖 Information and UI Controls

These commands open information screens, name entities, and control the user interface.

Command	Icon	Hotkey	Description	Notes
Character Details		}	Display detailed information, statistics, and attributes of your character.	New in GnollHack.
Abilities		Shift+a	View your character's active and passive abilities (opens the status screen).	New in GnollHack.
Look Far		'	Look at a distant tile on the map to identify what symbol represents.
Chat		Shift+c	Chat with an adjacent monster, pet, or NPC.
Yell for Pets		Alt+y	Yell to summon your pet to your side.	New in GnollHack. Alternate hotkey: Ctrl+y.
Dungeon Overview		Ctrl+o	Show the dungeon overview screen listing visited levels and features.
Name		Shift+n	Name a specific monster, individual item, or category of items.
Use Monster Ability		Alt+Shift+m	Use a special ability of your current monster form (if polymorphed).
Help		h	Display the help menu with game information and commands.	Alternate hotkey: ?.

⚙️ Game Control and System Meta Commands

Commands that manage the game state, save progress, or display settings.

Command	Icon	Hotkey	Description	Notes
Repeat		Ctrl+a	Redo/repeat the previous command.
Number of Actions1		n	Specify a repetition count before entering a command.	New in GnollHack. Alternate hotkey: Alt+n.
Pray		Alt+p	Pray to your deity for help, healing, or safety.	See the Praying guide for details.
Offer Sacrifice		Alt+o	Offer an item or corpse as a sacrifice on an altar to your deity.
Extended Command		#	Prompt for and execute an extended command (e.g. #pray, #sit, #chat).
Pay Bill		p	Pay your shopping bill to the shopkeeper.
Vanquished Creatures		Alt+k	Show the list of monsters you have killed during the game.
Genocided Monsters		Alt+g	Show a list of all genocided monster species.

• 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.

🧭 Movement and Exploration

Use the following commands to navigate the dungeon, climb stairs, rest, and search.

Command	Icon	Hotkey	Description	Notes
Go Down		>	Go down a staircase or ladder to the next level.
Go Up		<	Go up a staircase or ladder to the previous level.
Wait		.	Rest or wait for one turn (does nothing; useful to let monsters approach or to pass time).
Travel		_	Automatically travel to a selected map tile using a pathfinding algorithm.
Search		s	Search adjacent tiles for hidden secret doors and traps (success depends on perception and luck).
Jump		j	Jump to a nearby tile (requires character jumping ability).	Alternate hotkey: Alt+j.
Ride		Alt+Shift+r	Mount or dismount a saddled steed.
Sit		Ctrl+s	Sit down on the floor, a throne, or another seat (sitting on a throne can trigger magical effects).

🧙‍♂️ Wizard Mode Commands

These commands are only available when playing in Wizard mode (developer debug mode).

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